d have sworn it, from the sound of your voice," said Hudson.
"It is strange, now, that you overgrown men never possess the extreme
firmness of nerves proper to us who are cast in a more compact mould.
My own voice retains its masculine sounds on all occasions. Dr. Cockerel
was of opinion, that there was the same allowance of nerve and sinew
to men of every size, and that nature spun the stock out thinner or
stronger, according to the extent of surface which they were to cover.
Hence, the least creatures are oftentimes the strongest. Place a beetle
under a tall candlestick, and the insect will move it by its efforts
to get out; which is, in point of comparative strength, as if one of us
should shake his Majesty's prison of Newgate by similar struggles. Cats
also, and weasels, are creatures of greater exertion or endurance than
dogs or sheep. And in general, you may remark, that little men dance
better, and are more unwearied under exertion of every kind, than those
to whom their own weight must necessarily be burdensome. I respect you,
Master Peveril, because I am told you have killed one of those gigantic
fellows, who go about swaggering as if their souls were taller than
ours, because their noses are nearer to the clouds by a cubit or two.
But do not value yourself on this as anything very unusual. I would have
you to know it hath been always thus; and that, in the history of all
ages, the clean, tight, dapper little fellow, hath proved an overmatch
for his bulky antagonist. I need only instance out of Holy Writ, the
celebrated downfall of Goliah, and of another lubbard, who had more
fingers to his hand, and more inches to his stature, than ought to
belong to an honest man, and who was slain by a nephew of good King
David; and of many others whom I do not remember; nevertheless they were
all Philistines of gigantic stature. In the classics, also, you have
Tydeus, and other tight, compact heroes, whose diminutive bodies were
the abode of large minds. And indeed you may observe, in sacred as well
as profane history, that your giants are ever heretics and blasphemers,
robbers and oppressors, outragers of the female sex, and scoffers
at regular authority. Such were Gog and Magog, whom our authentic
chronicles vouch to have been slain near to Plymouth, by the good little
Knight Corineus, who gave name to Cornwall. Ascaparte also was subdued
by Bevis, and Colbrand by Guy, as Southampton and Warwick can testify.
Like unto these