# The Prince and the Pauper

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Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, to Lord Cromwell, on the birth of the Prince of Wales (afterward Edward VI.).
FROM THE NATIONAL MANUSCRIPTS PRESERVED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Ryght honorable, Salutem in Christo Jesu, and Syr here ys no lesse joynge and rejossynge in thes partees for the byrth of our prynce, hoom we hungnrde for so longe, then ther was (I trow), inter vicinos att the byrth of S. I. Baptyste, as thys berer, Master Erance, can telle you. Gode gyffe us alle grace, to yelde dew thankes to our Lorde Gode, Gode of Inglonde, for verely He hathe shoyd Hym selff Gode of Inglonde, or rather an Inglyssh Gode, yf we consydyr and pondyr welle alle Hys procedynges with us from tyme to tyme. He hath overcumme alle our yllnesse with Hys excedynge goodnesse, so that we ar now moor then compellyd to serve Hym, seke Hys glory, promott Hys wurde, yf the Devylle of alle Devylles be natt in us. We have now the stooppe of vayne trustes ande the stey of vayne expectations; lett us alle pray for hys preservatione. Ande I for my partt wylle wyssh that hys Grace allways have, and evyn now from the begynynge, Governares, Instructores and offyceres of ryght jugmente, ne optimum ingenium non optimâ educatione depravetur.
Butt whatt a grett fowlle am I! So, whatt devotione shoyth many tymys butt lytelle dyscretione! Ande thus the Gode of Inglonde be ever with you in alle your procedynges.
The 19 of October.
Youres, H. L. B. of Wurcestere, now att Hartlebury.
Yf you wolde excytt thys berere to be moore hartye ayen the abuse of ymagry or mor forwarde to promotte the veryte, ytt myght doo goode. Natt that ytt came of me, butt of your selffe, &c.
(Addressed) To the Ryght Honorable Loorde P. Sealle hys synguler gode Lorde.
THE
Prince and the Pauper
A Tale
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL AGES
BY
MARK TWAIN
WITH ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
BOSTON
JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY
1882
Copyright, 1881,
By S. L. CLEMENS.
All rights reserved.
FRANKLIN PRESS: ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY, BOSTON.
TO
THOSE GOOD MANNERED AND AGREEABLE CHILDREN,
SUSIE AND CLARA CLEMENS,
This Book
IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED
BY THEIR FATHER.
The quality of mercy . . . is twice bless'd; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes; 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The thronéd monarch better than his crown.
Merchant of Venice.
Contents.
| CHAPTER | | PAGE |
| I. | The Birth of the Prince and the Pauper | 23 |
| II. | Tom's Early Life | 27 |
| III. | Tom's Meeting with the Prince | 37 |
| IV. | The Prince's Troubles begin | 49 |
| V. | Tom as a Patrician | 57 |
| VI. | Tom receives Instructions | 73 |
| VII. | Tom's First Royal Dinner | 89 |
| VIII. | The Question of the Seal | 97 |
| IX. | The River Pageant | 103 |
| X. | The Prince in the Toils | 109 |
| XI. | At Guildhall | 123 |
| XII. | The Prince and His Deliverer | 133 |
| XIII. | The Disappearance of the Prince | 151 |
| XIV. | "Le Roi est mort—Vive le Roi" | 161 |
| XV. | Tom as King | 179 |
| XVI. | The State Dinner | 195 |
| XVII. | Foo-Foo the First | 203 |
| XVIII. | The Prince with the Tramps | 223 |
| XIX. | The Prince with the Peasants | 237 |
| XX. | The Prince and the Hermit | 247 |
| XXI. | Hendon to the Rescue | 259 |
| XXII. | A Victim of Treachery | 269 |
| XXIII. | The Prince a Prisoner | 281 ​ |
| XXIV. | The Escape | 289 |
| XXV. | Hendon Hall | 295 |
| XXVI. | Disowned | 309 |
| XXVII. | In Prison | 317 |
| XXVIII. | The Sacrifice | 333 |
| XXIX. | To London | 341 |
| XXX. | Tom's Progress | 347 |
| XXXI. | The Recognition Procession | 353 |
| XXXII. | Coronation Day | 365 |
| XXXIII. | Edward as King | 385 |
| CONCLUSION. Justice and Retribution | CONCLUSION. Justice and Retribution | 399 |
| NOTES | NOTES | 405 |
List of Illustrations.
