The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-11
BURNED UP A FORTUNE.
Why Lady Burton Is Now Poor
When She Might Be a
Rich Woman.
Her Husband Was a Collector OF
Arabian Stories, Some Not
Very Refined.
Destroying a Priceless Manuscript Be
cause She Believed Its Publication
Might DO Harm.

In addition to the facts which have al
ready been published on the burning of the
manuscript of Sir Richard Blu toms last
work by his widow, although sho W as offered
the large sum of 6,o00 guineas for it, the
following story, Us told by Lady Burton
herself, will be particularly interesting,
says a London special. 1t must be
borne in mind that at the time
when Sir Richard produced his famous
translation of the Arabian Nights there was
a great outcry on the subject, as it was al
legged that, although in expurgated form
the book was in every library in the wo Id,
yet unabridged it was unfit for publication,
and was only suitable to be in the hands of
scholars who are presumably beyond the
consideration of ordinary morality. This
book, it may be added. now fetches large
sums Whenever n copy is offered for sale.
Lady Eurton's present action condemns her
to poverty. Lady Burton says:
MY husband had been collecting for
fourteen years information and materials
Oh certain subjects for his last volume of
Supplemental Nights When it wns fin
ished he gave himself up to writing the
book, which was called The Scented Gar
den, a Translation from the Arabic 1t
treated of u certain passion, but don't let
any one suppose for Il moment that Richard
Burton ever wrote anything from an i'm
pure point of view; he dissected Il passion
from every point as critically as a doctor
would dissect the human body, showing the
source and origin, its evils and good, as
we'll az it's proper uses. The day before he
died he called me into his room and showed
M tho ,ora ,F Arah;o ,,,np,or;n& ,,,..
which be was working, and said: 'To-mor-
row | shall finish this and l promise you
that after this | will never write another
book upon this subject He said: 4 am
afraid it will make Il great row in England,
because the Arabian Kights was a baby tale
in comparison with this
1.-The next morning he had ceased to ex-
ist, and n few days lhter / locked myself up
III my room, sorted and examined the man
uscripts, and read this manuscript. No
promise had been extracted from me and l
remained for three days in a state of tor
ture rs to what ] might do. During that
time / received an offer from q man of 5000
guineas for it. He said he could get LOO
subscribers Mt four guineaa each. l said to
myself, out of ], 900 men fifteen would prob
ably read il in the 81 hit of science in which
1t was written, while the other l,4S5 would
read it for the tlth's sake. would then ppss
1T to friends, and the harm done would be
incalculable.
BURY it, said one adviser. Don't
decide TINT way. That means digging
1T ny again, or getting n man to do it
for YOU snid No.. 9. but don't appear
in it, i can not deceive God Almighty,
who holds my husbands soul in his
hand my heart said. 'You cnn
have 5000 %guineas. Your husband worked
for you; arc you going to reward him that
yonr wretohed body may DO fed, clothed
and warmed for a few years! Will you lat
shat soul which is part Of your soul be
leIt in the cold and darkness till ali those