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Royal Tunbridge Wells
to the Goddess Minerva; in whose temple he kept fires that never went out nor consumed to ashes, but as soon as they began to decay were turned into baths of stone. . . . This Prince was a very ingenious man, and taught necromancy in his Kingdom, nor left off pursuing his magical operations till he attempted to fly to the upper regions of the air with wings he had prepared, and fell down upon the Temple of Apollo in the city of Trenovantum, where he was dashed to pieces." Spenser next related the story of this Father of Aviation, and Shakespeare touched on it. Thomas Coryate, in his Crudities, tells yet another tale :—
" Lud Hudibrass, a meazle voule, did send his zun a
graezing, Who vortuend hither for to cum, and geed his pigs zum
peazen, Poor Bladud, he was manger groun; his dad, which zum
call vather, Zet Bladud pig, and pig Bladud, and zo they ved
together. Then Bladud did the Pigs invect, who, grunting, ran
away, And vound whot Waters presently, which made him
fresh and gay. Bladud was not so grote a Vool, but seeing what Pig
did doe, He Beath'd and Wash'd, and Rins'd, and Beath'd,
from Noddle down to Toe.
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