NAPOLEON AND HIS PORTABLE LIBRARY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 5 September 1885, Page 4

NAPOLEON AND HIS PORTABLE LIBRARY.

Mavy of Napoleon's biogiaphers have in cidentally mentioned that he, like one of < them (M. Tliiers), ustd tocany about a coitain number of favourite books whercvei he went, whether tiavellmg or campaigning: but it is not goneially known that he made several plans for the construction of portable libiai es which wcic to foim pait of his baggaye. Sonic infoimatinit upon this head is given us by M Lonis Barber, who for many years had the caie of the Louuo Libiary, and who liaecs his information on some mcmoiis left by his father, who wns libiauan to Napoleon himself. For a long time Nnpoloon used to carry about the books he lequired in seveial bo\es holding about sixty volumes each. Tin se volumes, which were either octavo or duodecimo, stood upon shelves lnbidc the boxes, which were supplied by the well known cabinetmaker, Jacob. They were made of mahogany at Hrst, but as it was found that this was not Btion<r enough for the knocking about they had to su^tuu, M. Barbier had them made of oak and covered with leather. The inside was lined with green leather or \cl\et, and the books were bound in morocco. There was a catalogue for each case, with a corresponding number upon every volume, so that there never was a moment's delay in picking out any book that was wanted. As soon as the Empeior had selected his headquarters dur ing a campaign these .cases were placed in the. room which was intended to be his study, together with the poitfolios containing his letters and maps. In course of time, however, Napoleon found that many books which he wanted to consult were not included in the collection, and upon inquiring the reason was informed that they would not fit in the cases. This, of course, was an answer which did not satisfy one so imperious, and while residing at Bajonne in 1808, he dictated the following memo which was sent to M. Barbier :— Bayonnr, July 17, 1808.— The Einpeior wishes to form a trawl ling bhraiy of 1,000 volumes m small 12mo , and printed in handsome type It is hi"! Majesty's intention to have these works printed for his special use, and in order to economise space there should be no margin. They should contain from 500 to GOO piges, and be bound in coveis as flexible as possible and with strong backs. There should be forty works on religion, foity diamatic woika, forty volumes of epic, and sixty ot other poetiy, one hundred novels, and sixty volumes of history, the lemamder being historical memoirs of every period."

As obsen ing politician says that the difference between those goinjj in ond out of office is mainly this— the former are sworn in and the latter out swearing. " Grs, T do so dote on the sea," she gurgled ; "if you only ha I a yacht, Augustus, dear '" " I have no yacht, WiTheltnina," he sighed, " but I can give you a little smack." And then it sounded as if a cork had flown out of a bottle His Bridal Tour.— That is a dioll story about a fellow on board a Holy head steamer who sat oIT by himself, and ■eemed to be genei.illy sore in his mind about something He presented such a forlorn appeal ance that .some ladies on deck thought they ought to inquire what was the matter. So one old lady ap proached, and asked the lonely one why he was so disconsolate. "The fact is," ■aid he, "I'm on my bridal tonr, but I didn't have enough money to biing n.y wife with me." The Deak Chilpkkv.— Deacon Bngrug addressed the Sunday school childien as follows :— " I will tell you a story, dear children. Little Harry was a real good little boy, but his brotlu'is Tom and George were bad and thoughtless. One day, while passing the house of a poor widow, Tom and George began to throw stones at her cat. Little Harry reminded them that this was v cry wrong, and remonstrated so earnestly that picsently they stopped throwing stouea at the cat, and now, dear children, what do \ou think Tom and George then did ?" " Begin to throw stones at little Hany," was the general shout. A QuhKR Superstition. — Abiam Heed, a farmer living in Be.ivei town •hip, Pa, cut down »i laige oik tiecon his farm, and in cutting it he found, imbedded in the trunk, seven or eight feet from the ground, a small lilacs bottle and what had the appeal .nice of a lock of hair. The bottle had been insetted in a hole in the tree made by an augur, then a pine plug was driven into the hole over the bottle, the hair also being held in the hole by the plug. The bottle was corkfd, and contained a colouilcss liquid, Over the plug had gro-vn si\ solid rings of wood, I e-mlcs a thick b.nk There was a superstition among the <arlv ■ettlers, and it is held by many of their descendants, that asthma and other affections could be cured by the victim stand ing against the tree and having a lock of his hair plugged in it while the hair was ■till attached to the head. It must then be cut off close to the head, and the afflicted person walk away without looking at it or ever passing by the tree again. While the use of a bottle was not included in this treatment, it is be lieved that the one with the hair dis covered in the heart of the oak tiee was put there in the early days of the settlement by some believer in the supersti tion, to cure an ailment of some kind. — Lumber World. Ay Avciknt R act.— Fresh proofs are repoited to have been discoveiedof an ancient civilisation in Mexico. In Sonora, about sixty miles south east of the town of Madeline, some explorers have found in the heait of the virgin forest a pyramid which is about 4,350 feet round the base, and 750 feet high — that is to say, neaily double the si/c of the gi eat pyramid of Cheops. Fiom the base to the summit there i- a roadway on which vehicles can travel round the vast erection in a spiral The outside waJls are built of granite blocks, care fully tooled and bedded A little further off is a hillock, with hnndieds of caverns and chambers cut in it, fiom five to fifteen wide, and ten to fifteen feet long. They have no windows, and are entered by the loof. The w alii atecovered with hieroglyphics and curious pictures, with the feet and hands of men Stone utensils have also been found there. Who the builders of thise ancient monuments were is still unsettled, but, according to Xl Liberal, they probably belong to the M.iyos, who Inhabited Sonora, and were a different race from the Indians, having blue eyes, a white skin, and blonde hair.

The Bad and Worthless are never mnfu/n/ or nuiiihifi t>"/. This in especial'y true of a family medicine, and it is positive proof that the remedy imilnltil is of tho highest value. As soon a.s it had broil tested and proved by the whole world that Hop Bitters was the purest, best and the most valuable f.unily medicine on eaith, many imitations spuing up and began to sU.il the notices in winch the press and the people of tint country had expressed the muiits of H. B , and in every way tiying to induce suffering invalids to use their stuff instead, expecting to make money on the credit and good name of H. B. Many othei s started nos trums put up 111 similar style to H. 8., with variously devised names in which the word " Hop" or " Hops" weie used in a way to induce people to believe they weiG the same as Hop Bitters. All such pietciuied lemedics or cures, no matter w hat then style or name is and especially those with the won! " Hop" 01 " Hops" in their name or in any way con nceted with them or their name, are imitations or counteifeits. Beware of them. Touch none of them. Use no thing but genuine Ameiiean Hop Bitteis, with a cluster of green Hops on the white label, and I)r Soule's name blown in the glass. Trust nothing else. Druggists and Chemists are warned Against dealing 111 imitations or countereits.