The Washington times., 1920-01-04
Today
slkow Other People.
crihen. Rasaihac, Henry ".
The Mob Always Hideous.
nead History, Biography.
BY ARrnUB BRISBANE.
tcopyrixhS. lsse.)


Those words On the Greek Tenn
pie. repeated In every generation.
Know rhyself," are not such wise
words. Better advice would be.
Know Others. Know the Human
Race TO Which You Belong. Its
Creat men. Fighters, Fools. Philos-
opherv. Slaves, and Parasites
20 man can ever know himself.
but studying others he can learn
somsthinx about himself
Read history and biographies,
which are the essence OF history.
Macy men have written poor hts
tories The history that gives
dates of battles, names OF kings,
means nothing.
The invention OF the wheelbar-
row, comparatively recent, is more
important to the world than u
hundred dates of battles.
Good histories do exist, how
ever. Try Green's History of the
Engiish People" admirable.
MicheIet's History Of France"
rather long for Americans In a
hurry. - 80
Winvood Reade's "Martyrdom OF
Man." short. rather bitter and ex-
aggersted In one direction.
Reclus' Man and the Earth"
long. but not page too long.
Fske's writings on Early
Days In Our Country" useful for
removing national conceit.
Some histories men buy. put on
their shelves. ought to read and do
not read, like Gibbons monumen-
tal work. Others, less worthy, are
creating an appetite for
something better. OF the latter
sort Is Alexandra Dumas Great
Men In Their Dressing Gowns"
Historians will tell you 1t Is not all
accurate. and it is far from It.
The writer of fiction could not
write history without some fiction.
But read the small volume about
Henry Nv, Louis XIII; the facts
are interesting, the inaccuracies
are not important
The book of famous Frenchmen
described by a Frenchman with
imagination is made up of pic
lures.
Henry Nv came into the world
laughing. unusual ifAtrue: his
grandfather, King of Navarro. i'm
mediately took him on TO his own
room. rubbed garlic on his lips,
and from q goblet Of gold made
him drink thimbleful of wine to
~start him in the right way"
The baby liked the wine. In
spite of his early deprayity he
turned out to be one Of the best
kings France ever had.
~ A. intefegtimr xs the King was 4
the famous fighter, Crillon, fit
rank with Duguesclin, D'Au-
verene, and Lahire, who, fighting
q big bear and armed only with a
small knife, .improvised the cele-
brated prayer, 'Lord, ask no
fsvors, but IL you don't help La
hire, do not help the bear"
When Crillon died, some three
centuries back, they found on his
bodv twenty-five big wounds.
He is the man who cried out in
church when he first heard the
priest describe the sufferings of
Christ, "Lord Jesus Christ, what
. misfortune for you that Crillon
was not there; they would never
have crucified you"
The dancing master said to him
when he was a lad, "Now bend
over, and retire (Pliez, Reculez)."
Crillon replied, know that Grill
lon will never either bend or re-
tire" .ts-..
He lived up to that. The young
Due De. Guise, testing Crillon's
courage, learned useful lesson.
Crillon was walked out of a
sound sleep, his room was filled
with armed men, one shouting in
his ear that the enemy had seized
the castle. The young duke, pre-
tending great fright, screamed:
What shall we do?" Crillon,
calmly putting on his shirt, an
swered, What foolish question!
We must die like decent men, of
course"
When the duke confessed it was
all a joke, Crillon said, Thou
hast played a dangerous game, my
child. For if had shown coward
ice, should have stabbed thee
for making me ridiculous"
Read Dumas study OF Henry
Tvs character, based on narra-
tives. He often accused himself
of cowardice and fought all the
harder. exposing himself to bull
lets. to punish himself for being
afraiC
IAN miserable carcass" he said,
addressing his own body, "Thou
tremblest. well, Ventre Saint
Gsis, Ill give you something to
make you tremble." Then he
rushed In among the bullets.
This was the Kings idea OF
wife: Beauty in her person,
publicity in her life, good nature,
quick wit, fecundity, eminent birth,
and possessing large estates"
He. however. said that he would
consent to marry the lnfanta OF