King Lud flew into a frightful rage, tossed his crown up to the ceiling, and caught it again--for in those days kings kept their crowns on their heads, and not in the Tower--stamped the ground, rapped his forehead, wondered why his own flesh and blood rebelled against him, and, finally, calling in his guards, ordered the Prince away to instant confinement in a lofty turret; a course of treatment which the kings of old very generally pursued towards their sons, when their matrimonial inclinations did not happen to point to the same quarter as their own.
"When Prince Bladud had been shut up in the lofty turret for the greater part of a year, with no better prospect before his bodily eyes than a stone wall, or before his mental vision than prolonged imprisonment, he naturally began to ruminate on a plan of escape, which, after months of preparation, he managed to accomplish; considerately leaving his dinner knife in the heart of his gaoler, lest the poor fellow (who had a family) should be considered privy to his flight, and punished accordingly by the infuriated king.
"The monarch was frantic at the loss of his son.He knew not on whom to vent his grief and wrath, until fortunately bethinking himself of the Lord Chamberlain who had brought him home, he struck off his pension and his head together.
"Meanwhile, the young Prince, effectually disguised, wandered on foot through his father's dominions, cheered and supported in all his hardships by sweet thoughts of the Athenian maid, who was the innocent cause of his weary trials.One day he stopped to rest in a country village; and seeing that there were gay dances going forward on the green, and gay faces passing to and fro, ventured to inquire of a reveller who stood near him, the reason for this rejoicing.
"`Know you not, O stranger,' was the reply, `of the recent proclamation of our gracious king?'
"`Proclamation! No.What proclamation?' rejoined the Prince--for he had travelled along the bye and little-frequented ways, and knew nothing of what had passed upon the public roads, such as they were.
"`Why,' replied the peasant, `the foreign lady that our Prince wished to wed, is married to a foreign noble of her own country; and the king proclaims the fact, and a great public festival besides; for now, of course, Prince Bladud will come back and marry the lady his father chose, who they say is as beautiful as the noonday sun.Your health, sir.God save the king!'
"The Prince remained to hear no more.He fled from the spot, and plunged into the thickest recesses of a neighbouring wood.On, on, he wandered, night and day: beneath the blazing sun, and the cold pale moon: through the dry heat of noon, and the damp cold of night: in the grey light of morn, and the red glare of eve.So heedless was he of time or object, that being bound for Athens, he wandered as far out of his way as Bath.
"There was no city where Bath stands, then.There was no vestige of human habitation, or sign of man's resort, to bear the name; but there was the same noble country, the same broad expanse of hill and dale, the same beautiful channel stealing on, far away: the same lofty mountains which, like the troubles of life, viewed at a distance, and partially obscured by the bright mist of its morning, lose their ruggedness and asperity, and seem all ease and softness.Moved by the gentle beauty of the scene, the Prince sank upon the green turf, and bathed his swollen feet in his tears.
"`Oh!' said the unhappy Bladud, clasping his hands, and mournfully raising his eyes towards the sky, `would that my wanderings might end here! Would that these grateful tears with which I now mourn hope misplaced, and love despised, might flow in peace for ever!'
"The wish was heard.It was in the time of the heathen deities, who used occasionally to take people at their words, with a promptness, in some cases extremely awkward.The ground opened beneath the Prince's feet;he sunk into the chasm; and instantaneously it closed upon his head for ever, save where his hot tears welled up through the earth, and where they have continued to gush forth ever since.
"It is observable that, to this day, large numbers of elderly ladies and gentlemen who have been disappointed in procuring partners, and almost as many young ones who are anxious to obtain them, repair, annually, to Bath to drink the waters, from which they derive much strength and comfort.
This is most complimentary to the virtue of Prince Bladud's tears, and strongly corroborative of the veractiy of this legend."Mr.Pickwick yawned several times, when he had arrived at the end of this little manuscript: carefully refolded, and replaced it in the inkstand drawer: and then, with a countenance expressive of the utmost weariness, lighted his chamber candle, and went up-stairs to bed.
He stopped at Mr.Dowler's door, according to custom, and knocked to say good night.
"Ah!" said Dowler, "going to bed? I wish I was.Dismal night.Windy;isn't it?"
"Very," said Mr.Pickwick."Good night."
"Good night."
Mr.Pickwick went to his bed-chamber, and Mr.Dowler resumed his seat before the fire, in fulfilment of his rash promise to sit up till his wife came home.