,,mardi3 ,,and ,a ,,voyage ,,thither ,by ,herman ,melville ,in ,two ,volumes ,vol4 ,,ii4 #ahfd ,,contents ,,mardi ,,chapter ,i4 -- ,maramma ,,chapter ,,ii4 -- ,they land ,,chapter ,,iii4 -- ,they pass through the ,woods ,,chapter ,,iv4 -- ,hivohitee ,,mdcccxlviii ,,chapter ,v4 -- ,they visit the great ,morai ,,chapter ,,vi4 -- ,they discourse of the ,gods of ,mardi1 and ,braid-,beard tells of one ,foni ,,chapter ,,vii4 -- ,they visit the ,lake of ,yammo ,,chapter ,,viii4 -- ,they ,meet ,the ,pilgrims ,at ,the ,temple ,of ,oro ,,chapter ,,ix4 -- ,they discourse of ,alma ,,chapter ,x4 -- ,mohi tells of one ,ravoo1 and they land to visit ,hevaneva1 a flourishing ,artisan ,,chapter ,,xi4 -- ,a ,nursery-tale of ,babbalanja's ,,chapter ,,xii4 -- ,landing to visit ,hivohitee the ,pontiff1 they encounter an extraordinary old ,hermit2 with whom ,yoomy has a confidential ,interview1 but learns little ,,chapter ,,xiii4 -- ,babbalanja endeavors to explain the ,mystery ,,chapter ,,xiv4 -- ,taji receives ,tidings and ,omens ,,chapter ,,xv4 -- ,dreams ,,chapter ,,xvi4 -- ,media and ,babbalanja discourse ,,chapter ,,xvii4 -- ,they regale themselves with their ,pipes ,,chapter ,,xviii4 -- ,they visit an extraordinary old ,antiquary ,,chapter ,,xix4 -- ,they go down into the ,catacombs ,,chapter ,,xx4 -- ,babbalanja quotes from an antique ,pagan2 and earnestly presses it upon the ,company1 that what he recites is not his but another's ,,chapter ,,xxi4 -- ,they visit a wealthy old ,pauper ,,chapter ,,xxii4 -- ,yoomy sings some odd ,verses1 and ,babbalanja quotes from the old ,authors right and left ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 -- ,what manner of ,men the ,tapparians were ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 -- ,their adventures upon landing at ,pimminee ,,chapter ,,xxv4 -- ,a1 ,i1 and ,o ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 -- ,a ,reception-day at ,pimminee ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 -- ,babbalanja falleth upon ,pimminee ,tooth and ,nail ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 -- ,babbalanja regales the ,company with some ,sandwiches ,,chapter ,,xxix4 -- ,they still remain upon the ,rock ,,chapter ,,xxx4 -- ,behind and ,before ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 -- ,babbalanja discourses in the ,dark ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 -- ,my ,lord ,media summons ,mohi to the ,stand ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 -- ,wherein ,babbalanja and ,yoomy embrace ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 -- ,of the ,isle of ,diranda ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 -- ,they visit the ,lords ,piko and ,hello ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 -- ,they attend the ,games ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 -- ,taji still hunted1 and beckoned ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 -- ,they embark from ,diranda ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 -- ,wherein ,babbalanja discourses of himself ,,chapter ,,xl4 -- ,of the ,sorcerers in the ,isle of ,minda ,,chapter ,,xli4 -- ,chiefly of ,sing ,bello ,,chapter ,,xlii4 -- ,dominora and ,vivenza ,,chapter ,,xliii4 -- ,they land at ,dominora ,,chapter ,,xliv4 -- ,through ,dominora1 they wander after ,yillah ,,chapter ,,xlv4 -- ,they behold ,king ,bello's ,state ,canoe ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 -- ,wherein ,babbalanja bows thrice ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 -- ,babbalanja philosophizes1 and my ,lord ,media passes round the ,calabashes ,,chapter ,,xlviii4 -- ,they sail round an ,island without landing2 and talk round a ,subject without getting at it ,,chapter ,,xlix4 -- ,they draw nigh to ,porpheero2 where they behold a terrific ,eruption ,,chapter ,l4 -- ,wherein ,king ,media celebrates the ,glories of ,autumn1 the ,minstrel1 the ,promise of ,spring ,,chapter ,,li4 -- ,in which ,azzageddi seems to use ,babbalanja for a ,mouth-,piece ,,chapter ,,lii4 -- ,the charming ,yoomy sings ,,chapter ,,liii4 -- ,they draw nigh unto ,land ,,chapter ,,liv4 -- ,they visit the great central ,temple of ,vivenza ,,chapter ,,lv4 -- ,wherein ,babbalanja comments upon the ,speech of ,alanno ,,chapter ,,lvi4 -- ,a ,scene in the ,land of ,warwicks1 or ,king-,makers ,,chapter ,,lvii4 -- ,they hearken unto a ,voice from the ,gods ,,chapter ,,lviii4 -- ,they visit the extreme ,south of ,vivenza ,,chapter ,,lix4 -- ,they converse of the ,mollusca1 ,kings1 ,toad-,stools and other ,matters ,,chapter ,,lx4 -- ,wherein1 that gallant ,gentleman and ,demi-,god1 ,king ,media1 ,scepter in ,hand1 throws himself into the ,breach ,,chapter ,,lxi4 -- ,they round the stormy ,cape of ,capes ,,chapter ,,lxii4 -- ,they encounter ,gold-,hunters ,,chapter ,,lxiii4 -- ,they seek through the ,isles of ,palms2 and pass the ,isles of ,myrrh ,,chapter ,,lxiv4 -- ,concentric1 inward1 with ,mardi's ,reef1 they leave their ,wake around the ,world ,,chapter ,,lxv4 -- ,sailing on ,,chapter ,,lxvi4 -- ,a flight of ,nightingales from ,yoomy's ,mouth ,,chapter ,,lxvii4 -- ,they visit one ,doxodox ,,chapter ,,lxviii4 -- ,king ,media dreams ,,chapter ,,lxix4 -- ,after a long ,interval1 by ,night they are becalmed ,,chapter ,,lxx4 -- ,they land at ,hooloomooloo ,,chapter ,,lxxi4 -- ,a ,book from the 8,ponderings of old ,bardianna0 ,,chapter ,,lxxii4 -- ,babbalanja starts to his ,feet ,,chapter ,,lxxiii4 -- ,at last1 the last ,mention is made of old ,bardianna2 and ,his last ,will and ,testament is recited at ,length ,,chapter ,,lxxiv4 -- ,a ,death-cloud sweeps by them1 as they sail ,,chapter ,,lxxv4 -- ,they visit the palmy ,king ,abrazza ,,chapter ,,lxxvi4 -- ,some pleasant1 shady ,talk in the ,groves1 between my ,lords ,abrazza and ,media1 ,babbalanja1 ,mohi1 and ,yoomy ,,chapter ,,lxxvii4 -- ,they sup ,,chapter ,,lxxviii4 -- ,they embark ,,chapter ,,lxxix4 -- ,babbalanja at the ,full of the ,moon ,,chapter ,,lxxx4 -- ,morning ,,chapter ,,lxxxi4 -- ,l'ultima sera ,,chapter ,,lxxxii4 -- ,they sail from ,night to ,day ,,chapter ,,lxxxiii4 -- ,they land ,,chapter ,,lxxxiv4 -- ,babbalanja relates to them a ,vision ,,chapter ,,lxxxv4 -- ,they depart from ,serenia ,,chapter ,,lxxxvi4 -- ,they meet the ,phantoms ,,chapter ,,lxxxvii4 -- ,they draw nigh to ,flozella ,,chapter ,,lxxxviii4 -- ,they land ,,chapter ,,lxxxix4 -- ,they enter the ,bower of ,hautia ,,chapter ,,xc4 -- ,taji with ,hautia ,,chapter ,,xci4 -- ,mardi behind3 an ,ocean before ,,mardi ,,chapter ,i4 ,maramma ,we were now voyaging straight for ,maramma2 where lived and reigned1 in mystery1 the ,high ,pontiff of the adjoining isles3 prince1 priest1 and god1 in his own proper person3 great lord paramount over many kings in ,mardi2 his hands full of scepters and crosiers4 ,soon1 rounding a lofty and insulated shore1 the great central peak of the island came in sight2 domineering over the neighboring hills2 the same aspiring pinnacle1 descried in drawing near the archipelago in the ,chamois4 8,tall ,peak of ,ofo60 cried ,babbalanja1 8how comes it that thy shadow so broods over ,mardi2 flinging new shades upon spots already shaded by the hill-sides2 shade upon shade60 8,yet1 so it is10 said ,yoomy1 sadly1 8that where that shadow falls1 gay flowers refuse to spring2 and men long dwelling therein become shady of face and of soul4 #8,hast thou come from out the shadows of ,ofo8' inquires the stranger1 of one with a clouded brow40 8,it was by this same peak10 said ,mohi1 8that the nimble god ,roo1 a great sinner above1 came down from the skies1 a very long time ago4 ,three skips and a jump1 and he landed on the plain4 ,but alas1 poor ,roo6 though easy the descent1 there was no climbing back40 8,no wonder1 then10 said ,babbalanja1 8that the peak is inaccessible to man4 ,though1 with a strange infatuation1 many still make pilgrimages thereto2 and wearily climb and climb1 till slipping from the rocks1 they fall headlong backward1 and oftentimes perish at its base40 8,ay10 said ,mohi1 8in vain1 on all sides of the ,peak1 various paths are tried2 in vain new ones are cut through the cliffs and the brambles3-- ,ofo yet remains inaccessible40 8,nevertheless10 said ,babbalanja1 8by some it is believed1 that those1 who by dint of hard struggling climb so high as to become invisible from the plain2 that these have attained the summit2 though others much doubt1 whether their becoming invisible is not because of their having fallen1 and perished by the way40 8,and wherefore10 said ,media1 8do you mortals undertake the ascent at all8 why not be content on the plain8 and even if attainable1 what would you do upon that lofty1 clouded summit8 ,or how can you hope to breathe that rarefied air1 unfitted for your human lungs80 8,true1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja2 8and ,bardianna asserts that the plain alone was intended for man2 who should be content to dwell under the shade of its groves1 though the roots thereof descend into the darkness of the earth4 ,but1 my lord1 you well know1 that there are those in ,mardi1 who secretly regard all stories connected with this peak1 as inventions of the people of ,maramma4 ,they deny that any thing is to be gained by making a pilgrimage thereto4 ,and for warranty1 they appeal to the sayings of the great prophet ,alma40 ,cried ,mohi1 8,but ,alma is also quoted by others1 in vindication of the pilgrimages to ,ofo4 ,they declare that the prophet himself was the first pilgrim that thitherward journeyed3 that from thence he departed to the skies40 ,now1 excepting this same peak1 ,maramma is all rolling hill and dale1 like the sea after a storm2 which then seems not to roll1 but to stand still1 poising its mountains4 ,yet the landscape of ,maramma has not the merriness of meadows2 partly because of the shadow of ,ofo1 and partly because of the solemn groves in which the ,morais and temples are buried4 ,according to ,mohi1 not one solitary tree bearing fruit1 not one esculent root1 grows in all the isle2 the population wholly depending upon the large tribute remitted from the neighboring shores4 8,it is not that the soil is unproductive10 said ,mohi1 8that these things are so4 ,it is extremely fertile2 but the inhabitants say that it would be wrong to make a ,bread-fruit orchard of the holy island40 8,and hence1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8while others are charged with the business of their temporal welfare1 these ,islanders take no thought of the morrow2 and broad ,maramma lies one fertile waste in the lagoon40 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,they ,land ,coming close to the island1 the pennons and trappings of our canoes were removed2 and ,vee-,vee was commanded to descend from the shark's mouth2 and for a time to lay aside his conch4 ,in token of reverence1 our paddlers also stripped to the waist2 an example which even ,media followed2 though1 as a king1 the same homage he rendered1 was at times rendered himself4 ,at every place1 hitherto visited1 joyous crowds stood ready to hail our arrival2 but the shores of ,maramma were silent1 and forlorn4 ,said ,babbalanja1 8,it looks not as if the lost one were here40 ,at length we landed in a little cove nigh a valley1 which ,mohi called ,uma2 and here in silence we beached our canoes4 ,but presently1 there came to us an old man1 with a beard white as the mane of the pale horse4 ,he was clad in a midnight robe4 ,he fanned himself with a fan of faded leaves4 ,a child led him by the hand1 for he was blind1 wearing a green plantain leaf over his plaited brow4 ,him1 ,media accosted1 making mention who we were1 and on what errand we came3 to seek out ,yillah1 and behold the isle4 ,whereupon ,pani1 for such was his name1 gave us a courteous reception2 and lavishly promised to discover sweet ,yillah2 declaring that in ,maramma1 if any where1 the long-lost maiden must be found4 ,he assured us1 that throughout the whole land he would lead us2 leaving no place1 desirable to be searched1 unexplored4 ,and so saying1 he conducted us to his dwelling1 for refreshment and repose4 ,it was large and lofty4 ,near by1 however1 were many miserable hovels1 with squalid inmates4 ,but the old man's retreat was exceedingly comfortable2 especially abounding in mats for lounging2 his rafters were bowed down by calabashes of good cheer4 ,during the repast which ensued1 blind ,pani1 freely partaking1 enlarged upon the merit of abstinence2 declaring that a thatch overhead1 and a cocoanut tree1 comprised all that was necessary for the temporal welfare of a ,mardian4 ,more than this1 he assured us was sinful4 ,he now made known1 that he officiated as guide in this quarter of the country2 and that as he had renounced all other pursuits to devote himself to showing strangers the island2 and more particularly the best way to ascend lofty ,ofo2 he was necessitated to seek remuneration for his toil4 8,my lord10 then whispered ,mohi to ,media 8the great prophet ,alma always declared1 that1 without charge1 this island was free to all40 8,what recompense do you desire1 old man80 said ,media to ,pani4 8,what ,i seek is but little3--twenty rolls of fine tappa2 two score mats of best upland grass2 one canoe-load of bread-fruit and yams2 ten gourds of wine2 and forty strings of teeth2--you are a large company1 but my requisitions are small40 8,very small10 said ,mohi4 8,you are extortionate1 good ,pani10 said ,media4 8,and what wants an aged mortal like you with all these things80 8,i thought superfluities were worthless2 nay1 sinful10 said ,babbalanja4 8,is not this your habitation already more than abundantly supplied with all desirable furnishings80 asked ,yoomy4 8,i am but a lowly laborer10 said the old man1 meekly crossing his arms1 8but does not the lowliest laborer ask and receive his reward8 and shall ,i miss mine8--,but ,i beg charity of none4 ,what ,i ask1 ,i demand2 and in the dread name of great ,alma1 who appointed me a guide40 ,and to and fro he strode1 groping as he went4 ,marking his blindness1 whispered ,babbalanja to ,media1 8,my lord1 methinks this ,pani must be a poor guide4 ,in his journeys inland1 his little child leads him2 why not1 then1 take the guide's guide80 ,but ,pani would not part with the child4 ,then said ,mohi in a low voice1 8,my lord ,media1 though ,i am no appointed guide2 yet1 will ,i undertake to lead you aright over all this island2 for ,i am an old man1 and have been here oft by myself2 though ,i can not undertake to conduct you up the peak of ,ofo1 and to the more secret temples40 ,then ,pani said3 8and what mortal may this be1 who pretends to thread the labyrinthine wilds of ,maramma8 ,beware60 8,he is one with eyes that see10 made answer ,babbalanja4 8,follow him not10 said ,pani1 8for he will lead thee astray2 no ,yillah will he find2 and having no warrant as a guide1 the curses of ,alma will accompany him40 ,now1 this was not altogether without effect2 for ,pani and his fathers before him had always filled the office of guide4 ,nevertheless1 ,media at last decided1 that1 this time1 ,mohi should conduct us2 which being communicated to ,pani1 he desired us to remove from his roof4 ,so withdrawing to the skirt of a neighboring grove1 we lingered awhile1 to refresh ourselves for the journey in prospect4 ,as we here reclined1 there came up from the sea-side a party of pilgrims1 but newly arrived4 ,apprised of their coming1 ,pani and his child went out to meet them2 and standing in the path he cried1 8,i am the appointed guide2 in the name of ,alma ,i conduct all pilgrims to the temples40 8,this must be the worthy ,pani10 said one of the strangers1 turning upon the rest4 8,let us take him1 then1 for our guide10 cried they2 and all drew near4 ,but upon accosting him2 they were told1 that he guided none without recompense4 ,and now1 being informed1 that the foremost of the pilgrims was one ,divino1 a wealthy chief of a distant island1 ,pani demanded of him his requital4 ,but the other demurred2 and by many soft speeches at length abated the recompense to three promissory cocoanuts1 which he covenanted to send ,pani at some future day4 ,the next pilgrim accosted1 was a sad-eyed maiden1 in decent but scanty raiment2 who without seeking to diminish ,pani's demands promptly placed in his hands a small hoard of the money of ,mardi4 8,take it1 holy guide10 she said1 8it is all ,i have40 ,but the third pilgrim1 one ,fanna1 a hale matron1 in handsome apparel1 needed no asking to bestow her goods4 ,calling upon her attendants to advance with their burdens1 she quickly unrolled them2 and wound round and round ,pani1 fold after fold of the costliest tappas2 and filled both his hands with teeth2 and his mouth with some savory marmalade2 and poured oil upon his head2 and knelt and besought of him a blessing4 8,from the bottom of my heart ,i bless thee10 said ,pani2 and still holding her hands exclaimed1 8,take example from this woman1 oh ,divino2 and do ye likewise1 ye pilgrims all40 8,not to-day10 said ,divino4 8,we are not rich1 like unto ,fauna10 said the rest4 ,now1 the next pilgrim was a very old and miserable man2 stone-blind1 covered with rags2 and supporting his steps with a staff4 8,my recompense10 said ,pani4 8,alas6 ,i have naught to give4 ,behold my poverty40 8,i can not see10 replied ,pani2 but feeling of his garments1 he said1 8,thou wouldst deceive me2 hast thou not this robe1 and this staff80 8,oh6 ,merciful ,pani1 take not my all60 wailed the pilgrim4 ,but his worthless gaberdine was thrust into the dwelling of the guide4 ,meanwhile1 the matron was still enveloping ,pani in her interminable tappas4 ,but the sad-eyed maiden1 removing her upper mantle1 threw it over the naked form of the beggar4 ,the fifth pilgrim was a youth of an open1 ingenuous aspect2 and with an eye1 full of eyes2 his step was light4 8,who art thou80 cried ,pani1 as the stripling touched him in passing4 8,i go to ascend the ,peak10 said the boy4 8,then take me for guide40 8,no1 ,i am strong and lithesome4 ,alone must ,i go40 8,but how knowest thou the way80 8,there are many ways3 the right one ,i must seek for myself40 8,ah1 poor deluded one10 sighed ,pani2 8but thus is it ever with youth2 and rejecting the monitions of wisdom1 suffer they must4 ,go on1 and perish60 ,turning1 the boy exclaimed--8,though ,i act counter to thy counsels1 oh ,pani1 ,i but follow the divine instinct in me40 8,poor youth60 murmured ,babbalanja4 8,how earnestly he struggles in his bonds4 ,but though rejecting a guide1 still he clings to that legend of the ,peak40 ,the rest of the pilgrims now tarried with the guide1 preparing for their journey inland4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,they ,pass ,through ,the ,woods ,refreshed by our stay in the grove1 we rose1 and placed ourselves under the guidance of ,mohi2 who went on in advance4 ,winding our way among jungles1 we came to a deep hollow1 planted with one gigantic palm-shaft1 belted round by saplings1 springing from its roots4 ,but1 ,laocoon-like1 sire and sons stood locked in the serpent folds of gnarled1 distorted banians2 and the banian-bark1 eating into their vital wood1 corrupted their veins of sap1 till all those palm-nuts were poisoned chalices4 ,near by stood clean-limbed1 comely manchineels1 with lustrous leaves and golden fruit4 ,you would have deemed them ,trees of ,life2 but underneath their branches grew no blade of grass1 no herb1 nor moss2 the bare earth was scorched by heaven's own dews1 filtrated through that fatal foliage4 ,farther on1 there frowned a grove of blended banian boughs1 thick-ranked manchineels1 and many a upas2 their summits gilded by the sun2 but below1 deep shadows1 darkening night-shade ferns1 and mandrakes4 ,buried in their midst1 and dimly seen among large leaves1 all halberd-shaped1 were piles of stone1 supporting falling temples of bamboo4 ,thereon frogs leaped in dampness1 trailing round their slime4 ,thick hung the rafters with lines of pendant sloths2 the upas trees dropped darkness round2 so dense the shade1 nocturnal birds found there perpetual night2 and1 throve on poisoned air4 ,owls hooted from dead boughs2 or1 one by one1 sailed by on silent pinions2 cranes stalked abroad1 or brooded1 in the marshes2 adders hissed2 bats smote the darkness2 ravens croaked2 and vampires1 fixed on slumbering lizards1 fanned the sultry air4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,hivohitee ,,mdcccxlviii ,now1 those doleful woodlands passed1 straightway converse was renewed1 and much discourse took place1 concerning ,hivohitee1 ,pontiff of the isle4 ,for1 during our first friendly conversation with ,pani1 ,media had inquired for ,hivohitee1 and sought to know in what part of the island he abode4 ,whereto ,pani had replied1 that the ,pontiff would be invisible for several days to come2 being engaged with particular company4 ,and upon further inquiry1 as to who were the personages monopolizing his hospitalities1 ,media was dumb when informed1 that they were no other than certain incorporeal deities from above1 passing the ,capricorn ,solstice at ,maramma4 ,as on we journeyed1 much curiosity being expressed to know more of the ,pontiff and his guests1 old ,mohi1 familiar with these things1 was commanded to enlighten the company4 ,he complied2 and his recital was not a little significant1 of the occasional credulity of chroniclers4 ,according to his statement1 the deities entertained by ,hivohitee belonged to the third class of immortals4 ,these1 however1 were far elevated above the corporeal demi-gods of ,mardi4 ,indeed1 in ,hivohitee's eyes1 the greatest demi-gods were as gourds4 ,little wonder1 then1 that their superiors were accounted the most genteel characters on his visiting list4 ,these immortals were wonderfully fastidious and dainty as to the atmosphere they breathed2 inhaling no sublunary air1 but that of the elevated interior2 where the ,pontiff had a rural lodge1 for the special accommodation of impalpable guests2 who were entertained at very small cost2 dinners being unnecessary1 and dormitories superfluous4 ,but ,hivohitee permitted not the presence of these celestial grandees1 to interfere with his own solid comfort4 ,passing his mornings in highly intensified chat1 he thrice reclined at his ease2 partaking of a fine plantain-pudding1 and pouring out from a calabash of celestial old wine2 meanwhile1 carrying on the flow of soul with his guests4 ,and truly1 the sight of their entertainer thus enjoying himself in the flesh1 while they themselves starved on the ether1 must have been exceedingly provoking to these aristocratic and aerial strangers4 ,it was reported1 furthermore1 that ,hivohitee1 one of the haughtiest of ,pontiffs1 purposely treated his angelical guests thus cavalierly2 in order to convince them1 that though a denizen of earth2 a sublunarian2 and in respect of heaven1 a mere provincial2 he 7,hivohitee7 accounted himself full as good as seraphim from the capital2 and that too at the ,capricorn ,solstice1 or any other time of the year4 ,strongly bent was ,hivohitee upon humbling their supercilious pretensions4 ,besides1 was he not accounted a great god in the land8 supreme8 having power of life and death8 essaying the deposition of kings8 and dwelling in moody state1 all by himself1 in the goodliest island of ,mardi8 ,though here1 be it said1 that his assumptions of temporal supremacy were but seldom made good by express interference with the secular concerns of the neighboring monarchs2 who1 by force of arms1 were too apt to argue against his claims to authority2 however1 in theory1 they bowed to it4 ,and now1 for the genealogy of ,hivohitee2 for eighteen hundred and forty-seven ,hivohitees were alleged to have gone before him4 ,he came in a right line from the divine ,hivohitee ,i43 the original grantee of the empire of men's souls and the first swayer of a crosier4 ,the present ,pontiff's descent was unquestionable2 his dignity having been transmitted through none but heirs male2 the whole procession of ,high ,priests being the fruit of successive marriages between uterine brother and sister4 ,a conjunction deemed incestuous in some lands2 but1 here1 held the only fit channel for the pure transmission of elevated rank4 ,added to the hereditary appellation1 ,hivohitee1 which simply denoted the sacerdotal station of the ,pontiffs1 and was but seldom employed in current discourse1 they were individualized by a distinctive name1 bestowed upon them at birth4 ,and the degree of consideration in which they were held1 may be inferred from the fact1 that during the lifetime of a ,pontiff1 the leading sound in his name was banned to ordinary uses4 ,whence1 at every new accession to the archiepiscopal throne1 it came to pass1 that multitudes of words and phrases were either essentially modified1 or wholly dropped4 ,wherefore1 the language of ,maramma was incessantly fluctuating2 and had become so full of jargonings1 that the birds in the groves were greatly puzzled2 not knowing where lay the virtue of sounds1 so incoherent4 ,and1 in a good measure1 this held true of all tongues spoken throughout the ,archipelago2 the birds marveling at mankind1 and mankind at the birds2 wondering how they could continually sing2 when1 for all man knew to the contrary1 it was impossible they could be holding intelligent discourse4 ,and thus1 though for thousands of years1 men and birds had been dwelling together in ,mardi1 they remained wholly ignorant of each other's secrets2 the ,islander regarding the fowl as a senseless songster1 forever in the clouds2 and the fowl him1 as a screeching crane1 destitute of pinions and lofty aspirations4 ,over and above numerous other miraculous powers imputed to the ,pontiffs as spiritual potentates1 there was ascribed to them one special privilege of a secular nature3 that of healing with a touch the bites of the ravenous sharks1 swarming throughout the lagoon4 ,with these they were supposed to be upon the most friendly terms2 according to popular accounts1 sociably bathing with them in the sea2 permitting them to rub their noses against their priestly thighs2 playfully mouthing their hands1 with all their tiers of teeth4 ,at the ordination of a ,pontiff1 the ceremony was not deemed complete1 until embarking in his barge1 he was saluted ,high ,priest by three sharks drawing near2 with teeth turned up1 swimming beside his canoe4 ,these monsters were deified in ,maramma2 had altars there2 it was deemed worse than homicide to kill one4 8,and what if they destroy human life80 say the ,islanders1 8are they not sacred80 ,now many more wonderful things were related touching ,hivohitee2 and though one could not but doubt the validity of many prerogatives ascribed to him1 it was nevertheless hard to do otherwise1 than entertain for the ,pontiff that sort of profound consideration1 which all render to those who indisputably possess the power of quenching human life with a wish4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,they ,visit ,the ,great ,morai ,as garrulous guide to the party1 ,braid-,beard soon brought us nigh the great ,morai of ,maramma1 the burial-place of the ,pontiffs1 and a rural promenade1 for certain idols there inhabiting4 ,our way now led through the bed of a shallow water-course2 ,mohi observing1 as we went1 that our feet were being washed at every step2 whereas1 to tread the dusty earth would be to desecrate the holy ,morai1 by transferring thereto1 the base soil of less sacred ground4 ,here and there1 thatched arbors were thrown over the stream1 for the accommodation of devotees2 who1 in these consecrated waters1 issuing from a spring in the ,morai1 bathed their garments1 that long life might ensue4 ,yet1 as ,braid-,beard assured us1 sometimes it happened1 that divers feeble old men zealously donning their raiment immediately after immersion became afflicted with rheumatics2 and instances were related of their falling down dead1 in this their pursuit of longevity4 ,coming to the ,morai1 we found it inclosed by a wall2 and while the rest were surmounting it1 ,mohi was busily engaged in the apparently childish occupation of collecting pebbles4 ,of these1 however1 to our no small surprise1 he presently made use1 by irreverently throwing them at all objects to which he was desirous of directing attention4 ,in this manner1 was pointed out a black boar's head1 suspended from a bough4 ,full twenty of these sentries were on post in the neighboring trees4 ,proceeding1 we came to a hillock of bone-dry sand1 resting upon the otherwise loamy soil4 ,possessing a secret1 preservative virtue1 this sand had1 ages ago1 been brought from a distant land1 to furnish a sepulcher for the ,pontiffs2 who here1 side by side1 and sire by son1 slumbered all peacefully in the fellowship of the grave4 ,mohi declared1 that were the sepulcher to be opened1 it would be the resurrection of the whole line of ,high ,priests4 8,but a resurrection of bones1 after all10 said ,babbalanja1 ever osseous in his allusions to the departed4 ,passing on1 we came to a number of ,runic-looking stones1 all over hieroglyphical inscriptions1 and placed round an elliptical aperture2 where welled up the sacred spring of the ,morai1 clear as crystal1 and showing through its waters1 two tiers of sharp1 tusk-like stones2 the mouth of ,oro1 so called2 and it was held1 that if any secular hand should be immersed in the spring1 straight upon it those stony jaws would close4 ,we next came to a large image of a dark-hued stone1 representing a burly man1 with an overgrown head1 and abdomen hollowed out1 and open for inspection2 therein1 were relics of bones4 ,before this image we paused4 ,and whether or no it was ,mohi's purpose to make us tourists quake with his recitals1 his revelations were far from agreeable4 ,at certain seasons1 human beings were offered to the idol1 which being an epicure in the matter of sacrifices1 would accept of no ordinary fare4 ,to insure his digestion1 all indirect routes to the interior were avoided2 the sacrifices being packed in the ventricle itself4 ,near to this image of ,doleema1 so called1 a solitary forest-tree was pointed out2 leafless and dead to the core4 ,but from its boughs hang numerous baskets1 brimming over with melons1 grapes1 and guavas4 ,and daily these baskets were replenished4 ,as we here stood1 there passed a hungry figure1 in ragged raiment3 hollow cheeks1 and hollow eyes4 ,wistfully he eyed the offerings2 but retreated2 knowing it was sacrilege to touch them4 ,there1 they must decay1 in honor of the god ,ananna2 for so this dead tree was denominated by ,mohi4 ,now1 as we were thus strolling about the ,morai1 the old chronicler elucidating its mysteries1 we suddenly spied ,pani and the pilgrims approaching the image of ,doleema2 his child leading the guide4 8,this10 began ,pani1 pointing to the idol of stone1 8is the holy god ,ananna who lives in the sap of this green and flourishing tree40 8,thou meanest not1 surely1 this stone image we behold80 said ,divino4 8,i mean the tree10 said the guide4 8,it is no stone image40 8,strange10 muttered the chief2 8were it not a guide that spoke1 ,i would deny it4 ,as it is1 ,i hold my peace40 8,mystery of mysteries60 cried the blind old pilgrim2 8is it1 then1 a stone image that ,pani calls a tree8 ,oh1 ,oro1 that ,i had eyes to see1 that ,i might verily behold it1 and then believe it to be what it is not2 that so ,i might prove the largeness of my faith2 and so merit the blessing of ,alma40 8,thrice sacred ,ananna10 murmured the sad-eyed maiden1 falling upon her knees before ,doleema1 8receive my adoration4 ,of thee1 ,i know nothing1 but what the guide has spoken4 ,i am but a poor1 weak-minded maiden1 judging not for myself1 but leaning upon others that are wiser4 ,these things are above me4 ,i am afraid to think4 ,in ,alma's name1 receive my homage40 ,and she flung flowers before the god4 ,but ,fauna1 the hale matron1 turning upon ,pani1 exclaimed1 8,receive more gifts1 oh guide40 ,and again she showered them upon him4 ,upon this1 the willful boy who would not have ,pani for his guide1 entered the ,morai2 and perceiving the group before the image1 walked rapidly to where they were4 ,and beholding the idol1 he regarded it attentively1 and said3--8,this must be the image of ,doleema2 but ,i am not sure40 8,nay10 cried the blind pilgrim1 8it is the holy tree ,ananna1 thou wayward boy40 8,a tree8 whatever it may be1 it is not that2 thou art blind1 old man40 8,but though blind1 ,i have that which thou lackest40 ,then said ,pani1 turning upon the boy1 8,depart from the holy ,morai1 and corrupt not the hearts of these pilgrims4 ,depart1 ,i say2 and1 in the sacred name of ,alma1 perish in thy endeavors to climb the ,peak40 8,i may perish there in truth10 said the boy1 with sadness2 8but it shall be in the path revealed to me in my dream4 ,and think not1 oh guide1 that ,i perfectly rely upon gaining that lofty summit4 ,i will climb high ,ofo with hope1 not faith2 ,oh1 mighty ,oro1 help me60 8,be not impious10 said ,pani2 8pronounce not ,oro's sacred name too lightly40 8,oro is but a sound10 said the boy4 8,they call the supreme god1 ,ati1 in my native isle2 it is the soundless thought of him1 oh guide1 that is in me40 8,hark to his rhapsodies6 ,hark1 how he prates of mysteries1 that not even ,hivohitee can fathom40 8,nor he1 nor thou1 nor ,i1 nor any2 ,oro1 to all1 is ,oro the unknown40 8,why claim to know ,oro1 then1 better than others80 8,i am not so vain2 and ,i have little to substitute for what ,i can not receive4 ,i but feel ,oro in me1 yet can not declare the thought40 8,proud boy6 thy humility is a pretense2 at heart1 thou deemest thyself wiser than ,mardi40 8,not near so wise4 ,to believe is a haughty thing2 my very doubts humiliate me4 ,i weep and doubt2 all ,mardi may be light2 and ,i too simple to discern40 8,he is mad10 said the chief ,divino2 8never before heard ,i such words40 8,they are thoughts10 muttered the guide4 8,poor fool60 cried ,fauna4 8,lost youth60 sighed the maiden4 8,he is but a child10 said the beggar4 ,these whims will soon depart2 once ,i was like him2 but1 praise be to ,alma1 in the hour of sickness ,i repented1 feeble old man that ,i am60 8,it is because ,i am young and in health10 said the boy1 8that ,i more nourish the thoughts1 that are born of my youth and my health4 ,i am fresh from my ,maker1 soul and body unwrinkled4 ,on thy sick couch1 old man1 they took thee at advantage40 8,turn from the blasphemer10 cried ,pani4 8,hence6 thou evil one1 to the perdition in store40 8,i will go my ways10 said the boy1 8but ,oro will shape the end40 ,and he quitted the ,morai4 ,after conducting the party round the sacred inclosure1 assisting his way with his staff1 for his child had left him1 ,pani seated himself on a low1 mossy stone1 grimly surrounded by idols2 and directed the pilgrims to return to his habitation2 where1 ere long he would rejoin them4 ,the pilgrims departed1 he remained in profound meditation2 while1 backward and forward1 an invisible ploughshare turned up the long furrows on his brow4 ,long he was silent2 then muttered to himself1 8,that boy1 that wild1 wise boy1 has stabbed me to the heart4 ,his thoughts are my suspicions4 ,but he is honest4 ,yet ,i harm none4 ,multitudes must have unspoken meditations as well as ,i4 ,do we then mutually deceive8 ,off masks1 mankind1 that ,i may know what warranty of fellowship with others1 my own thoughts possess4 ,why1 upon this one theme1 oh ,oro6 must all dissemble8 ,our thoughts are not our own4 ,whate'er it be1 an honest thought must have some germ of truth4 ,but we must set1 as flows the general stream2 ,i blindly follow1 where ,i seem to lead2 the crowd of pilgrims is so great1 they see not there is none to guide4--,it hinges upon this3 ,have we angelic spirits8 ,but in vain1 in vain1 oh ,oro6 ,i essay to live out of this poor1 blind body1 fit dwelling for my sightless soul4 ,death1 death3--blind1 am ,i dead8 for blindness seems a consciousness of death4 ,will my grave be more dark1 than all is now8-- ,from dark to dark6--,what is this subtle something that is in me1 and eludes me8 ,will it have no end8 ,when1 then1 did it begin8 ,all1 all is chaos6 ,what is this shining light in heaven1 this sun they tell me of8 ,or1 do they lie8 ,methinks1 it might blaze convictions2 but ,i brood and grope in blackness2 ,i am dumb with doubt2 yet1 'tis not doubt1 but worse3 ,i doubt my doubt4 ,oh1 ye all-wise spirits in the air1 how can ye witness all this woe1 and give no sign8 ,would1 would that mine were a settled doubt1 like that wild boy's1 who without faith1 seems full of it4 ,the undoubting doubter believes the most4 ,oh6 that ,i were he4 ,methinks that daring boy hath ,alma in him1 struggling to be free4 ,but those pilgrims3 that trusting girl4--,what1 if they saw me as ,i am8 ,peace1 peace1 my soul2 on1 mask1 again40 ,and he staggered from the ,morai4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,they ,discourse ,of ,the ,gods ,of ,mardi1 ,and ,braid-,beard ,tells ,of ,one ,foni ,walking from the sacred inclosure1 ,mohi discoursed of the plurality of gods in the land1 a subject suggested by the multitudinous idols we had just been beholding4 ,said ,mohi1 8,these gods of wood and of stone are nothing in number to the gods in the air4 ,you breathe not a breath without inhaling1 you touch not a leaf without ruffling a spirit4 ,there are gods of heaven1 and gods of earth2 gods of sea and of land2 gods of peace and of war2 gods of rook and of fell2 gods of ghosts and of thieves2 of singers and dancers2 of lean men and of house-thatchers4 ,gods glance in the eyes of birds1 and sparkle in the crests of the waves2 gods merrily swing in the boughs of the trees1 and merrily sing in the brook4 ,gods are here1 and there1 and every where2 you are never alone for them40 8,if this be so1 ,braid-,beard10 said ,babbalanja1 8our inmost thoughts are overheard2 but not by eaves-droppers4 ,however1 my lord1 these gods to whom he alludes1 merely belong to the semi-intelligibles1 the divided unities in unity1 thin side of the ,first ,adyta40 8,indeed80 said ,media4 8,semi-intelligible1 say you1 philosopher80 cried ,mohi4 8,then1 prithee1 make it appear so2 for what you say1 seems gibberish to me40 8,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8no more of your abstrusities2 what know you mortals of us gods and demi-gods8 ,but tell me1 ,mohi1 how many of your deities of rock and fen think you there are8 ,have you no statistical table80 8,my lord1 at the lowest computation1 there must be at least three billion trillion of quintillions40 8,a mere unit60 said ,babbalanja4 8,old man1 would you express an infinite number8 ,then take the sum of the follies of ,mardi for your multiplicand2 and for your multiplier1 the totality of sublunarians1 that never have been heard of since they became no more2 and the product shall exceed your quintillions1 even though all their units were nonillions40 8,have done1 ,babbalanja60 cried ,media2 8you are showing the sinister vein in your marble4 ,have done4 ,take a warm bath1 and make tepid your cold blood4 ,but come1 ,mohi1 tell us of the ways of this ,maramma2 something of the ,morai and its idols1 if you please40 ,and straightway ,braid-,beard proceeded with a narration1 in substance as follows3-- ,it seems1 there was a particular family upon the island1 whose members1 for many generations1 had been set apart as sacrifices for the deity called ,doleema4 ,they were marked by a sad and melancholy aspect1 and a certain involuntary shrinking1 when passing the ,morai4 ,and1 though1 when it came to the last1 some of these unfortunates went joyfully to their doom1 declaring that they gloried to die in the service of holy ,doleema2 still1 were there others1 who audaciously endeavored to shun their fate2 upon the approach of a festival1 fleeing to the innermost wilderness of the island4 ,but little availed their flight4 ,for swift on their track sped the hereditary butler of the insulted god1 one ,xiki1 whose duty it was to provide the sacrifices4 ,and when crouching in some covert1 the fugitive spied ,xiki's approach1 so fearful did he become of the vengeance of the deity he sought to evade1 that renouncing all hope of escape1 he would burst from his lair1 exclaiming1 8,come on1 and kill60 baring his breast for the javelin that slew him4 ,the chronicles of ,maramma were full of horrors4 ,in the wild heart of the island1 was said still to lurk the remnant of a band of warriors1 who1 in the days of the sire of the present pontiff1 had risen in arms to dethrone him1 headed by ,foni1 an upstart prophet1 a personage distinguished for the uncommon beauty of his person4 ,with terrible carnage1 these warriors had been defeated2 and the survivors1 fleeing into the interior1 for thirty days were pursued by the victors4 ,but though many were overtaken and speared1 a number survived2 who1 at last1 wandering forlorn and in despair1 like demoniacs1 ran wild in the woods4 ,and the islanders1 who at times penetrated into the wilderness1 for the purpose of procuring rare herbs1 often scared from their path some specter1 glaring through the foliage4 ,thrice had these demoniacs been discovered prowling about the inhabited portions of the isle2 and at day-break1 an attendant of the holy ,morai once came upon a frightful figure1 doubled with age1 helping itself to the offerings in the image of ,doleema4 ,the demoniac was slain2 and from his ineffaceable tatooing1 it was proved that this was no other than ,foni1 the false prophet2 the splendid form he had carried into the rebel fight1 now squalid with age and misery4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,they ,visit ,the ,lake ,of ,yammo ,from the ,morai1 we bent our steps toward an unoccupied arbor2 and here1 refreshing ourselves with the viands presented by ,borabolla1 we passed the night4 ,and next morning proceeded to voyage round to the opposite quarter of the island2 where1 in the sacred lake of ,yammo1 stood the famous temple of ,oro1 also the great gallery of the inferior deities4 ,the lake was but a portion of the smooth lagoon1 made separate by an arm of wooded reef1 extending from the high western shore of the island1 and curving round toward a promontory1 leaving a narrow channel to the sea1 almost invisible1 however1 from the land-locked interior4 ,in this lake were many islets1 all green with groves4 ,its main-shore was a steep acclivity1 with jutting points1 each crowned with mossy old altars of stone1 or ruinous temples1 darkly reflected in the green1 glassy water2 while1 from its long line of stately trees1 the low reef-side of the lake looked one verdant bluff4 ,gliding in upon ,yammo1 its many islets greeted us like a little ,mardi2 but ever and anon we started at long lines of phantoms in the water1 reflections of the long line of images on the shore4 ,toward the islet of ,dolzono we first directed our way2 and there we beheld the great gallery of the gods2 a mighty temple1 resting on one hundred tall pillars of palm1 each based1 below the surface1 on the buried body of a man2 its nave one vista of idols2 names carved on their foreheads3 ,ogre1 ,tripoo1 ,indrimarvoki1 ,parzillo1 ,vivivi1 ,jojijojorora1 ,jorkraki1 and innumerable others4 ,crowds of attendants were new-grouping the images4 8,my lord1 you behold one of their principal occupations10 said ,mohi4 ,said ,media3 8,i have heard much of the famed image of ,mujo1 the ,nursing ,mother2--can you point it out1 ,braid-,beard80 8,my lord1 when last here1 ,i saw ,mujo at the head of this file2 but they must have removed it2 ,i see it not now40 8,do these attendants1 then10 said ,babbalanja1 8so continually new-marshal the idols1 that visiting the gallery to-day1 you are at a loss to-morrow80 8,even so10 said ,braid-,beard4 8,but behold1 my lord1 this image is ,mujo40 ,we stood before an obelisk-idol1 so towering1 that gazing at it1 we were fain to throw back our heads4 ,according to ,mohi1 winding stairs led up through its legs2 its abdomen a cellar1 thick-stored with gourds of old wine2 its head1 a hollow dome2 in rude alto-relievo1 its scores of hillock-breasts were carved over with legions of baby deities1 frog-like sprawling2 while1 within1 were secreted whole litters of infant idols1 there placed1 to imbibe divinity from the knots of the wood4 ,as we stood1 a strange subterranean sound was heard1 mingled with a gurgling as of wine being poured4 ,looking up1 we beheld1 through arrow-slits and port-holes1 three masks1 cross-legged seated in the abdomen1 and holding stout wassail4 ,but instantly upon descrying us1 they vanished deeper into the interior2 and presently was heard a sepulchral chant1 and many groans and grievous tribulations4 ,passing on1 we came to an image1 with a long anaconda-like posterior development1 wound round and round its own neck4 8,this must be ,oloo1 the god of ,suicides10 said ,babbalanja4 8,yes10 said ,mohi1 8you perceive1 my lord1 how he lays violent tail upon himself40 ,at length1 the attendants having1 in due order1 new-deposed the long lines of sphinxes and griffins1 and many limbed images1 a band of them1 in long flowing robes1 began their morning chant4 8,awake ,rarni6 awake ,foloona6 ,awake unnumbered deities60 ,with many similar invocations1 to which the images made not the slightest rejoinder4 ,not discouraged1 however1 the attendants now separately proceeded to offer up petitions on behalf of various tribes1 retaining them for that purpose4 ,one prayed for abundance of rain1 that the yams of ,valapee might not wilt in the ground2 another for dry sunshine1 as most favorable for the present state of the ,bread-fruit crop in ,mondoldo4 ,hearing all this1 ,babbalanja thus spoke3--8,doubtless1 my lord ,media1 besides these petitions we hear1 there are ten thousand contradictory prayers ascending to these idols4 ,but methinks the gods will not jar the eternal progression of things1 by any hints from below2 even were it possible to satisfy conflicting desires40 ,said ,yoomy1 8,but ,i would pray1 nevertheless1 ,babbalanja2 for prayer draws us near to our own souls1 and purifies our thoughts4 ,nor will ,i grant that our supplications are altogether in vain40 ,still wandering among the images1 ,mohi had much to say1 concerning their respective claims to the reverence of the devout4 ,for though1 in one way or other1 all ,mardians bowed to the supremacy of ,oro1 they were not so unanimous concerning the inferior deities2 those supposed to be intermediately concerned in sublunary things4 ,some nations sacrificed to one god2 some to another2 each maintaining1 that their own god was the most potential4 ,observing that all the images were more or less defaced1 ,babbalanja sought the reason4 ,to which1 ,braid-,beard made answer1 that they had been thus defaced by hostile devotees2 who quarreling in the great gallery of the gods1 and getting beside themselves with rage1 often sought to pull down1 and demolish each other's favorite idols4 8,but behold10 cried ,babbalanja1 8there seems not a single image unmutilated4 ,how is this1 old man80 8,it is thus4 ,while one faction defaces the images of its adversaries1 its own images are in like manner assailed2 whence it comes that no idol escapes40 8,no more1 no more1 ,braid-,beard10 said ,media4 8,let us depart1 and visit the islet1 where the god of all these gods is enshrined40 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,they ,meet ,the ,pilgrims ,at ,the ,temple ,of ,oro ,deep1 deep1 in deep groves1 we found the great temple of ,oro1 ,spreader-of-the-,sky1 and deity supreme4 ,while here we silently stood eyeing this ,mardi-renowned image1 there entered the fane a great multitude of its attendants1 holding pearl- shells on their heads1 filled with a burning incense4 ,and ranging themselves in a crowd round ,oro1 they began a long-rolling chant1 a sea of sounds2 and the thick smoke of their incense went up to the roof4 ,and now approached ,pani and the pilgrims2 followed1 at a distance1 by the willful boy4 8,behold great ,oro10 said the guide4 8,we see naught but a cloud10 said the chief ,divino4 8,my ears are stunned by the chanting10 said the blind pilgrim4 8,receive more gifts1 oh guide60 cried ,fanna the matron4 8,oh ,oro6 invisible ,oro6 ,i kneel10 slow murmured the sad-eyed maid4 ,but now1 a current of air swept aside the eddying incense2 and the willful boy1 all eagerness to behold the image1 went hither and thither2 but the gathering of attendants was great2 and at last he exclaimed1 8,oh ,oro6 ,i can not see thee1 for the crowd that stands between thee and me40 8,who is this babbler80 cried they with the censers1 one and all turning upon the pilgrims2 8let him speak no more2 but bow down1 and grind the dust where he stands2 and declare himself the vilest creature that crawls4 ,so ,oro and ,alma command40 8,i feel nothing in me so utterly vile10 said the boy1 8and ,i cringe to none4 ,but ,i would as lief adore your image1 as that in my heart1 for both mean the same2 but more1 how can ,i8 ,i love great ,oro1 though ,i comprehend him not4 ,i marvel at his works1 and feel as nothing in his sight2 but because he is thus omnipotent1 and ,i a mortal1 it follows not that ,i am vile4 ,nor so doth he regard me4 ,we do ourselves degrade ourselves1 not ,oro us4 ,hath not ,oro made me8 ,and therefore am ,i not worthy to stand erect before him8 ,oro is almighty1 but no despot4 ,i wonder2 ,i hope2 ,i love2 ,i weep2 ,i have in me a feeling nigh to fear1 that is not fear2 but wholly vile ,i am not2 nor can we love and cringe4 ,but ,oro knows my heart1 which ,i can not speak40 8,impious boy10 cried they with the censers1 8we will offer thee up1 before the very image thou contemnest4 ,in the name of ,alma1 seize him40 ,and they bore him away unresisting4 8,thus perish the ungodly10 said ,pani to the shuddering pilgrims4 ,and they quitted the temple1 to journey toward the ,peak of ,ofo4 8,my soul bursts60 cried ,yoomy4 8,my lord1 my lord1 let us save the boy40 8,speak not10 said ,media4 8,his fate is fixed4 ,let ,mardi stand40 8,then let us away from hence1 my lord2 and join the pilgrims2 for1 in these inland vales1 the lost one may be found1 perhaps at the very base of ,ofo40 8,not there2 not there20 cried ,babbalanja1 8,yillah may have touched these shores2 but long since she must have fled40 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,they ,discourse ,of ,alma ,sailing to and fro in the lake1 to view its scenery1 much discourse took place concerning the things we had seen2 and far removed from the censer-bearers1 the sad fate that awaited the boy was now the theme of all4 ,a good deal was then said of ,alma1 to whom the guide1 the pilgrims1 and the censer-bearers had frequently alluded1 as to some paramount authority4 ,called upon to reveal what his chronicles said on this theme1 ,braid-,beard complied2 at great length narrating1 what now follows condensed4 ,alma1 it seems1 was an illustrious prophet1 and teacher divine2 who1 ages ago1 at long intervals1 and in various islands1 had appeared to the ,mardians under the different titles of ,brami1 ,manko1 and ,alma4 ,many thousands of moons had elasped since his last and most memorable avatar1 as ,alma on the isle of ,maramma4 ,each of his advents had taken place in a comparatively dark and benighted age4 ,hence1 it was devoutly believed1 that he came to redeem the ,mardians from their heathenish thrall2 to instruct them in the ways of truth1 virtue1 and happiness2 to allure them to good by promises of beatitude hereafter2 and to restrain them from evil by denunciations of woe4 ,separated from the impurities and corruptions1 which in a long series of centuries had become attached to every thing originally uttered by the prophet1 the maxims1 which as ,brami he had taught1 seemed similar to those inculcated by ,manko4 ,but as ,alma1 adapting his lessons to the improved condition of humanity1 the divine prophet had more completely unfolded his scheme2 as ,alma1 he had made his last revelation4 ,this narration concluded1 ,babbalanja mildly observed1 8,mohi3 without seeking to accuse you of uttering falsehoods2 since what you relate rests not upon testimony of your own2 permit me1 to question the fidelity of your account of ,alma4 ,the prophet came to dissipate errors1 you say2 but superadded to many that have survived the past1 ten thousand others have originated in various constructions of the principles of ,alma himself4 ,the prophet came to do away all gods but one2 but since the days of ,alma1 the idols of ,maramma have more than quadrupled4 ,the prophet came to make us ,mardians more virtuous and happy2 but along with all previous good1 the same wars1 crimes1 and miseries1 which existed in ,alma's day1 under various modifications are yet extant4 ,nay3 take from your chronicles1 ,mohi1 the history of those horrors1 one way or other1 resulting from the doings of ,alma's nominal followers1 and your chronicles would not so frequently make mention of blood4 ,the prophet came to guarantee our eternal felicity2 but according to what is held in ,maramma1 that felicity rests on so hard a proviso1 that to a thinking mind1 but very few of our sinful race may secure it4 ,for one1 then1 ,i wholly reject your ,alma2 not so much1 because of all that is hard to be understood in his histories2 as because of obvious and undeniable things all round us2 which1 to me1 seem at war with an unreserved faith in his doctrines as promulgated here in ,maramma4 ,besides2 every thing in this isle strengthens my incredulity2 ,i never was so thorough a disbeliever as now40 8,let the winds be laid10 cried ,mohi1 8while your rash confession is being made in this sacred lake40 ,said ,media1 8,philosopher2 remember the boy1 and they that seized him40 8,ah6 ,i do indeed remember him4 ,poor youth6 in his agony1 how my heart yearned toward his4 ,but that very prudence which you deny me1 my lord1 prevented me from saying aught in his behalf4 ,have you not observed1 that until now1 when we are completely by ourselves1 ,i have refrained from freely discoursing of what we have seen in this island8 ,trust me1 my lord1 there is no man1 that bears more in mind the necessity of being either a believer or a hypocrite in ,maramma1 and the imminent peril of being honest here1 than ,i1 ,babbalanja4 ,and have ,i not reason to be wary1 when in my boyhood1 my own sire was burnt for his temerity2 and in this very isle8 ,just ,oro6 it was done in the name of ,alma1--what wonder then1 that1 at times1 ,i almost hate that sound4 ,and from those flames1 they devoutly swore he went to others1--horrible fable60 ,said ,mohi3 8,do you deny1 then1 the everlasting torments80 8',tis not worth a denial4 ,nor by formally denying it1 will ,i run the risk of shaking the faith