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.