The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-16
MARK TwAIN's NEW LECTURE.
A Yankees Surprising Adventures at the
Court of King Arthur.


Court of King Arthur.
| New York World.
The regular monthly meeting of the Military
Service Institution was held last evening in the
museum building on Governors Island, at
which Mr. Samuel l.. Clemens MARK Twain
read a learned essay on "The War Experiences
of a Connecticut Yankee at King Arthurs
Court" When Mr. Clemens forward to
the reading desk there was seant standing room
IN any part of the hail. He was received with
much applause, ana at once announced the pur-
pose of his lecture. or talk, as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: This fragment which
by your courtesy am to read here to- night is a
story-a satire if you pease-which began to
write some time ago. and which is not finished;
so what propose to do under the circumstances
is to read the first chapter just it is and then
in brief synopsis outline, tell the rest of it in
bulk, do as the dying cowboy advised his spirit
ual adviser to do, just leave out the details and
heave in the bottom facts 1t would be lmpos-
sible to tell much of the story in short time
as we have and will begin it just as it is
written"
MIR. Clemens went on to say, reading from the
first chapter OF his forthcoming book that in ex-
plorng Warwick Castle in England he met a
stranger who interested him greatly. They be-
came very good friends, and one day the stran-
ger said 'You know about the transmigration
of souls; do you know about the transposition of
epochs and bodles7" Mr.. Clemens had not heard
of it, and subsequently, this stranger sent him a
manuscript. Beginning the reading Of the sup
posed manuscript, the lecturer read:
=" i am an American WE'LL he did not look
it. 4 was born in Hartford in the State of Con
necticut. | am Yankee of the Yankees NV
father was blacksmith my uncle was horse
trader, and / was both. This Yankee was
struck in the head one day, and when he awoke
he was sitting under an oak tree" The nara
ton goes on to say that there was man clad in
ancient armor from head to foot and that this
apparitiou said to him. "Will you joustq' II
said." the narrative goes on, Z" what are you
giving mel Git along back TO your circus OF Ill
report you,' but he went back a piece and then
he came fitting ct me and / saw he meant bust
ness and when he arrived where | was / was up
in the tree" fGreat Laughter Mr. Clemens
continued the reading, which described how an
arrangement was made by which the Yankee was
induced to accompany the knight believing him
first to be from some circus and later on an es-
capped unatic
Describing woman encountered on the way,
the narrative said: 'Around her head was a
wreath of red poppies, but regards the rest of
her clothing-well, there was not enough of it
to talk about Great laughter. She walked
along by the circus man and did not pay the
slightest attention to him-did not even seem to
see him; but when her eye fell on me she seemed
to be turned into an image of stone. and there
she stood gazing with sort of stupeied atten-
ton till we turned corner and were lost to
view. That she should be startled at me in
stead of the other man too many for me.
That she should seem to consider me spectacle,
TOTALLY OfoTlOOhtIk her own u1cFlbS III bUAt re-
spect. thought curious Laughter"
Continuing, the manuscript stated that every
one seemed to notice the narrator with great in
terest. while none paid the slightest attention to
his conductor. The streets through which they
passed were muddy and ilkept hogs rooted
contentedy about and dogs numerous.
Finally blare Of music announced the ap-
proach of gay cavalcade of knights in armor
and this was followed by an ascent into castle
With the asylum idea still uppermost, the mar
rator asked an inmate if he belonged TO the asy-
lum, or if he was there only as a visitor And
he said.r continued the narrator Marry, marry
and said, 'Thatll do, guess
you are an inmate One gorgeously
attired youth came to me and said
4 am page 'Oh. go along said I; you amt
big enough for paragraph Laughterl FL
nally he mentioned in casual way that be
born in the beginning of 5l3 Said l: Won't
you say it again and say it slowp What did you
sayF '5l3 Said I: You don't look it, And
said |: Are you in your right mindY Yes
said he. And are all these people in their right
mindP Yes said he. and said l. Where am
~ and said he, You are King Arthars
court, and said T. What year is it now9, and
said he. '526, the 18th of june, and said |, i
shall never my friends any more. for they
won't be born for more than thousand years,
and seemed tc believe the boy, although my
reason didn't"
The above extract will show the nature Of Mr.
| Clemenss entertainment Continuing, he said
the page assured him. after the dinner OF the
Knights of the Round Table was over, he would
be called in and exhibited by the one who had
brought him there, who was tho seResehal Of the