of1 thousands1 who in that pious belief find infinite consolation for all they suffer in ,mardi40 8,how80 said ,media2 8are there those who soothe themselves with the thought of everlasting flames80 8,one would think so1 my lord1 since they defend that dogma more resolutely than any other4 ,sooner will they yield you the isles of ,paradise1 than it4 ,and in truth1 as liege followers of ,alma1 they would seem but right in clinging to it as they do2 for1 according to all one hears in ,maramma1 the great end of the prophet's mission seems to have been the revealing to us ,mardians the existence of horrors1 most hard to escape4 ,but better we were all annihilated1 than that one man should be damned40 ,rejoined ,media3 8,but think you not1 that possibly1 ,alma may have been misconceived8 ,are you certain that doctrine is his80 8,i know nothing more than that such is the belief in this land4 ,and in these matters1 ,i know not where else to go for information4 ,but1 my lord1 had ,i been living in those days when certain men are said to have been actually possessed by spirits from hell1 ,i had not let slip the opportunity--as our forefathers did--to cross-question them concerning the place they came from40 8,well1 well10 said ,media1 8your ,alma's faith concerns not me3 ,i am a king1 and a demi-god2 and leave vulgar torments to the commonality40 8,but it concerns me10 muttered ,mohi2 8yet ,i know not what to think40 8,for me10 said ,yoomy1 8,i reject it4 ,could ,i1 ,i would not believe it4 ,it is at variance with the dictates of my heart instinctively my heart turns from it1 as a thirsty man from gall40 8,hush2 say no more10 said ,mohi2 8again we approach the shore40 ,,chapter ,x4 ,mohi ,tells ,of ,one ,ravoo1 ,and ,they ,land ,to ,visit ,hevaneva1 ,a ,flourishing ,artisan ,having seen all worth viewing in ,yammo1 we departed1 to complete the circumnavigation of the island1 by returning to ,uma without reversing our prows4 ,as we glided along1 we passed many objects of interest1 concerning which1 ,mohi1 as usual1 was very diffuse4 ,among other things pointed out1 were certain little altars1 like mile- stones1 planted here and there upon bright bluffs1 running out into the lagoon4 ,dedicated respectively to the guardian spirits of ,maramma1 these altars formed a chain of spiritual defenses2 and here were presumed to stand post the most vigilant of warders2 dread ,hivohitee1 all by himself1 garrisoning the impregnable interior4 ,but these sentries were only subalterns1 subject to the beck of the ,pontiff2 who frequently sent word to them1 concerning the duties of their watch4 ,his mandates were intrusted to one ,ravoo1 the hereditary pontifical messenger2 a long-limbed varlet1 so swift of foot1 that he was said to travel like a javelin4 8,art thou ,ravoo1 that thou so pliest thy legs80 say these islanders1 to one encountered in a hurry4 ,hivohitee's postman held no oral communication with the sentries4 ,dispatched round the island with divers bits of tappa1 hieroglyphically stamped1 he merely deposited one upon each altar2 superadding a stone1 to keep the missive in its place2 and so went his rounds4 ,now1 his route lay over hill and over dale1 and over many a coral rock2 and to preserve his feet from bruises1 he was fain to wear a sort of buskin1 or boot1 fabricated of a durable tappa1 made from the thickest and toughest of fibers4 ,as he never wore his buskins except when he carried the mail1 ,ravoo sorely fretted with his ,hessians2 though it would have been highly imprudent to travel without them4 ,to make the thing more endurable1 therefore1 and1 at intervals1 to cool his heated pedals1 he established a series of stopping-places1 or stages2 at each of which a fresh pair of buskins1 hanging from a tree1 were taken down and vaulted into by the ingenious traveler4 ,those relays of boots were exceedingly convenient2 next1 indeed1 to being lifted upon a fresh pair of legs4 8,now1 to what purpose that anecdote80 demanded ,babbalanja of ,mohi1 who in substance related it4 8,marry6 'tis but the simple recital of a fact2 and ,i tell it to entertain the company40 8,but has it any meaning you know of80 8,thou art wise1 find out10 retorted ,braid-,beard4 8,but what comes of it80 persisted ,babbalanja4 8,beshrew me1 this senseless catechising of thine10 replied ,mohi2 8naught else1 it seems1 save a grin or two40 8,and pray1 what may you be driving at1 philosopher80 interrupted ,media4 8,i am intent upon the essence of things2 the mystery that lieth beyond2 the elements of the tear which much laughter provoketh2 that which is beneath the seeming2 the precious pearl within the shaggy oyster4 ,i probe the circle's center2 ,i seek to evolve the inscrutable40 8,seek on2 and when aught is found1 cry out1 that we may run to see40 8,my lord the king is merry upon me4 ,to him my more subtle cogitations seem foolishness4 ,but believe me1 my lord1 there is more to be thought of than to be seen4 ,there is a world of wonders insphered within the spontaneous consciousness2 or1 as old ,bardianna hath it1 a mystery within the obvious1 yet an obviousness within the mystery40 8,and did ,i ever deny that80 said ,media4 8,as plain as my hand in the dark10 said ,mohi4 8,i dreamed a dream10 said ,yoomy4 8,they banter me2 but enough2 ,i am to blame for discoursing upon the deep world wherein ,i live4 ,i am wrong in seeking to invest sublunary sounds with celestial sense4 ,much that is in me is incommunicable by this ether we breathe4 ,but ,i blame ye not40 ,and wrapping round him his mantle1 ,babbalanja retired into its most private folds4 ,ere coming in sight of ,uma1 we put into a little bay1 to pay our respects to ,hevaneva1 a famous character there dwelling2 who1 assisted by many journeymen1 carried on the lucrative business of making idols for the surrounding isles4 ,know ye1 that all idols not made in ,maramma1 and consecrated by ,hivohitee2 and1 what is more1 in strings of teeth paid down for to ,hevaneva2 are of no more account1 than logs1 stocks1 or stones4 ,yet does not the cunning artificer monopolize the profits of his vocation2 for ,hevaneva being but the vassal of the ,pontiff1 the latter lays claim to ,king ,leo's share of the spoils1 and secures it4 ,the place was very prettily lapped in a pleasant dell1 nigh to the margin of the water2 and here1 were several spacious arbors2 wherein1 prostrate upon their sacred faces1 were all manner of idols1 in every imaginable stage of statuary development4 ,with wonderful industry the journeymen were plying their tools2--some chiseling noses2 some trenching for mouths2 and others1 with heated flints1 boring for ears3 a hole drilled straight through the occiput1 representing the auricular organs4 8,how easily they are seen through10 said ,babbalanja1 taking a sight through one of the heads4 ,the last finish is given to their godships1 by rubbing them all over with dried slips of consecrated shark-skin1 rough as sand paper1 tacked over bits of wood4 ,in one of the farther arbors1 ,hevaneva pointed out a goodly array of idols1 all complete and ready for the market4 ,they were of every variety of pattern2 and of every size2 from that of a giant1 to the little images worn in the ears of the ultra devout4 8,of late10 said the artist1 8there has been a lively demand for the image of ,arbino the god of fishing2 the present being the principal season for that business4 ,for ,nadams 7,nadam presides over love and wine71 there has also been urgent call2 it being the time of the grape2 and the maidens growing frolicsome withal1 and devotional40 ,seeing that ,hevaneva handled his wares with much familiarity1 not to say irreverence1 ,babbalanja was minded to learn from him1 what he thought of his trade2 whether the images he made were genuine or spurious2 in a word1 whether he believed in his gods4 ,his reply was curious4 ,but still more so1 the marginal gestures wherewith he helped out the text4 8,when ,i cut down the trees for my idols10 said he1 8they are nothing but logs2 when upon those logs1 ,i chalk out the figures of1 my images1 they yet remain logs2 when the chisel is applied1 logs they are still2 and when all complete1 ,i at last stand them up in my studio1 even then they are logs4 ,nevertheless1 when ,i handle the pay1 they are as prime gods1 as ever were turned out in ,maramma40 8,you must make a very great variety10 said ,babbalanja4 8,all sorts1 all sorts40 8,and from the same material1 ,i presume40 8,ay1 ay1 one grove supplies them all4 ,and1 on an average1 each tree stands us in full fifty idols4 ,then1 we often take second-hand images in part pay for new ones4 ,these we work over again into new patterns2 touching up their eyes and ears2 resetting their noses2 and more especially new-footing their legs1 where they always decay first40 ,under sanction of the ,pontiff1 ,hevaneva1 in addition to his large commerce in idols1 also carried on the highly lucrative business of canoe-building2 the profits whereof1 undivided1 he dropped into his private exchequer4 ,but ,mohi averred1 that the ,pontiff often charged him with neglecting his images1 for his canoes4 ,be that as it may1 ,hevaneva drove a thriving trade at both avocations4 ,and in demonstration of the fact1 he directed our attention to three long rows of canoes1 upheld by wooden supports4 ,they were in perfect order2 at a moment's notice1 ready for launching2 being furnished with paddles1 out-riggers1 masts1 sails1 and a human skull1 with a short handle thrust through one of its eyes1 the ordinary bailer of ,maramma2 besides other appurtenances1 including on the prow a duodecimo idol to match4 ,owing to a superstitious preference bestowed upon the wood and work of the sacred island1 ,hevaneva's canoes were in as high repute as his idols2 and sold equally well4 ,in truth1 in several ways one trade helped the other4 ,the larger images being dug out of the hollow part of the canoes2 and all knotty odds and ends reserved for the idol ear-rings4 8,but after all10 said the artificer1 8,i find a readier sale for my images1 than for my canoes40 8,and so it will ever be10 said ,babbalanja4--8,stick to thy idols1 man6 a trade1 more reliable than the baker's40 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,a ,nursery-,tale ,of ,babbalanja's ,having taken to our canoes once again1 we were silently sailing along1 when ,media observed1 8,babbalanja2 though ,i seldom trouble myself with such thoughts1 ,i have just been thinking1 how difficult it must be1 for the more ignorant sort of people1 to decide upon what particular image to worship as a guardian deity1 when in ,maramma1 it seems1 there exists such a multitude of idols1 and a thousand more are to be heard of40 8,not at all1 your highness4 ,the more ignorant the better4 ,the multitude of images distracts them not4 ,but ,i am in no mood for serious discourse2 let me tell you a story40 8,a story6 hear him3 the solemn philosopher is desirous of regaling us with a tale6 ,but pray1 begin40 8,once upon a time1 then10 said ,babbalanja1 indifferently adjusting his girdle1 8nine blind men1 with uncommonly long noses1 set out on their travels to see the great island on which they were born40 8,a precious beginning10 muttered ,mohi4 8,nine blind men setting out to see sights40 ,continued ,babbalanja1 8,staff in hand1 they traveled2 one in advance of the other2 each man with his palm upon the shoulder next him2 and he with the longest nose took the lead of the file4 ,journeying on in this manner1 they came to a valley1 in which reigned a king called ,tammaro4 ,now1 in a certain inclosure toward the head of the valley1 there stood an immense wild banian tree2 all over moss1 and many centuries old1 and forming quite a wood in itself3 its thousand boughs striking into the earth1 and fixing there as many gigantic trunks4 ,with ,tammaro1 it had long been a question1 which of those many trunks was the original and true one2 a matter that had puzzled the wisest heads among his subjects2 and in vain had a reward been offered for the solution of the perplexity4 ,but the tree was so vast1 and its fabric so complex2 and its rooted branches so similar in appearance2 and so numerous1 from the circumstance that every year had added to them1 that it was quite impossible to determine the point4 ,nevertheless1 no sooner did the nine blind men hear that there was a reward offered for discovering the trunk of a tree1 standing all by itself1 than1 one and all1 they assured ,tammaro1 that they would quickly settle that little difficulty of his2 and loudly inveighed against the stupidity of his sages1 who had been so easily posed4 ,so1 being conducted into the inclosure1 and assured that the tree was somewhere within1 they separated their forces1 so as at wide intervals to surround it at a distance2 when feeling their way1 with their staves and their noses1 they advanced to the search1 crying out--#8,pshaw6 make room there2 let us wise men feel of the mystery4' ,presently1 striking with his nose one of the rooted branches1 the foremost blind man quickly knelt down2 and feeling that it struck into the earth1 gleefully shouted3 ,here it is6 here it is6' ,but almost in the same breath1 his companions1 also1 each striking a branch with his staff or his nose1 cried out in like manner1 #8,here it is6 here it is6' ,whereupon they were all confounded3 but directly1 the man who first cried out1 thus addressed the rest3 ,good friends1 surely you're mistaken4 ,there is but one tree in the place1 and here it is4' #8,very true1' said the others1 #8all together2 there is only one tree2 but here it is4' #8,nay1' said the others1 #8it is here6' and so saying1 each blind man triumphantly felt of the branch1 where it penetrated into the earth4 ,then again said the first speaker3 ,good friends1 if you will not believe what ,i say1 come hither1 and feel for yourselves4' #8,nay1 nay1' replied they1 why seek further8 here it is2 and nowhere else can it be4' #8,you blind fools1 you1 you contradict yourselves1' continued the first speaker1 waxing wroth2 #8how can you each have hold of a separate trunk1 when there is but one in the place8' ,whereupon1 they redoubled their cries1 calling each other all manner of opprobrious names1 and presently they fell to beating each other with their staves1 and charging upon each other with their noses4 ,but soon after1 being loudly called upon by ,tammaro and his people2 who all this while had been looking on2 being loudly called upon1 ,i say1 to clap their hands on the trunk1 they again rushed for their respective branches2 and it so happened1 that1 one and all1 they changed places2 but still cried out1 #8,here it is2 here it is6' #8,peace6 peace6 ye silly blind men1' said ,tammaro4 #8,will ye without eyes presume to see more sharply than those who have them8 ,the tree is too much for us all4 ,hence6 depart from the valley4'0 8,an admirable story10 cried ,media4 8,i had no idea that a mere mortal1 least of all a philosopher1 could acquit himself so well4 ,by my scepter1 but it is well done6 ,ha1 ha6 blind men round a banian6 ,why1 ,babbalanja1 no demi-god could surpass it4 ,taji1 could you80 8,but1 ,babbalanja1 what under the sun1 mean you by your blind story60 cried ,mohi4 8,obverse1 or reverse1 ,i can make nothing out of it40 8,others may10 said ,babbalanja4 8,it is a polysensuum1 old man40 8,a pollywog60 said ,mohi4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,landing ,to ,visit ,hivohitee ,the ,pontiff1 ,they ,encounter ,an ,extraordinary ,old ,hermit2 ,with ,whom ,yoomy ,has ,a ,confidential ,interview1 ,but ,learns ,little ,gliding on1 suddenly we spied a solitary ,islander putting out in his canoe from a neighboring cove4 ,drawing near1 the stranger informed us1 that he was just from the face of the great ,pontiff1 ,hivohitee1 who1 having dismissed his celestial guests1 had retired to his private sanctuary4 ,upon this1 ,media resolved to land forthwith1 and under the guidance of ,mohi1 proceed inland1 and pay a visit to his ,holiness4 ,quitting the beach1 our path penetrated into the solitudes of the groves4 ,skirting the way were tall ,casaurinas1 a species of cypress1 standing motionless in the shadows1 as files of mutes at a funeral4 ,but here and there1 they were overrun with the adventurous vines of the ,convolvulus1 the ,morning-glory of the ,tropics1 whose tendrils1 bruised by the twigs1 dropped milk upon the dragon-like scales of the trees4 ,this vine is of many varieties4 ,lying perdu1 and shunning the garish sun through the day1 one species rises at night with the stars2 bursting forth in dazzling constellations of blossoms1 which close at dawn4 ,others1 slumbering through the darkness1 are up and abroad with their petals1 by peep of morn2 and after inhaling its breath1 again drop their lids in repose4 ,while a third species1 more capricious1 refuse to expand at all1 unless in the most brilliant sunshine1 and upon the very tops of the loftiest trees4 ,ambitious flowers6 that will not blow1 unless in high places1 with the bright day looking on and admiring4 ,here and there1 we passed open glades in the woods1 delicious with the incense of violets4 ,balsamic ferns1 stirred by the breeze1 fanned all the air with aromas4 ,these glades were delightful4 ,journeying on1 we at length came to a dark glen so deftly hidden by the surrounding copses1 that were it not for the miasma thence wafted1 an ignorant wayfarer might pass and repass it1 time and again1 never dreaming of its vicinity4 ,down into the gloom of this glen we descended4 ,its sides were mantled with noxious shrubs1 whose exhalations1 half way down1 unpleasantly blended with the piny breeze from the uplands4 ,through its bed ran a brook1 whose incrusted margin had a strange metallic luster1 from the polluted waters here flowing2 their source a sulphur spring1 of vile flavor and odor1 where many invalid pilgrims resorted4 ,the woods all round were haunted by the dismal cawings of crows2 tap1 tap1 the black hawk whetted his bill on the boughs2 each trunk stalked a ghost2 and from those trunks1 ,hevaneva procured the wood for his idols4 ,rapidly crossing this place1 ,yoomy's hands to his ears1 old ,mohi's to his nostrils1 and ,babbalanja vainly trying to walk with closed eyes1 we toiled among steep1 flinty rocks1 along a wild1 zigzag pathway2 like a mule-track in the ,andes1 not so much onward as upward2 ,yoomy above ,babbalanja1 my lord ,media above him1 and ,braid-,beard1 our guide1 in the air1 above all4 ,strown over with cinders1 the vitreous marl seemed tumbled together1 as if belched from a volcano's throat4 ,presently1 we came to a tall1 slender structure1 hidden among the scenic projections of the cliffs1 like a monument in the dark1 vaulted ways of an abbey4 ,surrounding it1 were five extinct craters4 ,the air was sultry and still1 as if full of spent thunderbolts4 ,like a ,hindoo pagoda1 this bamboo edifice rose story above story2 its many angles and points decorated with pearl-shells suspended by cords4 ,but the uppermost story1 some ten toises in the air1 was closely thatched from apex to floor2 which summit was gained by a series of ascents4 ,what eremite dwelleth here1 like ,st4 ,stylites at the top of his column8--a question which ,mohi seemed all eagerness to have answered4 ,dropping upon his knees1 he gave a peculiar low call3 no response4 ,another3 all was silent4 ,marching up to the pagoda1 and again dropping upon his knees1 he shook the bamboos till the edifice rocked1 and its pearl-shells jingled1 as if a troop of ,andalusian mules1 with bells round their necks1 were galloping along the defile4 ,at length the thatch aloft was thrown open1 and a head was thrust forth4 ,it was that of an old1 old man2 with steel-gray eyes1 hair and beard1 and a horrible necklace of jaw-bones4 ,now1 issuing from the pagoda1 ,mohi turned about to gain a view of the ghost he had raised2 and no sooner did he behold it1 than with ,king ,media and the rest1 he made a marked salutation4 ,presently1 the eremite pointed to where ,yoomy was standing2 and waved his hand upward2 when ,mohi informed the minstrel1 that it was ,st4 ,stylites' pleasure1 that he should pay him a visit4 ,wondering what was to come1 ,yoomy proceeded to mount2 and at last arriving toward the top of the pagoda1 was met by an opening1 from which an encouraging arm assisted him to gain the ultimate landing4 ,here1 all was murky enough2 for the aperture from which the head of the apparition had been thrust1 was now closed2 and what little twilight there was1 came up through the opening in the floor4 ,in this dismal seclusion1 silently the hermit confronted the minstrel2 his gray hair1 eyes1 and beard all gleaming1 as if streaked with phosphorus2 while his ghastly gorget grinned hideously1 with all its jaws4 ,mutely ,yoomy waited to be addressed2 but hearing no sound1 and becoming alive to the strangeness of his situation1 he meditated whether it would not be well to subside out of sight1 even as he had come--through the floor4 ,an intention which the eremite must have anticipated2 for of a sudden1 something was slid over the opening2 and the apparition seating itself thereupon1 the twain were in darkness complete4 ,shut up thus1 with an inscrutable stranger posted at the only aperture of escape1 poor ,yoomy fell into something like a panic2 hardly knowing what step to take next4 ,as for endeavoring to force his way out1 it was alarming to think of2 for aught he knew1 the eremite1 availing himself of the gloom1 might be bristling all over with javelin points4 ,at last1 the silence was broken4 8,what see you1 mortal80 8,chiefly darkness10 said ,yoomy1 wondering at the audacity of the question4 8,i dwell in it4 ,but what else see you1 mortal80 8,the dim gleaming of thy gorget40 8,but that is not me4 ,what else dost thou see80 8,nothing40 8,then thou hast found me out1 and seen all6 ,descend40 ,and with that1 the passage-way opened1 and groping through the twilight1 ,yoomy obeyed the mandate1 and retreated2 full of vexation at his enigmatical reception4 ,on his alighting1 ,mohi inquired whether the hermit was not a wonderful personage4 ,but thinking some sage waggery lurked in the question2 and at present too indignant to enter into details1 the minstrel made some impatient reply2 and winding through a defile1 the party resumed its journey4 ,straggling behind1 to survey the strange plants and flowers in his path1 ,yoomy became so absorbed1 as almost to forget the scene in the pagoda2 yet every moment expected to be nearing the stately abode of the ,pontiff4 ,but suddenly1 the scene around grew familiar2 the path seemed that which had been followed just after leaving the canoes2 and at length1 the place of debarkation was in sight4 ,surprised that the object of our visit should have been thus abandoned1 the minstrel ran forward1 and sought an explanation4 ,whereupon1 ,mohi lifted his hands in amazement2 exclaiming at the blindness of the eyes1 which had beheld the supreme ,pontiff of ,maramma1 without knowing it4 ,the old hermit was no other than the dread ,hivohitee2 the pagoda1 the inmost oracle of the isle4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,babbalanja ,endeavors ,to ,explain ,the ,mystery ,this ,great ,mogul of a personage1 then2 this woundy ,aliasuerus2 this man of men2 this same ,hivohitee1 whose name rumbled among the mountains like a peal of thunder1 had been seen face to face1 and taken for naught1 but a bearded old hermit1 or at best1 some equivocal conjuror4 ,so great was his wonderment at the time1 that ,yoomy could not avoid expressing it in words4 ,whereupon thus discoursed ,babbalanja3 8,gentle ,yoomy1 be not astounded1 that ,hivohitee is so far behind your previous conceptions4 ,the shadows of things are greater than themselves2 and the more exaggerated the shadow1 the more unlike to the substance40 8,but knowing now1 what manner of person ,hivohitee is10 said ,yoomy1 8much do ,i long to behold him again40 ,but ,mohi assured him it was out of the question2 that the ,pontiff always acted toward strangers as toward him 7,yoomy72 and that but one dim blink at the eremite was all that mortal could obtain4 ,debarred thus from a second and more satisfactory interview with one1 concerning whom his curiosity had been violently aroused1 the minstrel again turned to ,mohi for enlightenment2 especially touching that magnate's ,egyptian reception of him in his aerial den4 ,whereto1 the chronicler made answer1 that the ,pontiff affected darkness because he liked it3 that he was a ruler of few words1 but many deeds2 and that1 had ,yoomy been permitted to tarry longer with him in the pagoda1 he would have been privy to many strange attestations of the divinity imputed to him4 ,voices would have been heard in the air1 gossiping with ,hivohitee2 noises inexplicable proceeding from him2 in brief1 light would have flashed out of his darkness4 8,but who has seen these things1 ,mohi80 said ,babbalanja1 8have you80 8,nay40 8,who then8--,media8--,any one you know80 8,nay3 but the whole ,archipelago has40 8,thus10 exclaimed ,babbalanja1 8does ,mardi1 blind though it be in many things1 collectively behold the marvels1 which one pair of eyes sees not40 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,taji ,receives ,tidings ,and ,omens ,slowly sailing on1 we were overtaken by a shallop2 whose inmates grappling to the side of ,media's1 said they came from ,borabolla4 ,dismal tidings6--,my faithful follower's death4 ,absent over night1 that morning early1 he had been discovered lifeless in the woods1 three arrows in his heart4 ,and the three pale strangers were nowhere to be found4 ,but a fleet canoe was missing from the beach4 ,slain for me6 my soul sobbed out4 ,nor yet appeased ,aleema's manes2 nor yet seemed sated the avengers' malice2 who1 doubtless1 were on my track4 ,but ,i turned2 and instantly the three canoes had been reversed2 and full soon1 ,jarl's dead hand in mine1 had not ,media interposed4 8,to death1 your presence will not bring life back40 8,and we must on10 said ,babbalanja4 8,we seek the living1 not the dead40 ,thus they overruled me2 and ,borabolla's messengers departed4 ,soon evening came1 and in its shades1 three shadows1--,hautia's heralds4 ,their shallop glided near4 ,a leaf tri-foiled was first presented2 then another1 arrow-shaped4 ,said ,yoomy1 8,still ,i swiftly follow1 behind revenge40 ,then were showered faded1 pallid daffodils4 ,said ,yoomy1 8,thy hopes are blighted all40 8,not dead1 but living with the life of life4 ,sirens6 ,i heed ye not40 ,they would have showered more flowers2 but crowding sail we left them4 ,much converse followed4 ,then1 beneath the canopy all sought repose4 ,and ere long slouched sleep drew nigh1 tending dreams innumerable2 silent dotting all the downs a shepherd with his flock4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,dreams ,dreams6 dreams6 golden dreams3 endless1 and golden1 as the flowery prairies1 that stretch away from the ,rio ,sacramento1 in whose waters ,danae's shower was woven2--prairies like rounded eternities3 jonquil leaves beaten out2 and my dreams herd like buffaloes1 browsing on to the horizon1 and browsing on round the world2 and among them1 ,i dash with my lance1 to spear one1 ere they all flee4 ,dreams6 dreams6 passing and repassing1 like ,oriental empires in history2 and scepters wave thick1 as ,bruce's pikes at ,bannockburn2 and crowns are plenty as marigolds in ,june4 ,and far in the background1 hazy and blue1 their steeps let down from the sky1 loom ,andes on ,andes1 rooted on ,alps2 and all round me1 long rushing oceans1 roll ,amazons and ,oronocos2 waves1 mounted ,parthians2 and1 to and fro1 toss the wide woodlands3 all the world an elk1 and the forests its antlers4 ,but far to the ,south1 past my ,sicily suns and my vineyards1 stretches the ,antarctic barrier of ice3 a ,china wall1 built up from the sea1 and nodding its frosted towers in the dun1 clouded sky4 ,do ,tartary and ,siberia lie beyond8 ,deathful1 desolate dominions those2 bleak and wild the ocean1 beating at that barrier's base1 hovering 'twixt freezing and foaming2 and freighted with navies of ice-bergs1--warring worlds crossing orbits2 their long icicles1 projecting like spears to the charge4 ,wide away stream the floes of drift ice1 frozen cemeteries of skeletons and bones4 ,white bears howl as they drift from their cubs2 and the grinding islands crush the skulls of the peering seals4 ,but beneath me1 at the ,equator1 the earth pulses and beats like a warrior's heart2 till ,i know not1 whether it be not myself4 ,and my soul sinks down to the depths1 and soars to the skies2 and comet-like reels on through such boundless expanses1 that methinks all the worlds are my kin1 and ,i invoke them to stay in their course4 ,yet1 like a mighty three-decker1 towing argosies by scores1 ,i tremble1 gasp1 and strain in my flight1 and fain would cast off the cables that hamper4 ,and like a frigate1 ,i am full with a thousand souls2 and as on1 on1 on1 ,i scud before the wind1 many mariners rush up from the orlop below1 like miners from caves2 running shouting across my decks2 opposite braces are pulled2 and this way and that1 the great yards swing round on their axes2 and boisterous speaking-trumpets are heard2 and contending orders1 to save the good ship from the shoals4 ,shoals1 like nebulous vapors1 shoreing the white reef of the ,milky ,way1 against which the wrecked worlds are dashed2 strewing all the strand1 with their ,himmaleh keels and ribs4 ,ay3 many1 many souls are in me4 ,in my tropical calms1 when my ship lies tranced on ,eternity's main1 speaking one at a time1 then all with one voice3 an orchestra of many ,french bugles and horns1 rising1 and falling1 and swaying1 in golden calls and responses4 ,sometimes1 when these ,atlantics and ,pacifics thus undulate round me1 ,i lie stretched out in their midst3 a land-locked ,mediterranean1 knowing no ebb1 nor flow4 ,then again1 ,i am dashed in the spray of these sounds3 an eagle at the world's end1 tossed skyward1 on the horns of the tempest4 ,yet1 again1 ,i descend1 and list to the concert4 ,like a grand1 ground swell1 ,homer's old organ rolls its vast volumes under the light frothy wave-crests of ,anacreon and ,hafiz2 and high over my ocean1 sweet ,shakespeare soars1 like all the larks of the spring4 ,throned on my seaside1 like ,canute1 bearded ,ossian smites his hoar harp1 wreathed with wild-flowers1 in which warble my ,wallers2 blind ,milton sings bass to my ,petrarchs and ,priors1 and laureate crown me with bays4 ,in me1 many worthies recline1 and converse4 ,i list to ,st4 ,paul who argues the doubts of ,montaigne2 ,julian the ,apostate cross-questions ,augustine2 and ,thomas-a-,kempis unrolls his old black letters for all to decipher4 ,zeno murmurs maxims beneath the hoarse shout of ,democritus2 and though ,democritus laugh loud and long1 and the sneer of ,pyrrho be seen2 yet1 divine ,plato1 and ,proclus1 and1 ,verulam are of my counsel2 and ,zoroaster whispered me before ,i was born4 ,i walk a world that is mine2 and enter many nations1 as ,mingo ,park rested in ,african cots2 ,i am served like ,bajazet3 ,bacchus my butler1 ,virgil my minstrel1 ,philip ,sidney my page4 ,my memory is a life beyond birth2 my memory1 my library of the ,vatican1 its alcoves all endless perspectives1 eve-tinted by cross-lights from ,middle-,age oriels4 ,and as the great ,mississippi musters his watery nations3 ,ohio1 with all his leagued streams2 ,missouri1 bringing down in torrents the clans from the highlands2 ,arkansas1 his ,tartar rivers from the plain2--so1 with all the past and present pouring in me1 ,i roll down my billow from afar4 ,yet not ,i1 but another3 ,god is my ,lord2 and though many satellites revolve around me1 ,i and all mine revolve round the great central ,truth1 sun-like1 fixed and luminous forever in the foundationless firmament4 ,fire flames on my tongue2 and though of old the ,bactrian prophets were stoned1 yet the stoners in oblivion sleep4 ,but whoso stones me1 shall be as ,erostratus1 who put torch to the temple2 though ,genghis ,khan with ,cambyses combine to obliterate him1 his name shall be extant in the mouth of the last man that lives4 ,and if so be1 down unto death1 whence ,i came1 will ,i go1 like ,xenophon retreating on ,greece1 all ,persia brandishing her spears in his rear4 ,my cheek blanches white while ,i write2 ,i start at the scratch of my pen2 my own mad brood of eagles devours me2 fain would ,i unsay this audacity2 but an iron-mailed hand clenches mine in a vice1 and prints down every letter in my spite4 ,fain would ,i hurl off this ,dionysius that rides me2 my thoughts crush me down till ,i groan2 in far fields ,i hear the song of the reaper1 while ,i slave and faint in this cell4 ,the fever runs through me like lava2 my hot brain burns like a coal2 and like many a monarch1 ,i am less to be envied1 than the veriest hind in the land4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,media ,and ,babbalanja ,discourse ,our visiting the ,pontiff at a time previously unforeseen1 somewhat altered our plans4 ,all search in ,maramma for the lost one proving fruitless1 and nothing of note remaining to be seen1 we returned not to ,uma2 but proceeded with the tour of the lagoon4 ,when day came1 reclining beneath the canopy1 ,babbalanja would fain have seriously discussed those things we had lately been seeing1 which1 for all the occasional levity he had recently evinced1 seemed very near his heart4 ,but my lord ,media forbade2 saying that they necessarily included a topic which all gay1 sensible ,mardians1 who desired to live and be merry1 invariably banished from social discourse4 8,meditate as much as you will1 ,babbalanja1 but say little aloud1 unless in a merry and mythical way4 ,lay down the great maxims of things1 but let inferences take care of themselves4 ,never be special2 never1 a partisan4 ,in safety1 afar off1 you may batter down a fortress2 but at your peril you essay to carry a single turret by escalade4 ,and if doubts distract you1 in vain will you seek sympathy from your fellow men4 ,for upon this one theme1 not a few of you free-minded mortals1 even the otherwise honest and intelligent1 are the least frank and friendly4 ,discourse with them1 and it is mostly formulas1 or prevarications1 or hollow assumption of philosophical indifference1 or urbane hypocrisies1 or a cool1 civil deference to the dominant belief2 or still worse1 but less common1 a brutality of indiscriminate skepticism4 ,furthermore1 ,babbalanja1 on this head1 final1 last thoughts you mortals have none2 nor can have2 and1 at bottom1 your own fleeting fancies are too often secrets to yourselves2 and sooner may you get another's secret1 than your own4 ,thus with the wisest of you all2 you are ever unfixed4 ,do you show a tropical calm without8 then1 be sure a thousand contrary currents whirl and eddy within4 ,the free1 airy robe of your philosophy is but a dream1 which seems true while it lasts2 but waking again into the orthodox world1 straightway you resume the old habit4 ,and though in your dreams you may hie to the uttermost ,orient1 yet all the while you abide where you are4 ,babbalanja1 you mortals dwell in ,mardi1 and it is impossible to get elsewhere40 ,said ,babbalanja1 8,my lord1 you school me4 ,but though ,i dissent from some of your positions1 ,i am willing to confess1 that this is not the first time a philosopher has been instructed by a man40 8,a demi-god1 sir2 and therefore ,i the more readily discharge my mind of all seriousness1 touching the subject1 with which you mortals so vex and torment yourselves40 ,silence ensued4 ,and seated apart1 on both sides of the barge1 solemnly swaying1 in fixed meditation1 to the roll of the waves1 ,babbalanja1 ,mohi1 and ,yoomy1 drooped lower and lower1 like funeral plumes2 and our gloomy canoe seemed a hearse4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,they ,regale ,themselves ,with ,their ,pipes 8,ho6 mortals6 mortals60 cried ,media4 8,go we to bury our dead8 ,awake1 sons of men6 ,cheer up1 heirs of immortality6 ,ho1 ,vee-,vee6 bring forth our pipes3 we'll smoke off this cloud40 ,nothing so beguiling as the fumes of tobacco1 whether inhaled through hookah1 narghil1 chibouque1 ,dutch porcelain1 pure ,principe1 or ,regalia4 ,and a great oversight had it been in ,king ,media1 to have omitted pipes among the appliances of this voyage that we went4 ,tobacco in rouleaus we had none2 cigar nor cigarret2 which little the company esteemed4 ,pipes were preferred2 and pipes we often smoked2 testify1 oh6 ,vee-,vee1 to that4 ,but not of the vile clay1 of which mankind and ,etruscan vases were made1 were these jolly fine pipes of ours4 ,but all in good time4 ,now1 the leaf called tobacco is of divers species and sorts4 ,not to dwell upon vile ,shag1 ,pig-tail1 ,plug1 ,nail-rod1 ,negro-head1 ,cavendish1 and misnamed ,lady's-twist1 there are the following varieties3--,gold- leaf1 ,oronoco1 ,cimaroza1 ,smyrna1 ,bird's-eye1 ,james-river1 ,sweet-scented1 ,honey-dew1 ,kentucky1 ,cnaster1 ,scarfalati1 and famed ,shiraz1 or ,persian4 ,of all of which1 perhaps the last is the best4 ,but smoked by itself1 to a fastidious wight1 even ,shiraz is not gentle enough4 ,it needs mitigation4 ,and the cunning craft of so mitigating even the mildest tobacco was well understood in the dominions of ,media4 ,there1 in plantations ever covered with a brooding1 blue haze1 they raised its fine leaf in the utmost luxuriance2 almost as broad as the broad fans of the broad-bladed banana4 ,the stalks of the leaf withdrawn1 the remainder they cut up1 and mixed with soft willow-bark1 and the aromatic leaves of the ,betel4 8,ho6 ,vee-,vee1 bring forth the pipes10 cried ,media4 ,and forth they came1 followed by a quaint1 carved cocoa-nut1 agate-lidded1 containing ammunition sufficient for many stout charges and primings4 ,soon we were all smoking so hard1 that the canopied howdah1 under which we reclined1 sent up purple wreaths like a ,michigan wigwam4 ,there we sat in a ring1 all smoking in council--every pipe a halcyon pipe of peace4 ,and among those calumets1 my lord ,media's showed like the turbaned ,grand ,turk among his ,bashaws4 ,it was an extraordinary pipe1 be sure2 of right royal dimensions4 ,its mouth-piece an eagle's beak2 its long stem1 a bright1 red-barked cherry-tree branch1 partly covered with a close network of purple dyed porcupine quills2 and toward the upper end1 streaming with pennons1 like a ,versailles flag-staff of a coronation day4 ,these pennons were managed by halyards2 and after lighting his prince's pipe1 it was little ,vee-,vee's part to run them up toward the mast-head1 or mouthpiece1 in token that his lord was fairly under weigh4 ,but ,babbalanja's was of a different sort2 an immense1 black1 serpentine stem of ebony1 coiling this way and that1 in endless convolutions1 like an anaconda round a traveler in ,brazil4 ,smoking this hydra1 ,babbalanja looked as if playing upon the trombone4 ,next1 gentle ,yoomy's4 ,its stem1 a slender golden reed1 like musical ,pan's2 its bowl very merry with tassels4 ,lastly1 old ,mohi the chronicler's4 ,its ,death's-head bowl forming its latter end1 continually reminding him of his own4 ,its shank was an ostrich's leg1 some feathers still waving nigh the mouth-piece4 8,here1 ,vee-,vee6 fill me up again10 cried ,media1 through the blue vapors sweeping round his great gonfalon1 like plumed ,marshal ,ney1 waving his baton in the smoke of ,waterloo2 or thrice gallant ,anglesea1 crossing his wooden leg mid the reek and rack of the ,apsley ,house banquet4 ,vee-,vee obeyed2 and quickly1 like a howitzer1 the pipe-owl was reloaded to the muzzle1 and ,king ,media smoked on4 8,ah6 this is pleasant indeed10 he cried4 8,look1 it's a calm on the waters1 and a calm in our hearts1 as we inhale these sedative odors40 8,so calm10 said ,babbalanja2 8the very gods must be smoking now40 8,and thus10 said ,media1 8we demi-gods hereafter shall cross-legged sit1 and smoke out our eternities4 ,ah1 what a glorious puff6 ,mortals1 methinks these pipe-bowls of ours must be petrifactions of roses1 so scented they seem4 ,but1 old ,mohi1 you have smoked this many a long year2 doubtless1 you know something about their material--the ,froth-of-the-,sea they call it1 ,i think--ere my handicraft subjects obtain it1 to work into bowls4 ,tell us the tale40 8,delighted to do so1 my lord10 replied ,mohi1 slowly disentangling his mouth-piece from the braids of his beard4 8,i have devoted much time and attention to the study of pipe-bowls1 and groped among many learned authorities1 to reconcile the clashing opinions concerning the origin of the so-called ,farnoo1 or ,froth-of-the-,sea40 8,well1 then1 my old centenarian1 give us the result of your investigations4 ,but smoke away3 a word and a puff go on40 8,may it please you1 then1 my right worshipful lord1 this ,farnoo is an unctuous1 argillaceous substance2 in its natural state1 soft1 malleable1 and easily worked as the cornelian-red clay from the famous pipe-quarries of the wild tribes to the ,north4 ,but though mostly found buried in terra-firma1 especially in the isles toward the ,east1 this ,farnoo1 my lord1 is sometimes thrown up by the ocean2 in seasons of high sea1 being plentifully found on the reefs4 ,but1 my lord1 like amber1 the precise nature and origin of this ,farnoo are points widely mooted40 8,stop there60 cried ,media2 8our mouth-pieces are of amber2 so1 not a word more of the ,froth-of-the-,sea1 until something be said to clear up the mystery of amber4 ,what is amber1 old man80 8,a still more obscure thing to trace than the other1 my worshipful lord4 ,ancient ,plinnee maintained1 that originally it must be a juice1 exuding from balsam firs and pines2 ,borhavo1 that1 like camphor1 it is the crystalized oil of aromatic ferns2 ,berzilli1 that it is the concreted scum of the lake ,cephioris2 and ,vondendo1 against scores of antagonists1 stoutly held it a sort of bituminous gold1 trickling from antediluvian smugglers' caves1 nigh the sea40 8,why1 old ,braid-,beard10 cried ,media1 placing his pipe in rest1 8you are almost as erudite as our philosopher here40 8,much more so1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja2 8for ,mohi has somehow picked up all my worthless forgettings1 which are more than my valuable rememberings40 8,what say you1 wise one80 cried ,mohi1 shaking his braids1 like an enraged elephant with many trunks4 ,said ,yoomy3 8,my lord1 ,i have heard that amber is nothing less than the congealed tears of broken-hearted mermaids40 8,absurd1 minstrel10 cried ,mohi4 8,hark ye2 ,i know what it is4 ,all other authorities to the contrary1 amber is nothing more than gold-fishes' brains1 made waxy1 then firm1 by the action of the sea40 8,nonsense60 cried ,yoomy4 8,my lord10 said ,braid-,beard1 waving his pipe1 this thing is just as ,i say4 ,imbedded in amber1 do we not find little fishes' fins1 porpoise-teeth1 sea-gulls' beaks and claws2 nay1 butterflies' wings1 and sometimes a topaz8 ,and how could that be1 unless the substance was first soft8 ,amber is gold-fishes' brains1 ,i say40 8,for one10 said ,babbalanja1 8,i'll not believe that1 till you prove to me1 ,braid-,beard1 that ideas themselves are found imbedded therein40 8,another of your crazy conceits1 philosopher10 replied ,mohi1 disdainfully2 8yet1 sometimes plenty of strange black-letter characters have been discovered in amber40 ,and throwing back his hoary old head1 he jetted forth his vapors like a whale4 8,indeed80 cried ,babbalanja4 8,then1 my lord ,media1 it may be earnestly inquired1 whether the gentle laws of the tribes before the flood1 were not sought to be embalmed and perpetuated between transparent and sweet scented tablets of amber40 8,that1 now1 is not so unlikely10 said ,mohi2 8for old ,king ,rondo the ,round once set about getting him a coffin-lid of amber2 much desiring a famous mass of it owned by the ancestors of ,donjalolo of ,juam4 ,but no navies could buy it4 ,so ,rondo had himself urned in a crystal40 8,and that immortalized ,rondo1 no doubt10 said ,babbalanja4 8,ha6 ha6 pity he fared not like the fat porpoise frozen and tombed in an iceberg2 its icy shroud drifting south1 soon melted away1 and down1 out of sight1 sunk the dead40 8,well1 so much for amber10 cried ,media4 8,now1 ,mohi1 go on about ,farnoo40 8,know1 then1 my lord1 that ,farnoo is more like ambergris than amber40 8,is it8 then1 pray1 tell us something on that head4 ,you know all about ambergris1 too1 ,i suppose40 8,every thing about all things1 my lord4 ,ambergris is found both on land and at sea4 ,but especially1 are lumps of it picked up on the spicy coasts of ,jovanna2 indeed1 all over the atolls and reefs in the eastern quarter of ,mardi40 8,but what is this ambergris8 ,braid-,beard10 said ,babbalanja4 8,aquovi1 the chymist1 pronounced it the fragments of mushrooms growing at the bottom of the sea2 ,voluto held1 that like naptha1 it springs from fountains down there4 ,but it is neither40 8,i have heard10 said ,yoomy1 8that it is the honey-comb of bees1 fallen from flowery cliffs into the brine40 8,nothing of the kind10 said ,mohi4 8,do ,i not know all about it1 minstrel8 ,ambergris is the petrified gall-stones of crocodiles40 8,what60 cried ,babbalanja1 8comes sweet scented ambergris from those musky and chain-plated river cavalry8 ,no wonder1 then1 their flesh is so fragrant2 their upper jaws as the visors of vinaigrettes40 8,nay1 you are all wrong10 cried ,king ,media4 ,then1 laughing to himself3--8,it's pleasant to sit by1 a demi-god1 and hear the surmisings of mortals1 upon things they know nothing about2 theology1 or amber1 or ambergris1 it's all the same4 ,but then1 did ,i always out with every thing ,i know1 there would be no conversing with these comical creatures4 8,listen1 old ,mohi2 ambergris is a morbid secretion of the ,spermaceti whale2 for like you mortals1 the whale is at times a sort of hypochondriac and dyspeptic4 ,you must know1 subjects1 that in antediluvian times1 the ,spermaceti whale was much hunted by sportsmen1 that being accounted better pastime1 than pursuing the ,behemoths on shore4 ,besides1 it was a lucrative diversion4 ,now1 sometimes upon striking the monster1 it would start off in a dastardly fright1 leaving certain fragments in its wake4 ,these fragments the hunters picked up1 giving over the chase for a while4 ,for in those days1 as now1 a quarter-quintal of ambergris was more valuable than a whole ton of spermaceti40 8,nor1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8would it have been wise to kill the fish that dropped such treasures3 no more than to murder the noddy that laid the golden eggs40 8,beshrew me6 a noddy it must have been10 gurgled ,mohi through his pipe-stem1 8to lay golden eggs for others to hatch40 8,come1 no more of that now10 cried ,media4 8,mohi1 how long think you1 may one of these pipe-bowls last80 8,my lord1 like one's cranium1 it will endure till broken4 ,i have smoked this one of mine more than half a century40 8,but unlike our craniums1 stocked full of concretions10 said ,babbalanja1 our pipe-bowls never need clearing out40 8,true10 said ,mohi1 8they absorb the oil of the smoke1 instead of allowing it offensively to incrust40 8,ay1 the older the better10 said ,media1 8and the more delicious the flavor imparted to the fumes inhaled40 8,farnoos forever6 my lord10 cried ,yoomy4 8,by much smoking1 the bowl waxes russet and mellow1 like the berry-brown cheek of a sunburnt brunette40 8,and as like smoked hams10 cried ,braid-,beard1 8we veteran old smokers grow browner and browner2 hugely do we admire to see our jolly noses and pipe-bowls mellowing together40 8,well said1 old man10 cried ,babbalanja2 8for1 like a good wife1 a pipe is a friend and companion for life4 ,and whoso weds with a pipe1 is no longer a bachelor4 ,after many vexations1 he may go home to that faithful counselor1 and ever find it full of kind consolations and suggestions4 ,but not thus with cigars or cigarrets3 the acquaintances of a moment1 chatted with in by-places1 whenever they come handy2 their existence so fugitive1 uncertain1 unsatisfactory4 ,once ignited1 nothing like longevity pertains to them4 ,they never grow old4 ,why1 my lord1 the stump of a cigarret is an abomination2 and two of them crossed are more of a memento-mori1 than a brace of thigh-bones at right angles40 8,so they are1 so they are10 cried ,king ,media4 8,then1 mortals1 puff we away at our pipes4 ,puff1 puff1 ,i say4 ,ah6 how we puff6 ,but thus we demi-gods ever puff at our ease40 8,puff2 puff1 how we puff10 cried ,babbalanja4 8but life itself is a puff and a wheeze4 ,our lungs are two pipes which we constantly smoke40 8,puff1 puff6 how we puff10 cried old ,mohi4 8,all thought is a puff40 8,ay10 said ,babbalanja1 8not more smoke in that skull-bowl of yours than in the skull on your shoulders3 both ends alike40 8,puff6 puff6 how we puff10 cried ,yoomy4 8,but in every puff1 there hangs a wreath4 ,in every puff1 off flies a care40 8,ay1 there they go10 cried ,mohi1 8there goes another--and1 there1 and there2--this is the way to get rid of them my worshipful lord2 puff them aside40 8,yoomy10 said ,media1 8give us that pipe song of thine4 ,sing it1 my sweet and pleasant poet4 ,we'll keep time with the flageolets of ours40 8,so with pipes and puffs for a chorus1 thus ,yoomy sang3-- ,care is all stuff3-- ,puff6 ,puff3 ,to puff is enough3-- ,puff6 ,puff6 ,more musky than snuff1 ,and warm is a puff3-- ,puff6 ,puff6 ,here we sit mid our puffs1 ,like old lords in their ruffs1 ,snug as bears in their muffs3-- ,puff6 ,puff6 ,then puff1 puff1 puff2 ,for care is all stuff1 ,puffed off in a puff3-- ,puff6 ,puff6 8,ay1 puff away10 cried ,babbalanja1 8puff2 puff1 so we are born1 and so die4 ,puff1 puff1 my volcanos3 the great sun itself will yet go out in a snuff1 and all ,mardi smoke out its last wick40 8,puffs enough10 said ,king ,media1 8,vee-,vee6 haul down my flag4 ,there1 lie down before me1 oh ,gonfalon6 and1 subjects1 hear1--when ,i die1 lay this spear on my right1 and this pipe on my left1 its colors at half mast2 so shall ,i be ambidexter1 and sleep between eloquent symbols40 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,they ,visit ,an ,extraordinary ,old ,antiquary 8,about prows there1 ye paddlers10 cried ,media4 8,in this fog we've been raising1 we have sailed by ,padulla1 our destination40 ,now ,padulla1 was but a little island1 tributary to a neighboring king2 its population embracing some hundreds of thousands of leaves1 and flowers1 and butterflies1 yet only two solitary mortals2 one1 famous as a venerable antiquarian3 a collector of objects of ,mardian vertu2 a cognoscenti1 and dilettante in things old and marvelous2 and for that reason1 very choice of himself4 ,he went by the exclamatory cognomen of 8,oh-,oh20 a name bestowed upon him1 by reason of the delighted interjections1 with which he welcomed all accessions to his museum4 ,now1 it was to obtain a glimpse of this very museum1 that ,media was anxious to touch at ,padulla4 ,landing1 and passing through a grove1 we were accosted by ,oh-,oh himself2 who1 having heard the shouts of our paddlers1 had sallied forth1 staff in hand4 ,the old man was a sight to see2 especially his nose2 a remarkable one4 ,and all ,mardi over1 a remarkable nose is a prominent feature3 an ever obvious passport to distinction4 ,for1 after all1 this gaining a name1 is but the individualizing of a man2 as well achieved by an extraordinary nose1 as by an extraordinary epic4 ,far better1 indeed2 for you may pass poets without knowing them4 ,even a hero1 is no hero without his sword2 nor ,beelzebub himself a lion1 minus that lasso-tail of his1 wherewith he catches his prey4 ,whereas1 he who is famous through his nose1 it is impossible to overlook4 ,he is a celebrity without toiling for a name4 ,snugly ensconced behind his proboscis1 he revels in its shadow1 receiving tributes of attention wherever he goes4 ,not to enter at large upon the topography of ,oh-,oh's nasal organ1 all must be content with this2 that it was of a singular magnitude1 and boldly aspiring at the end2 an exclamation point in the face of the wearer1 forever wondering at the visible universe4 ,the eyes of ,oh-,oh were like the creature's that the ,jew abhors3 placed slanting in his head1 and converging their rays toward the mouth2 which was no ,mouth1 but a gash4 ,i mean not to be harsh1 or unpleasant upon thee1 ,oh-,oh2 but ,i must paint thee as thou wert4 ,the rest of his person was crooked1 and dwarfed1 and surmounted by a hump1 that sat on his back like a burden4 ,and a weary load is a hump1 ,heaven knows1 only to be cast off in the grave4 ,thus old1 and antiquated1 and gable-ended1 was the tabernacle of ,oh-,oh's soul4 ,but his person was housed in as curious a structure4 ,built of old boughs of trees blown down in the groves1 and covered over with unruly thatching1 it seemed1 without1 some ostrich nest4 ,but within1 so intricate1 and grotesque1 its brown alleys and cells1 that the interior of no walnut was more labyrinthine4 ,and here1 strewn about1 all dusty and disordered1 were the precious antiques1 and curios1 and obsoletes1 which to ,oh-,oh were dear as the apple of his eye1 or the memory of departed days4 ,the old man was exceedingly importunate1 in directing attention to his relics2 concerning each of which1 he had an endless story to tell4 ,time would fail2 nay1 patience1 to repeat his legends4 ,so1 in order1 here follow the most prominent of his rarities3-- ,the identical ,canoe1 in which1 ages back1 the god ,unja came from the bottom of the sea4 7,very ponderous2 of lignum-vitae wood74 ,a stone ,flower-pot1 containing in the original soil1 ,unja's last footprints1 when he embarked from ,mardi for parts unknown4 7,one foot-print unaccountably reversed74 ,the ,jaw-bones of ,tooroorooloo1 a great orator in the days of ,unja4 7,somewhat twisted74 ,a quaint little ,fish-hook4 7,made from the finger-bones of ,kravi the ,cunning74 ,the mystic ,gourd2 carved all over with cabalistic triangles1 and hypogrifs2 by study of which a reputed prophet1 was said to have obtained his inspiration4 7,slightly redolent of vineyards74 ,the complete ,skeleton of an immense ,tiger-shark2 the bones of a ,pearl-shell-diver's leg inside4 7,picked off the reef at low tide74 ,an inscrutable1 shapeless block of a mottled-hued1 smoke-dried wood4 7,three unaccountable holes drilled through the middle74 ,a sort of ecclesiastical ,fasces1 being the bony blades of nine sword- fish1 basket-hilted with shark's jaws1 braided round and tasseled with cords of human hair4 7,now obsolete74 ,the mystic ,fan with which ,unja fanned himself when in trouble4 7,woven from the leaves of the ,water-,lily74 ,a ,tripod of a ,stork's ,leg1 