Agree with Matt, that section of Fables of Man also cites some autobiographical dictations with these themes. I too am guessing that DeVoto was paraphrasing. --Taylor On Thu, Aug 29, 2024 at 7:58 PM Matt Seybold <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > This looks an awful lot like the fragments from the “Nightmare of History” > section in FABLES OF MAN, including the reference to the “shoemaker,” but > my quick search didn’t yield the precise quotation. - MS > > > On Aug 29, 2024, at 4:50 PM, Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > > > > In MARK TWAIN IN ERUPTION Editor Bernard Devoto, in his Introduction, p. > > xxvii, refers to two unfinished "apocalyptic treatises" and offers what > > appears to be a direct quote from one (without quotation marks) reading > in > > part: > > ~~~~~ > > Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction, and the same > > cycle shows in them all. The Republic is born, flourishes, decays into > > plutocracy, and is captured by the shoemaker whom the mercenaries and > > millionaires make into a king. The people invent their oppressors, and > the > > oppressors serve the function for which they are invented. > > > > ~~~~~ > > A link to the page from De Voto's book online at archive.org : > > > > > https://archive.org/details/marktwaininerupt0000mark_e0q1/page/n31/mode/2up?q=Shoemaker > > > > Questions: Is this a direct quote or a De Voto paraphrase? Is there a > > title or titles for the unfinished "apocalyptic treatises" ? > > > > Barb >