whereherecountshavingcapturedonehundredSarmatianvirgins，andunmaidenedtenoftheminonenight，togetherwiththehappeningssubsequentthereto。

ConcerningMessalina，thereappearstobenoquestionbutthatshewasanymphomaniac，andthat，whileEmpressofRome，sheparticipatedinsomefearfuldebaucheries。Thequestioniswhattobelieve，formuchthatwehaveheardaboutherisalmostcertainlyapocryphal。

TheauthorfromwhomMontaignetookhisfactsistheelderPliny，who，inhisNaturalHistory，BookX，Chapter83，says，\"Otheranimalsbecomesatedwithveneralpleasures；manhardlyknowsanysatiety。Messalina，thewifeofClaudiusCaesar，thinkingthisapalmquiteworthyofanempress，selectedforthepurposeofdecidingthequestion，oneofthemostnotoriouswomenwhofollowedtheprofessionofahiredprostitute；

andtheempressoutdidher，aftercontinuousintercourse，nightandday，atthetwenty—fifthembrace。\"

ButPliny，notwithstandinghisgreatattainments，wasoftenaretailerofstalegossip，andinlikecasewasAureliusVictor，anotherwriterwhoheapedmuchodiumonhername。Again，thereisagreathiatusintheAnnalsofTacitus，atruehistorian，attheperiodcoveringtheearlierdaysoftheEmpress；whileSuetonius，bitterashemaybe，islittlemorethanananecdotist。Juvenal，anotherofherdetractors，isaprejudicedwitness，forhestartedouttosatirizefemalevice，andnaturallyaimedathighplaces。DioalsotellsofMessalina’smisdeeds，buthisworkisunderthesamelimitationsasthatofSuetonius。Furthermore，nonebutPlinymentionstheexcessunderconsideration。

However，\"wherethereismuchsmoketheremustbealittlefire，\"andbaseduponthesuperimposedtestimonyofthewritersoftheperiod，thereappearslittledoubtbutthatMessalinawasanymphomaniac，thatsheprostitutedherselfinthepublicstews，naked，andwithgildednipples，andthatshedidactuallymarryherchiefadulterer，Silius，whileClaudiuswasabsentatOstia，andthattheweddingwasconsummatedinthepresenceofaconcourseofwitnesses。Thiswas\"thestrawthatbrokethecamel’sback。\"ClaudiushastenedbacktoRome，Siliuswasdispatched，andMessalina，lackingthewill—powertodestroyherself，waskilledwhenanofficerranaswordthroughherabdomen，justasitappearedthatClaudiuswasabouttorelent。

\"THENSPAKEYEDAMNEDWINDMILL，SIRWALTER\"

Raleighisthoroughlyincharacterhere；thisobservationisquiteinkeepingwiththegeneralveracityofhisaccountofhistravelsinGuiana，oneofthemostmendaciousaccountsofadventureevertold。

Naturally，thescholarlyresearchesofWestermarckhavefailedtodiscoverthispeople；perhapsLadyHelenmightbestbeprotectedamongtheJibarosofEcuador，wherethemenmarrywhenapproachingforty。

BenJonsoninhisConversationsobserved\"ThatSr。W。Raughlyeesteemedmoreoffamethanofconscience。\"

YEVIRGINQUEENE

GravehistorianshavedebatedforcenturiesthepretensionsofElizabethtothetitle，\"TheVirginQueen，\"anditisutterlyimpossibletodisposeoftheissueinanote。However，theweightofopinionappearstobeinthenegative。ManyandgreatwerethedifficultiesattendingthemarriageofaProtestantprincessinthosetroubloustimes，andElizabethfinallyannouncedthatshewouldbecomeweddedtotheEnglishnation，andsheworearingintokenthereofuntilherdeath。However，moreorlessopenliaisonswithEssexandLeicester，aswellasahostoflessercourtiers，herardenttemperament，andherimperioustemper，areindicationsthatcannotbedeniedindetermininganyestimateuponthepointinquestion。

BenJonsoninhisConversationswithWilliamDrummondofHawthorndensays，\"QueenElizabethneversawherselfaftershebecameoldinatrueglass；

theypaintedher，andsometymeswouldvermillionhernose。ShehadallwayesaboutChristmassevenssetdicethatthrewsixesorfive，andsheknewnottheywereother，tomakeherwinandesteameherselffortunate。Thatshehadamembranaonher，whichmadeheruncapableofman，thoughforherdelightshetriedmany。AtthecommingoverofMonsieur，therewasaFrenchChirurgionwhotookinhandtocutit，yettfearstayedher，andhisdeath。\"

ItwasasubjectwhichagainintriguedClemenswhenhewasabroadwithW。H。Fisher，whomMarkemployedto\"noseup\"everythingpertainingtoQueenElizabeth’smanlycharacter。

\"’BOCCACCIOHATHASTORY\"

TheauthordoesnotpayanygreatcomplimenttoRaleigh’smemoryhere。

ThereisnosuchtaleinallBoccaccio。ThenearestrelatedincidentformsthesubjectmatterofDineo’snovel（thefourth）oftheFirstdayoftheDecameron。

OLDSR。NICHOLASTHROGMORTON

TheincidentreferredtoappearstobeSirNicholasThrogmorton’strialforcomplicityintheattempttomakeLadyJaneGreyQueenofEngland，achargeofwhichhewasacquitted。ThissoangeredQueenMarythatsheimprisonedhimintheTower，andfinedthejurorsfromonetotwothousandpoundseach。Heractionterrifiedsucceedingjuries，sothatSirNicholas’sbrotherwascondemnedonnostrongerevidencethanthatwhichhadfailedtoprevailbefore。WhileSirNicholas’sdefensemayhavebeenbrilliant，itmustbeadmittedthattheevidencewasweak。

