Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-27
MARRIAGE IN OLD AGE.
St;J,TJ,lLS PERTINENT TO THE LORD
CASE.

CASE.
Sophocles and His Wicked Sons Charge that
he was Insane-The Father and Mother of
the Earl of Leiccster-A Timely Heir.
70 THE EDITOR OF THE N. Y. SUN-Per-
nit me to transfer your million readers to
scene that occurred more than 200 years ago,
and yet is as fresh in the classic mind as a
theme of yesterday, and carries with 1t
suggestion upon an event Of the present
time.
The scene was in ancient Athens when
the victories of Marathon, Salamis, and
Plataa had already made the city Of Miner
va immortal; when the warrior-poet Soph-
ocles. the companion of Pericles, and his
tragedies eclipsed those of his master Hs-
chylus.
Sophocles had reached the age of nearly
ninety years. laurelled with undying fame,
and one of the wealthiest citizens of Athens,
from the public success of his dramatic
works, and his many mental prizes in the
the Olymp1an contests.
He had two sons, who, envious of their
fathers wealth and estates, sought to obtain
possession of them before the death of their
father. There was only one way legally and
that was, if the accusations were true, to
publicly accuse their aged parent of insanity,
and have it proved in open court. The sons
made the charge; the father was duly cited
to appear and defend, by counsel or other
wise, before the high and final tribunal of
Areopagus. The day of trial arrived, yet no
counsel appeared, as subsequently upon the
trial of Phryne.
The sixty silver-bearded judges were seated
in the semicircle, the altar fire before them,
to swear witnesses that their evidence should
be as pure as the celestial fire from Jupiter
The sons gave their testimony, rather to
natural incidents of old age than to any de-
mentation Of the father; yet no counsel ap-
peared for the defense, and the judges We're
about to pronounce Judgment against the
parent by default, and by decree to trans
fer the estates to the impatient sons, when,
sudden as a flash Of light from day-crowned
Apollo, appeared before the wondering tri-
bunal the silver bearded Sophocles! The
judges arose to receive him. He took no
notice of his ungrateful sons, but at once
took the altar stand and was sworn as wit
ness in his own behalf, and like st. Paul in
aftertime, and on that very spot, pleaded the
cause of immortal truth.
Sophocles would not condescend to deny
the accusation of his sons; but, taking from
the fold of his classic garment an original
manuscript, which he had written and COM
posed during the two previous years, while
his SONS were falsely denouncing his insan-
ity, he oratorically read aloud (for the poets
of Athens were also tragedians) his original
tragedy of ''QIdipus in Colonus,' which we
now possess. Upon it's termination all the
judges arose, and by acclamation ac-
quilted him of the charge OF
insanity, and thereupon sentenced the sons
to death for flial impiety. Then the poet
ceased, and the father pleaded for the life OF
his sons. For the sake of Sophocles and at
his iutercession, the sentence of death was
COMMITTED to life exile, and non-inheritance
Of the parents property after his death: and
the judges gave him legal power to adopt
new heirs, as if new born children to his
name and honors.
In chapter l of the First Book of the
Kings" we read; "Now King David was old
and stricken in years, and they covered him
with clothes, but he got no heat Then fol
lows the statement, and, of course, advice
that "a fair dansel was sought for the King
and she cherished him." and thereupon he
lived years afterwards. Are there not sensi-
BILE men as well as King David, who have fol
loW0u LIS ottilAIdlJ cAdluJlc, tl1u IV6U
additional years? And why not a Lord OF
the present day, as those Of past time:
Again, the King of Israel was rejuyenated
and why not those of lesser dignity? When
widower is resolved to roam again in the
garden of matrimony, would he not be fool
ish to select q withered flower for his bosom,
when he could have for his own one of
sweetness and blossomed and not dead nor
dying? 1t proves his sanity. and not insan-
ity. Madame Hicks is the very blossomed
flower that any sensible gentleman of taste
would be proud to possess; and those who
rail against it are perhaps those tops who, in
New York, Paris and London, failed to Sc
cure a party invitation, a flash from her
bright eyes, or a smile from her ruby lips
All the cid story revived of the fox and the
too high hanging fruit "Pooh! do not
care to taste it, because the grapes are sour p
That is, the fox, with all his cunning, could
not reach them.
When Madam Hicks, of Welsh blood, clever
and ambitious was in London and Paris
the bright star of American beauty and
widowhood, followed by many admirers and
the.coneponion del royuge of the Duchess OF
st. Adams, then made prediction, which
is now fulfilled, that she would marry 8
Lord. My prophecy is now nuptially accomp-
lshed.
It has been asked, as in contempt car
this new husband and wife expect to have
any heir from this marriage? Apart from
the Scriptural records of such matters anc
atfirmatively, there are many memorable ex
amples in history as if Providence decreed te
battle and punish malignant and ungratefu
designers against justice. King Louis XIII.
under the influence OF Cardinal Richelieu
had not maritally seen his Queen Anne O
Austria, for twenty-one years Oyertaker
by storm, and following promise of atone
/, ment made by Mile. Lafayette of that day.
the King remained one night at the palace
of the Louvre, and personally presented hi.
respects to the Queen. Result: From tina
interview was born the Grand Monarqale
King Louis XIV, who reigned nearly sixt,
years over the Kingdom Of France.
The most memorable caseon record which
bears directly, as to probabilities, upon the
subject matter in review, is that Of the cele
brated Thomas Holk Of Holkham Hall, Eng
land. Mount Hecla is covered with snow
but the fires within are equally we'll known
Thomas Holk, Esq, was a renowned English
farmer; had large estates and great persona
wealth was q member of narliamant onc