The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-06
SOME FAMOUS DwARFs.
They Were Generally the Favorites
of Royalty.

Among the famous dwarfs of his
tory was Jeffrey Hudson, who was in
troduced to Henrietta Maria, consort
of Charles l., in a big venison pie.
when the pie was opened" out STEP
ped Jeffrey in all the dignity of his
eighteen inches and made courtly
obeisance to the astonished and de-
lighted queen, who, in response to
the little mans appeal to be taken
into her service, promptly granted
the request.
Jeffrey Hudson was man of stout
heart and adventurous spirit. He
fought two duels, one with turkey
cock and one with a certain Crofts,
who faced the little fellow armed
with squirt" and was forthwith
"shot dead" Twice Jeffrey saw the
inside of prison walls; once when he
was captured by the French on, his
way across the Channel, and again
when he was taken by Barbary cor
sairs. To cap his career of adven-
ture, he was accused of completely in
the popish plot and spent the last of
his days in the Gate House in 1882.
Another notable dwarf was Borul-
waski, the Pole, of whose debut an
interesting tale is told. AS boy of
Is, when when he was just one inch
higher than a two-foot rule, Borul-
waski was presented to the Empress
Maria Theresa, who was so charmed
by his good looks and grace that
she seated him on her lap and gave
him a hearty kiss. To the queen S
question as to what he considered
the most interesting sight in Vienna
the dwarf replied: 'What I now be-
hold, so little a man on the lap of
so great a lady" This speech rem
dered the little fellow great favor
ite.
He became a special favorite of
Stanislaus H., who took him to Eng
land and introduced him to George
III, and for more than half CEN
tury Borulwaski made his home at
the English court.
This dwarf, who at his tallest was
a yard and three inches, had a sister
whose head just reached her big
brothers shoulders. Borulwaski was
not only handsome and courtly
man but a scholar of repute. He
lived in five reigns, and was laid to
rest in Dunham In 1887, side by side
with the Falstaffian Stephen Kemble.
Richard Gibson and his wife, who
fourished in the seventeenth century,
were a remarkable pair, quite apart
from their inches, which combined
barely made up Z feet. Both were
clever painters of miniatures, and
Gibson was. drawing master to the
daughters of James II. At their
wedding, which was arranged by
Henrietta Maria, Charles I. gave the
bride away, the queen placed valu-
able diamond ring on her finger, and
Edmund Waller, the court poet,
wrote a poem in honor of the occa-
sion.
Among other dwarfs of interest
was Philetes, who acted as tutor to
Ptolemy Philadelphus and who was
said to be so light as we'll rs short
that he carried weights in his pock-
cts to prevent his being blown away!
Then there were Coropas and Andro-
media, two tiny handmaidens of Julia,
nieces of Augustus, each of whom
was about 2S inches high. Richie
bourg, who died in Paris in 1858,
was just one inch under feet.
1t is a curious fact that most of
the famous dwarfs lived to ripe old
ages. Borulwaski was but two years
short of the century when he died;
Richebourg was 90; Gibson was "a,
while his widow died at the advanced
age of SO years.
Among those in the service of the
late sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid,
who found themselves without a job
upon the abdication of that ruler,
was the clever dwarf Mehemmed Sc
linn, who stands 28 inches in his
stockings. Mehemmed Selim is said
to be linguist of remarkable at
tainments and a musician of no mean
ability.-Harper' Weekly.
EDITOR ACCUSED OF LIBEL.