The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-26
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.


history of literature. The term encyclo-
pedia itself means properly a book or work
protesting to give information. more or less
full, on the whole circle of human knowl-
edge. In pursuance of this plan there have
been published many works of stupendous
labor and amazing wealth OF information,
ranging in size all the way from one vol
ume to Ice volumes. The Encyclopedia
Britannica, which began in Ill with an
issue of three volumes. has new reached
twenty-four. The great French Encyclo-
pedia, begun in 1852, was not finished until
1882. when 1t appeared in 166 volumes. Many
other encyclopedias OF great value have
been published. including a large number
on special subjects. A library composed ex-
clusively of encyclopedias would represent
far more Of the worlds learning and liter
airy labor than any other compilation that
could be made. THE Cyclopedia of CLASH
fed Dates aims at presenting within a
comparatively brief compass comprehen-
sive index to the important historical
events of all ages and countries. From the
size and contents Of the work it evidently
represents many years of assiduous labor
by many persons. The chief editor is Rev.
Charles E. Little. author Of Historical
Lights" and other works of reference. This
work contains 1852 pages and about $1,000
entries of dates of historical events. The
plan of the work is original and very con-
uucive TO quick reference. 1t embraces a
threefold Observation-Disclosures, classification
by countries, second by dates, third accord
ing to the nature of the event itself. The
classification by countries is in alphabetical
order. On the first page comes Abyssinia.
On the last page, the west coast of Africa
Between these appear all the countries of
the earth (seventy-nine In number) OF
which there are any historical records. The
facts pertaining to each country are then
classified according to date. Thus each pair
OF facing pages includes the events per-
tanning to a particular segment of time.
For instance, Pages l6 and II contain the
facts of American history pertaining to the
period between Dec. IL, 1500 and the year
1918. AT the top of each page the date for
that page is indicated in black-face type in
the corner and the name of the country in
black-face type in the center, as a running
title. After the classification by country
and by date, the facts are again classified
according to their nature. That is to say,
the events pertaining to America. in the
period between Dec. IL. 1900, and the year
1918, all of which are found on the pair Of
Pages 16 and II. are there arranged under
nine divisions, namely: % army, navy; CD
art, science, nature; CD births, deaths; (D
church; 90 discovery, exploration: 60 let
tiers: % society; 90 state; Cs) miscelia-
neous Turning at random to another page
Of American dates, Pages "a and Is. one
finds recorded the dates of the leading
events from 1868 to 176S, and If one wishes
to know what was happening in Great
Britain, France Germany during the
same years he has but to turn to the cor
responding pages under those titles. Turn
ing to Feb. % 1872, the date of George
Washington's birth, one finds recorded the
names Of thirteen other notable Americans
born in the same year. including Generals
Francis Marion and Richard Henry Lee, of
revolutionary fame. If one wishes to find
what was happening in the rest of the
world during the period of Washington s
two presidential terms he has only TO turn
to the years 1889 to 1897 under the names of
other countries. or the seventy-nine differ
emf countries included in the book the
greatest space is given to the most i'm
portant, including America before the revo-
luton. the United States after the revolu-
ton, Great Britain, France. Germany, ETC.,
yet each one Of the seventy-nine countries
is represented by an historical epitome ac-
cording to its Importance. During the Pc
riod of our civil war, 1861 to 1866, the dates
of no less than 700 different engagements
are given, and In the department Of births
and deaths 10000 names are recorded. An
alphabetical index at the close of the VOL
ume, occupying 29O pages and containing
lbs 900 entries, enables one to find in few
moments every entry relating to a particu-
lar person or subject. Thus Indiana is rep
resented by nearly 100 entries or different
dates, and Indianapolis by thirty-nine
These events are not all of equal impor-
tance but all have place In local history.
Every State and considerable city in the
Union is similarly represented. Taking the
whole volume together the events tabu-
lated and dated extend. from a period 5000
years before Christ to A. d. 1885 The book
is a wonderful mine of information and of
great value as a ready reference book for
students, readers, authors, editors and pro-
fessional men. 1t comes near being an his
torical library in itself and will be valu-
able addition to any library, public or pri-
vate. 1t is published by Funk & Wagnalls
Company. 30 Lafayette place, New York.
Historical Tales from Shakespeare.
What Charles and Mary Lamb did for
some Of Shakespeare's plays A. T. CUTLER
Couch co. has done for others. He has taken
eight of the master playwright's histori-
cal works and converted them into de-
lightful prose stories that cannot fail to
interest the young as we'll as the old. The
task has not been an easy one, for the
author has tried to be more accurate ir
dealing with historic incidents than Shakes
peare was. 1t is well-established fact
that the Bard sometimes sacrificed truth
probably took what is called poetic license
in order to make his play conform to his
| stage views or to serve a within. Neither
| was he always fair or just with historic
characters, and he also occasionally made
| mistakes. Therefore, Mr.. Quiller-Coucf
says: Il have made 1t my rule to follow
| Shakespeare so long as he tells his story
with fairness and Justice" Some of the
| Inaccuracies of the Bard, however, have
| not been corrected for the reason thai
changes would have Swallowed the char
| scters instead Of bringing them out more
clearly as was los" intent.
The author makes 1t clear at the Outset
| that his tales were written for young read
| ers primarily. and secondly for older per
sons who find difficulty in grasping quick
| ly the full meaning of Shakespeare's Ian
| guage. The tales, therefore. might be called
shakespeare Made Easy" The play.
! which 20" has reduced TO ordinary pros,
| are "Coriolanus." Julius Caesar" "Kinf
| john" king Richard the Second" "Kinl
| Henry the Fourth" king Henry tn,
Fifth" king Henry the Sixth and "Kint
Richard the Third" To change these Il
| prose and supply the minor details lacking
| in the plays has been no mean undertaking
but 20" has succeeded, and the result Il
| a series of interesting and well-told stories
| The author, however, disclaims any inten
| ton OF making his work of the fictiona
| order, for he says his object was mot e
| extract pleasant and profitable stories, a
| one might (and as the Lambs did from tn
| masterpieces of Shakespeare's invention
| hut to follow him into his dealings with his
| tory, where things cannot be forced (,
| happen so neatly as in a made-up tale an,
| to persuade my young audience that histor,
Tin spite of their natural distrusD is by n,
means dull business when handled by on
| who marvelously understood the human
| heart and was able so to put life into tn