Ah! could, I, on some mountain-height, Woe! still within this dungeon's thrall? Where heaven's own blessed radiance strains And canst thou ask why in thy breast 'Midst mouldering bones of man and brute. Flee! out into the boundless land! Thou'lt see what course the stars do hold; How spirits each with each commune. (He opens the book and his eye lights on the sign of the MACROCOSM.†) Ha! what a heavenly rapture at this sight, With a new-glowing ardour thrills and tingles. Am I a god, such light on me hath broken? Creative Nature, limned in vivid imagery. Now, now I know, what 'tis the sage hath spoken: "The spirit-world shuts not its portal; (He considers the sign.) Into the whole how all things weave, From Heaven through the earth are springing, A glorious pageant, yet a pageant merely. Thou boundless Nature, where shall I grasp thee clearly? Where you, ye breasts, founts of all life that fail not, At which both Heaven and earth are nursed? (He opens the book petulantly at another part, and his eye falls upon the symbol of the Earth-spirit.) How otherwise upon me works this sign! My powers I feel already higher, I glow as if with new-made wine. Full-steeled to tread the world I feel my mettle, Earth's woe, Earth's bliss, my soul cannot unsettle, I would not blench with worms to battle, Nor quail amidst the shipwreck's crash and rattle. Clouds gather overhead The moon withdraws her light- Vapors arise!-Red lightenings quiver Down-wafted from the vaulted gloom Spirit conjured, that hovering near me art. Ah, what a spasm racks my heart! My senses are stirred with storm like the ocean's. I feel thee draw my heart, with might unmeasured. Thou must! thou must, through life stand on the hazard! Earth-Spirit. An invention of the poet. Schiller 1759-1805 Schiller The great contemporary of Goethe, Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, was born at Marbach, Wurtemberg, on November 10, 1759. He first went to school in the village of Lorch, then to the Latin school at Ludwigsburg. Like Lessing, he intended to study Theology, but, in accordance with the command of the Duke, Karl Eugen, whom Schiller's father served in the capacity of park-keeper, the youth entered the military academy which the Duke had just established at his castle, Solitude. This was in 1773, and the study which was selected for him was the law. In 1775 the academy was removed to Stuttgart, and here he chose medicine in preference to jurisprudence. He finished in 1780, whereupon he was appointed regimental surgeon at Stuttgart. His career as a writer began in 1781, with the publication of "Die Rauber" ("The Robbers"), which was produced at Mannheim in 1782, whither the author went to see the first performance. For this, he incurred the displeasure of the Duke, who had him arrested, and forbade him to write anything thereafter not appertaining strictly to his profession. So angered was Schiller by this treatment that he fled Wurtemberg and went to live under an assumed name, in Bauerbach, where he wrote "Fiesco." He was for a time dramatist to the theatre at Mannheim, and in about 1784 undertook to issue a theatrical journal. In this were printed many of his best poems and most of "Don Carlos." In 1785 he went to Leipsic and from there to Dresden, where he finished "Don Carlos," his first great play. Two years later found him in Weimar, and here he met Charlotte von Lengefeld, his future wife. He married her in 1788, when he was appointed to a professorship at Jena, but his work and the effort that he put into the writing of his history of the Thirty Years' War, impaired his health. The friendship with Goethe began in 1794, and the magazine "Die Horen" was started. This lasted but a short time, yet in that space the famous "Xenien," a collection of satirical epigrams, composed by Goethe and Schiller in collaboration, was brought into being. The triology, "Wallenstein," accounted one of the very greatest of German dramas, was written by Schiller in 1798-99 and about the same time the poet settled permanently at Weimar. From then until his death, which was in 1805, he devoted himself to writing plays and dramas, among the last, many of his best-known-“Maria Stuart," 1800; "Die Jungfrau von Orleans" ("The Maid of Orleans"), 1801; and "Wilhelm Tell," 1804. Carlyle says, in his "Life of Friedrich Schiller," It is not the predominating force of any one faculty that impresses us in Schiller; but the general force of all. Every page of his writings bears the stamp of internal vigour; new aspects of known truth, bold though happy imagery, lofty emotion. Schiller would have been no common man, though he had altogether wanted the qualities peculiar to poets. His intellect is clear, deep and comprehensive; its deductions, frequently elicited from numerous and distant premises, are presented under a magnificent aspect, in the shape of theorems, embracing an immense multitude of minor propositions. Bulwer Lytton writes in his "Life of Schiller," No author ever had more earnestness than Schiller, his earnestness was the real secret of and poetry, this harmony between genius and his greatness; this combination of philosophy conscience, sprang out of the almost unrivalled equality of proportions which gave symmetry to his various faculties. With him the imagination and the intellect were so nicely balanced, that one