Prince and The Pauper, by Mark
Twain
Project Gutenberg's The Prince and The Pauper, by Mark Twain #14 in
our series by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
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Title: The Prince and The Pauper
Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Release Date: July, 1999 [EBook #1837] [This file was last updated on
March 18, 2003]
Edition: 11
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
PRINCE AND THE PAUPER ***
Produced by David Widger [
[email protected]] The previous
edition was prepared by Les Bowler, St. Ives, Dorset
The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain
Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, to Lord Cromwell, on the birth of
the Prince of Wales (afterward Edward VI.).
From the National Manuscripts preserved by the British Government.
Ryght honorable, Salutem in Christo Jesu, and Syr here ys no lesse
joynge and rejossynge in thes partees for the byrth of our prynce, hoom
we hungurde for so longe, then ther was (I trow), inter vicinos att the
byrth of S. J. Baptyste, as thys berer, Master Erance, can telle you.
Gode gyffe us alle grace, to yelde dew thankes to our Lorde Gode,
Gode of Inglonde, for verely He hathe shoyd Hym selff Gode of
Inglonde, or rather an Inglyssh Gode, yf we consydyr and pondyr welle
alle Hys procedynges with us from tyme to tyme. He hath over cumme
alle our yllnesse with Hys excedynge goodnesse, so that we are now
moor then compellyd to serve Hym, seke Hys glory, promott Hys
wurde, yf the Devylle of alle Devylles be natt in us. We have now the
stooppe of vayne trustes ande the stey of vayne expectations; lett us alle
pray for hys preservatione. Ande I for my partt wylle wyssh that hys
Grace allways have, and evyn now from the begynynge, Governares,
Instructores and offyceres of ryght jugmente, ne optimum ingenium
non optima educatione deprevetur.
Butt whatt a grett fowlle am I! So, whatt devotione shoyth many tymys
butt lytelle dyscretione! Ande thus the Gode of Inglonde be ever with
you in alle your procedynges.
The 19 of October.
Youres, H. L. B. of Wurcestere, now att Hartlebury.
Yf you wolde excytt thys berere to be moore hartye ayen the abuse of
ymagry or mor forwarde to promotte the veryte, ytt myght doo goode.
Natt that ytt came of me, butt of your selffe, etc.
(Addressed) To the Ryght Honorable Loorde P. Sealle hys synguler
gode Lorde.
To those good-mannered and agreeable children Susie and Clara
Clemens this book is affectionately inscribed by their father.
I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his
father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner
had it of HIS father--and so on, back and still back, three hundred years
and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It
may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have
happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It
may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may
be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it.
Contents.
I. The birth of the Prince and the Pauper. II. Tom's early life. III. Tom's
meeting with the Prince. IV. The Prince's troubles begin. V. Tom as a
patrician. VI. Tom receives instructions. VII. Tom's first royal dinner.
VIII. The question of the Seal. IX. The river pageant. X. The Prince in
the toils. XI. At Guildhall. XII. The Prince and his deliverer. XIII. The
disappearance of the Prince. XIV. 'Le Roi est mort--vive le Roi.' XV.
Tom as King. XVI. The state dinner. XVII. Foo-foo the First. XVIII.
The Prince with the tramps. XIX. The Prince with the peasants. XX.
The Prince and the hermit. XXI. Hendon to the rescue. XXII. A