of William Rufus,--all of which were shown to me. Many of the
articles derived their interest, such as it was, from having been
formerly in the possession of royalty. For instance, here was
Charlemagne's sheepskin cloak, the flowing wig of Louis Quatorze,
the spinning-wheel of Sardanapalus, and King Stephen's famous
breeches which cost him but a crown. The heart of the Bloody Mary,
with the word "Calais" worn into its diseased substance, was
preserved in a bottle of spirits; and near it lay the golden case in
which the queen of Gustavus Adolphus treasured up that hero's heart.
Among these relics and heirlooms of kings I must not forget the
long, hairy ears of Midas, and a piece of bread which had been
changed to gold by the touch of that unlucky monarch. And as
Grecian Helen was a queen, it may here be mentioned that I was
permitted to take into my hand a lock of her golden hair and the
bowl which a sculptor modelled from the curve of her perfect breast.
Here, likewise, was the robe that smothered Agamemnon, Nero's
fiddle, the Czar Peter's brandy-bottle, the crown of Semiramis, and
Canute's sceptre which he extended over the sea. That my own land
may not deem itself neglected, let me add that I was favored with a
sight of the skull of King Philip, the famous Indian chief, whose
head the Puritans smote off and exhibited upon a pole.

"Show me something else," said I to the virtuoso. "Kings are in
such an artificial position that people in the ordinary walks of
life cannot feel an interest in their relics. If you could show me
the straw hat of sweet little Nell, I would far rather see it than a
king's golden crown."

"There it is," said my guide, pointing carelessly with his staff to
the straw hat in question. "But, indeed, you are hard to please.