country, in full parliament assembled. Is any description of them
needed? The description of Geoffrey applies to them all. The manhood
and muscle of England resemble the wool and mutton of England, in this
respect, that there is about as much variety in a flock of athletes as
in a flock of sheep. Julius looked about him, and saw the same man in
the same dress, with the same health, strength, tone, tastes, habits,
conversation, and pursuits, repeated infinitely in every part of the
room. The din was deafening; the enthusiasm (to an uninitiated stranger)
something at once hideous and terrifying to behold. Geoffrey had been
lifted bodily on to the table, in his chair, so as to be visible to the
whole room. They sang round him, they danced round him, they cheered
round him, they swore round him. He was hailed, in maudlin terms of
endearment, by grateful giants with tears in their eyes. "Dear old man!"
"Glorious, noble, splendid, beautiful fellow!" They hugged him. They
patted him on the back. They wrung his hands. They prodded and punched
his muscles. They embraced the noble legs that were going to run
the unexampled race. At the opposite end of the room, where it was
physically impossible to get near the hero, the enthusiasm vented itself
in feats of strength and acts of destruction. Hercules I. cleared a
space with his elbows, and laid down--and Hercules II. took him up in
his teeth. Hercules III. seized the poker from the fireplace, and broke
it on his arm. Hercules IV. followed with the tongs, and shattered them
on his neck. The smashing of the furniture and the pulling down of the
house seemed likely to succeed--when Geoffrey's eye lighted by accident
on Julius, and Geoffrey's voice, calling fiercely for his brother,
hushed the wild assembly into sudden attention, and turned the fiery
enthusiasm into a new course. Hooray for his brother! One, two,
three--and up with his brother on our shoulders! Four five, six--and
on with his brother, over our heads, to the other end of the room! See,
boys--see! the hero has got him by the collar! the hero has lifted him