Minor Morals for Young People
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Author | John Bowring |
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Illustrator | George Cruikshank, William Heath |
Published | 1834 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Sir_John_Bowring_by_John_King.jpg/220px-Sir_John_Bowring_by_John_King.jpg)
Minor Morals for Young People is a work of Children's literature by John Bowring, published in three parts from 1834 to 1839.[1] The work was illustrated with engravings by George Cruikshank and William Heath.
Background
[edit]Sir John Bowring (1792–1872) was an English political economist, traveller, miscellaneous writer, polyglot, and the 4th Governor of Hong Kong.[2] The work strives to educate as well as entertain. A contemporary reviewer argued that the author "has kept view the establishment and nurture of sound principle in young minds".[3] The third volume, published in 1839, focused on "Oriental History" and folklore.[4]
Contents and synopsis
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Minor Morals is centered on the Howard family—Mr Howard, a wise father and storyteller, his wife ("Mrs. Howard"), and their three children: Arthur, George, and Edith. Mr. Howard imparts various lessons and tales to his children.
Volume I (1834)
[edit]- Anger
- Courage
- Generosity
- Intolerance
- Advice-Giving
- Presence of Mind
- Humanity to Animals
- Veracity
- Praise and Blame
- Employment of Time
- Love of FLowers
- Perseverance
- Good-Nature
- Patience under Censure
- Mercy
- Nobility of Skin
- Order
- Justice
- Ancient Times
Volume II (1834)
[edit]- The Storm
- Uses of Animals to Man
- Excellence and Excelling
- Slavery
- Swallows
- Love of Home
- Commerce
- Fishes, and Friendly Counsels
- War
- Sense and Sensitiveness
- Mushroom-Hunting
- Selfishness
- Affection for Inanimate Objects
- Prudence
- Flowers
- Filial Affection
- Sounds of the People
Volume III (1839)
[edit]The third volume is dedicated to "Lady Ponsonby". In the preface, the author describes his motive to interest children in "the East". The author describes including genuine folklore, writing: "As to the stories connected with Oriental superstitions, I have recorded them as I heard them".
- Travels - The Howard children dream of traveling to foreign lands. Mr Howard begins by telling stories of his travels, including a visit to Russia
- The Sheriff of Mekka - Mr Howard tells a religious discussion he had with a Turkish friend as a demonstration of the good in all peoples and how travel "destroys petty prejudices". Mr. Howard describes meeting the "Sheriff" (cf. Sharif) of the Holy City and their conversations.
- The Nile - Mr Howard describes an 1837 visit to Egypt's Nile, witnessing a boat accident, crocodiles and a crocodile hunter.
- Peris - Mr Howard tells the story of a tailor and a Peri that fell in love with the tailor. For three years the tailor and the Peri lived together, after which the Peri left to participate in a war amongst the Peri race. The Peri left him and died in the war, and the tailor vowed never to wed an earthly mortal.
- The Prince of the Druses - Mr Howard describes the Druze people
- Treatment of Animals in the East - describes the treatment of dogs and other animals, the eating of locusts, and the legend of the Wandering Jew.
- Vampires - Mr Howard tells of the Vampire, resulting from "a dead body that... is exposed to the action of the sun's rays" for forty days. A vampire's mission is to "torment and alarm the living". He tells of the vampire hunters, who use a pointed stake through the heart to slay a vampire.
- Mahomet Ali Pacha
- Magicians
- Infant Schools
- Djezzar Pacha
- Mahommedanism
- Djins—Mr. Howard discusses the Djins or genii, which, like ghosts, haunt houses.
- Sincerity with Prudence
- Treasure-seeking in the Levant - Mr. Howard shares the tale of a treasure hunt. Finding a treasure, the treasure hunters use ropes and poles in an attempt to prevent the treasure from sinking into the earth. The attempt fails, the chest crashes into the earth, and a monstrous toad results in the treasure hunter being struck down with palsy.
- Abu Abdallah
References
[edit]- ^ Stephens, F.G.; Thackeray, W.M. (1891). A memoir of George Cruikshank. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington (limited). p. 137. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- ^ Stone, Gerald (2009) [2004]. "Bowring, Sir John (1792–1872)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3087. (subscription required)
- ^ Tait, W.; Johnstone, C.I. (1834). Tait's Edinburgh Magazine. Vol. 1. W. Tait. p. 443. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- ^ Tait, W.; Johnstone, C.I. (1839). Tait's Edinburgh Magazine. Vol. 6. W. Tait. p. 615. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
External links
[edit]- Minor Morals for Young People Volume I, Volume II, Volume III at archive.org