The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-19

in the old tale that is missing in mod
ern reproductions; the author han
dies his material in manner that adds
much artistic versimilitude to bald
and unconvincing narrative" Here,
for example. is the description of Jacks
first antagonist: "a huge and mon
strous giant of 81 feet high and of
three yards in compass, of grim coun-
tenance, to the terror of all the neigh
boring towns. His habitatiOn was a
cave in the midst of a mount; neither
would he suffer any living creature to
upon other mems cattle; for Whenso-
ever he had occasion for food he would
wade over to the mainland, where he
would furnish himself with whatever he
could find; for sthe people at his ap-
proach would forsake their habitations;
then he would take their COWS and
oxen, of which he would make nothing
to carry over on his back half a dozen
at time; and as for sheep and hogs,
he would tie them around his waist.
This he had for many years practiced
in Cornwall
Another nursery story which WEE
would all recognize-indeed it has
come down to us almost in the exact
language in which Boswell purchased
yards the story of the BABES in
the Wood" as it all came out when
"The fellow that did take in hand
these children for to kill
Was for robbery judg'd to die
as was Gods blessed will
Who did confess the very truth
of what is here exprest;
Their uncle died while he for debt
did long in prison rest
But these old books were not all
nursery tales. and it is an interesting
proof of their wide popularity that
many of the names that come to light
in turning the pages Of the Boswell
collection are almost as familiar as if
the modern reader had the chap books
In his own library. There is the His
tory of Mother Bunch of the West,
Containing Many Rarities Que of Her
Golden Closet of Curiosities," whose
words of wisdom were undoubtedly
consulted with hopeful faith by many a
love-sick swain or maiden of the eight
zenith century: "The History Of DR..
Faustus Showing How He Sold Him
self to the Devil, to Have Pawer to Do
What He Pleased for Twenty-Four
Years. Also Showing Things Done by
Him and His Servant Mephistopheles,
With An Account How the Devil Came
for Him and Tore Him to Pieces"
"The Golden Cabinet or the Complete
Fortune Teller" "The Merry Tales of
the Wise Men of Gotham" '"The His
tory of Mother Shipton,' and others
which we still partly recognize In
fact, the small volumes which the
eighteenth century chapman carried
with his other wares from town to
town., covered every possible demand
among his possible purchasers-there
were religious stories, mainly, as in the
case of DR.. Faustus, haying to do with
His Satanic Majesty in person; volumes
of jokes, conundrums and riddles:
books about eccentric characters and
unusual events; books of cookery and
books that told how to read the lines
of the hand or how to foreteII the
weather; books about criminals. their
trials, executions, confessions and va
r1ous exploits; the chapman, "a paul
-tr1e pedlar"-to quote a description Of
him in an old dictionary-"who in a
long pack or mound which he carries
or the most part open hanging from his
necke before him. hath almanackes.
bookeS of neweS, and other trif1ing
wares to SELL" was a circulating libra
ry that circulates on it's own legs from
one village or town to another
1t is an interesting fact in view of
the Importance attached to illustration
IN modern books and periodicals that
chap books were very fully illustrat-
So Will lliC CIuuG -WOOQ cuts CQat often
did duty for several different volumes.
The Boswell collection, for example,
suggests the familiar New England
Primer multiplied many times over, for
nearly every page has it's woodeny-
looking illustration. often much funnier
in their stiff seriousness than the con-
tents of 10 Miller's Jest Book. itself
once very popular chap book.
), The Boswell chap books, as perhaps
tho nOfIQct60r him calf
however more than mere curiosities of
a past literature. Their value nova
days lies in the light they throw upon
the manners, beliefs and customs of
the people for whom they were writ
ten. The authors, whose names are
now mostly forgotten even if they were
ever known to their readers. were often
undoubtedly members of the great pro-
letariate for whom they wrote, and the
business of printing and distributing
them employed thousands of printers
and chapmen. One publisher at least,
is known to have retired fom business
with fortune of s150.000. Printed for