Commoner Buried in a Royal Tomb This is one of the most historical churches in the world , St.Pauls Cathedral in London. Kings and queens of England have been crowned here for almost a thousand years. Some have been buried here along with many other famous figures of Britain’s past. Among the celebrated dead, an obscure man named Thomas Parr was laid to rest in this place of special honor on November 15, 1635, for an odd reason indeed. One day, an officer, followed by several soldiers and a number of horses and carriages went to Parr’s small village, on a special errand---to invite Parr to King Charles Ⅰ’s court as his advisor.Their unusual visit disturbed the peaceful life in the dormant village. The villagers were surprised to see so many soldiers in gorgeous uniforms. They gathered around Parr’s humble house to watch what was going on there. Some guessed that Parr would have to pay with his life for his frequent facetious remarks about the Court. The officer, standing in his carriage, read King Charles Ⅰ’s invitation letter to Parr and expressed his personal compliments, which immediately aroused astonishment among the villagers. Several villagers expressed their congratulations to Parr, but Parr remained calm and composed. He told his fellows not to be overjoyed at this news. He warned that “good fortune lieth within bad, and bad fortune lurketh with good,” as an old adage said. He also predicted that he would not live long enough to see them again. Without a smile on his wrinkled face, he stepped into the carriage and drove straight away, without looking back. Parr was brought to London from his tiny village home and presented to King Charles Ⅰ because of his extraordinary reputation. He was said to be the oldest man in the land, having achieved the truly incredible age of one hundred and fifty-two years. Witty, wise and charming, Parr became an instant favorite at the court. He was treated with incessant banquets, and then he died in less than two months. The cause of his death was the city’s impure air and the radical change in his formerly simple diet. Unceasingly wined and dined by his newfound admirers, Parr was subjected to an overabundance of good food, rich sauces and fine wines. A banquet was given by King Charles Ⅰ himself, for Parr’s humor. Witty remarks and humorous stories charmed the king and his ministers. They liked Parr so much that they incessantly plied Parr with wine. Three times, Parr excused himself from the banquet and went to a restroom to relieve himself because he suffered from diarrhea. He died outright after defecating in a huge golden goblet of brandy given to him by King Charles Ⅰ as a reward for his ready wit. The king stood petrified when he saw Parr lying dead on the carpet, with the goblet in his hand. The host was terribly embarrassed: After all, he had literally killed his guest with kindness and courtesy . When he had his wits about him, Charles Ⅰ announced that the country gentleman deserved the honor of being buried in the royal mausoleum, in the company of kings and queens, poets and statesmen.
我一个字母一个字母这样敲出来的,还是耐心看一下子吧!
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