knows not which was the greater: owing, happily, to the extensive range of his studies, it may be said that, as the intellect was enriched, the imagination was strengthened. Therefore, his philosophy, in strict accordance with his poetry, was designed not so much to convince as to ennoble; it addresses the soul rather than the understanding. General History Lesson XVIII Rome The lessons in General History began in the September, 1903, issue of Book NEWS. The history of ancient Greece commenced the course, including the rise of Athens to the Peloponnesian War, the war itself, the Spartan supremacy and the Theban and Macedonian supremacies, to the division of Alexander's Empire and the end of Greek independence. Roman History with the traditionary period was begun in the December, 1904, issue, and was followed by a study of the religion of the Romans, the Tarquinian Rule in Rome and the first years of the early Republic. The present lesson takes up the Agrarian Laws of the Republic. The reference volume used is "Ancient History" by Myers and Allen. The The Latin Confederacy consisted of about twelve independent cities, of which the most important were Aricia and Tusculum. Hernican League consisted of about five cities and later the two confedercies joined forces. The year following the secession of the Plebs, a treaty was made with the Latin Confederacy by the Roman consul, Spurius Cassius. The idea was a union for the purpose of protection against the mountaineer robbers, the Sabines, the Aequians and the Volscians. According to the agreement the three participants were to be upon terms of peace and equality, but as was natural, Rome gradually absorbed the smaller cities and presently came to regard them as dependents rather than as equals. The land question in Rome arose in some such way as this. In accordance with the custom of ancient times, Rome had secured large tracts of lands through conquest, it being the rule to punish a vanquished nation by confiscating a third or thereabouts of its land. These conquests were considered public lands, "ager publicus." In case of any part of it being sold it became "ager privatus." But selling was not always convenient or possible, so another mode of making use of these lands was instituted. This mode of disposition resembled somewhat the American idea of the "squatter." A man might go out and occupy the land, taking as much of it as he pleased and paying to the government for the use of it a fixed proportion of the products, a tenth of whatever But he raised or grazed thereon. The land was under these conditions called "ager occupatus" and the tenure was designated "possessio." It was, however, only the patricians that were thus permitted to occupy it. This led to the holding of the lands by wealthy patricians, who, through long occupation and a not very strict system of collecting the dues, came at length to regard them as their own possessions and to buy and sell among themselves. the lands so occupied were not subject to the regular taxation and when war necessitated extra heavy taxing, the burden fell on the plebeians. A remedy was proposed by Spurius Cassius, namely, that the state take possession of the lands again and apportion them out in equal shares among the plebeians. For this proposition, Cassius was accused of desiring to make himself popular among the people, with a view to becoming king. He was therefore accused and convicted of treason and was put to death. As a direct result of the new laws set forth by Cassius and the discontent of the people, together with the determination of the patricians not to yield the land, there ensued a state of contention that almost brought on a civil war. The tribunes, endowed as they were with extraordinary powers, took advantage of the situation and played the tyrant wherever possible, in this way aggravating the trouble to a great extent. Outside conflicts with the Volscians still further contributed to the weakening of the state. The first lesson in Mythology appeared in the September, 1904, issue of Book NEWS. It took up the legends that concern the beginning of the world and the creation of man, ending with the flood and the chaining of Prometheus to Mt. Caucasus. The lessons following have consisted of stories from Greek Mythology concerning the gods and their relationship to men, with one lesson (February, 1905) on Norse Mythology. The present lesson consists of the stories, from the Greek, of Echo and Narcissus and of Cadmus. Books for supplementary reading are Murray's "Manual of Mythology" (McKay) and Bulfinch's “Age of Fable." (McKay). ECHO AND NARCISSUS. Echo was a beautiful nymph of the woods, a favorite with Diana, whom she often followed in the chase. But the failing of the little nymph was a tendency to talk too much and one day when Jupiter chose to disport himself among a number of her companions she held Juno back from seeking him by her continued chatter. For this the Queen determined to punish her and so decreed that she should never use her voice of her own volition, but that she should repeat everything that she heard. One time, Echo fell in love with Narcissus, a beautiful youth, but when he saw and heard her he repulsed her. He also refused the love of some of her sisters, one of whom wished that he might one day know the grief of loving without return. And the