supporting a nautilus shell1 containing the fragments of a bird's egg2 into which1 was said to have been magically decanted the soul of a deceased chief4 7,unfortunately crushed in by atmospheric pressure74 ,two clasped ,right ,hands1 embalmed2 being those of twin warriors1 who thus died on a battle-field4 7,impossible to sunder74 ,a curious ,pouch1 or ,purse1 formed from the skin of an ,albatross' foot1 and decorated with three sharp claws1 naturally pertaining to it4 7,originally the property of a notorious old ,tooth-per-,tooth74 ,a long tangled lock of ,mermaid's ,hair1 much resembling the curling silky fibres of the finer sea-weed4 7,preserved between fins of the dolphin74 ,a ,mermaid's ,comb for the toilet4 ,the stiff serrated crest of a ,cook ,storm-petrel 7,oh-,oh was particularly curious concerning ,mermaids74 ,files1 ,rasps1 and ,pincers1 all bone1 the implements of an eminent ,chiropedist1 who flourished his tools before the flood4 7,owing to the excessive unevenness of the surface in those times1 the diluvians were peculiarly liable to pedal afflictions74 ,the back ,tooth1 that ,zozo the ,enthusiast1 in token of grief1 recklessly knocked out at the decease of a friend4 7,worn to a stump and quite useless74 ,these wonders inspected1 ,oh-,oh conducted us to an arbor1 to show us the famous telescope1 by help of which1 he said he had discovered an ant-hill in the moon4 ,it rested in the crotch of a ,bread-fruit tree2 and was a prodigiously long and hollow trunk of a ,palm2 a scale from a sea-kraken its lens4 ,then returning to his cabinet1 he pointed to a bamboo microscope1 which had wonderfully assisted him in his entomological pursuits4 8,by this instrument1 my masters10 said he1 8,i have satisfied myself1 that in the eye of a dragon-fly there are precisely twelve thousand five hundred and forty-one triangular lenses2 and in the leg of a flea1 scores on scores of distinct muscles4 ,now1 my masters1 how far think you a flea may leap at one spring8 ,why1 two hundred times its own length2 ,i have often measured their leaps1 with a small measure ,i use for scientific purposes40 8,truly1 ,oh-,oh10 said ,babbalanja1 8your discoveries must ere long result in something grand2 since you furnish such invaluable data for theorists4 ,pray1 attend1 my lord ,media4 ,if1 at one spring1 a flea leaps two hundred times its own length1 then1 with the like proportion of muscles in his calves1 a bandit might pounce upon the unwary traveler from a quarter of a mile off4 ,is it not so1 ,oh-,oh80 8,indeed1 but it is1 my masters4 ,and one of the greatest consolations ,i draw from these studies1 is the ever-strengthening conviction of the beneficent wisdom that framed our ,mardi4 ,for did men possess thighs in proportion to fleas1 verily1 the wicked would grievously leap about1 and curvet in the isles40 8,but ,oh-,oh10 said ,babbalanja1 8what other discoveries have you made8 ,hast yet put a usurer under your lens1 to find his conscience8 or a libertine1 to find his heart8 ,hast yet brought your microscope to bear upon a downy peach1 or a rosy cheek80 8,i have10 said ,oh-,oh1 mournfully2 8and from the moment ,i so did1 ,i have had no heart to eat a peach1 or salute a cheek40 8,then dash your lens60 cried ,media4 8,well said1 my lord4 ,for all the eyes we get beyond our own1 but minister to infelicity4 ,the microscope disgusts us with our ,mardi2 and the telescope sets us longing for some other world40 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,they ,go ,down ,into ,the ,catacombs ,with a dull flambeau1 we now descended some narrow stone steps1 to view ,oh-,oh's collection of ancient and curious manuscripts1 preserved in a vault4 8,this way1 this way1 my masters10 cried ,oh-,oh1 aloft1 swinging his dim torch4 8,keep your hands before you2 it's a dark road to travel40 8,so it seems10 said ,babbalanja1 wide-groping1 as he descended lower and lower4 8,my lord this is like going down to posterity40 ,upon gaining the vault1 forth flew a score or two of bats1 extinguishing the flambeau1 and leaving us in darkness1 like ,belzoni deserted by his ,arabs in the heart of a pyramid4 ,the torch at last relumed1 we entered a tomb-like excavation1 at every step raising clouds of dust2 and at last stood before long rows of musty1 mummyish parcels1 so dingy-red1 and so rolled upon sticks1 that they looked like stiff sausages of ,bologna2 but smelt like some fine old ,stilton or ,cheshire4 ,most ancient of all1 was a hieroglyphical ,elegy on the ,dumps1 consisting of one thousand and one lines2 the characters1--herons1 weeping-willows1 and ravens1 supposed to have been traced by a quill from the sea-noddy4 ,then there were plenty of rare old ballads3-- 8,king ,kroko1 and the ,fisher ,girl40 8,the ,fight at the ,ford of ,spears40 8,the ,song of the ,skulls40 ,and brave old chronicles1 that made ,mohi's mouth water3-- 8,the ,rise and ,setting of the ,dynasty of ,foofoo40 8,the ,heroic ,history of the ,noble ,prince ,dragoni2 showing how he killed ten ,pinioned ,prisoners with his ,own ,hand40 8,the whole ,pedigree of the ,king of ,kandidee1 with that of his famous horse1 ,znorto40 ,and ,tarantula books3-- 8,sour ,milk for the ,young1 by a ,dairyman40 8,the ,devil adrift1 by a ,corsair40 8,grunts and ,groans1 by a ,mad ,boar40 8,stings1 by a ,scorpion40 ,and poetical productions3-- 8,suffusions of a ,lily in a ,shower40 8,sonnet on the last ,breath of an ,ephemera40 8,the ,gad-fly1 and ,other ,poems40 ,and metaphysical treatises3-- 8,necessitarian not ,predestinarian40 8,philosophical ,necessity and ,predestination ,one ,thing and ,the ,same40 8,whatever is not1 is40 8,whatever is1 is not40 ,and scarce old memoirs3-- 8,the ,one ,hundred ,books of the ,biography of the ,great and ,good ,king ,grandissimo40 8,the ,life of old ,philo1 the ,philanthropist1 in one ,chapter40 ,and popular literature3-- 8,a most ,sweet1 ,pleasant1 and ,unctuous ,account of the ,manner in which ,five-and-,forty ,robbers were torn asunder by ,swiftly-,going ,canoes40 ,and books by chiefs and nobles3-- 8,the ,art of ,making a ,noise in ,mardi40 8,on the ,proper ,manner of ,saluting a ,bosom ,friend40 8,letters from a ,father to a ,son1 inculcating the ,virtue of ,vice40 8,pastorals by a ,younger ,son40 8,a ,catalogue of ,chieftains who have been ,authors1 by a ,chieftain1 who disdains to be deemed an ,author40 8,a ,canto on a ,cough caught by my ,consort40 8,the ,philosophy of ,honesty1 by a late ,lord1 who died in disgrace40 ,and theological works3-- 8,pepper for the ,perverse40 8,pudding for the ,pious40 8,pleas for ,pardon40 8,pickles for the ,persecuted40 ,and long and tedious romances with short and easy titles3-- 8,the ,buck40 8,the ,belle40 8,the ,king and the ,cook1 or the ,cook and the ,king40 ,and books of voyages3-- 8,a ,sojourn among the ,anthropophagi1 by ,one whose ,hand was eaten off at ,tiffin among the ,savages40 8,franko3 its ,king1 ,court1 and ,tadpoles40 8,three ,hours in ,vivenza1 containing a ,full and ,impartial ,account of that ,whole ,country3 by a ,subject of ,king ,bello40 ,and works of nautical poets3-- 8,sky-,sail-,pole ,lyrics40 ,and divers brief books1 with panic-striking titles3-- 8,are you safe80 8,a ,voice from ,below40 8,hope for none40 8,fire for all40 ,and pamphlets by retired warriors3-- 8,on the ,best ,gravy for ,wild ,boar's ,meat40 8,three ,receipts for ,bottling ,new ,arrack40 8,to ,brown ,bread ,fruit without ,burning40 8,advice to the ,dyspeptic40 8,on ,starch for ,tappa40 ,all these ,,mss4 were highly prized by ,oh-,oh4 ,he averred1 that they spoke of the mighty past1 which he reverenced more than the paltry present1 the dross and sediment of what had been4 ,peering into a dark crypt1 ,babbalanja drew forth a few crumbling1 illegible1 black-letter sheets of his favorite old essayist1 brave ,bardianna4 ,they seemed to have formed parts of a work1 whose title only remained--8,thoughts1 by a ,thinker40 ,silently ,babbalanja pressed them to his heart4 ,then at arm's length held them1 and said1 8,and is all this wisdom lost8 ,can not the divine cunning in thee1 ,bardianna1 transmute to brightness these sullied pages8 ,here1 perhaps1 thou didst dive into the deeps of things1 treating of the normal forms of matter and of mind2 how the particles of solids were first molded in the interstices of fluids2 how the thoughts of men are each a soul1 as the lung-cells are each a lung2 how that death is but a mode of life2 while mid-most is the ,pharzi4-- ,but all is faded4 ,yea1 here the ,thinker's thoughts lie cheek by jowl with phrasemen's words4 ,oh ,bardianna6 these pages were offspring of thee1 thought of thy thought1 soul of thy soul4 ,instinct with mind1 they once spoke out like living voices2 now1 they're dust2 and would not prick a fool to action4 ,whence then is this8 ,if the fogs of some few years can make soul linked to matter naught2 how can the unhoused spirit hope to live when mildewed with the damps of death40 ,piously he folded the shreds of manuscript together1 kissed them1 and laid them down4 ,then approaching ,oh-,oh1 he besought him for one leaf1 one shred of those most precious pages1 in memory of ,bardianna1 and for the love of him4 ,but learning who he was1 one of that old ,ponderer's commentators1 ,oh-,oh tottered toward the manuscripts2 with trembling fingers told them over1 one by one1 and said--8,thank ,oro6 all are here4--,philosopher1 ask me for my limbs1 my life1 my heart1 but ask me not for these4 ,steeped in wax1 these shall be my cerements40 ,all in vain2 ,oh-,oh was an antiquary4 ,turning in despair1 ,babbalanja spied a heap of worm-eaten parchment covers1 and many clippings and parings4 ,and whereas the rolls of manuscripts did smell like unto old cheese2 so these relics did marvelously resemble the rinds of the same4 ,turning over this pile1 ,babbalanja lighted upon something that restored his good humor4 ,long he looked it over delighted2 but bethinking him1 that he must have dragged to day some lost work of the collection1 and much desirous of possessing it1 he made bold again to ply ,oh-,oh2 offering a tempting price for his discovery4 ,glancing at the title--8,a ,happy ,life0--the old man cried--8,oh1 rubbish6 rubbish6 take it for nothing40 ,and ,babbalanja placed it in his vestment4 ,the catacombs surveyed1 and day-light gained1 we inquired the way to ,ji-,ji's1 also a collector1 but of another sort2 one miserly in the matter of teeth1 the money of ,mardi4 ,at the mention of his name1 ,oh-,oh flew out into scornful philippics upon the insanity of that old dotard1 who hoarded up teeth1 as if teeth were of any use1 but to purchase rarities4 ,nevertheless1 he pointed out our path2 following which1 we crossed a meadow4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,babbalanja ,quotes ,from ,an ,antique ,pagan2 ,and ,earnestly ,presses ,it ,upon ,the ,company1 ,that ,what ,he ,recites ,is ,not ,his ,but ,another's ,journeying on1 we stopped by a gurgling spring1 in a beautiful grove2 and here1 we stretched out on the grass1 and our attendants unpacked their hampers1 to provide us a lunch4 ,but as for that ,babbalanja of ours1 he must needs go and lunch by himself1 and1 like a cannibal1 feed upon an author2 though in other respects he was not so partial to bones4 ,bringing forth the treasure he had buried in his bosom1 he was soon buried in it2 and motionless on his back1 looked as if laid out1 to keep an appointment with his undertaker4 8,what1 ho6 ,babbalanja60 cried ,media from under a tree1 8don't be a duck1 there1 with your bill in the air2 drop your metaphysics1 man1 and fall to on the solids4 ,do you hear80 8,come1 philosopher10 said ,mohi1 handling a banana1 8you will weigh more after you have eaten40 8,come1 list1 ,babbalanja10 cried ,yoomy1 8,i am going to sing40 8,up6 up6 ,i say10 shouted ,media again4 8,but go1 old man1 and wake him3 rap on his head1 and see whether he be in40 ,mohi1 obeying1 found him at home2 and ,babbalanja started up4 8,in ,oro's name1 what ails you1 philosopher8 ,see you ,paradise1 that you look so wildly80 8,a ,happy ,life6 a ,happy ,life60 cried ,babbalanja1 in an ecstasy4 8,my lord1 ,i am lost in the dream of it1 as here recorded4 ,marvelous book6 its goodness transports me4 ,let me read3--#8,i would bear the same mind1 whether ,i be rich or poor1 whether ,i get or lose in the world4 ,i will reckon benefits well placed as the fairest part of my possession1 not valuing them by number or weight1 but by the profit and esteem of the receiver2 accounting myself never the poorer for any thing ,i give4 ,what ,i do shall be done for conscience1 not ostentation4 ,i will eat and drink1 not to gratify my palate1 but to satisfy nature4 ,i will be cheerful to my friends1 mild and placable to my enemies4 ,i will prevent an honest request1 if ,i can foresee it2 and ,i will grant it1 without asking4 ,i will look upon the whole world as my country2 and upon ,oro1 both as the witness and the judge of my words and my deeds4 ,i will live and die with this testimony3 that ,i loved a good conscience2 that ,i never invaded another man's liberty2 and that ,i preserved my own4 ,i will govern my life and my thoughts1 as if the whole world were to see the one1 and to read the other2 for what does it signify1 to make any thing a secret to my neighbor1 when to ,oro all our privacies are open4'0 8,very fine10 said ,media4 8,the very spirit of the first followers of ,alma1 as recorded in the legends10 said ,mohi4 8,inimitable10 said ,yoomy4 ,said ,babbalanja1 8,listen again3--#8,righteousness is sociable and gentle2 free1 steady1 and fearless2 full of inexhaustible delights4' ,and here again1 and here1 and here3--,the true felicity of life is to understand our duty to ,oro4'--#8,true joy is a serene and sober motion4' ,and here1 and here1--my lord1 'tis hard quoting from this book2--but listen--#8,a peaceful conscience1 honest thoughts1 and righteous actions are blessings without end1 satiety1 or measure4 ,the poor man wants many things2 the covetous man1 all4 ,it is not enough to know ,oro1 unless we obey him4'0 8,alma all over10 cried ,mohi2 8sure1 you read from his sayings80 8,i read but odd sentences from one1 who though he lived ages ago1 never saw1 scarcely heard of ,alma4 ,and mark me1 my lord1 this time ,i improvise nothing4 ,what ,i have recited1 ,is here4 ,mohi1 this book is more marvelous than the prophecies4 ,my lord1 that a mere man1 and a heathen1 in that most heathenish time1 should give utterance to such heavenly wisdom1 seems more wonderful than that an inspired prophet should reveal it4 ,and is it not more divine in this philosopher1 to love righteousness for its own sake1 and in view of annihilation1 than for pious sages to extol it as the means of everlasting felicity80 8,alas10 sighed ,yoomy1 8and does he not promise us any good thing1 when we are dead80 8,he speaks not by authority4 ,he but woos us to goodness and happiness here40 8,then1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8keep your treasure to yourself4 ,without authority1 and a full right hand1 ,righteousness better be silent4 ,mardi's religion must seem to come direct from ,oro1 and the mass of you mortals endeavor it not1 except for a consideration1 present or to come40 8,and call you that righteousness1 my lord1 which is but the price paid down for something else80 8,i called it not righteousness2 it is religion so called4 ,but let us prate no more of these things2 with which ,i1 a demi-god1 have but little in common4 ,it ever impairs my digestion4 ,no more1 ,babbalanja40 8,my lord6 my lord6 out of itself1 ,religion has nothing to bestow4 ,nor will she save us from aught1 but from the evil in ourselves4 ,her one grand end is to make us wise2 her only manifestations are reverence to ,oro and love to man2 her only1 but ample reward1 herself4 ,he who has this1 has all4 ,he who has this1 whether he kneel to an image of wood1 calling it ,oro2 or to an image of air1 calling it the same2 whether he fasts or feasts2 laughs or weeps2--that man can be no richer4 ,and this religion1 faith1 virtue1 righteousness1 good1 whate'er you will1 ,i find in this book ,i hold4 ,no written page can teach me more40 8,have you that1 then1 of which you speak1 ,babbalanja8 ,are you content1 there where you stand80 8,my lord1 you drive me home4 ,i am not content4 ,the mystery of mysteries is still a mystery4 ,how this author came to be so wise1 perplexes me4 ,how he led the life he did1 confounds me4 ,oh1 my lord1 ,i am in darkness1 and no broad blaze comes down to flood me4 ,the rays that come to me are but faint cross lights1 mazing the obscurity wherein ,i live4 ,and after all1 excellent as it is1 ,i can be no gainer by this book4 ,for the more we learn1 the more we unlearn2 we accumulate not1 but substitute2 and take away1 more than we add4 ,we dwindle while we grow2 we sally out for wisdom1 and retreat beyond the point whence we started2 we essay the ,fondiza1 and get but the ,phe4 ,of all simpletons1 the simplest6 ,oh6 that ,i were another sort of fool than ,i am1 that ,i might restore my good opinion of myself4 ,continually ,i stand in the pillory1 am broken on the wheel1 and dragged asunder by wild horses4 ,yes1 yes1 ,bardianna1 all is in a nut1 as thou sayest2 but all my back teeth can not crack it2 ,i but crack my own jaws4 ,all round me1 my fellow men are new-grafting their vines1 and dwelling in flourishing arbors2 while ,i am forever pruning mine1 till it is become but a stump4 ,yet in this pruning will ,i persist2 ,i will not add1 ,i will diminish2 ,i will train myself down to the standard of what is unchangeably true4 ,day by day ,i drop off my redundancies2 ere long ,i shall have stripped my ribs2 when ,i die1 they will but bury my spine4 ,ah6 where1 where1 where1 my lord1 is the everlasting ,tekana8 ,tell me1 ,mohi1 where the ,ephina8 ,i may have come to the ,penultimate1 but where1 sweet ,yoomy1 is the ,ultimate8 ,ah1 companions6 ,i faint1 ,i am wordless3- -something1 nothing1 riddles1--does ,mardi hold her80 8,he swoons60 cried ,yoomy4 8,water6 water60 cried ,media4 8,away30 said ,babbalanja serenely1 8,i revive40 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,they ,visit ,a ,wealthy ,old ,pauper ,continuing our route to ,jiji's1 we presently came to a miserable hovel4 ,half projecting from the low1 open entrance1 was a bald overgrown head1 intent upon an upright row of dark-colored bags3-- pelican pouches--prepared by dropping a stone within1 and suspending them1 when moist4 ,ever and anon1 the great head shook with a tremulous motion1 as one by one1 to a clicking sound from the old man's mouth1 the strings of teeth were slowly drawn forth1 and let fall1 again and again1 with a rattle4 ,but perceiving our approach1 the old miser suddenly swooped his pouches out of sight2 and1 like a turtle into its shell1 retreated into his den4 ,but soon he decrepitly emerged upon his knees1 asking what brought us thither8--to steal the teeth1 which lying rumor averred he possessed in abundance8 ,and opening his mouth1 he averred he had none2 not even a sentry in his head4 ,but ,babbalanja declared1 that long since he must have drawn his own dentals1 and bagged them with the rest4 ,now this miserable old miser must have been idiotic2 for soon forgetting what he had but just told us of his utter toothlessness1 he was so smitten with the pearly mouth of ,hohora1 one of our attendants 7the same for whose pearls1 little ,king ,peepi had taken such a fancy71 that he made the following overture to purchase its contents3 namely3 one tooth of the buyer's1 for every three of the seller's4 ,a proposition promptly rejected1 as involving a mercantile absurdity4 8,why80 said ,babbalanja4 8,doubtless1 because that proposed to be given1 is less than that proposed to be received4 ,yet1 says a philosopher1 this is the very principle which regulates all barterings4 ,for where the sense of a simple exchange of quantities1 alike in value80 8,where1 indeed80 said ,hohora with open eyes1 8though ,i never heard it before1 that's a staggering question4 ,i beseech you1 who was the sage that asked it80 8,vivo1 the ,sophist10 said ,babbalanja1 turning aside4 ,in the hearing of ,jiji1 allusion was made to ,oh-,oh1 as a neighbor of his4 ,whereupon he vented much slavering opprobrium upon that miserable old hump-back2 who accumulated useless monstrosities2 throwing away the precious teeth1 which otherwise might have sensibly rattled in his own pelican pouches4 ,when we quitted the hovel1 ,jiji1 marking little ,vee-,vee1 from whose shoulder hung a calabash of edibles1 seized the hem of his garment and besought him for one mouthful of food2 for nothing had he tasted that day4 ,the boy tossed him a yam4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,yoomy ,sings ,some ,odd ,verses1 ,and ,babbalanja ,quotes ,from ,the ,old ,authors ,right ,and ,left ,sailing from ,padulla1 after many pleasant things had been said concerning the sights there beheld2 ,babbalanja thus addressed ,yoomy-- 8,warbler1 the last song you sung was about moonlight1 and paradise1 and fabulous pleasures evermore3 now1 have you any hymns about earthly felicity80 8,if so1 minstrel10 said ,media1 8jet it forth1 my fountain1 forthwith40 8,just now1 my lord10 replied ,yoomy1 8,i was singing to myself1 as ,i often do1 and by your leave1 ,i will continue aloud40 8,better begin at the beginning1 ,i should think10 said the chronicler1 both hands to his chin1 beginning at the top to new braid his beard4 8,no3 like the roots of your beard1 old ,mohi1 all beginnings are stiff10 cried ,babbalanja4 8,we are lucky in living midway in eternity4 ,so sing away1 ,yoomy1 where you left off10 and thus saying he unloosed his girdle for the song1 as ,apicius would for a banquet4 8,shall ,i continue aloud1 then1 my lord80 ,my lord nodded1 and ,yoomy sang3-- 8,full round1 full soft1 her dewy arms1-- ,sweet shelter from all ,mardi's harms60 8,whose arms80 cried ,mohi4 ,sang ,yoomy3-- ,diving deep in the sea1 ,she takes sunshine along3 ,down flames in the sea1 ,as of dolphins a throng4 8,what mermaid is this80 cried ,mohi4 ,sang ,yoomy3-- ,her foot1 a falling sound1 ,that all day long might bound4 ,over the beach1 ,the soft sand beach1 ,and none would find ,a trace behind4 8,and why not80 demanded ,media1 8why could no trace be found80 ,said ,braid-,beard1 8,perhaps owing1 my lord1 to the flatness of the mermaid's foot4 ,but no2 that can not be2 for mermaids are all vertebrae below the waist40 8,your fragment is pretty good1 ,i dare say1 ,yoomy10 observed ,media1 8but as ,braid-,beard hints1 rather flat40 8,flat as the foot of a man with his mind made up10 cried ,braid-,beard4 8,yoomy1 did you sup on flounders last night80 ,but ,yoomy vouchsafed no reply1 he was ten thousand leagues off in a reverie3 somewhere in the ,hyades perhaps4 ,conversation proceeding1 ,braid-,beard happened to make allusion to one ,rotato1 a portly personage1 who1 though a sagacious philosopher1 and very ambitious to be celebrated as such1 was only famous in ,mardi as the fattest man of his tribe4 ,said ,media1 8,then1 ,mohi1 ,rotato could not pick a quarrel with ,fame1 since she did not belie him4 ,fat he was1 and fat she published him40 8,right1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8for ,fame is not always so honest4 ,not seldom to be famous1 is to be widely known for what you are not1 says ,alla-,malolla4 ,whence it comes1 as old ,bardianna has it1 that for years a man may move unnoticed among his fellows2 but all at once1 by some chance attitude1 foreign to his habit1 become a trumpet-full for fools2 though1 in himself1 the same as ever4 ,nor has he shown himself yet2 for the entire merit of a man can never be made known2 nor the sum of his demerits1 if he have them4 ,we are only known by our names2 as letters sealed up1 we but read each other's superscriptions4 8,so with the commonalty of us ,mardians4 ,how then with those beings who every way are but too apt to be riddles4 ,in many points the works of our great poet ,vavona1 now dead a thousand moons1 still remain a mystery4 ,some call him a mystic2 but wherein he seems obscure1 it is1 perhaps1 we that are in fault2 not by premeditation spoke he those archangel thoughts1 which made many declare1 that ,vavona1 after all1 was but a crack-pated god1 not a mortal of sound mind4 ,but had he been less1 my lord1 he had seemed more4 ,saith ,fulvi1 #8,of the highest order of genius1 it may be truly asserted1 that to gain the reputation of superior power1 it must partially disguise itself2 it must come down1 and then it will be applauded for soaring4' ,and furthermore1 that there are those who falter in the common tongue1 because they think in another2 and these are accounted stutterers and stammerers4'0 8,ah6 how true60 cried the ,warbler4 8,and what says the archangel ,vavona1 ,yoomy1 in that wonderful drama of his1 #8,the ,souls of the ,sages8'--#8,beyond most barren hills1 there are landscapes ravishing2 with but one eye to behold2 which no pencil can portray4' ,what wonder then1 my lord1 that ,mardi itself is so blind4 #8,mardi is a monster1' says old ,bardianna1 #8whose eyes are fixed in its head1 like a whale's2 it can see but two ways1 and those comprising but a small arc of a perfect vision4 ,poets1 heroes1 and men of might1 are all around this monster ,mardi4 ,but stand before me on stilts1 or ,i will behold you not1 says the monster2 brush back your hair2 inhale the wind largely2 lucky are all men with dome-like foreheads2 luckless those with pippin-heads2 loud lungs are a blessing2 a lion is no lion that can not roar4' ,says ,aldina1 #8,there are those looking on1 who know themselves to be swifter of foot than the racers1 but are confounded with the simpletons that stare4'0 8,the mere carping of a disappointed cripple10 cried ,mold4 ,his biographer states1 that ,aldina had only one leg40 8,braid-,beard1 you are witty10 said ,babbbalanja1 adjusting his robe4 8,my lord1 there are heroes without armies1 who hear martial music in their souls40 8,why not blow their trumpets louder1 then10 cried ,media1 that all ,mardi may hear80 8,my lord ,media1 too1 is witty1 ,babbalanja10 said ,mohi4 ,breathed ,yoomy1 8,there are birds of divinest plumage1 and most glorious song1 yet singing their lyrics to themselves40 ,said ,media1 8,the lark soars high1 cares for no auditor1 yet its sweet notes are heard here below4 ,it sings1 too1 in company with myriads of mates4 ,your soliloquists1 ,yoomy1 are mostly herons and owls40 ,said ,babbalanja1 8,very clever1 my lord2 but think you not1 there are men eloquent1 who never babble in the marketplace80 8,ay1 and arrant babblers at home4 ,in few words1 ,babbalanja1 you espouse a bad cause4 ,most of you mortals are peacocks2 some having tails1 and some not2 those who have them will be sure to thrust their plumes in your face2 for the rest1 they will display their bald cruppers1 and still screech for admiration4 ,but when a great genius is born into ,mardi1 he nods1 and is known40 8,more wit1 but1 with deference1 perhaps less truth1 my lord4 ,say what you will1 ,fame is an accident2 merit a thing absolute4 ,but what matter8 ,of what available value reputation1 unless wedded to power1 dentals1 or place8 ,to those who render him applause1 a poet's may seem a thing tangible2 but to the recipient1 'tis a fantasy2 the poet never so stretches his imagination1 as when striving to comprehend what it is2 often1 he is famous without knowing it40 8,at the sacred games of ,lazella10 said ,yoomy1 8slyly crowned from behind with a laurel fillet1 for many hours1 the minstrel ,jarmi wandered about ignorant of the honors he bore4 ,but enlightened at last1 he doffed the wreath2 then1 holding it at arm's length1 sighed forth--,oh1 ye laurels6 to be visible to me1 ye must be removed from my brow60 8,and what said ,botargo10 cried ,babbalanja1 8hearing that his poems had been translated into the language of the remote island of ,bertranda8-- #8,it stirs me little2 already1 in merry fancies1 have ,i dreamed of their being trilled by the blessed houris in paradise2 ,i can only imagine the same of the damsels of ,bertranda4' ,says ,boldo1 the ,materialist1--#8,substances alone are satisfactory4'0 8,and so thought the mercenary poet1 ,zenzi10 said ,yoomy4 8,upon receiving fourteen ripe yams for a sonnet1 one for every line1 he said to me1 ,yoomy1 ,i shall make a better meal upon these1 than upon so many compliments40 8,ay10 cried ,babbalanja1 8#8,bravos1' saith old ,bardianna1 but induce flatulency4'0 ,said ,media1 8,and do you famous mortals1 then1 take no pleasure in hearing your bravos80 8,much1 my good lord2 at least such famous mortals1 so enamored of a clamorous notoriety1 as to bravo for themselves1 when none else will huzza2 whose whole existence is an unintermitting consciousness of self2 whose very persons stand erect and self-sufficient as their infallible index1 the capital letter ,i2 who relish and comprehend no reputation but what attaches to the carcass2 who would as lief be renowned for a splendid mustache1 as for a splendid drama3 who know not how it was that a personage1 to posterity so universally celebrated as the poet ,vavona1 ever passed through the crowd unobserved2 who deride the very thunder for making such a noise in ,mardi1 and yet disdain to manifest itself to the eye40 8,wax not so warm1 ,babbalanja2 but tell us1 if to his contemporaries ,vavona's person was almost unknown1 what satisfaction did he derive from his genius80 8,had he not its consciousness8--an empire boundless as the ,west4 ,what to him were huzzas8 ,why1 my lord1 from his privacy1 the great and good ,logodora sent liniment to the hoarse throats without4 ,but what said ,bardianna1 when they dunned him for autographs8--#8,who keeps the register of great men8 who decides upon noble actions8 and how long may ink last8 ,alas6 ,fame has dropped more rolls than she displays2 and there are more lost chronicles1 than the perished books of the historian ,livella4' ,but what is lost forever1 my lord1 is nothing to what is now unseen4 ,there are more treasures in the bowels of the earth1 than on its surface40 8,ah6 no gold10 cried ,yoomy1 8but that comes from dark mines40 ,said ,babbalanja1 8,bear witness1 ye gods6 cries fervent old ,bardianna1 that besides disclosures of good and evil undreamed of now1 there will be other1 and more astounding revelations hereafter1 of what has passed in ,mardi unbeheld40 8,a truce to your everlasting pratings of old ,bardianna10 said ,king ,media2 why not speak your own thoughts1 ,babbalanja8 then would your discourse possess more completeness2 whereas1 its warp and woof are of all sorts1--,bardianna1 ,alla-,malolla1 ,vavona1 and all the writers that ever have written4 ,speak for yourself1 mortal60 8,may you not possibly mistake1 my lord8 for ,i do not so much quote ,bardianna1 as ,bardianna quoted me1 though he flourished before me2 and no vanity1 but honesty to say so4 ,the catalogue of true thoughts is but small2 they are ubiquitous2 no man's property2 and unspoken1 or bruited1 are the same4 ,when we hear them1 why seem they so natural1 receiving our spontaneous approval8 why do we think we have heard them before8 ,because they but reiterate ourselves2 they were in us1 before we were born4 ,the truest poets are but mouth-pieces2 and some men are duplicates of each other2 ,i see myself in ,bardianna40 8,and there1 for ,oro's sake1 let it rest1 ,babbalanja2 ,bardianna in you1 and you in ,bardianna forever60 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,what ,manner ,of ,men ,the ,tapparians ,were ,the canoes sailed on4 ,but we leave them awhile4 ,for our visit to ,jiji1 the last visit we made1 suggests some further revelations concerning the dental money of ,mardi4 ,ere this1 it should have been mentioned1 that throughout the ,archipelago1 there was a restriction concerning incisors and molars1 as ornaments for the person2 none but great chiefs1 brave warriors1 and men distinguished by rare intellectual endowments1 orators1 romancers1 philosophers1 and poets1 being permitted to sport them as jewels4 ,though1 as it happened1 among the poets there were many who had never a tooth1 save those employed at their repasts2 which1 coming but seldom1 their teeth almost corroded in their mouths4 ,hence1 in commerce1 poets' teeth were at a discount4 ,for these reasons1 then1 many mortals blent with the promiscuous mob of ,mardians1 who1 by any means1 accumulated teeth1 were fain to assert their dental claims to distinction1 by clumsily carrying their treasures in pelican pouches slung over their shoulders2 which pouches were a huge burden to carry about1 and defend4 ,though1 in good truth1 from any of these porters1 it was harder to wrench his pouches1 than his limbs4 ,it was also a curious circumstance that at the slightest casual touch1 these bags seemed to convey a simultaneous thrill to the owners4 ,besides these porters1 there were others1 who exchanged their teeth for richly stained calabashes1 elaborately carved canoes1 and more especially1 for costly robes1 and turbans2 in which last1 many outshone the noblest-born nobles4 ,nevertheless1 this answered not the end they had in view2 some of the crowd only admiring what they wore1 and not them2 breaking out into laudation of the inimitable handiwork of the artisans of ,mardi4 ,and strange to relate1 these artisans themselves often came to be men of teeth and turbans1 sporting their bravery with the best4 ,a circumstance1 which accounted for the fact1 that many of the class above alluded to1 were considered capital judges of tappa and tailoring4 ,hence1 as a general designation1 the whole tribe went by the name of ,tapparians2 otherwise1 ,men of ,tappa4 ,now1 many moons ago1 according to ,braid-,beard1 the ,tapparians of a certain cluster of islands1 seeing themselves hopelessly confounded with the plebeian race of mortals2 such as artificers1 honest men1 bread-fruit bakers1 and the like2 seeing1 in short1 that nature had denied them every inborn mark of distinction2 and furthermore1 that their external assumptions were derided by so many in ,mardi1 these selfsame ,tapparians1 poor devils1 resolved to secede from the rabble2 form themselves into a community of their own2 and conventionally pay that homage to each other1 which universal ,mardi could not be prevailed upon to render to them4 ,jointly1 they purchased an island1 called ,pimminee1 toward the extreme west of the lagoon2 and thither they went2 and framing a code of laws- -amazingly arbitrary1 considering they themselves were the framers-- solemnly took the oath of allegiance to the commonwealth thus established4 ,regarded section by section1 this code of laws seemed exceedingly trivial2 but taken together1 made a somewhat imposing aggregation of particles4 ,by this code1 the minutest things in life were all ordered after a specific fashion4 ,more especially one's dress was legislated upon1 to the last warp and woof4 ,all girdles must be so many inches in length1 and with such a number of tassels in front4 ,for a violation of this ordinance1 before the face of all ,mardi1 the most dutiful of sons would cut the most affectionate of fathers4 ,now1 though like all ,mardi1 kings and slaves included1 the people of ,pimminee had dead dust for grandsires1 they seldom reverted to that fact2 for1 like all founders of families1 they had no family vaults4 ,nor were they much encumbered by living connections2 connections1 some of them appeared to have none4 ,like poor ,logan the last of his tribe1 they seemed to have monopolized the blood of their race1 having never a cousin to own4 ,wherefore it was1 that many ignorant ,mardians1 who had not pushed their investigations into the science of physiology1 sagely divined1 that the ,tapparians must have podded into life like peas1 instead of being otherwise indebted for their existence4 ,certain it is1 they had a comical way of backing up their social pretensions4 ,when the respectability of his clan was mooted1 ,paivai1 one of their bucks1 disdained all reference to the ,dooms-day ,book1 and the ancients4 ,more reliable evidence was had4 ,he referred the anxious world to a witness1 still alive and hearty1--his contemporary tailor2 the varlet who cut out his tappa doublets1 and rejoiced his soul with good fits4 8,ah60 sighed ,babbalanja1 8how it quenches in one the thought of immortality1 to think that these ,tapparians too1 will hereafter claim each a niche60 ,but we rove4 ,our visit to ,pimminee itself1 will best make known the ways of its denizens4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,their ,adventures ,upon ,landing ,at ,pimminee ,a long sail over1 the island of ,pimminee came in sight2 one dead fiat1 wreathed in a thin1 insipid vapor4 8,my lord1 why land80 said ,babbalanja2 8no ,yillah is here40 8',tis my humor1 ,babbalanja40 ,said ,yoomy1 8,taji would leave no isle unexplored40 ,as we neared the beach1 the atmosphere became still closer and more languid4 ,much did we miss the refreshing balm which breathed in the fine breezy air of the open lagoon4 ,of a slender and sickly growth seemed the trees2 in the meadows1 the grass grew small and mincing4 ,said ,media1 8,taji1 from the accounts which ,braid-,beard gives1 there must be much to amuse1 in the ways of these ,tapparians40 8,yes10 said ,babbalanja1 8their lives are a continual farce1 gratuitously performed for the diversion of ,mardi4 ,my lord1 perhaps we had best doff our dignity1 and land among them as persons of lowly condition2 for then1 we shall receive more diversion1 though less hospitality40 8,a good proposition10 said ,media4 ,and so saying1 he put off his robe for one less pretentious4 ,all followed suit2 ,yoomy doffing turban and sash2 and1 at last1 completely metamorphosed1 we looked like ,hungarian gipsies4 ,voyaging on1 we entered a bay1 where numbers of menials were standing in the water1 engaged in washing the carved work of certain fantastic canoes1 belonging to the ,tapparians1 their masters4 ,landing at some distance1 we followed a path that soon conducted us to a betwisted dwelling of bamboos1 where1 gently1 we knocked for admittance4 ,so doing1 we were accosted by a servitor1 his portliness all in his calves4 ,marking our appearance1 he monopolized the threshold1 and gruffly demanded what was wanted4 8,strangers1 kind sir1 fatigued with travel1 and in need of refreshment and repose40 8,then hence with ye1 vagabonds60 and with an emphasis1 he closed the portal in our face4 ,said ,babbalanja1 turning1 8,you perceive1 my lord ,media1 that these varlets take after their masters2 who feed none but the well-fed1 and house none but the well-housed40 8,faith6 but they furnish most rare entertainment1 nevertheless10 cried ,media4 8,ha6 ha6 ,taji1 we had missed much1 had we missed ,pimminee40 ,as this was said1 we observed1 at a distance1 three menials running from seaward1 as if conveying important intelligence4 ,halting here and there1 vainly seeking admittance at other habitations1 and receiving nothing but taunts for our pains1 we still wandered on2 and at last came upon a village1 toward which1 those from the sea-side had been running4 ,and now1 to our surprise1 we were accosted by an eager and servile throng4 8,obsequious varlets10 said ,media1 8where tarry your masters80 8,right royal1 and thrice worshipful ,lord of ,odo1 do you take us for our domestics8 ,we are ,tapparians1 may it please your illustrious ,highness2 your most humble and obedient servants4 ,we beseech you1 supereminent ,sir1 condescend to visit our habitations1 and partake of our cheer40 ,then turning upon their attendants1 8,away with ye1 hounds6 and set our dwellings in order40 8,how know ye me to be king80 asked ,media4 8,is it not in your serene ,highness's regal port1 and eye80 8',twas their menials10 muttered ,mohi1 8who from the paddlers in charge of our canoes must have learned who my lord was1 and published the tidings40 ,after some further speech1 ,media made a social surrender of himself to the foremost of the ,tapparians1 one ,nimni2 who1 conducting us to his abode1 with much deference introduced us to a portly old ,begum1 and three slender damsels2 his wife and daughters4 ,soon1 refreshments appeared3--green and yellow compounds1 and divers enigmatical dainties2 besides vegetable liqueurs of a strange and alarming flavor served in fragile little leaves1 folded into cups1 and very troublesome to handle4 ,excessively thirsty1 ,babbalanja made bold to inquire for water2 which called forth a burst of horror from the old ,begum1 and minor shrieks from her daughters2 who declared1 that the beverage to which remote reference had been made1 was far too widely diffused in ,mardi1 to be at all esteemed in ,pimminee4 8,but though we seldom imbibe it10 said the old ,begum1 ceremoniously adjusting her necklace of cowrie-shells1 8we occasionally employ it for medicinal purposes40 8,ah1 indeed80 said ,babbalanja4 8,but oh6 believe me2 even then1 we imbibe not the ordinary fluid of the springs and streams2 but that which in afternoon showers softly drains from our palm-trees into the little hollow or miniature reservoir beneath its compacted roots40 ,a goblet of this beverage was now handed ,babbalanja2 but having a curious1 gummy flavor1 it proved any thing but palatable4 ,presently1 in came a company of young men1 relatives of ,nimni4 ,they were slender as sky-sail-poles2 standing in a row1 resembled a picket-fence2 and were surmounted by enormous heads of hair1 combed out all round1 variously dyed1 and evened by being singed with a lighted wisp of straw4 ,like milliners' parcels1 they were very neatly done up2 wearing redolent robes4 8,how like the woodlands they smell10 whispered ,yoomy4 8,ay1 marvelously like sap10 said ,mohi4 ,one part of their garniture consisted of numerous tasseled cords1 like those of an aigulette1 depending from the neck1 and attached here and there about the person4 ,a separate one1 at a distance1 united their ankles4 ,these served to measure and graduate their movements2 keeping their gestures1 paces1 and attitudes1 within the prescribed standard of ,tapparian gentility4 ,when they went abroad1 they were preceded by certain footmen2 who placed before them small1 carved boards1 whereon their masters stepped2 thus avoiding contact with the earth4 ,the simple device of a shoe1 as a fixture for the foot1 was unknown in ,pimminee4 ,being told1 that ,taji was lately from the sun1 they manifested not the slightest surprise2 one of them incidentally observing1 however1 that the eclipses there1 must be a sad bore to endure4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,a1 ,i1 ,,and ,o ,the old ,begum went by the euphonious appellation of ,ohiro-,moldona-,fivona2 a name1 from its length1 deemed highly genteel2 though scandal averred1 that it was nothing more than her real name transposed2 the appellation by which she had been formerly known1 signifying a 8,getterup-of-,fine-,tappa40 ,but as this would have let out an ancient secret1 it was thought wise to disguise it4 ,her daughters respectively reveled in the pretty diminutives of ,a1 ,i1 and ,o2 which1 from their brevity1 comical to tell1 were considered equally genteel with the dame's4 ,the habiliments of the three ,vowels must not be omitted4 ,each damsel garrisoned an ample1 circular farthingale of canes1 serving as the frame-work1 whereon to display a gayly dyed robe4 ,perhaps their charms intrenched themselves in these impregnable petticoats1 as feeble armies fly to fortresses1 to hide their weakness1 and better resist an onset4 ,but polite and politic it is1 to propitiate your hostess4 ,so seating himself by the ,begum1 ,taji led off with earnest inquiries after her welfare4 ,but the ,begum was one of those1 who relieve the diffident from the embarrassment of talking2 all by themselves carrying on conversation for two4 ,hence1 no wonder that my ,lady was esteemed invaluable at all assemblies in the groves of ,pimminee2 contributing so largely to that incessant din1 which is held the best test of the enjoyment of the company1 as making them deaf to the general nonsense1 otherwise audible4 ,learning that ,taji had been making the tour of certain islands in ,mardi1 the ,begum was surprised that he could have thus hazarded his life among the barbarians of the ,east4 ,she desired to know whether his constitution was not impaired by inhaling the unrefined atmosphere of those remote and barbarous regions4 ,for her part1 the mere thought of it made her faint in her innermost citadel2 nor went she ever abroad with the wind at ,east1 dreading the contagion which might lurk in the air4 ,upon accosting the three damsels1 ,taji very soon discovered that the tongue which had languished in the presence of the ,begum1 was now called into active requisition1 to entertain the ,polysyllables1 her daughters4 ,so assiduously were they occupied in silent endeavors to look sentimental and pretty1 that it proved no easy task to sustain with them an ordinary chat4 ,in this dilemma1 ,taji diffused not his remarks among all three2 but discreetly centered them upon ,o4 ,thinking she might be curious concerning the sun1 he made some remote allusion to that luminary as the place of his nativity4 ,upon which1 ,o inquired where that country was1 of which mention was made4 8,some distance from here2 in the air above2 the sun that gives light to ,pimminee1 and ,mardi at large40 ,she replied1 that if that were the case1 she had never beheld it2 for such was the construction of her farthingale1 that her head could not be thrown back1 without impairing its set4 ,wherefore1 she had always abstained from astronomical investigations4 ,hereupon1 rude ,mohi laughed out4 ,and that lucky laugh happily relieved ,taji from all further necessity of entertaining the ,vowels4 ,for at so vulgar1 and in ,pimminee1 so unwonted a sound1 as a genuine laugh1 the three startled nymphs fainted away in a row1 their round farthingales falling over upon each other1 like a file of empty tierces4 ,but they presently revived4 ,meanwhile1 without stirring from their mats1 the polite young bucks in the aigulettes did nothing but hold semi-transparent leaves to their eyes1 by the stems2 which leaves they directed downward1 toward the disordered hems of the farthingales2 in wait1 perhaps1 for the revelation of an ankle1 and its accompaniments4 ,what the precise use of these leaves could have been1 it would be hard to say1 especially as the observers invariably peeped over and under them4 ,the calamity of the ,vowels was soon followed by the breaking up of the party2 when1 evening coming on1 and feeling much wearied with the labor of seeing company in ,pimminee1 we retired to our mats2 there finding that repose which ever awaits the fatigued4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,a ,reception-,day ,at ,pimminee ,next morning1 ,nimni apprized us1 that throughout the day he proposed keeping open house1 for the purpose of enabling us to behold whatever of beauty1 rank1 and fashion1 ,pimminee could boast2 including certain strangers of note from various quarters of the lagoon1 who doubtless would honor themselves with a call4 ,as inmates of the mansion1 we unexpectedly had a rare opportunity of witnessing the final toilets of the ,begum and her daughters1 preparatory to receiving their guests4 ,their four farthingales were placed standing in the middle of the dwelling2 when their future inmates1 arrayed in rudimental vestments1 went round and round them1 attaching various articles of finery1 dyed scarfs1 ivory trinkets1 and other decorations4 ,upon the propriety of this or that adornment1 the three ,vowels now and then pondered apart1 or together consulted4 ,they talked and they laughed2 they were silent and sad2 now merry at their bravery2 now pensive at the thought of the charms to be hidden4 ,it was ,o who presently suggested the expediency of an artful fold in their draperies1 by the merest accident in ,mardi1 to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of their ankles1 which were thought to be pretty4 ,but the old ,begum was more active than any2 by far the most disinterested in the matter of advice4 ,her great object seemed to be to pile on the finery at all hazards2 and she pointed out many as yet vacant and unappropriated spaces1 highly susceptible of adornment4 ,at last1 all was in readiness2 when1 taking a valedictory glance1 at their intrenchments1 the ,begum and damsels simultaneously dipped their heads1 directly after emerging from the summit1 all ready for execution4 ,and now to describe the general reception that followed4 ,in came the ,roes1 the ,fees1 the ,lol-,lols1 the ,hummee-,hums1 the ,bidi-,bidies1 and the ,dedidums2 the ,peenees1 the ,yamoyamees1 the ,karkies1 the ,fanfums1 the ,diddledees1 and the ,fiddlefies2 in a word1 all the aristocracy of ,pimminee2 people with exceedingly short names2 and some all name1 and nothing else4 ,it was an imposing array of sounds2 a circulation of ciphers2 a marshaling of tappas2 a getting together of grimaces and furbelows2 a masquerade of vapidities4 ,among the crowd was a bustling somebody1 one ,gaddi1 arrayed in much apparel to little purpose2 who1 singling out ,babbalanja1 for some time adhered to his side1 and with excessive complaisance1 enlightened him as to the people assembled4 8,that is rich ,marmonora1 accounted a mighty man in ,pimminee2 his bags of teeth included1 he is said to weigh upwards of fourteen stone2 and is much sought after by tailors for his measure1 being but slender in the region of the heart4 ,his riches are great4 ,and that old vrow is the widow ,roo2 very rich2 plenty of teeth2 but has none in her head4 ,and this is ,finfi2 said to be not very rich1 and a maid4 ,who would suppose she had ever beat tappa for a living80 ,and so saying1 ,gaddi sauntered off2 his place by ,babbalanja's side being immediately supplied by the damsel ,finfi4 ,that vivacious and amiable nymph at once proceeded to point out the company1 where ,gaddi had left off2 beginning with ,gaddi himself1 who1 she insinuated1 was a mere parvenu1 a terrible infliction upon society1 and not near so rich as he was imagined to be4 ,soon we were accosted by one ,nonno1 a sour1 saturnine personage4 8,i know nobody here2 not a soul have ,i seen before2 ,i wonder who they all are40 ,and just then he was familiarly nodded to by nine worthies abreast4 ,whereupon ,nonno vanished4 ,but after going the rounds of the company1 and paying court to many1 he again sauntered by ,babbalanja1 saying1 8,nobody1 nobody2 nobody but nobodies2 ,i see nobody ,i know40 ,advancing1 ,nimni now introduced many strangers of distinction1 parading their titles after a fashion1 plainly signifying that he was bent upon convincing us1 that there were people present at this little affair of his1 who were men of vast reputation2 and that we erred1 if we deemed him unaccustomed to the society of the illustrious4 ,but not a few of his magnates seemed shy of ,media and their laurels4 ,especially a tall robustuous fellow1 with a terrible javelin in his hand1 much notched and splintered1 as if it had dealt many a thrust4 ,his left arm was gallanted in a sling1 and there was a patch upon his sinister eye4 ,him ,nimni made known as a famous captain1 from ,king ,piko's island 7of which anon7 who had been all but mortally wounded somewhere1 in a late desperate though nameless encounter4 8,ah10 said ,media as this redoubtable withdrew1 ,fofi is a cunning knave2 a braggart1 driven forth1 by ,king ,piko for his cowardice4 ,he has blent his tattooing into one mass of blue1 and thus disguised1 must have palmed himself off here in ,pimminee1 for the man he is not4 ,but ,i see many more like him40 8,oh ye ,tapparians10 said ,babbalanja1 8none so easily humbugged as humbugs4 ,taji3 to behold this folly makes one wise4 ,look1 look2 it is all round us4 ,oh ,pimminee1 ,pimminee60 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,babbalanja ,falleth ,upon ,pimminee ,tooth ,and ,nail ,the levee over1 waiving further civilities1 we took courteus leave of the ,begum and ,nimni1 and proceeding to the beach1 very soon were embarked4 ,when all were pleasantly seated beneath the canopy1 pipes in full blast1 calabashes revolving1 and the paddlers quietly urging us along1 ,media proposed that1 for the benefit of the company1 some one present1 in a pithy1 whiffy sentence or two1 should sum up the character of the ,tapparians2 and ended by nominating ,babbalanja to that office4 8,come1 philosopher3 let us see in how few syllables you can put the brand on those ,tapparians40 8,pardon me1 my lord1 but you must permit me to ponder awhile2 nothing requires more time1 than to be brief4 ,an example3 they say that in conversation old ,bardianna dealt in nothing but trisyllabic sentences4 ,his talk was thunder peals3 sounding reports1 but long intervals40 8,the devil take old ,bardianna4 ,and would that the grave-digger had buried his ,ponderings1 along with his other remains4 ,can none be in your company1 ,babbalanja1 but you must perforce make them hob-a-nob with that old prater8 ,a brand for the ,tapparians6 that is what we seek40 8,you shall have it1 my lord4 ,full to the brim of themselves1 for that reason1 the ,tapparians are the emptiest of mortals40 8,a good blow and well planted1 ,babbalanja40 8,in sooth1 a most excellent saying2 it should be carved upon his tombstone10 said ,mohi1 slowly withdrawing his pipe4 8,what6 would you have my epitaph read thus3--#8,here lies the emptiest of mortals1 who was full of himself8' ,at best1 your words are exceedingly ambiguous1 ,mohi40 8,now have ,i the philosopher10 cried ,yoomy1 with glee4 8,what did some one say to me1 not long since1 ,babbalanja1 when in the matter of that sleepy song of mine1 ,braid-,beard bestowed upon me an equivocal compliment8 ,was ,i not told to wrest commendation from it1 though ,i tortured it to the quick80 8,take thy own pills1 philosopher10 said ,mohi4 8,then would he be a great original10 said ,media4 8,tell me1 ,yoomy10 said ,babbalanja1 8are you not in fault8 ,because ,i sometimes speak wisely1 you must not imagine that ,i should always act so40 8,i never imagined that10 said ,yoomy1 8and1 if ,i did1 the truth would belie me4 ,it is you who are in fault1 ,babbalanja2 not ,i1 craving your pardon40 8,the minstrel's sides are all edges to-day10 said ,media4 8,this1 then1 thrice gentle ,yoomy1 is what ,i would say20 resumed ,babbalanja1 8that since we philosophers bestow so much wisdom upon others1 it is not to be wondered at1 if now and then we find what is left in us too small for our necessities4 ,it is from our very abundance that we want40 8,and from the fool's poverty10 said ,media1 8that he is opulent2 for his very simplicity1 is sometimes