at these opulent ores had been carefully
imported by the mining expert from Cornwall, and planted in the places
where they were found. Sir Walter Scott must have had the incident
(though not Raspe) in his mind when he created the Dousterswivel of his
"Antiquary." As for Raspe, he betook himself to a remote part of the
United Kingdom, and had commenced some mining operations in country
Donegal, when he was carried off by scarlet fever at Muckross in 1794.
Such in brief outline was the career of Rudolph Erich Raspe, scholar,
swindler, and undoubted creator of Baron Munchausen.

The merit of Munchausen, as the adult reader will readily perceive, does
not reside in its literary style, for Raspe is no exception to the rule
that a man never has a style worthy of the name in a language that he
did not prattle in. But it is equally obvious that the real and original
Munchausen, as Raspe conceived and doubtless intended at one time to
develop him, was a delightful personage whom it would be the height of
absurdity to designate a mere liar. Unfortunately the task was taken
out of his hand and a good character spoiled, like many another, by mere
sequel-mongers. Raspe was an impudent scoundrel, and fortunately so; his
impudence relieves us of any difficulty in resolving the question,--to
whom (if any one) did he owe the original conception of the character
whose fame is now so universal.

When Raspe was resident in Goettingen he obtained, in all probability
through Gerlach Adolph von Munchausen, the great patron of arts and
letters and of Goettingen University, an introduction to Hieronynimus
Karl Friedrich von Munchausen, at whose hospitable mansion at
Bodenwerder he became an occasional visitor. Hieronynimus, who was born
at Bodenwerder on May 11, 1720, was a cadet of what was known as the
black line of the house of Rinteln Bodenwerder, and in his youth served
as a page in the service of Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick. When quite
a stripling he obtained a cornetcy in the "Brunswick Regiment" in the
Russian service, and on November 27, 1740, he was created a lieutenant
by letters patent of the Empress Anna, and served two arduous campaigns
against the Turks during the following years. In 1750 he was promoted to
be a captain of cuirassiers by the Empress Elizabeth, and about 1760 he
retired from the Russian service to live upon his patrimonial estate at
Bodenwerder in the congenial society of his wife and his paragon among
hunts