Having arrived in England once more, the greatest rejoicings were made
for my return; the whole city seemed one general blaze of illumination,
and the Colossus of Rhodes, hearing of my astonishing feats, came on
purpose to England to congratulate me on such unparalleled achievements.
But above all other rejoicings on my return, the musical oratorio and
song of triumph were magnificent in the extreme. Gog and Magog were
ordered to take the maiden tower of Windsor, and make a tambourine or
great drum of it. For this purpose they extended an elephant's hide,
tanned and prepared for the design, across the summit of the tower, from
parapet to parapet, so that in proportion this extended elephant's hide
was to the whole of the castle what the parchment is to a drum, in such
a manner that the whole became one great instrument of war.
To correspond with this, Colossus took Guildhall and Westminster Abbey,
and turning the foundations towards the heavens, so that the roofs of
the edifices were upon the ground, he strung them across with brass
and steel wire from side to side, and thus, when strung, they had the
appearance of most noble dulcimers. He then took the great dome of St.
Paul's, raising it off the earth with as much facility as you would a
decanter of claret. And when once risen up it had the appearance of
a quart bottle. Colossus instantly, with his teeth, cracked off
the superior part of the cupola, and then applying his lips to the
instrument, began to sound it like a trumpet. 'Twas martial beyond
description--_tantara!_--_tara!_--_ta!_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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