| | Page |
| The Great Seal (frontispiece) | 8 |
| The Birth of the Prince and the Pauper (half-title) | 21 |
| "Splendid Pageants and Great Bonfires" | 23 |
| Tom's Early Life (half-title) | 25 |
| Offal Court | 28 |
| "With any Miserable Crust" | 29 |
| "He often read the Priest's Books" | 30 |
| "Saw Poor Anne Askew burned" | 31 |
| "Brought their Perplexities to Tom" | 32 |
| "Longing for the Pork-Pies" | 33 |
| Tom's Meeting with the Prince (half-title) | 35 |
| "At Temple Bar" | 37 |
| "Let him in!" | 39 |
| "How Old be These?" | 41 |
| "Doff thy Rags, and don these Splendors" | 43 |
| "I salute your Gracious Highness!" | 40 |
| The Prince's Troubles begin (half-title) | 47 |
| "Set upon by Dogs" | 50 |
| "A Drunken Ruffian collared him" | 52 |
| Tom as a Patrician (half-title) | 55 |
| "Next he drew the Sword" | 57 |
| "Resolved to fly" | 58 |
| "The Boy was on his Knees" | 59 |
| "Great Nobles walked upon Each Side of him" | 61 |
| "He dropped upon his Knees" | 62 |
| "He turned with Joyful Face" | 64 |
| "The Physician bowed low" | 65 ​ |
| "The King fell back upon his Couch" | 67 |
| "Is this Man to live forever?" | 68 |
| Tom receives Instructions (half-title) | 71 |
| "Prithee, insist not" | 73 |
| "The Lord St. John made Reverence" | 75 |
| Hertford and the Princesses | 77 |
| "She made Reverence" | 79 |
| "Offered it to him on a Golden Salver" | 80 |
| "They mused a while" | 82 |
| "Peace, my Lord, thou utterest Treason!" | 83 |
| "He began to pace the Floor" | 84 |
| Tom's First Royal Dinner (half-title) | 87 |
| "Fastened a Napkin about his Neck" | 89 |
| "Tom ate with his Fingers" | 91 |
| "He gravely took a Draught" | 92 |
| "Tom put on the Greaves" | 93 |
| The Question of the Seal (half-title) | 95 |
| "The Attendants eased him back upon his Pillows" | 98 |
| The River Pageant (half-title) | 101 |
| "A Troop of Halberdiers appeared in the Gateway" | 104 |
| "Tom Canty stepped into View" | 106 |
| The Prince in the Toils (half-title) | 107 |
| "A dim Form sank to the Ground" | 110 |
| "Who art thou?" | 111 |
| "Sent him staggering into Goodwife Canty's Arms" | 113 |
| "She bent heedfully and warily over him" | 115 |
| "The Prince sprang up" | 116 |
| "Hurried him along the Dark Way" | 118 |
| "He wasted no Time" | 120 |
| At Guildhall (half-title) | 121 |
| "A Rich Canopy of State" | 124 |
| "Began to lay about him" | 127 |
| "Long live the King!" | 128 |
| The Prince and his Deliverer (half-title) | 131 |
| "Our Friends threaded their Way" | 134 |
| "Object Lessons" in English History | 136 |
| "John Canty moved off" | 137 |
| "Smoothing back the Tangled Curls" | 139 ​ |
| "Prithee, pour the Water" | 141 |
| "Go on—tell me thy Story" | 142 |
| "Thou hast been shamefully abused" | 145 |
| "He dropped on one Knee" | 146 |
| "Rise, Sir Miles Hendon, Baronet" | 148 |
| The Disappearance of the Prince (half-title) | 149 |
| "He dropped asleep" | 151 |
| "These be very Good and Sound" | 153 |
| "Explain, thou Limb of Satan" | 155 |
| "Hendon followed after him" | 156 |
| "Le Roi est mort—Vive le Roi" (half-title) | 159 |
| "Wilt deign to deliver thy Commands?" | 162 |
| "The First Lord of the Bedchamber received the Hose" | 164 |
| "A Secretary of State presented an Order" | 166 |
| "The Boy rose, and stood at Graceful Ease" | 170 |
| "'Tis I that take them" | 172 |
| "If your Majesty will but tax your Memory" | 175 |
| Tom as King (half-title) | 177 |
| "Tom had wandered to a Window" | 181 |
| "Tom scanned the Prisoners" | 183 |
| "Let the Prisoner go free!" | 187 |
| "What is it that these have Done?" | 188 |
| "Several Old Heads nodded their Recognition" | 190 |
| The State Dinner (half-title) | 193 |
| "A Gentleman bearing a Rod" | 196 |
| "The Chancellor between two" | 197 |
| "I thank ye, my good people" | 198 |
| "He marched away in the Midst of his Pageant" | 199 |
| Foo-Foo the First (half-title) | 201 |
| "The Ruffian followed their Steps" | 205 |
| "He seized a Billet of Wood" | 206 |
| "He was soon absorbed in Thinking" | 207 |
