Koningsmarke, the long finne: a story of the New World
1989; Association of College and Research Libraries; Volume: 26; Issue: 07 Linguagem: Inglês
10.5860/choice.26-3757
ISSN1943-5975
Autores ResumoMAHK1.. to hamper him.-elfwith a regular plot, a ,-u.-ion of prepared incidents, and a premedit eata-trophe.Thi-. we hold to bean error little .than to tie the legs of a dancing nin-ter.to make him caper the more gracefully, or pinion a man's arms behind his back, a-a preparatixi to a boxinmatch.In -hort.it is taking awax .b\ a -ort of literary /e/o de se, all that free will that perfect liberty of imagination and inventio which causes us writers to curvet so graceful in the fertile fields of hi-torical fiction.\iiother sore obstacle in the way of the fi mi-, i-for a writer of historical no-\\e haxe reason to suspect this will turn out to be. to embarrass his invention by an abject submission to chronology, or confine iiim-elf only to the introduction of such charac-"iid incidcnt> areally existed or took pi within the limit.-oftime and space comprised in -roumlwork of hi-story.Nothing can be more evident than that tlii--([ii<"itm-liiie--of tin- author must materially interfere with the in- ' and variety of his work, -ii,- often happen-, there should be wanting great cha- r greal < \tnt-.coming lawfully within the i:ii]tri.-fd in the said hi-tory. the MgHIr will lie nroporti- in hiin i- KONINGSMARKF.. lerials.To be scared by a trifling anachronism, in relation to things that have passed away a century, or ten centuries ago, is a piece of lite rary cowardice, similar to that of the ignorant clown, who should be frightened by the ghost of some one that had been dead a thousand years.So far, therefore, as we can answer for our- selves in the course of this history, we honestly advertise the reader, that although our hero is strictly an historical personage, having actually lived and died, like other people, yet in all other respects, not only he, but every character in the work, belongs entirely to us.We mean to make them think, talk and act just as we like, and without the least regard to nature, education or probability.So also as respects the incidents of our history.We intend, at present, reserving to ourselves, however, the liberty of altering our plan whenever it suits us in the course of our la bours, to confine our labours to no time nor place, but to embody in our work every incident or adventure that falls in our way, or that an inti mate knowledge of old ballads, nursery tales,'and traditions, has enabled us to collect together.In short, we are fully determined, by the ex- >nnple of a certain Great Unknown, that so long KONUVGSMARKE, :iwe. holil the pen, we will never be deterred i'roni sei/iiiu any romantic or improbable adven ture, by any weak apprehension that people will (|ii:irrel with us because they do not follow on in the natural course, or hang together by an\ probable connexion of cau>e and effect.Another (Ifterinination of ours, of which we think it fair to apprize the reader, is, tliat we shall strenuously endeavour to avoid an intercourse, either directly or indirectly, wi that bane of true geniu>, coiiiinonly called com mon sense.We look upon that species of vul immpkin capacity, :c> little better than thr in.-tinct of animal-; a--the greatest pot of aii- thor.-hip that e\ er exn-ei-fd jni-ixliction in tin tield-of literatun-.It< \erv name i^snllieient t indicate the al>Mirdit\ ofper-on-Ntri\ijm l pro duce an\ tiling iincoiinnon ly an abject submi-- Bion tO 1U dictates.It -liall al^o be our e-peri;d . 10a\oid the uncleiit, but nearl\ exploded >r. of >iippo-i!iii that either nature or proba bility i-in an\\\i>e nee essar} to the interest of a u of iiuauination.\Ve intend that all 0111 principal character--hall induce in a> inan\ in- coni>teucie> and t ( ceinriciiie-, a-\\ ill >uliice (o inal -onic\\hal in .beini: aim --iin-d tint your -nlnr.rational mortal-.EOK1NOSVA&KK. nh bitf rnouch, and tin-likene-, will be n vived aperfei i.( Yrt;tiu ca\iller, who pretend to be the ad\o- -of truth, ha\e -tremmu>l^o bjected to the present fashion of erectinu ;i .>nper-tructure of fiction on ;i lj;i-i> of Ihct, \\ liich tlic\ >av i< ron- roundint;-trutli with falsehood in tin-mind- i youthful readers.Hut \ve look upon this olijtv.