Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-11-21
I FRIAR BAO0Ns BRASS HEAD.


In q vast and ancient room, whose
appliances denoped the abode Of the
scholar and philosopher, sat the
learned and famous fntaar, Roger
bacon Beside him. a dusty table was
thkIchly strewn w6th scrolls OF parch-
ment, rich with age and erudi&ion,
while o. large chaik, heavily barred
end boiled, was filled with other
treasures in manus0iQt, each worth
more than its weight in virgin gold.
At the farther end of the room q
want chimney, with smoky furnaces
hnd cruci bles, containing crude and
half smelted ores, and aid the various
properties of the adchemiSt, occupied
one side of the apartment. In one cor
ner, q huge iron mortar, shielded by
screens of MEDAL from contact with
any spark which might fly from the
furnaces, was filled with an inodprous
mixture of birthstone and SaltpeGer,
and black dust which looked like
powdered charcoal. Everywhere, on
floor and table, stood such rude in
struments to aid in chemistry and as
tronomv as the time afforded, while
aA about were such evidences Of
work and study ais made the place
seem ais much the workshop of the ar
tisan as the library of the scholar.
Stretched cross the upper end of
the apartment, Ia heavy green curtain
fell in broken folds over some object
which 1t was intended to conceal. Be-
fore this curtain salt THE great NEGRO
mancer, of whose art all England
spoke in whispered wonder, and with
baafted breath, tie Learned Friar Ba-
con of Oxford"
No longer an inmate of the college
from whose wallis his suspected magic
had caused him to be driven forth, he
dwelt solitary among the surrounding
rustics who feared and Stunned him,
and in secret wrought those mysteri-
Gus works which made him dreaded
among men.
He was now only little past middle
life, "a man of commanding figure and
noble head, which seemed heavy with
the weight of knowledge it carried.
and now dropped wearily upon his
hands as he sat STEPPED in thought.
His reverie was broken by the en-
trance of his servant Niles, the only
retainer he could keep about him, q
half witted, faithful fellow, who chung
gratefully to the hand WHICH fed him.
81 cry you mercy, good master"
aadd Miles, hastily entering, but
could not stay upon ceremony. A lord
10 without the door, asking entrance
to you. LIT is a FELLOW in "a scarlet coat
and wonderful fine otherwise. He
declares that he Us from Oxford, and
will have speech with you. And, al
though said nobody coufd enter,- he
will come in whether l wild or NO. At
which l, fearing he might be the eva
One himself, took to my heels to teal
thee about him."
Let him come in,'' answered the
friar, reused by the servant long
speech from his deep abstraction. 1T
is Clement, the cardinal, the PoPe's
legate to England. Stay, Miles, throw
q cloth over the pile of manuscripts
yonder. Pull out that curtain
straight. Now give me the book OF the
Gospels. 1t lis enough. Show the car
dtnaa hither."
A moment later, and the Cardinal
Oemenit, himself the next successor to
the papal throne, entered the apart
ment.
"WeIl, frdar, ait last We have found
your secret hiding place. It is y
journey hithsr, Jend the rcad
hard and n~rryw as that which IT,
70 Parad. sa.'
81 ann sorry for the trouble youl
bordship took in coming, and should
have been happy if it might have been
spared YOU
(Which means, 50 I take 1t, good
trtar, that you are not glad at my
coming. BUT believe me, come with
NO evil intent, NOT for anything except
friendship. l know how they have
treated thee ait Oxford, and in good
earnest 1 have been always sorry foa
It. Learning is not 50 plenty, that Il
should be put down; and from what
I know of thy wonderful inventions
they are not those that the devil
teaches his followers, but always Of
good service to the cause of Truth
and the true Church. l pray thee d.
NOT distrust my motive. come In
friendly guse, unattended ais thor
eeest, and with the desire but to be in
swucted in some of thy magic dis
eoveries, and see what they may avail
30 science"
my discoveries are naught," an
severed the friar, still keeping up tbs
reserved manner he had worn since
the entrance of his visitor. ''ThoJ
hast heard of the magic powder which
has so frighted the learned magnatet
of the college that they drove me out
| side their wallis. Ut ds but COMPOSE
t6on of simple substances, which with
| out any magic art, when touched wdtl
| q spark, viii give forth a semblance O
| lightning and thunder. If thou wishes
| ] can, in a few minutes, show thee tn
secret of il"
mo, no, good fYdar," returned tn
| cardinal. shrinking away httls I'm
sasily from the mortar in the corner
which Bacon approached. 81 trus
thy word, and 1 ann no fool TO beaiev
stories of any wizard s-craft. Blu
Ehere is another matter of which
come to inquire Of thee. Thou hast
huge head. they ted me, of which tho
usakest a Familiar, that tells tn
strange secrets, and fortelfs event
chat can affect the fate of nations
Tell me Of this On the faith Of I
priest and gentleman, ask but 10
love of science. and here III
priests voice sank bower, thou haa
| heard that Pope Urban grows feeble
It is in all mems mouths in Rome tia
the Ca r1 ina Elerake Of England wik b
the next high ponbff OF the church.
trust thy honor in telling this, and tsa
thee also, that If Clement of Narbonn
be made the hoy father of the church