of more account than the wisdom of the sage4 ,but we were discoursing of the ,tapparians4 ,babbalanja3 sententiously you have acquitted yourself to admiration2 now amplify1 and tell us more of the people of ,pimminee40 8,my lord1 ,i might amplify forever40 8,then1 my worshipful lord1 let him not begin10 interposed ,braid-,beard4 8,i mean10 said ,babbalanja1 8that all subjects are inexhaustible1 however trivial2 as the mathematical point1 put in motion1 is capable of being produced into an infinite line40 8,but forever extending into nothing10 said ,media4 8,a very bad example to follow4 ,do you1 ,babbalanja1 come to the point1 and not travel off with it1 which is too much your wont40 8,since my lord insists upon it then1 thus much for the ,tapparians1 though but a thought or two of many in reserve4 ,they ignore the rest of ,mardi1 while they themselves are but a rumor in the isles of the ,east2 where the business of living and dying goes on with the same uniformity1 as if there were no ,tapparians in existence4 ,they think themselves ,mardi in full2 whereas1 by the mass1 they are stared at as prodigies2 exceptions to the law1 ordaining that no ,mardian shall undertake to live1 unless he set out with at least the average quantity of brains4 ,for these ,tapparians have no brains4 ,in lieu1 they carry in one corner of their craniums1 a drop or two of attar of roses2 charily used1 the supply being small4 ,they are the victims of two incurable maladies3 stone in the heart1 and ossification of the head4 ,they are full of fripperies1 fopperies1 and finesses2 knowing not1 that nature should be the model of art4 ,yet1 they might appear less silly than they do1 were they content to be the plain idiots which at bottom they are4 ,for there be grains of sense in a simpleton1 so long as he be natural4 ,but what can be expected from them8 ,they are irreclaimable ,tapparians2 not so much fools by contrivance of their own1 as by an express1 though inscrutable decree of ,oro's4 ,for one1 my lord1 ,i can not abide them40 ,nor could ,taji4 ,in ,pimminee were no hilarious running and shouting3 none of the royal good cheer of old ,borabolla2 none of the mysteries of ,maramma2 none of the sentiment and romance of ,donjalolo2 no rehearsing of old legends3 no singing of old songs2 no life2 no jolly commotion3 in short1 no men and women2 nothing but their integuments2 stiff trains and farthingales4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,babbalanja ,regales ,the ,company ,with ,some ,sandwiches ,it was night4 ,but the moon was brilliant1 far and near illuminating the lagoon4 ,over silvery billows we glided4 8,come ,yoomy10 said ,media1 8moonlight and music for aye--a song6 a song6 my bird of paradise40 ,and folding his arms1 and watching the sparkling waters1 thus ,yoomy sang3-- ,a ray of the moon on the dancing waves ,is the step1 light step of that beautiful maid3 ,mardi1 with music1 her footfall paves1 ,and her voice1 no voice1 but a song in the glade4 8,hold60 cried ,media1 8yonder is a curious rock4 ,it looks black as a whale's hump in blue water1 when the sun shines40 8,that must be the ,isle of ,fossils10 said ,mohi4 8,ay1 my lord1 it is40 8,let us land1 then10 said ,babbalanja4 ,and none dissenting1 the canoes were put about1 and presently we debarked4 ,it was a dome-like surface1 here and there fringed with ferns1 sprouting from clefts4 ,but at every tide the thin soil seemed gradually washing into the lagoon4 ,like antique tablets1 the smoother parts were molded in strange devices3--,luxor marks1 ,tadmor ciphers1 ,palenque inscriptions4 ,in long lines1 as on ,denderah's architraves1 were bas-reliefs of beetles1 turtles1 ant-eaters1 armadilloes1 guanos1 serpents1 tongueless crocodiles3--a long procession1 frosted and crystalized in stone1 and silvered by the moon4 8,strange sight60 cried ,media4 8,speak1 antiquarian ,mohi40 ,but the chronicler was twitching his antiquarian beard1 nonplussed by these wondrous records4 ,the cowled old father1 ,piaggi1 bending over his calcined ,herculanean manuscripts1 looked not more at fault than he4 ,said ,media1 8,expound you1 then1 sage ,babbalanja40 ,muffling his face in his mantle1 and his voice in sepulchral tones1 ,babbalanja thus3-- 8,these are the leaves of the book of ,oro4 ,here we read how worlds are made2 here read the rise and fall of ,nature's kingdoms4 ,from where this old man's furthest histories start1 these unbeginning records end4 ,these are the secret memoirs of times past2 whose evidence1 at last divulged1 gives the grim lie to ,mohi's gossipings1 and makes a rattling among the dry-bone relics of old ,maramma40 ,braid-,beard's old eyes flashed fire4 ,with bristling beard1 he cried1 8,take back the lie you send60 8,peace6 everlasting foes10 cried ,media1 interposing1 with both arms outstretched4 8,philosopher1 probe not too deep4 ,all you say is very fine1 but very dark4 ,i would know something more precise4 ,but1 prithee1 ghost1 unmuffle6 chatter no more6 wait till you're buried for that40 8,ay1 death's cold ague will set us all shivering1 my lord4 ,we'll swear our teeth are icicles40 8,will you quit driving your sleet upon us8 have done expound these rocks40 8,my lord1 if you desire1 ,i'll turn over these stone tablets till they're dog-eared40 8,heaven and ,mardi6--,go on1 ,babbalanja40 8',twas thus4 ,these were tombs burst open by volcanic throes2 and hither hurled from the lowermost vaults of the lagoon4 ,all ,mardi's rocks are one wide resurrection4 ,but look4 ,here1 now1 a pretty story's told4 ,ah1 little thought these grand old lords1 that lived and roared before the flood1 that they would come to this4 ,here1 ,king ,media1 look and learn40 ,he looked2 and saw a picture petrified1 and plain as any on the pediments of ,petra4 ,it seemed a stately banquet of the dead1 where lords in skeletons were ranged around a board heaped up with fossil fruits1 and flanked with vitreous vases1 grinning like empty skulls4 ,there they sat1 exchanging rigid courtesies4 ,one's hand was on his stony heart2 his other pledged a lord who held a hollow beaker4 ,another sat1 with earnest face beneath a mitred brow4 ,he seemed to whisper in the ear of one who listened trustingly4 ,but on the chest of him who wore the miter1 an adder lay1 close-coiled in flint4 ,at the further end1 was raised a throne1 its canopy surmounted by a crown1 in which now rested the likeness of a raven on an egg4 ,the throne was void4 ,but half-concealed by drapery1 behind the goodliest lord1 sideway leaned a figure diademed1 a lifted poniard in its hand3--a monarch fossilized in very act of murdering his guest4 8,most high and sacred majesty60 cried ,babbalanja1 bowing to his feet4 ,while all stood gazing on this sight1 there came two servitors of ,media's1 who besought of ,babbalanja to settle a dispute1 concerning certain tracings upon the islet's other side4 ,thither we followed them4 ,upon a long layer of the slaty stone were marks of ripplings of some now waveless sea2 mid which were tri-toed footprints of some huge heron1 or wading fowl4 ,pointing to one of which1 the foremost disputant thus spoke3--8,i maintain that these are three toes40 8,and ,i1 that it is one foot10 said the other4 8,and now decide between us10 joined the twain4 ,said ,babbalanja1 starting1 8,is not this the very question concerning which they made such dire contention in ,maramma1 whose tertiary rocks are chisseled all over with these marks8 ,yes2 this it is1 concerning which they once shed blood4 ,this it is1 concerning which they still divide40 8,which of us is right80 again demanded the impatient twain4 8,unite1 and both are right2 divide1 and both are wrong4 ,every unit is made up of parts1 as well as every plurality4 ,nine is three threes2 a unit is as many thirds2 or1 if you please1 a thousand thousandths2 no special need to stop at thirds40 8,away1 ye foolish disputants60 cried ,media4 8,full before you is the thing disputed40 ,strolling on1 many marvels did we mark2 and ,media said3--8,babbalanja1 you love all mysteries2 here's a fitting theme4 ,you have given us the history of the rock2 can your sapience tell the origin of all the isles8 how ,mardi came to be80 8,ah1 that once mooted point is settled4 ,though hard at first1 it proved a bagatelle4 ,start not my lord2 there are those who have measured ,mardi by perch and pole1 and with their wonted lead sounded its utmost depths4 ,listen3 it is a pleasant story4 ,the coral wall which circumscribes the isles but continues upward the deep buried crater of the primal chaos4 ,in the first times this crucible was charged with vapors nebulous1 boiling over fires volcanic4 ,age by age1 the fluid thickened2 dropping1 at long intervals1 heavy sediment to the bottom2 which layer on layer concreted1 and at length1 in crusts1 rose toward the surface4 ,then1 the vast volcano burst2 rent the whole mass2 upthrew the ancient rocks2 which now in divers mountain tops tell tales of what existed ere ,mardi was completely fashioned4 ,hence many fossils on the hills1 whose kith and kin still lurk beneath the vales4 ,thus ,nature works1 at random warring1 chaos a crater1 and this world a shell40 ,mohi stroked his beard4 ,yoomy yawned4 ,media cried1 8,preposterous60 8,my lord1 then take another theory--which you will--the celebrated sandwich ,system4 ,nature's first condition was a soup1 wherein the agglomerating solids formed granitic dumplings1 which1 wearing down1 deposited the primal stratum made up of series1 sandwiching strange shapes of mollusks1 and zoophytes2 then snails1 and periwinkles3-- marmalade to sip1 and nuts to crack1 ere the substantials came4 8,and next1 my lord1 we have the fine old time of the ,old ,red ,sandstone sandwich1 clapped on the underlying layer1 and among other dainties1 imbedding the first course of fish1--all quite in rule1--sturgeon- forms1 cephalaspis1 glyptolepis1 pterichthys2 and other finny things1 of flavor rare1 but hard to mouth for bones4 ,served up with these1 were sundry greens1--lichens1 mosses1 ferns1 and fungi4 8,now comes the ,new ,red ,sandstone sandwich3 marly and magnesious1 spread over with old patriarchs of crocodiles and alligators1--hard carving these1--and prodigious lizards1 spine-skewered1 tails tied in bows1 and swimming in saffron saucers40 8,what next80 cried ,media4 8,the ,ool1 or ,oily sandwich3--rare gormandizing then2 for oily it was called1 because of fat old joints1 and hams1 and rounds1 and barons of sea-beeves and walrusses1 which then crowned the stratum-board4 ,all piled together1 glorious profusion6--fillets and briskets1 rumps1 and saddles1 and haunches2 shoulder to shoulder1 loin 'gainst sirloin1 ribs rapping knuckles1 and quarter to none4 ,and all these sandwiched right over all that went before4 ,course after course1 and course on course1 my lord2 no time to clear the wreck2 no stop nor let2 lay on and slash2 cut1 thrust1 and come4 8,next the ,chalk1 or ,coral sandwich2 but no dry fare for that2 made up of rich side-courses1--eocene1 miocene1 and pliocene4 ,the first was wild game for the delicate1--bantam larks1 curlews1 quails1 and flying weazels2 with a slight sprinkling of pilaus1--capons1 pullets1 plovers1 and garnished with petrels' eggs4 ,very savory1 that1 my lord4 ,the second side-course--miocene--was out of course1 flesh after fowl3 marine mammalia1--seals1 grampuses1 and whales1 served up with sea-weed on their flanks1 hearts and kidneys deviled1 and fins and flippers friccasied4 ,all very thee1 my lord4 ,the third side-course1 the pliocene1 was goodliest of all3--whole-roasted elephants1 rhinoceroses1 and hippopotamuses1 stuffed with boiled ostriches1 condors1 cassowaries1 turkeys4 ,also barbacued mastodons and megatheriums1 gallantly served up with fir-trees in their mouths1 and tails cock-billed4 8,thus fared the old diluvians3 arrant gormandizers and beef-bolters4 ,we ,mardians famish on the superficial strata of deposits2 cracking our jaws on walnuts1 filberts1 cocoa-nuts1 and clams4 ,my lord1 ,i've done40 8,and bravely done it is4 ,mohi tells us1 that ,mardi was made in six days2 but you1 ,babbalanja1 have built it up from the bottom in less than six minutes40 8,nothing for us geologists1 my lord4 ,at a word we turn you out whole systems1 suns1 satellites1 and asteroids included4 ,why1 my good lord1 my friend ,annonimo is laying out a new ,milky ,way1 to intersect with the old one1 and facilitate cross-cuts among the comets40 ,and so saying1 ,babbalanja turned aside4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,they ,still ,remain ,upon ,the ,rock 8,gogle-goggle1 fugle-fi1 fugle-fogle-orum10 so hummed to himself ,babbalanja1 slowly pacing over the fossils4 8,is he crazy again80 whispered ,yoomy4 8,are you crazy1 ,babbalanja80 asked ,media4 8,from my very birth have ,i been so1 my lord2 am ,i not possessed by a devil80 8,then ,i'll e'en interrogate him10 cried ,media4 8--,hark ye1 sirrah2-- why rave you thus in this poor mortal80 8',tis he1 not ,i4 ,i am the mildest devil that ever entered man2 in propria persona1 no antlers do ,i wear2 my tail has lost its barb1 as at last your ,mardian lions lose their caudal horns40 8,a very sing-song devil this4 ,but1 prithee1 who are you1 sirrah80 8,the mildest devil that ever entered man2 in propria persona1 no antlers do ,i wear2 my tail has lost its barb1 as at last your ,mardian lions lose their caudal horns40 8,a very iterating devil this4 ,sirrah6 mock me not4 ,know you aught yet unrevealed by ,babbalanja80 8,many things ,i know1 not good to tell2 whence they call me ,azzageddi40 8,a very confidential devil1 this2 that tells no secrets4 ,azzageddi1 can ,i drive thee out80 8,only with this mortal's ghost3--together we came in1 together we depart40 8,a very terse1 and ready devil1 this4 ,whence come you1 ,azzageddi80 8,whither my catechist must go--a torrid clime1 cut by a hot equator40 8,a very keen1 and witty devil1 this4 ,azzageddi1 whom have you there80 8,a right down merry1 jolly set1 that at a roaring furnace sit and toast their hoofs for aye2 so used to flames1 they poke the fire with their horns1 and light their tails for torches40 8,a very funny devil1 this4 ,azzageddi1 is not ,mardi a place far pleasanter1 than that from whence you came80 8,ah1 home6 sweet1 sweet1 home6 would1 would that ,i were home again60 8,a very sentimental devil1 this4 ,azzageddi1 would you had a hand1 ,i'd shake it40 8,not so with us2 who1 rear to rear1 shake each other's tails1 and courteously inquire1 #8,pray1 worthy sir1 how now stands the great thermometer8'0 8,the very prince of devils1 this40 8,how mad our ,babbalanja is10 cried ,mohi4 ,my lord1 take heed2 he'll bite40 8,alas6 alas60 sighed ,yoomy4 8,hark ye1 ,babbalanja10 cried ,media1 8enough of this3 doff your devil1 and be a man40 8,my lord1 ,i can not doff him2 but ,i'll down him for a time3 ,azzageddi6 down1 imp2 down1 down1 down6 so3 now1 my lord1 ,i'm only ,babbalanja40 8,shall ,i test his sanity1 my lord80 cried ,mohi4 8,do1 old man40 8,philosopher1 our great reef is surrounded by an ocean2 what think you lies beyond80 8,alas60 sighed ,yoomy1 8the very subject to renew his madness40 8,peace1 minstrel60 said ,media4 8,answer1 ,babbalanja40 8,i will1 my lord4 ,fear not1 sweet ,yoomy2 you see how calm ,i am4 ,braid- ,beard1 those strangers1 that came to ,mondoldo prove isles afar1 as a philosopher of old surmised1 but was hooted at for his surmisings4 ,nor is it at all impossible1 ,braid-,beard1 that beyond their land may exist other regions1 of which those strangers know not2 peopled with races something like us ,mardians2 but perhaps with more exalted faculties1 and organs that we lack4 ,they may have some better seeing sense than ours2 perhaps1 have fins or wings for arms40 8,this seems not like sanity10 muttered ,mohi4 8,a most crazy hypothesis1 truly10 said ,media4 8,and are all inductions vain80 cried ,babbalanja4 8,have we mortals naught to rest on1 but what we see with eyes8 ,is no faith to be reposed in that inner microcosm1 wherein we see the charted universe in little1 as the whole horizon is mirrored in the iris of a gnat8 ,alas6 alas6 my lord1 is there no blest ,odonphi8 no ,astrazzi80 8,his devil's uppermost again1 my lord10 cried ,braid-,beard4 8,he's stark1 stark mad60 sighed ,yoomy4 8,ay1 the moon's at full10 said ,media4 8,ho1 paddlers6 we depart40 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,behind ,and ,before ,it was yet moonlight when we pushed from the islet4 ,but soon1 the sky grew dun2 the moon went into a cavern among the clouds2 and by that secret sympathy between our hearts and the elements1 the thoughts of all but ,media became overcast4 ,again discourse was had of that dark intelligence from ,mondoldo1--the fell murder of ,taji's follower4 ,said ,mohi1 8,those specter sons of ,aleema must have been the assassins40 8,they harbored deadly malice10 said ,babbalanja4 8,which poor ,jarl's death must now have sated10 sighed ,yoomy4 8,then all the happier for ,taji10 said ,media4 8,but away with gloom6 because the sky is clouded1 why cloud your brows8 ,babbalanja1 ,i grieve the moon is gone4 ,yet start some paradox1 that we may laugh4 ,say a woman is a man1 or you yourself a stork40 ,at this they smiled4 ,when hurtling came an arrow1 which struck our stern1 and quivered4 ,another6 and another6 ,grazing the canopy1 they darted by1 and hissing1 dived like red-hot bars beneath the waves4 ,starting1 we beheld a corruscating wake1 tracking the course of a low canoe1 far flying for a neighboring mountain4 ,the next moment it was lost within the mountain's shadow and pursuit was useless4 8,let us fly60 cried ,yoomy 8,peace6 ,what murderers these80 said ,media1 calmly2 8whom can they seek8--you1 ,taji80 8,the three avengers fly three bolts10 said ,babbalanja4 8,see if the arrow yet remain astern10 cried ,media4 ,they brought it to him4 8,by ,oro6 ,taji on the barb60 8,then it missed its aim4 ,but ,i will not mine4 ,and whatever arrows follow1 still will ,i hunt on4 ,nor does the ghost1 that these pale specters would avenge1 at all disquiet me4 ,the priest ,i slew1 but to gain her1 now lost2 and ,i would slay again1 to bring her back4 ,ah1 ,yillah6 ,yillah40 ,all started4 ,then said ,babbalanja1 8,aleema's sons raved not2 'tis true1 then1 ,taji1 that an evil deed gained you your ,yillah3 no wonder she is lost40 ,said ,media1 unconcernedly1 8,perhaps better1 ,taji1 to have kept your secret2 but tell no more2 ,i care not to be your foe40 8,ah1 ,taji6 ,i had shrank from you10 cried ,yoomy1 8but for the mark upon your brow4 ,that undoes the tenor of your words4 ,but look1 the stars come forth1 and who are these8 ,a waving ,iris6 ay1 again they come3-- ,hautia's heralds60 ,they brought a black thorn1 buried in withered rose-balm blossoms1 red and blue4 ,said ,yoomy1 8,for that which stings1 there is no cure10 8,who1 who is ,hautia1 that she stabs me thus80 8,and this wild sardony mocks your misery40 8,away6 ye fiends40 8,again a ,venus car2 and lo6 a wreath of strawberries6--,yet fly to me1 and be garlanded with joys40 8,let the wild witch laugh4 ,she moves me not4 ,neither hurtling arrows nor ,circe flowers appall40 ,said ,yoomy1 8,they wait reply40 8,tell your ,hautia1 that ,i know her not2 nor care to know4 ,i defy her incantations2 she lures in vain4 ,yillah6 ,yillah6 still ,i hope60 ,slowly they departed2 heeding not my cries no more to follow4 ,silence1 and darkness fell4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,babbalanja ,discourses ,in ,the ,dark ,next day came and went2 and still we onward sailed4 ,at last1 by night1 there fell a calm1 becalming the water of the wide lagoon1 and becalming all the clouds in heaven1 wailing the constellations4 ,but though our sails were useless1 our paddlers plied their broad stout blades4 ,thus sweeping by a rent and hoar old rock1 ,vee-,vee1 impatient of the calm1 sprang to his crow's nest in the shark's mouth1 and seizing his conch1 sounded a blast which ran in and out among the hollows1 reverberating with the echoes4 ,be sure1 it was startling4 ,but more so with respect to one of our paddlers1 upon whose shoulders1 elevated ,vee-,vee1 his balance lost1 all at once came down by the run4 ,but the heedless little bugler himself was most injured by the fall2 his arm nearly being broken4 ,some remedies applied1 and the company grown composed1 ,babbalanja thus3--8,my lord ,media1 was there any human necessity for that accident80 8,none that ,i know1 or care to tell1 ,babbalanja40 8,vee-,vee10 said ,babbalanja1 8did you fall on purpose80 8,not ,i10 sobbed little ,vee-,vee1 slinging his ailing arm in its mate4 8,woe6 woe to us all1 then10 cried ,babbalanja2 8for what direful events may be in store for us which we can not avoid40 8,how now1 mortal80 cried ,media2 8what now80 8,my lord1 think of it4 ,minus human inducement from without1 and minus volition from within1 ,vee-,vee has met with an accident1 which has almost maimed him for life4 ,is it not terrifying to think of8 ,are not all mortals exposed to similar1 nay1 worse calamities1 ineffably unavoidable8 ,woe1 woe1 ,i say1 to us ,mardians6 ,here1 take my last breath2 let me give up this beggarly ghost60 8,nay10 said ,media2 8pause1 ,babbalanja4 ,turn it not adrift prematurely4 ,let it house till midnight2 the proper time for you mortals to dissolve4 ,but1 philosopher1 if you harp upon ,vee-,vee's mishap1 know that it was owing to nothing but his carelessness40 8,and what was that owing to1 my lord80 8,to ,vee-,vee himself40 8,then1 my lord1 what brought such a careless being into ,mardi80 8,a long course of generations4 ,he's some one's great-great-grandson1 doubtless2 who was great-great-grandson to some one else2 who also had grandsires40 8,many thanks then to your highness2 for you establish the doctrine of ,philosophical ,necessity40 8,no4 ,i establish nothing2 ,i but answer your questions40 8,all one1 my lord3 you are a ,necessitarian2 in other words1 you hold that every thing takes place through absolute necessity40 8,do you take me1 then1 for a fool1 and a ,fatalist8 ,pardie6 a bad creed for a monarch1 the distributor of rewards and punishments40 8,right there1 my lord4 ,but1 for all that1 your highness is a ,necessitarian1 yet no ,fatalist4 ,confound not the distinct4 ,fatalism presumes express and irrevocable edicts of heaven concerning particular events4 ,whereas1 ,necessity holds that all events are naturally linked1 and inevitably follow each other1 without providential interposition1 though by the eternal letting of ,providence40 8,well1 well1 ,babbalanja1 ,i grant it all4 ,go on40 8,on high authority1 we are told that in times past the fall of certain nations in ,mardi was prophesied of seers40 8,most true1 my lord10 said ,mohi2 8it is all down in the chronicles40 8,ha6 ha60 cried ,media4 8,go on1 philosopher40 ,continued ,babbalanja1 8,previous to the time assigned to their fulfillment1 those prophecies were bruited through ,mardi2 hence1 previous to the time assigned to their fulfillment1 full knowledge of them may have come to the nations concerned4 ,now1 my lord1 was it possible for those nations1 thus forwarned1 so to conduct their affairs1 as at1 the prophesied time1 to prove false the events revealed to be in store for them80 8,however that may be10 said ,mohi1 8certain it is1 those events did assuredly come to pass3--,compare the ruins of ,babbelona with book ninth1 chapter tenth1 of the chronicles4 ,yea1 yea1 the owl inhabits where the seers predicted2 the jackals yell in the tombs of the kings40 8,go on1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media4 8,of course those nations could not have resisted their doom4 ,go on1 then3 vault over your premises40 8,if it be1 then1 my lord1 that--0 8,my very worshipful lord10 interposed ,mohi1 8is not our philosopher getting off soundings2 and may it not be impious to meddle with these things80 8,were it so1 old man1 he should have known it4 ,the king of ,odo is something more than you mortals40 8,but are we the great gods themselves10 cried ,yoomy1 8that we discourse of these things40 8,no1 minstrel10 said ,babbalanja2 8and no need have the great gods to discourse of things perfectly comprehended by them1 and by themselves ordained4 ,but you and ,i1 ,yoomy1 are men1 and not gods2 hence is it for us1 and not for them1 to take these things for our themes4 ,nor is there any impiety in the right use of our reason1 whatever the issue4 ,smote with superstition1 shall we let it wither and die out1 a dead1 limb to a live trunk1 as the mad devotee's arm held up motionless for years8 ,or shall we employ it but for a paw1 to help us to our bodily needs1 as the brutes use their instinct8 ,is not reason subtile as quicksilver--live as lightning--a neighing charger to advance1 but a snail to recede8 ,can we starve that noble instinct in us1 and hope that it will survive8 ,better slay the body than the soul2 and if it be the direst of sins to be the murderers of our own bodies1 how much more to be a soul-suicide4 ,yoomy1 we are men1 we are angels4 ,and in his faculties1 high ,oro is but what a man would be1 infinitely magnified4 ,let us aspire to all things4 ,are we babes in the woods1 to be scared by the shadows of the trees8 ,what shall appall us8 ,if eagles gaze at the sun1 may not men at the gods80 8,for one10 said ,media1 8you may gaze at me freely4 ,gaze on4 ,but talk not of my kinsmen so fluently1 ,babbalanja4 ,return to your argument40 8,i go back then1 my lord4 ,by implication1 you have granted1 that in times past the future was foreknown of ,oro2 hence1 in times past1 the future must have been foreordained4 ,but in all things ,oro is immutable4 ,wherefore our own future is foreknown and foreordained4 ,now1 if things foreordained concerning nations have in times past been revealed to them previous to their taking place1 then something similar may be presumable concerning individual men now living4 ,that is to say1 out of all the events destined to befall any one man1 it is not impossible that previous knowledge of some one of these events might supernaturally come to him4 ,say1 then1 it is revealed to me1 that ten days hence ,i shall1 of my own choice1 fall upon my javelin2 when the time comes round1 could ,i refrain from suicide8 ,grant the strongest presumable motives to the act2 grant that1 unforewarned1 ,i would slay myself outright at the time appointed3 yet1 foretold of it1 and resolved to test the decree to the uttermost1 under such circumstances1 ,i say1 would it be possible for me not to kill myself8 ,if possible1 then predestination is not a thing absolute2 and ,heaven is wise to keep secret from us those decrees1 whose virtue consists in secrecy4 ,but if not possible1 then that suicide would not be mine1 but ,oro's4 ,and1 by consequence1 not only that act1 but all my acts1 are ,oro's4 ,in sum1 my lord1 he who believes that in times past1 prophets have prophesied1 and their prophecies have been fulfilled2 when put to it1 inevitably must allow that every man now living is an irresponsible being40 8,in sooth1 a very fine argument very finely argued10 said ,media4 8,you have done marvels1 ,babbalanja4 ,but hark ye1 were ,i so disposed1 ,i could deny you all over1 premises and conclusions alike4 ,and furthermore1 my cogent philosopher1 had you published that anarchical dogma among my subjects in ,oro1 ,i had silenced you by my spear-headed scepter1 instead of my uplifted finger40 8,then1 all thanks and all honor to your generosity1 my lord1 in granting us the immunities you did at the outset of this voyage4 ,but1 my lord1 permit me one word more4 ,is not ,oro omnipresent--absolutely every where80 8,so you mortals teach1 ,babbalanja40 8,but so do they mean1 my lord4 ,often do we ,mardians stick to terms for ages1 yet truly apply not their meanings40 8,well1 ,oro is every where4 ,what now80 8,then1 if that be absolutely so1 ,oro is not merely a universal on-looker1 but occupies and fills all space2 and no vacancy is left for any being1 or any thing but ,oro4 ,hence1 ,oro is in all things1 and himself is all things--the time-old creed4 ,but since evil abounds1 and ,oro is all things1 then he can not be perfectly good2 wherefore1 ,oro's omnipresence and moral perfection seem incompatible4 ,furthermore1 my lord those orthodox systems which ascribe to ,oro almighty and universal attributes every way1 those systems1 ,i say1 destroy all intellectual individualities but ,oro1 and resolve the universe into him4 ,but this is a heresy2 wherefore1 orthodoxy and heresy are one4 ,and thus is it1 my lord1 that upon these matters we ,mardians all agree and disagree together1 and kill each other with weapons that burst in our hands4 ,ah1 my lord1 with what mind must blessed ,oro look down upon this scene6 ,think you he discriminates between the deist and atheist8 ,nay2 for the ,searcher of the cores of all hearts well knoweth that atheists there are none4 ,for in things abstract1 men but differ in the sounds that come from their mouths1 and not in the wordless thoughts lying at the bottom of their beings4 ,the universe is all of one mind4 ,though my twin-brother sware to me1 by the blazing sun in heaven at noon-day1 that ,oro is not2 yet would he belie the thing he intended to express4 ,and who lives that blasphemes8 ,what jargon of human sounds so puissant as to insult the unutterable majesty divine8 ,is ,oro's honor in the keeping of ,mardi8-- ,oro's conscience in man's hands8 ,where our warrant1 with ,oro's sign-manual1 to justify the killing1 burning1 and destroying1 or far worse1 the social persecutions we institute in his behalf8 ,ah6 how shall these self-assumed attorneys and vicegerents be astounded1 when they shall see all heaven peopled with heretics and heathens1 and all hell nodding over with miters6 ,ah6 let us ,mardians quit this insanity4 ,let us be content with the theology in the grass and the flower1 in seed-time and harvest4 ,be it enough for us to know that ,oro indubitably is4 ,my lord6 my lord6 sick with the spectacle of the madness of men1 and broken with spontaneous doubts1 ,i sometimes see but two things in all ,mardi to believe3--that ,i myself exist1 and that ,i can most happily1 or least miserably exist1 by the practice of righteousness4 ,all else is in the clouds2 and naught else may ,i learn1 till the firmament be split from horizon to horizon4 ,yet1 alas6 too often do ,i swing from these moorings40 8,alas6 his fit is coming upon him again10 whispered ,yoomy4 8,why1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8,i almost pity you4 ,you are too warm1 too warm4 ,why fever your soul with these things8 ,to no use you mortals wax earnest4 ,no thanks1 but curses1 will you get for your earnestness4 ,you yourself you harm most4 ,why not take creeds as they come8 ,it is not so hard to be persuaded2 never mind about believing40 8,true1 my lord2 not very hard2 no act is required2 only passiveness4 ,stand still and receive4 ,faith is to the thoughtless1 doubts to the thinker40 8,then1 why think at all8 ,is it not better for you mortals to clutch error as in a vice1 than have your fingers meet in your hand8 ,and to what end your eternal inquisitions8 ,you have nothing to substitute4 ,you say all is a lie2 then out with the truth4 ,philosopher1 your devil is but a foolish one1 after all4 ,i1 a demi-god1 never say nay to these things40 8,yea1 my lord1 it would hardly answer for ,oro himself1 were he to come down to ,mardi1 to deny men's theories concerning him4 ,did they not strike at the rash deity in ,alma80 8,then1 why deny those theories yourself8 ,babbalanja1 you almost affect my immortal serenity4 ,must you forever be a sieve for good grain to run through1 while you retain but the chaff8 ,your tongue is forked4 ,you speak two languages3 flat folly for yourself1 and wisdom for others4 ,babbalanja1 if you have any belief of your own1 keep it2 but1 in ,oro's name1 keep it secret40 8,ay1 my lord1 in these things wise men are spectators1 not actors2 wise men look on1 and say #8ay4'0 8,why not say so yourself1 then80 8,my lord1 because ,i have often told you1 that ,i am a fool1 and not wise40 8,your ,highness10 said ,mohi1 8this whole discourse seems to have grown out of the subject of ,necessity and ,free ,will4 ,now1 when a boy1 ,i recollect hearing a sage say1 that these things were reconcilable40 8,ay80 said ,media1 8what say you to that1 now1 ,babbalanja80 8,it may be even so1 my lord4 ,shall ,i tell you a story80 8,azzageddi's stirring now10 muttered ,mohi4 8,proceed10 said ,media4 8,king ,normo had a fool1 called ,willi1 whom he loved to humor4 ,now1 though ,willi ever obeyed his lord1 by the very instinct of his servitude1 he flattered himself that he was free2 and this conceit it was1 that made the fool so entertaining to the king4 ,one day1 said ,normo to his fool1--#8,go1 ,willi1 to yonder tree1 and wait there till ,i come1' #8,your ,majesty1 ,i will1' said ,willi1 bowing beneath his jingling bells2 #8but ,i presume your ,majesty has no objections to my walking on my hands3--,i am free1 ,i hope4' #8,perfectly1' said ,normo1 #8hands or feet1 it's all the same to me2 only do my bidding4' #8,i thought as much1' said ,willi2 so1 swinging his limber legs into the air1 ,willi1 thumb after thumb1 essayed progression4 ,but soon1 his bottled blood so rushed downward through his neck1 that he was fain to turn a somerset and regain his feet4 ,said he1 #8,though ,i am free to do it1 it's not so easy turning digits into toes2 ,i'll walk1 by gad6 which is my other option4' ,so he went straight forward1 and did ,king ,normo's bidding in the natural way40 8,a curious story that10 said ,media2 8whence came it80 8,my lord1 where every thing1 but one1 is to be had3--within40 8,you are charged to the muzzle1 then10 said ,braid-,beard4 8,yes1 ,mohi2 and my talk is my overflowing1 not my fullness40 8,and what may you be so full of80 8,of myself40 8,so it seems10 said ,mohi1 whisking away a fly with his beard4 8,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8you did right in selecting this ebon night for discussing the theme you did2 and truly1 you mortals are but too apt to talk in the dark40 8,ay1 my lord1 and we mortals may prate still more in the dark1 when we are dead2 for methinks1 that if we then prate at all1 'twill be in our sleep4 ,ah6 my lord1 think not that in aught ,i've said this night1 ,i would assert any wisdom of my own4 ,i but fight against the armed and crested ,lies of ,mardi1 that like a host1 assail me4 ,i am stuck full of darts2 but1 tearing them from out me1 gasping1 ,i discharge them whence they come40 ,so saying1 ,babbalanja slowly drooped1 and fell reclining2 then lay motionless as the marble ,gladiator1 that for centuries has been dying4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,my ,lord ,media ,summons ,mohi ,to ,the ,stand ,while slowly the night wore on1 and the now scudding clouds flown past1 revealed again the hosts in heaven1 few words were uttered save by ,media2 who1 when all others were most sad and silent1 seemed but little moved1 or not stirred a jot4 ,but that night1 he filled his flagon fuller than his wont1 and drank1 and drank1 and pledged the stars4 8,here's to thee1 old ,arcturus6 ,to thee1 old ,aldebaran6 who ever poise your wine-red1 fiery spheres on high4 ,a health to thee1 my regal friend1 ,alphacca1 in the constellation of the ,crown3 ,lo6 crown to crown1 ,i pledge thee6 ,i drink to ye1 too1 ,alphard6 ,markab6 ,denebola6 ,capella6--to ye1 too1 sailing ,cygnus6 ,aquila soaring6--,all round1 a health to all your diadems6 ,may they never fade6 nor mine60 ,at last1 in the shadowy east1 the ,dawn1 like a gray1 distant sail before the wind1 was descried2 drawing nearer and nearer1 till her gilded prow was perceived4 ,and as in tropic gales1 the winds blow fierce1 and more fierce1 with the advent of the sun2 so with ,king ,media2 whose mirth now breezed up afresh4 ,but1 as at sunrise1 the sea-storm only blows harder1 to settle down at last into a steady wind2 even so1 in good time1 my lord ,media came to be more decorous of mood4 ,and ,babbalanja abated his reveries4 ,for who might withstand such a morn6 ,as on the night-banks of the far-rolling ,ganges1 the royal bridegroom sets forth for his bride1 preceded by nymphs1 now this side1 now that1 lighting up all the flowery flambeaux held on high as they pass2 so came the ,sun1 to his nuptials with ,mardi3--the ,hours going on before1 touching all the peaks1 till they glowed rosy-red4 ,by reflex1 the lagoon1 here and there1 seemed on fire2 each curling wave-crest a flame4 ,noon came as we sailed4 ,and now1 citrons and bananas1 cups and calabashes1 calumets and tobacco1 were passed round2 and we were all very merry and mellow indeed4 ,smacking our lips1 chatting1 smoking1 and sipping4 ,now a mouthful of citron to season a repartee2 now a swallow of wine to wash down a precept2 now a fragrant whiff to puff away care4 ,many things did beguile4 ,from side to side1 we turned and grazed1 like ,juno's white oxen in clover meads4 ,soon1 we drew nigh to a charming cliff1 overrun with woodbines1 on high suspended from flowering ,tamarisk and ,tamarind-trees4 ,the blossoms of the ,tamarisks1 in spikes of small1 red bells2 the ,tamarinds1 wide-spreading their golden petals1 red-streaked as with streaks of the dawn4 ,down sweeping to the water1 the vines trailed over to the crisp1 curling waves1--little pages1 all eager to hold up their trains4 ,within1 was a bower2 going behind it1 like standing inside the sheet of the falls of the ,genesee4 ,in this arbor we anchored4 ,and with their shaded prows thrust in among the flowers1 our three canoes seemed baiting by the way1 like wearied steeds in a hawthorn lane4 ,high midsummer noon is more silent than night4 ,most sweet a siesta then4 ,and noon dreams are day-dreams indeed2 born under the meridian sun4 ,pale ,cynthia begets pale specter shapes2 and her frigid rays best illuminate white nuns1 marble monuments1 icy glaciers1 and cold tombs4 ,the sun rolled on4 ,and starting to his feet1 arms clasped1 and wildly staring1 ,yoomy exclaimed--8,nay1 nay1 thou shalt not depart1 thou maid6--here1 here ,i fold thee for aye6--,flown8--,a dream6 ,then siestas henceforth while ,i live4 ,and at noon1 every day will ,i meet thee1 sweet maid6 ,and1 oh ,sun6 set not2 and poppies bend over us1 when next we embrace60 8,what ails that somnambulist80 cried ,media1 rising4 8,yoomy1 ,i say6 what ails thee80 8,he must have indulged over freely in those citrons10 said ,mohi1 sympathetically rubbing his fruitery4 8,ho1 ,yoomy6 a swallow of brine will help thee40 8,alas10 cried ,babbalanja1 8do the fairies then wait on repletion8 ,do our dreams come from below1 and not from the skies8 ,are we angels1 or dogs8 ,oh1 ,man1 ,man1 ,man6 thou art harder to solve1 than the ,integral ,calculus--yet plain as a primer2 harder to find than the philosopher's-stone--yet ever at hand2 a more cunning compound1 than an alchemist's--yet a hundred weight of flesh1 to a penny weight of spirit2 soul and body glued together1 firm as atom to atom1 seamless as the vestment without joint1 warp or woof--yet divided as by a river1 spirit from flesh2 growing both ways1 like a tree1 and dropping thy topmost branches to earth1 like thy beard or a banian6--,i give thee up1 oh ,man6 thou art twain--yet indivisible2 all things--yet a poor unit at best40 8,philosopher you seem puzzled to account for the riddles of your race10 cried ,media1 sideways reclining at his ease4 8,now1 do thou1 old ,mohi1 stand up before a demi-god1 and answer for all4--,draw nigh1 so ,i can eye thee4 ,what art thou1 mortal80 8,my worshipful lord1 a man40 8,and what are men80 8,my lord1 before thee is a specimen40 8,i fear me1 my lord will get nothing out of that witness10 said ,babbalanja4 8,pray you1 ,king ,media1 let another inquisitor cross- question40 8,proceed2 take the divan40 8,a pace or two farther off1 there1 ,mohi2 so ,i can garner thee all in at a glance4--,attention6 ,rememberest thou1 fellow-being1 when thou wast born80 8,not ,i4 ,old ,braid-,beard had no memory then40 8,when1 then1 wast thou first conscious of being80 8,what time ,i was teething3 my first sensation was an ache40 8,what dost thou1 fellow-being1 here in ,mardi80 8,what doth ,mardi here1 fellow-being1 under me80 8,philosopher1 thou gainest but little by thy questions10 cried ,yoomy advancing4 8,let a poet endeavor40 8,i abdicate in your favor1 then1 gentle ,yoomy2 let me smooth the divan for you2--there3 be seated40 8,now1 ,mohi1 who art thou80 said ,yoomy1 nodding his bird-of-paradise plume4 8,the sole witness1 it seems1 in this case40 8,try again minstrel10 cried ,babbalanja4 8,then1 what art thou1 ,mohi80 8,even what thou art1 ,yoomy40 8,he is too sharp or too blunt for us all10 cried ,king ,media4 8,his devil is even more subtle than yours1 ,babbalanja4 ,let him go40 8,shall ,i adjourn the court then1 my lord80 said ,babbalanja4 8,ay40 8,oyez6 ,oyez6 ,oyez6 ,all mortals having business at this court1 know ye1 that it is adjourned till sundown of the day1 which hath no to-morrow40 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,wherein ,babbalanja ,and ,yoomy ,embrace 8,how the isles grow and multiply around us60 cried ,babbalanja1 as turning the bold promontory of an uninhabited shore1 many distant lands bluely loomed into view4 8,surely1 our brief voyage1 may not embrace all ,mardi like its reef80 8,no10 said ,media1 8much must be left unseen4 ,nor every where can ,yillah be sought1 noble ,taji40 ,said ,yoomy1 8,we are as birds1 with pinions clipped1 that in unfathomable and endless woods1 but flit from twig to twig of one poor tree40 8,more isles6 more isles60 cried ,babbalanja1 erect1 and gazing abroad4 8,and lo6 round all is heaving that infinite ocean4 ,ah6 gods6 what regions lie beyond80 8,but whither now80 he cried1 as in obedience to ,media1 the paddlers suddenly altered our course4 8,to the bold shores of ,diranda10 said ,media4 8,ay2 the land of clubs and javelins1 where the lord seigniors ,hello and ,piko celebrate their famous games10 cried ,mohi4 8,your clubs and javelins10 said ,media1 8remind me of the great battle- chant of ,narvi--,yoomy60--turning to the minstrel1 gazing abstractedly into the water2--8awake1 ,yoomy1 and give us the lines40 8,my lord ,media1 'tis but a rude1 clanging thing2 dissonant as if the north wind blew through it4 ,methinks the company will not fancy lines so inharmonious4 ,better sing you1 perhaps1 one of my sonnets40 8,better sit and sob in our ears1 silly ,yoomy that thou art6--no6 no6 none of your sentiment now2 my soul is martially inclined2 ,i want clarion peals1 not lute warblings4 ,so throw out your chest1 ,yoomy3 lift high your voice2 and blow me the old battle-blast4--,begin1 sir minstrel40 ,and warning all1 that he himself had not composed the odious chant1 ,yoomy thus3-- ,our clubs6 our clubs6 ,the thousand clubs of ,narvi6 ,of the living trunk of the ,palm-tree made2 ,skull breakers6 ,brain spatterers6 ,wielded right1 and wielded left2 ,life quenchers6 ,death dealers6 ,causing live bodies to run headless6 ,our bows6 our bows6 ,the thousand bows of ,narvi6 ,ribs of ,tara1 god of ,war6 ,fashioned from the light ,tola their arrows2 ,swift messengers6 ,heart piercers6 ,barbed with sharp pearl shells2 ,winged with white tail-plumes2 ,to wild death-chants1 strung with the hair of wild maidens6 ,our spears6 our spears6 ,the thousand spears of ,narvi6 ,of the thunder-riven ,moo-tree made ,tall tree1 couched on the long mountain ,lana6 ,no staves for gray-beards6 no rods for fishermen6 ,tempered by fierce sea-winds1 ,splintered into lances by lightnings1 ,long arrows6 ,heart seekers6 ,toughened by fire their sharp black points6 ,our slings6 our slings6 ,the thousand slings of ,narvi6 ,all tasseled1 and braided1 and gayly bedecked4 ,in peace1 our girdles2 in war1 our war-nets2 ,wherewith catch we heads as fish from the deep6 ,the pebbles they hurl1 have been hurled before1-- ,hurled up on the beach by the stormy sea6 ,pebbles1 buried erewhile in the head of the shark3 ,to be buried erelong in the heads of our foes6 ,home of hard blows1 our pouches6 ,nest of death-eggs6 ,how quickly they hatch6 ,uplift1 and couch we our spears1 men6 ,ring hollow on the rocks our war clubs6 ,bend we our bows1 feel the points of our arrows3 ,aloft1 whirl in eddies our sling-nets2 ,to the fight1 men of ,narvi6 ,sons of battle6 ,hunters of men6 ,raise high your war-wood6 ,shout ,narvi6 her groves in the storm6 8,by ,oro60 cried ,media1 8but ,yoomy has well nigh stirred up all ,babbalanja's devils in me4 ,were ,i a mortal1 ,i could fight now on a pretense4 ,and did any man say me nay1 ,i would charge upon him like a spear-point4 ,ah1 ,yoomy1 thou and thy tribe have much to answer for2 ye stir up all ,mardi with your lays4 ,your war chants make men fight2 your drinking songs1 drunkards2 your love ditties1 fools4 ,yet there thou sittest1 ,yoomy1 gentle as a dove4--,what art thou1 minstrel1 that thy soft1 singing soul should so master all mortals8 ,yoomy1 like me1 you sway a scepter40 8,thou honorest my calling overmuch10 said ,yoomy1 we minstrels but sing our lays carelessly1 my lord ,media40 8,ay3 and the more mischief they make40 8,but sometimes we poets are didactic40 8,didactic and dull2 many of ye are but too apt to be prosy unless mischievous40 8,yet in our verses1 my lord ,media1 but few of us purpose harm40 8,but when all harmless to yourselves1 ye may be otherwise to ,mardi40 8,and are not foul streams often traced to pure fountains1 my lord80 said ,babbalanja4 8,the essence of all good and all evil is in us1 not out of us4 ,neither poison nor honey lodgeth in the flowers on which1 side by side1 bees and wasps oft alight4 ,my lord1 nature is an immaculate virgin1 forever standing unrobed before us4 ,true poets but paint the charms which all eyes behold4 ,the vicious would be vicious without them40 8,my lord ,media10 impetuously resumed ,yoomy1 8,i am sensible of a thousand sweet1 merry fancies1 limpid with innocence2 yet my enemies account them all lewd conceits40 8,there be those in ,mardi10 said ,babbalanja1 8who would never ascribe evil to others1 did they not find it in their own hearts2 believing none can be different from themselves40 8,my lord1 my lord60 cried ,yoomy4 8,the air that breathes my music from me is a mountain air6 ,purer than others am ,i2 for though not a woman1 ,i feel in me a woman's soul40 8,ah1 have done1 silly ,yoomy10 said ,media4 8,thou art becoming flighty1 even as ,babbalanja1 when ,azzageddi is uppermost40 8,thus ever3 ever thus60 sighed ,yoomy4 8,they comprehend us not40 8,nor me10 said ,babbalanja4 8,yoomy3 poets both1 we differ but in seeming2 thy airiest conceits are as the shadows of my deepest ponderings2 though ,yoomy soars1 and ,babbalanja dives1 both meet at last4 ,not a song you sing1 but ,i have thought its thought2 and where dull ,mardi sees but your rose1 ,i unfold its petals1 and disclose a pearl4 ,poets are we1 ,yoomy1 in that we dwell without us2 we live in grottoes1 palms1 and brooks2 we ride the sea1 we ride the sky2 poets are omnipresent40 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,of ,the ,isle ,of ,diranda ,in good time the shores of ,diranda were in sight4 ,and1 introductory to landing1 ,braid-,beard proceeded to give us some little account of the island1 and its rulers4 ,as previously hinted1 those very magnificent and illustrious lord seigniors1 the lord seigniors ,hello and ,piko1 who between them divided ,diranda1 delighted in all manner of public games1 especially warlike ones2 which last were celebrated so frequently1 and were so fatal in their results1 that1 not-withstanding the multiplicity of nuptials taking place in the isle1 its population remained in equilibrio4 ,but1 strange to relate1 this was the very object which the lord seigniors had in view2 the very object they sought to compass1 by instituting their games4 ,though1 for the most part1 they wisely kept the secret locked up4 ,but to tell how the lord seigniors ,hello and ,piko came to join hands in this matter4 ,diranda had been amicably divided between them ever since the day they were crowned2 one reigning king in the ,east1 the other in the ,west4 ,but ,king ,piko had been long harassed with the thought1 that the unobstructed and indefinite increase of his browsing subjects might eventually denude of herbage his portion of the island4 ,posterity1 thought he1 is marshaling her generations in squadrons1 brigades1 and battalions1 and ere long will be down upon my devoted empire4 ,lo6 her locust cavalry darken the skies2 her light-troop pismires cover the earth4 ,alas6 my son and successor1 thou wilt inhale choke-damp for air1 and have not a private corner to say thy prayers4 ,by a sort of arithmetical progression1 the probability1 nay1 the certainty of these results1 if not in some way averted1 was proved to ,king ,piko2 and he was furthermore admonished1 that war--war to the haft with ,king ,hello--was the only cure for so menacing an evil4 ,but so it was1 that ,king ,piko1 at peace with ,king ,hello1 and well content with1 the tranquillity of the times1 little relished the idea of picking a quarrel with his neighbor1 and running its risks1 in order to phlebotomize his redundant population4 8,patience1 most illustrious seignior10 said another of his sagacious ,ahithophels1 8and haply a pestilence may decimate the people40 ,but no pestilence came4 ,and in every direction the young men and maidens were recklessly rushing into wedlock2 and so salubrious the climate1 that the old men stuck to the outside of the turf1 and refused to go under4 ,at last some ,machiavel of a philosopher suggested1 that peradventure the object of war might be answered without going to war2 that peradventure ,king ,hello might be brought to acquiesce in an arrangement1 whereby the men of ,diranda might be induced to kill off one another voluntarily1 in a peaceable manner1 without troubling their rulers4 ,and to this end1 the games before mentioned were proposed4 8,egad6 my wise ones1 you have hit it10 cried ,piko2 8but will ,hello say ay80 8,try him1 most illustrious seignior10 said ,machiavel4 ,so to ,hello went embassadors ordinary and extraordinary1 and ministers plenipotentiary and peculiar2 and anxiously ,king ,piko awaited their return4 ,the mission was crowned with success4 ,said ,king ,hello to the ministers1 in confidence3--8,the very thing1 ,dons1 the very thing ,i have wanted4 ,my people are increasing too fast4 ,they keep up the succession too well4 ,tell your illustrious master it's a bargain4 ,the games6 the games6 by all means40 ,so1 throughout the island1 by proclamation1 they were forthwith established2 succeeding to a charm4 ,and the lord seigniors1 ,hello and ,piko1 finding their interests the same1 came together like bride and bridegroom2 lived in the same palace2 dined off the same cloth2 cut from the same bread-fruit2 drank from the same calabash2 wore each other's crowns2 and often locking arms with a charming frankness1 paced up and down in their dominions1 discussing the prospect of the next harvest of heads4 ,in his old-fashioned way1 having related all this1 with many other particulars1 ,mohi was interrupted by ,babbalanja1 who inquired how the people of ,diranda relished the games1 and how they fancied being coolly thinned out in that manner4 ,to which in substance the chronicler replied1 that of the true object of the games1 they had not the faintest conception2 but hammered away at each other1 and fought and died together1 like jolly good fellows4 8,right again1 immortal old ,bardianna60 cried ,babbalanja4 8,and what has the sage to the point this time80 asked ,media4 8,why1 my lord1 in his chapter on 8,cracked ,crowns10 ,bardianna1 after many profound ponderings1 thus concludes3 ,in this cracked sphere we live in1 then1 cracked skulls would seem the inevitable allotments of many4 ,nor will the splintering thereof cease1 till this pugnacious animal we treat of be deprived of his natural maces3 videlicet1 his arms4 ,and right well doth man love to bruise and batter all occiputs in his vicinity40 8,seems to me1 our old friend must have been on his stilts that time10 interrupted ,mohi4 8,no1 ,braid-,beard4 ,but by way of apologizing for the unusual rigidity of his style in that chapter1 he says in a note1 that it was written upon a straight-backed settle1 when he was ill of a lumbago1 and a crick in the neck40 8,that incorrigible ,azzageddi again10 said ,media1 8,proceed with your quotation1 ,babbalanja40 8,where was ,i1 ,braid-,beard80 8,battering occiputs at the last accounts10 said ,mohi4 8,ah1 yes4 ,and right well doth man love to bruise and batter all occiputs in his vicinity2 he but follows his instincts2 he is but one member of a fighting world4 ,spiders1 vixens1 and tigers all war with a relish2 and on every side is heard the howls of hyenas1 the throttlings of mastiffs1 the din of belligerant beetles1 the buzzing warfare of the insect battalions3 and the shrill cries of lady ,tartars rending their lords4 ,and all this existeth of necessity4 ,to war it is1 and other depopulators1 that we are beholden for elbow-room in ,mardi and for all our parks an gardens1 wherein we are wont to expatiate4 ,come on1 then1 plague1 war1 famine and viragos6 ,come on1 ,i say1 for who shall stay ye8 ,come on1 and healthfulize the census6 ,and more especially1 oh ,war6 do thou march forth with thy bludgeon6 ,cracked are1 our crowns by nature1 and henceforth forever1 cracked shall they be by hard raps40 8,and hopelessly cracked the skull1 that hatched such a tirade of nonsense10 said ,mohi4 8,and think you not1 old ,bardianna knew that80 asked ,babbalanja4 8,he wrote an excellent chapter on that very subject40 8,what1 on the cracks in his own pate80 8,precisely4 ,and expressly asserts1 that to those identical cracks1 was he indebted for what little light he had in his brain40 8,i yield1 ,babbalanja2 your old ,ponderer is older than ,i40 8,ay1 ay1 ,braid-,beard2 his crest was a tortoise2 and this was the motto3--#8,i bite1 but am not to be bitten4'0 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,they ,visit ,the ,lords ,piko ,and ,hello ,in good time1 we landed at ,diranda4 ,and that landing was like landing at ,greenwich among the ,waterloo pensioners4 ,the people were docked right and left2 some without arms2 some without legs2 not one with a tail2 but to a man1 all had heads1 though rather the worse for wear2 covered with lumps and contusions4 ,now1 those very magnificent and illustrious lord seigniors1 the lord seigniors ,hello and ,piko1 lived in a palace1 round which was a fence of the cane called ,malacca1 each picket helmed with a skull1 of which there were fifty1 one to each cane4 ,over the door was the