-tioii ajirrfivtlv frivolou>.It i-annot lie denied that such a mixture of history and romance i-e\-:in ince, if the figure may In allowed u-, truth i-the meat, and fiction the v a ]t, v. hich uivt -it a /< ,t, and jir-serVM it from jieri-h- So, also, a little emliellishment \\ ill -a\ e ( -er- i i in in^iirnilicant \ eiit-from lieiiiu entirely lo>t or tien in the lapse of time.Hence ue find young people, who turn with di-^u-'.from the >oli(i dulne.s> of purr matter of fart history, de- \tnrii)L r with \a->t a\idity those delectable mixed di-he-, and thus acquiring a knowlrdtie tn- Ahich, though we coulees -ome\\hat arlult**- 4'ated.i-better than nonr at all.l>e-ide> thi>.\ leai-iied per-on-are o(' opinion that all Jii>tory i-in it>elf little lietter than a romance., mo-t e>jirciall\ that part wherein hi-torian-j>re- to detail the M-rvn inoiives of niuiuirch-: and KONINGSMARKE.xtraordinan exertion of modesty, by \\hicli u t-nablrd, at that particular moment, to re* the Hl'rne-cence of our kmwledue.Finally, in order that the reader may devour >nr \\ork with a proper zest, we hereby assure him, (in confidence,*) tliat our bookseller has co- \fu;tntcd and agreed to pay us ten thousand dol larin Kentucky bank notr>.j)ro\id-d tin--ale ol it >hould justify such inordinate irmrrnsiu .\N \\ill now pluntr*-directly into the thicker (.f'oin adventure^, having thus happily got over tin-tir-t \\liich i-h-ld to be half the battle.CHAPTER II.Peter Piper pick'd a peck of pickled peppers.Where is the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper pick'd ?"THE curious traveller along the western bank of the Delaware river, will hardly fail to notice some few scattered remains, such as parts of old walls, and fragments of chimneys, which indicate where once stood the famous fort and town of Elsingburg, one of the earliest settlements of the Swedes in this country.The precise spot these ruins occupy we shall not point out, since it is our present intention to give such an ac curate description, that it cannot be mistaken by a reader of common sagacity.At the time this history commences, that is to say, somewhere about the middle of the sixteenth rciitury, a period of very remote antiquity consi dering the extreme juvenility of our country, tin- important little post was governed by the Heer Peter Piper, a short thickset person, of German parentage, whose dress, rain or shine, week day?r Sundays, in peace or war, in winter and sum-mer.ua> a -nit of olive-colon red \el\ it.ornament ed with ebony buttons.\ v -till preserved in the Piper family, r him with a round.and -omewhat full face, a uood deal wrinkled; -tnrdy -hort leir-.thinat the ankle-, and redundant at the s.sneh a-we -eldoin -ee no\\.ula\B, , \\hich ren derit entirely nnnere--ar\ that nature >hould ial pain-with that part of the ani mal man :-toed -line-, and -i|iiare luickleof a \ellowi-h hue.hiu whether of irold or I i-impo--ihle to decide at this remote period.*\ould uise the uorld, that is to say, all that part of it which is at piv-ent in our po-se--inii.namely, a magnificent castle in the air, to be able to satisfy the doubts of our readers in respect to the problem whether the Heer Peter Piper wore a cocked hat.But a^the painter, with an unpar donable neirliiieiice.and a total di-reuanl t> po terit\.hi-rlioMii to represent him bareheaded, v\e can onl\ -a\ , that hi-head ua-ordinaril\ vered with a thick crop of hair that curled rather >bedly aboitt itis forehead and ear-.It Irnh been aptly remarked by close observers of human nature, that tin--per'u-s of petulant curl, i-almo-i i (variable concomitant of an irritable, te-i\ .uper, which, as it J-JH ami I O carls about after a similar manner with the said hair.Certain it is that, whatever exceptions may oo -ur to the general rule, the Heer Piper was not one of them, he being, as the course of our his tory will fully substantiate, an exceeding little tyrant, that fell into mortal passions about no thing, broke his nose over every straw that lay in his way, and was seldom to be found in any sort of good humour, except when he had swore vengeance at every soul that excited his wrath.Indeed, to