Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://www.archive.org/details/kingofalsander00flecrich THE KING OF ALSANDER by JAMES ELROY FLECKER London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Ruskin House 40 Museum Street, W.C. 1915 DEDICATION _To_ J.N. MAVROGORDATO This Romance, of which he never despaired in the Rough Is dedicated in the Ripe CONTENTS Preface Chapter I. Blaindon Chapter II. Alsander Chapter III. En Pension in Alsander Chapter IV. Introducing a good beggar and a bad King Chapter V. Of the knighting of Norman Price Chapter VI. Concerning Isis and Aphrodite: with a digression on the shocking treatment the latter's followers receive from the hands of English novelists Chapter VII. The Society for the Advancement of Alsander Chapter VIII. How Norman failed to pass a qualifying examination for the post of King of Alsander, and was whipped: together with a digression on the excellence of whipping Chapter IX. The Consul Chapter X. Contains the President's tale and a debate on the advantages of murder Chapter XI. A Visit to Vorza Chapter XII. In which the Beetles crawl Chapter XIII. Re-Coronation Chapter XIV. Princess Ianthe Chapter XV. Peronella and the Priest Chapter XVI. The Counter Conspiracy: an episode in the style of the worst writers Chapter XVII. Battle Chapter XVIII. The Poet visits Blaindon once more, and takes John Gaffekin to the seashore, where a miracle occurs PREFACE _Here is a tale all romance--a tale such as only a Poet can write for you, O appreciative and generous Public--a tale of madmen, kings, scholars, grocers, consuls, and Jews: a tale with two heroines, both of an extreme and indescribable beauty: a tale of the South and of sunshine, wherein will be found disguises, mysteries, conspiracies, fights, at least_ one _good whipping, and plenty of blood and love and absurdity: a very old sort of tale: a tale as joyously improbable as life itself._ _But if I know you aright, appreciative and generous Public, you look for more than this in these tragic days of social unrest, and you will be most dissatisfied with my efforts to please you. For you a king is a shadow, a madman a person to be shut up, a scholar a fool, a grocer a tradesman, a consul an inferior grade of diplomatic officer, and a Jew a Jew. You will demand to know what panacea is preached in this novel as a sovran remedy for the dismal state of affairs in England. With what hope do I delude the groaning poor: with what sarcasm insult the insulting rich? What is the meaning of my apparent joyousness? What has grim iron-banging England to do with sunshine, dancing, adventure and, above all, with Poets?_