The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-04
FORCER|ES,
The Way That Sir Walter Scott
Was Basely Deceived.
CUNNINGHAM'S PROUD BOAST
This Seotehran Claimed he Could
Fool q Congress Of Antiqusrians
With His Own Writings and Ballads.
Othor Famous Forssrs.

Il cOulu cneht whole general as.
sembly OF antiquarians with my origi.
nal manner Of writing and forging bal
lads" The man who made this proud
boast, Allan Cunningham was Il
youthful stonemason Of Scotland, earn.
Ing II shlllugs week. That he was
no idle braggart Is evident, says the
London Bits, from the fact that In
his twenty-ffth year he perpetrated
one Of the greatest literary frauds of
the nineteenth century.
Cunningham In spite OF his humble
role In life could write poetry the
beauty and pathos OF which would
bring tears 10 the eyes of the reader.
Apparently. however, he possessed
desire characteristic OF many rog,es
of literary gcnlGs-tD make experts
look foolish. and when Mr.. CromcS.
who In 1909 was travelling In Scotland
with view TO making n collection oi
genuine Scottish songs. asked Cunning
ham to assist him the stonemasnn
conceived the Idea Of writing ballads
and passing them of on Cromek as old
Scottish productions.
These were Included In volume.
and, although most OF the critics de.
tccted the fraud and II was establish.
cd beyond doubt that Cunningham
wrote the ballads himself they ac-
quired an immediate reputation, ana
the genius of the writer led people to
overlook the deception.
Nor was Cunningham the only forger
OF Scottish ballads. Robert Surtccs.
the celebrated antiquary and historian.
for some curious reason not only palm
ed of on Sir Walter Scott us antique
three ballads purely Of his own com.
position, but actually suffered them to
occupy place In the "Minstrelsy OF
the Scottish Border" with fictitious
account of their origin, and left the
novelist deceived to the end of his
days.
Mention OF the deception OF Sir Wal
ter Scott reminds one that the famous
novelist was the victim on several oc-
casions of literary forgers who used
his name TO boom their own work.
George w. Haering who under the
pscudonym OF Willibald Alexis came
TO be one OF Germany's first novellsts
OF the early part OF the nineteenth
century. published his first book, oval
ladmor." and announced II as free
translation into German OF n novel
boldly ascribed to Sir Walter Scott.
He afterward endeavored TO excuse
himself on the ground that people had
been stupid enough not 10 see In oval.
ladmor" n satlrical attack on the craze
then prevalent for Scott's works.
In France several mimctlc attempts
on Scott have been made. notably al
Ian Cameron" GS32l and "Ayme verd"
QSi2), which We're both published in
Paris as being Scott's, and la Pythle
des Highlands" introduced to the
world as the work of the famous nov
elist In 1874 by Charles ]. David, son
OF the famous French painter.
But perhaps the most interesting OF
all the attempts to trade on Scott's
name was that connected with the
name OF l.. de Saint Maurice Cabany.
director general OF the Society Of
Archivistes OF France, who In 1855
startled the literary world with new.
ly discovered novel by Scott, entitled
"Morcdun. Tale OF the 1910"
In J. A. Farmers book. entitled "I.it.
erary Forgeries," II Is explained how,
ON account Of inaccuracies In dates and
the description of places. this novel
could not have been written by Scott,
but the authorship remains mys-
tcry.
Tho prince OF literary forgers, as re-
CARDS quantity, also halls from France.
This was Nraln-Denls Lucas. the son
OF n peasant, who after providing GER
tain classes OF people with more or
less spurious pcdigrces perpotratei one
OF the most colossal literary frauds OF
the nineteenth century by successfully
palming or 21,32O forged letters of an
Client and eminent men to VI. Chasles,
n man OF worldwide reputation as
geometriciaI and astronomer, who paid
Lucas nearly $4,000 for the collection.
Lucas false letters included some
from the apostles, from Plato, Pllny.
Lazarus and Mary Magdalene. And
yet NJ. Chasles did not consider II OK.
traordlnary that these worthless wrote
on paper and In the French language!
Ultimately his eyes We're opened, and
Lucas was arrested and sentenced TO
two years Imprisonment.
The well known story q "Psalmana. /
zar, the Famous Formosan," shows |
how easily the public can be Imposed |
upon In regard 10 literature. This re
individual made his appear.
ance In London early In the eighteenth |
century, clal..ed to be native of For. .
mosa and wrote in Latin his very sin. /.
gular Prescription OF Formosa." The /
book, which was pure concoction. did I
not deceive anybody, but for many .
years its author remained an object .
Of faith ana charity TO considerable .
section Of his adopted countrymen." .
He ropented. however. of his fraud. |
and his life ended with the esteem of /
many, while Dr. Johnson spoke Of him |
ls THE best man he ever knew" But