The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-08-31
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The late Sir Richard Burton, trans
lator 0; Tho Arabian Nights" WAS one
Of the most profound oriental scholars
OF his time. Some years immediately
preceding his death were sp-ntia trans
iatirg from the Arabic another hook.
- Scented Garden" which he had al
most completed. lie Lett hnrdly any
property; out this work he felt would
provide amply for his wife. and in TINT
expectation he died. The manuscript
upon which he had lavished 30 much
care and labor and which be had cx-
pected would be Il monument 20 his
genius. never reached the printers
hands Il was h,irucd BIZ his wife, who
tells the story in letter to a London
paper:
when I locked myself up in his
rooms and sorted and examined the
manuscript lcad .his one. No prom
$50 ieai been e;actcd from nc, because
the end had i.ceii so unforeseen. and I
remained for three dj.vs in state of
perfect torture rs = what ought to do
about it. During that time received
"a Offer from q man OF six thousand
cu!neas for IT,
Il sat down on the floor before the
Gre at dark 20 consult my own heart
NY OWE head How wanted a brother!
My heart told me that sin is the only
rolling stone that gathers moss; that
what gentleman, scholar, man of
Che world may write when living he
would see very differently TO what the
poor soul would see standing nalced be-
fore It's God, with It's good or evil deeds
alone to answer Tor and their con-
sequences visible TO ii Ter the first mo-
ment, rolling On to the end Of time.
'NVhat would be care for the applause
OF one thousand five hundred men now
for tie whole worlds praisc-and God
Offended? My heart said: You can
have SIX thousand guineas; your hus
baud worked for you kept you In
happy ho,nc, with honor and respect
for thirty years. How are you going to
reward him? Thatyour wrctchcd body
NAV be fed and clothed and warmed for
. few miserable months or years will
yon let that soul .vhich is part of your
s0a be lett ont IN cold and darkness
tn the end OF tins till al those sins
vrhich may have been committed on ac-
count Of reading those writing have
lcen cXp;ate,!, or passed away perhaps
forever. Why, it would he just pnral-
lei with the original thirty pieces of
SILVER!
Il fetched the manuscript and laid it
on the ground before me. Two large
volumes worth Still luy thoughts
were, Was It i sacrijcgc? 1t was his
lnagrum opus--hs last work. that lie
wa, so proud Of, that was 10 nave heen
flashed OH the awful niorrow-thnt
never came. VIA he rise up in his
grave ard curse me or bless mc? And
then said: Not only not for six thou
sand gaineas, but not for six million
Cuincas viii I risk il. Sorrowf,illy,
revcren4lv, aud III fear and trembling
burnt sheet utter Sheet until the whole
of the volume was consumed 1t is my
belief that by this act. if my husbands
soul were weighted down, the cords
were eat and it was left Tree to s2ar to
It's na.igc heaven
When tho literary world Of London
knew what Lady Burton had done in
digEation ran high. Here was q work
upon which one Of the ablcst men of his
time had spout gears destroyed in an
nstaut--annihiIatcd utterly. Robert
Buchanan voiced the prevailing opinion
Ia his reply to Lady Burtons letter.
Lady Burton" said Mr. buchanan,
'feared that the work, if published,
would cause incalculahle mischief and
corruption: her nature revoltcd against
1t, and in acting as she did She felt her
self savior Of society. The destruo-
ton OF tho manuscript was van
daiism pure and simple, whether
perpetratcd by q Torqucmada
or q John IIuox hy fanatic or
gentle enthusiast by a pure. high
soulcd woman or the public hangman
Excess Of love in such matter is as
ptrjlcus US excess of hat. ] put aside
here al questions OF the nature of ths.
book doubtless it was horrible enough
from the ordinary point of view. Sir
Richard Barton, it is we'll known, was
q n.nn absolutely Indifferent, intellect
uully speaking, to ordinary standards Of
morality. lie wns . scholar and
pagan, humanist aud 4 scientist, and
ah;oIiy In his fearless a;:d moral daring
consisted his claim 10 rank IS QUO Of
tho most origina' s.aou " his genera
ton. '-Eh!o.go Times.