The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-09
THE r1MEs-RIcHMoND VA: SUNDAY JULY 1893

has been able to verify anything con-
corning II on account OF its difficult and
rerilous navigation, It's great obscurity.
IT'S profound depth and frequent tempests;
through fear OF its mighty fishes and its
naughty bounds; yet there are many
Islands In A. some OF which are peoplcd
and others unnhabted. There Ia no
mariner who dares TO enter into its deep
waters; or, II any have done so. they
have merely kept along its coasts, FEAR
ful Of departing from them. The waves
Of this ocean. although they roll as high
as mountains, yet maintain themselves
without breaking, for II they broke, II
would be impossible for a ship 10 pio"
them"
The object Of Mr.. Irving's work Is 10
relate the deeds and fortunes or the
mariner who first had the judgment to
divine. and the intrepidity To brave, the
mysteries Of this perilous deep; and who'
by hg hardy genius. his inflexible con
stancy, and his heroic courage, brought
the ends Of the earth into communication
with each other.
Since the first publication Of the book
researches made concerning the carry
voyages Of the Mortimer" have estab-
lished the fact. TO the conviction OF most
minds. that 'Viniand." the country acci-
dentally discovered by those wide wan
derlng navgators about the year 1000
was really q part OF the continent OF
North America. This fact. however, does
not lessen the merit OF the great enter
Prise and achievement Of Columbus.
Nothing grew out of this discovery OF
"Vinland nor does any idea appear TO
have been entertained Of the extent or
importance OF the region thus casually
brought TO light. Two or three voyages
were made 70. II between the years l,0)0
and lO2l. aftef which II ceased TO be an
object Of further quest, and apparently
faded from thought as If II had never
been. AT tho time when Columbus Via-
tied Thule upwards Of three centuries and
A half had elapsed since the last voyage
10 "Vinland" of which we have any
record. and two centuries and n halt
since the Sagas which mention tne
country had been written. We see no
reason to believe that he heard anything
Of these discoveries or saw the Sagas IN
question. Had he done so he would
doubtless have cited them among the
various reports Of lands seen by mari
ners IN the west. with which lie sought
10 fortifv his theory and win patronage
10 hts enterprise during years Of weary
and almost hopeless solicitations. u ls
more than probable that al the time OF
his visiting Thule the tradition concern
Ing Vinland had long been forgotten, ana
the Sagas had been consigned TO the DUST
Of Libraries and archives thence 10 De
drawn forth by antiquarian research ~
after ages when his own discoveries
sbould have cast back a light 10 iiiumi-
nate obscurity. This much for the object
of the work. The graces Of irving
characteristics and cminently distnc-
tive stvle are too well known 10 be corn
mented upon. but It is enough 10 say that
when the great mental and moral quail
ties OF the discoverer Of the New World
are delineated with the graphic truth,
force directness and simplicity OF such q
master Of his art as irving, the result
must be Of incalculG bic value as dog
raDhv. The lives Of great men are worthy
careful study. bust It IS not likely thai
however admirable a study any man :
written life may be, that II will be read
bv any except those who need II least
! If given TO the public IN dull, ponderous
| and involved English.
The MAGNIFICENT patience, or what may
| he termed the continuance Of the great
navigator: his concentration OF purpose
his strong heart. these are the underyinb
| causes. the writer makes us reaiile
| throughout. by his strong painting on
which the glory Of the discovery Is the
offact We become absorbed in the weary
travel-worn. poverty stricken, but pure
| hearted and strong sOuled solicitor CT
/ rhe attention Of princes, and In the strug-
| sies whose conquest mark his greatness
| we find his character more fascinating
/ study than the successes which were IT'S
/ flower. We believe In the man Columbus
i from our Introduction 20 him, and walk
| with him and note his varying experience.
| his unabated courage, the influence OF his
earrestuess upon all 10 whom he presents
his case-we taste the sweetness Of at
! tainment with him-he is a study In char
/ acter by a great artist. n II. H.
/ THE COSMOpOL1TAN for July. For
I sale by West. Johnston q co.
The July Cosmopolitan VIII mark the
! most radical step ever taken I'm periodical
| literature. with that issue the maya
! zine. unchanged I'm form, ia fact, one Of
the best numbers Of the Cosmopolitan
ever issued. will be put on sale AT twelve
| and one-half cents Ter c0py-$l.59 year.
| The cutting IN half Of price already
deemed low for an illustrated magazine
| is the result Of an intention long sine.
| formed 20 give 10 the public an Illus
| trated monthly Of the very highest class
| az such price as must bring 10 within
the reach Of all persons Of intellectual
! tastes. however limited their incomes.
! There are more than 100000 readers Dr.
| the United States and less than s00gN
! magazines are printed 80 supply then
| demands More than four years have
been spent in reaching the organization
necessary for the production Of The Cos
mopOlitan at this price, figure hlther,f
undreamed OF by the reading world Each
| deDartment Of the work has been slowly
perfected. until with the January mum
Der OF this year 10000 copies Of the mag
azine were prepared upon presses am
machinery Of the most improved form
built with q view 10 producing the finest
results at the very minimum Of expense
the only establishment IN the world, D.
is believed. devoted exclusively 10 The
| printing Of an illustrated monthly maya
zine TO establish q magazine upon sucf
/ O basis at the outset was Impossible
| only the rapid growth Of the Cosmopou
| tau's editions. almost unprecedented 81
| MAGAZINE records. has produced the con
| dinons which make this departure from
/ established prices possible. The Cosmo
| politan promises 90 make the year 1893 th'
most brilliant in its history No othsl
year has seen such an array Of dlsiin
guished names as viii appear on its It'll
page during 1893. De Maupassant. Mari
Twain, George Ebers, Valdez. Spieihag N
Francois Coppce. Flammarion aud Pau
Hevse are some Of the authors who's
work will appear for the first time durin'
this year in the pages Of The Cosmopoi
| ran. Among the artists whose work vii
| decorate its pages for the first time dur
iny 1898 are I.aurens. Toussaint. Nierg
Pocheerosse and Schwabe. William Deal
Howells will be a regular contribute
| during 1s93-'94. A feature Of the Jul,
| Il.