Life, 1888-12-27 · page 38 of 43
Life — December 27, 1888 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a mock-medieval poem titled "Ye Knyghte-Mare" (a pun on "nightmare"), written in exaggerated Old English. It's a humorous post-Arthurian legend about twelve knights of the Round Table who, after feasting, fall asleep and are visited by their grandmothers' ghosts—who sit on their chests during the night. Upon waking and experiencing mince pie at dinner, the knights thereafter refuse to eat it, crossing themselves in haste. The satire mocks both medieval romance literature and contemporary squeamishness about food. The page also includes two unrelated cartoon panels labeled "Christmas in the Pantry" (showing Christmas domestic chaos) and "The Retort Courteous" (a small figure apologizing to a large sphere/person). The magazine uses deliberately archaic language and supernatural humor to gently ridicule both historical literature and Victorian sensibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE YE KNYGHTE-MARE. A POST-MORT-D'ARTHURIAN LEGEND. We log burns low, pe feaste is donne, Twelve knyghtes of ye Table Rounde Slyde down fromme ye benches, one by one, And snore upon ye ground. Ve log to a dimme blue flame bas died, When ye doore of ye banquet halle Ts opened wide, and in there glyde Twelve spectral Hagges ande Talle. Ve log burns dimme, and cke more dimme, Loud groans each knyghtlic gueste, As ye ghoste of his grandmother, gaunt and grimme, Sits on each knyghte hys cheste. We log in pieces twaine dotb falle, Ve daye beginnes to breake, Twelve ghostlie grandmothers glyde from ye halle, And ye twelve goode knyghtes awake. Ande ever whenne Mynce Pye was placed Atte ye table frome thatte daye, Ye Twelve knyghtes crossed themselves in hayste Ande looked ye other waye. O. Herford. TBEG YOUR PARDON® CHRISTMAS IN THE PANTRY Some Results from our Instantaneous Camera. THE RETORT COURTEOUS. comicbooks.com