blended arms of the high and mighty houses of ,hello and ,piko3 a ,clavicle crossed over an ,ulna4 ,escorted to the sign of the ,skull-and-,cross-,bones1 we received the very best entertainment which that royal inn could afford4 ,we found our hosts ,hello and ,piko seated together on a dais or throne1 and now and then drinking some claret-red wine from an ivory bowl1 too large to have been wrought from an elephant's tusk4 ,they were in glorious good spirits1 shaking ivory coins in a skull4 8,what says your majesty80 said ,piko4 8,heads or tails80 8,oh1 heads1 your majesty10 said ,hello4 8,and heads say ,i10 said ,piko4 ,and heads it was4 ,but it was heads on both sides1 so both were sure to win4 ,and thus they were used to play merrily all day long2 beheading the gourds of claret by one slicing blow with their sickle-shaped scepters4 ,wide round them lay empty calabashes1 all feathered1 red dyed1 and betasseled1 trickling red wine from their necks1 like the decapitated pullets in the old baronial barn yard at ,kenilworth1 the night before ,queen ,bess dined with my lord ,leicester4 ,the first compliments over2 and ,media and ,taji having met with a reception suitable to their rank1 the kings inquired1 whether there were any good javelin-flingers among us3 for if that were the case1 they could furnish them plenty of sport4 ,informed1 however1 that none of the party were professional warriors1 their majesties looked rather glum1 and by way of chasing away the blues1 called for some good old stuff1 that was red4 ,it seems1 this soliciting guests1 to keep their spears from decaying1 by cut and thrust play with their subjects1 was a very common thing with their illustrious majesties4 ,but if their visitors could not be prevailed upon to spear a subject or so1 our hospitable hosts resolved to have a few speared1 and otherwise served up for our special entertainment4 ,in a word1 our arrival furnished a fine pretext for renewing their games2 though1 we learned1 that only ten days previous1 upward of fifty combatants had been slain at one of these festivals4 ,be that as it might1 their joint majesties determined upon another one2 and also upon our tarrying to behold it4 ,we objected1 saying we must depart4 ,but we were kindly assured1 that our canoes had been dragged out of the water1 and buried in a wood2 there to remain till the games were over4 ,the day fixed upon1 was the third subsequent to our arrival2 the interval being devoted to preparations2 summoning from their villages and valleys the warriors of the land2 and publishing the royal proclamations1 whereby the unbounded hospitality of the kings' household was freely offered to all heroes whatsoever1 who for the love of arms1 and the honor of broken heads1 desired to cross battle-clubs1 hurl spears1 or die game in the royal valley of ,deddo4 ,meantime1 the whole island was in a state of uproarious commotion1 and strangers were daily arriving4 ,the spot set apart for the festival1 was a spacious down1 mantled with white asters2 which1 waving in windrows1 lay upon the land1 like the cream-surf surging the milk of young heifers4 ,but that whiteness1 here and there1 was spotted with strawberries2 tracking the plain1 as if wounded creatures had been dragging themselves bleeding from some deadly encounter4 ,all round the down1 waved scarlet thickets of sumach1 moaning in the wind1 like the gory ghosts environing ,pharsalia the night after the battle2 scaring away the peasants1 who with bushel-baskets came to the jewel-harvest of the rings of ,pompey's knights4 ,beneath the heaped turf of this down1 lay thousands of glorious corpses of anonymous heroes1 who here had died glorious deaths4 ,whence1 in the florid language of ,diranda1 they called this field 8,the ,field of ,glory40 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,they ,attend ,the ,games ,at last the third day dawned2 and facing us upon entering the plain1 was a throne of red log-wood1 canopied by the foliage of a red-dyed ,pandannus4 ,upon this throne1 purple-robed1 reclined those very magnificent and illustrious lords seigniors1 the lord seigniors ,hello and ,piko4 ,before them1 were many gourds of wine2 and crosswise1 staked in the sod1 their own royal spears4 ,in the middle of the down1 as if by a furrow1 a long1 oval space was margined of about which1 a crowd of spectators were seated4 ,opposite the throne1 was reserved a clear passage to the arena1 defined by air-lines1 indefinitely produced from the leveled points of two spears1 so poised by a brace of warriors4 ,drawing near1 our party was courteously received1 and assigned a commodious lounge4 ,the first encounter was a club-fight between two warriors4 ,nor casque of steel1 nor skull of ,congo could have resisted their blows1 had they fallen upon the mark2 for they seemed bent upon driving each other1 as stakes1 into the earth4 ,presently1 one of them faltered2 but his adversary rushing in to cleave him down1 slipped against a guavarind2 when the falterer1 with one lucky blow1 high into the air sent the stumbler's club1 which descended upon the crown of a spectator1 who was borne from the plain4 8,all one10 muttered ,pike4 8,as good dead as another10 muttered ,hello4 ,the second encounter was a hugging-match2 wherein two warriors1 masked in ,grisly-bear skins1 hugged each other to death4 ,the third encounter was a bumping-match between a fat warrior and a dwarf4 ,standing erect1 his paunch like a bass-drum before a drummer1 the fat man was run at1 head-a-tilt by the dwarf1 and sent spinning round on his axis4 ,the fourth encounter was a tussle between two-score warriors1 who all in a mass1 writhed like the limbs in ,sebastioni's painting of ,hades4 ,after obscuring themselves in a cloud of dust1 these combatants1 uninjured1 but hugely blowing1 drew off2 and separately going among the spectators1 rehearsed their experience of the fray4 8,braggarts60 mumbled ,piko4 8,poltroons60 growled ,hello4 ,while the crowd were applauding1 a sober-sided observer1 trying to rub the dust out of his eyes1 inquired of an enthusiastic neighbor1 8,pray1 what was all that about80 8,fool6 saw you not the dust80 8,that ,i did10 said ,sober-,sides1 again rubbing his eyes1 8,but ,i can raise a dust myself40 ,the fifth encounter was a fight of single sticks between one hundred warriors1 fifty on a side4 ,in a line1 the first fifty emerged from the sumachs1 their weapons interlocked in a sort of wicker-work4 ,in advance marched a priest1 bearing an idol with a cracked cocoanut for a head1--,krako1 the god of ,trepans4 ,preceded by damsels flinging flowers1 now came on the second fifty1 gayly appareled1 weapons poised1 and their feet nimbly moving in a martial measure4 ,midway meeting1 both parties touched poles1 then retreated4 ,very courteous1 this2 but tantamount to bowing each other out of ,mardi2 for upon ,pike's tossing a javelin1 they rushed in1 and each striking his man1 all fell to the ground4 8,well done60 cried ,piko4 8,brave fellows60 cried ,hello4 8,but up and at it again1 my heroes60 joined both4 8,lo6 we kings look on1 and there stand the bards60 ,these bards were a row of lean1 sallow1 old men1 in thread-bare robes1 and chaplets of dead leaves4 8,strike up60 cried ,piko4 8,a stave60 cried ,hello4 ,whereupon1 the old croakers1 each with a quinsy1 sang thus in cracked strains3-- ,quack6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,with a toorooloo whack2 ,hack away1 merry men1 hack away4 ,who would not die brave1 ,his ear smote by a stave8 ,thwack away1 merry men1 thwack away6 ',tis glory that calls1 ,to each hero that falls1 ,hack away1 merry men1 hack away6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,quack6 ,thus it tapered away4 8,ha1 ha60 cried ,piko1 8how they prick their ears at that60 8,hark ye1 my invincibles60 cried ,hello4 8,that pean is for the slain4 ,so all ye who have lives left1 spring to it6 ,die and be glorified6 ,now's the time6--,strike up again1 my ducklings60 ,thus incited1 the survivors staggered to their feet2 and hammering away at each others' sconces1 till they rung like a chime of bells going off with a triple-bob-major1 they finally succeeded in immortalizing themselves by quenching their mortalities all round2 the bards still singing4 8,never mind your music now10 cried ,piko4 8,it's all over10 said ,hello4 8,what valiant fellows we have for subjects10 cried ,piko4 8,ho6 grave-diggers1 clear the field10 cried ,hello4 8,who else is for glory80 cried ,piko4 8,there stand the bards60 cried ,hello4 ,but now there rushed among the crowd a haggard figure1 trickling with blood1 and wearing a robe1 whose edges were burned and blacked by fire4 ,wielding a club1 it ran to and fro1 with loud yells menacing all4 ,a noted warrior this2 who1 distracted at the death of five sons slain in recent games1 wandered from valley to valley1 wrestling and fighting4 ,with wild cries of 8,the ,despairer6 ,the ,despairer60 the appalled multitude fled2 leaving the two kings frozen on their throne1 quaking and quailing1 their teeth rattling like dice4 ,the ,despairer strode toward them2 when1 recovering their senses1 they ran2 for a time pursued through the woods by the phantom4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,taji ,still ,hunted1 ,and ,beckoned ,previous to the kings' flight1 we had plunged into the neighboring woods2 and from thence emerging1 entered brakes of cane1 sprouting from morasses4 ,soon we heard a whirring1 as if three startled partridges had taken wing2 it proved three feathered arrows1 from three unseen hands4 ,gracing us1 two buried in the ground1 but from ,taji's arm1 the third drew blood4 ,on all sides round we turned2 but none were seen4 8,still the avengers follow10 said ,babbalanja4 8,lo6 the damsels three60 cried ,yoomy4 8,look where they come60 ,we joined them by the sumach-wood's red skirts2 and there1 they waved their cherry stalks1 and heavy bloated cactus leaves1 their crimson blossoms armed with nettles2 and before us flung shining1 yellow1 tiger-flowers spotted red4 8,blood60 cried ,yoomy1 starting1 8and leopards on your track60 ,and now the syrens blew through long reeds1 tasseled with their panicles1 and waving verdant scarfs of vines1 came dancing toward us1 proffering clustering grapes4 8,for all now yours1 ,taji2 and all that yet may come10 cried ,yoomy1 8fly to me6 ,i will dance away your gloom1 and drown it in inebriation40 8,away6 woe is its own wine4 ,what may be mine1 that will ,i endure1 in its own essence to the quick4 ,let me feel the poniard if it stabs40 ,they vanished in the wood2 and hurrying on1 we soon gained sun-light1 and the open glade4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,they ,embark ,from ,diranda ,arrived at the ,sign of the ,skulls1 we found the illustrious lord seigniors at rest from their flight1 and once more1 quaffing their claret1 all thoughts of the specter departed4 ,instead of rattling their own ivory iii the heads on their shoulders1 they were rattling their dice in the skulls in their hands4 ,and still 8,heads10 was the cry1 and 8,heads10 was the throw4 ,that evening they made known to my lord ,media that an interval of two days must elapse ere the games were renewed1 in order to reward the victors1 bury their dead1 and provide for the execution of an ,islander1 who under the provocation of a blow1 had killed a stranger4 ,as this suspension of the festivities had been wholly unforeseen1 our hosts were induced to withdraw the embargo laid upon our canoes4 ,nevertheless1 they pressed us to remain2 saying1 that what was to come would far exceed in interest1 what had already taken place4 ,the games in prospect being of a naval description1 embracing certain hand-to-hand contests in the water between shoals of web-footed warriors4 ,however1 we decided to embark on the morrow4 ,it was in the cool of the early morning1 at that hour when a man's face can be known1 that we set sail from ,diranda2 and in the ghostly twilight1 our thoughts reverted to the phantom that so suddenly had cleared the plain4 ,with interest we hearkened to the recitals of ,mohi2 who discoursing of the sad end of many brave chieftains in ,mardi1 made allusion to the youthful ,adondo1 one of the most famous of the chiefs of the chronicles4 ,in a canoe-fight1 after performing prodigies of valor2 he was wounded in the head1 and sunk to the bottom of the lagoon4 8,there is a noble monody upon the death of ,adondo10 said ,yoomy4 8,shall ,i sing it1 my lord8 ,it4 is very beautiful2 nor could ,i ever repeat it without a tear40 8,we will dispense with your tears1 minstrel10 said ,media1 8but sing it1 if you will40 ,and ,yoomy sang3-- ,departed the pride and the glory of ,mardi3 ,the vaunt of her isles sleeps deep in the sea1 ,that rolls o'er his corpse with a hush4 ,his warriors bend over their spears1 ,his sisters gaze upward and mourn4 ,weep1 weep1 for ,adondo1 is dead6 ,the sun has gone down in a shower2 ,buried in clouds in the face of the moon2 ,tears stand in the eyes of the starry skies1 ,and stand in the eyes of the flowers2 ,and streams of tears are the trickling brooks1 ,coursing adown the mountains4-- ,departed the pride1 and the glory of ,mardi3 ,the vaunt of her isles sleeps deep in the sea4 ,fast falls the small rain on its bosom that sobs4-- ,not showers of rain1 but the tears of ,oro4 8,a dismal time it must have been10 yawned ,media1 8not a dry brook then in ,mardi1 not a lake that was not moist4 ,lachrymose rivulets1 and inconsolable lagoons6 ,call you this poetry1 minstrel80 8,mohi has something like a tear in his eye10 said ,yoomy4 8,false60 cried ,mohi1 brushing it aside4 8,who composed that monody80 said ,babbalanja4 8,i have often heard it before40 8,none know1 ,babbalanja but the poet must be still singing to himself2 his songs bursting through the turf in the flowers over his grave40 8,but gentle ,yoomy1 ,adondo is a legendary hero1 indefinitely dating back4 ,may not his monody1 then1 be a spontaneous melody1 that has been with us since ,mardi began8 ,what bard composed the soft verses that our palm boughs sing at even8 ,nay1 ,yoomy1 that monody was not written by man40 8,ah6 ,would that ,i had been the poet1 ,babbalanja2 for then had ,i been famous indeed2 those lines are chanted through all the isles1 by prince and peasant4 ,yes1 ,adondo's monody will pervade the ages1 like the low under-tone you hear1 when many singers do sing40 8,my lord1 my lord10 cried ,babbalanja1 8but this were to be truly immortal2--to be perpetuated in our works1 and not in our names4 ,let me1 oh ,oro6 be anonymously known60 ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,wherein ,babbalanja ,discourses ,of ,himself ,an interval of silence was at last broken by ,babbalanja4 ,pointing to the sun1 just gaining the horizon1 he exclaimed1 8,as old ,bardianna says--shut your eyes1 and believe40 8,and what may ,bardianna have to do with yonder orb80 said ,media4 ,this much1 my lord1 the astronomers maintain that ,mardi moves round the sun2 which ,i1 who never formally investigated the matter for myself1 can by no means credit2 unless1 plainly seeing one thing1 ,i blindly believe another4 ,yet even thus blindly does all ,mardi subscribe to an astronomical system1 which not one in fifty thousand can astronomically prove4 ,and not many centuries back1 my lord1 all ,mardi did equally subscribe to an astronomical system1 precisely the reverse of that which they now believe4 ,but the mass of ,mardians have not as much reason to believe the first system1 as the exploded one2 for all who have eyes must assuredly see1 that the sun seems to move1 and that ,mardi seems a fixture1 eternally here4 ,but doubtless there are theories which may be true1 though the face of things belie them4 ,hence1 in such cases1 to the ignorant1 disbelief would seem more natural than faith2 though they too often reject the testimony of their own senses1 for what to them1 is a mere hypothesis4 ,and thus1 my lord1 is it1 that the mass of ,mardians do not believe because they know1 but because they know not4 ,and they are as ready to receive one thing as another1 if it comes from a canonical source4 ,my lord1 ,mardi is as an ostrich1 which will swallow augh you offer1 even a bar of iron1 if placed endwise4 ,and though the iron be indigestible1 yet it serves to fill3 in feeding1 the end proposed4 ,for ,mardi must have something to exercise its digestion1 though that something be forever indigestible4 ,and as fishermen for sport1 throw two lumps of bait1 united by a cord1 to albatrosses floating on the sea2 which are greedily attempted to be swallowed1 one lump by this fowl1 the other by that2 but forever are kept reciprocally going up and down in them1 by means of the cord2 even so1 my lord1 do ,i sometimes fancy1 that our theorists divert them-selves with the greediness of ,mardians to believe40 8,ha1 ha10 cried ,media1 8methinks this must be ,azzageddi who speaks40 8,no1 my lord2 not long since1 ,azzageddi received a furlough to go home and warm himself for a while4 ,but this leaves me not alone40 8,how80 8,my lord1--for the present putting ,azzageddi entirely aside1--though ,i have now been upon terms of close companionship with myself for nigh five hundred moons1 ,i have not yet been able to decide who or what ,i am4 ,to you1 perhaps1 ,i seem ,babbalanja2 but to myself1 ,i seem not myself4 ,all ,i am sure of1 is a sort of prickly sensation all over me1 which they call life2 and1 occasionally1 a headache or a queer conceit admonishes me1 that there is something astir in my attic4 ,but how know ,i1 that these sensations are identical with myself8 ,for aught ,i know1 ,i may be somebody else4 ,at any rate1 ,i keep an eye on myself1 as ,i would on a stranger4 ,there is something going on in me1 that is independent of me4 ,many a time1 have ,i willed to do one thing1 and another has been done4 ,i will not say by myself1 for ,i was not consulted about it2 it was done instinctively4 ,my most virtuous thoughts are not born of my musings1 but spring up in me1 like bright fancies to the poet2 unsought1 spontaneous4 ,whence they come ,i know not4 ,i am a blind man pushed from behind2 in vain1 ,i turn about to see what propels me4 ,as vanity1 ,i regard the praises of my friends2 for what they commend pertains not to me1 ,babbalanja2 but to this unknown something that forces me to it4 ,but why am ,i1 a middle aged ,mardian1 less prone to excesses than when a youth8 ,the same inducements and allurements are around me4 ,but no2 my more ardent passions are burned out2 those which are strongest when we are least able to resist them4 ,thus1 then1 my lord1 it is not so much outer temptations that prevail over us mortals2 but inward instincts40 8,a very curious speculation10 said ,media4 ,but ,babbalanja1 have you mortals no moral sense1 as they call it80 8,we have4 ,but the thing you speak of is but an after-birth2 we eat and drink many months before we are conscious of thoughts4 ,and though some adults would seem to refer all their actions to this moral sense1 yet1 in reality1 it is not so2 for1 dominant in them1 their moral sense bridles their instinctive passions2 wherefore1 they do not govern themselves1 but are governed by their very natures4 ,thus1 some men in youth are constitutionally as staid as ,i am now4 ,but shall we pronounce them pious and worthy youths for this8 ,does he abstain1 who is not incited8 ,and on the other hand1 if the instinctive passions through life naturally have the supremacy over the moral sense1 as in extreme cases we see it developed in irreclaimable malefactors1--shall we pronounce such1 criminal and detestable wretches8 ,my lord1 it is easier for some men to be saints1 than for others not to be sinners40 8,that will do1 ,babbalanja2 you are on the verge1 take not the leap6 ,go back whence you set out1 and tell us of that other1 and still more mysterious ,azzageddi2 him whom you hinted to have palmed himself off on you for you yourself40 8,well1 then1 my lord1--,azzageddi still set aside1--upon that self-same inscrutable stranger1 ,i charge all those past actions of mine1 which in the retrospect appear to me such eminent folly1 that ,i am confident1 it was not ,i1 ,babbalanja1 now speaking1 that committed them4 ,nevertheless1 my lord1 this very day ,i may do some act1 which at a future period may seem equally senseless2 for in one lifetime we live a hundred lives4 ,by the incomprehensible stranger in me1 ,i say1 this body of mine has been rented out scores of times1 though always one dark chamber in me is retained by the old mystery40 8,will you never come to the mark1 ,babbalanja8 ,tell me something direct of the stranger4 ,who1 what is he8 ,introduce him40 8,my lord1 ,i can not4 ,he is locked up in me4 ,in a mask1 he dodges me4 ,he prowls about in me1 hither and thither2 he peers1 and ,i stare4 ,this is he who talks in my sleep1 revealing my secrets2 and takes me to unheard of realms1 beyond the skies of ,mardi4 ,so present is he always1 that ,i seem not so much to live of myself1 as to be a mere apprehension of the unaccountable being that is in me4 ,yet all the time1 this being is ,i1 myself40 8,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8you have fairly turned yourself inside out40 8,yes1 my lord10 said ,mohi1 8and he has so unsettled me1 that ,i begin to think all ,mardi a square circle40 8,how is that1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8is a circle square80 8,no1 my lord1 but ever since ,mardi began1 we ,mardians have been essaying our best to square it40 8,cleverly retorted4 ,now1 ,babbalanja1 do you not imagine1 that you may do harm by disseminating these sophisms of yours2 which like your devil theory1 would seem to relieve all ,mardi from moral accountability80 8,my lord1 at bottom1 men wear no bonds that other men can strike off2 and have no immunities1 of which other men can deprive them4 ,tell a good man that he is free to commit murder1--will he murder8 ,tell a murderer that at the peril of his soul he indulges in murderous thoughts1--will that make him a saint80 8,again on the verge1 ,babbalanja8 ,take not the leap1 ,i say40 8,i can leap no more1 my lord4 ,already ,i am down1 down1 down40 8,philosopher10 said ,media1 8what with ,azzageddi1 and the mysterious indweller you darkly hint of1 ,i marvel not that you are puzzled to decide upon your identity4 ,but when do you seem most yourself80 8,when ,i sleep1 and dream not1 my lord40 8,indeed80 8,why then1 a fool's cap might be put on you1 and you would not know it40 8,the very turban he ought to wear10 muttered ,mohi4 8,yet1 my lord1 ,i live while consciousness is not mine1 while to all appearances ,i am a clod4 ,and may not this same state of being1 though but alternate with me1 be continually that of many dumb1 passive objects we so carelessly regard8 ,trust me1 there are more things alive than those that crawl1 or fly1 or swim4 ,think you1 my lord1 there is no sensation in being a tree8 feeling the sap in one's boughs1 the breeze in one's foliage8 think you it is nothing to be a world8 one of a herd1 bison-like1 wending its way across boundless meadows of ether8 ,in the sight of a fowl1 that sees not our souls1 what are our own tokens of animation8 ,that we move1 make a noise1 have organs1 pulses1 and are compounded of fluids and solids4 ,and all these are in this ,mardi as a unit4 ,daily the slow1 majestic throbbings of its heart are perceptible on the surface in the tides of the la-goon4 ,its rivers are its veins2 when agonized1 earthquakes are its throes2 it shouts in the thunder1 and weeps in the shower2 and as the body of a bison is covered with hair1 so ,mardi is covered with grasses and vegetation1 among which1 we parasitical things do but crawl1 vexing and tormenting the patient creature to which we cling4 ,nor yet1 hath it recovered from the pain of the first foundation that was laid4 ,mardi is alive to its axis4 ,when you pour water1 does it not gurgle8 ,when you strike a pearl shell1 does it not ring8 ,think you there is no sensation in being a rock8--,to exist1 is to be2 to be1 is to be something3 to be something1 is--0 8,go on10 said ,media4 8,and what is it1 to be something80 said ,yoomy artlessly4 8,bethink yourself of what went before10 said ,media4 8,lose not the thread10 said ,mohi4 8,it has snapped10 said ,babbalanja4 8,i breathe again10 said ,mohi4 8,but what a stepping-off place you came to then1 philosopher10 said ,media4 8,by the way1 is it not old ,bardianna who says1 that no ,mardian should undertake to walk1 without keeping one foot foremost80 8,to return to the vagueness of the notion ,i have of myself10 said ,babbalanja4 8,an appropriate theme10 said ,media1 8proceed40 8,my lord10 murmured ,mohi1 8,is not this philosopher like a centipede8 ,cut off his head1 and still he crawls40 8,there are times when ,i fancy myself a lunatic10 resumed ,babbalanja4 8,ah1 now he's beginning to talk sense10 whispered ,mohi4 8,surely you forget1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media4 8,how many more theories have you8 ,first1 you are possessed by a devil2 then rent yourself out to the indweller2 and now turn yourself into a mad-house4 ,you are inconsistent40 8,and for that very reason1 my lord1 not inconsistent2 for the sum of my inconsistencies makes up my consistency4 ,and to be consistent to one's self1 is often to be inconsistent to ,mardi4 ,common consistency implies unchangeableness2 but much of the wisdom here below lives in a state of transition40 8,ah60 murmured ,mold1 8my head goes round again40 8,azzageddi aside1 then1 my lord1 and also1 for the nonce1 the mysterious indweller1 ,i come now to treat of myself as a lunatic4 ,but this last conceit is not so much based upon the madness of particular actions1 as upon the whole drift of my ordinary and hourly ones2 those1 in which ,i most resemble all other ,mardians4 ,it seems like going through with some nonsensical whim-whams1 destitute of fixed purpose4 ,for though many of my actions seem to have objects1 and all of them somehow run into each other2 yet1 where is the grand result8 ,to what final purpose1 do ,i walk about1 eat1 think1 dream8 ,to what great end1 does ,mohi there1 now stroke his beard80 8,but ,i was doing it unconsciously10 said ,mohi1 dropping his hand1 and lifting his head4 8,just what ,i would be at1 old man4 #8,what we do1 we do blindly1' says old ,bardianna4 ,many things we do1 we do without knowing1--as with you and your beard1 ,mohi4 ,and many others we know not1 in their true bearing at least1 till they are past4 ,are not half our lives spent in reproaches for foregone actions1 of the true nature and consequences of which1 we were wholly ignorant at the time8 ,says old ,bardianna1 #8,did ,i not so often feel an appetite for my yams1 ,i should think every thing a dream2'--so puzzling to him1 seemed the things of this ,mardi4 ,but ,alla-,malolla goes further4 ,says he1 #8,let us club together1 fellow-riddles3--,kings1 clowns1 and intermediates4 ,we are bundles of comical sensations2 we bejuggle ourselves into strange phantasies3 we are air1 wind1 breath1 bubbles2 our being is told in a tick4'0 8,now1 then1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8what have you come to in all this rhapsody8 ,you everlastingly travel in a circle40 8,and so does the sun in heaven1 my lord2 like me1 it goes round1 and gives light as it goes4 ,old ,bardianna1 too1 revolved4 ,he says so himself4 ,in his roundabout chapter on ,cycles and ,epicycles1 with ,notes on the ,ecliptic1 he thus discourseth3--#8,all things revolve upon some center1 to them1 fixed2 for the centripetal is ever too much for the centrifugal4 ,wherefore1 it is a perpetual cycling with us1 without progression2 and we fly round1 whether we will or no4 ,to stop1 were to sink into space4 ,so1 over and over we go1 and round and round2 double-shuffle1 on our axis1 and round the sun4' ,in an another place1 he says3--#8,there is neither apogee nor perigee1 north nor south1 right nor left2 what to-night is our zenith1 to-morrow is our nadir2 stand as we will1 we stand on our heads2 essay to spring into the air1 and down we come2 here we stick2 our very bones make glue4'0 8,enough1 enough1 ,babbalanja10 cried ,media4 8,you are a very wise ,mardian2 but the wisest ,mardians make the most consummate fools40 8,so they do1 my lord2 but ,i was interrupted4 ,i was about to say1 that there is no place but the universe2 no limit but the limitless2 no bottom but the bottomless40 ,,chapter ,,xl4 ,of ,the ,sorcerers ,in ,the ,isle ,of ,minda 8,tiffin6 tiffin60 cried ,media2 8time for tiffin6 ,up1 comrades6 and while the mat is being spread1 walk we to the bow1 and inhale the breeze for an appetite4 ,hark ye1 ,vee-,vee6 forget not that calabash with the sea-blue seal1 and a round ring for a brand4 ,rare old stuff1 that1 ,mohi2 older than you3 the circumnavigator1 ,i call it4 ,my sire had a canoe launched for the express purpose of carrying it thrice round ,mardi for a flavor4 ,it was many moons on the voyage2 the mariners never sailed faster than three knots4 ,ten would spoil the best wine ever floated40 ,tiffin over1 and the blue-sealed calabash all but hid in the great cloud raised by our pipes1 ,media proposed to board it in the smoke4 ,so1 goblet in hand1 we all gallantly charged1 and came off victorious from the fray4 ,then seated again1 and serenely puffing in a circle1 the circumnavigator meanwhile pleasantly going the rounds1 ,media called upon ,mohi for something entertaining4 ,now1 of all the old gossips in ,mardi1 surely our delightful old ,diodorus was furnished with the greatest possible variety of histories1 chronicles1 anecdotes1 memoirs1 legends1 traditions1 and biographies4 ,there was no end to the library he carried4 ,in himself1 he was the whole history of ,mardi1 amplified1 not abridged1 in one volume4 ,in obedience1 then1 to ,king ,media's command1 ,mohi regaled the company with a narrative1 in substance as follows3-- ,in a certain quarter of the ,archipelago was an island called ,minda2 and in ,minda were many sorcerers1 employed in the social differences and animosities of the people of that unfortunate land4 ,if a ,mindarian deemed himself aggrieved or insulted by a countryman1 he forthwith repaired to one of these sorcerers2 who1 for an adequate consideration1 set to work with his spells1 keeping himself in the dark1 and directing them against the obnoxious individual4 ,and full soon1 by certain peculiar sensations1 this individual1 discovering what was going on1 would straightway hie to his own professor of the sable art1 who1 being well feed1 in due time brought about certain counter-charms1 so that in the end it sometimes fell out that neither party was gainer or loser1 save by the sum of his fees4 ,but the worst of it was1 that in some cases all knowledge of these spells were at the outset hidden from the victim2 who1 hearing too late of the mischief brewing1 almost always fell a prey to his foe2 which calamity was held the height of the art4 ,but as the great body of sorcerers were about matched in point of skill1 it followed that the parties employing them were so likewise4 ,hence arose those interminable contests1 in which many moons were spent1 both parties toiling after their common destruction4 ,indeed1 to say nothing of the obstinacy evinced by their employers1 it was marvelous1 the pertinacity of the sorcerers themselves4 ,to the very last tooth in their employer's pouches1 they would stick to their spells2 never giving over till he was financially or physically defunct4 ,but much as they were vilified1 no people in ,minda were half so disinterested as they4 ,certain indispensable conditions secured1 some of them were as ready to undertake the perdition of one man as another2 good1 bad1 or indifferent1 it made little matter4 ,what wonder1 then1 that such abominable mercenaries should cause a mighty deal of mischief in ,minda2 privately going about1 inciting peaceable folks to enmities with their neighbors2 and with marvelous alacrity1 proposing themselves as the very sorcerers to rid them of the annoyances suggested as existing4 ,indeed1 it even happened that a sorcerer would be secretly retained to work spells upon a victim1 who1 from his bodily sensations1 suspecting something wrong1 but knowing not what1 would repair to that self-same sorcerer1 engaging him to counteract any mischief that might be brewing4 ,and this worthy would at once undertake the business2 when1 having both parties in his hands1 he kept them forever in suspense2 meanwhile seeing to it well1 that they failed not in handsomely remunerating him for his pains4 ,at one time1 there was a prodigious excitement about these sorcerers1 growing out of some alarming revelations concerning their practices4 ,in several villages of ,minda1 they were sought to be put down4 ,but fruitless the attempt2 it was soon discovered that already their spells were so spread abroad1 and they themselves so mixed up with the everyday affairs of the isle1 that it was better to let their vocation alone1 than1 by endeavoring to suppress it1 breed additional troubles4 ,ah6 they were a knowing and a cunning set1 those sorcerers2 very hard to overcome1 cajole1 or circumvent4 ,but in the name of the ,magi1 what were these spells of theirs1 so potent and occult8 ,on all hands it was agreed1 that they derived their greatest virtue from the fumes of certain compounds1 whose ingredients--horrible to tell--were mostly obtained from the human heart2 and that by variously mixing these ingredients1 they adapted their multifarious enchantments4 ,they were a vain and arrogant race4 ,upon the strength of their dealing in the dark1 they affected even more mystery than belonged to them2 when interrogated concerning their science1 would confound the inquirer by answers couched in an extraordinary jargon1 employing words almost as long as anacondas4 ,but all this greatly prevailed with the common people4 ,nor was it one of the least remarkable things1 that oftentimes two sorcerers1 contrarily employed upon a ,mindarian1--one to attack1 the other to defend1--would nevertheless be upon the most friendly terms with each other2 which curious circumstance never begat the slightest suspicions in the mind of the victim4 ,another phenomenon3 ,if from any cause1 two sorcerers fell out1 they seldom exercised their spells upon each other2 ascribable to this1 perhaps1--that both being versed in the art1 neither could hope to get the advantage4 ,but for all the opprobrium cast upon these sorcerers1 part of which they deserved1 the evils imputed to them were mainly1 though indirectly1 ascribable to the very persons who abused them2 nay1 to the very persons who employed them2 the latter being by far the loudest in their vilifyings2 for which1 indeed1 they had excellent reason4 ,nor was it to be denied1 that in certain respects1 the sorcerers were productive of considerable good4 ,the nature of their pursuits leading them deep into the arcana of mind1 they often lighted upon important discoveries2 along with much that was cumbersome1 accumulated valuable examples concerning the inner working of the hearts of the ,mindarians2 and often waxed eloquent in elucidating the mysteries of iniquity4 ,yet was all this their lore graven upon so uncouth1 outlandish1 and antiquated tablets1 that it was all but lost to the mass of their countrymen2 and some old sachem of a wise man is quoted as having said1 that their treasures were locked up after such a fashion1 that for old iron1 the key was worth more than the chest and its contents4 ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,chiefly ,of ,sing ,bello 8,now ,taji10 said ,media1 8with old ,bello of the ,hump whose island of ,dominora is before us1 ,i am at variance40 8,ah6 ,how so80 8,a dull recital1 but you shall have it40 ,and forthwith his ,highness began4 ,this princely quarrel originated1 it seems1 in a slight jostling concerning the proprietorship of a barren islet in a very remote quarter of the lagoon4 ,at the outset the matter might have been easily adjusted1 had the parties but exchanged a few amicable words4 ,but each disdaining to visit the other1 to discuss so trivial an affair1 the business of negotiating an understanding was committed to certain plenipos1 men with lengthy tongues1 who scorned to utter a word short of a polysyllable4 ,now1 the more these worthies penetrated into the difficulty1 the wider became the breach2 till what was at first a mere gap1 became a yawning gulf4 ,but that which had perhaps tended more than any thing else to deepen the variance of the kings1 was hump-backed ,bello's dispatching to ,odo1 as his thirtieth plenipo1 a diminutive little negotiator1 who all by himself1 in a solitary canoe1 sailed over to have audience of ,media2 into whose presence he was immediately ushered4 ,darting one glance at him1 the king turned to his chieftains1 and said3--8,by much straining of your eyes1 my lords1 can you perceive this insignificant manikin8 ,what6 are there no tall men in ,dominora1 that ,king ,bello must needs send this dwarf hither80 ,and charging his attendents to feed the embassador extraordinary with the soft pap of the cocoanut1 and provide nurses during his stay1 the monarch retired from the arbor of audience4 8,as ,i am a man10 shouted the despised plenipo1 raising himself on his toes1 8my royal master will resent this affront6--,a dwarf1 forsooth6-- ,thank ,oro1 ,i am no long-drawn giant6 ,there is as much stuff in me1 as in others2 what is spread out in their clumsy carcasses1 in me is condensed4 ,i am much in little6 ,and that much1 thou shalt know full soon1 disdainful ,king of ,odo60 8,speak not against our lord the king10 cried the attendants4 8,and speak not ye to me1 ye headless spear poles60 ,and so saying1 under sufferance of being small1 the plenipo was permitted to depart unmolested2 for all his bravadoes1 fobbing his credentials and affronts4 ,apprized of his servant's ignoble reception1 the choleric ,bello burst forth in a storm of passion2 issuing orders for1 one thousand conch shells to be blown1 and his warriors to assemble by land and by sea4 ,but bethinking him of the hostilities that might ensue1 the sagacious ,media hit upon an honorable expedient to ward off an event for which he was then unprepared4 ,with all haste he dispatched to the hump-backed king a little dwarf of his own2 who voyaging over to ,dominora in a canoe1 sorry and solitary as that of ,bello's plenipo1 in like manner1 received the same insults4 ,the effect whereof1 was1 to strike a balance of affronts2 upon the principle1 that a blow given1 heals one received4 ,nevertheless1 these proceedings but amounted to a postponement of hostilities2 for soon after1 nothing prevented the two kings from plunging into war1 but the following judicious considerations4 ,first3 ,media was almost afraid of being beaten4 ,second3 ,bello was almost afraid to conquer4 ,media1 because he was inferior in men and arms2 ,bello1 because1 his aggrandizement was already a subject of warlike comment among the neighboring kings4 ,indeed1 did the old chronicler ,braid-,beard speak truth1 there were some tribes in ,mardi1 that accounted this king of ,dominora a testy1 quarrelsome1 rapacious old monarch2 the indefatigable breeder of contentions and wars2 the elder brother of this household of nations1 perpetually essaying to lord it over the juveniles2 and though his patrimonial dominions were situated to the north of the lagoon1 not the slightest misunderstanding took place between the rulers of the most distant islands1 than this doughty old cavalier on a throne1 forthwith thrust his insolent spear into the matter1 though it in no wise concerned him1 and fell to irritating all parties by his gratuitous interference4 ,especially was he officious in the concerns of ,porpheero1 a neighboring island1 very large and famous1 whose numerous broad valleys were divided among many rival kings3--the king of ,franko1 a small-framed1 poodle-haired1 fine1 fiery gallant2 finical in his tatooing2 much given to the dance and glory2--the king of ,ibeereea1 a tall and stately cavalier1 proud1 generous1 punctilious1 temperate in wine2 one hand forever on his javelin1 the other1 in superstitious homage1 lifted to his gods2 his limbs all over marks of stakes and crosses2--the king of ,luzianna2 a slender1 dark-browed thief2 at times wrapped in a moody robe1 beneath which he fumbled something1 as if it were a dagger2 but otherwise a sprightly troubadour1 given to serenades and moonlight2---the many chiefs of sunny ,latianna2 minstrel monarchs1 full of song and sentiment2 fiercer in love than war2 glorious bards of freedom2 but rendering tribute while they sang2--the priest-king of ,vatikanna2 his chest marked over with antique tatooings2 his crown1 a cowl2 his rusted scepter swaying over falling towers1 and crumbling mounds2 full of the superstitious past2 askance1 eyeing the suspicious time to come2--the king of ,hapzaboro2 portly1 pleasant2 a lover of wild boar's meat2 a frequent quaffer from the can2 in his better moods1 much fancying solid comfort2--the eight-and-thirty banded kings1 chieftains1 seigniors1 and oligarchies of the broad hill and dale of ,tutoni2 clubbing together their domains1 that none might wrest his neighbor's2 an earnest race2 deep thinkers1 deeper drinkers2 long pipes1 long heads2 their wise ones given to mystic cogitations1 and consultations with the devil2--the twin kings of ,zandinavia2 hardy1 frugal mountaineers2 upright of spine and heart2 clad in skins of bears2--the king of ,jutlanda2 much like their ,highnesses of ,zandinavia2 a seal-skin cap his crown2 a fearless sailor of his frigid seas2--the king of ,muzkovi2 a shaggy1 icicled ,white-bear of a despot in the north2 said to reign over millions of acres of glaciers2 had vast provinces of snow-drifts1 and many flourishing colonies among the floating icebergs4 ,absolute in his rule as ,predestination in metaphysics1 did he command all his people to give up the ghost1 it would be held treason to die last4 ,very precise and foppish in his imperial tastes was this monarch4 ,disgusted with the want of uniformity in the stature of his subjects1 he was said to nourish thoughts of killing off all those below his prescribed standard--six feet1 long measure4 ,immortal souls were of no account in his fatal wars2 since1 in some of his serf-breeding estates1 they were daily manufactured to order4 ,now1 to all the above-mentioned monarchs1 old ,bello would frequently dispatch heralds2 announcing1 for example1 his unalterable resolution1 to espouse the cause of this king1 against that2 at the very time1 perhaps1 that their ,serene ,superfluities1 instead of crossing spears1 were touching flagons4 ,and upon these occasions1 the kings would often send back word to old ,bello1 that instead of troubling himself with their concerns1 he might far better attend to his own2 which1 they hinted1 were in a sad way1 and much needed reform4 ,the royal old warrior's pretext for these and all similar proceedings1 was the proper adjustment in ,porpheero1 of what he facetiously styled the 8,equipoise of ,calabashes20 which he stoutly swore was essential to the security of the various tribes in that country4 8,but who put the balance into thy hands1 ,king ,bello80 cried the indignant nations4 8,oro60 shouted the hump-backed king1 shaking his javelin4 ,superadded to the paternal interest which ,bello betrayed in the concerns of the kings of ,porpheero1 according to our chronicler1 he also manifested no less interest in those of the remotest islands4 ,indeed1 where he found a rich country1 inhabited by a people1 deemed by him barbarous and incapable of wise legislation1 he sometimes relieved them from their political anxieties1 by assuming the dictatorship over them4 ,and if incensed at his conduct1 they flew to their spears1 they were accounted rebels1 and treated accordingly4 ,but as old ,mohi very truly observed1--herein1 ,bello was not alone2 for throughout ,mardi1 all strong nations1 as well as all strong men1 loved to govern the weak4 ,and those who most taunted ,king ,bello for his political rapacity1 were open to the very same charge4 ,so with ,vivenza1 a distant island1 at times very loud in denunciations of ,bello1 as a great national brigand4 ,not yet wholly extinct in ,vivenza1 were its aboriginal people1 a race of wild ,nimrods and hunters1 who year by year were driven further and further into remoteness1 till as one of their sad warriors said1 after continual removes along the log1 his race was on the point of being remorselessly pushed off the end4 ,now1 ,bello was a great geographer1 and land surveyor1 and gauger of the seas4 ,terraqueous ,mardi1 he was continually exploring in quest of strange empires4 ,much he loved to take the altitude of lofty mountains1 the depth of deep rivers1 the breadth of broad isles4 ,upon the highest pinnacles of commanding capes and promontories1 he loved to hoist his flag4 ,he circled ,mardi with his watch-towers3 and the distant voyager passing wild rocks in the remotest waters1 was startled by hearing the tattoo1 or the reveille1 beating from hump-backed ,bello's omnipresent drum4 ,among ,antartic glaciers1 his shrill bugle calls mingled with the scream of the gulls2 and so impressed seemed universal nature with the sense of his dominion1 that the very clouds in heaven never sailed over ,dominora without rendering the tribute of a shower2 whence the air of ,dominora was more moist than that of any other clime4 ,in all his grand undertakings1 ,king ,bello was marvelously assisted by his numerous fleets of war-canoes2 his navy being the largest in ,mardi4 ,hence his logicians swore that the entire ,lagoon was his2 and that all prowling whales1 prowling keels1 and prowling sharks were invaders4 ,and with this fine conceit to inspire them1 his poets-laureat composed some glorious old saltwater odes1 enough to make your very soul sing to hear them4 ,but though the rest of ,mardi much delighted to list to such noble minstrelsy1 they agreed not with ,bello's poets in deeming the lagoon their old monarch's hereditary domain4 ,once upon a time1 the paddlers of the hump-backed king1 meeting upon the broad lagoon certain canoes belonging to the before-mentioned island of ,vivenza2 these paddlers seized upon several of their occupants2 and feeling their pulses1 declared them born men of ,dominora2 and therefore1 not free to go whithersoever they would2 for1 unless they could somehow get themselves born over again1 they must forever remain subject to ,bello4 ,shed your hair2 nay1 your skin1 if you will1 but shed your allegiance you can not2 while you have bones1 they are ,bello's4 ,so1 spite of all expostulations and attempts to prove alibis1 these luckless paddlers were dragged into the canoes of ,dominora1 and commanded to paddle home their captors4 ,whereof hearing1 the men of ,vivenza were thrown into a great ferment2 and after a mighty pow-wow over their council fire1 fitting out several double-keeled canoes1 they sallied out to sea1 in quest of those1 whom they styled the wholesale corsairs of ,dominora4 ,but lucky perhaps it was1 that at this juncture1 in all parts of ,mardi1 the fleets of the hump-backed king1 were fighting1 gunwale and gunwale1 alongside of numerous foes2 else there had borne down upon the canoes of the men of ,vivenza so tremendous an armada1 that the very swell under its thousand prows might have flooded their scattered proas forever out of sight4 ,as it was1 ,bello dispatched a few of his smaller craft to seek out1 and incidentally run down the enemy2 and without returning home1 straightway proceed upon more important enterprises4 ,but it so chanced1 that ,bello's crafts1 one by one meeting the foe1 in most cases found the canoes of ,vivenza much larger than their own2 and manned by more men1 with hearts bold as theirs2 whence1 in the ship-duels that ensued1 they were worsted2 and the canoes of ,vivenza1 locking their yard-arms into those of the vanquished1 very courteously gallanted them into their coral harbors4 ,solely imputing these victories to their superior intrepidity and skill1 the people of ,vivenza were exceedingly boisterous in their triumph2 raising such obstreperous peans1 that they gave themselves hoarse throats2 insomuch1 that according to ,mohi1 some of the present generation are fain to speak through their noses4 ,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,dominora ,and ,vivenza ,the three canoes still gliding on1 some further particulars were narrated concerning ,dominora2 and incidentally1 of other isles4 ,it seems that his love of wide dominion sometimes led the otherwise sagacious ,bello into the most extravagant actions4 ,if the chance accumulation of soil and drift-wood about any detached shelf of coral in the lagoon held forth the remotest possibility of the eventual existence of an islet there1 with all haste he dispatched canoes to the spot1 to take prospective possession of the as yet nearly submarine territory2 and if possible1 eject the zoophytes4 ,during an unusually low tide1 here and there baring the outer reef of the ,archipelago1 ,bello caused his royal spear to be planted upon every place thus exposed1 in token of his supreme claim thereto4 ,another anecdote was this3 that to ,dominora there came a rumor1 that in a distant island dwelt a man with an uncommonly large nose2 of most portentous dimensions1 indeed2 by the soothsayers supposed to foreshadow some dreadful calamity4 ,but disregarding these superstitious conceits1 ,bello forthwith dispatched an agent1 to discover whether this huge promontory of a nose was geographically available2 if so1 to secure the same1 by bringing the proprietor back4 ,now1 by sapient old ,mohi1 it was esteemed a very happy thing for ,mardi at large1 that the subjects whom ,bello sent to populate his foreign acquisitions1 were but too apt to throw off their vassalage1 so soon as they deemed themselves able to cope with him4 ,indeed1 a fine country in the western part of ,mardi1 in this very manner1 became a sovereign--nay1 a republican state4 ,it was the nation to which ,mohi had previously alluded--,vivenza4 ,but in the flush and pride of having recently attained their national majority1 the men of ,vivenza were perhaps too much inclined to carry a vauntful crest4 ,and because intrenched in their fastnesses1 after much protracted fighting1 they had eventually succeeded in repelling the warriors dispatched by ,bello to crush their insurrection1 they were unanimous in the opinion1 that the hump-backed king had never before been so signally chastised4 ,whereas1 they had not so much vanquished ,bello1 as defended their shores2 even as a young lion will protect its den against legions of unicorns1 though1 away from home1 he might be torn to pieces4 ,in truth1 ,braid-,beard declared1 that at the time of this war1 ,dominora couched ten long spears for every short javelin ,vivenza could dart2 though the javelins were stoutly hurled as the spears4 ,but1 superior in men and arms1 why1 at last1 gave over ,king ,bello the hope of reducing those truculent men of ,vivenza8 ,one reason was1 as ,mohi said1 that many of his fighting men were abundantly occupied in other quarters of ,mardi2 nor was he long in discovering that fight he never so valiantly1 ,vivenza--not yet its inhabitants--was wholly unconquerable4 ,thought ,bello1 ,mountains are sturdy foes2 fate hard to dam4 ,yet1 the men of ,vivenza were no dastards2 not to lie1 coming from lion-like loins1 they were a lion-loined race4 ,did not their bards pronounce them a fresh start in the ,mardian species2 requiring a new world for their full development8 ,for be it known1 that the great land of ,kolumbo1 no inconsiderable part of which was embraced by ,vivenza1 was the last island discovered in the ,archipelago4 ,in good round truth1 and as if an impartialist from ,arcturus spoke it1 ,vivenza was a noble land4 ,like a young tropic tree she stood1 laden down with greenness1 myriad blossoms1 and the ripened fruit thick-hanging from one bough4 ,she was promising as the morning4 ,or ,vivenza might be likened to ,st4 ,john1 feeding on locusts and wild honey1 and with prophetic voice1 crying to the nations from the wilderness4 ,or1 child-like1 standing among the old robed kings and emperors of the ,archipelago1 ,vivenza seemed a young ,messiah1 to whose discourse the bearded ,rabbis bowed4 ,so seemed ,vivenza in its better aspect4 ,nevertheless1 ,vivenza was a braggadocio in ,mardi2 the only brave one ever known4 ,as an army of spurred and crested roosters1 her people chanticleered at the resplendent rising of their sun4 ,for shame1 ,vivenza6 ,whence thy undoubted valor8 ,did ye not bring it with ye from the bold old shores of ,dominora1 where there is a fullness of it left8 ,what isle but ,dominora could have supplied thee with that stiff spine of thine8-- ,that heart of boldest beat8 ,oh1 ,vivenza6 know that true grandeur is too big for a boast2 and nations1 as well as men1 may be too clever to be great4 ,but what more of ,king ,bello8 ,notwithstanding his territorial acquisitiveness1 and aversion to relinquishing stolen nations1 he was yet a glorious old king2 rather choleric--a word and a blow--but of a right royal heart4 ,rail at him as they might1 at bottom1 all the isles were proud of him4 ,and almost in spite of his rapacity1 upon the whole1 perhaps1 they were the better for his deeds4 ,for if sometimes he did evil with no very virtuous intentions1 he had fifty1 ways of accomplishing good with the best2 and a thousand ways of doing good without meaning it4 ,according to an ancient oracle1 the hump-backed monarch was but one of the most conspicuous pieces on a board1 where the gods played for their own entertainment4 ,but here it must not be omitted1 that of late1 ,king ,bello had somewhat abated his efforts to extend his dominions4 ,various causes were assigned4 ,some thought it arose from the fact that already he found his territories too extensive for one scepter to rule2 that his more remote colonies largely contributed to his tribulations1 without correspondingly contributing to his revenues4 ,others affirmed that his hump was getting too mighty for him to carry2 others still1 that the nations were waving too strong for him4 ,with prophetic solemnity1 head-shaking sages averred that he was growing older and older had passed his grand climacteric2 and though it was a hale old age with him1 yet it was not his lusty youth2 that though he was daily getting rounder1 and rounder in girth1 and more florid of face1 that these1 howbeit1 were rather the symptoms of a morbid obesity1 than of a healthful robustness4 ,these wise ones predicted that very soon poor ,bello would go off in an apoplexy4 ,but in ,vivenza there were certain blusterers1 who often thus prated3 8,the ,hump-back's hour is come2 at last the old teamster will be gored by the nations he's yoked2 his game is done1--let him show his hand and throw up his scepter2 he cumbers ,mardi1--let him be cut down and burned2 he stands in the way of his betters1--let him sheer to one side2 he has shut up many eyes1 and now himself grows blind2 he hath committed horrible atrocities during his long career1 the old sinner6 --now1 let him quickly say his prayers and be beheaded40 ,howbeit1 ,bello lived on2 enjoying his dinners1 and taking his jorums as of yore4 ,ah1 ,i have yet a jolly long lease of life1 thought he over his wine2 and like unto some obstinate old uncle1 he persisted in flourishing1 in spite of the prognostications of the nephew nations1 which at his demise1 perhaps hoped to fall heir to odd parts of his possessions3 ,three streaks of fat valleys to one of lean mountains6 ,,chapter ,,xliii4 ,they ,land ,at ,dominora ,as erewhile recounted1 not being on the best terms in ,mardi with the ,king of ,dominora1 ,media saw fit to draw nigh unto his dominions in haughty state2 he 7,media7 being upon excellent terms with himself4 ,our sails were set1 our paddles paddling1 streamers streaming1 and ,vee-,vee in the shark's mouth1 clamorous with his conch4 ,the din was soon heard2 and sweeping into a fine broad bay we beheld its margin seemingly pebbled in the distance with heads2 so populous the land4 ,winding through a noble valley1 we presently came to ,bello's palace1 couchant and bristling in a grove4 ,the upright canes composing its front projected above the eaves in a long row of spear-heads fluttering with scarlet pennons2 while below1 from the intervals of the canes1 were slantingly thrust three tiers of decorated lances4 ,a warlike aspect6 ,the entire structure looking like the broadside of the ,macedonian phalanx1 advancing to the charge1 helmeted with a roof4 8,ah1 ,bello10 said ,media1 8thou dwellest among thy quills like the porcupine40 8,i feel a prickly heat coming over me10 cried ,mohi1 8my lord ,media1 let us enter40 8,ay10 said ,babbalanja1 8safer the center of peril1 than the circumference40 ,passing under an arch1 formed by two pikes crossed1 we found ourselves targets in prospective1 for certain flingers of javelins1 with poised weapons1 occupying the angles of the palace4 ,fronting us1 stood a portly old warrior1 spear in hand1 hump on back1 and fire in eye4 8,is it war80 he cried1 pointing his pike1 8or peace80 reversing it4 8,peace10 said ,media4 ,whereupon advancing1 ,king ,bello courteously welcomed us4 ,he was an arsenal to behold3 ,upon his head the hereditary crown of ,dominora1--a helmet of the sea-porcupine's hide1 bristling all over with spikes1 in front displaying a river-horse's horn1 leveled to the charge2 thrust through his ears were barbed arrows2 and from his dyed shark-skin girdle1 depended a kilt of strung javelins4 ,the broad chest of ,bello was the chart of ,mardi4 ,tattooed in sea-blue were all the groups and clusters of the ,archipelago2 and every time he breathed1 rose and fell the isles1 as by a tide3 ,dominora full upon his heart4 ,his sturdy thighs were his triumphal arch2 whereon in numerous medallions1 crests1 and shields1 were blazoned all his victories by sea and land4 ,his strong right arm was ,dominora's scroll of ,fame1 where all her heroes saw their names recorded4--,an endless roll6 ,our chronicler avouched1 that on the sole of ,bello's dexter foot was stamped the crest of ,franko's king1 his hereditary foe4 8,thus1 thus10 cried ,bello1 stamping1 8thus ,i hourly crush him40 ,in stature1 ,bello was a mountaineer2 but1 as over some tall tower impends the hill-side cliff1 so ,bello's ,athos hump hung over him4 ,could it be1 as many of his nobles held1 that the old monarch's hump was his sensorium and source of strength2 full of nerves1 muscles1 ganglions and tendons8 ,yet1 year by year it grew1 ringed like the bole of his palms4 ,the toils of war increased it4 ,but another skirmish with the isles1 said the wiseacres of ,porpheero1 and ,bello's mount will crush him4 ,against which calamity to guard1 his medicos and ,sangredos sought the hump's reduction4 ,but down it would not come4 ,then by divers mystic rites1 his magi tried4 ,making a deep pit1 many teeth they dropped therein4 ,but they could not fill it4 ,hence1 they called it the ,sinking ,pit1 for bottom it had none4 ,nevertheless1 the magi said1 when this pit is filled1 ,bello's hump you'll see no more4 8,then1 hurrah for the hump60 cried the nobles1 8for he will never hurl it off4 ,long life to the hump6 ,by the hump we will rally and die6 ,cheer up1 ,king ,bello6 ,stand up1 old king60 ,but these were they1 who when their sovereign went abroad1 with that ,athos on his back1 followed idly in its shade2 while ,bello leaned heavily upon his people1 staggering as they went4 ,ay1 sorely did ,bello's goodly stature lean2 but though many swore he soon must fall2 nevertheless1 like ,pisa's ,leaning ,tower1 he may long lean over1 yet never nod4 ,visiting ,dominora in a friendly way1 in good time1 we found ,king ,bello very affable2 in hospitality1 almost exceeding portly ,borabolla3 ,october-plenty reigned throughout his palace borders4 ,our first reception over1 a sumptuous repast was served1 at which much lively talk was had4 ,of ,taji1 ,bello sought to know1 whether his solar ,majesty had yet made a province of the moon2 whether the ,astral hosts were of much account as territories1 or mere ,motoos1 as the little tufts of verdure are denominated1 here and there clinging to ,mardi's circle reef2 whether the people in the sun vilified1 him 7,bello7 as they did in ,mardi2 and what they thought of an event1 so ominous to the liberties of the universe1 as the addition to his navy of three large canoes4 ,ere long1 so fused in social love we grew1 that ,bello1 filling high his can1 and clasping ,media's palm1 drank everlasting amity with ,odo4 ,so over their red cups1 the two kings forgot their differences1 and concerning the disputed islet nothing more was ever heard2 especially1 as it so turned out1 that while they were most hot about it1 it had suddenly gone out of sight1 being of volcanic origin4 ,,chapter ,,xliv4 ,through ,dominora1 ,they ,wander ,after ,yillah ,at last1 withdrawing from the presence of ,king ,bello1 we went forth1 still intent on our search4 ,many brave sights we saw4 ,fair fields2 the whole island a garden2 green hedges all round2 neat lodges1 thick as white mice in the landscape2 old oak woods1 hale and hearty as ever2 old temples buried in ivy2 old shrines of old heroes1 deep buried in broad groves of bay trees2 old rivers laden down with heavy-freighted canoes2 humped hills1 like droves of camels1 piled up with harvests2 every sign and token of a glorious abundance1 every sign and token of generations of renown4 ,rare sight6 fine sight6 none rarer1 none finer in ,mardi4 ,but roving on through this ravishing region1 we passed through a corn- field in full beard1 where a haggard old reaper laid down his hook1 beseeching charity for the sake of the gods4--8,bread1 bread6 or ,i die mid these sheaves60 8,thrash out your grain1 and want not40 8,alas1 masters1 this grain is not mine2 ,i plough1 ,i sow1 ,i reap1 ,i bind1 ,i stack1--,lord ,primo garners40 ,rambling on1 we came to a hamlet1 hidden in a hollow2 and beneath weeping willows saw many mournful maidens seated on a bank2 beside each1 a wheel that was broken4 8,lo1 we starve10 they cried1 8our distaffs are snapped2 no more may we weave and spin60 ,then forth issued from vaults clamorous crowds of men1 hands tied to their backs4--8,bread6 ,bread60 they cried4 8,the magician hath turned us out from our glen1 where we labored of yore in the days of the merry ,green ,queen4 ,he has pinioned us hip and arm that we starve4 ,like sheep we die off with the rot4--,curse on the magician4 ,a curse on his spell40 ,bending our steps toward the glen1 roaring down the rocks we descried a stream from the mountains4 ,but ere those waters gained the sea1 vassal tribute they rendered4 ,conducted through culverts and moats1 they turned great wheels1 giving life to ten thousand fangs and fingers1 whose gripe no power could withstand1 yet whose touch was soft as the velvet paw of a kitten4 ,with brute force1 they heaved down great weights1 then daintily wove and spun2 like the trunk of the elephant1 which lays lifeless a river-horse1 and counts the pulses of a moth4 ,on all sides1 the place seemed alive with its spindles4 ,round and round1 round and round2 throwing off wondrous births at every revolving2 ceaseless as the cycles that circle in heaven4 ,loud hummed the loom1 flew the shuttle like lightning1 red roared the grim forge1 rung anvil and sledge2 yet no mortal was seen4 8,what ho1 magician6 ,come forth from thy cave60 ,but all deaf were the spindles1 as the mutes1 that mutely wait on the ,sultan4 8,since we are born1 we will live60 so we read on a crimson banner1 flouting the crimson clouds1 in the van of a riotous red-bonneted mob1 racing by us as we came from the glen4 ,many more followed3 black1 or blood-stained3--4 8,mardi is man's60 8,down with landholders60 8,our turn now60 8,up rights6 ,down wrongs60 8,bread6 ,bread60 8,take the tide1 ere it turns60 ,waving their banners1 and flourishing aloft clubs1 hammers1 and sickles1 with fierce yells the crowd ran on toward the palace of ,bello4 ,foremost1 and inciting the rest by mad outcries and gestures1 were six masks2 8,this way6 ,this way60 they cried1--8by the wood2 by the dark wood60 ,whereupon all darted into the groves2 when of a sudden1 the masks leaped forward1 clearing a long covered trench1 into which fell many of those they led4 ,but on raced the masks2 and gaining ,bello's palace1 and raising the alarm1 there sallied from thence a woodland of spears1 which charged upon the disordered ranks in the grove4 ,a crash as of icicles against icebergs round ,zembla1 and down went the hammers and sickles4 ,the host fled1 hotly pursued4 ,meanwhile brave heralds from ,bello advanced1 and with chaplets crowned the six masks4--8,welcome1 heroes6 worthy and valiant60 they cried4 8,thus our lord ,bello rewards all those1 who to do him a service1 for hire betray their kith and their kin40 ,still pursuing our quest1 wide we wandered through all the sun and shade of ,dominora2 but nowhere was ,yillah found4 ,,chapter ,,xlv4 ,they ,behold ,king ,bello's ,state ,canoe ,at last1 bidding adieu to ,king ,bello2 and in the midst of the lowing of oxen1 breaking away from his many hospitalities1 we departed for the beach4 ,but ere embarking1 we paused to gaze at an object1 which long fixed our attention4 ,now1 as all bold cavaliers have ever delighted in special chargers1 gayly caparisoned1 whereon upon grand occasions to sally forth upon the plains3 even so have maritime potentates ever prided themselves upon some holiday galley1 splendidly equipped1 wherein to sail over the sea4 ,when of old1 glory-seeking ,jason1 attended by his promising young lieutenants1 ,castor and ,pollux1 embarked on that hardy adventure to ,colchis1 the brave planks of the good ship ,argos he trod1 its model a swan to behold4 ,and when ,trojan ,aeneas wandered ,west1 and discovered the pleasant land of ,latium1 it was in the fine craft ,bis ,taurus that he sailed3 its stern gloriously emblazoned1 its prow a leveled spear4 ,and to the sound of sackbut and psaltery1 gliding down the ,nile1 in the pleasant shade of its pyramids to welcome mad ,mark1 ,cleopatra was throned on the cedar quarter-deck of a glorious gondola1 silk and satin hung2 its silver plated oars1 musical as flutes4 ,so1 too1 ,queen ,bess was wont to disport on old ,thames4 ,and tough ,torf-,egill1 the ,danish ,sea-king1 reckoned in his stud1 a slender yacht2 its masts young ,zetland firs2 its prow a seal1 dog-like holding a sword-fish blade4 ,he called it the ,grayhound1 so swift was its keel2 the ,sea-hawk1 so blood-stained its beak4 ,and groping down his palace stairs1 the blind old ,doge ,dandolo1 oft embarked in his gilded barge1 like the lord mayor setting forth in civic state from ,guildhall in his chariot4 ,but from another sort of prow leaped ,dandolo1 when at ,constantinople1 he foremost sprang ashore1 and with a right arm ninety years old1 planted the standard of ,st4 ,mark full among the long chin-pennons of the long-bearded ,turks4 ,and ,kumbo ,sama1 ,emperor of ,japan1 had a dragon-beaked junk1 a floating ,juggernaut1 wherein he burnt incense to the sea-gods4 ,and ,kannakoko1 ,king of ,new ,zealand2 and the first ,tahitian ,pomaree2 and the ,pelew potentate1 each possessed long state canoes2 sea-snakes1 all2 carved over like ,chinese card-cases1 and manned with such scores of warriors1 that dipping their paddles in the sea1 they made a commotion like shoals of herring4 ,what wonder then1 that ,bello of the ,hump1 the old sea-king of ,mardi1 should sport a brave ocean-chariot8 ,in a broad arbor by the water-side1 it was housed like ,alp ,arsian's war-horse1 or the charger ,caligula deified2 upon its stern a wilderness of sculpture3--shell-work1 medal-lions1 masques1 griffins1 gulls1 ogres1 finned-lions1 winged walruses2 all manner of sea-cavalry1 crusading centaurs1 crocodiles1 and sharks2 and mermen1 and mermaids1 and ,neptune only knows all4 ,and in this craft1 ,doge-like1 yearly did ,king ,bello stand up and wed with the ,lagoon4 ,but the custom originated not in the manner of the ,doge's1 which was as follows2 so1 at least1 saith ,ghibelli1 who tells all about it3-- ,when1 in a stout sea-fight1 ,ziani defeated ,barbarossa's son ,otho1 sending his feluccas all flying1 like frightened water-fowl from a lake1 then did his ,holiness1 the ,pope1 present unto him a ring2 saying1 8,take this1 oh ,ziani1 and with it1 the sea for thy bride2 and every year wed her again40 ,so the ,doge's tradition2 thus ,bello's3-- ,ages ago1 ,dominora was circled by a reef1 which expanding in proportion to the extension of the isle's naval dominion1 in due time embraced the entire lagoon2 and this marriage ring zoned all the world4 ,but if the sea was ,king ,bello's bride1 an ,adriatic ,tartar he wedded2 who1 in her mad gales of passions1 often boxed about his canoes1 and led his navies a very boisterous life indeed4 ,and hostile prognosticators opined1 that ere long she would desert her old lord1 and marry again4 ,already1 they held1 she had made advances in the direction of ,vivenza4 ,but truly1 should she abandon old ,bello1 he would straight-way after her with all his fleets2 and never rest till his queen was regained4 ,now1 old sea-king6 look well to thy barge of state3 for1 peradventure1 the dry-rot may be eating into its keel2 and the wood-worms exploring into its spars4 ,without heedful tending1 any craft will decay2 yet1 for ever may its first1 fine model be preserved1 though its prow be renewed every spring1 like the horns of the deer1 if1 in repairing1 plank be put for plank1 rib for rib1 in exactest similitude4 ,even so1 then1 oh ,bello6 do thou with thy barge4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,wherein ,babbalanja ,bows ,thrice ,the next morning's twilight found us once more afloat2 and yielding to that almost sullen feeling1 but too apt to prevail with some mortals at that hour1 all but ,media long remained silent4 ,but now1 a bright mustering is seen among the myriad white ,tartar tents in the ,orient2 like lines of spears defiling upon some upland plain1 the sunbeams thwart the sky4 ,and see6 amid the blaze of banners1 and the pawings of ten thousand thousand golden hoofs1 day's mounted ,sultan1 ,xerxes-like1 moves on3 the ,dawn his standard1 ,east and ,west his cymbals4 8,oh1 morning life60 cried ,yoomy1 with a ,persian air2 8would that all time were a sunrise1 and all life a youth40 8,ah6 but these striplings whimper of youth10 said ,mohi1 caressing his braids1 8as if they wore this beard40 8,but natural1 old man10 said ,babbalanja4 8,we ,mardians never seem young to ourselves2 childhood is to youth what manhood is to age3--something to be looked back upon1 with sorrow that it is past4 ,but childhood reeks of no future1 and knows no past2 hence1 its present passes in a vapor40 8,mohi1 how's your appetite this morning80 said ,media4 8,thus1 thus1 ye gods10 sighed ,yoomy1 8is feeling ever scouted4 ,yet1 what might seem feeling in me1 ,i can not express40 8,a good commentary on old ,bardianna1 ,yoomy10 said ,babbalanja1 8who somewhere says1 that no ,mardian can out with his heart1 for his unyielding ribs are in the way4 ,and indeed1 pride1 or something akin thereto1 often holds check on sentiment4 ,my lord1 there are those who like not to be detected in the possession of a heart40 8,very true1 ,babbalanja2 and ,i suppose that pride was at the bottom of your old ,ponderer's heartless1 unsentimental1 bald-pated style40 8,craving pardon1 my lord is deceived4 ,bardianna was not at all proud2 though he had a queer way of showing the absence of pride4 ,in his essay1 entitled1--8,on the ,tendency to curl in ,upper ,lips10 he thus discourses4 8,we hear much of pride and its sinfulness in this ,mardi wherein we dwell3 whereas1 ,i glory in being brimmed with it2--my sort of pride4 ,in the presence of kings1 lords1 palm-trees1 and all those who deem themselves taller than myself1 ,i stand stiff as a pike1 and will abate not one vertebra of my stature4 ,but accounting no ,mardian my superior1 ,i account none my inferior2 hence1 with the social1 ,i am ever ready to be sociable40 8,an agrarian60 said ,media2 8no doubt he would have made the headsman the minister of equality40 8,at bottom we are already equal1 my honored lord10 said ,babbalanja1 profoundly bowing--8,one way we all come into ,mardi1 and one way we withdraw4 ,wanting his yams a king will starve1 quick as a clown2 and smote on the hip1 saith old ,bardianna1 he will roar as loud as the next one40 8,roughly worded1 that1 ,babbalanja4--,vee-,vee6 my crown6--,so2 now1 ,babbalanja1 try if you can not polish ,bardianna's style in that last saying you father upon him40 8,i will1 my ever honorable lord10 said ,babbalanja1 salaming4 8,thus we'll word it1 then3 ,in their merely ,mardian nature1 the sublimest demi-gods are subject to infirmities2 for struck by some keen shaft1 even a king ofttimes dons his crown1 fearful of future darts40 8,ha1 ha6--well done1 ,babbalanja2 but ,i bade you polish1 not sharpen the arrow40 8,all one1 my thrice honored lord2--to polish is not to blunt40 ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,babbalanja ,philosophizes1 ,and ,my ,lord ,media ,passes ,round ,the ,calabashes ,an interval of silence passed2 when ,media cried1 8,out upon thee1 ,yoomy6 curtail that long face of thine40 8,how can he1 my lord10 said ,mohi1 8when he is thinking of furlongs80 8,fathoms you mean1 ,mohi2 see you not he is musing over the gunwale8 ,and now1 minstrel1 a banana for thy thoughts4 ,come1 tell me how you poets spend so many hours in meditation40 8,my lord1 it is because1 that when we think1 we think so little of ourselves40 8,i thought as much10 said ,mohi1 8for no sooner do ,i undertake to be sociable with myself1 than ,i am straightway forced to beat a retreat40 8,ay1 old man10 said ,babbalanja1 8many of us ,mardians are but sorry hosts to ourselves4 ,some hearts are hermits40 8,if not of yourself1 then1 ,yoomy1 of whom else do you think80 asked ,media4 8,my lord1 ,i seldom think10 said ,yoomy1 8,i but give ear to the voices in my calm40 8,did ,babbalanja speak80 said ,media4 8,but no more of your reveries20 and so saying ,media gradually sunk into a reverie himself4 ,the rest did likewise2 and soon1 with eyes enchanted1 all reclined3 gazing at each other1 witless of what we did4 ,it was ,media who broke the spell2 calling for ,vee-,vee our page1 his calabashes and cups1 and nectarines for all4 ,eyeing his goblet1 ,media at length threw himself back1 and said3 8,babbalanja1 not ten minutes since1 we were all absent-minded2 now1 how would you like to step out of your body1 in reality2 and1 as a spirit1 haunt some shadowy grove80 8,but our lungs are not wholly superfluous1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 speaking loud4 8,no1 nor our lips10 said ,mohi1 smacking his over his wine4 8,but could you really be disembodied here in ,mardi1 ,babbalanja1 how would you fancy it80 said ,media4 8,my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 speaking through half of a nectarine1 8defer putting that question1 ,i beseech1 till after my appetite is satisfied2 for1 trust me1 no hungry mortal would forfeit his palate1 to be resolved into the impalpable40 8,yet pure spirits we must all become at last1 ,babbalanja10 said ,yoomy1 8even the most ignoble40 8,yes1 so they say1 ,yoomy2 but if all boors be the immortal sires of endless dynasties of immortals1 how little do our pious patricians bear in mind their magnificent destiny1 when hourly they scorn their companionship4 ,and if here in ,mardi they can not abide an equality with plebeians1 even at the altar2 how shall they endure them1 side by side1 throughout eternity8 ,but since the prophet ,alma asserts1 that ,paradise is almost entirely made up of the poor and despised1 no wonder that many aristocrats of our isles pursue a career1 which1 according to some theologies1 must forever preserve the social distinctions so sedulously maintained in ,mardi4 ,and though some say1 that at death every thing earthy is removed from the spirit1 so that clowns and lords both stand on a footing2 yet1 according to the popular legends1 it has ever been observed of the ghosts of boors when revisiting ,mardi1 that invariably they rise in their smocks4 ,and regarding our intellectual equality here1 how unjust1 my lord1 that after whole years of days end nights consecrated to the hard gaining of wisdom1 the wisest ,mardian of us all should in the end find the whole sum of his attainments1 at one leap outstripped by the veriest dunce1 suddenly inspired by light divine4 ,and though some hold1 that all ,mardian lore is vain1 and that at death all mysteries will be revealed2 yet1 none the less1 do they toil and ponder now4 ,thus1 their tongues have one mind1 and their understanding another40 8,my lord10 said ,mohi1 8we have come to the lees2 your pardon1 ,babbalanja40 8,then1 ,vee-,vee1 another calabash6 ,fill up1 ,mohi2 wash down wine with wine4 ,your cup1 ,babbalanja2 any lees80 8,plenty1 my lord2 we philosophers come to the lees very soon40 8,flood them over1 then2 but cease not discoursing2 thanks be to the gods1 your mortal palates and tongues can both wag together2 fill up1 ,i say1 ,babbalanja2 you are no philosopher1 if you stop at the tenth cup2 endurance is the test of philosophy all ,mardi over2 drink1 ,i say1 and make us wise by precept and example4--,proceed1 ,yoomy1 you look as if you had something to say40 8,thanks1 my lord4 ,just now1 ,babbalanja1 you flew from the subject2-- you spoke of boors2 but has not the lowliest peasant an eye that can take in the vast horizon at a sweep3 mountains1 vales1 plains1 and oceans8 ,is such a being nothing80 8,but can that eye see itself1 ,yoomy80 said ,babbalanja1 winking4 8,taken out of its socket1 will it see at all8 ,its connection with the body imparts to it its virtue40 8,he questions every thing10 cried ,mohi4 8,philosopher1 have you a head80 8,i have10 said ,babbalanja1 feeling for it2 8,i am finished off at the helm very much as other ,mardians1 ,mohi40 8,my lord1 the first yea that ever came from him40 8,ah1 ,mohi10 said ,media1 8the discourse waxes heavy4 ,i fear me we have again come to the lees4 ,ho1 ,vee-,vee1 a fresh calabash2 and with it we will change the subject4 ,now1 ,babbalanja1 ,i have this cup to drink1 and then a question to propound4 ,ah1 ,mohi1 rare old wine this2 it smacks of the cork4 ,but attention1 ,philosopher4 ,supposing you had a wife--which1 by the way1 you have not--would you deem it sensible in her to imagine you no more1 because you happened to stroll out of her sight80 8,however that might be10 murmured ,yoomy1 8young ,nina bewailed herself a widow1 whenever ,arhinoo1 her lord1 was absent from her side40 8,my lord ,media10 said ,babbalanja1 8,during my absence1 my wife would have more reason to conclude that ,i was not living1 than that ,i was4 ,to the former supposition1 every thing tangible around her would tend2 to the latter1 nothing but her own fond fancies4 ,it is this imagination of ours1 my lord1 that is at the bottom of these things4 ,when ,i am in one place1 there exists no other4 ,yet am ,i but too apt to fancy the reverse4 ,nevertheless1 when ,i am in ,odo1 talk not to me of ,ohonoo4 ,to me it is not1 except when ,i am there4 ,if it be1 prove it4 ,to prove it1 you carry me thither but you only prove1 that to its substantive existence1 as cognizant to me1 my presence is indispensable4 ,i say that1 to me1 all ,mardi exists by virtue of my sovereign pleasure2 and when ,i die1 the universe will perish with me40 8,come you of a long-lived race10 said ,mohi1 8one free from apoplexies8 ,i have many little things to accomplish yet1 and would not be left in the lurch40 8,heed him not1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media4 8,dip your beak again1 my eagle1 and soar40 8,let us be eagles1 then1 indeed1 my lord3 eagle-like1 let us look at this red wine without blinking2 let us grow solemn1 not boisterous1 with good cheer40 ,then1 lifting his cup1 8,my lord1 serenely do ,i pity all who are stirred one jot from their centers by ever so much drinking of this fluid4 ,ply him hard as you will1 through the live-long polar night1 a wise man can not be made drunk4 ,though1 toward sunrise1 his body may reel1 it will reel round its center2 and though he make many tacks in going home1 he reaches it at last2 while scores of over-plied fools are foundering by the way4 ,my lord1 when wild with much thought1 'tis to wine ,i fly1 to sober me2 its magic fumes breathe over me like the ,indian summer1 which steeps all nature in repose4 ,to me1 wine is no vulgar fire1 no fosterer of base passions2 my heart1 ever open1 is opened still wider2 and glorious visions are born in my brain2 it is then that ,i have all ,mardi under my feet1 and the constellations of the firmament in my soul40 8,superb60 cried ,yoomy4 8,pooh1 pooh60 said ,mohi1 8who does not see stars at such times8 ,i see the ,great ,bear now1 and the little one1 its cub2 and ,andromeda1 and ,perseus' chain-armor1 and ,cassiopea in her golden chair1 and the bright1 scaly ,dragon1 and the glittering ,lyre1 and all the jewels in ,orion's sword-hilt40 8,ay10 cried ,media1 8the study of astronomy is wonderfully facilitated by wine4 ,fill up1 old ,ptolemy1 and tell us should you discover a new planet4 ,methinks this fluid needs stirring4 ,ho1 ,vee-,vee1 my scepter6 be we sociable4 ,but come1 ,babbalanja1 my gold-headed aquila1 return to your theme2--the imagination1 if you please40 8,well1 then1 my lord1 ,i was about to say1 that the imagination is the ,voli-,donzini2 or1 to speak plainer1 the unical1 rudimental1 and all- comprehending abstracted essence of the infinite remoteness of things4 ,without it1 we were grass-hoppers40 8,and with it1 you mortals are little else2 do you not chirp all over1 ,mohi8 ,by my demi-god soul1 were ,i not what ,i am1 this wine would almost get the better of me40 8,without it--0 continued ,babbalanja4 8,without what80 demanded ,media1 starting to his feet4 8,this wine8 ,traitor1 ,i'll stand by this to the last gasp1 you are inebriated1 ,babbalanja40 8,perhaps so1 my lord2 but ,i was treating of the imagination1 may it please you40 8,my lord10 added ,mohi1 8of the unical1 and rudimental fundament of things1 you remember40 8,ah6 there's none of them sober2 proceed1 proceed1 ,azzageddi60 8,my lord waves his hand like a banner10 murmured ,yoomy4 8,without imagination1 ,i say1 an armless man1 born1 blind1 could not be made to believe1 that he had a head of hair1 since he could neither see it1 nor feel it1 nor has hair any feeling of itself40 8,methinks though10 said ,mohi1 8if the cripple had a ,tartar for a wife1 he would not remain skeptical long40 8,you all fly off at tangents10 cried ,media1 8but no wonder3 your mortal brains can not endure much quaffing4 ,return to your subject1 ,babbalanja4 ,assume now1 ,babbalanja1--assume1 my dear prince--assume it1 assume it1 ,i say6--,why don't you80 8,i am willing to assume any thing you please1 my lord3 what is it80 8,ah6 yes6--,assume that--that upon returning home1 you should find your wife had newly wedded1 under the--the--the metaphysical presumption1 that being no longer visible1 you--you ,azzageddi1 had departed this life2 in other words1 out of sight1 out of mind2 what then1 my dear prince80 8,why then1 my lord1 ,i would demolish my rival in a trice40 8,would you8--then--then so much for your metaphysics1 ,bab--,babbalanja40 ,babbalanja rose to his feet1 muttering to himself--8,is this assumed1 or real8--,can a demi-god be mastered by wine8 ,yet1 the old mythologies make bacchanals of the gods4 ,but he was wondrous keen6 ,he felled me1 ere he fell himself40 8,yoomy1 my lord ,media is in a very merry mood to-day10 whispered ,mohi1 8but his counterfeit was not well done4 ,no1 no1 a bacchanal is not used to be so logical in his cups40 ,,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,they ,sail ,round ,an ,island ,without ,landing2 ,and ,talk ,round ,a ,subject ,without ,getting ,at ,it ,purposing a visit to ,kaleedoni1 a country integrally united to ,dominora1 our course now lay northward along the western white cliffs of the isle4 ,but finding the wind ahead1 and the current too strong for our paddlers1 we were fain to forego our destination2 ,babbalanja observing1 that since in ,dominora we had not found ,yillah1 then in ,kaleedoni the maiden could not be lurking4 ,and now1 some conversation ensued concerning the country we were prevented from visiting4 ,our chronicler narrated many fine things of its people2 extolling their bravery in war1 their amiability in peace1 their devotion in religion1 their penetration in philosophy1 their simplicity and sweetness in song1 their loving-kindness and frugality in all things domestic3--running over a long catalogue of heroes1 meta-physicians1 bards1 and good men4 ,but as all virtues are convertible into vices1 so in some cases did the best traits of these people degenerate4 ,their frugality too often became parsimony2 their devotion grim bigotry2 and all this in a greater degree perhaps than could be predicated of the more immediate subjects of ,king ,bello4 ,in ,kaleedoni was much to awaken the fervor of its bards4 ,upland and lowland were full of the picturesque2 and many unsung lyrics yet lurked in her glens4 ,among her blue1 heathy hills1 lingered many tribes1 who in their wild and tattooed attire1 still preserved the garb of the mightiest nation of old times4 ,they bared the knee1 in token that it was honorable as the face1 since it had never been bent4 ,while ,braid-,beard was recounting these things1 the currents were sweeping us over a strait1 toward a deep green island1 bewitching to behold4 ,not greener that midmost terrace of the ,andes1 which under a torrid meridian steeps fair ,quito in the dews of a perpetual spring2--not greener the nine thousand feet of ,pirohitee's tall peak1 which1 rising from out the warm bosom of ,tahiti1 carries all summer with it into the clouds2--nay1 not greener the famed gardens of ,cyrus1--than the vernal lawn1 the knoll1 the dale of beautiful ,verdanna4 8,alas1 sweet isle6 ,thy desolation is overrun with vines10 sighed ,yoomy1 gazing4 8,land of caitiff curs60 cried ,media4 8,isle1 whose future is in its past4 ,hearth-stone1 from which its children run10 said ,babbalanja4 8,i can not read thy chronicles for blood1 ,verdanna10 murmured ,mohi4 ,gliding near1 we would have landed1 but the rolling surf forbade4 ,then thrice we circumnavigated the isle for a smooth1 clear beach2 but it was not found4 ,meanwhile all still conversed4 8,my lord10 said ,yoomy1 8while we tarried with ,king ,bello1 ,i heard much of the feud between ,dominora and this unhappy shore4 ,yet is not ,verdanna as a child of ,king ,bello's80 8,yes1 minstrel1 a step-child10 said ,mohi4 8,by way of enlarging his family circle10 said ,babbalanja1 8an old lion once introduced a deserted young stag to his den2 but the stag never became domesticated1 and would still charge upon his foster-brothers4 --,verdanna is not of the flesh and blood of ,dominora1 whence1 in good part1 these dissensions40 8,but ,babbalanja1 is there no way of reconciling these foes80 8,but one way1 ,yoomy3--,by filling up this strait with dry land2 for1 divided by water1 we ,mardians must ever remain more or less divided at heart4 ,though ,kaleedoni was united to ,dominora long previous to the union of ,verdanna1 yet ,kaleedoni occasions ,bello no disquiet2 for1 geographically one1 the two populations insensibly blend at the point of junction4 ,no hostile strait flows between the arms1 that to embrace must touch40 8,but1 ,babbalanja10 said ,yoomy1 8what asks ,verdanna of ,dominora1 that ,verdanna so clamors at the denial80 8,they are arrant cannibals1 ,yoomy10 said ,media1 8and desire the privilege of eating each other up40 8,king ,bello's idea10 said ,babbalanja2 8but1 in these things1 my lord1 you demi-gods are ever unanimous4 ,but1 whatever be ,verdanna's demands1 ,bello persists in rejecting them40 8,why not grant every thing she asks1 even to renouncing all claim upon the isle10 said ,mohi2 8for thus1 ,bello would rid himself of many perplexities40 8,and think you1 old man10 said ,media1 8that1 bane or blessing1 ,bello will yield his birthright8 ,will a tri-crowned king resign his triple diadem8 ,and even did ,bello what you propose he would only breed still greater perplexities4 ,for if granted1 full soon would ,verdanna be glad to surrender many things she demands4 ,and all she now asks1 she has had in times past2 but without turning it to advantage3--and is she wiser now80 8,does she not demand her harvests1 my lord80 said ,yoomy1 8and has not the reaper a right to his sheaf80 8,cant6 cant6 ,yoomy4 ,if you reap for me1 the sheaf is mine40 8,but if the reaper reaps on his own harvest-field1 whose then the sheaf1 my lord80 said ,babbalanja4 8,his for whom he reaps--his lord's60 8,then let the reaper go with sickle and with sword10 said ,yoomy1 8with one hand1 cut down the bearded grain2 and with the other1 smite his bearded lords40 8,thou growest fierce1 in thy lyric moods1 my warlike dove10 said #8,media1 blandly4 8,but for thee1 philosopher1 know thou1 that ,verdanna's men are of blood and brain inferior to ,bello's native race2 and the better ,mardian must ever rule40 8,verdanna inferior to ,dominora1 my lord6--,has she produced no bards1 no orators1 no wits1 no patriots8 ,mohi1 unroll thy chronicles6 ,tell me1 if ,verdanna may not claim full many a star along ,king ,bello's tattooed arm of ,fame8 8,even so10 said ,mohi4 8,many chapters bear you out40 8,but my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8as truth1 omnipresent1 lurks in all things1 even in lies3 so1 does some germ of it lurk in the calumnies heaped on the people of this land4 ,for though they justly boast of many lustrous names1 these jewels gem no splendid robe4 ,and though like a bower of grapes1 ,verdanna is full of gushing juices1 spouting out in bright sallies of wit1 yet not all her grapes make wine2 and here and there1 hang goodly clusters mildewed2 or half devoured by worms1 bred in their own tendrils40 8,drop1 drop your grapes and metaphors60 cried ,media4 8,bring forth your thoughts like men2 let them come naked into ,mardi4--,what do you mean1 ,babbalanja80 8,this1 my lord1 ,verdanna's worst evils are her own1 not of another's giving4 ,her own hand is her own undoer4 ,she stabs herself with bigotry1 superstition1 divided councils1 domestic feuds1 ignorance1 temerity2 she wills1 but does not2 her ,east is one black storm-cloud1 that never bursts2 her utmost fight is a defiance2 she showers reproaches1 where she should rain down blows4 ,she stands a mastiff baying at the moon40 8,tropes on tropes60 said4 ,media4 8,let me tell the tale1--straight- forward like a line4 ,verdanna is a lunatic--0 8,a trope6 my lord10 cried ,babbalanja4 8,my tropes are not tropes10 said ,media1 8but yours are4--,verdanna is a lunatic1 that after vainly striving to cut another's throat1 grimaces before a standing pool and threatens to cut his own4 ,and is such a madman to be intrusted with himself8 ,no2 let another govern him1 who is ungovernable to himself ,ay1 and tight hold the rein2 and curb1 and rasp the bit4 ,do ,i exaggerate8--,mohi1 tell me1 if1 save one lucid interval1 ,verdanna1 while independent of ,dominora1 ever discreetly conducted her affairs8 ,was she not always full of fights and factions8 ,and what first brought her under the sway of ,bello's scepter8 ,did not her own ,chief ,dermoddi fly to ,bello's ancestor for protection against his own seditious subjects8 ,and thereby did not her own king unking himself8 ,what wonder1 then1 and where the wrong1 if ,henro1 ,bello's conquering sire1 seized the diadem80 8,what my lord cites is true10 said ,mohi1 8but cite no more1 ,i pray2 lest1 you harm your cause40 8,yet for all this1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8,bello but holds lunatic ,verdanna's lands in trust40 8,and may the guardian of an estate also hold custody of the ward1 my lord80 8,ay1 if he can4 ,what can be done1 may be3 that's the ,greed of demi- gods40 8,alas1 alas60 cried ,yoomy1 8why war with words over this poor1 suffering land4 ,see6 for all her bloom1 her people starve2 perish her yams1 ere taken from the soil2 the blight of heaven seems upon them40 8,not so10 said ,media4 8,heaven sends no blights4 ,verdanna will not learn4 ,and if from one season's rottenss1 rottenness they sow again1 rottenness must they reap4 ,but ,yoomy1 you seem earnest in this matter2--come3 on all hands it is granted that evils exist in ,verdanna2 now sweet ,sympathizer1 what must the royal ,bello do to mend them80 8,i am no sage10 said ,yoomy1 8what would my lord ,media do80 8,what would you do1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media4 8,mohi1 what you80 asked the philosopher4 8,and what would the company do80 added ,mohi4 8,now1 though these evils pose us all10 said ,babbalanja1 8there lately died in ,verdanna1 one1 who set about curing them in a humane and peaceable way1 waving war and bloodshed4 ,that man was ,konno4 ,under a huge caldron1 he kept a roaring fire40 8,well1 ,azzageddi1 how could that answer his purpose80 asked ,media4 8,nothing better1 my lord4 ,his fire boiled his bread-fruit2 and so convinced were his countrymen1 that he was well employed1 that they almost stripped their scanty orchards to fill his caldron40 8,konno was a knave10 said ,mohi4 8,your pardon1 old man1 but that is only known to his ghost1 not to us4 ,at any rate he was a great man2 for even assuming he cajoled his country1 no common man could have done it40 8,babbalanja10 said ,mohi1 8my lord has been pleased to pronounce ,verdanna crazy2 now1 may not her craziness arise from the irritating1 tantalizing practices of ,dominora80 8,doubtless1 ,braid-,beard1 many of the extravagances of ,verdanna1 are in good part to be ascribed to the cause you mention2 but1 to be impartial1 none the less does ,verdanna essay to taunt and provoke ,dominora2 yet not with the like result4 ,perceive you1 ,braid-,beard1 that the trade-wind blows dead across this strait from ,dominora1 and not from ,verdanna8 ,hence1 when ,king ,bello's men fling gibes and insults1 every missile hits2 but those of ,verdanna are blown back in its teeth3 her enemies jeering her again and again40 8,king ,bello's men are dastards for that10 cried ,yoomy4 8,it shows neither sense1 nor spirit1 nor humanity10 said ,babbalanja4 8,all wide of the mark10 cried ,media4 8,what is to be done for ,verdanna80 8,what will she do for herself80 said ,babbalanja4 8,philosopher1 you are an extraordinary sage2 and since sages should be seers1 reveal ,verdanna's future40 8,my lord1 you will ever find true prophets1 prudent2 nor will any prophet risk his reputation upon predicting aught concerning this land4 ,the isles are ,oro's4 ,nevertheless1 he who doctors ,verdanna aright1 will first medicine ,king ,bello2 who in some things is1 himself a patient1 though he would fain be a physician4 ,however1 my lord1 there is a demon of a doctor in ,mardi1 who at last deals with these desperate cases4 ,he employs only pills1 picked off the ,conroupta ,quiancensis tree40 8,and what sort of a vegetable is that80 asked ,mohi4 8,consult the botanists10 said ,babbalanja4 ,,chapter ,,xlix4 ,they ,draw ,nigh ,to ,porpheero2 ,where ,they ,behold ,a ,terrific ,eruption ,gliding away from ,verdanna at the turn of the tide1 we cleared the strait1 and gaining the more open lagoon1 pointed our prows for ,porpheero1 from whose magnificent monarchs my lord ,media promised himself a glorious reception4 8,they are one and all demi-gods10 he cried1 8and have the old demi-god feeling4 ,we have seen no great valleys like theirs3--their scepters are long as our spears2 to their sumptuous palaces1 ,donjalolo's are but inns3--their banquetting halls are as vistas2 no generations run parallel to theirs3--their pedigrees reach back into chaos4 8,babbalanja6 here you will find food for philosophy3--the whole land checkered with nations1 side by side contrasting in costume1 manners1 and mind4 ,here you will find science and sages2 manuscripts in miles2 bards singing in choirs4 8,mohi6 here you will flag over your page2 in ,porpheero the ages have hived all their treasures3 like a pyramid1 the past shadows over the land4 8,yoomy6 here you will find stuff for your songs3--blue rivers flowing through forest arches1 and vineyards2 velvet meads1 soft as ottomans3 bright maidens braiding the golden locks of the harvest2 and a background of mountains1 that seem the end of the world4 ,or if nature will not content you1 then turn to the landscapes of art4 ,see6 mosaic walls1 tattooed like our faces2 paintings1 vast as horizons2 and into which1 you feel you could rush3 ,see6 statues to which you could off turban2 cities of columns standing thick as mankind2 and firmanent domes forever shedding their sunsets of gilding3 ,see6 spire behind spire1 as if the land were the ocean1 and all ,bello's great navy were riding at anchor4 8,noble ,taji6 you seek for your ,yillah2--give over despair6 ,porpheero's such a scene of enchantment1 that there1 the lost maiden must lurk40 8,a glorious picture60 cried ,babbalanja1 but turn the medal1 my lord2-- what says the reverse80 8,cynic6 have done4--,but bravo6 we'll ere long be in ,franko1 the goodliest vale of them all2 how ,i long to take her old king by the hand60 ,the sun was now setting behind us1 lighting up the white cliffs of ,dominora1 and the green capes of ,verdanna2 while in deep shade lay before us the long winding shores of ,porpheero4 ,it was a sunset serene4 8,how the winds lowly warble in the dying day's ear10 murmured ,yoomy4 8,a mild1 bright night1 we'll have10 said ,media4 8,see you not those clouds over ,franko1 my lord10 said ,mohi1 shaking his head4 8,ah1 aged and weather-wise as ever1 sir chronicler2--,i predict a fair night1 and many to follow40 8,patience needs no prophet10 said ,babbalanja4 8,the night1 is at hand40 ,hitherto the lagoon had been smooth3 but anon1 it grew black1 and stirred2 and out of the thick darkness came clamorous sounds4 ,soon1 there shot into the air a vivid meteor1 which bursting at the zenith1 radiated down the firmament in fiery showers1 leaving treble darkness behind4 ,then as all held their breath1 from ,franko there spouted an eruption1 which seemed to plant all ,mardi in the foreground4 ,as when ,vesuvius lights her torch1 and in the blaze1 the storm-swept surges in ,naples' bay rear and plunge toward it2 so now1 showed ,franko's multitudes1 as they stormed the summit where their monarch's palace blazed1 fast by the burning mountain4 8,by my eternal throne60 cried ,media1 starting1 8the old volcano has burst forth again60 8,but a new vent1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja4 8,more fierce this1 than the eruption which happened in my youth10 said ,mohi--8methinks that ,franko's end has come40 8,you look pale1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8while all other faces glow2--,yoomy1 doff that halo in the presence of a king40 ,over the waters came a rumbling sound1 mixed with the din of warfare1 and thwarted by showers of embers that fell not1 for the whirling blasts4 8,off shore6 off shore60 cried ,media2 and with all haste we gained a place of safety4 ,down the valley now poured ,rhines and ,rhones of lava1 a fire-freshet1 flooding the forests from their fastnesses1 and leaping with them into the seething sea4 ,the shore was lined with multitudes pushing off wildly in canoes4 ,meantime1 the fiery storm from ,franko1 kindled new flames in the distant valleys of ,porpheero2 while driven over from ,verdanna came frantic shouts1 and direful jubilees4 ,upon ,dominora a baleful glare was resting4 8,thrice cursed flames60 cried ,media4 8,is ,mardi to be one conflagration8 ,how it crackles1 forks1 and roars6--,is this our funeral pyre80 8,recline1 recline1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja4 8,fierce flames are ever brief--a song1 sweet ,yoomy6 ,your pipe1 old ,mohi6 ,greater fires than this have ere now blazed in ,mardi4 ,let us be calm2--the isles were made to burn2--,braid-,beard6 hereafter1 in some quiet cell1 of this whole scene you will but make one chapter2--come1 digest it now40 8,my face is scorched10 cried ,media4 8,the last1 last day60 cried ,mohi4 8,not so1 old man10 said ,babbalanja1 8when that day dawns1 'twill dawn serene4 ,be calm1 be calm1 my potent lord40 8,talk not of calm brows in storm-time60 cried ,media fiercely4 8,see6 how the flames blow over upon ,dominora60 8,yet the fires they kindle there are soon extinguished10 said ,babbalanja4 8,no1 no2 ,dominora ne'er can burn with ,franko's fires2 only those of her own kindling may consume her40 8,away6 ,away60 cried ,media4 8,we may not touch ,porpheero now4--,up sails6 and westward be our course40 ,so dead before the blast1 we scudded4 ,morning broke1 showing no sign of land4 8,hard must it go with ,franko's king10 said ,media1 8when his people rise against him with the red volcanoes4 ,oh1 for a foot to crush them6 ,hard1 too1 with all who rule in broad ,porpheero4 ,and may she we seek1 survive this conflagration60 8,my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8where'ere she hide1 ne'er yet did ,yillah lurk in this ,porpheero2 nor have we missed the maiden1 noble ,taji6 in not touching at its shores40 8,this fire must make a desert of the land10 said ,mohi2 8burn up and bury all her tilth40 8,yet1 ,mohi1 vineyards flourish over buried villages10 murmured ,yoomy4 8,true1 minstrel10 said ,babbalanja1 8and prairies are purified by fire4 ,ashes breed loam4 ,nor can any skill make the same surface forever fruitful4 ,in all times past1 things have been overlaid2 and though the first fruits of the marl are wild and poisonous1 the palms at last spring forth2 and once again the tribes repose in shade4 ,my lord1 if calms breed storms1 so storms calms2 and all this dire commotion must eventuate in peace4 ,it may be1 that ,perpheero's future has been cheaply won40 ,,chapter ,l4 ,wherein ,king ,media ,celebrates ,the ,glories ,of ,autumn1 ,the ,minstrel1 ,the ,promise ,of ,spring 8,ho1 now60 cried ,media1 8across the wide waters1 for that ,new ,mardi1 ,vivenza6 ,let us indeed see1 whether she who eludes us elsewhere1 he at last found in ,vivenza's vales40 8,there or nowhere1 noble ,taji10 said ,yoomy4 8,be not too sanguine1 gentle ,yoomy10 said ,babbalanja4 8,does ,yillah choose rather to bower in the wild wilderness of ,vivenza1 than in the old vineyards of ,porpheero80 said ,braid-,beard4 ,sang ,yoomy3-- ,her bower is not of the vine1 ,but the wild1 wild eglantine6 ,not climbing a moldering arch1 ,but upheld by the fir-green larch4 ,old ruins she flies3 ,to new valleys she hies3-- ,not the hoar1 moss-wood1 ,ivied trees each a rood-- ,not in ,maramma she dwells1 ,hollow with hermit cells4 ',tis a new1 new isle6 ,an infant's its smile1 ,soft-rocked by the sea4 ,its bloom all in bud2 ,no tide at its flood1 ,in that fresh-born sea6 ,spring6 ,spring6 where she dwells1 ,in her sycamore dells1 ,where ,mardi is young and new3 ,its verdure all eyes with dew4 ,there1 there6 in the bright1 balmy morns1 ,the young deer sprout their horns1 ,deep-tangled in new-branching groves1 ,where the ,red-,rover ,robin roves1-- ,stooping his crest1 ,to his molting breast-- ,rekindling the flambeau there6 ,spring6 ,spring6 where she dwells1 ,in her sycamore dells3-- ,where1 fulfilling their fates1 ,all creatures seek mates-- ,the thrush1 the doe1 and the hare6 8,thou art most musical1 sweet ,yoomy10 said ,media4 8concerning this spring-land ,vivenza4 ,but are not the old autumnal valleys of ,porpheero more glorious than those of vernal ,vivenza8 ,vivenza shows no trophies of the summer time1 but ,dominora's full-blown rose hangs blushing on her garden walls2 her autumn groves are glory-dyed40 8,my lord1 autumn soon merges in winter1 but the spring has all the seasons before4 ,the full-blown rose is nearer withering than the bud4 ,the faint morn is a blossom3 the crimson sunset the flower40 ,,chapter ,,li4 ,in ,which ,azzageddi ,seems ,to ,use ,babbalanja ,for ,a ,mouth-,piece ,porpheero far astern1 the spirits of the company rose4 ,once again1 old ,mohi serenely unbraided1 and rebraided his beard2 and sitting ,turk-wise on his mat1 my lord ,media smoking his gonfalon1 diverted himself with the wild songs of ,yoomy1 the wild chronicles of ,mohi1 or the still wilder speculations of ,babbalanja2 now and then1 as from pitcher to pitcher1 pouring royal old wine down his soul4 ,among other things1 ,media1 who at times turned over ,babbalanja for an encyclopaedia1 however unreliable1 demanded information upon the subject of neap tides and their alleged slavish vassalage to the moon4 ,when true to his cyclopaediatic nature1 ,babbalanja quoted from a still older and better authority than himself2 in brief1 from no other than eternal ,bardianna4 ,it seems that that worthy essayist had discussed the whole matter in a chapter thus headed3 8,on ,seeing into ,mysteries through ,mill-,stones28 and throughout his disquisitions he evinced such a profundity of research1 though delivered in a style somewhat equivocal1 that the company were much struck by the erudition displayed4 8,babbalanja1 that ,bardianna of yours must have been a wonderful student10 said ,media after a pause1 8no doubt he consumed whole thickets of rush-lights40 8,not so1 my lord4--#8,patience1 patience1 philosophers1' said ,bardianna2 #8blow out your tapers1 bolt not your dinners1 take time1 wisdom will be plenty soon4'0 8,a notable hint6 ,why not follow it1 ,babbalanja80 8,because1 my lord1 ,i have overtaken it1 and passed on40 8,true to your nature1 ,babbalanja2 you stay nowhere40 8,ay1 keep moving is my motto2 but speaking of hard students1 did my lord ever hear of ,midni the ontologist and entomologist80 8,no40 8,then1 my lord1 you shall hear of him now4 ,midni was of opinion that day-light was vulgar2 good enough for taro-planting and traveling2 but wholly unadapted to the sublime ends of study4 ,he toiled by night2 from sunset to sunrise poring over the works of the old logicans4 ,like most philosophers1 ,midni was an amiable man2 but one thing invariably put him out4 ,he read in the woods by glow-worm light2 insect in hand1 tracing over his pages1 line by line4 ,but glow-worms burn not long3 and in the midst of some calm intricate thought1 at some imminent comma1 the insect often expired1 and ,midni groped for a meaning4 ,upon such an occasion1 #8,ho1 ,ho1' he cried2 #8but for one instant of sun-light to see my way to a period6' ,but sun-light there was none2 so ,midni sprang to his feet1 and parchment under arm1 raced about among the sloughs and bogs for another glow-worm4 ,often1 making a rapid descent with his turban1 he thought he had caged a prize2 but nay4 ,again he tried2 yet with no better succcess4 ,nevertheless1 at last he secured one2 but hardly had he read three lines by its light1 when out it went4 ,again and again this occurred4 ,and thus he forever went halting and stumbling through his studies1 and plunging through his quagmires after a glim40 ,at this ridiculous tale1 one of our silliest paddlers burst into uncontrollable mirth4 ,offended at which breach of decorum1 ,media sharply rebuked him4 ,but he protested he could not help laughing4 ,again ,media was about to reprimand him1 when ,babbalanja begged leave to interfere4 8,my lord1 he is not to blame4 ,mark how earnestly he struggles to suppress his mirth2 but he can not4 ,it has often been the same with myself4 ,and many a time have ,i not only vainly sought to check my laughter1 but at some recitals ,i have both laughed and cried4 ,but can opposite emotions be simultaneous in one being8 ,no4 ,i wanted to weep2 but my body wanted to smile1 and between us we almost choked4 ,my lord ,media1 this man's body laughs2 not the man himself40 8,but his body is his own1 ,babbalanja2 and he should have it under better control40 8,the common error1 my lord4 ,our souls belong to our bodies1 not our bodies to our souls4 ,for which has the care of the other8 which keeps house8 which looks after the replenishing of the aorta and auricles1 and stores away the secretions8 ,which toils and ticks while the other sleeps8 ,which is ever giving timely hints1 and elderly warnings8 ,which is the most authoritative8--,our bodies1 surely4 ,at a hint1 you must move2 at a notice to quit1 you depart4 ,simpletons show us1 that a body can get along almost without a soul2 but of a soul getting along without a body1 we have no tangible and indisputable proof4 ,my lord1 the wisest of us breathe involuntarily4 ,and how many millions there are who live from day to day by the incessant operation of subtle processes in them1 of which they know nothing1 and care less8 ,little ween they1 of vessels lacteal and lymphatic1 of arteries femoral and temporal2 of pericranium or pericardium2 lymph1 chyle1 fibrin1 albumen1 iron in the blood1 and pudding in the head2 they live by the charity of their bodies1 to which they are but butlers4 ,i say1 my lord1 our bodies are our betters4 ,a soul so simple1 that it prefers evil to good1 is lodged in a frame1 whose minutest action