Flaxius : $b Leaves from the life of an immortal

Description

"American medicinal barks" by Alice Henkel is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. It likely surveys North American tree and shrub barks used in pharmacy, covering identification, collection, preparation, trade, and quality standards for botanists, drug collectors, and pharmacists. The opening of the provided text presents a playful, erudite frame for a cycle of fantastical-philosophical tales about Flaxius, an immortal sage. After a preface explains the work’s origin as linked to an earlier reviewer’s remark, the first story shows Flaxius in ancient Etruria defending a scorned woman who proves to be a higher spirit; she rewards him with the power to live on earth as long as he wishes and confirms his innate originality, while a moral on courtesy and generosity is underscored. Next, he meets an Aryan sage and an ancient god in a hidden temple, learning that “humour” is the perception of life’s paradoxes, even as he rejects abstract theosophical excess in favor of grounded knowledge and progress. A satirical legend then casts “Rooseveldt” as a northern ruler who bravely dines with a despised outsider, drawing public ire but earning Flaxius’s praise for moral courage, capped by a mock-ballad. This is followed by a Wittenberg episode where Flaxius lectures on Nero, befriends Hamlet, and escorts him to a fairy revel; the Fairy Queen promises Hamlet’s life will be immortalized in a great poem, and he wakes with a token ring. The section closes as Flaxius meets Eadward, a worthy youth in Northumberland, conjures a feast, and gifts him a self-refreshing cup conditioned on his honesty, setting up a tale of fortune won through character. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Fantasy fiction
• American wit and humor
• Immortality -- Fiction
• PS