| "A Grim and Unsightly Picture" | 208 |
| "They roared out a Rollicking Ditty" | 210 |
| "Whilst the Flames licked upwards" | 212 |
| "They were whipped at the Cart's Tail" | 213 |
| "Thou shalt not" | 215 |
| "Knocking Hobbs down" | 216 ​ |
| "Throne him" | 218 |
| The Prince with the Tramps (half-title) | 221 |
| "The Troop of Vagabonds set forward" | 224 |
| "They threw Bones and Vegetables" | 225 |
| "Began to writhe and wallow in the Dirt" | 227 |
| "The King fled in the Opposite Direction" | 228 |
| "He stumbled along" | 230 |
| "What seemed to be a Warm Rope" | 232 |
| "Cuddled up to the Calf" | 233 |
| The Prince with the Peasants (half-title) | 235 |
| "Took a Good Satisfying Stare" | 239 |
| "The Children's Mother received the King kindly" | 240 |
| "Brought the King out of his Dreams" | 242 |
| "Gave him a Butcher Knife to grind" | 244 |
| The Prince and the Hermit (half-title) | 245 |
| "He turned and descried two Figures" | 248 |
| "The King entered and paused" | 249 |
| "I will tell you a Secret" | 251 |
| "Chatting pleasantly all the Time" | 253 |
| "Drew his Thumb along the Edge" | 255 |
| "The next Moment they were bound" | 256 |
| Hendon to the Rescue (half-title) | 257 |
| "Sunk upon his Knees" | 260 |
| "God made Every Creature but you!" | 262 |
| "The Fettered Little King" | 264 |
| A Victim of Treachery (half-title) | 267 |
| "Hugo stood no Chance" | 270 |
| "Hugo bound the Poultice tight and fast" | 272 |
| "Tarry here till I come again" | 274 |
| "The King sprang to his Deliverer's Side" | 276 |
| The Prince a Prisoner (half-title) | 279 |
| "Gently, Good Friend" | 282 |
| "She sprang to her Feet" | 284 |
| The Escape (half-title) | 287 |
| "The Pig may cost thy Neck, Man" | 290 |
| "Bear me up, bear me up, Sweet Sir!" | 292 |
| Hendon Hall (half-title) | 293 |
| "Jogging Eastward on Sorry Steeds" | 296 ​ |
| "There is the Village, my Prince!" | 297 |
| "'Embrace me, Hugh,' he cried" | 299 |
| "Hugh put up his Hand in Dissent" | 301 |
| "A Beautiful Lady, richly clothed, followed Hugh" | 303 |
| "Hugh was pinned to the Wall" | 305 |
| Disowned (half-title) | 307 |
| "Obey, and have no Fear" | 310 |
| "Am I Miles Hendon?" | 313 |
| In Prison (half-title) | 315 |
| "Chained in a Large Room" | 318 |
| "The Old Man looked Hendon over" | 320 |
| "Information delivered in a Low Voice" | 321 |
| "The King!" he cried. "What King?" | 323 |
| "Two Women chained to Posts" | 326 |
| "Torn away by the Officers" | 328 |
| "The King was Furious" | 329 |
| The Sacrifice (half-title) | 331 |
| "He confronted the Officer in Charge" | 334 |
| "While the Lash was applied, the Poor King turned away his Face" | 336 |
| "Sir Hugh spurred away" | 337 |
| To London (half-title) | 339 |
| "Hendon mounted and rode off with the King" | 342 |
| "In the Midst of a Jam of Howling People" | 343 |
| Tom's Progress (half-title) | 345 |
| "To kiss his Hand at Parting" | 348 |
| "Commanded her to go to her Closet" | 349 |
| The Recognition Procession (half-title) | 351 |
| The Start for the Tower | 353 |
| "Welcome, O King!" | 355 |
| "A Largess! a Largess!" | 356 |
| "She was at his Side" | 359 |
| "My Liege, it is an Ill Time for Dreaming" | 361 |
| "She was my Mother" | 362 |
| Coronation Day (half-title) | 363 |
| "Gathers up the Lady's Long Train" | 366 |
| "Tom Canty appeared" | 368 |
| "And fell on his Knees before him" | 370 |
| "The Great Seal—fetch it hither" | 373 ​ |
| "Sire, the Seal is not there" | 375 |
| "Bethink thee, my King" | 377 |
| "Long live the True King!" | 379 |
| "To crack Nuts with" | 381 |
| Edward as King (half-title) | 383 |
| "He stretched himself on the Ground" | 386 |
| "Arrested as a Suspicious Character" | 389 |
| "It is his Right" | 392 |
| "Strip this Robber" | 394 |
| "Tom rose and kissed the King's Hand" | 395 |
| Justice and Retribution (half-title) | 397 |
| Notes (half-title) | 403 |
​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.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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