E-text prepared by Marc D'Hooghe
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Internet Archive
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THE KING OF ALSANDER

BY

JAMES ELROY FLECKER

LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD.

RUSKIN HOUSE 40 MUSEUM STREET, W.C.

1915

DEDICATION

To

J.N. MAVROGORDATO

This Romance,
of which he never despaired in the Rough
Is dedicated in the Ripe

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter I. Blaindon

Chapter II. Alsander

Chapter III. En Pension in Alsander

Chapter IV. Introducing a good beggar and a bad King

Chapter V. Of the knighting of Norman Price

Chapter VI. Concerning Isis and Aphrodite:with a digression on the shockingtreatment the latter's followers receivefrom the hands of English novelists

Chapter VII. The Society for the Advancement of Alsander

Chapter VIII. How Norman failed to passa qualifying examination for the postof King of Alsander, and was whipped:together with a digression on the excellenceof whipping

Chapter IX. The Consul

Chapter X. Contains the President's taleand a debate on the advantages of murder

Chapter XI. A Visit to Vorza

Chapter XII. In which the Beetles crawl

Chapter XIII. Re-Coronation

Chapter XIV. Princess Ianthe

Chapter XV. Peronella and the Priest

Chapter XVI. The Counter Conspiracy: anepisode in the style of the worst writers

Chapter XVII. Battle

Chapter XVIII. The Poet visits Blaindononce more, and takes John Gaffekin tothe seashore, where a miracle occurs

PREFACE

Here is a tale all romance—a tale such as only a Poet can write foryou, O appreciative and generous Public—a tale of madmen, kings,scholars, grocers, consuls, and Jews: a tale with two heroines, both ofan extreme and indescribable beauty: a tale of the South and ofsunshine, wherein will be found disguises, mysteries, conspiracies,fights, at least one good whipping, and plenty of blood and love andabsurdity: a very old sort of tale: a tale as joyously improba