The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15


! Guises.
The next volume that we find, however,
was written in a different France-one Of
prosperity and quietness under the grand
monatque," when the gentlemen were not
bound at home by war, but were spreading
over the world and travelling in far distant
| countries; when time was given for de-
| scription of these. such is this book that
We have-"A Relation of Divers Curious
Voyages. 166f'-three huge volumes of trav
el and as many huge fables, wonderful in
/ their contrivance.
! Almost wonderful in its tales are the
Memoirs de TAmerique de NJ. lie Baron
de Lahonton," printed in 1904. This is two
volume production and gives a history of
| America up to that time. According to it. the
present United States was one great
French colony, with a few English on the
| border.
The period of these travels, so prosperous
| for France. years of civil turmoil in
England. when Protestant and Catholic,
Puritan and cavalier, Tory and Wing were
ever warning upon one another So His
tory of the Cardinals printed in 1910, prob
ably for the Catholics of England. is not
incorrect mirror OF the times of the merry
| monarch"
With the revolution of 1858, the Catholic
power was broken and the Protestants were
afterward more powerful AS a result of this
protest and supremacy, we have NJ. Poluis
| Commentary on the Hebrew Text of the
Bible" This production, printed in five
bulky volumes, in Latin, in 1712, testifes to
| the prevalence of Latin, even at that date,
| for learned treatises
| AS we look along the shelves we find
book Of this period that is of universal inter-
| est a literary curiosity. 1t is a first-edi-
ton copy of THE Had of Homer, Trans
lated by Mr.. Pope" Likewise there is the
| odyssey" These, in three large vol
umes apiece, are in uniform binding. The
volumes were issued as Pope finished them,
and each volume dates a year later than
the preceding one The first ''Iliad'' bears
the date Ills, the last odyssey" 1725. These
books are in excellent condition, only four
or five pages in all being yellow or widowed
with age. In the "Iliad' (and the Odyssey"
is on the same PLAN, there is a title page
covered with red and black letters, and OPP
| posite 1t lengthy decree from King George
I, signed by Stanhope, giving the publisher
a copyright. On the following page is cut
Of the bust of Homer. Then begins Mr..
| Pope's'' long introduction and discourse on
the beauties of Homer. After this follows the
translation in a large. coarse print, with
| c0pious notes following each book. In the
| text itself there are many passages that
have been affected by late changes.
Keeping company with these works Of
| Pope's are some that perhaps he read in his
lifetime, or were written by some of his
friends. OF the books of this time there are
THE Works of Sir William Temple, Bart,
| London 1720." On the frontispiece is pic
| ture of Sir William, with his long hair
| waving over his shoulders in curls. Along
| with Sir Williams production are three huge
volumes in leather, 1.-The Works of William
Penn. London. 1726," full of rare and pecul-
| lar tracts. Among the most interesting of
the books of this period are the Biographies.
( There are two of these in the library.
'MolPs Compleat Geegrapher of the Earth,
1884," and "A New General Atlas of the
World. 1721." Both of these are bound in
| leather and are so cumbersome that ii is al
most impossible to lift them. The striking
| popularity of these is the maps, drawn
with quaint Indians and buffaloes running
at large over the unsettled country, with
ships at the ports and trees where there are
forests. Another curious book of the time is
a religious report of 1870. entitled, IAN His
| torical Account of the Incorporated Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel in For
eign Parts" This we hardly would have
looked for when history tells us of such a
religious indifference at this time.
Over in France. 1t seems, men were still
travelling, for in Paris. in 1924, a learned
| Frenchman discoursed in volume on
''Mouers des Sauvages Ameriquines."
| Thus we pass through the books of the
| time of George / and examine those that a
| later reign brought forth. From the reign of
| George 1 the library has number of rare
| specimens. OF these, the volume attracting
the most interest is on Natural History"
published in 1875. There are in it four vol
umes, measuring about Is by "a inches. The
books are profusely illustrated, and, con-
sidering the time in which they were pub
lished, singularly well proportioned.
Two full-page symbolic pictures are at the
frontispiece- The illustrations are always
| full size and where they do not occupy a
full plate, filling is made at the bottom
by snakes of all kinds coiling round one an
other One volume is taken up with snakes
Another book from the reign Of George l is
| the Complete System of Geography, by
Emmanuel Brown, 1147." This, like the ear
lier biographies, is in large cumbrous VOL
| ume and is printed from very fine type. In
| history, a notable work of this time is a
Universal History in twenty volumes,
1747. In travel this place would, no doubt. be
| given to Churchilrs Voyages" in seven mas
sive volumes. describing the voyages Of
| famous men of the age
| OF all books in the library. none is SO full
of curiosities and rare reading as the 'Har-
leian Miscellany" AS its name indicates. it
| is the collection of miscellaneous papers in
| the library of the Duke of Oxford. 1t was
published in 17i4. In it may be found almost
| anything of interest of the years before this
| date. On fly leaf, I'm a fine fourishing
| hand, Is an index of the worthy articles,
| made by some one. with his Endorsement
| after them, "a very goode article" or some
| thing similar. Among the curiosities con-
| tanned in Ii is the proclamation of Lady
| Jane Gray, as Queen of England. She is pro-
claimed with all the pomp and ceremony
| that graced the Seventh Edward There are
are also many old ballads of Cromwelrs
| time. and a history of Edward III. No day
| could be spent more entertainngly than in
| looking over these miscellanies.
| OF the books of history and travel later
in the eighteenth century. only two or three
| have outlived the oblivion that has doomed
| their compeers. THE History of Kentucky"
| by John Filson, 17S2, is COMMUNICATED now
| by the Ellison Club at Louisville. In his
| history he has many entertaining anec-
| dotes to show the state of the country at
| that time. Another one that is not entirely
lost is the History of England from the
| Revolution, to Be Used as n Continuation of
Mr. Hume's History by 7. Smollet