say truth, he was one of those bluster ing little bodies, who differ entirely from those who are said to be no heroes to their valet-derhambre, since it was said of him that he was ;i hero to nobody else, but his servants and depend ants, whom he bullied exceedingly.The good people of Elsingburgh called him, behind his back, Pepper Pot Peter, in double allu sion to the fiery nature of his talk, and his fondtor the dish known among our ancestors b\ that name, and remarkable for its high seasoning.Tlic distich placed at the head of this chapter\ \:is made upon the Heer Peter, by a wag of the day, who excelled in alliterative poetry, and of whom we shall say more anon, if we do not for-L-ff it in the multiplicity of adventure-\\e intend to incorporate into thi-true history.Hut a-w< mean to leave a tjood part of our work to tin imagination of tin* reader to supply to the be-i of hiabilities, we will let the character of Go vernor Piper develop itself in his future con duct, and proceed \\ith our -to;One -ultry -uiiuuer altrrnoon in tin-month ol hil\ , tin-Hivr I'ctcr lia\ iim fnii-hcd his dinner 1>\ f>n' o'clock, \\:is -ittinu in lii> irrt-at arm rhair.under the shade of a nolile elm, the stump of which is still to he seen, and hein^: hollow.-for a notable pi^-t\, vmokintr bis pipe ;i- v\a-hicii-tom, and niminatintr in that luxiiriou--tate of imbecility between -leepin^; and uakiti-z.'I'he river in front spread out into an e\pan-i\ hike, ^mooth and bright as a lookincr ulass ; the .-huimalmost lifeleM to the trees, for there v\a-not a breath of air -tirrinir ; tlie cnttlt stood midway in the water-, lasliimr the flie- !a/ilv with their tail-; the turke\-Miuuht tin -hade with their bills wide open, ira-pina; for breath ; and all nature, animate as well ;i> in animate, di-|)la\ed thru lassitude which is tin. i|l]ence of e\ci i\ e heat.The llerr .-atwith hi-i\e-( lo-ed, and We v\i!l not -wear that he \va-not :.t thi-precise mop.ahhouerh the -moke of hipipe KOMNGSMARKE.IT jtill continued to ascend at regular intervals, i a perpendicular column, inasmuch as it wa?affirmed by Wolfgang Langfanger, and some others of his friends and counsellers, that the Heer Peter did sometimes smoke somewhat in stinctively, as a man breathes in his sleep.How ever this may be, whether sleeping or waking, the Governor was suddenly roused by the intrusion of one Lob Dotterel, a constable and busybody, who considered himself, in virtue of his office, at full liberty to poke his proboscis into every hole and corner, and to pry into the secret as well as public actions of every soul in the village.It is astonishing what a triumph it was to Lob Dot terel, to catch any body tripping ; he considered it a proof of his vigilance and sagacity.And here, lest the reader should do Master Dotterelwrong, in supposing that the prospect of bribes or fees herein stimulated him to activity, we will aver it as our belief, that he was governed by no such sordid motive, but acted upon a similar instinct with that of a well-bred pointer dog, who is ever seen wagging his tail with great delight when he brings in game, although hr neither expects to be rewarded, or to share in the spoil, at least so far as we have been able to penetrate his motives of action.VOL.i. 2 J8Master Dotterel wai backed on tli> .ifore-aid,h\ one Re-tore Cioslin^.and Ala>ti>, Oldale, keeper of the Indian Queen, the mo-i fashionable, not to -a\ the only ta\ern, in the vil- lageofElsingburgb.These three worthieffhad HI ruMody a tall, straight) light-complexioned, hlur- c\rd \oiitli, \\lin signified his ronu-inpt for tlif urru^ation, \\liale\cr it iniulit he, the con-tahle.Ma-ter He>tore Cio-lint:, iNIa-Jter Oldale, and the Hi-cr 1'fter hiinselt', hy rul)hinu his rliin on citlit^r >ide \\itli his thuinh and fniLTr-.and vvhi>tlini: Vanker Doodle, or any other tune th;i1 doth not imulve a horrihle anachronism.There are three tliiiiu-a real LTenuine man cannot hear, to wit : to do bu>inos alter dinner to he di>turhed in his meditation or to >u>j>eet that tin-little people behm him do not think him so ureat a jier-on a> he i-inclined t.think himself.All thesi-causes combined to put the
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