Edward Verrall Lucas

A Little of Everything Edward Verrall Lucas

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1912. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... the course provencale1 (A Letter) A course provencale is merely a muffled version of a bull fight, a bull fight with the tame buttons on, an Easter Monday review instead of a battle; but if, as a man in this hotel who has seen scores of bull fights in Spain assures me, there is only one moment in the real thing--the entrance of the bull--one can taste that as well at a Course Proven-Sale as at Madrid. I had that moment five times repeated. There are, however, bulls and bulls, and I can never believe that the minute and ingratiating cattle of the Provencal arena are worthy representa-tives of the noble beasts that too seldom destroy the toreadors of Spain. Nevertheless, though the bulls of Provence hardly exceed the stature of a Kerry cow, or the nurse in Peter Pan, we had our thrills now and then; for, as it happens, a very small bull can make a very large bull-fighter run quite as fast as if a herd of buffalo snorted at his heels. According to the bills ours was to be a Grande 1 From Listener's Lure, copyright, 1906, by The Macmillan Company. Course Provenfale avec le Concours de Pouly fils, Pouly pere, et leur quadrille, qui travaitieront cinq superbes taureaux. The company was to consist of the Poulys--Pouly fils, chef, and Pouly pere, sous-chef,--and of L'Aiglon, sauteur a la perche, Clarion, banderillo, Saumer, saut perilleux, and Gras, sauteur attaqueur. The performance, the bills also stated, was to begin at three o'clock precisely, and at half-past one Pouly fils, Pouly pere, and their quadrille, accompanied by a band, were to make a triumphant progress through the town. I had forgotten this part of the programme, and was therefore the more surprised, on turning a corner after lunch, to come upon two cabs full of bull-fighters, and a waggonette packed to...