That is a hen, and suggests Henry by furnishing the first syllable.
When you have repeated the hen and the inscription until you are
perfectly sure of them, draw merely the hen’s head the rest of the
thirty-five times, saying over the inscription each time. Thus: (Fig.
6).
You begin to understand now how this procession is going to look when
it is on the wall. First there will be the Conqueror’s twenty-one
whales and water-spouts, the twenty-one white squares joined to one
another and making a white stripe three and one-half feet long; the
thirteen blue squares of William II. will be joined to that—a blue
stripe two feet, two inches long, followed by Henry’s red stripe five
feet, ten inches long, and so on. The colored divisions will smartly
show to the eye the difference in the length of the reigns and impress
the proportions on the memory and the understanding. (Fig. 7.)
Stephen of Blois comes next. He requires nineteen two-inch squares of
_yellow_ paper. (Fig. 8.)
That is a steer. The sound suggests the beginning of Stephen’s name. I
choose it for that reason. I can make a better steer than that when I
am not excited. But this one will do. It is a good-enough steer for
history. The tail is defective, but it only wants straightening out.
Next comes Henry II. Give him thirty-five squares of _red _paper. These
hens must face west, like the former ones. (Fig. 9.)
This hen differs from the other one. He is on his way to inquire what
has been happening in Canterbury.
Now we arrive at Richard I., called Richard of the Lion-heart because
he was a brave fighter and was never so contented as when he was
leading crusades in Palestine and neglecting his affairs at home. Give
him ten squares of _white _paper. (Fig. 10).
That is a lion. His office is to remind you of the lion-hearted
Richard. There is something the matter with his legs, but I do not
quite know what it is, they do not seem right. I think the hind ones
are the most unsatisfactory; the front ones are well enough, though it
would be better if they were rights and lefts.
Next comes King John, and he was a poor circumstance. He was called
Lackland. He gave his realm to the Pope. Let him have seventeen squares
of _yellow _paper. (Fig. 11.)
That creature is a jamboree. It looks like a trademark, but that is
only an accident and not intentional. It is prehistoric and extinct. It
used to roam the earth in the Old Silurian times, and lay eggs and
catch fish and climb trees and live on fossils; for it was of a mixed
breed, which was the fashion then. It was very fierce, and the Old
Silurians were afraid of it, but this is a tame one. Physically it has
no representative now, but its mind has been transmitted. First I drew
it sitting down, but have turned it the other way now because I think
it looks more attractive and spirited when one end of it is galloping.
I love to think that in this attitude it gives us a pleasant idea of
John coming all in a happy excitement to see what the barons have been
arranging for him at Runnymede, while the other one gives us an idea of
him sitting down to wring his hands and grieve over it.
We now come to Henry III.; _red _squares again, of course—fifty-six of
them. We must make all the Henrys the same color; it will make their
long reigns show up handsomely on the wall. Among all the eight Henrys
there were but two short ones. A lucky name, as far as longevity goes.
The reigns of six of the Henrys cover 227 years. It might have been
well to name all the royal princes Henry, but this was overlooked until
it was too late. (Fig. 12.)
This is the best one yet. He is on his way (1265) to have a look at the
first House of Commons in English history. It was a monumental event,
the situation of the House, and was the second great liberty landmark
which the century had set up. I have made Henry looking glad, but this
was not intentional.
Edward I. comes next; _light-brown_ paper, thirty-five squares. (Fig.
13.)
That is an editor. He is trying to think of a word. He props his feet
on the chair, which is the editor’s way; then he can think better. I do
not care much for this one; his ears are not alike; still, editor
suggests the sound of Edward, and he will do. I could make him better
if I had a model, but I made this one from memory. But it is no
particular matter; they all look alike, anyway. They are conceited and
troublesome, and don’t pay enough. Edward was the first really English
king that had yet occupied the throne. The editor in the picture
probably looks just as Edward looked when it was first borne in upon
him that this was so. His whole attitude expressed gratification and
pride mixed with stupefaction and astonishment.