Judge, 1918-04-20 · page 35 of 36
Judge — April 20, 1918 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising for a 16-volume book series called "Famous Characters of History,"** presented as educational literature. The decorative header illustration depicts a seduction scene—a man and woman in an intimate encounter—which serves as the hook for the pitch. The advertisement uses moral language ("Affrighted Nature," "outraged honor") to describe historical romance and scandal, then argues paradoxically that these true stories are more compelling than fiction. It appeals to readers' fascination with sensational historical figures (Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, Nero) while framing the purchase as morally and intellectually worthwhile. The text quotes Voltaire cynically: history is largely "a picture of human crimes, follies and misfortunes"—yet readers should buy these volumes anyway. This is **marketing through moral ambiguity**: promising both edification and lurid entertainment. The $1.00 coupon offer at bottom indicates this was an affordable, mass-market product aimed at middle-class households seeking both culture and scandal.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
0 : Affrighted Nature recoils, Reason totters on its throne, Morality shrinks aghast! Was it worth all that this man and woman paid as the awful price of outraged honor and violated trust? Let all who would tread the primrose path first read and ponder. Is history after all, as reflected in the lives of those who have helped make it—as Voltaire cynically observes=+ litle else than a picture of huntah cyimes, follies and misfortunes? He called her “Enchanting Queen,” “Witch,” “Great Fairy,” “Serpent of Old Nile,” “Thou Potent Charm.” She dazzled his faculties, bewildered his judgment, bewitched his fancy with her gypsy sorcery and Oriental voluptuousnes We read it all with a kind of fascina- tion against which our moral sense rebels, but from which there is no es- cape—but this is only one of the many marvelous and true stories told in the 16 volumes of the Jmmortal Edition of oe “FAMOUS CHARACTERS OF HISTORY No other set of books ever written shows so convincingly that Fiction ever lags after Truth, that the wildest imaginings of the romancer after all fall far short of the real facts of History. ‘The romantic facts that the authors have brought out in strong relief in this series, giving the lives of the world’s most famous characters, demonstrate how unfruitful is invention, and how cold and barren is imagination, in contras. with what life itself can show in those ever chan nces that make of every fully lived life a romance. The heights and depths, the lights and shadows, in the lives of historical characters [ who, instead of t ures of Circumstances, have moulded circumstances to their will, are full of valuable lessons, aside from affording that variety of |} interest which is ever the mother of enjoyment. 4800 Pages—Large, Clear Type—Extra Heavy Paper — Rich Cloth Binding ual ace 16 Volumes—Each Volume 8 x 5", Inches i 48 Fall-Page Mustrations in Sepia et Remarkable Characters All JULIUS CAESAR ler, statesman, warrio Jurist, wriier, orator, 50 worthy ound of more Intense of the an military autocrac ALFRED THE GREAT » One of the mabicet names in all history eure looms through the mist oft the very begining of thew che Angio-Saron race Henny iv No romance is ao wild as t tUmes, the period of the terri igious ware of the roth Cen ALEXANDER THE GREAT ‘Second only to Caesar as a colossal genius; one of the world's prodigies. CLEOPATRA A oval Vampire: cursed wit Cadoling of crosil'nixt oll wi peauty that was whom ase came T Gregteat of the Care; the type of man mont needsd sala to-day MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS A romantic figure whose AFFAL Kept her subjects and half the cou VA CRYING NEED IN EVERY HOME “"PaesciS2°28820% ic: sm man sto ,ORWY $1.00 Now, With the Coupon d°AMOUR Europe in ] NERO immediate res} to this Introductory offer docs not promise ser ss In this age of sophists, economists, calculators, and gross A goval dep itustration of the Rauick gale ct the entire edition 69 as to brin yer day. materialists, we need—from the humblest to the highest—a MARIE ANTE f within the amount originally set_aside for that purpose, , prices closer touch with that high purpose that makes herocs—that Beautiful victim of the French Revolution; one MONEY BACK IF NOT SATISFIED the most charming and misunderstood. figures S_ COUPON TODAY unbought grace of life, nurse of manly sentiment and heroic ot eae m i INE enterprise, that chast h felt a stain like a JosePn Prunswick SUBSCRIPTION COMPANY | round ail those loft ; powers diacundedand divorced whee fortune setied. M16 Brungwick Building, New York City i f} sloriously in the anna Saxon race, as shown in ¢yRUS THE GREAT | Enclosed is $1.00, first payment on the 16 volume, Rot a few of these v : Whoue siory reads tke a tale trom the Arabian | Goid'Top set of FAMOUS CHARACTERS OF Example is the great school of Mankind. He will learn the MANNIBAL | tebe shipped changes prepaid. I agree to remit th st ft way of salvation inno other, These stories show that all men ‘The pleat Carthaginian general; the implacable 7 ductory price, $13. Giese Pua Reedae and women are ruined on the side of their natural propensi- pariieahe"Grcar [5 ‘cir return at your expense, my $1.00 |) ties, and how the lusts of the flesh and the greedy craving for The Persian monarch of Old Testament: fame: the 4 to, befictunded ‘on their receipt. ] _xents |) power, «l gold have wrecked many'a brilliant carcer x _Rigzg Matern of the ancients | Nam Address RDES ) when th cts of its ambition seemed just within its grasp. ‘Mightiest of the Eastern despots. t Occupation........ State. TAs rms it comicbooks.com pear.