Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Roundabout Papersnot know whose colors I wore—the Benician’s, or thoseof the Irish champion; nor remember where the fighttook place, which, indeed, no somnambulist is boundto recollect. Ought Mr. Sayers to be honored for beingbrave, or punished for being naughty? By the shade ofBrutus the elder, I don’t know.In George II.’s time, there was a turbulent navy lieutenant(Handsome Smith he was called—his picture isat Greenwich now, in brown velvet, and gold and scarlet;his coat handsome, his waistcoat exceedingly handsome;but his face by no means the beauty)—there was,I say, a turbulent young lieutenant who was broke on acomplaint of the French ambassador, for obliging aFrench ship of war to lower her topsails to his ship atSpithead. But, by the King’s orders, Tom was next daymade Captain Smith. Well, if I were absolute king, Iwould send Tom Sayers to the mill for a month, andmake him Sir Thomas on coming out of Clerkenwell.You are a naughty boy, Tom! but then, you know, weought to love our brethren, though ever so naughty. Weare moralists, and reprimand you; and you are herebyreprimanded accordingly. But in case England shouldever have need of a few score thousand champions, wholaugh at danger; who cope with giants; who, strickento the ground, jump up and gayly rally, and fall, andrise again, and strike, and die rather than yield—incase the country should need such men, and you shouldknow them, be pleased to send lists of the misguidedpersons to the principal police stations, where meansmay some day be found to utilize their wretched powers,and give their deplorable energies a right direction.Suppose, Tom, that you and your friends are pittedagainst an immense invader—suppose you are bent onholding the ground, and dying there, if need be—supposeit is life, freedom, honor, home, you are fightingfor, and there is a death—dealing sword or rifle in yourhand, with which you are going to resist some tremendousenemy who challenges your championship on yournative shore? Then, Sir Thomas, resist him to the death,and it is all right: kill him, and heaven bless you. Drivehim into the sea, and there destroy, smash, and drownhim; and let us sing Laudamus. In these national cases,34