THE LAST GENERATION
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE BRIDGE OF FIRE
A BOOK OF POEMS CONTAINING THE
BALLAD OF HAMPSTEAD HEATH
AND THE TWIN SONNETS
OF BATHROLAIRE
Price 1s. net
THE
LAST GENERATION
A STORY OF THE FUTURE
BY
JAMES ELROY FLECKER
El hombre es el rey de la creación; vive (helives) en la tierra y cree (he believes) en el cielo
De Arteaga, Spanish Grammar
THE NEW AGE PRESS
140 FLEET STREET, LONDON
1908
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh
TO
FRANK SAVERY
WHO TAUGHT, ENCOURAGED, AND
REVEALED
[Pg vii]
CONTENTS
| PAGE | ||
| Introduction | 9 | |
| I. | At Birmingham Town Hall | 13 |
| II. | The Proclamation | 17 |
| III. | The Mutual Extermination Club | 23 |
| IV. | The Episode of the Baby | 29 |
| V. | The Florentine League | 34 |
| VI. | Outside | 43 |
| VII. | The Last Men | 54 |
[Pg viii]
[Pg 9]
THE LAST GENERATION
INTRODUCTION
I had been awake for I know not howmany hours that summer dawn while thesun came over the hills and coloured thebeautiful roses in my mother's garden. AsI lay drowsily gazing through the window,I thought I had never known a morningso sultry, and yet so pleasant. Outside nota leaf stirred; yet the air was fresh, andthe madrigal notes of the birds came to mewith a peculiar intensity and clearness. Ilistened intently to the curious sound oftrilling, which drew nearer and nearer, untilit seemed to
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