Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 12, No. 32, November, 1873Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 12, No. 32, November, 1873
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
It is also exceedingly amusing to note how the old adjective "whoreson"
bothers M. de Chatelain, who seems to consider it a word of weight and
meaning. The "whoreson dead body" of the gravediggers' scene is turned
into "le cadavre des enfants de nos meres;" and in like manner that
"whoreson mad fellow Yorick" is presented to us as "un fou ne d'une
fille a la morale elastique."
The tragedy of _Hamlet_ by Ducis does no wrong to the manes of
Shakespeare, for though the title-page declares that it is "imitated
from the English," nothing is left of Shakespeare's play save the names
and the fact that Hamlet's father had been murdered before the action of
the drama begins. Hamlet is the reigning king of Denmark, Claudius is
first prince of the blood and father of Ophelia, and Polonius is an
ordinary conspirator. There is no ghost and no gravedigger. Ophelia does
not go mad, there is no fencing-scene, and Hamlet, after declaiming
through innumerable pages in the set style of French classic tragedy,
solemnly stabs Claudius, and then declares that as he is a king he must
consent to live for the good of his people.
L. H. H.
ANECDOTES OF PUBLIC WORTHIES.
GEORGE WASHINGTON. One day, in a fit of abstraction the juvenile George
cut down Bushrod's favorite cherry tree with a hatchet. His purpose was
to cut--and run.
But the old gentleman came sailing round the corner of the barn just as
the future Father of his Country had started on the retreat.
"Look here, sonny," thundered the stern old Virginian, "who cut that
tree down?"
George reflected a moment. There wasn't another boy or another hatchet
within fifteen miles. Besides, it occurred to him that to be virtuous is
to be happy. Just as Washington senior turned to go in and get his
horsewhip, our little hero burst into tears, and, nestling among his
father's coat-tails, exclaimed, "Father, I cannot tell a lie. It must
have been a frost."
"My son, my son," stammered the fond parent as he made a pass for his
off-spring, "when you get to be first in war and first in peace, just
cover your back-pay into the Treasury, and the newspaper press will
respect you!"
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Early in the war a party of distinguished gentlemen
from New England called on Mr. Lincoln to urge the appointment of a
certain Mr. Brown to the post of quarter-master. The President, who was
amusing himself by splitting portions of the staircase of the White
House into rails, received them cordially. They stated their errand in
an earnest but respectful tone, and calmly awaited his answer. Mr.
Lincoln, drawing himself up to his full height and clapping the
spokesman of the party on the shoulder, began to tell a story about a
dog-fight he once saw in Kentucky.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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