is full of unsearchable wisdom4 ,knowing this superiority of theirs1 our bodies are inclined to be willful3 our beards grow in spite of us2 and as every one knows1 they sometimes grow on dead men40 8,you mortals are alive1 then1 when you are dead1 ,babbalanja40 8,no1 my lord2 but our beards survive us40 8,an ingenious distinction2 go on1 philosopher40 8,without bodies1 my lord1 we ,mardians would be minus our strongest motive-passions1 those which1 in some way or other1 root under our every action4 ,hence1 without bodies1 we must be something else than we essentially are4 ,wherefore1 that saying imputed to ,alma1 and which1 by his very followers1 is deemed the most hard to believe of all his instructions1 and the most at variance with all preconceived notions of immortality1 ,i ,babbalanja1 account the most reasonable of his doctrinal teachings4 ,it is this2--that at the last day1 every man shall rise in the flesh40 8,pray1 ,babbalanja1 talk not of resurrections to a demi-god40 8,then let me rehearse a story1 my lord4 ,you will find it in the #8,very ,merry ,marvelings' of the ,improvisitor ,quiddi2 and a quaint book it is4 ,fugle-fi is its finis3--fugle-fi1 fugle-fo1 fugle-fogle-orum60 8,that wild look in his eye again10 murmured ,yoomy4 8,proceed1 ,azzageddi10 said ,media4 8,the philosopher ,grando had a sovereign contempt for his carcass4 ,often he picked a quarrel with it2 and always was flying out in its disparagement4 #8,out upon you1 you beggarly body6 you clog1 drug1 drag6 ,you keep me from flying2 ,i could get along better without you4 ,out upon you1 ,i say1 you vile pantry1 cellar1 sink1 sewer2 abominable body6 what vile thing are you not8 ,and think you1 beggar6 to have the upper hand of me8 ,make a leg to that man if you dare1 without my permission4 ,this smell is intolerable2 but turn from it1 if you can1 unless ,i give the word4 ,bolt this yam6--it is done4 ,carry me across yon field6--off we go4 ,stop6--it's a dead halt4 ,there1 ,i've trained you enough for to-day2 now1 sirrah1 crouch down in the shade1 and be quiet4--,i'm rested4 ,so1 here's for a stroll1 and a reverie homeward3-- ,up1 carcass1 and march4' ,so the carcass demurely rose and paced1 and the philosopher meditated4 ,he was intent upon squaring the circle2 but bump he came against a bough4 #8,how now1 clodhopping bumpkin6 you would take advantage of my reveries1 would you8 ,but ,i'll be even with you2' and seizing a cudgel1 he laid across his shoulders with right good will4 ,but one of his backhanded thwacks injured his spinal cord2 the philosopher dropped2 but presently came to4 #8,adzooks6 ,i'll bend or break you6 ,up1 up1 and ,i'll run you home for this4' ,but wonderful to tell1 his legs refused to budge2 all sensation had left them4 ,but a huge wasp happening to sting his foot1 not him1 for he felt it not1 the leg incontinently sprang into the air1 and of itself1 cut all manner of capers4 ,be still6 ,down with you6' ,but the leg refused4 #8,my arms are still loyal1' thought ,grando2 and with them he at last managed to confine his refractory member4 ,but all commands1 volitions1 and persuasions1 were as naught to induce his limbs to carry him home4 ,it was a solitary place2 and five days after1 ,grando the philosopher was found dead under a tree40 8,ha1 ha60 laughed ,media1 8,azzageddi is full as merry as ever40 8,but1 my lord10 continued ,babbalanja1 8some creatures have still more perverse bodies than ,grando's4 ,in the fables of ,ridendiabola1 this is to be found4 #8,a fresh-water ,polyp1 despising its marine existence2 longed to live upon air4 ,but all it could do1 its tentacles or arms still continued to cram its stomach4 ,by a sudden preternatural impulse1 however1 the ,polyp at last turned itself inside out2 supposing that after such a proceeding it would have no gastronomic interior4 ,but its body proved ventricle outside as well as in4 ,again its arms went to work2 food was tossed in1 and digestion continued4'0 8,is the literal part of that a fact80 asked ,mohi4 8,true as truth10 said ,babbalanja2 8the ,polyp will live turned inside out40 8,somewhat curious1 certainly10 said ,media4--8,but me-thinks1 ,babbalanja1 that somewhere ,i have heard something about organic functions1 so called2 which may account for the phenomena you mention2 and ,i have heard too1 me-thinks1 of what are called reflex actions of the nerves1 which1 duly considered1 might deprive of its strangeness that story of yours concerning ,grande and his body40 8,mere substitutions of sounds for inexplicable meanings1 my lord4 ,in some things science cajoles us4 ,now1 what is undeniable of the ,polyp some physiologists analogically maintain with regard to us ,mardians2 that forasmuch1 as the lining of our interiors is nothing more than a continuation of the epidermis1 or scarf-skin1 therefore1 that in a remote age1 we too must have been turned wrong side out3 an hypothesis1 which1 indirectly might account for our moral perversities3 and also1 for that otherwise nonsensical term--#8the coat of the stomach2' for originally it must have been a surtout1 instead of an inner garment40 8,pray1 ,azzageddi10 said ,media1 8are you not a fool80 8,one of a jolly company1 my lord2 but some creatures besides wearing their surtouts within1 sport their skeletons without3 witness the lobster and turtle1 who alive1 study their own anatomies40 8,azzageddi1 you are a zany40 8,pardon1 my lord10 said ,mohi1 8,i think him more of a lobster2 it's hard telling his jaws from his claws40 8,yes1 ,braid-,beard1 ,i am a lobster1 a mackerel1 any thing you please2 but my ancestors were kangaroos1 not monkeys1 as old ,boddo erroneously opined4 ,my idea is more susceptible of demonstration than his4 ,among the deepest discovered land fossils1 the relics of kangaroos are discernible1 but no relics of men4 ,hence1 there were no giants in those days2 but on the contrary1 kangaroos2 and those kangaroos formed the first edition of mankind1 since revised and corrected40 8,what has become of our finises1 or tails1 then80 asked ,mohi1 wriggling in his seat4 8,the old question1 ,mohi4 ,but where are the tails of the tadpoles1 after their gradual metamorphosis into frogs8 ,have frogs any tails1 old man8 ,our tails1 ,mohi1 were worn off by the process of civilization2 especially at the period when our fathers began to adopt the sitting posture3 the fundamental evidence of all civilization1 for neither apes1 nor savages1 can be said to sit2 invariably1 they squat on their hams4 ,among barbarous tribes benches and settles are unknown4 ,but1 my lord ,media1 as your liege and loving subject ,i can not sufficiently deplore the deprivation of your royal tail4 ,that stiff and vertebrated member1 as we find it in those rustic kinsmen we have disowned1 would have been useful as a supplement to your royal legs2 and whereas my good lord is now fain to totter on two stanchions1 were he only a kangaroo1 like the monarchs of old1 the majesty of ,odo would be dignified1 by standing firm on a tripod40 8,a very witty conceit6 ,but have a care1 ,azzageddi2 your theory applies not to me40 8,babbalanja10 said ,mohi1 8you must be the last of the kangaroos40 8,i am1 ,mohi40 8,but the old fashioned pouch or purse of your grandams80 hinted ,media4 8,my lord1 ,i take it1 that must have been transferred2 nowadays our sex carries the purse40 8,ha1 ha60 8,my lord1 why this mirth8 ,let us be serious4 ,although man is no longer a kangaroo1 he may be said to be an inferior species of plant4 ,plants proper are perhaps insensible of the circulation of their sap3 we mortals are physically unconscious of the circulation of the blood2 and for many ages were not even aware of the fact4 ,plants know nothing of their interiors3--three score years and ten we trundle about ours1 and never get a peep at them2 plants stand on their stalks3--we stalk on our legs2 no plant flourishes over its dead root3--dead in the grave1 man lives no longer above ground2 plants die without food3--so we4 ,and now for the difference4 ,plants elegantly inhale nourishment1 without looking it up3 like lords1 they stand still and are served2 and though green1 never suffer from the colic3--whereas1 we mortals must forage all round for our food3 we cram our insides2 and are loaded down with odious sacks and intestines4 ,plants make love and multiply2 but excel us in all amorous enticements1 wooing and winning by soft pollens and essences4 ,plants abide in one place1 and live3 we must travel or die4 ,plants flourish without us3 we must perish without them40 8,enough ,azzageddi60 cried ,media4 8,open not thy lips till to-morrow40 ,,chapter ,,lii4 ,the ,charming ,yoomy ,sings ,the morrow came2 and three abreast1 with snorting prows1 we raced along2 our mat-sails panting to the breeze4 ,all present partook of the life of the air2 and unanimously ,yoomy was called upon for a song4 ,the canoes were passing a long1 white reef1 sparkling with shells1 like a jeweler's case3 and thus ,yoomy sang in the same old strain as of yore2 beginning aloud1 where he had left off in his soul3-- ,her sweet1 sweet mouth6 ,the peach-pearl shell3-- ,red edged its lips1 ,that softly swell1 ,just oped to speak1 ,with blushing cheek1 ,that fisherman ,with lonely spear ,on the reef ken1 ,and lift to ear ,its voice to hear1-- ,soft sighing ,south6 ,like this1 like this1-- ,the rosy kiss6-- ,that maiden's mouth4 ,a shell6 a shell6 ,a vocal shell6 ,song-dreaming1 ,in its inmost dell6 ,her bosom6 ,two buds half blown1 they tell2 ,a little valley between perfuming2 ,that roves away1 ,deserting the day1-- ,the day of her eyes illuming2-- ,that roves away1 o'er slope and fell1 ,till a soft1 soft meadow becomes the dell4 ,thus far1 old ,mohi had been wriggling about in his seat1 twitching his beard1 and at every couplet looking up expectantly1 as if he desired the company to think1 that he was counting upon that line as the last2 ,but now1 starting to his feet1 he exclaimed1 8,hold1 minstrel6 thy muse's drapery is becoming disordered3 no more60 8,then no more it shall be10 said ,yoomy1 8,but you have lost a glorious sequel40 ,,chapter ,,liii4 ,they ,draw ,nigh ,unto ,land ,in good time1 after many days sailing1 we snuffed the land from afar1 and came to a great country1 full of inland mountains1 north and south stretching far out of sight4 8,all hail1 ,kolumbo60 cried ,yoomy4 ,coasting by a portion of it1 which ,mohi called ,kanneeda1 a province of ,king ,bello's1 we perceived the groves rocking in the wind2 their flexible boughs bending like bows2 and the leaves flying forth1 and darkening the landscape1 like flocks of pigeons4 8,those groves must soon fall10 said ,mohi4 8,not so10 said ,babbalanja4 8,my lord1 as these violent gusts are formed by the hostile meeting of two currents1 one from over the lagoon1 the other from land2 they may be taken as significant of the occasional variances between ,kanneeda and ,dominora40 8,ay10 said ,media1 8and as ,mohi hints1 the breeze from ,dominora must soon overthrow the groves of ,kanneeda40 8,not if the land-breeze holds1 my lord2--one breeze oft blows another home4--,stand up1 and gaze6 ,from cape to cape1 this whole main we see1 is young and froward4 ,and far southward1 past this ,kanneeda and ,vivenza1 are haughty1 overbearing streams1 which at their mouths dam back the ocean1 and long refuse to mix their freshness with the foreign brine3--so bold1 so strong1 so bent on hurling off aggression is this brave main1 ,kolumbo2--last sought1 last found1 ,mardi's estate1 so long kept back2--pray ,oro1 it be not squandered foolishly4 ,here lie plantations1 held in fee by stout hearts and arms2 and boundless fields1 that may be had for seeing4 ,here1 your foes are forests1 struck down with bloodless maces4--,ho6 ,mardi's ,poor1 and ,mardi's ,strong6 ye1 who starve or beg2 seventh-sons who slave for earth's first-born--here is your home2 predestinated yours2 ,come over1 ,empire-founders6 fathers of the wedded tribes to come6--abject now1 illustrious evermore3--,ho3 ,sinew1 ,brawn1 and ,thigh60 8,a very fine invocation10 said ,media1 8now ,babbalanja1 be seated2 and tell us whether ,dominora and the kings of ,porpheero do not own some small portion of this great continent1 which just now you poetically pronounced as the spoil of any vagabonds who may choose to settle therein8 ,is not ,kanneeda1 ,dominora's80 8,and was not ,vivenza once ,dominora's also8 ,and what ,vivenza now is1 ,kanneeda soon must be4 ,i speak not1 my lord1 as wishful of what ,i say1 but simply as foreknowing it4 ,the thing must come4 ,vain for ,dominora to claim allegiance from all the progeny she spawns4 ,as well might the old patriarch of the flood reappear1 and claim the right of rule over all mankind1 as descended from the loins of his three roving sons4 8',tis the old law3--the ,east peoples the ,west1 the ,west the ,east2 flux and reflux4 ,and time may come1 after the rise and fall of nations yet unborn1 that1 risen from its future ashes1 ,porpheero shall be the promised land1 and from her surplus hordes ,kolumbo people it40 ,still coasting on1 next day1 we came to ,vivenza2 and as ,media desired to land first at a point midway between its extremities1 in order to behold the convocation of chiefs supposed to be assembled at this season1 we held on our way1 till we gained a lofty ridge1 jutting out into the lagoon1 a bastion to the neighboring land4 ,it terminated in a lofty natural arch of solid trap4 ,billows beat against its base4 ,but above1 waved an inviting copse1 wherein was revealed an open temple of canes1 containing one only image1 that of a helmeted female1 the tutelar deity of ,vivenza4 ,the canoes drew near4 8,lo6 what inscription is that80 cried ,media1 8there1 chiseled over the arch80 ,studying those immense hieroglyphics awhile1 antiquarian ,mohi still eyeing them1 said slowly3--8,in-this-re-publi-can-land-all -men-are- born-free-and-equal40 8,false60 said ,media4 8,and how long stay they so80 said ,babbalanja4 8,but look lower1 old man10 cried ,media1 8methinks there's a small hieroglyphic or two hidden away in yonder angle4--,interpret them1 old man40 ,after much screwing of his eyes1 for those characters were very minute1 ,champollion ,mohi thus spoke--0 ,except-the-tribe-of-,hamo40 8,that nullifies the other10 cried ,media4 8,ah1 ye republicans60 8,it seems to have been added for a postscript10 rejoined ,braid-,beard1 screwing his eyes again4 8,perhaps so10 said ,babbalanja1 8but some wag must have done it40 ,shooting through the arch1 we rapidly gained the beach4 ,,chapter ,,liv4 ,they ,visit ,the ,great ,central ,temple ,of ,vivenza ,the throng that greeted us upon landing were exceedingly boisterous4 8,whence came ye80 they cried4 8,whither bound8 ,saw ye ever such a land as this8 ,is it not a great and extensive republic8 ,pray1 observe how tall we are2 just feel of our thighs2 ,are we not a glorious people8 ,here1 feel of our beards4 ,look round2 look round2 be not afraid2 ,behold those palms2 swear now1 that this land surpasses all others4 ,old ,bello's mountains are mole-hills to ours2 his rivers1 rills2 his empires1 villages2 his palm-trees1 shrubs40 8,true10 said ,babbalanja4 8,but great ,oro must have had some hand in making your mountains and streams4--,would ye have been as great in a desert80 8,where is your king80 asked ,media1 drawing himself up in his robe1 and cocking his crown4 8,ha1 ha1 my fine fellow6 ,we are all kings here2 royalty breathes in the common air4 ,but come on1 come on4 ,let us show you our great ,temple of ,freedom40 ,and so saying1 irreverently grasping his sacred arm1 they conducted us toward a lofty structure1 planted upon a bold hill1 and supported by thirty pillars of palm2 four quite green2 as if recently added2 and beyond these1 an almost interminable vacancy1 as if all the palms in ,mardi1 were at some future time1 to aid in upholding that fabric4 ,upon the summit of the temple was a staff2 and as we drew nigh1 a man with a collar round his neck1 and the red marks of stripes upon his back1 was just in the act of hoisting a tappa standard-- correspondingly striped4 ,other collared menials were going in and out of the temple4 ,near the porch1 stood an image like that on the top of the arch we had seen4 ,upon its pedestal1 were pasted certain hieroglyphical notices2 according to ,mohi1 offering rewards for missing men1 so many hands high4 ,entering the temple1 we beheld an amphitheatrical space1 in the middle of which1 a great fire was burning4 ,around it1 were many chiefs1 robed in long togas1 and presenting strange contrasts in their style of tattooing4 ,some were sociably laughing1 and chatting2 others diligently making excavations between their teeth with slivers of bamboo2 or turning their heads into mills1 were grinding up leaves and ejecting their juices4 ,some were busily inserting the down of a thistle into their ears4 ,several stood erect1 intent upon maintaining striking attitudes2 their javelins tragically crossed upon their chests4 ,they would have looked very imposing1 were it not1 that in rear their vesture was sadly disordered4 ,others1 with swelling fronts1 seemed chiefly indebted to their dinners for their dignity4 ,many were nodding and napping4 ,and1 here and there1 were sundry indefatigable worthies1 making a great show of imperious and indispensable business2 sedulously folding banana leaves into scrolls1 and recklessly placing them into the hands of little boys1 in gay turbans and trim little girdles1 who thereupon fled as if with salvation for the dying4 ,it was a crowded scene2 the dusky chiefs1 here and there1 grouped together1 and their fantastic tattooings showing like the carved work on quaint old chimney-stacks1 seen from afar4 ,but one of their number overtopped all the rest4 ,as when1 drawing nigh unto old ,rome1 amid the crowd of sculptured columns and gables1 ,st4 ,peter's grand dome soars far aloft1 serene in the upper air2 so1 showed one calm grand forehead among those of this mob of chieftains4 ,that head was ,saturnina's4 ,gall and ,spurzheim6 saw you ever such a brow8--poised like an avalanche1 under the shadow of a forest6 woe betide the devoted valleys below6 ,lavatar6 behold those lips1--like mystic scrolls6 ,those eyes1-- like panthers' caves at the base of ,popocatepetl6 8,by my right hand1 ,saturnina10 cried ,babbalanja1 8but thou wert made in the image of thy ,maker6 ,yet1 have ,i beheld men1 to the eye as commanding as thou2 and surmounted by heads globe-like as thine1 who never had thy caliber4 ,we must measure brains1 not heads1 my lord2 else1 the sperm whale1 with his tun of an occiput1 would transcend us all40 ,near by1 were arched ways1 leading to subterranean places1 whence issued a savory steam1 and an extraordinary clattering of calabashes1 and smacking of lips1 as if something were being eaten down there by the fattest of fat fellows1 with the heartiest of appetites1 and the most irresistible of relishes4 ,it was a quaffing1 guzzling1 gobbling noise4 ,peeping down1 we beheld a company1 breasted up against a board1 groaning under numerous viands4 ,in the middle of all1 was a mighty great gourd1 yellow as gold1 and jolly round like a pumpkin in ,october1 and so big it must have grown in the sun4 ,thence flowed a tide of red wine4 ,and before it1 stood plenty of paunches being filled therewith like portly stone jars at a fountain4 ,melancholy to tell1 before that fine flood of old wine1 and among those portly old topers1 was a lean man2 who occasionally ducked in his bill4 ,he looked like an ibis standing in the ,nile at flood tide1 among a tongue-lapping herd of hippopotami4 ,they were jolly as the jolliest2 and laughed so uproariously1 that their hemispheres all quivered and shook1 like vast provinces in an earthquake4 ,ha6 ha6 ha6 how they laughed1 and they roared4 ,a deaf man might have heard them2 and no milk could have soured within a forty-two-pounder ball shot of that place4 ,now1 the smell of good things is no very bad thing in itself4 ,it is the savor of good things beyond2 proof positive of a glorious good meal4 ,so snuffing up those zephyrs from ,araby the blest1 those boisterous gales1 blowing from out the mouths of baked boars1 stuffed with bread-fruit1 bananas1 and sage1 we would fain have gone down and partaken4 ,but this could not be2 for we were told that those worthies below1 were a club in secret conclave2 very busy in settling certain weighty state affairs upon a solid basis1 ,they were all chiefs of immense capacity3--how many gallons1 there was no finding out4 ,be sure1 now1 a most riotous noise came up from those catacombs1 which seemed full of the ghosts of fat ,lamberts2 and this uproar it was1 that heightened the din above-ground4 ,but heedless of all1 in the midst of the amphitheater1 stood a tall1 gaunt warrior1 ferociously tattooed1 with a beak like a buzzard2 long dusty locks2 and his hands full of headless arrows4 ,he was laboring under violent paroxysms2 three benevolent individuals essaying to hold him4 ,but repeatedly breaking loose1 he burst anew into his delirium2 while with an absence of sympathy1 distressing to behold1 the rest of the assembly seemed wholly engrossed with themselves2 nor did they appear to care how soon the unfortunate lunatic might demolish himself by his frantic proceedings4 ,toward one side of the amphitheatrical space1 perched high upon an elevated dais1 sat a white-headed old man with a tomahawk in his hand3 earnestly engaged in overseeing the tumult2 though not a word did he say4 ,occasionally1 however1 he was regarded by those present with a mysterious sort of deference2 and when they chanced to pass between him and the crazy man1 they invariably did so in a stooping position2 probably to elude the atmospheric grape and cannister1 continually flying from the mouth of the lunatic4 8,what mob is this80 cried ,media4 8',tis the grand council of ,vivenza10 cried a bystander4 8,hear ye not ,alanno80 and he pointed to the lunatic4 ,now coming close to ,alanno1 we found1 that with incredible volubility1 he was addressing the assembly upon some all-absorbing subject connected with ,king ,bello1 and his presumed encroachments toward the northwest of ,vivenza4 ,one hand smiting his hip1 and the other his head1 the lunatic thus proceeded2 roaring like a wild beast1 and beating the air like a windmill3-- 8,i have said it6 the thunder is flashing1 the lightning is crashing6 already there's an earthquake in ,dominora6 ,full soon will old ,bello discover that his diabolical machinations against this ineffable land must soon come to naught4 ,who dare not declare1 that we are not invincible8 ,i repeat it1 we are4 ,ha6 ha6 ,audacious ,bello must bite the dust6 ,hair by hair1 we will trail his gory gray beard at the end of our spears6 ,ha1 ha6 ,i grow hoarse2 but would mine were a voice like the wild bulls of ,bullorom1 that ,i might be heard from one end of this great and gorgeous land to its farthest zenith2 ay1 to the uttermost diameter of its circumference4 ,awake6 oh ,vivenza4 ,the signs of the times are portentous2 nay1 extraordinary2 ,i hesitate not to add1 peculiar6 ,up6 up6 ,let us not descend to the bathos1 when we should soar to the climax6 ,does not all ,mardi wink and look on8 ,is the great sun itself a frigid spectator8 ,then let us double up our mandibles to the deadly encounter4 ,methinks ,i see it now4 ,old ,bello is crafty1 and his oath is recorded to obliterate us6 ,across this wide lagoon he casts his serpent eyes2 whets his insatiate bill2 mumbles his barbarous tusks2 licks his forked tongues2 and who knows when we shall have the shark in our midst8 ,yet be not deceived2 for though as yet1 ,bello has forborn molesting us openly1 his emissaries are at work2 his infernal sappers1 and miners1 and wet-nurses1 and midwives1 and grave- diggers are busy6 ,his canoe-yards are all in commotion6 ,in navies his forests are being launched upon the wave2 and ere long typhoons1 zephyrs1 white-squalls1 balmy breezes1 hurricanes1 and besoms will be raging round us60 ,his philippic concluded1 ,alanno was conducted from the place2 and being now quite exhausted1 cold cobble-stones were applied to his temples1 and he was treated to a bath in a stream4 ,this chieftain1 it seems1 was from a distant western valley1 called ,hio-,hio1 one of the largest and most fertile in ,vivenza1 though but recently settled4 ,its inhabitants1 and those of the vales adjoining1-- a right sturdy set of fellows1--were accounted the most dogmatically democratic and ultra of all the tribes in ,vivenza2 ever seeking to push on their brethren to the uttermost2 and especially were they bitter against ,bello4 ,but they were a fine young tribe1 nevertheless4 ,like strong new wine they worked violently in becoming clear4 ,time1 perhaps1 would make them all right4 ,an interval of greater uproar than ever now ensued2 during which1 with his tomahawk1 the white-headed old man repeatedly thumped and pounded the seat where he sat1 apparently to augment the din1 though he looked anxious to suppress it4 ,at last1 tiring of his posture1 he whispered in the ear of a chief1 his friend2 who1 approaching a portly warrior present1 prevailed upon him to rise and address the assembly4 ,and no sooner did this one do so1 than the whole convocation dispersed1 as if to their yams2 and with a grin1 the little old man leaped from his seat1 and stretched his legs on a mat4 ,the fire was now extinguished1 and the temple deserted4 ,,chapter ,,lv4 ,wherein ,babbalanja ,comments ,upon ,the ,speech ,of ,alanno ,as we lingered in the precincts of the temple after all others had departed1 sundry comments were made upon what we had seen2 and having remarked the hostility of the lunatic orator toward ,dominora1 ,babbalanja thus addressed ,media3-- 8,my lord1 ,i am constrained to believe1 that all ,vivenza can not be of the same mind with the grandiloquent chief from ,hio-,hio4 ,nevertheless1 ,i imagine1 that between ,dominora and this land1 there exists at bottom a feeling akin to animosity1 which is not yet wholly extinguished2 though but the smoldering embers of a once raging fire4 ,my lord1 you may call it poetry if you will1 but there are nations in ,mardi1 that to others stand in the relation of sons to sires4 ,thus with ,dominora and ,vivenza4 ,and though1 its majority attained1 ,vivenza is now its own master1 yet should it not fail in a reverential respect for its parent4 ,in man or nation1 old age is honorable2 and a boy1 however tall1 should never take his sire by the beard4 ,and though ,dominora did indeed ill merit ,vivenza's esteem1 yet by abstaining from criminations1 ,vivenza should ever merit its own4 ,and if in time to come1 which ,oro forbid1 ,vivenza must needs go to battle with ,king ,bello1 let ,vivenza first cross the old veteran's spear with all possible courtesy4 ,on the other hand1 my lord1 ,king ,bello should never forget1 that whatever be glorious in ,vivenza1 redounds to himself4 ,and as some gallant old lord proudly measures the brawn and stature of his son2 and joys to view in his noble young lineaments the likeness of his own2 bethinking him1 that when at last laid in his tomb1 he will yet survive in the long1 strong life of his child1 the worthy inheritor of his valor and renown2 even so1 should ,king ,bello regard the generous promise of this young ,vivenza of his own lusty begetting4 ,my lord1 behold these two states6 ,of all nations in the ,archipelago1 they alone are one in blood4 ,dominora is the last and greatest ,anak of ,old ,times2 ,vivenza1 the foremost and goodliest stripling of the ,present4 ,one is full of the past2 the other brims with the future4 ,ah6 did this sire's old heart but beat to free thoughts1 and back his bold son1 all ,mardi would go down before them4 ,and high ,oro may have ordained for them a career1 little divined by the mass4 ,methinks1 that as ,vivenza will never cause old ,bello to weep for his son2 so1 ,vivenza will not1 this many a long year1 be called to weep over the grave of its sire4 ,and though ,king ,bello may yet lay aside his old-fashioned cocked hat of a crown1 and comply with the plain costume of the times2 yet will his1 frame remain sturdy as of yore1 and equally grace any habiliments he may don4 ,and those who say1 ,dominora is old and worn out1 may very possibly err4 ,for if1 as a nation1 ,dominora be old--her present generation is full as young as the youths in any land under the sun4 ,then1 ,ho6 worthy twain6 ,each worthy the other1 join hands on the instant1 and weld them together4 ,lo6 the past is a prophet4 ,be the future1 its prophecy fulfilled40 ,,chapter ,,lvi4 ,a ,scene ,in ,the ,land ,of ,warwicks1 ,or ,king-,makers ,wending our way from the temple1 we were accompanied by a fluent1 obstreperous wight1 one ,znobbi1 a runaway native of ,porpheero1 but now an enthusiastic inhabitant of ,vivenza4 8,here comes our great chief60 he cried4 8,behold him6 ,it was ,i that had a hand in making him what he is60 ,and so saying1 he pointed out a personage1 no way distinguished1 except by the tattooing on his forehead--stars1 thirty in number2 and an uncommonly long spear in his hand4 ,freely he mingled with the crowd4 8,behold1 how familiar ,i am with him60 cried ,znobbi1 approaching1 and pitcher-wise taking him by the handle of his face4 8,friend10 said the dignitary1 8thy salute is peculiar1 but welcome4 ,i reverence the enlightened people of this land40 8,mean-spirited hound60 muttered ,media1 8were ,i him1 ,i had impaled that audacious plebeian40 8,there's a ,head-,chief for you1 now1 my fine fellow60 cried ,znobbi4 8,hurrah6 ,three cheers6 ,ay1 ay6 ,all kings here--all equal4 ,every thing's in common40 ,here1 a bystander1 feeling something grazing his side1 looked down2 and perceived ,znobbi's hand in clandestine vicinity to the pouch at his girdle-end4 ,whereupon the crowd shouted1 8,a thief6 a thief60 ,and with a loud voice the starred chief cried--8,seize him1 people1 and tie him to yonder tree40 ,and they seized1 and tied him on the spot4 8,ah10 said ,media1 8this chief has something to say1 after all2 he pinions a king at a word1 though a plebeian takes him by the nose4 ,beshrew me1 ,i doubt not1 that spear of his1 though without a tassel1 is longer and sharper than mine40 8,there's not so much freedom here as these freemen think10 said ,babbalanja1 turning2 8,i laugh and admire40 ,,chapter ,,lvii4 ,they ,hearken ,unto ,a ,voice ,from ,the ,gods ,next day we retraced our voyage northward1 to visit that section of ,vivenza4 ,in due time we landed4 ,to look round was refreshing4 ,of all the lands we had seen1 none looked more promising4 ,the groves stood tall and green2 the fields spread flush and broad2 the dew of the first morning seemed hardly vanished from the grass4 ,on all sides was heard the fall of waters1 the swarming of bees1 and the rejoicing hum of a thriving population4 8,ha1 ha60 laughed ,yoomy1 8,labor laughs in this land2 and claps his hands in the jubilee groves6 methinks that ,yillah will yet be found40 ,generously entertained1 we tarried in this land2 till at length1 from over the ,lagoon1 came full tidings of the eruption we had witnessed in ,franko1 with many details4 ,the conflagration had spread through ,porpheero and the kings were to and fro hunted1 like malefactors by blood-hounds2 all that part of ,mardi was heaving with throes4 ,with the utmost delight1 these tidings were welcomed by many2 yet others heard them with boding concern4 ,those1 too1 there were1 who rejoiced that the kings were cast down2 but mourned that the people themselves stood not firmer4 ,a victory1 turned to no wise and enduring account1 said they1 is no victory at all4 ,some victories revert to the vanquished4 ,but day by day great crowds ran down to the beach1 in wait for canoes periodically bringing further intelligence4 ,every hour new cries startled the air4 8,hurrah6 another1 kingdom is burnt down to the earth's edge2 another demigod is unhelmed2 another republic is dawning4 ,shake hands1 freemen1 shake hands6 ,soon will we hear of ,dominora down in the dust2 of hapless ,verdanna free as ourselves2 all ,porpheero's volcanoes are bursting6 ,who may withstand the people8 ,the times tell terrible tales to tyrants6 ,ere we die1 freemen1 all ,mardi will be free40 ,overhearing these shouts1 ,babbalanja thus addressed ,media3--8,my lord1 ,i can not but believe1 that these men1 are far more excited than those with whom they so ardently sympathize4 ,but no wonder4 ,the single discharges which are heard in ,porpheero2 here come condensed in one tremendous report4 ,every arrival is a firing off of events by platoons40 ,now1 during this tumultuous interval1 ,king ,media very prudently kept himself exceedingly quiet4 ,he doffed his regalia2 and in all things carried himself with a dignified discretion4 ,and many hours he absented himself2 none knowing whither he went1 or what his employment4 ,so also with ,babbalanja4 ,but still pursuing our search1 at last we all journeyed into a great valley1 whose inhabitants were more than commonly inflated with the ardor of the times4 ,rambling on1 we espied a clamorous crowd gathered about a conspicuous palm1 against which1 a scroll was fixed4 ,the people were violently agitated2 storming out maledictions against the insolent knave1 who1 over night must have fixed there1 that scandalous document4 ,but whoever he may have been1 certain it was1 he had contrived to hood himself effectually4 ,after much vehement discussion1 during which sundry inflammatory harangues were made from the stumps of trees near by1 it was proposed1 that the scroll should be read aloud1 so that all might give ear4 ,seizing it1 a fiery youth mounted upon the bowed shoulders of an old man1 his sire2 and with a shrill voice1 ever and anon interrupted by outcries1 read as follows3-- 8,sovereign-kings of ,vivenza6 it is fit you should hearken to wisdom4 ,but well aware1 that you give ear to little wisdom except of your own2 and that as freemen1 you are free to hunt down him who dissents from your majesties2 ,i deem it proper to address you anonymously4 8,and if it please you1 you may ascribe this voice to the gods3 for never will you trace it to man4 8,it is not unknown1 sovereign-kings6 that in these boisterous days1 the lessons of history are almost discarded1 as superseded by present experiences4 ,and that while all ,mardi's ,present has grown out of its ,past1 it is becoming obsolete to refer to what has been4 ,yet1 peradventure1 the ,past is an apostle4 8,the grand error of this age1 sovereign-kings6 is the general supposition1 that the very special ,diabolus is abroad2 whereas1 the very special ,diabolus has been abroad ever since ,mardi began4 8,and the grand error of your nation1 sovereign-kings6 seems this3--,the conceit that ,mardi is now in the last scene of the last act of her drama2 and that all preceding events were ordained1 to bring about the catastrophe you believe to be at hand1--a universal and permanent ,republic4 8,may it please you1 those who hold to these things are fools1 and not wise4 8,time is made up of various ages2 and each thinks its own a novelty4 ,but imbedded in the walls of the pyramids1 which outrun all chronologies1 sculptured stones are found1 belonging to yet older fabrics4 ,and as in the mound-building period of yore1 so every age thinks its erections will forever endure4 ,but as your forests grow apace1 sovereign-kings6 overrunning the tumuli in your western vales2 so1 while deriving their substance from the past1 succeeding generations overgrow it2 but in time1 themselves decay4 8,oro decrees these vicissitudes4 8,in chronicles of old1 you read1 sovereign kings6 that an eagle from the clouds presaged royalty to the fugitive ,taquinoo2 and a king1 ,taquinoo reigned2 ,no end to my dynasty1 thought he4 8,but another omen descended1 foreshadowing the fall of ,zooperbi1 his son2 and ,zooperbi returning from his camp1 found his country a fortress against him4 ,no more kings would she have4 ,and for five hundred twelve-moons the ,regifugium or ,king's-flight1 was annually celebrated like your own jubilee day4 ,and rampant young orators stormed out detestation of kings2 and augurs swore that their birds presaged immortality to freedom4 8,then1 ,romara's free eagles flew over all ,mardi1 and perched on the topmost diadems of the east4 8,ever thus must it be4 8,for1 mostly1 monarchs are as gemmed bridles upon the world1 checking the plungings of a steed from the ,pampas4 ,and republics are as vast reservoirs1 draining down all streams to one level2 and so1 breeding a fullness which can not remain full1 without overflowing4 ,and thus1 ,romara flooded all ,mardi1 till scarce an ,ararat was left of the lofty kingdoms which had been4 8,thus1 also1 did ,franko1 fifty twelve-moons ago4 ,thus may she do again4 ,and though not yet1 have you1 sovereign-kings6 in any large degree done likewise1 it is because you overflow your redundancies within your own mighty borders2 having a wild western waste1 which many shepherds with their flocks could not overrun in a day4 ,yet overrun at last it will be2 and then1 the recoil must come4 8,and1 may it please you1 that thus far your chronicles had narrated a very different story1 had your population been pressed and packed1 like that of your old sire-land ,dominora4 ,then1 your great experiment might have proved an explosion2 like the chemist's who1 stirring his mixture1 was blown by it into the air4 8,for though crossed1 and recrossed by many brave quarterings1 and boasting the great ,bull in your pedigree2 yet1 sovereign-kings6 you are not meditative philosophers like the people of a small republic of old2 nor enduring stoics1 like their neighbors4 ,pent up1 like them1 may it please you1 your thirteen original tribes had proved more turbulent1 than so many mutinous legions4 ,free horses need wide prairies2 and fortunate for you1 sovereign-kings6 that you have room enough1 wherein to be free4 8,and1 may it please you1 you are free1 partly1 because you are young4 ,your nation is like a fine1 florid youth1 full of fiery impulses1 and hard to restrain2 his strong hand nobly championing his heart4 ,on all sides1 freely he gives1 and still seeks to acquire4 ,the breath of his nostrils is like smoke in spring air2 every tendon is electric with generous resolves4 ,the oppressor he defies to his beard2 the high walls of old opinions he scales with a bound4 ,in the future he sees all the domes of the ,east4 8,but years elapse1 and this bold boy is transformed4 ,his eyes open not as of yore2 his heart is shut up as a vice4 ,he yields not a groat2 and seeking no more acquisitions1 is only bent on preserving his hoard4 ,the maxims once trampled under foot1 are now printed on his front2 and he who hated oppressors1 is become an oppressor himself4 8,thus1 often1 with men2 thus1 often1 with nations4 ,then marvel not1 sovereign-kings6 that old states are different from yours2 and think not1 your own must forever remain liberal as now4 8,each age thinks its own is eternal4 ,but though for five hundred twelve-moons1 all ,romara1 by courtesy of history1 was republican2 yet1 at last1 her terrible king-tigers came1 and spotted themselves with gore4 8,and time was1 when ,dominora was republican1 down to her sturdy back- bone4 ,the son of an absolute monarch became the man ,karolus2 and his crown and head1 both rolled in the dust4 ,and ,dominora had her patriots by thousands2 and lusty ,defenses1 and glorious ,areopagiticas were written1 not since surpassed2 and no turban was doffed save in homage of ,oro4 8,yet1 may it please you1 to the sound of pipe and tabor1 the second ,king ,karolus returned in good time2 and was hailed gracious majesty by high and low4 8,throughout all eternity1 the parts of the past are but parts of the future reversed4 ,in the old foot-prints1 up and down1 you mortals go1 eternally traveling your ,sierras4 ,and not more infallible the ponderings of the ,calculating ,machine than the deductions from the decimals of history4 8,in nations1 sovereign-kings6 there is a transmigration of souls2 in you1 is a marvelous destiny4 ,the eagle of ,romara revives in your own mountain bird1 and once more is plumed for her flight4 ,her screams are answered by the vauntful cries of a hawk2 his red comb yet reeking with slaughter4 ,and one ,east1 one ,west1 those bold birds may fly1 till they lock pinions in the midmost beyond4 8,but1 soaring in the sky over the nations that shall gather their broods under their wings1 that bloody hawk may hereafter be taken for the eagle4 8,and though crimson republics may rise in constellations1 like fiery ,aldebarans1 speeding to their culminations2 yet1 down must they sink at last1 and leave the old sultan-sun in the sky2 in time1 again to be deposed4 8,for little longer1 may it please you1 can republics subsist now1 than in days gone by4 ,for1 assuming that ,mardi is wiser than of old2 nevertheless1 though all men approached sages in intelligence1 some would yet be more wise than others2 and so1 the old degrees be preserved4 ,and no exemption would an equality of knowledge furnish1 from the inbred servility of mortal to mortal2 from all the organic causes1 which inevitably divide mankind into brigades and battalions1 with captains at their head4 8,civilization has not ever been the brother of equality4 ,freedom was born among the wild eyries in the mountains2 and barbarous tribes have sheltered under her wings1 when the enlightened people of the plain have nestled under different pinions4 8,though1 thus far1 for you1 sovereign-kings6 your republic has been fruitful of blessings2 yet1 in themselves1 monarchies are not utterly evil4 ,for many nations1 they are better than republics2 for many1 they will ever so remain4 ,and better1 on all hands1 that peace should rule with a scepter1 than than the tribunes of the people should brandish their broadswords4 ,better be the subject of a king1 upright and just2 than a freeman in ,franko1 with the executioner's ax at every corner4 8,it is not the prime end1 and chief blessing1 to be politically free4 ,and freedom is only good as a means2 is no end in itself ,nor1 did man fight it out against his masters to the haft1 not then1 would he uncollar his neck from the yoke4 ,a born thrall to the last1 yelping out his liberty1 he still remains a slave unto ,oro2 and well is it for the universe1 that ,oro's scepter is absolute4 8,world-old the saying1 that it is easier to govern others1 than oneself4 ,and that all men should govern themselves as nations1 needs that all men be better1 and wiser1 than the wisest of one-man rulers4 ,but in no stable democracy do all men govern themselves4 ,though an army be all volunteers1 martial law must prevail4 ,delegate your power1 you leagued mortals must4 ,the hazard you must stand4 ,and though unlike ,king ,bello of ,dominora1 your great chieftain1 sovereign-kings6 may not declare war of himself2 nevertheless1 has he done a still more imperial thing3--gone to war without declaring intentions4 ,you yourselves were precipitated upon a neighboring nation1 ere you knew your spears were in your hands4 8,but1 as in stars you have written it on the welkin1 sovereign-kings6 you are a great and glorious people4 ,and verily1 yours is the best and happiest land under the sun4 ,but not wholly1 because you1 in your wisdom1 decreed it3 your origin and geography necessitated it4 ,nor1 in their germ1 are all your blessings to be ascribed to the noble sires1 who of yore fought in your behalf1 sovereign-kings6 ,your nation enjoyed no little independence before your ,declaration declared it4 ,your ancient pilgrims fathered your liberty2 and your wild woods harbored the nursling4 ,for the state that to-day is made up of slaves1 can not to-morrow transmute her bond into free2 though lawlessness may transform them into brutes4 ,freedom is the name for a thing that is not freedom2 this1 a lesson never learned in an hour or an age4 ,by some tribes it will never be learned4 8,yet1 if it please you1 there may be such a thing as being free under ,caesar4 ,ages ago1 there were as many vital freemen1 as breathe vital air to-day4 8,names make not distinctions2 some despots rule without swaying scepters4 ,though ,king ,bello's palace was not put together by yoked men2 your federal temple of freedom1 sovereign-kings6 was the handiwork of slaves4 8,it is not gildings1 and gold maces1 and crown jewels alone1 that make a people servile4 ,there is much bowing and cringing among you yourselves1 sovereign-kings6 ,poverty is abased before riches1 all ,mardi over2 any where1 it is hard to be a debtor2 any where1 the wise will lord it over fools2 every where1 suffering is found4 8,thus1 freedom is more social than political4 ,and its real felicity is not to be shared4 ,that is of a man's own individual getting and holding4 ,it is not1 who rules the state1 but who rules me4 ,better be secure under one king1 than exposed to violence from twenty millions of monarchs1 though oneself be of the number4 8,but superstitious notions you harbor1 sovereign kings6 ,did you visit ,dominora1 you would not be marched straight into a dungeon4 ,and though you would behold sundry sights displeasing1 you would start to inhale such liberal breezes2 and hear crowds boasting of their privileges2 as you1 of yours4 ,nor has the wine of ,dominora1 a monarchical flavor4 8,now1 though far and wide1 to keep equal pace with the times1 great reforms1 of a verity1 be needed2 nowhere are bloody revolutions required4 ,though it be the most certain of remedies1 no prudent invalid opens his veins1 to let out his disease with his life4 ,and though all evils may be assuaged2 all evils can not be done away4 ,for evil is the chronic malady of the universe2 and checked in one place1 breaks forth in another4 8,of late1 on this head1 some wild dreams have departed4 8,there are many1 who erewhile believed that the age of pikes and javelins was passed2 that after a heady and blustering youth1 old ,mardi was at last settling down into a serene old age2 and that the ,indian summer1 first discovered in your land1 sovereign kings6 was the hazy vapor emitted from its tranquil pipe4 ,but it has not so proved4 ,mardi's peaces are but truces4 ,long absent1 at last the red comets have returned4 ,and return they must1 though their periods be ages4 ,and should ,mardi endure till mountain melt into mountain1 and all the isles form one table-land2 yet1 would it but expand the old battle-plain4 8,students of history are horror-struck at the massacres of old2 but in the shambles1 men are being murdered to-day4 ,could time be reversed1 and the future change places with the past1 the past would cry out against us1 and our future1 full as loudly1 as we against the ages foregone4 ,all the ,ages are his children1 calling each other names4 8,hark ye1 sovereign-kings6 cheer not on the yelping pack too furiously3 ,hunters have been torn by their hounds4 ,be advised2 wash your hands4 ,hold aloof4 ,oro has poured out an ocean for an everlasting barrier between you and the worst folly which other republics have perpetrated4 ,that barrier hold sacred4 ,and swear never to cross over to ,porpheero1 by manifesto or army1 unless you traverse dry land4 8,and be not too grasping1 nearer home4 ,it is not freedom to filch4 ,expand not your area too widely1 now4 ,seek you proselytes8 ,neighboring nations may be free1 without coming under your banner4 ,and if you can not lay your ambition1 know this3 that it is best served1 by waiting events4 8,time1 but ,time only1 may enable you to cross the equator2 and give you the ,arctic ,circles for your boundaries40 ,so read the anonymous scroll2 which straightway1 was torn into shreds4 8,old tory1 and monarchist60 they shouted1 8,preaching over his benighted sermons in these enlightened times6 ,fool6 does he not know that all the ,past and its graves are being dug over80 ,they were furious2 so wildly rolling their eyes after victims1 that well was it for ,king ,media1 he wore not his crown2 and in silence1 we moved unnoted from out the crowd4 8,my lord1 ,i am amazed at the indiscretion of a demigod10 said ,babbalanja1 as we passed on our way2 8,i recognized your sultanic style the very first sentence4 ,this1 then1 is the result of your hours of seclusion40 8,philosopher6 ,i am astounded at your effrontery4 ,i detected your philosophy the very first maxim4 ,who posted that parchment for you80 ,so1 each charged the other with its authorship3 and there was no finding out1 whether1 indeed1 either knew aught of its origin4 ,now1 could it have been ,babbalanja8 ,hardly4 ,for1 philosophic as the document was1 it seemed too dogmatic and conservative for him4 ,king ,media8 ,but though imperially absolute in his political sentiments1 ,media delivered not himself so boldly1 when actually beholding the eruption in ,franko4 ,indeed1 the settlement of this question must be left to the commentators on ,mardi1 some four or five hundred centuries hence4 ,,chapter ,,lviii4 ,they ,visit ,the ,extreme ,south ,of ,vivenza ,we penetrated further and further into the valleys around2 but1 though1 as elsewhere1 at times we heard whisperings that promised an end to our wanderings2--we still wandered on2 and once again1 even ,yoomy abated his sanguine hopes4 ,and now1 we prepared to embark for the extreme south of the land4 ,but we were warned by the people1 that in that portion of ,vivenza1 whither we were going1 much would be seen repulsive to strangers4 ,such things1 however1 indulgent visitors overlooked4 ,for themselves1 they were well aware of those evils4 ,northern ,vivenza had done all it could to assuage them2 but in vain2 the inhabitants of those southern valleys were a fiery1 and intractable race2 heeding neither expostulations1 nor entreaties4 ,they were wedded to their ways4 ,nay1 they swore1 that if the northern tribes persisted in intermeddlings1 they would dissolve the common alliance1 and establish a distinct confederacy among themselves4 ,our coasting voyage at an end1 our keels grated the beach among many prostrate palms1 decaying1 and washed by the billows4 ,though part and parcel of the shore we had left1 this region seemed another land4 ,fewer thriving thingswere seen2 fewer cheerful sounds were heard4 8,here labor has lost his laugh60 cried ,yoomy4 ,it was a great plain where we landed2 and there1 under a burning sun1 hundreds of collared men were toiling in trenches1 filled with the taro plant2 a root most flourishing in that soil4 ,standing grimly over these1 were men unlike them2 armed with long thongs1 which descended upon the toilers1 and made wounds4 ,blood and sweat mixed2 and in great drops1 fell4 8,who eat these plants thus nourished80 cried ,yoomy4 8,are these men80 asked ,babbalanja4 8,which mean you80 said ,mohi4 ,heeding him not1 ,babbalanja advanced toward the fore-most of those with the thongs1--one ,nulli3 a cadaverous1 ghost-like man2 with a low ridge of forehead2 hair1 steel-gray2 and wondrous eyes2--bright1 nimble1 as the twin ,corposant balls1 playing about the ends of ships' royal-yards in gales4 ,the sun passed under a cloud2 and ,nulli1 darting at ,babbalanja those wondrous eyes1 there fell upon him a baleful glare4 8,have they souls80 he asked1 pointing to the serfs4 8,no10 said ,nulli1 8their ancestors may have had2 but their souls have been bred out of their descendants2 as the instinct of scent is killed in pointers40 ,approaching one of the serfs1 ,media took him by the hand1 and felt of it long2 and looked into his eyes2 and placed his ear to his side2 and exclaimed1 8,surely this being has flesh that is warm2 he has ,oro in his eye2 and a heart in him that beats4 ,i swear he is a man40 8,is this our lord the king80 cried ,mohi1 starting4 8,what art thou10 said ,babbalanja to the serf4 8,dost ever feel in thee a sense of right and wrong8 ,art ever glad or sad8--,they tell us thou art not a man3--speak1 then1 for thyself2 say1 whether thou beliest thy ,maker40 8,speak not of my ,maker to me4 ,under the lash1 ,i believe my masters1 and account myself a brute2 but in my dreams1 bethink myself an angel4 ,but ,i am bond2 and my little ones2--their mother's milk is gall40 8,just ,oro60 cried ,yoomy1 8do no thunders roll1--no lightnings flash in this accursed land60 8,asylum for all ,mardi's thralls60 cried ,media4 8,incendiaries60 cried he with the wondrous eyes1 8come ye1 firebrands1 to light the flame of revolt8 ,know ye not1 that here are many serfs1 who1 incited to obtain their liberty1 might wreak some dreadful vengeance8 ,avaunt1 thou king6 thou horrified at this8 ,go back to ,odo1 and right her wrongs6 ,these serfs are happier than thine2 though thine1 no collars wear2 more happy as they are1 than if free4 ,are they not fed1 clothed1 and cared for8 ,thy serfs pine for food3 never yet did these2 who have no thoughts1 no cares40 8,thoughts and cares are life1 and liberty1 and immortality60 cried ,babbalanja2 8and are their souls1 then1 blown out as candles80 8,ranter6 they are content10 cried ,nulli4 8,they shed no tears40 8,frost never weeps10 said ,babbalanja2 8and tears are frozen in those frigid eyes40 8,oh fettered sons of fettered mothers1 conceived and born in manacles10 cried ,yoomy2 8dragging them through life2 and falling with them1 clanking in the grave3--oh1 beings as ourselves1 how my stiff arm shivers to avenge you6 ',twere absolution for the matricide1 to strike one rivet from your chains4 ,my heart outswells its home60 8,oro6 ,art thou80 cried ,babbalanja2 8and doth this thing exist8 ,it shakes my little faith40 ,then1 turning upon ,nulli1 8,how can ye abide to sway this curs'd dominion80 8,peace1 fanatic6 ,who else may till unwholesome fields1 but these8 ,and as these beings are1 so shall they remain2 'tis right and righteous6 ,maramma champions it6--,i swear it6 ,the first blow struck for them1 dissolves the union of ,vivenza's vales4 ,the northern tribes well know it2 and know me40 ,said ,media1 8,yet if--0 8,no more6 another word1 and1 king as thou art1 thou shalt be dungeoned3--here1 there is such a law2 thou art not among the northern tribes40 8,and this is freedom60 murmured ,media2 8when heaven's own voice is throttled4 ,and were these serfs to rise1 and fight for it2 like dogs1 they would be hunted down by her pretended sons60 8,pray1 heaven60 cried ,yoomy1 8they may yet find a way to loose their bonds without one drop of blood4 ,but hear me1 ,oro6 were there no other way1 and should their masters not relent1 all honest hearts must cheer this tribe of ,hamo on2 though they cut their chains with blades thrice edged1 and gory to the haft6 ',tis right to fight for freedom1 whoever be the thrall40 8,these ,south savannahs may yet prove battle-fields10 said ,mohi2 gloomily1 as we retraced our steps4 8,be