The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1882-12-02
SOME AccIDENis or HISTORY
a chapter on tria,. whch Nave Determined
Great Eyents.

learned essay on history which might
have been enacted, Au equal curious
volume might hr ponuod on trifes
which have determined great oysnts.
II w0sa min wldoh gave 5pain Tor 800
many generation, to the lOrd8bp Of the
new world, and enabled her by the
wealth which sho derived from that
source to become tho most powerful
nation in EEropt II is well known
that Columbus, dispirited 10y the refug-
ais which he met at 40 many courts,
dispatched his brother RaIlQlnmpP
t.els ,,id f,UD ulemy VII. OF Euel fud.
But ON the way the messenger fell INTO
the hands OF pirates, and 10y tho limo
he reached London he WAS so destitute
he had to try and earn the money to
clotho himself in proper style before
he could be presented ut the oonrt.
But by this time it was too late. Even
the fact that Ferdinand aud Isabella
supplied the funds to equip tue ,xPc-
dition was mainly due to the accident
that Juan Perez de Muchena, the
Queens. coniessor, happened to be
passing at the very moment whru tie
weary mariner was knocking at the
door of the La II ibida monastery to
beg little bread mud water for Iii, boy
Diego, aud was struck with the noble
face OF the dusty pedestrian. Had
Bnrtolomeo Colon reached London in
time; had ChristovM been by any
chance little later or a little earlier at
the monaetery door, tho fate OF Europe
might have been changed and the des
tiny Of the Anglo Saxon race altered.
Three centuries later 10 was again
nearly revoluliouized, for in 1906 the
Eugl sh held Buenos AJres, and il is
no secret that Napoleon was almost
persuaded to abandon Europe AZ a
field for his ambition, and try what be
could accomplish in the way of carving
ont an empire among the dissatisfied
provinces Of South America. Who
citizen Bonaparte seemed little likely
to sit on the throne of Louis Capet,
he WAS on the point OF offering bis
sv ord to the Sultan, as at later period
Won Moltke actaully did. 1t is Curious
now to speculate what would have been
the present state Of the Eastern ques-
ton had NapoleOu carried his inton-
tions into effect, or aupposing that
Moitke had remained in tho Turkish
service whether the Danish war would
have been fought, or Prussia's suprom-
ary established at SadowR or Sedan.
The cropping Of Louis Wis chin
brought On three centuries of blood
shed, and q sarcastic remark of Frder-
itk the Great on Elizabeth BetroVna
Of Russia reused that yirtuous empress
to such q vigorous part in tho seven
years war that At one time Prussia
seemed we'll nigh stricken unto death.
Even Cathatiuo profoundly nus
piciuus of Potsdam after the scandal
about Queen Elizabeth" carefully ex
aminod her husbands correspondence
before sLo concluded m alliance with
the royal letterwriler. 1t is hardly
forty years since Louis Philippe threat
oned war against tho Texan republic
because IN irrata citizen lad shot the
trespassing pigs Of the French EN-
bassaaor. As 1t was, ho prevented the
Lone Star sovereignty irons loating
their European loan, aud thus tie
King and the pigs combined lastenod
tho annexation OF Texas TO tho United
States. Tho Dutch are said TO have
"jockeyed" rs ont Of Malacca ia ex
change for Java, by representing OH
the map, which our timplo minded on
voys took for granted, the one territory
as large and tho other as small, and
among the most firmly rooted iradi.
tions American diplomacy is ono
which represents the English commits
sioners agreeing to the surrender OF
Oregon, because country in which
salmon does not iise to the fly can not
be worth much" Laws have been
altered through accidents because thu
Queens printers boy forgot to deliver
Lord BCaconlield's amendment TO tho
bill
But II TITLES havo determined the
fate OF laws and nations, accidents
equally small have caused men to fol.
low pursuits the results Of which have
not been much less momentous to Gull
tureand civilization, Father Malebranoh
devoted himself 10 philosophy after
reading DESCRIBES "L'Homme;' Cow.
10y became poet owing 70 his perusal
Of Speneer's "Fairy Queen and Sir
Joshua Reynolds had never thought Of
painting until Richardson's Treatise"
fell into his hands. Shakespeare might
have ended his life as prosperous
wool comber had he been prudent
young brakeman; Corneille showed no
liking for any literature except the law
until he fell in love and felt compelled
to tell the lady so in poetry; and
Moliero might have remained making
tapestry had not his grandmother net.
Ito hi pride 10y Wishing that be could
bo an actor lie Monroso, Balloon
might ever discoy red the Pacific had
he not been unsuccessful as shop
kcel or In hispauiola aud fonnd 1t
necessary 10 ice to the mainland, con
oaalel TO his orldit,rs iua cask o.
Eucisdo's vessel, aud IL Is certain that
bud Coriez become wellbrieied law
yer ia Salamanca he would never have
lived 10 proudly toll CHARLES " that he
hsd given him more provinces than his
father had loft hiu cities. lRnalius
Loyola wss "a soldier, aud tho order Of
Jpauils might mover have been founded
he'd no not accidentally beguilei the
todium of maotiou noCessitated by q
wound with reading "lho Lives u
Saint,' uibbon determined TO write
his famous work after listening 10 the
Mouks singing yospers Ia The Temple
of Jnpit Il Rome; aud la fonlaine
vas stimulalad 10 cultivate literature
after hearing aomo sortoi a Malhorho'
I Fuadny might h.yoremriuol aiour
Iuoymau northumberland NOT Kindly Nh,
psuoo Invited him D. hc.r sir Hun
Iphfy Dayy ltciuge, and NaucaNaou