The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-18

some old volumes of the long ago
volumes Of explorations on the great
oceans when steam was unknown and
huge vessels had never ploughed che
deep. One is the Danish Expeditions
to Greenland in 1905, 1906 and 1907, to
which is added Captain James Halls
vboyage to Greenland in 1872. The
other volume is an account of The Ex-
petition Of Captain Jens Munk 10
Hudson's Bay, in search of a North
west Passage, in 1920. Edited with
notes. These are published in London
by the Hakluyt Society, 1897. You can
find some interesting reading in these
old books of adventure.
The first copies Of Fitzgerald's o
famous and splendid version OF the
."Rubaiyat" of Omar,-a work Of most
exquisite genius-sold in 1857 when
first published at 2 cents a copy, and
hardly any sale at that. Now a copy
of the little dingy books sells for 800
How slow the world is in ap-
probation Of real greatness. Milton
sold his suFOlimest of all poems, Para
disc Lost for $25, all told, 10 his pub
Usher. A copy of the first edition, If
it could be found, would probably sell
for s., 1000. The other day a copy Of
the early edition Of Burr.s's poems
fetched 81 $500.
A goodly number of the phrases en-
r1ox-a1 nv Dialyar- Ior-o 1na- zz-
porated into the language o. the Eng
lish speaking people. They abound in
England.
In New York Times Saturday Re-
view" there is a list of fifty-two best
books" for a village librar.-. Five hun
dred selections from 1925 works pub
lished in 1897, were sent to the libra
rians in the state of New York for
opinions. Replies from 1851 (think of
it, from librarians in n state) have
been received. The list shows good
Judgment and taste in many selections,
but miserable faultiness in some
others. Of the ~fifty-two named Quo
Vadis'' is omitted, which is healthful
but Gaines christian" is included,
which is unfortunate. Some novels not
as good as others hi appeared are
selected. But as a whole the selections
were good. Hugh Wynne' received
the most votes-129. 1.-The Choir In
visible came next with 121. Captains
Courageous" third with 116. There was
seventeen novels selected, five biogra-
~hio~ fxr1 NpoA1y~ ~ +rox-oJ Pr fyra -
national science, three Of history, TWO
of poetry, &c. Last year such famous
writers as Du Maurier, Hardy, Mrs.
Craigie, Gilbert Parker and Henry
James published but were omitted.
Such tests reveal the passing literary
procession merely and not final judg-
ment.
Mr.. S. w. Green writes to tine Sat
urday Review" stating that the ac-
count in "Quo Vadis' of Rome's des-
truction and the awful cruelties visited
Upon the Christian rests entirely upon
one account, that of Tacitus, and chal-
lenges the genuineness of the famous
passage in the great Roman historians
work. He says it is purely al inter-
polation and demands original sources
to disprove his contention. He says:
Il don't want any reference to
modern writer's who have embelliShed
and ''imprOved' the legend: 1 VAN
f~irst-century authority. Until such
new sources develop 1 shall go on be
lieving the whole story to he a myth,
a yarn, a fable, with no scintilla of evil
dence to bolster it up. If we could get
hold of a copy of Tacitus belonging
anywhere in the first thousand years
of this era, we should find XIV, A, con-
spicuous by it's absence"
His reference is to the account in
Tacitus, which he copies. His charge
of Interpolation is not sustained by any
proof he offers. He says other writer's
-Suetonius in his Live of the Twelve
Caesars-Nero'-give nothing of the
atrocities. An interesting point is
raised.