-Here comes I, bold Collingwood,
Who fought the French and boldly stood;
And now the life of that bold Briton's gone,
I'll put the crown of victory on"--

with which--"he takes the crown off Nelson's head and puts it on his
own."

I have, however, confined myself in "The Peace Egg" to those
characters which have the warrant of considerable antiquity, and their
number is not small. They can easily be reduced by cutting out one or
two; or some of the minor characters could play more than one part, by
making real exits and changing the dress, instead of the conventional
exit into the background of the group.

Some of these minor characters are not the least charming. The fair
Sabra (who is often a mute) should be the youngest and prettiest
little maid that can toddle through her part, and no old family
brocade can be too gorgeous for her. The Pretty Page is another part
for a "very little one," and his velvets and laces should become him.
They contrast delightfully with Dame Dolly and Little Man Jack, and
might, if needful, be played by the same performers.

I have cut out everything that could possibly offend, except the
line--"Take him and give him to the flies." It betrays an experience
of Asiatic battlefields so terribly real, that I was unwilling to
abolish this unconscious witness to the influence of Pilgrims and
Crusaders on the Peace Egg. It is easily omitted.

I have dismissed the Lord of Flies, Beelzebub, and (with some
reluctance) "Little Devil Doubt" and his besom. I had a mind to have
retained him as "The Demon of Doubt," for he plays in far higher
dramas. His besom also seems to come from the East, where a figure
"sweeping everything out" with a broom is the first vision produced in
the crystal or liquid in the palm of a medium by the magicians of
Egypt.

Those who wish to do so can admit him at the very end, after the sword
dance, very black, and with a besom, a money-box, and the following
doggrel:

In come I, the Demon of Doubt,
If you don't give me money I'll sweep you all out;
Money I want and money I crave,
Money I want and money I'll have.

He is not a taking character--unless to the antiquary! I have
substituted the last line for the less decorous original, "If you
don't give me money, I'll sweep you all to the grave."

It is perhaps only the antiquary who will detect the connection
between the Milk Pail and the