The Rose and the Ring Read online

at home, as some people may be.'

  'Good heavens, madam!' says he, 'do you know me?'

  'I know a number of funny things,' says the lady. 'I have been

  at some people's christenings, and turned away from other

  folks' doors. I have seen some people spoilt by good fortune,

  and others, as I hope, improved by hardship. I advise you to

  stay at the town where the coach stops for the night. Stay

  there and study, and remember your old friend to whom you were

  kind.'

  'And who is my old friend?' asked Giglio.

  'When you want anything,' says the lady, 'look in this bag,

  which I leave to you as a present, and be grateful to--'

  'To whom, madam?' says he.

  'To the Fairy Blackstick,' says the lady, flying out of the

  window. And then Giglio asked the conductor if he knew where

  the lady was?

  'What lady?' says the man; 'there has been no lady in this

  coach, except the old woman, who got out at the last stage.'

  And Giglio thought he had been dreaming. But there was the bag

  which Blackstick had given him lying on his lap; and when he

  came to the town he took it in his hand and went into the inn.

  They gave him a very bad bedroom, and Giglio, when he woke in

  the morning, fancying himself in the Royal Palace at home,

  called, 'John, Charles, Thomas! My chocolate--my

  dressing-gown--my slippers'; but nobody came. There was no

  bell, so he went and bawled out for water on the top of the

  stairs.

  The landlady came up.

  'What are you a hollering and a bellaring for here, young man?'

  says she.

  'There's no warm water--no servants; my boots are not even

  cleaned.'

  'He, he! Clean 'em yourself,' says the landlady. 'You young

  students give yourselves pretty airs. I never heard such

  impudence.'

  'I'll quit the house this instant,' says Giglio.

  'The sooner the better, young man. Pay your bill and be off.

  All my rooms is wanted for gentlefolks, and not for such as

  you.'

  'You may well keep the Bear Inn,' said Giglio. 'You should have

  yourself painted as the sign.'

  The landlady of the Bear went away GROWLING. And Giglio

  returned to his room, where the first thing he saw was the

  fairy bag lying on the table, which seemed to give a little hop

  as he came in. 'I hope it has some breakfast in it,' says

  Giglio, 'for I have only a very little money left.' But on

  opening the bag, what do you think was there? A blackingbrush

  and a pot of Warren's jet, and on the pot was written

  Poor young men their boots must black:

  Use me and cork me and put me back.

  So Giglio laughed and blacked his boots, and put back the brush

  and the bottle into the bag.

  When he had done dressing himself, the bag gave another little

  hop, and he went to it and took out--

  1. A tablecloth and a napkin.

  2. A sugar-basin full of the best loaf-sugar.

  4, 6, 8, 10. Two forks, two teaspoons, two knives, and a pair

  of sugar-tongs, and a butter-knife all marked G.

  11, 12, 13. A teacup, saucer, and slop-basin.

  14. A jug full of delicious cream.

  15. A canister with black tea and green.

  16. A large tea-urn and boiling water.

  17. A saucepan, containing three eggs nicely done.

  18. A quarter of a pound of best Epping butter.

  19. A brown loaf.

  And if he hadn't enough now for a good breakfast, I should like

  to know who ever had one?

  Giglio, having had his breakfast, popped all the things back

  into the bag, and went out looking for lodgings. I forgot to

  say that this celebrated university town was called Bosforo.

  He took a modest lodging opposite the Schools, paid his bill at

  the inn, and went to his apartment with his trunk, carpet-bag,

  and not forgetting, we may be sure, his OTHER bag.

  When he opened his trunk, which the day before he had filled

  with his best clothes, he found it contained only books. And

  in the first of them which he opened there was written--

  Clothes for the back, books for the head:

  Read and remember them when they are read.

  And in his bag, when Giglio looked in it, he found a student's

  cap and gown, a writing-book full of paper, an inkstand, pens,

  and a Johnson's dictionary, which was very useful to him, as

  his spelling had been sadly neglected.

