Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 118 —<br />
CHAPTER XII.<br />
Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. — Disadvantages of liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> same<br />
house with pair of lovers. — A try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g time for <strong>the</strong> English nati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
— A night search for <strong>the</strong> picturesque. — Homeless and houseless.<br />
— Harris prepares to die. — An angel comes al<strong>on</strong>g. — Effect<br />
of sudden joy <strong>on</strong> Harris. — A little supper. — Lunch. — High price<br />
for mustard. — A fearful battle. — Maidenhead. — Sail<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. — <str<strong>on</strong>g>Three</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
fishers. — We are cursed.<br />
I WAS sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> bank, c<strong>on</strong>jur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up this scene to myself,<br />
when George remarked that when I was quite rested, perhaps<br />
I would not m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d help<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to wash up; and, thus recalled from<br />
<strong>the</strong> days of <strong>the</strong> glorious past to <strong>the</strong> prosaic present, with all its<br />
misery and s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, I slid down <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> boat and cleaned out <strong>the</strong><br />
fry<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g-pan with a stick of wood and a tuft of grass, polish<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it<br />
up f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ally with George’s wet shirt.<br />
We went over to Magna Charta Island, and had a look at <strong>the</strong><br />
st<strong>on</strong>e which stands <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> cottage <strong>the</strong>re and <strong>on</strong> which <strong>the</strong> great<br />
Charter is said to have been signed; though, as to whe<strong>the</strong>r it<br />
really was signed <strong>the</strong>re, or, as some say, <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r bank at<br />
“Runn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gmede,” I decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e to commit myself. As far as my own<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>al op<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>i<strong>on</strong> goes, however, I am <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to give weight to<br />
<strong>the</strong> popular island <strong>the</strong>ory. Certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly, had I been <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> Bar<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
at <strong>the</strong> time, I should have str<strong>on</strong>gly urged up<strong>on</strong> my comrades<br />
<strong>the</strong> advisability of our gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g such a slippery customer<br />
as K<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g John <strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> island, where <strong>the</strong>re was less chance of<br />
surprises and tricks.<br />
There are <strong>the</strong> ru<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s of an old priory <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> grounds of Ankerwyke<br />
House, which is close to Picnic Po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t, and it was round<br />
about <strong>the</strong> grounds of this old priory that Henry VIII. is said to<br />
have waited for and met Anne Boleyn. He also used to meet<br />
her at Hever Castle <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kent, and also somewhere near St. Albans.<br />
It must have been difficult for <strong>the</strong> people of England <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
those days to have found a spot where <strong>the</strong>se thoughtless young<br />
folk were not spo<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />
Have you ever been <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a house where <strong>the</strong>re are a couple<br />
court<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g? It is most try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. You th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k you will go and sit <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>