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.

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.

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.

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

XII. [The Prince and his deliverer.]
XIII. [The disappearance of the Prince.]
XIV. ['Le Roi est mort—vive le Roi.']

ILLUSTRATIONS

[THE PRINCE AND HIS DELIVERER]
["OUR FRIENDS THREADED THEIR WAY"]
["OBJECT LESSONS" IN ENGLISH HISTORY]
["JOHN CANTY MOVED OFF"]
["SMOOTHING BACK THE TANGLED CURLS"]
["PRITHEE, POUR THE WATER"]
["GO ON—TELL ME THY STORY]
["THOU HAST BEEN SHAMEFULLY ABUSED"]
["HE DROPPED ON ONE KNEE"]
["RISE, SIR MILES HENDON, BARONET"]
[THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE PRINCE]
["HE DROPPED ASLEEP"]
["THESE BE VERY GOOD AND SOUND"]
["EXPLAIN, THOU LIMB OF SATAN"]
["HENDON FOLLOWED AFTER HIM"]
["LE ROI EST MORT-VIVE LE ROI"]
["WILT DEIGN TO DELIVER THY COMMANDS?"]
["LORD OF THE BEDCHAMBER"]
["A SECRETARY OF STATE"]
["STOOD AT GRACEFUL EASE"]
["'TIS I THAT TAKE THEM"]
["BUT TAX YOUR MEMORY"]