CHAPTER 9 | The Writings of Mark Twain (beta)

Explanatory Notes Ⓔ
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Apparatus Notes Ⓐ
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CHAPTER 9

[begin page 107]

CHAPTER 9Ⓐ

At nine in the eveningⒶalteration in the MS the whole vast river-front of the palace was blazing with light. The river itself, as far as the eye could reach, citywards,Ⓐalteration in the MS was so thickly covered with watermen’s boats and with pleasure-barges, all fringed with colored lanternsⒶalteration in the MS, and gentlyⒶalteration in the MS agitated by the waves, that it resembled a glowing and limitless garden of flowers stirred to soft motion by summer winds. The grand terrace of stone steps leading down to the water—spacious enough to mass the army of a German principality upon—was a pictureⒶalteration in the MS to see, with its ranks of royal halberdiers in polishedⒶalteration in the MS armor, and its troops of brilliantly costumed servitors flitting up and down and to and froⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation in the hurry of preparation.

Presently a command was given, and immediately all living creatures vanished from the steps.Ⓐalteration in the MS Now the air was heavyⒶalteration in the MS with the hush of suspense and expectancy. As far as one’s vision could carry,Ⓐalteration in the MS he might see the myriads of people in the boats rise up and shade their eyes from the glareⒶalteration in the MS of lanterns and torches, and gaze toward the palace.Ⓐalteration in the MS

A file of forty or fifty state barges drew up to the steps. They were richly gilt, and their lofty prows and sterns were elaborately carved. [begin page 108] Some of them were decorated with bannersⒶalteration in the MS and streamers; some with cloth of goldⒶemendation and arras, embroidered with coats of arms; others with silken flagsⒶalteration in the MS that had numberless little silver bells fastened to them whichⒶalteration in the MS shook out tinyⒶalteration in the MS showers of joyous music whenever the breezes fluttered them; othersⒶalteration in the MS, of yet higher pretensions, sinceⒶalteration in the MS they belonged to nobles in the prince’s immediate service, had their sides picturesquely fenced with shields gorgeously emblazoned with armorial bearings. Each state barge was towed by a tender; besides the rowers, these tenders carried each a number of men-at-arms in glossyⒶalteration in the MS helmet and breast-plate, and a company of musicians.

The advance-guardⒶalteration in the MS of the expected procession now appeared in the great gateway, a troop of halberdiers. “They were dressedⒶalteration in the MS in striped hose of black and tawny, velvet caps graced at the sides with silver roses, and doublets of murrey and blue cloth, embroidered on the front and back with the Three Feathers,Ⓐemendation the prince’s blazon, woven in gold. Their halberdⒶalteration in the MS staves were covered with crimson velvet, fastened with gilt nails and ornamented with gold tassels. Filing off on the right and left, they formed two long lines, extending from the gateway of the palace to the water’s edge. A thick rayed cloth or carpet was then unfolded and laid down between them by attendants in the goldⒶalteration in the MS and crimson liveries of the prince. This done, a flourish of trumpets resounded from within; a lively prelude arose from the musicians on the water; and two ushers with white wands marched with a slow and stately pace from the portal. They were followed by an officer bearing the civicⒶalteration in the MS mace; after whom came another, carrying the City’s SwordⒶalteration in the MS; then several sergeants of the city guard, in their full accoutrements and with badges on their sleeves; then the Garter King-at-ArmsⒶalteration in the MS in his tabard; then several knights of the Bath, each with a white lace on his sleeve; then their esquires; then the judges, in their robes of scarlet and coifs; then the lordⒶalteration in the MS high chancellor of England, in a robe of scarlet open before and purfled with minever; then a deputation of aldermen, in their scarlet cloaksⒶalteration in the MS; and then the headsⒶalteration in the MS of the different civic companies, in their robes of state. Now came twelve French gentlemen, in splendid habiliments, consisting of pourpoints of white damask, barred with gold, short mantles of crimson velvet, lined with violet taffeta, and carnation-colored hauts-de-chausses, and tookⒶalteration in the MS their way down the steps. They were of the suite of the French ambassador, and were followed by twelve cavaliersⒶalteration in the MS of the suite of the Spanish [begin page 109]

“a troop of halberdiers appeared in the gateway.”

ambassador, clothed in black velvet, unrelieved by any ornament. Following these came several great English nobles, with their attendants.”Ⓐ Ⓔ

There was a flourish of trumpets within, and the prince’s uncle the future great DukeⒶemendation of Somerset, emerged from the gatewayⒶemendation, arrayedⒶalteration in the MS in a “doublet of black cloth of gold, and a cloak of crimson satin flowered with gold and ribanded with nets of silver.”Ⓐalteration in the MS He turned, doffed his plumed cap, bentⒶalteration in the MS his body in a low reverence, and began to step backward, bowing at each step. A prolonged trumpet-blastⒶalteration in the MS followed,Ⓐalteration in the MS and a proclamation, “Way for the high and mighty, the lord [begin page 110] Edward, Prince of Wales!”—high aloftⒶalteration in the MS on the palace walls a long line of red tongues of flame leaped forth, with a thunder-crash; the massedⒶalteration in the MS world on the river burst into a mighty roar of welcome, and Tom Canty, the cause and hero of it all, stepped into view and slightly bowed his princely head!

