Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-03-01

to save them from crumblng to pieces.
Not only mineral but literary treasures
have been brought to light when ex-
cavating mother earth. For instance,
in the foundations Of an old house,
Luthcr's Table Talk" was discovered
lying in deep, obscure hole, wrapped
in strong linen cloth, which was waxed
all over with bccswax within and with
out" There il had remained hidden
ever since its suppression by Pope
Gregory XIII The poems Of Proper
titus, n Roman poet, long laid unsnspect-
ed in the darkness Of winc-ccllar
from whence they were ut length TN
earthed by accident, just in time to
preserve them from destruction by rats
and nildcw. Not only from beneath
our feet, but from above our heads,
may chance reveal the hiding-place Of
treasure troyc. The sudden falling in
Of Il ceiling, for example, Of some
chambers in Lncolns Inn revealed the
secret depository Of the Thurloe state
papers. Other literary treasures have
turned w in an equally curious man
ncr. Millions essay on the /" Doctrines
of Christianity" was discovered in "
bundle Of old dispatches; amonk found
the only manuscript Of Tacitus acct
dentally in Westphalia; the letters Of
Lady Mary Montague were brought to
light from the recessc5 Of M old trunk /;
the manuscripts Of DIR. Dee from the
secret drawer Of an old chest; and il IS
said that one Of the cantos of Dante's
great poem was found after being long
mislnid, hidden away beneath win
dow SILL
1t il curious to trace how the origin
OF some famous work has been sug-
gestcd apparently by the morest acci-
dent We need but remind the reader
how Lady Austcn's suggestions oi "Tho
Sofa as u subject for blank verse was
the beginning of "Thc Task" poem
which grew to formidable proportions
under Cowpera lacilc pen. Another
example Of.
What great events from trivial causes spring,
is furnished by I0ckharts account Of
the gradual growth Of "The Lay of the
last Minstrel The lovely Countess Of
Dalkcith hears ii wild legend Of Border
dio0hdc, and sportively asks Scott To
make il the subject Of Il ballad. The
poets accidental confinement in the
midst Of II ycomanry camp gave him
leisure to mediate his theme To the
sound of the bugle; suddenly there
flashes on him the idea Of extending his
simple outline SO MS to embrace II vivid
panorama Of that old border life of war
and tumut. a friends suggestion led
to the arrangement and frame Of the
lay and the conception Of the ancient
Harper. Thus stop by step grow the
poem that made its author famous.
The manuscript Of Waverley lny
hidden away in IN old cabinet for years
before the public were aware Of its OK
istonce. In the words of the Great I'M
known /" had written the great part
of the first volume and sletched other
passages, when | mislaid the manu-
script and only found it 10y the mercst
accident, ~ was rumaging the drawer
of IN old cabinet; and took the fancv
of finishing it,
Charlotte BrontG's chance discovery
Of manuscript volume ofyerscs in her
sister EmiIv's handwriting, led from
mutual confession Of the Juror potticus,
to the Joint publication of their poems,
which, though adding little to their sub
Scqucnt fame, ri least gives lis another
instance how much of what is called
chance has often to do with the carry
ing out Of literary projects. 1t was the
burning of Drury Lame Theatre that led
to the production Of The Rejected Adj
Dresses the success of which, says one
of the authors, decided him to ON
bark in that literary career, which the
favor of the novcl-rcading world render
cd both pleasant and profitable to hmm.
Most of us know how that famous fairy
tale. Alice i'll Wonderland' came to
he written The characters III "Olivcr
Twist of Fagin, Skies and Nancy were
suggested hy some sketches Of Cruik-
shank, who long had u design to show
the life of Il London thief by Il series Of
drawings. Dickens, while paying Cruk
shank n visit, happened 70 turn over
some sketches in Il portfolio When lie
came to that one which represents Fa-
gin in the condemned cell, he studied
ii for half IN hour and told his friend
Tint he was tempted f. change the
whole plot Of his story, not to carry
Oliver through adventures i'll the coun-
try, but to take him up into the thieves
den in London, show what this life was
and bring Oliver through il without sin
or shame. Cruikshank consented to let
Dickens write up to rs many of the
drawings rs he thought would suit his
purpose. So the story ~ it now runs
resulted in great measure from that
chance inspection Of tho artists port
folio. The remarkable picture Of the
jew malcfactor in the condemned cell
biting his nails in the torture of remorse,
is associated with happy accident.