New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-06
HOU "BEN UCR" WdS URIIIEN.
GEN LEW WALLACE TELLS A BROOKLYN Al d.
ENCr HOW THE BOOK WAS ORiGl-
MATED AND FINISHED.

MATED AND FINISHED
General Lew Wallace author OF Ben hur d
Tale OF the Christ" The Prince OF India ana
other works. lectured in the Brooklyn Academy Of
Music last evening on How came TO "ri'e De"
uur" An audience of thousand persons listened
IN hin, He was introduced by the Rev. Dr. -. d.
LYMAN who spoke OF courtesies shown to nm by
United States Minister Wallace at constah'ihoPi'
twelve years ago. The lecturer was sree'e" WIZ"
applause and began by telling how III carry
childhood he was interested and fascinated 10y 'h'
story of the visit of the Wise Men from the Fast
led bv the wonirons star, to the Babe OF BethIe-
hem. Continuing, he said: In 1870. Wheh wa,
getting over the restlessness caused by the war
began to write out the story OF the W Use Men !
thought II might prove interesting serial III
Il magazine. was not influenced ny rehslo"s
sentiment in the least. | had 10 convictions OIL
God or Christ ! neither believed nor disbclleNeu'
Preachers had no influence upon M, had per
feet indifference 10 what French scientist cd''eu
The tomorrow Of death. But the "oih wa
begun reverently and was prosecuted III ""''S
with awe. but this was purely natural MY c"a,
ac,ers became living persons TO me- ana they "ou'n
arise sit look talk and behave like living per-
sons | heard them when they spoke ana hhc"
them by their features They would answer "he"
| called and some would become familiar ana can
me and | would recognize their voices
AT first ] had no thought of the complete WORN
and wrote only the first part and laid it aside In
1876 | heard a discussion Of God Heaven. the here
after and Christ and was trudgins along nome
felt ashamed because knew so little oil '"eS
things and decided study the whole ha''ei'
made up my mind eschew theology anu Gum
mentaries and TO give my attention 10 'h' O"'
Gospels How to interest myself ana mahe '"''
pasfime was the question and thought OF the story
which ended with the birth of Christ ana ue'l'tu "
complete II by going on TO His death. Inc SUN,
was dramatic and full OF possibilities III 'he ''''"'
tion of God in person But there was lohs gap
ovIy nm, ar "a
with a mission.
after weeks Of reflection decided to snow 'he
social religious and political conditions oil me M.
yening period There no lack OF hcldeh' anu
nerson and Rome furnished the politics ha' |"
conceive the religion and created the Hur FANNY
as types OF the Jewish race. In the CHRISTIAN III
cidents | set forth the power Of miracle. hd'
never been 70 the Holy Land so | had not only 20
study its history and geography. but 10 stuny "'
sent fnr evervthing could discover bearing upon
the land and peoples. and wrote Win maps dnu
thorltIes at hand constantly. The greatest hlinSu
found was the invention Of incidents ana III,
choice Of characte1s knsW brs, the hero but
had to bring Hin In and had to ayo,I al ~ 3be
zns To D Dc if he last he hours ,ne haans Him
coming but not appearing. Then de'nei lo' A., ~
His utterances were 10 be in the words OF the Cos,
nils In the FIVE years given 70 the VOTE o.'H
small pe papf ~a the study and research needed
Carried the subject with on ra~ay }ourney, %h
Il wrote most of the book at my nom III '.a~
fordsville Ind ! have done mrch uhq,r -
Of Ben Hur' at Santa Pc. in the OLD ado9. pa,
ace chose the name Ben Hur because II Va
pihlical cuphonious ard simple ] became De
lever in God and Christ long before es saed bn,
written the work But afterward, when nt'i
states Minister to Turkey p&id an o''',a n n n
takes and also that many things had mercy
imagined were real. 1t seemed 10 me that ! nal
written in the book Of things hdd seen III So"''
former period OF existence
| In conclusion General Wallace SAID that NJ hhl
frequently been asked what part OF the pook NJ
! thought the best All he could say was ma IN
part which gave him the greatest satisfaction wa, wa
/ that which described the interview between Len
IIur and two friends to whom ne descr'Dei "a M,
| experiences in following the Christ Inc wrluhe
| ~ II convinced him Of the divinity OF Christ ana
| the authenticity OF the record Of His life.