Foxholme Hall, and Other TalesKingston, William Henry Giles
General
Foxholme Hall, and Other Tales
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Adventure stories; Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
were not of an aristocratic rank, nor, though they all spoke in poetry,
was that of a very marked order. There was Julius Caesar, and Mark
Antony, and Caractacus, and the Black Prince, and King Arthur, and
Richard the Third, the Emperor Alexander, Marshal Blucher, and several
other heroes, ancient and modern, including Napoleon Bonaparte and the
Duke of Wellington. Some were tall, and some were short, and some fat,
and others thin, and I had, even then, strong doubts whether they bore
any similarity to the heroes they represented as to figure, while,
certainly, they were not in any way particular as to correctness of
costume. One little chap, who was evidently looked upon as a star, came
forward and announced that he was Julius Caesar, and a short time
afterwards he informed us that he was Marshal Blucher. Having marched
round the hall in a very amicable way, they ranged themselves in two
parties opposite each other. One hero on one side defying another on
the other, they rushed forward and commenced, in the ancient Greek and
Trojan fashion, a furious verbal combat, always in verse, the last lines
in one case being:
"I tell thee that thou art but a traitrous cheat,
So fight away, or I will make thee into mince-meat."
They were not in the least particular as to who should fight one with
the other. Julius Caesar and the Black Prince had a desperate combat,
and so had Mark Antony and King Arthur, the two British heroes coming
off victorious, and leaving their opponents dead on the field. The most
terrific combat was that between the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon
Bonaparte. For folly five minutes they walked about abusing each other
in the most unmeasured versification, I was going to say language,
flourishing their swords, and stamping their feet. They put me much in
mind of two turkey-cocks preparing for a fight. It might be remarked
also that in this, as in the previous instances, the modesty of the
heroes did not stand in their way, when singing their own praises:
"I am that hero, great and good,
Whom France and Frenchmen long withstood.
I beat them all well out of Spain
And I will beat them all again.
And Bony, as you know 'tis true,
I thrashed thee well at Waterloo
So if you have not had enough,
All will allow you're very tough;
Come on, I say, I do not mind thee,
For as I was, you still will find me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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