  So he sat down and worked away, very, very hard for a whole

  year, during which 'Mr. Giles' was quite an example to all the

  students in the University of Bosforo. He never got into any

  riots or disturbances. The Professors all spoke well of him,

  and the students liked him too; so that, when at examination,

  he took all the prizes, viz.--

  {The Spelling Prize {The French Prize

  {The Writing Prize {The Arithmetic Prize

  {The History Prize {The Latin Prize

  {The Catechism Prize {The Good Conduct Prize,

  all his fellow-students said, 'Hurrah! Hurray for Giles! Giles

  is the boy--the student's joy! Hurray for Giles!' And he

  brought quite a quantity of medals, crowns, books, and tokens

  of distinction home to his lodgings.

  One day after the Examinations, as he was diverting himself at

  a coffee-house with two friends--(Did I tell you that in his

  bag, every Saturday night, he found just enough to pay his

  bills, with a guinea over, for pocketmoney? Didn't I tell you?

  Well, he did, as sure as twice twenty makes forty-five)--he

  chanced to look in the Bosforo Chronicle, and read off, quite

  easily (for he could spell, read, and write the longest words

  now), the following:--

  'ROMANTIC CIRCUMSTANCE.--One of the most extraordinary

  adventures that we have ever heard has set the neighbouring

  country of Crim Tartary in a state of great excitement.

  'It will be remembered that when the present revered sovereign

  of Crim Tartary, His Majesty King PADELLA, took possession of

  the throne, after having vanquished, in the terrific battle of

  Blunderbusco, the late King CAVOLFIORE, that Prince's only

  child, the Princess Rosalba, was not found in the royal palace,

  of which King Padella took possession, and, it was said, had

  strayed into the forest (being abandoned by all her attendants)

  where she had been eaten up by those ferocious lions, the last

  pair of which were captured some time since, and brought to the

  Tower, after killing several hundred persons.

  'His Majesty King Padella, who has the kindest heart in the

  world, was grieved at the accident which had occurred to the

  harmless little Princess, for whom His Majesty's known

  benevolence would certainly have provided a fitting

  establishment. But her death seemed to be certain. The

  mangled remains of a cloak, and a little shoe, were found in

  the forest, during a hunting-party, in which the intrepid

  sovereign of Crim Tartary slew two of the lions' cubs with his

  own spear. And these interesting relics of an innocent little

&
nbsp; creature were carried home and kept by their finder, the Baron

  Spinachi, formerly an officer in Cavolfiore's household. The

  Baron was disgraced in consequence of his known legitimist

  opinions, and has lived for some time in the humble capacity of

  a wood-cutter, in a forest on the outskirts of the Kingdom of

  Crim Tartary.

  'Last Tuesday week Baron Spinachi and a number of gentlemen,

  attached to the former dynasty, appeared in arms, crying, "God

  save Rosalba, the first Queen of Crim Tartary!" and surrounding

  a lady whom report describes as "BEAUTIFUL EXCEEDINGLY." Her

  history MAY be authentic, is certainly most romantic.

  'The personage calling herself Rosalba states that she was

  brought out of the forest, fifteen years since, by a lady in a

  car drawn by dragons (this account is certainly IMPROBABLE),

  that she was left in the Palace Garden of Blombodinga, where

  Her Royal Highness the Princess Angelica, now married to His

  Royal Highness Bulbo, Crown Prince of Crim Tartary, found the

  child, and, with THAT ELEGANT BENEVOLENCE which has always

  distinguished the heiress of the throne of Paflagonia, gave the

  little outcast a SHELTER AND A HOME! Her parentage not being

  known, and her garb very humble, the foundling was educated in

  the Palace in a menial capacity, under the name of BETSINDA.

  'She did not give satisfaction, and was dismissed, carrying

  with her, certainly, part of a mantle and a shoe, which she had

  on when first found. According to her statement she quitted

  Blombodinga about a year ago, since which time she has been

  with the Spinachi family. On the very same morning the Prince

  Giglio, nephew to the King of Paflagonia, a young Prince whose

  character for TALENT and ORDER were, to say truth, none of the

  HIGHEST, also quitted Blombodinga, and has not been since heard

  of!'

  'What an extraordinary story!' said Smith and Jones, two young

  students, Giglio's especial friends.

  'Ha! what is this? ' Giglio went on, reading--

  'SECOND EDITION, EXPRESS.--We hear that the troop under Baron

  Spinachi has been surrounded, and utterly routed, by General

  Count Hogginarmo, and the soidisant Princess is sent a prisoner

  to the capital.

