The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-25
BEGINS CAREER AS
GOVERNOR-GENERAL

are almost Saints. To the latter cate
CORY belongs Sir David Hunter Blair
IL barefooted monk of the Order of st.
Benedict. who after spending IL mum
Der OF years laboring in the swamp
districts OF the Amazon River, to con-
vert the natives to Christianity, has
now returned home to Europe per-
fectly blind. In the faint hope that
some miracle may be accomplished to-
wards the restoring OF his eyeslght by
tho worldfamed oculIst, Professor Pa
genstecher. at Wiesbaden.
The Hunter Blair family made its
fortunes in the eighteenth century.
when It's members were the Kings
the Forbeses, OF Pitsligo, In the Edn-
burgh banking business of that name,
so we'll known to the readers OF Bos-
wells Johnson and Of Loekhart's
..Sir Walter Scott" Sir David IS the
NTH baronet Of his line, received his
education at Elton and at Magdalen
College, Oxford, served in the army
with the rank OF captain OF one OF
the Highland regiments and was a
chamberlain OF Plus TX and of Leo
wife (of whom curlously enough no
mention Is made in any OF the stand
ard works OF reference), he. with the
permission OF Leo MIL. entered holy
and on his fathers death In 1896, turn
ed over the family estates. including
Blairquhan Castle. near Maybole in
AYRSHIRE. to his Younger brother. Cap,
navy. One of his sisters is the wife
of the Earl of Glasgow.
Let me add that Sir David has also
done missionary work in Patagonia.
and was for a time rector OF the Abbey
School, Fort Augustus. So far as /
am aware he is the only monk who
belongs to any clubs, having retained
his membership OF the Caledonian. in
Edinburgh. and Of the Conserve tive.
in London.
King Georges lord high almoner. the
Very Rev. Armltage Robinson. Dean
OF Westminster. having proclaimed
from the pulpit OF his ancient abbey
his disbelief In the story OF the mi
raculcus speech OF Balaam's ass. thus
disculpating that celebrated quadruped
of the reproach OF Ioquacisy. one OF
the most Learned canons of the abbey
the Rev. H. c. Beeching D. D., has
now followed suit by insisting from
the same pulpit THAI BALKAN himself
was guiltless of the disobedience which
had called forth aslnine reproof In
TACT. ne has come forward in West
minister Abbey. with all the authority
or his Office, as an apologist for Ba-
laam. and declares that biblical re-
search and the revision of the Scrip
lures have made 1t clear that the
story rejecting discredit upon Ba-
laaln' came into existence many CEN
turtles after his death. an invention
probably of the priestly revisers OF
the Hexateuch. The latter is built up
of contemporary records. that is to say.
records contemporary with the times
or Balaam. by the prophets, and also
by the priests. and 1t has been ascer-
tanned that wherea. only the priests
put Toward Balaam as an example
or disobedience. the episode which led
70 the ass's historic remark is ignored
IN contemporary records and also by
the prophets. several of whom. notably
Micah. speak with warm commenda-
tion OF Balaam
Balaam's reputation has suffered so
severely through his having been held
up Tor more than twenty centuries
throughout the Christian and Jewish
world as an example of disobedience
that 1t is only fair that he should
be indicated. even at this late day.
in the frs; year of the reign OF George
W by one of his spiritual advisers. in
the ancient abbey where his corona
ton Is to take place next June
Copyright. 1910, bv the Brentwood
| Company