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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liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g reality — and <strong>the</strong>ir <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dignati<strong>on</strong> exploded <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> laughter.<br />
The success of <strong>the</strong> stratagem prompted <strong>the</strong>m later <strong>on</strong> to offer<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir services to <strong>the</strong> German Government, with <strong>the</strong> beneficial<br />
results that we all know.<br />
Our own Government might learn <strong>the</strong> less<strong>on</strong>. It might be as<br />
well to keep near Down<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Street a few small, fat Frenchmen,<br />
to be sent round <strong>the</strong> country when occasi<strong>on</strong> called for it, shrugg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir shoulders and eat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g frog sandwiches; or a file of<br />
untidy, lank-haired Germans might be reta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed, to walk about,<br />
smok<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g l<strong>on</strong>g pipes, say<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g “So.” The public would laugh and<br />
exclaim, “War with such? It would be too absurd.” Fail<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
Government, I recommend <strong>the</strong> scheme to <strong>the</strong> Peace Society.<br />
Our visit to Prague we were compelled to leng<strong>the</strong>n somewhat.<br />
Prague is <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> most <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g towns <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Europe.<br />
Its st<strong>on</strong>es are saturated with history and romance; its every<br />
suburb must have been a battlefield. It is <strong>the</strong> town that c<strong>on</strong>ceived<br />
<strong>the</strong> Reformati<strong>on</strong> and hatched <strong>the</strong> Thirty Years’ War.<br />
But half Prague’s troubles, <strong>on</strong>e imag<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es, might have been<br />
saved to it, had it possessed w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows less large and tempt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gly<br />
c<strong>on</strong>venient. The first of <strong>the</strong>se mighty catastrophes it set<br />
roll<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g by throw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> seven Catholic councillors from <strong>the</strong><br />
w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows of its Rathhaus <strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> pikes of <strong>the</strong> Hussites below.<br />
Later, it gave <strong>the</strong> signal for <strong>the</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>d by aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> throw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
Imperial councillors from <strong>the</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows of <strong>the</strong> old Burg <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />
Hradsch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> — Prague’s sec<strong>on</strong>d “Fenstersturz.” S<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce, o<strong>the</strong>r fateful<br />
questi<strong>on</strong>s have been decide <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Prague, <strong>on</strong>e assumes from<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g been c<strong>on</strong>cluded without violence that such must<br />
have been discussed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> cellars. The w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow, as an argument,<br />
<strong>on</strong>e feels, would always have proved too str<strong>on</strong>g a temptati<strong>on</strong> to<br />
any true-born Praguer.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> Teynkirche stands <strong>the</strong> worm-eaten pulpit from which<br />
preached John Huss. One may hear from <strong>the</strong> selfsame desk<br />
to-day <strong>the</strong> voice of a Papist priest, while <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> far-off C<strong>on</strong>stance<br />
a rude block of st<strong>on</strong>e, half ivy hidden, marks <strong>the</strong> spot where<br />
Huss and Jerome died burn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at <strong>the</strong> stake. History is f<strong>on</strong>d<br />
of her little ir<strong>on</strong>ies. In this same Teynkirche lies buried Tycho