wish was granted, for Narcissus, leaning over a clear pool to drink, caught a glimpse of his own reflection and so pleased was he with the beauty of it that, thinking it to be a nymph, he straightway fell in love with it and besought it to come to him. When, after many efforts to bring it to him, it still continued to elude his embrace, the youth fell ill and died. When the nymphs who had loved him, sought to bury his body, they found that it had disappeared and in its place there grew a delicate flower which was thereafter known as the narcissus. CADMUS. Jupiter, disguised as a bull, ran away with Europa, daughter of Antenor, king of Phoenicia, whereupon the king dispatched his son, Cadmus, to find and bring back the maiden. Unsuccessful after long wandering, Cadmus consulted the oracle of Apollo and was told that he would see a cow and that he should follow it until it stopped, where he should build a city called Thebes. Everything happened as the oracle had predicted. Cadmus discovered the cow in a field, followed it and where it stopped, returned thanks and sent his men into a nearby wood for water. But in the wood they came upon a dragon which slew them with its fangs and poisonous breath. Cadmus, going to seek his men, found them dead and at once made an effort to kill the monster. The task was a difficult one, but he finally succeeded and hearing a voice bid him take the dragon's teeth and sow them in the earth, he did so, making a furrow in the ground and planting the teeth. A crop of men sprang up and at once fell to killing one another until only five were left. These five helped Cadmus to build the city. Cadmus later married Harmonia, daughter of Venus, but because he had killed the serpent, which was sacred to Mars, an unhappy fate befell all his children and at last in anguish he wished that he might be a serpent if the serpent was so dear to the god. Immediately he was changed in form and, at her own prayer, his wife with him, so now they live in the woods, as serpents, though harmless ones. F ICTION again has preponderance in the magazines for March. Stories by Justus Miles Forman, Edwin Lefevre, Roy Rolfe Gilson and James Branch Cabell appear in "Harper's;" in "Pearson's," this being an anniversary number, by the way, there is fiction by Owen Kildare, "The Level of the Sodden;" by Monsieur A. V., "The Phantom Torpedo Boats" and by H. G. Wells, "A Moth-Genus Novo." In "Lippincott's" the short stories are contributed by Caroline Duer, Mrs. Israel Zangwill and Paul Laurence Dunbar. "McClure's" has a story, containing some poetry also, by Mr. William Butler Yeats, entitled "Red Hanrahan's Vision;" the 'Century" numbers among its writers of fiction, Anne Warner, Anne Douglas Sedgwick and Caroline Abbott Stanley; the 'Metropolitan" has a new Uncle Remus story, a sea-tale by Henry C. Rowland, and a short story by Alfred Henry Lewis; in the "Smart Set," another anniversary number, the stories are by Beatrix Demarest Lloyd, Kate Jordan, Van Tassel Sutphen, Grace MacGowan Cooke and Frances Aymar Mathews. The serials are of more than ordinary interest. "The Deluge," by David Graham Phillips, in "Ainslee's;" "The Golden Flood," by Edwin Lefevre, in "McClure's" a new short novel by Mrs. Wiggin in the "Century," with a new install TH ment of "Sandy," by Alice Hegan Rice, in the same magazine; and "The House of Mirth," by Mrs. Edith Wharton, in "Scribner's," are all worthy of note. A complete novel by Harold MacGrath, “The Princess Elopes," in the "Smart Set ;" a novelette, "The White Wasp," by Robert E. MacAlarney, in "Ainslee's;" and "Both Sides of the Shield," another novelette, by Captain Archibald Britt, of the United States Navy, in "Lippincott's," are further agreeable features. General articles include "The Subway Deal," by Ray Stannard Baker, in "McClure's;" "Political Problems of EuropeEducation," by Frank A. Vanderlip, in "Scribner's;" "The Backward Trail of the Saxon," by John Fox, Jr., also in "Scribner's;" "International Arbitration," by John Bassett Moore, in "Harper's," and "Sidney Lanier," by Milton Harlow Northrup, in "Lippincott's." Articles that have a bearing upon Russia are "The Outlook for Reform in Russia," by David Bell MacGowan, in the "Century." "Three Days on the Volga," by Captain T. Bentley Mott, in "Scribner's," and "Russia's Monastery Prisons," by E. J. Dillon, in "Harper's." A special feature of "Harper's" is "New Lamb Letters," by W. Hazlitt. The subject for the March number of "Masters in Art" is Madame Vigee Le Brun. Best-Selling Books HE only books that are really selling are the books of fiction. Works on Japan and Pastor Wagner's essays are in demand, but the story has the weight of popularity. The long run of "The Masquerader," the selling capacity of "The Clansmen," the continued favor in which "Beverly" is being held, presages the superiority of the ephemeral over the permanent in the minds of the reading public. The best items of the list, and those are by no means the largest, are "The Prospector," "Dr. Luke" and "The Secret Woman." At Wanamaker's, Philadelphia. FICTION: The Masquerader. By Katherine Cecil Thurs ton. The Clansmen. By Thomas Dixon, Jr. Beverly of Graustark. By George Barr McCutcheon. The Mysterious Disappearance. By Gordon Holmes. God's Good Man. By Marie Corelli. The Millionaire Baby. By Anna Katharine Green. |