He wasⒶalteration in the MS “magnificently habited in a doublet of white satin, with a front-piece of purple cloth of tissue, powdered with diamonds and edged with ermine. Over this he wore a mantle of white cloth of gold, pounced with the triple-feather crest,Ⓐalteration in the MS lined with blue satin, set with pearls and precious stones, and fastened with a clasp of brilliants. About his neck hung the orderⒶalteration in the MS of the Garter and several princely foreign orders,”Ⓐalteration in the MS and wherever light fell upon him, jewels responded with a blinding flash. O, TomⒶalteration in the MS Canty, born in a hovel, bred in the gutters of London, familiar with rags and dirt and misery, what a spectacle is this!

“tom canty stepped into view.”

Historical Collation CHAPTER 9

Ⓐ to and fro (Pr, A, E, C) ● to fro (MS)

Editorial Emendations CHAPTER 9

Ⓐ to and fro (Pr) ● to fro

Ⓐ cloth of gold (I-C) ● cloth-of-gold

Ⓐ Feathers, (I-C) ● Feathers,ʌ A reads “feathers,”

Ⓐ Duke (A) ● duke

Ⓐ gateway (A) ● gate- | way

Alterations in the Manuscript CHAPTER 9

Ⓐ CHAPTER 9] the MS reads ‘Chap. 9.’; ‘9.’ added in ink 3 in a space originally left blank.

Ⓐ in the evening] follows canceled ‘that’.

Ⓐ as far . . . citywards,] interlined.

Ⓐ colored lanterns] follows canceled ‘lan’.

Ⓐ and gently] follows canceled ‘that’.

Ⓐ was a picture] follows canceled ‘was empty’.

Ⓐ polished] interlined in ink 3 to replace canceled ‘shining’.

Ⓐ steps.] followed by canceled ‘except the guards ranked upon either hand.’; the period added.

Ⓐ heavy] follows canceled ‘filled’ and canceled ‘thi’.

Ⓐ carry,] the comma added in ink 3.

Ⓐ from the glare] follows canceled ‘with’.

Ⓐ toward the palace.] more than a third of the MS page was torn off below these words; ink marks on the torn edge appear to be the tops of letters written on the missing part of the sheet before it was torn away; originally this page was followed by that now beginning with the interlineation ‘high aloft’ (110.1); the text that intervenes is on seven pages inserted in the MS.

Ⓐ banners] follows canceled ‘clo’.

Ⓐ flags] interlined above canceled ‘pennons’.

Ⓐ which] interlined above canceled ‘that’.

Ⓐ tiny] interlined.

Ⓐ others] follows canceled ‘still’.

Ⓐ since] followed by a canceled comma.

Ⓐ glossy] interlined in ink 3 above canceled ‘polished’ which follows canceled ‘hel’.

Ⓐ The advance-guard] follows canceled ¶ ‘Out from the great gate’.

Ⓐ “They . . . attendants.”] the quotation marks added in ink 3.

Ⓐ dressed] follows canceled opening quotation marks.

Ⓐ halberd] originally ‘halbert’; ‘d’ written in ink 3 over ‘t’.

Ⓐ in the gold] follows canceled ‘in the liveries’.

Ⓐ civic] interlined.

Ⓐ City's Sword] apparently originally ‘city's Sword’; ‘C’ apparently written over ‘c’ and underlined three times in ink 3.

Ⓐ Garter King-at-Arms] originally ‘garter king-at-arms’; ‘g’, ‘k’, and ‘a’ underlined three times in ink 3.

Ⓐ then the lord] ‘then’ interlined above canceled ‘and finally’.

Ⓐ scarlet cloaks] follows canceled ‘cloaks’.

Ⓐ then the heads] follows canceled ‘fin’.

Ⓐ and took] follows canceled ‘to’.

Ⓐ cavaliers] follows canceled ‘Span’.

Ⓐ arrayed] follows canceled ‘w’.

Ⓐ “doublet . . . silver.”] the quotation marks added in ink 3.

Ⓐ bent] follows canceled ‘and’.

Ⓐ trumpet-blast] followed by a canceled comma.

Ⓐ followed,] the comma mended from a semicolon; followed by canceled ‘high aloft’.

Ⓐ high aloft] interlined at the beginning of an MS page; the preceding dash interlined in ink 3 at the end of the preceding MS page; see entry at 107.16–17.

Ⓐ the massed] follows ‘all’ canceled in ink 3.

Ⓐ He was] follows canceled ¶ ‘He was superbly arrayed in white cloth of gold, he wore his George and Garter, and wherever the light fell upon him jewels responded with a blinding flash. He was attended by the queen's brother the earl of Hertford, and two dukes, attired in costumes’; ‘He was attended . . . costumes’ apparently canceled before the rest of the paragraph.

Ⓐ “magnificently . . . orders,”] the quotation marks added in ink 3.

Ⓐ the triple-feather crest,] originally ‘his crest,’; ‘his’ canceled and ‘the Wales’ interlined; then ‘the Wales crest,’ canceled and ‘the triple-feather crest,’ interlined; all revisions in ink 3.

Ⓐ the order] ‘the’ interlined in ink 3 above canceled ‘his’.

Ⓐ O, Tom] follows what may be closing quotation marks and a dash canceled in ink 3.

Explanatory Notes CHAPTER 9

Ⓔ “They were dressed . . . attendants.”] The source of this quotation and the source or sources of those following at 109.6–7 and 110.6–12 have not been identified. The nature of the revision in these passages and the fact that the opening and closing quotation marks were added later in ink 3 suggest that these descriptions may have been Mark Twain's own invention.

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