The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-09-17
THE DEVILS LIBRARY.
SOME OF THE QUEER THINGS
WRITTEN ABOUT HIM.
Ills Satanic Majesty Had = Reasonable
Amount OF Attention From the
Writers OF All Ages-Much
That Is Curious.


literature of its own. there is no rea-
son why the great enemy Of the
church should not Nevertheless /
was not a rare that Satan owned so
extensive library especially dedi-
Gated to himself till I came upon an
old-time catalogue Of 1.-The most valua-
BILE books relating TO the devil his
origin. greatness and influence"
The catalogue covers forty pages. says
tho Collector. names 500 volumes and
does rot profess to be any thing like
complete. 1t Is introduced bp the
motto: Fools deride-Philosophers
investigate. y and by four motto verses
including the fine epigram by Defoe:
Bad as he is, the Devil may be abused,
Be falsely charged and causelessly accused,
Wien men, unwilling to be blamed alone,
Silt OF those crimes on him which are
their own.
A series OF Introductory lllustra-
lions show the devil as he has been
variously delineated by various races.
The Egyptian devil seems to have been
a cross between a dog and hog.
walking on his hind legs with the as
sistance OF a staff. The Assyrian has
lions body with wings a scaly neck
and a dragons head with horns. The
Cingalese Satan has two heads with
tusks four arms sits on a colt and
has venomous snakes climbing all over
him. The French Is the first OF the
old devils to exhibit the com bined
traits so familiar to US now. He has
he ~
and ROSTERS claws. but his body and
head are human, with bats, wings
growing from the shoulders. This
enemy OF man is shown in the cut to
be grinning in most malignant and
diabolical manner and scattering gold
around 10 tempt his victims within the
| clutches of his claws.
! But Beelzebub has been represented
in other and far more polite forms
There is print from the illustration
OF Goethe's Faust" which shows him
as courtly gentleman. elegant in
dress and polished in manners. 1t
seems as II mankind. as it advanced in
refinement improved its great foe as
it has improved or at least refined,
the vices with which it pays him trib-
ute Thus. in the thirteenth century.
the English devil was a horrible mon
ster. with the distorted body OF a
man. the horned head Of bull, a
locked tail like hackney horse only
three fingers and toes on each ex-
tremity spikes at its knees and shins
like the spurs OF game cock.
by Thomas Landseer's time how
ever, the artist had elevated him to a
quito genteel sort OF person. with a
sardonic leer but good clothes and an
unblemished anatomy. Landseer-
the brother OF Sir Edwin. it should be
stated-Once made ten etchings called
The DEVILS Walk" which are very
rare and valuable. The most indus
trious and extensive OF all artistic
glorifiers OF his Satanic Majesty how
ever has been George Cruikshank.
That ingenious draughtsman has pic
tured him in every conceivable form.
as long as it was hateful for he has
always been too conscientious to paint
the devil in an attractive being. THE
True Legend OF St Dustan and the
Devil" is one OF Cruikshank's most
humorous works. and his Gentleman
in Black" is almost inimitable as far
as unique grotesqueness OF the plates is
concerned.
probably some OF the most curious
book titles ever put in print I'm
agine drama called Narrowing oil
He'll" Yet 1t is miracle play.
written in the reign of Edward IL
1t Is piece regularly constructed.
with sort Of prologue and epilogue.
After the prologue Christ enters and
states his sutferings and design In
descending into hell. Satan hear:
him and inquiries who 1t Is, lest he
should 'fonden how we pleyen here. ;
The Savior declares himself. ant
Satan argues with him on the In
justice of depriving him OF what hi
had acquired. and SO they 60 on,
Christianity. OF course. triumphine
in the end.
Other mystery plays are .'Th,
Descent Into He'll" THE Divil Madd,
to Daunce" and The Devils Wife; Of
Sin Welded to SIM" A very curiou,
work is Letters From He'll sup
posed to describe the suffering OF
wicked victim in the red-hot inferno
A satire, published in 1850 II
George Gascoignes .'The Wyll OF The
Deuill, With His Detestable Com
mandments. Directed to his Obedi len
and Accused Children" The mos
interesting part OF this Is Its minut,
description OF the vices OF the time
II Gascoigne Is a reliable witness tn,
DEVILS children of his day must hav,
been first-clas devils themselves
The Diabe Lady or q Match II
He'll Is q poom dedicated to tn,
worst woman in Her Malesty's Do
minions" Another poem Is 9TH,
Tavern Hunter or q Drunken Ram
bio From the Grown (a tavern) TO tn
Devil (another)." This latter effuslol
bears as motto the following verse
Not yertue, nor Wit, but more prevalen
wine,
Does mankind in friendly Societies join:
We chuse not our friends now by homes
behavior,
Or love 'em because they are Wiser o
Drawer.
Other works OF mirthful characte