  'UNIVERSITY NEWS.--Yesterday, at the Schools, the distinguished

  young student, Mr. Giles, read a Latin oration, and was

  complimented by the Chancellor of Bosforo, Dr. Prugnaro, with

  the highest University honour--the wooden spoon.'

  'Never mind that stuff,' says GILES, greatly disturbed. 'Come

  home with me, my friends. Gallant Smith! intrepid Jones!

  friends of my studies--partakers of my academic toils--I have

  that to tell which shall astonish your honest minds.'

  'Go it, old boy!' cries the impetuous Smith.

  'Talk away, my buck!' says Jones, a lively fellow.

  With an air of indescribable dignity, Giglio checked their

  natural, but no more seemly, familiarity. 'Jones, Smith, my

  good friends,' said the PRINCE, 'disguise is henceforth

  useless; I am no more the humble student Giles, I am the

  descendant of a royal line.'

  'Atavis edite regibus, I know, old co--' cried Jones. He was

  going to say old cock, but a flash from THE ROYAL EYE again

  awed him.

  'Friends,' continued the Prince, 'I am that Giglio, I am, in

  fact, Paflagonia. Rise, Smith, and kneel not in the public

  street. Jones, thou true heart! My faithless uncle, when I

  was a baby, filched from me that brave crown my father left me,

  bred me, all young and careless of my rights, like unto hapless

  Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; and had I any thoughts about my

  wrongs, soothed me with promises of near redress. I should

  espouse his daughter, young Angelica; we two indeed should

  reign in Paflagonia. His words were false--false as Angelica's

  heart!--false as Angelica's hair, colour, front teeth! She

  looked with her skew eyes upon young Bulbo, Crim Tartary's

  stupid heir, and she preferred him.' Twas then I turned my

  eyes upon Betsinda--Rosalba, as she now is. And I saw in her

  the blushing sum of all perfection; the pink of maiden modesty;

  the nymph that my fond heart had ever woo'd in dreams,' etc.

  etc.

  (I don't give this speech, which was very fine, but very long;

  and though Smith and Jones knew nothing about the

  circumstances, my dear reader does, so I go on.)

  The Prince and his young friends hastened home to his

  apartment, highly excited by the intelligence, as no doubt by

  the ROYAL NARRATOR'S admirable manner of recounting it, and

  they ran up to his room where he had worked so hard at his

  books.

  On his writing-table was his bag, grown so long that the Prince

  could not help remarking it. He went to it, opened it, and

  what do you think he found in it?

  A splendid long, gold-handled, red-velvet-scabbarded,

  cut-and-thrust sword, and on the sheath was embroidered

  'ROSALBA FOR EVER!'

  He drew out the sword, which flashed and illuminated the whole

  room, and called out 'Rosalba for ever!' Smith and Jones

  following him, but quite respectfully this time, and taking the

  time from His Royal Highness.

  And now his trunk opened with a sudden pony, and out there came

  three ostrich feathers in a gold crown, surrounding a beautiful

  shining steel helmet, a cuirass, a pair of spurs, finally a

  complete suit of armour.

  The books on Giglio's shelves were all gone. Where there had

  been some great dictionaries, Giglio's friends found two pairs

  of jack-boots labelled, 'Lieutenant Smith,' '--Jones, Esq.,'

  which fitted them to a nicety. Besides, there were helmets,

  back and breast plates, swords, etc., just like in Mr. G. P. R.

  James's novels; and that evening three cavaliers might have

  been seen issuing from the gates of Bosforo, in whom the

  porters, proctors, etc., never thought of recognising the young

  Prince and his friends.

  They got horses at a livery stable-keeper's, and never drew

  bridle until they reached the last town on the frontier before

  you come to Crim Tartary. Here, as their animals were tired,

  and the cavaliers hungry, they stopped and refreshed at an

  hostel. I could make a chapter of this if I were like some

  writers, but I like to cram my measure tight down, you see, and

  give you a great deal for your money, and, in a word, they had

  some bread and cheese and ale upstairs on the balcony of the

  inn. As they were drinking, drums and trumpets sounded nearer

  and nearer, the marketplace was filled with soldiers, and His

  Royal Highness looking forth, recognised the Paflagonian

  banners, and the Paflagonian national air which the bands were

  playing.

