The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-27
The Literary Outlook.
By Herbert Brewster.

The DOyhOOd friend of Omar khayyam,
Hassan ben -Sabah, seems to be such an
interesting character that the novelists
of the day are going to perpetuate his
rame. In Richard, Yea and Nay" Maui
rice Hewlett introduced Hassan as the
Old Man of Musse, head of the Order of
Hashashin, and Mr.. Meakin. in a more
recent novel, The Assassins'' takes up
the actions of this same order and some
of the same characters. H~assan-ben-
Sabah was the founder Of the Order of
Hashish eaters who terroriZed Western
Asia in the eleventh century, and, at the
time King Richard made his crusade,
Hassan was feared over all Asia. His
followers won Paradise by carrying out
his death warrants and when they re-
turned from killing in accordance with
his demands, they themselves were put
TO death.
Hassan's earlier record is to be found
in a testament left by Nizam III Mulk,
Nizam, Hassan and Omar were school
boy friends who entered into a compact
that to WhOmSoever fortune came he
should share it equally with the others.
Many years passed and NiZam became
a vizjer. Both his old friends found
him out and the vizier kept his word.
Hassan received a place IN the govern
hN-N OLAioi hO"SNN NoNi4 NV az
cept title or office as his share. The
greatest boon you can confer on me"
he said, lis to let me live in a corner
under the shadow of your fortune, to
spread wide the advantages of science
and to pray for your long life and pros
p%ority.' The vizier relates that Omar
was really sincere in refusing honors;
the most he would accept was a small
yearly pension. Thus it came about
that Omar lived at Naishapur, "busied
in winning knowledge of every kind,
especially in astronomy, wherein he at
tanned to a very high prominence. He
obtained great proficiency in science and
the Sultan showered favors upon him"
HaSsan, however, fell from grace, at
tempted to sJpplant his benefactor and
was accordingly banished. He finally
became the head Of the Ismalians, who
seemed bound together for the purpose
of murder. Hassan seized the castle
Of Alamut in the mountainous country
south Of the Caspian Sea and here it
was that he lived when Richard made
his crusade. He was known as the Old
Man of the Mountains and it is still a
matter of dispute whether the word
"assassin' is derived from hashist or
from Hassan's name.
A book of unusual timeliness is "An
American at Oxford by John Corbin,
for, since the Rhodes requests of schol-
arShips to Oxford, there has sprung up
in this country a new interest in this
English University. Mr.. Corbin gives a
very good description of the life, ways
and peculiarities of Oxford and expresses
the opinion that only graduates of our
own universities should take advantage
nf tho phnHnc cabo1o rchirc II caanoc
that Mr.. Rhodes will was published on
bins book went to the printers, so Mr..
COrbin was able to make some additional
remarks in which he expresses his OPP
position to sending undergraduate stu
dents to Oxford from this country for
the reason that they would thus lose the
opportunity of forming life long friend
ships among their own countrymen and
would not be able to assimilate our ma
tional spirit. Mr.. Corbin has Given =
good picture of student life which is as
different from that OF the university or
college in this country as one may ina
CINE. The American who goes there is
first confronted with the fact that the
university is nothing more than a .ague
general unity Of several scattered col
leges. The "university'' is supposed to
examine the men who are trained in the
separate colleges. The student will be
able TO see little Of the American style
of study: the social side of student life
seems to be of the most Importance.
The Oxford man goes to charel first
thing in the morning, then he goes to
breakfast with some other student. After
breakfast he smokes and talks until per-
haps, at ten, he has to go to a lecture.
T. -: =
followed by out-Of-dOOr exercises and
sports, and at four o'clock the student
IS back at his room ready for afternoon
tea. Two hours of reading are likely to