The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

LAST SCENE WITH THE GERMANS 257 and heavens! what a spectacle met their view! There were those good fellows, those respectable and well-conducted men, rushing like escaped lunatics along the streets, the garments of the two chevaliers displaying most unseemly rents, and Frumpenhausen’s ragged kerchief trailing like a tail behind him. And then came about two hundred urchins and ragamuffins of every description, yelling, shouting, hooting, and giving vent to their exuberant mirth in terms but little complimentary to the high functionaries belonging to the court of the reigning Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha. His Royal Highness was aghast, his lordly visitor was horrified. Into the hotel rushed the three Germans, while half a dozen policemen, armed with their bludgeons, darted in amongst the crowd with the intention of dispersing it. _ This was at length done, and then the court official, looking significantly at the reigning duke, said, ‘‘ Now, your Royal Highness must really pardon me for observing that your followers disgrace you.” ‘“ T will have justice, my lord,” exclaimed the grand duke, terrifically irate. ‘‘I insist that all the persons concerned in this scandalous treatment of my followers be ordered to leave London within twenty-four hours, and England within three days, on pain of being shut up in the Tower for the rest of their lives.”’ “Your Royal Highness forgets,’ answered the court official, ‘‘ that this is not Germany.”’ “Then the sooner it is made like Germany the better,” exclaimed the infuriate duke. ‘‘ I am sure my brother is trying hard enough — ”’ “No doubt, your Royal Highness,”’ rejoined the official, “and we are certainly making progress in that desirable direction. But still things cannot be done in this country onasudden. We have a constitution —’” ‘““ And what the devil do you want with a constitution? ”’ exclaimed the grand duke. ‘‘ Do as we do in Germany: keep a constitution as a sop to throw to the people when irritated, and then take it away again when the public mind has calmed down.”’ “ The plan is certainly a good one, your Royal Highness,”’ answered the lordly sycophant, “‘ but unfortunately, in this country, we have a Parliament, we have laws — ”’ “ Trash! rubbish!”’ ejaculated the grand duke, with a GOMIIGDOG SS) (S©)