U-v 1 > The Napoleon of Notting Hill BY THE SAME AUTHOR HERETICS ORTHODOXY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THE BALL AND THE CROSS IN THE DARK ENTRANCE THERE APPEARED A FLAMING FIGURE THE NAPOLEON NOTTING HILL By GILBERT K. CHESTERTON Author of " Herbtics," " Orthodoxy," " George Bernard Shai "All Things CoNsiiBKiiD," "The Ball and the Cross." With Seven Illustrations by WILLIAM GRAHAM ROBERTSON and a Map of the Seat of War NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMIX GENERAL fj Copyright 1904 By John Lane %/ r? First Edition April 1904 Set up and Electrotyped by William G. Hewitt, New York, U. S. A. TO HILAIRE BELLOC For every tiny town or place God made the stars especially ; Babies look up with owlish face And see them tangled in a tree : You saw a moon from Sussex Downs, A Sussex moon, untravelled still, I saw a moon that was the town's, The largest lamp on Campden Hill. Tea ; Heaven is everywhere at home) The big blue cap that always fits, And so it is {be calm ; they come To goal at last, my wandering wits), So is it with the heroic thing ; This shall not end for the world's end And though the sullen engines swing, Be you not much afraid, my friend. This did not end by Nelson' s urn Where an immortal England sits — Nor where your tall young men in turn Drank death like wine at Austerlitz. And when the pedants bade us mark What cold mechanic happenings Must come ; our souls said in the dark, " Belike ; but there are likelier things. ft 7 190762 Dedication Liktlier across these flats afar These sulks levels smooth and free The drums shall crash a waltz of war And Death shall dance with Liberty g Likelier the barricades shall blare Slaughter below and smoke above, And death and hate and hell declare That men have found a thing to love. Far from your sunny uplands set I saw the dream ; the streets I trod The lit straight streets shot out and met The starry streets that point to God. This legend of an epic hour A child I dreamed, and dream it stilly Under the great grey water-tower That strikes the stars on Camp den Hill. G. K. CONTENTS Book I Chapter Page I. Introductory Remarks on the Art of Prophecy 13 II. The Man in Green 21 III. The Hill of Humour 4.9 Book II I. The Charter of the Cities 65 II. The Council of the Provosts .... 82 III. Enter a Lunatic 102 Book III I. The Mental Condition of Adam Wayne . 125 II. The Remarkable Mr. Turnbull . . . 147 III. The Experiment of Mr. Buck . . . . 163 9 Contents Book IV Chapter Page I. The Battle of the Lamps 189 II. The Correspondent of *