Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-23

much as it once was and is frequently the
dullest of the dull. But as Mr.. Aston can
afford to print it for private circulation"
as sometimes is smilingly said, the sale of
the paper probably does not AFFECT him.
Once in while his leisurely editors get
move on and PROFOUND some question or
print a series of articles by which they
doubtless hope to capture the public fancy
and secure for the paper portion or its old
standing. '@"
Just at present the "gentlemen's paper"
Is deeply concerned as to whether or not
Shakespeare a Roman Catholic. It
cannot fully make up it's mind, but Is APP
parently not satisfied that Shakespeare was
a Roman Catholic; but it consoles itself
with the extraordinary argument that ut
is pretty clear that Shakespeare was
brought up in the Roman faith, for, as
Catholic writer's have urged, the knowledge
of the doctrine of purgatory he reveals In
the ghost scenes of Hamlet could scarce
ly have been obtained in any other way.
According to this line Of argument, 1T Is
pretty clear" that Shakespeare was an ar
cher because he knew so much about ar
cherry, lawyer because he knew so much
about law, an Egyptian because he knew
so much about the people on the banks OF
the Nile, a Venetian because he knew so
much about Venice. a wizard because he
knew so much about witchcraft, while 1t Is
very clear he must have been brought up
in a palace, as he knew so much about
princes and sovereigns.
Whatever his knowledge Of purgatory
may have been, the Protestant people or
England knew as much at that time as DO
the English people of today. His ignorance
of the Roman Catholic Church Is more pro-
found than his knowledge of purgatory. II
the Pail Mall Gazette will read Shake
speare more 1t will find that Shakespeare.
who. through the mouth OF King John;
sneers at the pope as IAN Italian priest"
and through the mouth Of another person.
age extols Queen Elizabeth in one of his
finest passages as sovereign IN whose
reign God shall be truly known, was no
more a Roman Catholic than he was Lord
Bacon.
Gen. Viljoen's War History.
Gen. Viljoen is in London arranging for
the sale of the English and American rights
of his book on the war. The continental
rights are sold He is a ruddy, active man,
of pleasing and intelligent appearance. not
unlike a north country English farmer, in
fact. He speaks English well, and appar-
emily the settlement Of the war was real
one for him, for he Is free from all bitter
expressions except when 1t comes to dis
GUESSING the news supplied to British news
papers during the war.
One who has glanced at the manuscript
of his book assures me that 1t is likely to
take very well in England, for 1T is written
in clear style, and is entirely free from ex-
treme bias. 1t will be well over 100000
words In length. and will contain many I'M
portant documents, as well as Illuminating
war Among the matters dealt with is the
siege Of Ladysmith. Viljoen is not a whole
souled admirer of the Boer tactics N that
part of the campaign He goes to America
shortly on lecturing tour
Miss Braddon's Birthday.
Readers who have year after year found
renewed delight in Miss Braddon's stories
will Join in congratulations to the great
novelist on the celebration of her sixty
fifth birthday on Saturday. Miss Braddons
first story, 1.-The Trail of the Serpent" was
published forty-two years ago. Since then
she has produced fifty-seTen novels, each a
fascinating work. Miss Braddon has been
particularly successful in her titles. There
was an occasion however when she was
dragged into court apropos the respective
titular rights of Splendid Misery and
Splendid Poverty" 1t was then that, re-
plying to Vice Chancellor Bacon, who was
adjudicating. Miss Braddon said she had
known poverty, but had never known it to
be splendid.
Wooden Water Pipes Found.
Another discovery of wooden water pipes
has been made-this time IN Bond street,
well known to all American shoppers in
London, where excavations have been pro-
ceeding in connection with the postal tele-
phones. The find is the more interesting,
in that it has taken place close to Conduit
street, which derives it's name from the
water supply to the city Of London, from
the Tyburn or Aye brook. Conduit mead
covered the sites of Bond street. Old Bond
street dates from 1886 and Conduit street
and New Bond street from 1870. Evidently
the old pipes must be over 200 years old,
for when the lord mayor and common coun-
Gil made their annual visitation to the con-
duit heads they used to hunt the fox and
the hare both before and after dinner and
this must have been before Old
Bond street was built. Yet the wooden
pipes well preserved that some of
them retain their bark. Like the other
pipes that have been found, they are
trunks of trees. oak. elms or beech. They
vary in length up to seven feet, with a bore
of from six to eight inches. They We're
jonted by simply thrusting the tapered
end of one pipe into the socket of the next
one.
L. H MOORE