The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-25
The Literary Outlook.


The boyhood 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
pame. 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 more
recent novel. THE Assassins. takes up
the actions of this same order and some
of the same characters. Hassan-ben-
Sabah was the founder of the Order of
Hashsh 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
10 death.
Hassan's earlier record is tc be found,
in testament left by Nizam ul Mulk
Nizam. Hassan and Omar were school
boy friends who entered into compact
that to whomsoever fortune came he
should share it equally with the others.
Many years passed and Nizam became
a vizier. Both his old friends found
him out and the vizier kept his word.
ment; Omar, however, would not ac-
cept title or office as his share. ''The
greatest boon you can confer on me-
he said lis to let me live in corner
under the shadow of your fortune, to
spread wide the advantages of science
and to pray for your long life and pros
perity" The vizier relates that Omar
was really sincere in refusing honors;
the most he would accept was 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 supplant 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 il still
matter of dispute whether the word
assassin" is derived from hashish or
from Hassan's name.
A book of unusual timeliness is IAN
American at Oxford by John Corbip,
for, since the Rhodes requests of schol-
arships to Oxford, there has sprung up
in this country 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
of the Rhodes scholarships 1t seems
that Mr.. Rhodes will was published on
the day that the last proofs of Mr.. Cor
bins book went to the printers. SO Mr.
Corbn 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 :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 importantce
The Oxford man goes to CHAPEL 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
Luncheon, in the middle of the day, is
followed by out 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