Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/469

385 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 585

Wje ®:tue llegentr of ^Prince 33latrulr.

"Less than two hundred years ag^one, on one of the public baths in this city, there appeared an inscription in honour of its mighty founder, the renowned Prince Bladud. That inscription is now erased.

"■ For many hundred years before that time, there had been handed down from age to age, an old legend, that the illustrious Prince being afflicted witn leprosy, on his return from reaping a rich harvest of knowledge in ancient Athens, shunned the court of his royal father, and consorted moodily, with husbandmen and pigs. Among the herd (so said the legend) was a pig of grave and solemn countenance, with whom the Prince had a fellow feeling — for he too was wise — a pig of thoughtful and reserved demeanour ; an animal superior to his fellows, whose grunt was terrible, and whose bite was sharp ; the young Prince sighed deeply as he looked upon the countenance of the majestic swine; — he thought of his royal father, and his eyes were bedewed with tears.

" This sagacious pig was fond of bathing in rich, moist mud. Not in summer as common pigs do now, to cool themselves, and did even in those distant ages (which is a proof that the light of civilisation had already begun to dawn, though feebly) — but in the cold sharp days of winter. His coat was ever so sleek, and his complexion so clear, that the Prince resolved to essay Lhe purifying qualities of the same water that his friend resorted to. Ke made the trial. Beneath that black mud, bubbled the hot springs of Bath. He washed, and was cured. Hastening to his father's court, he paid his best respects, and returning quickly hither, founded this city, and its famous baths.

" He sought the pig with all the ardour of their early friendship — but, alas I the waters had been his death. He had imprudently taken a bath at too high a temperature, and the natural philosopher was no more ! He was succeeded by Pliny, who also fell a victim to his thirst ^or knowledge.

" This was the legend. Listen to the true one.

" A great many centuries since, there flourished in great state the famous and renowned Lud Hudibras, king of Britain. He was a mighty monarch. The earth shook when he walked, he was so very stout. His people basked in the light of his countenance, it was so red and glowing. He was, indeed, every inch a king. And there were a good many inches of him too, for although he was not very tall, he was a remarkable size round, and the inches that he wanted in height, he made up in circumference. If any degenerate monarch of modern times could be in any way compared with him, I should say the venerable King Cole would be that illustrious potentate.

" This good king had a queen, who eighteen years before, had had a son, who was called Bladud. He was sent to a preparatory seminary in