The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19

in the service of his lord the Duke of
Brunswick His determined character and
singular intelligence made him prominent.
The Duke of Brunswick was charmed with
him, and when he was twenty years old he
became a lieutenant in the Riga regiment
of Russian cuira ssisrs of which the En-
Munchausen was an excellent officer. He
was conspicuous in two campaigns against
the Turks, wherein he displayed brilliant
military qualities and unqueStionable braV-
cry At last he got married to charming
LivOnian lady named Jacobine Won Dunten.
Thereupon he abandoned the military ca
reer and retired to his country seat.
1t was then that his reputation became
legendary Rich, hospitable, and passion
ate hunter, he made his home the rendez-
vous of all the country nobility in the
neighborhood of the Weser. In company
with his friends, smoking his pipe and
drinking his punch, he liked to tell extrav-
agant stories. His imagination was prodi-
giOus and his wit was never exhausted.
Everybody listened to him with pleasure
because he was COmical and gOOd-natured.
His, companions were always Interested
by his fabulous stories, which, OF course
Were never presented in the form Of facts.
But as he grew older he became feeble
minded and fanced that he was really the
hero of the marvellous exploits which he
used to laugh at years before.
In that way he lived for several years
with his amiable and good wife, surrounded
by society of friends who listened to him
with delight, tlattering his vanity and glori-
flying his exploits.
Then fortune abandoned him; his stories
were turned against himself. An English
man among his guests took it into his head
to gather up all the nonsense that he used
to talk about. He published it in volume
which was full of satire. The little book
had an enormous success. Five editions Of
it were published in London in two years.
After that it was translated into German
and reproduced with malignity in innumer-
able editions in his own country. Naturally
enough, the baron did not like the fame
that was given to him in that shape. He
appreciated thoroughly the ridicule with
which his ill-natured historians surrounded
him; and when his good wife died he was
foolish enough to marry for the second
time, in spite of his advanced years. This
was q new misfortune for the baron. His
second wife was a faithleSS coquette who
covered the old mans forehead with shame
and almost completely depleted his Golfers.
He had to go to law with her in order to
get rid of her. Soon afterward he died. The
stories that he used to tell to amuse his
guests were the cause of all his trouble.
MunchauSen was always popular in Ger
many. His old domain at Bodenwerder is
still preserved as a place of pilgrimage, and
his marvellous adventures are more read
and more enjoyed than ever. They have in
spired many artists, among them GuStave
Dore who found good material in those
original compositions. They were trans
lated and adapted into several languages.
In France for example, everybody has read
the Adventures of M. de Crac," which has
had such glorious success iii our juvenile
literature. 1t is nothing more than an
adaptation Of the Adventures of Baron
Munchausen."