D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 169: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

158 Thin Threads, but Strong. Instead, he lets them slip away to the colonies, or ships them there! a pity for us, as the sons of those who beat off the Grand Armada might give a good account of the Spanish off San Sebastian! Ath, to have twenty sail of them under my banner! It cannot be helped—the Stuart will not help Braganza! Heaven help him, then! I doubt not, see you, darling! that when I wear the crown, he will be lacking his—or his head!” “What do you mean?” she said, in horror. “Only that Roha sent me, by the smugegler’s post, a pasquin in which it was advised, as a certain exalted person ‘had a ‘stiff neck,’ that a sharp ax would be needed, with a tough stock! The allusion is clear! par- ticularly so to me, from having seen Charles depicted in an Amsterdam-printed lampoon as St. Denis, with his decollated head under his arm—a caricature of a Velasquez portrait.” “The world will come to an end when sovereigns are beheaded like mere saints and martyrs! Incredible! But how did your cavalier-priest fare?” “Mariagalante went straight to Rome. The Pope wishes to reign twenty-five years without too many wars. He will, I reckon, try to keep Spain passive, if I raise the standard of revolt.” “Keep Spain passive? All the States of the Church, all the riches of the prince-cardinals, all the bulls and epistles, these would not keep Spain from replying blow to blow with an assailant! Oh, these churchmen who live in libraries and do not know yet Spain’s three- worded vocabulary 4 “T do not know it myself—what is it?” “Blood, fire and war! The Spaniard is cradled, swad- dled, exercised and buried to that tribrach!’’ “True! After all, I did know that! and shall know still more before we have done this business!” said Bra- ganza, frowning and drawing a deep breath, as if pre- paring for no mean struggle. Jacinta appeared at the hanging, cutting across the hall, so as to make a retiring-room beyond. “Please your grace, two strangers have found their way here. When I say strangers, I think I know them a little. They come from inland on poor mountain comicbooks.com