Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-10-13
Response to Mr.. Thomson.
HAnrs2's FERRY, October ., 1877

While 70 allese error on your part, on SUD-
isgt X once classical aud Greek, Is
To beard the lion in his den
The Douglass in his hail.
Trusting to your generosity, however, and that
In case Of death 10 me in any encounter that l
NAV rashly undertake after the manner OF
Achilles of old. You viii return my body to my
friends. beg leave to call your attention to
your letter Of October > addressed to Capt.
liable. aud published in the last issue Of The
FREE PRESS.
In that letter you say, speaking Of " our clas-
steal dictionaries aud histories, they repre-
sent. aaI Of course on tie authority q Homer,
that Achilles when he had killed Hector drag
sed him three times around the Nallsot Troy
Vow since Homer has said nothing OF the sort
for running around the walls If Troy Is GER
tainiy url being dragged around them,-by
Mat rish. Do YOU say, that i is " OF course
upon The authority of Homer that these state
meuts are made? Is Homer the only writer
whose theme is the siege Of Troy? have ga
idea that tie compiers of our classical dlctou-
aries. &c. would be very much surprised at
the suggestion that they made the statements
in question on the authority Of Homer.
What tlcu Are Tie statements to be con-
siderel false. aud should they lie eApunged
irym ouT school books, sud cease 10 lie part
ofour learning because Homer Is not auihor'-
IS tor them? Why sir, Won would have J0s'
AS good a night t. make 81. Matthew your
sole authority as 10 the period OF CHRISTIAN his
1 tory that be describes aud deny the correct
ness Of any statement Of tle other Gospels not
found in lis II such 8 mode OF reasoning
+ were permitted, what 10 TO stand IN tbe way OF
our being t.ld that UOpAId is our sole example
+ ia political purposes, aud OF having the tran
ceoieutAlism Of tie kingdom Of NOrhere writ
/ ten across cur statute books by your iaclle pen
/ Why. Sir. this would DC more iutolerable than
the tyranny OF Charles The hySt, the greater ~
rauuy IT Cromwell, or the dNiusIy inspired
rouseuse of tie TuWp parliament
Pay pardon NY iraukues>, and perhaps ny
error, tul Il seems h. me, the rock on when
You split. and the explanation Of the whole
n.attrr--uot only Of the statements IN our esas-
.ical dictionaries and histories, 80 which YOU
object. hut OF Others o. bs found there Tor
Which Homer i not authority, as, tor instance,
tha, the heel Of Achilles alone WAS vulnerable,
aud tina, thereby he lost his life TO be found,
AS have sail, In our dictionaries, but not IN
Homer j.. that there were other poets than
Homer. many others. others :, numerous that
very likely on this account they have always
been known as the Cyclic poets, and that
doubtless IL is on their authority those state
ments appear Tha, You are familiar with all
that is Known Of those writers DO not doubt
but then there IS such thing, you know, a
Mapping. lfonce upon time
The painting Thuaderer turned Ger and slept
surely. the author of TIE de,iciously conceived
and Gtlicatsly expressed verses that from tlm'
3 % time appear 10 cur county papers, that aI'
s1 delightful, 70 read. and the ravishing warmt.
ofwhich are emo 10 make the spirit Of Ton
Moore eayious, might wink himself into tn
same uredicameut, as, Uuder similar circum
l stances 20 the mighty Jove, be certainly wouli
e especially, my dear Sir, if on ons Of those
3. soul stirring nights in September
Of which Won speak the mystical star O
your love instead Of appearing to yon, II
so, Cherry riFs, in prdTrii PtrsoaAa
But o. continue You say you suppose ia
- error ia our school books &c, originated II
coufoundiug the running Of tue living llecto
with Tie dragging Of bis body, &c see q
occasion for such suPposjtion. l see no erro
e in our school books They simply contain
C statement that has been handed down trou
generation . generation, inst "a they do tina
in reference % the vulnerable heel and deaf
y Of Achilles and II does not 6Ilow that there
70 error 10 this, albeit Homer is not their auI5ori
. ~.
+. Towards The close Of ycur letter y0u say =
" Tie HAD il regarded as an Historical porn
and therefore tie error should he corrected 4
= mistake of history Indeed your letter
c beaded " \ Mistake In History Corrected
c 10 possible Sir. that gou are 10 earnest in this
~ If -, then Gene on. Proctor In your mex
book assure us that the moon is made Of gee
cheese You will address, an audience ths
b. has been educated q believe anything. nd
IS init that You arc not alone 10 the belief OF n
n historical character e tho Nitt. Mr.. Glad
stone. and some others scattered through n
ages agree with you, and the discoveries Of n
70 Schismanu-sl far aS the once existence O
go Troy IS c0ucCrned-give a sort Of cousin gel
;. man endorsement. BIT surely learned man
, kind, almost universally. are Of n different @
p.cj3D Bishop T,irV, in his history
- Greece says the whole story ia mythical. AZ
r mar D. fp0i az other spics. These have a
81 ready referred %. Nt Nd'er anghs At n
y. idea of constructing a systematic history on
TOT jt: while Gl0's speaks Of the siege 81 'Gro
'' as he Uisl; have done OF the assertion tn
there IS q man In the mon, thus tha, 70 o1
can either sfi.m or deny ia reality.
As Tor Il1ucr himself, who can sltsiactor
IS sag where he WAS bora or that he cvC
hyed 80 an; ny II ne dil, that h. was blind
or what his real mans was-flr Homer IS sai
81 % have been Tseulonvon; or that he wrot
, the Had; W II be wrote IL, that it vas any
thing more than q c7myji,ion Of Ie<sndS-
theory that receives considerable force from h
= fact that Che meaning q the worl Homer ]
p. compiler? And yct y'r shy thar the Had
/, 90 De regarded as an historical poem.
- Like a good physician, increasing yourd g
. as You 81 along. you administer your last an
largest ju these words: Homer isllvavs tru
Y o. nature and Probabilities. &c. Now. D.
p the admiration We both have for the creates
work Of human genius work the magma
t.ye capacity Of which is almost proof enorg
of a ij.s other and greater than IL merely NOR
sc til I cntrc1t Of y11 90 Withdraw your defenc
20 90 probability. | have known defcnces TIA
q sent men % Tie county i1jl, and the peniteo
tary. but never one like this All things. O
' course. were possible and anything was proba
p. Die % the Gods u Homer rs Is sufficiently ev
- 'lencej by their doings. thro' human agency
!. before tAe walls .f Troy; but IL yo1 Use %
word probability i1 Is usually accepted sense
then. alas what becomes Of the Had? IL /
'u1 not only of rmpubab.i;y, but of impossi
bIhy-ju acr IS mythical from beginning e.
end. This is not said % di>paa.e. but t
t q .- e L.. J. ...H