The Life and Letters of John Locke Author:John Locke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: "Dec. 11.—I had formerly seen the size and arms of the Duke's guards, but to-day I had a sample of their stomachs (I mean to eat, not to fight) ; for if they be ... more »able to do as much that way too, no question but under their guard the Duke is as much in safety as I believe his victuals are in danger. " But to make you the better understand my story, and the decorum which made me take notice of it, I must first describe the place to you. The place where the Elector commonly eats is a large room, into which you enter at the lower end by an ascent of some few steps ; just without this is a lobby: as this evening I was passing through it into the court, I saw a company of soldiers very close together, and a steam rising from the midst of them. I, as strangers use to be, being a little curious, drew near to these men of mettle, where I found three or four earthen fortifications, wherein were intrenched peas-porridge, and stewed turnips or apples, most valiantly stormed by those men of war: they stood just opposite to the Duke's table, and within view of it; and had the Duke been there at supper, as it was very near his supper time, I should have thought they had been set there to provoke his appetite by example, and serve as the cocks have done in some countries before battle, to fight the soldiers into courage, and certainly these soldiers might eat others into stomachs. Here you might have seen the court and camp drawn near together, there a supper preparing with great ceremony, and just by it a hearty meal made without stool, trencher, table-cloth, or napkins, and for aught I could see, without beer, bread, or salt; but I stayed not long, for methought 't was a dangerous place, and so I left them in the engagement. " I doubt by that time jou come to the end of this course of ente...« less