Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text ON LOCKE 126
What is Music? _Sidney Lanier_ 397
Whippoorwill, The, _Madison Cawein_ 443
WILDE, RICHARD HENRY 178
WILSON, MRS. AUGUSTA EVANS 383
WILSON, ROBERT BURNS 405
WIRT, WILLIAM 131
Wise Choice, _John C. Calhoun_ 166
Woman's Duty, _Louisa S. M'Cord_ 292
FOOTNOTE:
[2] Ginseng-Digger.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Captain John Smith 34
Rescue of Captain Smith by Pocahontas 36
Jamestown, Va. The first permanent English settlement
in America 39
Storm at Sea 44
Sir Walter Raleigh 50
Westover, the Home of William Byrd 55
Evelyn Byrd 57
The Chapel, University of Georgia, Athens 62
The Tower of London 69
George Washington 72
Washington Taking the Oath of Office 75
Old St. John's Church, Richmond, Va. 83
Fort Moultrie, S. C. Fort Sumter in the Distance 88
Monticello, the Home of Jefferson 92
Harper's Ferry 96
Jasper Replacing the Flag 104
William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va. 114
University of Virginia 141
Henry Clay 146
Star-Spangled Banner and Seal of the United States 152
Scene in Louisiana 154
John Caldwell Calhoun and His Home 163
The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas 174
University of North Carolina 188
Old Plantation Home 200
State House, Columbia, S. C. Oppo. 211
Tulane University, New Orleans 234
Florida State Agricultural College 244
"Woodlands," the Home of W. Gilmore Simms 253
General R. E. Lee Oppo. 265
Washington and Lee University 267
Beauvoir, the Home of Jefferson Davis 273
Robert Toombs 285
University of Alabama 299
University of Kentucky 307
Osceola 312
Natural Bridge, Virginia 325
University of Mississippi 337
University of Texas (Main Building), Austin 347
State Capitol of North Carolina 359
Tomb of Mary, the Mother of Washington, Fredericksburg, Va. 380
General T. J. Jackson (Stonewall) Oppo. 388
Arkansas Industrial University 402
Mt. Mitchell, N. C. Above the Clouds 408
Grady Monument, Atlanta, Ga. 414
Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi 420
University of Tennessee, Knoxville 424
Model School, Peabody Normal College 433
Mississippi Industrial Institute and College for Girls Oppo. 446
Southern Literature.
FIRST PERIOD ... 1579-1750.
JOHN SMITH.
~1579=1631.~
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH, the first writer of Virginia, was born at
Willoughby, England, and led a life of rare and extensive adventure.
"Lamenting and repenting," he says, "to have seen so many Christians
slaughter one another," in France and the Lowlands, he enlisted in the
wars against the Turks. He was captured by them and held prisoner for
a year, but escaped and travelled all over Europe. He finally joined
the expedition to colonize Virginia, and came over with the first
settlers of Jamestown in 1607. His life here is well known; he
remained with the colony two years. He afterwards returned to America
as Admiral of New England, but did not stay long. He spent the
remainder of his life in writing accounts of himself and his travels,
and of the colonies in America.
WORKS.
True Relation (1608).
Map of Virginia (1612).
Description of New England (1616).
New England's Trials (1620).
Accidence for Young Seamen (1626).
Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer
Isles (1624).
True Travels (1630).
Advertisements for Inexperienced Planters of New England (1631).
[Illustration: ~Captain John Smith.~]
Captain Smith's style is honest and hearty in tone, picturesque, often
amusing, never tiresome. It is involved and ungrammatical at times,
but not obscure. The critics have professed to find many inaccuracies
of historical statement; but the following, from Professor Edward
Arber, the editor of the English Reprint of Smith's Works, will acquit
him of this charge:
"Inasmuch as the accuracy of some of Captain Smith's
statements has, in this generation, been called in
question, it was but our duty to subject every one of
the nearly forty thousand lines of this book to a most
searching criticism; scanning every assertion of fact
most keenly, and making the Text, by the insertion of a
multitude of cross-references, prove or disprove itself.
"The result is perfectly satisfactory. Allowing for a
popular style of expression, the Text is homogeneous;
and the nine books comprising it, though written under
very diverse circumstances, and at intervals over the
period of twenty-two years (1608-1630), contain no
material contradictions. Inasmuch, therefore, as
wherever we _can_ check Smith, we find him both modest
and accurate, we are led to think him so, where no such
check is possible, as at Nalbrits in the autumn of 1603,
and on the Chickahominy in the winter of 1607-'8." See
Life, by _Simms_, by _Warner_, and by _Eggleston_ in
"Pocahontas."
RESCUE OF CAPTAIN SMITH BY POCAHONTAS, OR MATOAKA.
(_From Generall Historie._)
[This extract from his "Generall Historie" is in the
words of a report by "eight gentlemen of the Jamestown
Colony." It is corroborated by Captain Smith's letter to
the Queen on the occasion of Pocahontas' visit to
England after her marriage to Mr. John Rolfe. Matoaka,
or Matoax, was her real name in her tribe, but it was
considered unlucky to tell it to the English strangers.]
[Illustration: ~Rescue of Captain Smith by Pocahontas.~]
At last they brought him [Smith] to _Meronocomoco_, where was
_Powhatan_ their Emperor. Here more than two hundred of those grim
Courtiers stood wondering at him, as he had beene a monster; till
_Powhatan_ and his trayne had put themselues in their greatest
braveries. Before a fire vpon a seat like a bedstead, he sat covered
with a great robe, made of _Rarowcun_ skinnes, and all the tayles
hanging by. On either hand did sit a young wench of 16 or 18 yeares;
and along on each side the house, two rowes of men, and behind them
as many women, with all their heads and shoulders painted red; many of
their heads bedecked with the white downe of Birds; but every one with
something; and a great chayne of white beads about their necks.
At his entrance before the King, all the people gaue a great shout.
The Queene of _Appamatuck_ was appointed to bring him water to wash
his hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers, in stead of a
Towell to dry them; having feasted him after their best barbarous
manner they could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion
was, two great stones were brought before _Powhatan_; then as many as
could layd hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his
head, and being ready with their clubs, to beate out his braines,
_Pocahontas_, the Kings dearest daughter, when no intreaty could
prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne vpon his to
saue him from death: whereat the Emperour was contented he should liue
to make him hatchets, and her bells, beads, and copper; for they
thought him as well of all occupations as themselues. For the King
himselfe will make his owne robes, shooes, bowes, arrowes, pots;
plant, hunt, or doe anything so we Previous Next |