The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-27
MYTHS OF HISTORY.
THEY CUT A WIDE SWATH IN THE
FANCY OF NOvEuSTS.

very nearly true that the historical novel
is entertaining entirely on account of its
improbabilities. We possess a smatter-
ing of general information. AT least we
so flatter ourselves. History is for us
not quite closed book We know Caesar
and Hannibal and Napoleon and Oliver
Cromwell and Henri Quatre and Richie
lieu and the Man in the Iron Mask, |
perhaps even few others. And when |
an company with the hero of the his. |
torical novel we are ushered into the |
royal presence, we bow and smirk and |
grimace amazingly and knowingly. |
"Charles 1? Certainly. His majesty and
we are old friends. We possess secrets
which his majesty would give his crown
and kingdom to know. NJ Posterity has
confided TO us stories that would cause
his majesty's royal hairs to stand ON end
like quilts upon the fretful porcupine.
Don't try to gull us with appearances.
We know all about what's coming. The
gracious smile which now illumines his
majesty's kingly lips is, OH so droll!
How about Whitehall and the block and
the AK? Ha, ha! We are delighted to see
his majesty in such excellent spirits
1t is to this faculty of making the
reader feel knowing, of impressing upon
him his own superiority and the correct
ness of his own retrospective surmises
and decisions, that the makers of his
torical romance owe in great part their
vogue and popularity. Then out at the
elbows soldiers of fortune-nay, even
the wine drawers, the innkeepers and
the scullery maids whom we meet in the
historical romance-somehow manage
| to plot and scheme and hobnob with the
very greatest personages of all times. II
a mysterious figure is introduced, OF
course there is great personality be-
hind it. The exigencies OF the trade
make this imperative. From muffied
cloak we will accept great duke with
fairly becoming grace. A disguised voice
| and stealthy, overcautious demeanor de-
mand king or a hero who, in his
tory's pages, looms up as mighty or
mightier than a king.
Wonder might justly be expressed
that simple soldier of fortune OF the
Quentin Durward, D'Artagnan ilk
1 Dt VI suCn ihipOA euhSS w
the welfare of nations and the safety OF
kings. To deny either the Scot or the
Gascon would surely be outright heresy.
They embody old Caledonia and old
Francois we see them. But the col
lective possibilities that are necessary to
give the historical romance fire and go,
make in the end it must be acknowl-
edged, pretty strong chain OF improb-
abilities To thoroughly appreciate this
one would have to read the historical
romance that is to deal with our day
and to be written 12 score years hence.
This, alas, we cannot dol What a
screaming farce it will be when II
comes! Will it not read like the rawlings
of mailman? How ludicrous will be
the complications! What an eXtraordi-
nary ace our own will seem! But the
drollest feature Of all will be the sub
lime gravity, the supreme sincerity with
which the whole will be accepted 10y
the reader Of that future day. How Is
il that, i'll an age like our own, when
there are publisher and market Ion
every literary conceit and absurdity, nc
one has thought to anticipate this, the
historical romance Of the future. Surely
it would not be all burlesque
What marvellous things those scribe'
will be telling of our age and civilian
tion What strange and darkling event
will be made to take place at our yer!
doors! The mysteries that are to b'
cleared up are as nothing to those whici
are to be invented Our nights and day
will be given over to tragic intrigue
:. and fell deeds Murder will stalk GU
= streets. Swords will leap and cross
knives will CLEAN, pistols will cracl
along Broadway, or, if we prefer, lie
! gent street, or the Ringstrasse, or Unite
den Linden, or the Boulevard DIES Capu
!, cines. The guet peur will be supreme
All this will come to pass when tn
scribes of the twenty second century 81
down to the task of writing their his
$ torical novels. And then-other heroes
How mum they are keeping themselves
!, Why don't they come out Of the darn
9 ness and mystery and shadow and anus
4 the age with the narrative of those thrill
: ing and soul stirring adventures wit
= which the romancers of the future WI
i credit them? We know that when I'll
: arbitration question is settled and bot
the United States and England are free
from the possibilities of hideous an
=, devastating war, it is not her majest.
- - the queen of Great Britain and empire
~ of India, or the PRESIDENT or the prin
n minister, or the secretary of state, wi
We brought it about. Oh, no! That mig
ut do very well to gull and beguile and
IN iole the poor, ignorant masses. The re
nd power behind the throne is the impo
ey erished soldier of fortune, of whom G
romance of the historical novelists
the future will tell US. What nets
nd will spread What strange and unho
We influences he will bring TO bearl WI
i ingenuity, cunning, valor, pationt
ng will he employ before the great scher
NJ is contaminated and history is mao
70, What dangers he will encounter WI
a. fearful odds he will overcomel We knC
al. he is here. Could we doubt the hist'
ical romance Of the future? We see {
result we reap its benefit, but the cau