What say you, Mr. Lamb? Are you for eking out your shadowy
list with such names as Alexander, Julius Caesar, Tamerlane, or Genghis
Khan?"
"Excuse me," said Lamb; "on the subject of characters in active life,
plotters and disturbers of the world, I have a crotchet of my own, which
I beg leave to reserve."
"No, no! come out with your worthies!"
"What do you think of Guy Fawkes and Judas Iscariot?"
Hunt turned an eye upon him like a wild Indian, but cordial and full of
smothered glee. "Your most exquisite reason!" was echoed on all sides;
and all thought that Lamb had now fairly entangled himself.
"Why, I cannot but think," retorted he of the wistful countenance, "that
Guy Fawkes, that poor, fluttering, annual scarecrow of straw and rags,
is an ill-used gentleman. I would give something to see him sitting pale
and emaciated, surrounded by his matches and his barrels of gunpowder,
and expecting the moment that was to transport him to Paradise for his
heroic self-devotion; but if I say any more, there is that fellow Godwin
will make something of it. And as to Judas Iscariot, my reason is
different. I would fain see the face of him who, having dipped his hand
in the same dish with the Son of Man, could afterwards betray Him. I
have no conception of such a thing; nor have I ever seen any picture
(not even Leonardo's very fine one) that gave me the least idea of it.
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