Barb has this exactly right. Drury, which I think is the best book on Norton, makes his arguement in the Prologue, but the rest of his very entertaining and informative book would seem to undercut this thesis. Norton was a harmless delusional "character" and was nearly universally loved for it. The King was a crook and the town's reaction to him was something a few degrees higher than warm regard. One parallel that can be made is that Twain had deep sympathies for both Norton I and the King. Also, some of the illustrations of the King by E W Kemble (see esp. p. 174 in HF) rather resemble some portraits of Norton I, and one of Kemble's drawings of the King (the one that appears at p. 174 of the first ed.) was used on the poster issued to advertise HF in San Francisco where Norton I would have been instantly recognized by his loyal and bemused "subjects." That drawing was not used on the poster issued for the east coast. Still, it seems a tenuous "fit" --although intriguing. CLEMENS OF THE CALL and EARLY TALES AND SKETCHES have Twain's contemporary writings about Norton I, and would be a place to start building the case. Did your friend tell you about the money issued by Norton I? One of his banknotes had a woodcut portrait of Norton himself in one corner, and in the other corner the portrait of a well-known San Francisco hooker. We now live in a day when we tolerate Presidents on our money. Kevin Mac Donnell Austin TX