HewaslaterreleasedfromtheTower，andunderElizabethwasoneofagroupofcommissionerssentbythatprincessintoScotland，tofomenttroublewithMary，QueenofScots。Whentheattemptbecameknown，Elizabethrepudiatedtheactsofheragents，butSirNicholas，havinganticipatedthispossibility，hadsufficientforesighttosecureendorsementofhisplanbytheCouncil，andsooutwittedElizabeth，whowasplayingatwo—facedrole，andCecil，oneofthegreateststatesmenwhoeverheldthepostofprincipalminister。Perhapsitwasthisincidenttowhichthecompanyreferred，whichmightinpartexplainElizabeth’srejoinder。However，hehadbeenrestoredtoconfidenceerethis，andhadservedasambassadortoFrance。

\"TOSAVEHISDOTER’SMAIDENHEDDE\"

ElizabethThrockmorton（orThrogmorton），daughterofSirNicholas，wasoneofElizabeth’smaidsofhonor。WhenitwaslearnedthatshehadbeendebauchedbyRaleigh，SirWalterwasrecalledfromhiscommandatseabytheQueen，andcompelledtomarrythegirl。Thiswasnot\"inthatoldedaie，\"asthetexthasit，forithappenedonlyeightyearsbeforethedateofthispurported\"conversation，\"whenElizabethwassixtyyearsold。

PARTIALBIBLIOGRAPHY

Thevariousprintingsof1601revealhowMarkTwain’s’FiresideConversation’hasbecomeapartoftheAmericanprinter’slore。Butmoreimportant，itsmanyprintingsindicatethatithasbecomeapopularbitofAmericanfolklore，particularlyformenandwomenwhohaveafeelingforMarkTwain。Apparentlyitappealstothetypographer，whodevotestoithisworthyart，aswellastothejobprinter，whomaypullacrudelyprintedproof。Thegayprocessionofcuriousprintingsof1601isuniqueinthehistoryofAmericanprinting。

Indeed，thestoryofthevariousprintingsof1601isalmostlegendary。

Inthedaysofthe\"jour。\"printer，soIamtold，well—thumbedcopieswerecarriedfromprintshoptoprintshop。Formorethanaquartercenturynowithasbeenoneofthechiefsourcesofenjoymentforprinters’devils；andmanyayoungrascalhaslearnedaboutlifefromthisFiresideConversation。Ithasbeenprintedalloverthecountry，andifreportistobebelieved，inforeigncountriesaswell。Becauseofthemanysurreptitiousandanonymousprintingsitisexceedinglydifficult，ifnotimpossible，tocompileacompletebibliography。Manyprintingslackthenameofthepublisher，theprinter，theplaceordateofprinting。Inmanyinstancessomeofthedata，throughthepatientquestioningoffellowcollectors，hasbeenobtainedandsupplied。

1。[Date，1601。]Conversation，asitwasbytheSocialFireside，intheTimeoftheTudors。

DESCRIPTION：Pamphlet，pp。[1]—8，withoutwrappersorcover，measuring7x8inches。ThetitleisSetincaps。andsmallcaps。

Theexcessivelyrarefirstprinting，printedinCleveland，1880，attheinstanceofAlexanderGunn，friendofJohnHay。Onlyfourcopiesarebelievedtohavebeenprinted，ofwhich，itissaidnow，theonlyknowncopyislocatedintheWillardS。Morsecollection。

2。Date1601。Conversation，asitwasbytheSocialFireside，inthetimeoftheTudors。

（Mem。——ThefollowingissupposedtobeanextractfromthediaryofthePepysofthatday，thesamebeingcup—bearertoQueenElizabeth。Itissupposedthatheisofancientandnoblelineage；thathedespisestheseliterarycanaille；thathissoulconsumeswithwrathtoseetheQueenstoopingtotalkwithsuch；andthattheoldmanfeelshisnobilitydefiledbycontactwithShakespeare，etc。，andyethehasgottostaytheretillHerMajestychoosestodismisshim。）

DESCRIPTION：Titleasabove，versoblank；pp。[i]—xi，text；versop。xiblank。About8x10inches，printedonhandmadelinenpapersoakedinweakcoffee，wrappers。Thetitleissetincapsandsmallcaps。

COLOPHON：atthefootofp。xi：DoneAttYeAcademiePreffe；MDCCCLXXX

II。

TheprivatelyprintedWestPointedition，thefirstprintingofthetextauthorizedbyMarkTwain，ofwhichbutfiftycopieswereprinted。ThestoryofthisprintingisfullytoldintheIntroduction。

3。ConversationAsItWasByTheSocialFire—sideInTheTimeOfTheTudorsfromYeDiaryofYeCupbearertoherMaistyQueenElizabeth。

[design]ImprintedbyYePuritanPressAtYeSignofYeJollyVirgin1601。

DESCRIPTION：2blankleaves；p。[i]blank，p。[ii]fronds。，p。[iii]

title[asabove]，p。[iv]\"Mem。\"，pp。1—[25]text，Iblankleaf。43/4

by61/4inches，printedinamodernversionoftheCaxtonblacklettertype，onM。B。M。Frenchhandmadepaper。Thefrontispiece，awoodcutbyA。E。Curtis，isaportraitofthecup—bearer。Boundinbuff—greyboards，buckramback。Covertitlereads，inpaleredink，Caxtontype，ConversationAsItWasByTheSocialFire—sideInTheTimeOfTheTudors。

[TheBywayPress，Cincinnati，Ohio，1901，120copies。]

Probablythefirstpublishededition。

Later，in1916，afacsimileeditionofthisprintingwaspublishedinChicagofromplates。