Life, 1893-11-09 · page 3 of 18
Life — November 9, 1893 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Good Sir Guy" - Life Magazine Satire This page presents a mock-heroic poem titled "Good Sir Guy," likely satirizing a contemporary political or military figure through medieval romance parody. The verses mock someone named "de Slashem" (possibly a caricature of a real person) and reference crusades, battles, and religious hypocrisy. The illustration captioned "Getting in the Way of It" shows a mounted knight colliding with a cow, visually reinforcing the poem's theme of blundering incompetence dressed in noble language. The satire appears to criticize bellicose posturing—someone claiming martial heroism while actually causing collateral damage and harm. The religious references suggest mockery of using faith as justification for violence or poor governance. Without identifying the specific historical moment, the piece exemplifies Life's use of literary parody to deflate inflated reputations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME Xxil. [FE- NUMBER 567. ; t N the dusty highway riding, Good Sir Guy, in armor bright, Taxed his meagre brain, deciding, As became a Christian knight, Whether he'd go straight to Glory, Skipping Hell and Purgatory. Mu. “Tf,” he mused, ** that fool de Slashem, Whom I settled June the third, Passed his checks to where they cash 'em— And I have the bishop's word— Then as far as I discern, he Made a devilish fast journey ! Mm. ** Let me see, today is Monday, June eleventh,—I'll be blowed ! Then a week ago last Sunday He set out for /a terre chaude !"" This is French. He learned it, maybe, From his nurse, when quite a baby. Iv. ** If de Slashem twangs with pious Meekness on a harp of gold In the sky, perhaps he'll spy us Mortals here on earth!" The bold Guy de Mashem hurled invective At Sir Slashem in perspective. v. ** T have scored my hundredth battle ! Slashem's score was sixty-three ! Heathen I have slain like cattle ; Hacked and slashed them piously, Which, and godly men have said it, Is immensely to my credit. VL “ T have lead, as I remember, A most meek and righteous life— Save, perhaps, when last September I abducted Slashem’s wife ; But she lived in pious fervor, And he didn't half deserve her, vu. ** When de Slashem would arrest me,— I forget the charge he made,— I, when Father Mole confessed me, Fled to join the third crusade ; Fled to fight for Holy Mother, Church, or some such cause or other. vit, rue, I slit de Slashem’s wizzend, or he nursed a silly whim ‘That I ought to be imprisoned, So I made a hash of him ; But the bishop, at confession, Pardoned me this slight transgression.” Ix. So along the highway riding, Good Sir Guy, in armor bright, Sanctified with faith abiding, Praying, trusting in the right, Felt at heart he'd live in Glory, Not in Hell or Purgatory.—Robert W. Chambers. “GETTING IN THE WAY OF IT.” comicbooks.com