THE HESPERIAN.
Who "Wrote .SItnkcnponro?
Hamlet overheard Julius Ciesar tell A'ing Lear on the
Twelfth Night after the Tempest that Antony and Cleopatra
hnd told Coriolanus that 7oo Gentlemen oj Verona were the
authors of Shakespeare's plays. Lear said, "You may say it,
As You Like t, hut I do not believe it, for I heard Romeo
ana" Juliet say Love's Labor was Lost when Trclius ami Cres
siilus stoic the Comedy of Errors and sold it to the Merchant
of Venice, for forty bottles of old bourbon and a package of
checks." Timon of Athens and Cymbeline were parties to
the theft, ami after drinking Measure for Measure with the
Merry Wives of Windsor told King John all about it.
J Richard III, a competent critic, said, "Hacon could not
write even a Winter's Tale," and Henry XIV says, "that
settles it," so why so Much Ado About Nothing?
Othello was busy conversing with the , V, and VI Hen
rys, and Ricuud I was absent Taming the Shrew, so I could
get no further information as to who wrote Shakespeare, but,
All's Well that Ends Well.
Wtorttry Noton.
George Washington once acted as a book agent.
Emily Lawless has wiittcn a story of an island, entitled,
"Grama."
Mrs. Orr's "Handbook to Robert Hrowning's Works" has
reached its sixth edition.
The New Testament has just been translated into the Motu
language of New Guinea. This tribe is the last that has
become subject to England.
During the month of May, at the World's Fair, the con
gresses of Music and the drama, public press, ami medicine
will be held. The congresses ot literature, science, philos
ophy, and education takes place in July.
"Himalayan Journals, or Notes of a Naturalist," by Sir
Joseph I). Hooker has been repiinted. This is a most vain
able and interesting work, as being an accurate description
01 the region of the Himalayas a region seldom visited, and
of which so little is known.
Mr. Fronde has been appointed successor of Mr. Krecman
in the chair of history at Oxford. This appointment has
caused great commotion in England, partly because it had a
political coloring, and partly because Mr. Fronde's inaccuracy
in historical writings has been proven.
i W. C. Ford celebrates a man that never posed as an author
in his, ."The Writings of Gocrge Washington." This book
opens with the speech to congress, or the inaugural address
of the president of the United States on December 8, 1790,
and closes with a letter to John Jay, December 18, 1794.
It is often claimed tli-t Washington Irving was more of an
English than an American writer. Such does not seem to be
the case. Murray, the famous English publisher, once oflered
him the editorship of a projected monthly magazine, agreeing
to pay him liberally for his contributions, besides giving him
a salary of $5000 a year. Irving refused, because such a posi
tion would involve his residing abroad.
The title page is of modem use. In manuscripts and in the
first printed books any information of the book was written at
the end, in what is called the colophon. According to MrA. W.
Pollard in his "History of the Title Page," it was not till 1740
that the title page was introduced. The first one to appear
in England was about 1490, when W. DeMarchline issued one
of his little books on "The Pestilence." At the beginning of
the sixteenth century they were the most elaborate and
interesting. Even school books had an ornamented title page
which generally consisted of a picture of master and pupil and
a formidable birch. The frontispiece of religious books was
most often illustrated with pictures of devils. France and
Italy excelled in making brilliant title leaves. After the six
teenth century, the desire for ornament wearied, and the title
pages have become simply useful.
Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka, the noted explorer of
frozen Siberia, is writing a scries of very interesting letters for
the New York Ledger. The first appeared March 19th. The
letters describe his strange experiences and remarkable discov
eries in the remote and wild depths of Alaska, while conduct
ing tin. Tw Vnrk- T.tiltt')' Alaskan expedition. The fascina
tion which clothes every arctic exploration, invest the many
voyaged young lieutenants narrative with breathless romantic
interest. The letters are illustrated with photographs taken
by Lieutenant Schwatka.
Harvard university has some indefatigable workers. One
of these is Professor John Fiske. His fifteenth publication is
one of his most important. It consists of two volumes entitled,
"The Discovery of America." The writer is no mere compiler
or critic. He is a comprehensive, thorough student. His
reasoning is independent, and his writings indicate that he is
a positive as well as a suggestive contributor to the stock of
probable conclusions. The work includes a study of the abor
iginal Americans and describes the many different voyages of
discovery to our shores. Primarily, the work is descriptive;
secondarily, it is a work of criticism and comment. The
author does not accept the opinion of Professor llorstoni, mat
the Northmen probably made a settlement on our shores.
Neither docs he agree with Mr. Justin Winsor in his discussion
of the character of Columbus. He defends Americus Vespu
cius from the accusation that he sought to attack his own name
to this western continent, and thus celebrate his own deeds at
the expense of Columbus and others. The style is clear and
forcible, and the work will be popular with students interested
in such subjects.
EXCHANGE.
The lilies of the field have pistols and every citicn of
Texas is "arrayed like one of these." Ex.
The Earlhamites' gymnasium exhibition seems to have
been quite a successful event. Their girls arc just right and
"strictly in it," as the picture of those who took part in the
hoop drill shows.
A plan is on foot whereby the university quartette will can
vas the state during the coming vacation. It is thought that
by this means, the institution will be advertised in a way to
do much good. The students are not the least opposed to the
plan. Portfolio.
The trustees of the Iowa Agricultural college appointed a
committee to oee about building a society hall for the different
. . I.. .!l. !!.... WI1.1t
societies. The U. ot IS', also needs sucn n mwmu. ""
arc we going to do in the future? How are our societies
going to take in nil the students next year?
The Messenger of Richmond college is a regular and
plcisant visitor. The April number has a very well written
piece of poetry by L, R. Hambcrlin. It seems to be patterned
after Browning's poems. The literature as a whole shows the
effect of the English literature and Shakespeare classes, as the
titles "Chaucer," "Hamlet was Insane," "The Poet's Poet,"
etc. show.
In one of the lectures in chemistry the gas gave out. As
the instructor was absent, and the assistant, not knowing
what to do in such an emergency, dismissed the class. At
the next lecture the instructor was present. In referring t
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