  The troops all made for the tavern at once, and as they came up

  Giglio exclaimed, on beholding their leader, 'Whom do I see?

  Yes! No! It is, it is! Phoo! No, it can't be! Yes! It is

  my friend, my gallant faithful veteran, Captain Hedzoff! Ho!

  Hedzoff! Knowes
t thou not thy Prince, thy Giglio? Good

  Corporal, methinks we once were friends. Ha, Sergeant, an' my

  memory serves me right, we have had many a bout at

  singlestick.'

  'I' faith, we have, a many, good my Lord,' says the Sergeant.

  'Tell me, what means this mighty armament,' continued His Royal

  Highness from the balcony, 'and whither march my Paflagonians?'

  Hedzoff's head fell. 'My Lord,' he said, 'we march as the

  allies of great Padella, Crim Tartary's monarch.'

  'Crim Tartary's usurper, gallant Hedzoff! Crim Tartary's grim

  tyrant, honest Hedzoff!' said the Prince, on the balcony, quite

  sarcastically.

  'A soldier, Prince, must needs obey his orders: mine are to

  help His Majesty Padella. And also (though alack that I should

  say it!) to seize wherever I should light upon him.'

  'First catch your hare! ha, Hedzoff!' exclaimed His Royal

  Highness.

  '--On the body of GIGLIO, whilome Prince of Paflagonia' Hedzoff

  went on, with indescribable emotion. 'My Prince, give up your

  sword without ado. Look! we are thirty thousand men to one!'

  'Give up my sword! Giglio give up his sword!' cried the Prince;

  and stepping well forward on to the balcony, the royal youth,

  WITHOUT PREPARATION, delivered a speech so magnificent, that no

  report can do justice to it. It was all in blank verse (in

  which, from this time, he invariably spoke, as more becoming

  his majestic station). It lasted for three days and three

  nights, during which not a single person who heard him was

  tired, or remarked the difference between daylight and dark.

  The soldiers only cheering tremendously, when occasionally,

  once in nine hours, the Prince paused to suck an orange, which

  Jones took out of the bag. He explained, in terms which we say

  we shall not attempt to convey, the whole history of the

  previous transaction, and his determination not only not to

  give up his sword, but to assume his rightful crown; and at the

  end of this extraordinary, this truly GIGANTIC effort, Captain

  Hedzoff flung up his helmet, and cried, 'Hurray! Hurray! Long

  live King Giglio!'

  Such were the consequences of having employed his time well at

  College!

  When the excitement had ceased, beer was ordered out for the

  army, and their Sovereign himself did not disdain a little! And

  now it was with some alarm that Captain Hedzoff told him his

  division was only the advanced guard of the Paflagonian

  contingent, hastening to King Padella's aid; the main force

  being a day's march in the rear under His Royal Highness Prince

  Bulbo.

  'We will wait here, good friend, to beat the Prince,' His

  Majesty said, 'and THEN will make his royal father wince.'

  XV. WE RETURN TO ROSALBA

  King Padella made very similar proposals to Rosalba to those

  which she had received from the various princes who, as we have

  seen, had fallen in love with her. His Majesty was a widower,

  and offered to marry his fair captive that instant, but she

  declined his invitation in her usual polite gentle manner,

  stating that Prince Giglio was her love, and that any other

  union was out of the question. Having tried tears and

  supplications in vain, this violent-tempered monarch menaced

  her with threats and tortures; but she declared she would

  rather suffer all these than accept the hand of her father's

  murderer, who left her finally, uttering the most awful

  imprecations, and bidding her prepare for death on the

  following morning.

  All night long the King spent in advising how he should get rid

  of this obdurate young creature. Cutting off her head was much

  too easy a death for her; hanging was so common in His

  Majesty's dominions that it no longer afforded him any sport;

  finally, he bethought himself of a pair of fierce lions which

  had lately been sent to him as presents, and he determined,

  with these ferocious brutes, to hunt poor Rosalba down.

  Adjoining his castle was an amphitheatre where the Prince

  indulged in bull-baiting, rat-hunting, and other ferocious

  sports. The two lions were kept in a cage under this place;

  their roaring might be heard over the whole city, the

  inhabitants of which, I am sorry to say, thronged in numbers to

  see a poor young lady gobbled up by two wild beasts.

  The King took his place in the royal box, having the officers