Mark Twain
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
language
( Sept. 20, 2013)
The ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are
historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also
historical. It is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in
England in the sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch
as they existed in the English and other civilizations of far later
times, it is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to
suppose them to have been in practice in that day also. One is quite
justified in inferring that whatever one of these laws or customs was
lacking in that remote time, its place was competently filled by a
worse one.
The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right of
kings is not settled in this book. It was found too difficult. That the
executive head of a nation should be a person of lofty character and
extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable; that none but
the Deity could select that head unerringly, was also manifest and
indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that selection, then, was
likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He does make
it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction. I mean, until the
author of this book encountered the Pompadour, and Lady
Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind; these
were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it was judged
better to take the other tack in this book (which must be issued this
fall), and then go into training and settle the question in another
book. It is, of course, a thing which ought to be settled, and I am not
going to have anything particular to do next winter anyway.
MARK TWAIN
historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also
historical. It is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in
England in the sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch
as they existed in the English and other civilizations of far later
times, it is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to
suppose them to have been in practice in that day also. One is quite
justified in inferring that whatever one of these laws or customs was
lacking in that remote time, its place was competently filled by a
worse one.
The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right of
kings is not settled in this book. It was found too difficult. That the
executive head of a nation should be a person of lofty character and
extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable; that none but
the Deity could select that head unerringly, was also manifest and
indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that selection, then, was
likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He does make
it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction. I mean, until the
author of this book encountered the Pompadour, and Lady
Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind; these
were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it was judged
better to take the other tack in this book (which must be issued this
fall), and then go into training and settle the question in another
book. It is, of course, a thing which ought to be settled, and I am not
going to have anything particular to do next winter anyway.
MARK TWAIN
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