The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen
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CHAPTER XII
_The frolic; its consequences--Windsor Castle--St. Paul's--College ofPhysicians--Undertakers, sextons, &c., almost ruined--Industry of theapothecaries._
THE FROLIC.
This famous sling makes the possessor equal to any task he is desirousof performing.
I made a balloon of such extensive dimensions, that an account of thesilk it contained would exceed all credibility; every mercer's shop andweaver's stock in London, Westminster, and Spitalfields contributed toit: with this balloon and my sling I played many tricks, such as takingone house from its station, and placing another in its stead, withoutdisturbing the inhabitants, who were generally asleep, or too muchemployed to observe the peregrinations of their habitations. When thesentinel at Windsor Castle heard St. Paul's clock strike thirteen, itwas through my dexterity; I brought the buildings nearly together thatnight, by placing the castle in St. George's Fields, and carried itback again before daylight, without waking any of the inhabitants;notwithstanding these exploits, I should have kept my balloon, and itsproperties a secret, if Montgolfier had not made the art of flying sopublic.
On the 30th of September, when the College of Physicians chose theirannual officers, and dined sumptuously together, I filled my balloon,brought it over the dome of their building, clapped the sling round thegolden ball at the top, fastening the other end of it to the balloon,and immediately ascended with the whole college to an immense height,where I kept them upwards of three months. You will naturally inquirewhat they did for food such a length of time? To this I answer, HadI kept them suspended twice the time, they would have experienced noinconvenience on that account, so amply, or rather extravagantly, hadthey spread their table for that day's feasting.
Though this was meant as an innocent frolic, it was productive ofmuch mischief to several respectable characters amongst the clergy,undertakers, sextons, and grave-diggers: they were, it must beacknowledged, sufferers; for it is a well-known fact, that duringthe three months the college was suspended in the air, and thereforeincapable of attending their patients, no deaths happened, except a fewwho fell before the scythe of Father Time, and some melancholy objectswho, perhaps to avoid some trifling inconvenience here, laid the handsof violence upon themselves, and plunged into misery infinitely greaterthan that which they hoped by such a rash step to avoid, without amoment's consideration.
If the apothecaries had not been very active during the above time, halfthe undertakers in all probability would have been bankrupts.