The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-10-20
FRUITS OF ACCIDENT.
How Some Of the Most Precious Literary
HelIe. Were DlscOyered.


Relies Were Discovered.
To the merest accident hayewe been
indebted for the preservation Of
volumes which are justly considered
20 rank among the most precious relics
\ Of literature, and not less remarkable
| than the discoveries themselves Is tho
\ fact that they have often been made at
time when further delay would have
made them impossible. This has been
particularly noticeable In regard % the
remains Of classical literature. In Il
dungeon In the monastery Of ST. Gall,
POggiO found, cOrrOdcd with damp and
covered with filth. the great work Of
Quintilan. In Wcstphalia IA monk
stumbled accidentally upon the only
manuscript Of Tacitus, and 20 that ac-
cidcnt VIC owe the writings Of "a his
tOrian who has more influence, per-
haps, upon modern prose literature
than any ancient writer, with the soli-
tary exception Of Cicero The poems
Of PrOpcrtius, one Of the most Wig
OrOus and original Of the Roman poets,
were found under the casks in wine
cellar. In few months the manu-
script would have crumblcd 10 pieces
and become illcgiblc. Parts OF lIO-
mcr have come TO light in the most
extraordinary way. 4 considerable
portion Of the "llliad," for instance,
was found in the hand of n mummy.
The best Of the Greek romanccs, the
hiIt.tnl Of tuI Ii,.l ~
such n favOritc with Mr.. Browning,
was rescued bya common soldier, who
found il kicking about the streets In a
town in Hungary To turn, however,
10 more modern times, every one
knows how Sir Robert Cotton rescued
the original manuscript Of Magma Char
Ia from the hands Of n common tailor,
who was cutting il up into measures.
The valuable ThurlOc State Papers
were brought TO light by the tumbing
in Of the ceiling Of some chambers in
LincOln's Inn. The charming letters
Of Lady Montague, which have long
taken their place among English class
les, were found in the false bottom Of
an old trunk, and in the secret drawer
Of "A chest the curious manuscripts Of
DIR. Dee lurkcd unsupported for years
One Of the most singular discoveries
Of this kind was the recovery OF tho
delightful volume, "Luthcr's Table
Talk.' A gentleman in 1926 had Oc-
casion to build upon the foundation Of
house. When the workmcn were en-
gas'd in digging they found "lying in
n deep, obscure hole, wrapped in II
strong linen cloth which was waxcd
all over with bccswax, within and
without" this interesting work, which
had lain concealed ever since its sup
preston by Pope Gregory XIII. We
are told that one of the cantOs OF
Dantc's "ParadisO.n which had long
been mislaid, was drawn from its lurk-
ing place Git had slipped beneath n
window SLID in consequence Of an inti-
nation received i'm II dream. One of
the most interesting Of MiltOn's prose
wOrks-thc essays on the "DOctrincs
Of Christianity uncarthcd from
the midst OF bundle Of dispatches
by Mr. Lemon. deputy keeper of the
state papers in 1923. As years roll on
and curiosity is moro and more awak-
cnCd, such discoveries must become
rarcr, but probably many precious
documents are still lurking in unsus-
poctcd corners, aud not II few literary
discoveries remain even now TO bo
made which will. when made, immor-
talizc the fortunate discovcrcr. Lon