History of King Charles the Second of England
HISTORY OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND OF ENGLAND. BY JACOB ABBOTT. PREFACE. The author of this series has made it his special object to confine himself very strictly, even in the most minute details which he records, to historic truth. The narratives are not tales founded upon history, but history itself, without any embellishment or any deviations from the strict truth, so far as it can now be discovered by an attentive examination of the annals written at the time when the events themselves occurred. In writing the narratives, the author has endeavored to avail himself of the best sources of information which this country affords; and though, of course, there must be in these volumes, as in all historical accounts, more or less of imperfection and error, there is
that young girls should be shielded, as much as possible, from knowledge
of the world's sins and worries, which is sure to be impressed upon them
in later years. We cannot ignore evil, unfortunately, but we can often
avoid it."
"But why, if these pictures are really harmful, does Mr. Welland exhibit
them at his theatre?" asked the girl.
"Mr. Welland is running his theatre to make money," explained the
Colonel," and the surest way to make money is to cater to the tastes of
his patrons, the majority of whom demand picture plays of the more vivid
sort, such as you and I complain of. So the fault lies not with the
exhibitor but with the sensation-loving public. If Mr. Welland showed
only such pictures as have good morals he would gain the patronage of
Miss Stearne's twelve young ladies, and a few others, but the masses
would refuse to support him."
"Then," said Mary Louise, "the masses ought to be educated to desire
better things."
"Many philanthropists have tried to do that, and signally failed. I
believe the world is gradually growing better, my dear, but ages will
pass before mankind attains a really wholesome mental atmosphere.
However, we should each do our humble part toward the moral uplift of
our fellows and one way is not to condone what we know to be wrong."
HISTORY OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND OF ENGLAND. BY JACOB ABBOTT. PREFACE. The author of this series has made it his special object to confine himself very strictly, even in the most minute details which he records, to historic truth. The narratives are not tales founded upon history, but history itself, without any embellishment or any deviations from the strict truth, so far as it can now be discovered by an attentive examination of the annals written at the time when the events themselves occurred. In writing the narratives, the author has endeavored to avail himself of the best sources of information which this country affords; and though, of course, there must be in these volumes, as in all historical accounts, more or less of imperfection and error, there is