The Washington herald., 1909-10-17
Nv GEORGE g. HENNING.

Bible, an almanac, Josephus, and Book OF
Common Prayer or hymn book or BOTH
and perhaps with family Of puritan in
cIinations. a copy Of Baxter's SAINTS
Everlasting Rest, Sister Glegg's refuge
when in a bad temper About 1918 there
was published The Post Chaise Compan-
ion TO enliven the tedious stage coach
journeys Of that day. The copy I saw
many years ago contained puzzles, conun-
drums. witty sayings and anecdotes.
many Of which last I sometimes see re
vamped with alterations in the papers
Of the present day.
A voyage to Abyssinia by Father Je-
rome L.ooo. a Portuguese Jesuit mission
airy. in the sixteenth century. published
in Paris and translated by Samuel John
son. is Of interest
Among other wonderful things related
was a tree, the juice OF which drank
by man caused him to give drink from
his breast like a woman
In addition TO the voyage there were
dissertations on Prester John. more or
less mythical Christian sovereign, sought
for first in Asia, and later by the Portu-
guese in Abyssinia. In the latter part OF
this book there is an account Of the Cook
Lane Ghost. a better description than
that given by the Rev John Wesley or
that In Boswell Johnson's.
John Oldham's Works together with
his Remains, London, 174. is worth
study Oldham was born in 1853. An
addition OF his works was published in
1854 Both are now forgotten as they
should be. as much in them Is vulgar
He was called the English Juvenal be-
cause OF his satires OF the Jesuits.
The Pilgrims Progress" by John Bun
yam. a work OF genius. Is now rarely
read. must confess / never could wade
through it, though I have religiously
tried. It is. however. considered a model
Of good English simply phrased-
'Rasselas. Prince Of Abyssinia'' by
Samuel Johnson, finds but few readers
now, though II contains what is perhaps
the finest passage in English literature:
"Ye who listen with credullty 10 the whis-
pers OF fancy, and pursue with eager
ness the phantoms Of hope; who expect
that age viii perform the promises Of
youth. and that the deficiencies Of the
present day viii be supplied By the NOR
row. Attend 10 the history OF "Ras-
selas, Prince OF Abyssinla-'
History Of the Plague, by Daniel
Defoe. merits attention. In reading this
remarkable relation the reader will I'M
agine that DefOe saw all that he tells,
though he was only two years old in
1856, the year OF the plague. II DefOe had
written no other this would stamp him
with undeniable genius Harrison Aims
worth cribbed from this story for his
"Old St PauTs." Defoe was a very vol
luminous writer. and his stories. mainly
Of adventures by land and sea, were pop
ular IN his day IN one OF his stories
Capt Singleton with some companions
we're mArooned al Mozambique on the
east coast Of Africa. They make their
way across the continent to Lower
Guinea on the west coast and find much
gold and ivory on the way, and de-
scribes the country much as We know II
now. Defoe's conduct and writings were
not always above reproach, and on &C
count OF his political writings he was
Oxen IN trouble with the authorities. he
Justfes himself by writing:
He that opposes his own judgment
against the current Of the times ought
10 be backed with Unanswe-able truth;
and be that he has truth on his side is
a fool as well as a coward II he is afraid
70 own K. because OF the multitude Of
other mems opinions. It's hard for a
man 70 say all the world is mistaken,
but himself. But II it be so, who can
help TT"
THE History OF the Devil" by Defoe
was the favorite OF Maggie Tugllver.
Riley's narrative, an account Of being
wrecked on the west coast OF Africa,
,nrf4h D,
the Arabs and reduced to slavery. from
which they were released by the efforts
Of Mr.. Wiltshire, the British consul. at
Mogadore, give account Of sufferings al
most incredible, consistent with their
survival RHey's imaginatiOns were. no
doubt answerable for some Of his facts,
the presence Of tigers for instance His
second narrative was published after he
had been appointed consul at Tangier.
In a recent conversation with some gen
uemen a conundrum was proposed. A
man burned his fingers and expressed
his feelings by naming Gnree British
writer's. Dickens, Hewitt. Burns"
Not one OF these gentlemen. though pretty
well read. had ever heard or Hewitt. I
have before me now ''Woodburn Grange
by William Hewitt, a pleasant novel
with no exciting features William was
horn IN 1872 and his wife Mary In 1904
They were members OF the Society OF
Friends and wrote much IN poetry as
well as in prose, separately and also in
collaboration. Mary translated the novels
OF Fredrica Bremen
A remarkable book is The Partisan
Leader" by Judge Beverly Tucker. which
anticipated and portrayed the war be-
tween the States. II was published by
Duff Green in Washington in 1886. but the
edition was suppressed before many
copies had been distributed by the re-
quest Of the friends Of Gen. jackson and
other prominent members OF the Demo-
cratic party. In 1853 It was republished
IN New York 20 show the responsibility
OF the Southern leaders for the war. It
was also published in Richmond about
the same time TO put the burden upon the
abolitionists. Judge Tucker also wrote
George Balcombe," a novel now scarcely
known
About seventy years ago Valentine
Vox'' and sylvester Sound" were the
vogue. remember when I first read the
latter I thought IT extremely funny and
shook with laughter. Recently 7 ran up
with a copy at secondhand book tore
expecting TO renew my enjoyment. But
what a disappointment. It seemed ex-
tremely dull. So our tastes change.
Sylvester had an affection OF pronounclng
words as II he had q cold. So when he
said fashion" he pronounced il FAD
shun." Hence the derivation Of our
modern word fad, an abbreviation Of fad
shun-
The King OF the Mountains" by Ed
win About was published IN Emerson's
Magazine in 1858. Il was also published
in London about the same time, with
illustrations by Dore. About visited
Greece in 1851 and was so unfavorably
impressed with the Greek character that
he wrote la Greece Contemporaries"
which caused great indignation in Greece
1.-The King Of the Mountains" was the