it10 said ,yoomy4 8,oro will van the right40 8,not always has it proved so10 said ,babbalanja4 8,oft-times1 the right fights single-handed against the world2 and ,oro champions none4 ,in all things1 man's own battles1 man himself must fight4 ,yoomy3 so far as feeling goes1 your sympathies are not more hot than mine2 but for these serfs you would cross spears2 yet1 ,i would not4 ,better present woes for some1 than future woes for all40 8,no need to fight10 cried ,yoomy1 8to liberate that tribe of ,hamo instantly2 a way may be found1 and no irretrievable evil ensue40 8,point it out1 and be blessed1 ,yoomy40 8,that is for ,vivenza2 but the head is dull1 where the heart is cold40 8,my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8you have startled us by your kingly sympathy for suffering2 say thou1 then1 in what wise manner it shall be relieved40 8,that is for ,vivenza10 said ,media4 8,mohi1 you are old3 speak thou40 8,let ,vivenza speak10 said ,mohi4 8,thus then we all agree2 and weeping all but echo hard-hearted ,nulli4 ,tears are not swords and wrongs seem almost natural as rights4 ,for the righteous to suppress an evil1 is sometimes harder than for others to uphold it4 ,humanity cries out against this vast enormity3-- not one man knows a prudent remedy4 ,blame not1 then1 the ,north2 and wisely judge the ,south4 ,ere1 as a nation1 they became responsible1 this thing was planted in their midst4 ,such roots strike deep4 ,place to-day those serfs in ,dominora2 and with them1 all ,vivenza's ,past2-- and serfs1 for many years1 in ,dominora1 they would be4 ,easy is it to stand afar and rail4 ,all men are censors who have lungs4 ,we can say1 the stars are wrongly marshaled4 ,blind men say the sun is blind4 ,a thousand muscles wag our tongues2 though our tongues were housed1 that they might have a home4 ,whose is free from crime1 let him cross himself--but hold his cross upon his lips4 ,that he is not bad1 is not of him4 ,potters' clay and wax are all1 molded by hands invisible4 ,the soil decides the man4 ,and1 ere birth1 man wills not to be born here or there4 ,these southern tribes have grown up with this thing2 bond-women were their nurses1 and bondmen serve them still4 ,nor are all their serfs such wretches as those we saw4 ,some seem happy3 yet not as men4 ,unmanned1 they know not what they are4 ,and though1 of all the south1 ,nulli must stand almost alone in his insensate creed2 yet1 to all wrong-doers1 custom backs the sense of wrong4 ,and if to every ,mardian1 conscience be the awarder of its own doom2 then1 of these tribes1 many shall be found exempted from the least penalty of this sin4 ,but sin it is1 no less2--a blot1 foul as the crater-pool of hell2 it puts out the sun at noon2 it parches all fertility2 and1 conscience or no conscience--ere he die--let every master who wrenches bond-babe from mother1 that the nipple tear2 unwreathes the arms of sisters2 or cuts the holy unity in twain2 till apart fall man and wife1 like one bleeding body cleft3--let that master thrice shrive his soul2 take every sacrament2 on his bended knees give up the ghost2--yet shall he die despairing2 and live again1 to die forever damned4 ,the future is all hieroglyphics4 ,who may read8 ,but1 methinks the great laggard ,time must now march up apace1 and somehow befriend these thralls4 ,it can not be1 that misery is perpetually entailed2 though1 in a land proscribing primogeniture1 the first-born and last of ,hamo's tribe must still succeed to all their sires' wrongs4 ,yes4 ,time--all-healing ,time--,time1 great ,philanthropist6--,time must befriend these thralls60 8,oro grant it60 cried ,yoomy 8and let ,mardi say1 amen60 8,amen6 amen6 amen60 cried echoes echoing echoes4 ,we traversed many of these southern vales2 but as in ,dominora1--so1 throughout ,vivenza1 ,north and ,south1--,yillah harbored not4 ,,chapter ,,lix4 ,they ,converse ,of ,the ,mollusca1 ,kings1 ,toad-,stools ,and ,other ,matters ,once more embarking1 we gained ,vivenza's southwestern side and there1 beheld vast swarms of laborers discharging from canoes1 great loads of earth2 which they tossed upon the beach4 8,it is true1 then10 said ,media 8that these freemen are engaged in digging down other lands1 and adding them to their own1 piece-meal4 ,and this1 they call extending their dominions agriculturally1 and peaceably40 8,my lord1 they pay a price for every canoe-load10 said ,mohi4 8,ay1 old man1 holding the spear in one hand1 and striking the bargain with the other40 8,yet charge it not upon all ,vivenza10 said ,babbalanja4 8,some of her tribes are hostile to these things3 and when their countryman fight for land1 are only warlike in opposing war40 8,and therein1 ,babbalanja1 is involved one of those anomalies in the condition of ,vivenza10 said ,media1 8which ,i can hardly comprehend4 ,how comes it1 that with so ,many things to divide them1 the valley-tribes still keep their mystic league intact80 8,all plain1 it is because the model1 whence they derive their union1 is one of nature's planning4 ,my lord1 have you ever observed the mysterious federation subsisting among the molluscs of the ,tunicata order1--in other words1 a species of cuttle-fish1 abounding at the bottom of the lagoon80 8,yes3 in clear weather about the reefs1 ,i have beheld them time and again3 but never with an eye to their political condition40 8,ah6 my lord king1 we should not cut off the nervous communication between our eyes1 and our cerebellums40 8,what were you about to say concerning the ,tunicata order of mollusca1 sir philosopher80 8,my very honorable lord1 ,i hurry to conclude4 ,they live in a compound structure2 but though connected by membranous canals1 freely communicating throughout the league--each member has a heart and stomach of its own2 provides and digests its own dinners2 and grins and bears its own gripes1 without imparting the same to its neighbors4 ,but if a prowling shark touches one member1 it ruffles all4 ,precisely thus now with ,vivenza4 ,in that confederacy1 there are as many consciences as tribes2 hence1 if one member on its own behalf1 assumes aught afterwards repudiated1 the sin rests on itself alone2 is not participated40 8,a very subtle explanation1 ,babbalanja4 ,you must allude1 then1 to those recreant tribes2 which1 while in their own eyes presenting a sublime moral spectacle to ,mardi1--in ,king ,bello's1 do but present a hopeless example of bad debts4 ,and these1 the tribes that boast of boundless wealth40 8,most true1 my lord4 ,but ,bello errs1 when for this thing1 he stigmatizes all ,vivenza1 as a unity40 8,babbalanja1 you yourself are made up of members3--then1 if you be sick of a lumbago1--'tis not you that are unwell2 but your spine40 8,as you will1 my lord4 ,i have said4 ,but to speak no more on that head --what sort of a sensation1 think you1 life is to such creatures as those mollusca80 8,answer your own question1 ,babbalanja40 8,i will2 but first tell me what sort of a sensation life is to you1 yourself1 my lord40 8,pray answer that along with the other1 ,azzageddi40 8,directly2 but tell me1 if you will1 my lord1 what sort of a sensation life is to a toad-stool40 8,pray1 ,babbalanja put all three questions together2 and then1 do what you have often done before1 pronounce yourself a lunatic40 8,my lord1 ,i beseech you1 remind me not of that fact so often4 ,it is true1 but annoying4 ,nor will any wise man call another a fool40 8,do you take me for a mere man1 then1 ,babbalanja1 that you talk to me thus80 8,my demi-divine lord and master1 ,i was deeply concerned at your indisposition last night3--may a loving subject inquire1 whether his prince is completely recovered from the effect of those guavas80 8,have a care1 ,azzageddi2 you are far too courteous1 to be civil4 ,but proceed40 8,i obey4 ,in kings1 mollusca1 and toad-stools1 life is one thing and the same4 ,the ,philosopher ,dumdi pronounces it a certain febral vibration of organic parts1 operating upon the vis inertia of unorganized matter4 ,but ,bardianna says nay4 ,hear him4 #8,who put together this marvelous mechanism of mine2 and wound it up1 to go for three score years and ten2 when it runs out1 and strikes ,time's hours no more8 ,and what is it1 that daily and hourly renews1 and by a miracle1 creates in me my flesh and my blood8 ,what keeps up the perpetual telegraphic communication between my outpost toes and digits1 and that domed grandee up aloft1 my brain8--,it is not ,i2 nor you2 nor he2 nor it4 ,no2 when ,i place my hand to that king muscle my heart1 ,i am appalled4 ,i feel the great ,god himself at work in me4 ,oro is life4'0 8,and what is death80 demanded ,media4 8,death1 my lord6--it is the deadest of all things40 ,,chapter ,,lx4 ,wherein1 ,that ,gallant ,gentleman ,and ,demi-,god1 ,king ,media1 ,scepter ,in ,hand1 ,throws ,himself ,into ,the ,breach ,sailing south from ,vivenza1 not far from its coast1 we passed a cluster of islets1 green as new fledged grass2 and like the mouths of floating cornucopias1 their margins brimmed over upon the brine with flowers4 ,on some1 grew stately roses2 on others stood twin-pillars2 across others1 tri-hued rainbows rested4 ,cried ,babbalanja1 pointing to the last1 8,franko's pledge of peace6 with that1 she loudly vaunts she'll span the reef6--,strike out all hues but red1--and the token's nearer truth40 ,all these isles were prolific gardens2 where ,king ,bello1 and the ,princes of ,porpheero grew their most delicious fruits1--nectarines and grapes4 ,but1 though hard by1 ,vivenza owned no garden here2 yet longed and lusted2 and her hottest tribes oft roundly swore1 to root up all roses the half-reef over2 pull down all pillars2 and dissolve all rainbows4 8,mardi's half is ours20 said they4 ,stand back invaders6 ,full of vanity2 and mirroring themselves in the future2 they deemed all reflected there1 their own4 ',twas now high noon4 8,methinks the sun grows hot10 said ,media1 retreating deeper under the canopy4 8,ho6 ,vee-,vee2 have you no cooling beverage8 none of that golden wine distilled from torrid grapes1 and then sent northward to be cellared in an iceberg8 ,that wine was placed among our stores4 ,search1 search the crypt1 little ,vee-,vee6 ,ha1 ,i see it6--that yellow gourd6--,come3 drag it forth1 my boy4 ,let's have the amber cups3 so3 pass them round2--fill all6 ,taji6 my demi-god1 up heart6 ,old ,mohi1 my babe1 may you live ten thousand centuries6 ,ah6 this way you mortals have of dying out at three score years and ten1 is but a craven habit4 ,so1 ,babbalanja6 may you never die4 ,yoomy6 my sweet poet1 may you live to sing to me in ,paradise4 ,ha1 ha6 would that we floated in this glorious stuff1 instead of this pestilent brine4--,hark ye6 were ,i to make a ,mardi now1 ,i'd have every continent a huge haunch of venison2 every ocean a wine-vat6 ,i'd stock every cavern with choice old spirits1 and make three surplus suns to ripen the grapes all the year round4 ,let's drink to that6--,brimmers6 ,so3 may the next ,mardi that's made1 be one entire grape2 and mine the squeezing60 8,look1 look6 my lord10 cried ,yoomy1 8what a glorious shore we pass40 ,sallying out into the high golden noon1 with golden-beaming goblets suspended1 we gazed4 8,this must be ,kolumbo of the south10 said ,mohi4 ,it was a long1 hazy reach of land2 piled up in terraces1 traced here and there with rushing streams1 that worked up gold dust alluvian1 and seemed to flash over pebbled diamonds4 ,heliotropes1 sun-flowers1 marigolds gemmed1 or starred the violet meads1 and vassal-like1 still sunward bowed their heads4 ,the rocks were pierced with grottoes1 blazing with crystals1 many-tinted4 ,it was a land of mints and mines2 its east a ruby2 west a topaz4 ,inland1 the woodlands stretched an ocean1 bottomless with foliage2 its green surges bursting through cable-vines2 like ,xerxes' brittle chains which vainly sought to bind the ,hellespont4 ,hence flowed a tide of forest sounds2 of parrots1 paroquets1 macaws2 blent with the howl of jaguars1 hissing of anacondas1 chattering of apes1 and herons screaming4 ,out from those depths up rose a stream4 ,the land lay basking in the world's round torrid brisket1 hot with solar fire4 8,no need here to land10 cried ,yoomy1 8,yillah lurks not here40 8,heat breeds life1 and sloth1 and rage10 said ,babbalanja4 8,here live bastard tribes and mongrel nations2 wrangling and murdering to prove their freedom4--,refill1 my lord40 8,methinks1 ,babbalanja1 you savor of the mysterious parchment1 in ,vivenza read3--,ha8 ,yes1 philosopher1 these are the men1 who toppled castles to make way for hovels2 these1 they who fought for freedom1 but find it despotism to rule themselves4 ,these1 ,babbalanja1 are of the race1 to whom a tyrant would prove a blessing40 ,so saying he drained his cup4 8,my lord1 that last sentiment decides the authorship of the scroll4 ,but1 with deference1 tyrants seldom can prove blessings2 inasmuch as evil seldom eventuates in good4 ,yet will these people soon have a tyrant over them1 if long they cleave to war4 ,of many javelins1 one must prove a scepter2 of many helmets1 one a crown4 ,it is but in the wearing4--,refill1 my lord40 8,fools1 fools60 cried ,media1 8these tribes hate us kings2 yet know not1 that ,peace is ,war against all kings4 ,we seldom are undone by spears1 which are our ministers4--,this wine is strong40 8,ha1 now's the time6 ,in his cups learn king-craft from a king4 ,ay1 ay1 my lord1 your royal order will endure1 so long as men will fight4 ,break the spears1 and free the nations4 ,kings reap the harvests that wave on battle-fields4 ,and oft you kings do snatch the aloe-flower1 whose slow blossoming mankind watches for a hundred years4--,say on1 my lord40 8,all this ,i know2 and1 therefore1 rest content4 ,my children's children will be kings2 though1 haply1 called by other titles4 ,mardi grows fastidious in names3 we royalties will humor it4 ,the steers would burst their yokes1 but have not hands4 ,the whole herd rears and plunges1 but soon will bow again3 the old1 old way60 8,yet1 in ,porpheero1 strong scepters have been wrested from anointed hands4 ,mankind seems in arms40 8,let them arm on4 ,they hate us3--good2--they always have2 yet still we've reigned1 son after sire4 ,sometimes they slay us1 ,babbalanja2 pour out our marrow1 as ,i this wine2 but they spill no kinless blood4 ',twas justly held of old1 that but to touch a monarch1 was to strike at ,oro4--,truth4 ,the palest vengeance is a royal ghost2 and regicides but father slaves4 ,thrones1 not scepters1 have been broken4 ,mohi1 what of the past8 ,has it not ever proved so80 8,pardon1 my lord2 the times seem changed4 ',tis held1 that demi-gods no more rule by right divine4 ,in ,vivenza's land1 they swear the last kings now reign in ,mardi40 8,is the last day at hand1 old man8 ,mohi1 your beard is gray2 but1 ,yoomy1 listen4 ,when you die1 look around2 mark then if any mighty change be seen4 ,old kingdoms may be on the wane2 but new dynasties advance4 ,though revolutions rise to high spring-tide1 monarchs will still drown hard2--monarchs survived the flood60 8,are all our dreams1 then1 vain80 sighed ,yoomy4 8,is this no dawn of day that streaks the crimson ,east6 ,naught but the false and flickering lights which sometimes mock ,aurora in the north6 ,ah1 man1 my brother6 have all martyrs for thee bled in vain2 in vain we poets sang1 and prophets spoken8 ,nay1 nay2 great ,mardi1 helmed and mailed1 strikes at ,oppression's shield1 and challenges to battle6 ,oro will defend the right1 and royal crests must roll40 8,thus1 ,yoomy1 ages since1 you mortal poets sang2 but the world may not be moved from out the orbit in which first it rolled4 ,on the map that charts the spheres1 ,mardi is marked #8the world of kings4' ,round centuries on centuries have wheeled by3--has all this been its nonage8 ,now1 when the rocks grow gray1 does man first sprout his beard8 ,or1 is your golden time1 your equinoctial year1 at hand1 that your race fast presses toward perfection2 and every hand grasps at a scepter1 that kings may be no more80 8,but free ,vivenza6 ,is she not the star1 that must1 ere long1 lead up the constellations1 though now unrisen8 ,no kings are in ,vivenza2 yet1 spite her thralls1 in that land seems more of good than elsewhere4 ,our hopes are not wild dreams3 ,vivenza cheers our hearts4 ,she is a rainbow to the isles60 8,ay1 truth it is1 that in ,vivenza they have prospered4 ,but thence it comes not1 that all men may be as they4 ,are all men of one heart and brain2 one bone and sinew8 ,are all nations sprung of ,dominora's loins8 ,or1 has ,vivenza yet proved her creed8 ,yoomy6 the years that prove a man1 prove not a nation4 ,but two kings'-reigns have passed since ,vivenza was a monarch's4 ,her climacteric is not come2 hers is not yet a nation's manhood even2 though now in childhood1 she anticipates her youth1 and lusts for empire like any czar4 ,yoomy6 judge not yet4 ,time hath tales to tell4 ,many books1 and many long1 long chapters1 are wanting to ,vivenza's history2 and whet history but is full of blood80 8,there stop1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8nor aught predict4 ,fate laughs at prophets2 and of all birds1 the raven is a liar60 ,,chapter ,,lxi4 ,they ,round ,the ,stormy ,cape ,of ,capes ,long leagues1 for weary days1 we voyaged along that coast1 till we came to regions where we multiplied our mantles4 ,the sky grew overcast4 ,each a night1 black storm-clouds swept the wintry sea2 and like ,sahara caravans1 which leave their sandy wakes-- so1 thick and fleet1 slanted the scud behind4 ,through all this rack and mist1 ten thousand foam-flaked dromedary-humps uprose4 ,deep among those panting1 moaning fugitives1 the three canoes raced on4 ,and now1 the air grew nipping cold4 ,the clouds shed off their fleeces2 a snow-hillock1 each canoe2 our beards1 white-frosted4 ,and so1 as seated in our shrouds1 we sailed in among great mountain passes of ice-isles2 from icy ledges scaring shivering seals1 and white bears1 musical with icicles1 jingling from their shaggy ermine4 ,far and near1 in towering ridges1 stretched the glassy ,andes2 with their own frost1 shuddering through all their domes and pinnacles4 ,ice-splinters rattled down the cliffs1 and seethed into the sea4 ,broad away1 in amphitheaters undermined by currents1 whole cities of ice-towers1 in crashes1 toward one center1 fell4--,in their earthquakes1 ,lisbon and ,lima never saw the like4 ,churned and broken in the boiling tide1 they swept off amain2--over and over rolling2 like porpoises to vessels tranced in calms1 bringing down the gale4 ,at last1 rounding an antlered headland1 that seemed a moose at bay--ere long1 we launched upon blue lake-like waters1 serene as ,windermere1 or ,horicon4 ,thus1 from the boisterous storms of youth1 we glide upon senility4 ,but as we northward voyaged1 another aspect wore the sea4 ,in far-off1 endless vistas1 colonnades of water-spouts were seen3 all heaven's dome upholding on their shafts3 and bright forms gliding up and down within4 ,so at ,luz1 in his strange vision1 ,jacob saw the angels4 ,a boundless cave of stalactites1 it seemed2 the cloud-born vapors downward spiraling1 till they met the whirlpool-column from the sea2 then1 uniting1 over the waters stalked1 like ghosts of gods4 ,or midway sundered--down1 sullen1 sunk the watery half2 and far up into heaven1 was drawn the vapory4 ,as1 at death1 we mortals part in twain2 our earthy half still here abiding2 but our spirits flying whence they came4 ,in good time1 we gained the thither side of great ,kolumbo of the ,south2 and sailing on1 long waited for the day2 and wondered at the darkness4 8,what steadfast clouds60 cried ,yoomy1 8yonder6 far aloft3 that ridge1 with many points2 it fades below1 but shows a faint white crest40 8,not clouds1 but mountains10 said ,babbalanja1 8the vast spine1 that traverses ,kolumbo2 spurring off in ribs1 that nestle loamy valleys1 veined with silver streams1 and silver ores40 ,it was a long1 embattled line of pinnacles4 ,and high posted in the ,east1 those thousand bucklered peaks stood forth1 and breasted back the ,dawn4 ,before their purple bastions bold1 ,aurora long arrayed her spears1 and clashed her golden shells4 ,the summons dies away4 ,but now1 her lancers charge the steep1 and gain its crest a-glow2--their glittering spears and blazoned shields triumphant in the morn4 ,but ere that sight1 we glided on for hours in twilight2 when1 on those mountains' farther side1 the hunters must have been abroad1 morning- glories all astir4 ,,chapter ,,lxii4 ,they ,encounter ,gold-,hunters ,now1 northward coasting along ,kolumbo's ,western shore1 whence came the same wild forest-sounds1 as from the ,eastern2 and where we landed not1 to seek among those wrangling tribes2--after many1 many days1 we spied prow after prow1 before the wind all northward bound3 sails wide-spread1 and paddles plying3 scaring the fish from before them4 ,their inmates answered not our earnest hail4 ,but as they sped1 with frantic glee1 in one long chorus thus they sang3-- ,we rovers bold1 ,to the land of ,gold1 ,over bowling billows are gliding3 ,eager to toil1 ,for the golden spoil1 ,and every hardship biding4 ,see6 ,see6 ,before our prows' resistless dashes1 ,the gold-fish fly in golden flashes6 ',neath a sun of gold1 ,we rovers bold1 ,on the golden land are gaining2 ,and every night1 ,we steer aright1 ,by golden stars unwaning6 ,all fires burn a golden glare3 ,no locks so bright as golden hair6 ,all orange groves have golden gushings3 ,all mornings dawn with golden flushings6 ,in a shower of gold1 say fables old1 ,a maiden was won by the god of gold6 ,in golden goblets wine is beaming3 ,on golden couches kings are dreaming6 ,the ,golden ,rule dries many tears6 ,the ,golden ,number rules the spheres6 ,gold1 gold it is1 that sways the nations3 ,gold6 gold6 the center of all rotations6 ,on golden axles worlds are turning3 ,with phosphorescence seas are burning6 ,all fire-flies flame with golden gleamings3 ,gold-hunters' hearts with golden dreamings6 ,with golden arrows kings are slain3 ,with gold we'll buy a freeman's name6 ,in toilsome trades1 for scanty earnings1 ,at home we've slaved1 with stifled yearnings3 ,no light6 no hope6 ,oh1 heavy woe6 ,when nights fled fast1 and days dragged slow4 ,but joyful now1 with eager eye1 ,fast to the ,promised ,land we fly3 ,where in deep mines1 ,the treasure shines2 ,or down in beds of golden streams1 ,the gold-flakes glance in golden gleams6 ,how we long to sift1 ,that yellow drift6 ,rivers6 ,rivers6 cease your going6 ,sand-bars6 rise1 and stay the tide6 ',till we've gained the golden flowing2 ,and in the golden haven ride6 8,quick1 quick1 my lord10 cried ,yoomy1 8let us follow them2 and from the golden waters where she lies1 our ,yillah may emerge40 8,no1 no10 said ,babbalanja1--8no ,yillah there6--from yonder promised-land1 fewer seekers will return1 than go4 ,under a gilded guise1 happiness is still their instinctive aim4 ,but vain1 ,yoomy1 to snatch at ,happiness4 ,of that we may not pluck and eat4 ,it is the fruit of our own toilsome planting2 slow it grows1 nourished by many teats1 and all our earnest tendings4 ,yet ere it ripen1 frosts may nip2--and then1 we plant again2 and yet again4 ,deep1 ,yoomy1 deep1 true treasure lies2 deeper than all ,mardi's gold1 rooted to ,mardi's axis4 ,but unlike gold1 it lurks in every soil1--all ,mardi over4 ,with golden pills and potions is sickness warded off8--the shrunken veins of age1 dilated with new wine of youth8 ,will gold the heart-ache cure8 turn toward us hearts estranged8 will gold1 on solid centers empires fix8 ',tis toil world-wasted to toil in mines4 ,were all the isles gold globes1 set in a quicksilver sea1 all ,mardi were then a desert4 ,gold is the only poverty2 of all glittering ills the direst4 ,and that man might not impoverish himself thereby1 ,oro hath hidden it1 with all other banes1--saltpeter and explosives1 deep in mountain bowels1 and river-beds4 ,but man still will mine for it2 and mining1 dig his doom4-- ,yoomy1 ,yoomy6--she we seek1 lurks not in the ,golden ,hills60 8,lo1 a vision60 cried ,yoomy1 his hands wildly passed across his eyes4 8,a vast and silent bay1 belted by silent villages3--gaunt dogs howling over grassy thresholds at stark corpses of old age and infancy2 gray hairs mingling with sweet flaxen curls2 fields1 with turned furrows1 choked with briers2 arbor-floors strown over with hatchet-helves1 rotting in the iron2 a thousand paths1 marked with foot-prints1 all inland leading1 none villageward2 and strown with traces1 as of a flying host4 ,on3 over forest--hill1 and dale--and lo6 the golden region6 ,after the glittering spoil1 by strange river-margins1 and beneath impending cliffs1 thousands delve in quicksands2 and1 sudden1 sink in graves of their own making3 with gold dust mingling their own ashes4 ,still deeper1 in more solid ground1 other thousands slave2 and pile their earth so high1 they gasp for air1 and die2 their comrades mounting on them1 and delving still1 and dying--grave pile on grave6 ,here1 one haggard hunter murders another in his pit2 and murdering1 himself is murdered by a third4 ,shrieks and groans6 cries and curses6 ,it seems a golden ,hell6 ,with many camels1 a sleek stranger comes-- pauses before the shining heaps1 and shows his treasures3 yams and bread-fruit4 #8,give1 give1' the famished hunters cry--1 #8a thousand shekels for a yam6--a prince's ransom for a meal6--,oh1 stranger6 on our knees we worship thee3--take1 take our gold2 but let us live6' ,yams are thrown them and they fight4 ,then he who toiled not1 dug not1 slaved not1 straight loads his caravans with gold2 regains the beach1 and swift embarks for home4 #8,home6 home6' the hunters cry1 with bursting eyes4 #8,with this bright gold1 could we but join our waiting wives1 who wring their hands on distant shores1 all then were well4 ,but we can not fly2 our prows lie rotting on the beach4 ,ah6 home6 thou only happiness6--better thy silver earnings than all these golden findings4 ,oh1 bitter end to all our hopes--we die in golden graves40 ,,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,they ,seek ,through ,the ,isles ,of ,palms2 ,and ,pass ,the ,isles ,of ,myrrh ,now1 our prows we turned due west1 across the blue lagoon4 ,soon1 no land appeared4 ,far as the eye could sweep1 one azure plain2 all over flaked with foamy fleeces3--a boundless flock upon a boundless mead6 ,again1 all changed4 ,like stars in multitude1 bright islets multiplied around4 ,emerald-green1 they dotted shapes fantastic3 circles1 arcs1 and crescents2--atolls all1 or coral carcanets1 begemmed and flashing in the sun4 ,by these we glided1 group after group2 and through the foliage1 spied sweet forms of maidens1 like ,eves in ,edens ere the ,fall1 or ,proserpines in ,ennas4 ,artless airs came from the shore2 and from the censer-swinging roses1 a bloom1 as if from ,hebe's cheek4 8,here1 at last1 we find sweet ,yillah60 murmured ,yoomy4 8,here must she lurk in innocence6 ,quick6 ,let us land and search40 8,if here10 said ,babbalanja1 8,yillah will not stay our coming1 but fly before us through the groves4 ,wherever a canoe is beached1 see you not the palm-trees pine8 ,not so1 where never keel yet smote the strand4 ,in mercy1 let us fly from hence4 ,i know not why1 but our breath here1 must prove a blight40 ,these regions passed1 we came to savage islands1 where the glittering coral seemed bones imbedded1 bleaching in the sun4 ,savage men stood naked on the strand1 and brandished uncouth clubs1 and gnashed their teeth like boars4 ,the full red moon was rising2 and1 in long review there passed before it1 phantom shapes of victims1 led bound to altars through the groves4 ,death-rattles filled the air4 ,but a cloud descended1 and all was gloom4 ,again blank water spread before us2 and after many days1 there came a gentle breeze1 fraught with all spicy breathings2 cinnamon aromas2 and in the rose-flushed evening air1 like glow worms1 glowed the islets1 where this incense burned4 8,sweet isles of myrh6 oh crimson groves10 cried ,yoomy4 8,woe1 woe's your fate6 your brightness and your bloom1 like musky fire-flies1 double-lure to death6 ,on ye1 the nations prey like bears that gorge themselves with honey40 ,swan-like1 our prows sailed in among these isles2 and oft we landed2 but in vain2 and leaving them1 we still pursued the setting sun4 ,,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,concentric1 ,inward1 ,with ,mardi's ,reef1 ,they ,leave ,their ,wake ,around ,the ,world ,west1 ,west6 ,west1 ,west6 ,whitherward point ,hope and prophet-fingers2 whitherward1 at sun-set1 kneel all worshipers of fire2 whitherward in mid-ocean1 the great whales turn to die2 whitherward face all the ,moslem dead in ,persia2 whitherward lie ,heaven and ,hell6--,west1 ,west6 ,whitherward mankind and empires--flocks1 caravans1 armies1 navies2 worlds1 suns1 and stars all wend6--,west1 ,west6--,oh boundless boundary6 ,eternal goal6 ,whitherward rush1 in thousand worlds1 ten thousand thousand keels6 ,beacon1 by which the universe is steered6--,like the north-star1 attracting all needles6 ,unattainable forever2 but forever leading to great things this side thyself6--,hive of all sunsets6-- ,gabriel's pinions may not overtake thee6 ,over balmy waves1 still westward sailing6 ,from dawn till eve1 the bright1 bright days sped on1 chased by the gloomy nights2 and1 in glory dying1 lent their luster to the starry skies4 ,so1 long the radiant dolphins fly before the sable sharks but seized1 and torn in flames--die1 burning3--their last splendor left1 in sparkling scales that float along the sea4 ,cymbals1 drums and psalteries6 the air beats like a pulse with music6 --,high land6 high land6 and moving lights1 and painted lanterns6--,what grand shore is this8 8,reverence we render thee1 ,old ,orienda60 cried ,media1 with bared brow1 8,original of all empires and emperors6--a crowned king salutes thee60 8,mardi's father-land60 cried ,mohi1 8grandsire of the nations1--hail60 8,all hail60 cried ,yoomy4 8,kings and sages hither coming1 should come like palmers1--scrip and staff6 ,oh ,orienda6 thou wert our ,east1 where first dawned song and science1 with ,mardi's primal mornings6 ,but now1 how changed6 the dawn of light become a darkness1 which we kindle with the gleam of spears6 ,on the world's ancestral hearth1 we spill our brothers' blood60 8,herein10 said ,babbalanja1 8have many distant tribes proved parricidal4 ,in times gone by1 ,luzianna hither sent her prom2 ,franko1 her scores of captains2 and the ,dykemen1 their peddler hosts1 with yard-stick spears6 ,but thou1 oh ,bello6 lord of the empire lineage6 ,noah of the moderns4 ,sire of the long line of nations yet in germ6-- thou1 ,bello1 and thy locust armies1 are the present curse of ,orienda4 ,down ancient streams1 from holy plains1 in rafts thy murdered float6 ,the pestilence that thins thy armies here1 is bred of corpses1 made by thee4 ,maramma's priests1 thy pious heralds1 loud proclaim that of all pagans1 ,orienda's most resist the truth6--ay6 vain all pious voices1 that speak from clouds of war6 ,the march of conquest through wild provinces1 may be the march of ,mind2 but not the march of ,love40 8,thou1 ,bello60 cried ,yoomy1 8would'st wrest the crook from ,alma's hand1 and place in it a spear4 ,but vain to make a conqueror of him1 who put off the purple when he came to ,mardi2 and declining gilded miters1 entered the nations meekly on an ass40 8,oh curse of commerce60 cried ,babbalanja1 8that it barters souls for gold4 ,bello6 with opium1 thou wouldst drug this land1 and murder it in sleep6--,and what boot thy conquests here8 ,seed sown by spears but seldom springs2 and harvests reaped thereby1 are poisoned by the sickle's edge40 ,yet on1 and on we coasted2 counting not the days4 8,oh1 folds and flocks of nations6 dusky tribes innumerable60 cried ,yoomy1 8camped on plains and steppes2 on thousand mountains1 worshiping the stars2 in thousand valleys1 offering up first-fruits1 till all the forests seem in flames2--where1 in fire1 the widow's spirit mounts to meet her lord6--,oh1 ,orienda1 in thee 'tis vain to seek our ,yillah60 8,how dark as death the night60 said ,mohi1 shaking the dew from his braids1 8the ,heavens blaze not here with stars1 as over ,dominora's land1 and broad ,vivenza40 ,one only constellation was beheld2 but every star was brilliant as the one1 that promises the morning4 ,that constellation was the ,crux- ,australis1--the badge1 and type of ,alma4 ,and now1 southwest we steered1 till another island vast1 was reached2 --,hamora6 far trending toward the ,antarctic ,pole4 ,coasting on by barbarous beaches1 where painted men1 with spears1 charged on all attempts to land1 at length we rounded a mighty bluff1 lit by a beacon2 and heard a bugle call3--,bello's6 hurrying to their quarters1 the ,world-,end's garrison4 ,here1 the sea rolled high1 in mountain surges3 mid which1 we toiled and strained1 as if ascending cliffs of ,caucasus4 ,but not long thus4 ,as when from howling ,rhoetian heights1 the traveler spies green ,lombardy below1 and downward rushes toward that pleasant plain2 so1 sloping from long rolling swells1 at last we launched upon the calm lagoon4 ,but as we northward sailed1 once more the storm-trump blew1 and charger-like1 the seas ran mustering to the call2 and in battalions crouched before a towering rock1 far distant from the main4 ,no moon1 eclipsed in ,egypt's skies1 looked half so lone4 ,but from out that darkness1 on the loftiest peak1 ,bello's standard waved4 8,oh rifled tomb60 cried ,babbalanja4 8,wherein lay the ,mars and ,moloch of our times1 whose constellated crown1 was gemmed with diadems4 ,thou god of war6 who didst seem the devouring ,beast of the ,apocalypse2 casting so vast a shadow over ,mardi1 that yet it lingers in old ,franko's vale2 where still they start at thy tremendous ghost2 and1 late1 have hailed a phantom1 ,king6 ,almighty hero-spell6 that after the lapse of half a century1 can so bewitch all hearts6 ,but one drop of hero-blood will deify a fool4 8,franko6 thou wouldst be free2 yet thy free homage is to the buried ashes of a ,king2 thy first choice1 the exaltation of his race4 ,in furious fires1 thou burn'st ,ludwig's throne2 and over thy new-made chieftain's portal1 in golden letters print'st--#8,the ,palace of our ,lord6' ,in thy ,new ,dispensation1 thou cleavest to the exploded ,law4 ,and on ,freedom's altar--ah1 ,i fear--still1 may slay thy hecatombs4 ,but ,freedom turns away2 she is sick with burnt blood of offerings4 ,other rituals she loves2 and like ,oro1 unseen herself1 would be worshiped only by invisibles4 ,of long drawn cavalcades1 pompous processions1 frenzied banners1 mystic music1 marching nations1 she will none4 ,oh1 may thy peaceful ,future1 ,franko1 sanctify thy bloody ,past4 ,let not history say2 #8,to her old gods1 she turned again4'0 ,this rocky islet passed1 the sea went down2 once more we neared ,hamora's western shore4 ,in the deep darkness1 here and there1 its margin was lit up by foam-white1 breaking billows rolled over from ,vivenza's strand1 and down from northward ,dominora2 marking places where light was breaking in1 upon the interior's jungle-gloom4 ,in heavy sighs1 the night-winds from shore came over us4 8,ah1 vain to seek sweet ,yillah here10 cried ,yoomy4--8,poor land6 curst of man1 not ,oro6 how thou faintest for thy children1 torn from thy soil1 to till a stranger's4 ,vivenza6 did these winds not spend their plaints1 ere reaching thee1 thy every vale would echo them4 ,oh1 tribe of ,hamo6 thy cup of woe so brims1 that soon it must overflow upon the land which holds ye thralls4 ,no misery born of crime1 but spreads and poisons wide4 ,suffering hunteth sin1 as the gaunt hound the hare1 and tears it in the greenest brakes40 ,still on we sailed3 and after many tranquil days and nights1 a storm came down1 and burst its thousand bombs4 ,the lightnings forked and flashed2 the waters boiled2 our three prows lifted themselves in supplication2 but the billows smote them as they reared4 ,said ,babbalanja1 bowing to the blast3 8,thus1 oh ,vivenza6 retribution works6 ,though long delayed1 it comes at last--,judgment1 with all her bolts40 ,now1 a current seized us1 and like three darts1 our keels sped eastward1 through a narrow strait1 far in1 upon a smooth expanse1 an inland ocean1 without a throb4 ,on our left1 ,porpheero's southwest point1 a mighty rock1 long tiers of galleries within1 deck on deck2 and flag-staffs1 like an admiral's masts3 a line-of-battle-ship1 all purple stone1 and anchored in the sea4 ,here ,bello's lion crouched2 and1 through a thousand port-holes1 eyed the world4 ,on our right1 ,hamora's northern shore gleamed thick with crescents2 numerous as the crosses along the opposing strand4 8,how vain to say1 that progress is the test of truth1 my lord10 said ,babbalanja1 8when1 after many centuries1 those crescents yet unwaning shine1 and count a devotee for every worshiper of yonder crosses4 ,truth and ,merit have other symbols than success2 and in this mortal race1 all competitors may enter2 and the field is clear for all4 ,side by side1 ,lies run with ,truths1 and fools with wise2 but1 like geometric lines1 though they pierce infinity1 never may they join40 ,over that tideless sea we sailed2 and landed right1 and landed left2 but the maiden never found2 till1 at last1 we gained the water's limit2 and inland saw great pointed masses1 crowned with halos4 8,granite continents10 cried ,babbalanja1 8that seem created like the planets1 not built with human hands4 ,lo1 ,landmarks6 upon whose flanks ,time leaves its traces1 like old tide-rips of diluvian seas40 ,as1 after wandering round and round some purple dell1 deep in a boundless prairie's heart1 the baffled hunter plunges in2 then1 despairing1 turns once more to gain the open plain2 even so we seekers now curved round our keels2 and from that inland sea emerged4 ,the universe again before us2 our quest1 as wide4 ,,chapter ,,lxv4 ,sailing ,on ,morning dawned upon the same mild1 blue ,lagoon as erst2 and all the lands that we had passed1 since leaving ,piko's shore of spears1 were faded from the sight4 ,part and parcel of the ,mardian isles1 they formed a cluster by themselves2 like the ,pleiades1 that shine in ,taurus1 and are eclipsed by the red splendor of his fiery eye1 and the thick clusterings of the constellations round4 ,and as in ,orion1 to some old king-astronomer1--say1 ,king of ,rigel1 or ,betelguese1--this ,earth's four quarters show but four points afar2 so1 seem they to terrestrial eyes1 that broadly sweep the spheres4 ,and1 as the sun1 by influence divine1 wheels through the ,ecliptic2 threading ,cancer1 ,leo1 ,pisces1 and ,aquarius2 so1 by some mystic impulse am ,i moved1 to this fleet progress1 through the groups in white-reefed ,mardi's zone4 ,oh1 reader1 list6 ,i've chartless voyaged4 ,with compass and the lead1 we had not found these ,mardian ,isles4 ,those who boldly launch1 cast off all cables2 and turning from the common breeze1 that's fair for all1 with their own breath1 fill their own sails4 ,hug the shore1 naught new is seen2 and 8,land ho60 at last was sung1 when a new world was sought4 ,that voyager steered his bark through seas1 untracked before2 ploughed his own path mid jeers2 though with a heart that oft was heavy with the thought1 that he might only be too bold1 and grope where land was none4 ,so ,i4 ,and though essaying but a sportive sail1 ,i was driven from my course1 by a blast resistless2 and ill-provided1 young1 and bowed to the brunt of things before my prime1 still fly before the gale2--hard have ,i striven to keep stout heart4 ,and if it harder be1 than e'er before1 to find new climes1 when now our seas have oft been circled by ten thousand prows1--much more the glory6 ,but this new world here sought1 is stranger far than his1 who stretched his vans from ,palos4 ,it is the world of mind2 wherein the wanderer may gaze round1 with more of wonder than ,balboa's band roving through the golden ,aztec glades4 ,but fiery yearnings their own phantom-future make1 and deem it present4 ,so1 if after all these fearful1 fainting trances1 the verdict be1 the golden haven was not gained2--yet1 in bold quest thereof1 better to sink in boundless deeps1 than float on vulgar shoals2 and give me1 ye gods1 an utter wreck1 if wreck ,i do4 ,,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,a ,flight ,of ,nightingales ,from ,yoomy's ,mouth ,by noon1 down came a calm4 8,oh ,neeva6 good ,neeva6 kind ,neeva6 thy sweet breath1 dear ,neeva60 ,so from his shark's-mouth prayed little ,vee-,vee to the god of ,fair ,breezes4 ,and along they swept2 till the three prows neighed to the blast2 and pranced on their path1 like steeds of ,crusaders4 ,now1 that this fine wind had sprung up2 the sun riding joyously in the heavens2 and the ,lagoon all tossed with white1 flying manes2 ,media called upon ,yoomy to ransack his whole assortment of songs3--warlike1 amorous1 and sentimental1--and regale us with something inspiring for too long the company had been gloomy4 8,thy best10 he cried4 ,then will ,i e'en sing you a song1 my lord1 which is a song-full of songs4 ,i composed it long1 long since1 when ,yillah yet bowered in ,odo4 ,ere now1 some fragments have been heard4 ,ah1 ,taji6 in this my lay1 live over again your happy hours4 ,some joys have thousand lives2 can never die2 for when they droop1 sweet memories bind them up4--,my lord1 ,i deem these verses good2 they came bubbling out of me1 like live waters from a spring in a silver mine4 ,and by your good leave1 my lord1 ,i have much faith in inspiration4 ,whoso sings is a seer40 8,tingling is the test10 said ,babbalanja1 8,yoomy1 did you tingle1 when that song was composing80 8,all over1 ,babbalanja40 8,from sole to crown80 8,from finger to finger40 8,my life for it6 true poetry1 then1 my lord6 ,for this self-same tingling1 ,i say1 is the test40 8,and infused into a song10 cried ,yoomy1 8it evermore causes it so to sparkle1 vivify1 and irradiate1 that no son of man can repeat it without tingling himself4 ,this very song of mine may prove what ,i say40 8,modest youth60 sighed ,media4 8,not more so1 than sincere10 said ,babbalanja4 8,he who is frank1 will often appear vain1 my lord4 ,having no guile1 he speaks as freely of himself1 as of another2 and is just as ready to honor his own merits1 even if imaginary1 as to lament over undeniable deficiencies4 ,besides1 such men are prone to moods1 which to shallow-minded1 unsympathizing mortals1 make their occasional distrust of themselves1 appear but as a phase of self-conceit4 ,whereas1 the man who1 in the presence of his very friends1 parades a barred and bolted front1--that man so highly prizes his sweet self1 that he cares not to profane the shrine he worships1 by throwing open its portals4 ,he is locked up2 and ,ego is the key4 ,reserve alone is vanity4 ,but all mankind are egotists4 ,the world revolves upon an ,i2 and we upon ourselves2 for we are our own worlds3--all other men as strangers1 from outlandish1 distant climes1 going clad in furs4 ,then1 whate'er they be1 let us show our worlds2 and not seek to hide from men1 what ,oro knows40 8,truth1 my lord10 said ,yoomy1 8but all this applies to men in mass2 not specially1 to my poor craft4 ,of all mortals1 we poets are most subject to contrary moods4 ,now1 heaven over heaven in the skies2 now layer under layer in the dust4 ,this1 the penalty we pay for being what we are4 ,but ,mardi only sees1 or thinks it sees1 the tokens of our self-complacency3 whereas1 all our agonies operate unseen4 ,poets are only seen when they soar40 8,the song6 the song60 cried ,media4 8,never mind the metaphysics of genius40 ,and ,yoomy1 thus clamorously invoked1 hemmed thrice1 tuning his voice for the air4 ,but here1 be it said1 that the minstrel was miraculously gifted with three voices2 and1 upon occasions1 like a mocking-bird1 was a concert of sweet sounds in himself4 ,had kind friends died1 and bequeathed him their voices8 ,but hark6 in a low1 mild tenor1 he begins3-- ,half-railed above the hills1 yet rosy bright1 ,stands fresh1 and fair1 the meek and blushing morn6 ,so ,yillah looks6 her pensive eyes the stars1 ,that mildly beam from out her cheek's young dawn6 ,but the still meek ,dawn1 ,is not aye the form ,of ,yillah nor ,morn6 ,soon rises the sun1 ,day's race to run3 ,his rays abroad1 ,flash each a sword1-- ,and merrily forth they flare6 ,sun-music in the air6 ,so ,yillah now rises and flashes6 ,rays shooting from ont her long lashes1-- ,sun-music in the air6 ,her laugh6 ,how it bounds6 ,bright cascade of sounds6 ,peal after peal1 and ringing afar1-- ,ringing of waters1 that silvery jar1 ,from basin to basin fast falling6 ,fast falling1 and shining1 and streaming3-- ,yillah's bosom1 the soft1 heaving lake1 ,where her laughs at last dimple1 and flake6 ,oh beautiful ,yillah6 ,thy step so free6-- ,fast fly the sea-ripples1 ,revealing their dimples1 ,when forth1 thou hi'st to the frolicsome sea6 ,all the stars laugh1 ,when upward she looks3 ,all the trees chat ,in their woody nooks3 ,all the brooks sing2 ,all the caves ring2 ,all the buds blossom2 ,all the boughs bound2 ,all the birds carol2 ,and leaves turn round1 ,where ,yillah looks6 ,light wells from her soul's deep sun ,causing many toward her to run6 ,vines to climb1 and flowers to spring2 ,and youths their love by hundreds bring6 8,proceed1 gentle ,yoomy10 said ,babbalanja4 8,the meaning10 said ,mohi4 8,the sequel10 said ,media4 8,my lord1 ,i have ceased in the middle2 the end is not yet40 8,mysticism60 cried ,babbalanja4 8,what1 minstrel2 must nothing ultimate come of all that melody8 no final and inexhaustible meaning8 nothing that strikes down into the soul's depths2 till1 intent upon itself1 it pierces in upon its own essence1 and is resolved into its pervading original2 becoming a thing constituent of the all embracing deific2 whereby we mortals become part and parcel of the gods2 our souls to them as thoughts2 and we privy to all things occult1 ineffable1 and sublime8 ,then1 ,yoomy1 is thy song nothing worth4 ,alla ,mollolla saith1 #8,that is no true1 vital breath1 which leaves no moisture behind4' ,i mistrust thee1 minstrel6 that thou hast not yet been impregnated by the arcane mysteries2 that thou dost not sufficiently ponder on the ,adyta1 the ,monads1 and the ,hyparxes2 the ,dianoias1 the ,unical ,hypostases1 the ,gnostic powers of the ,psychical ,essence1 and the ,supermundane and ,pleromatic ,triads2 to say nothing of the ,abstract ,noumenons40 8,oro forbid60 cried ,yoomy2 8the very sound of thy words affrights me40 ,then1 whispering to ,mohi--8,is he daft again80 8,my brain is battered10 said ,media4 8,azzageddi6 you must diet1 and be bled40 8,ah60 sighed ,babbalanja1 turning2 8how little they ween of the ,rudimental ,quincunxes1 and the ,hecatic ,spherula60 ,,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,they ,visit ,one ,doxodox ,next morning1 we came to a deep1 green wood1 slowly nodding over the waves2 its margin frothy-white with foam4 ,a charming sight6 ,while delighted1 all our paddlers gazed1 ,media1 observing ,babbalanja plunged in reveries1 called upon him to awake2 asking what might so absorb him4 8,ah1 my lord6 what seraphic sounds have ye driven from me60 8,sounds6 ,sure1 there's naught heard but yonder murmuring surf2 what other sound heard you80 8,the thrilling of my soul's monochord1 my lord4 ,but prick not your ears to hear it2 that divine harmony is overheard by the rapt spirit alone2 it comes not by the auditory nerves40 8,no more1 ,azzageddi6 ,no more of that4 ,look yonder60 8,a most lovely wood1 in truth4 ,and methinks it is here the sage ,doxodox1 surnamed the ,wise ,one1 dwells40 8,hark1 ,i hear the hootings of his owls10 said ,mohi4 8,my lord1 you must have read of him4 ,he is said to have penetrated from the zoned1 to the unzoned principles4 ,shall we seek him out1 that we may hearken to his wisdom8 ,doubtless he knows many things1 after which we pant40 ,the lagoon was calm1 as we landed2 not a breath stirred the plumes of the trees2 and as we entered the voiceless shades1 lifting his hand1 ,babbalanja whispered3--8,this silence is a fit introduction to the portals of ,telestic lore4 ,somewhere1 beneath this moss1 lurks the mystic stone ,mnizuris2 whereby ,doxodox hath attained unto a knowledge of the ungenerated essences4 ,nightly1 he bathes his soul in archangelical circumlucencies4 ,oh1 ,doxodox6 whip me the ,strophalunian top6 ,tell o'er thy ,jynges60 8,down1 ,azzageddi6 down60 cried ,media4 8,behold3 there sits the ,wise ,one2 now1 for true wisdom60 ,from the voices of the party1 the sage must have been aware of our approach3 but seated on a green bank1 beneath the shade of a red mulberry1 upon the boughs of which1 many an owl was perched1 he seemed intent upon describing divers figures in the air1 with a jet-black wand4 ,advancing with much deference and humility1 ,babbalanja saluted him4 8,oh wise ,doxodox6 ,drawn hither by thy illustrious name1 we seek admittance to thy innermost wisdom4 ,of all ,mardian1 thou alone comprehendest those arcane combinations1 whereby to drag to day the most deftly hidden things1 present and to come4 ,thou knowest what we are1 and what we shall be4 ,we beseech thee1 evoke thy ,tselmns60 8,tetrads2 ,pentads2 ,hexads2 ,heptads2 ,ogdoads3--meanest thou those80 8,new terms all60 8,foiled at thy own weapons10 said ,media4 8,then1 if thou comprehendest not my nomenclature3--how my science8 ,but let me test thee in the portico4--,why is it1 that as some things extend more remotely than others2 so1 ,quadammodotatives are larger than ,qualitatives2 forasmuch1 as ,quadammodotatives extend to those things1 which include the ,quadammodotatives themselves40 8,azzageddi has found his match10 said ,media4 8,still posed1 ,babbalanja80 asked ,mohi4 8,at a loss1 most truly6 ,but ,i beseech thee1 wise ,doxodox6 instruct me in thy dialectics1 that ,i may embrace thy more recondite lore40 8,to begin then1 my child3--all ,dicibles reside in the mind40 8,but what are ,dicibles80 said ,media4 8,meanest thou1 ,perfect or ,imperfect ,dicibles80 ,any kind you please2-- but what are they80 8,perfect ,dicibles are of various sorts3 ,interrogative2 ,percontative2 ,adjurative2 ,optative2 ,imprecative2 ,execrative2 ,substitutive2 ,compellative2 ,hypothetical2 and lastly1 ,dubious40 8,dubious enough6 ,azzageddi6 forever1 hereafter1 hold thy peace40 8,ah1 my children6 ,i must go back to my ,axioms40 8,and what are they80 said old ,mohi4 8,of various sorts2 which1 again1 are diverse4 ,thus3 my contrary axioms are ,disjunctive1 and ,subdisjunctive2 and so1 with the rest4 ,so1 too1 in degree1 with my ,syllogisms40 8,and what of them80 8,did ,i not just hint what they were1 my child8 ,i repeat1 they are of various sorts3 ,connex1 and ,conjunct1 for example40 8,and what of them80 persisted ,mohi2 while ,babbalanja1 arms folded1 stood serious and mute2 a sneer on his lip4 8,as with other branches of my dialectics3 so1 too1 in their way1 with my ,syllogisms4 ,thus3 when ,i say1--,if it be warm1 it is not cold3-- that's a simple ,sumption4 ,if ,i add1 ,but it is warm3--that's an ,assumption40 8,so called from the syllogist himself1 doubtless20 said ,mohi1 stroking his beard4 8,poor ignorant babe6 no4 ,listen3--if finally1 ,i say1--,therefore it is not cold that's the final inference40 8,and a most triumphant one it is60 cried ,babbalanja4 8,thrice profound1 and sapient ,doxodox6 ,light of ,mardi6 and ,beacon of the ,universe6 didst ever hear of the ,shark-,syllogism80 8,though thy epithets be true1 my child1 ,i distrust thy sincerity4 ,i have not yet heard of the syllogism to which thou referrest40 8,it was thus4 ,a shark seized a swimmer by the leg2 addressing him3 #8,friend1 ,i will liberate you1 if you truly answer whether you think ,i purpose harm4' ,well knowing that sharks seldom were magnanimous1 he replied3 ,kind sir1 you mean me harm2 now go your ways4' #8,no1 no2 my conscience forbids4 ,nor will ,i falsify the words of so veracious a mortal4 ,you were to answer truly2 but you say ,i mean you harm3--so harm it is3--here goes your leg4'0 8,profane jester6 ,would'st thou insult me with thy torn-foolery8 ,begone--all of ye6 tramp6 pack6 ,i say3 away with ye60 and into the woods ,doxodox himself disappeared4 8,bravely done1 ,babbalanja60 cried ,media4 8,you turned the corner to admiration40 8,i have hopes of our ,philosopher yet10 said ,mohi4 8,outrageous impostor6 fool1 dotard1 oaf6 ,did he think to bejuggle me with his preposterous gibberish8 ,and is this shallow phraseman the renowned ,doxodox whom ,i have been taught so highly to reverence8 ,alas1 alas--,odonphi there is none60 8,his fit again10 sighed ,yoomy4 ,,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,king ,media ,dreams ,that afternoon was melting down to eve2 all but ,media broad awake2 yet all motionless1 as the slumberer upon the purple mat4 ,sailing on1 with open eyes1 we slept the wakeful sleep of those1 who to the body only give repose1 while the spirit still toils on1 threading her mountain passes4 ,king ,media's slumbers were like the helmed sentry's in the saddle4 ,from them1 he started like an antlered deer1 bursting from out a copse4 ,some said he never slept2 that deep within himself he but intensified the hour2 or1 leaving his crowned brow in marble quiet1 unseen1 departed to far-off councils of the gods4 ,howbeit1 his lids never closed2 in the noonday sun1 those crystal eyes1 like diamonds1 sparkled with a fixed light4 ,as motionless we thus reclined1 ,media turned and muttered3--8,brother gods1 and demi-gods1 it is not well4 ,these mortals should have less or more4 ,among my subjects is a man1 whose genius scorns the common theories of things2 but whose still mortal mind can not fathom the ocean at his feet4 ,his soul's a hollow1 wherein he raves40 8,list1 list10 whispered ,yoomy--8our lord is dreaming2 and what a royal dream40 8,a very royal and imperial dream10 said ,babbalanja--8he is arraigning me before high heaven2--ay1 ay2 in dreams1 at least1 he deems himself a demi-god40 8,hist10 said ,mohi--8he speaks again40 8,gods and demi-gods6 ,with one gesture all abysses we may disclose2 and before this ,mardi's eyes1 evoke the shrouded time to come4 ,were this well8 ,like lost children groping in the woods1 they falter through their tangled paths2 and at a thousand angles1 baffled1 start upon each other4 ,and even when they make an onward move1 'tis but an endless vestibule1 that leads to naught4 ,in my own isle of ,odo--,odo6 ,odo6 ,how rules my viceroy there8--,down1 down1 ye madding mobs6 ,ho1 spearmen1 charge6 ,by the firmament1 but my halberdiers fly60 8,his dream has changed10 said ,babbalanja4 8,he is in ,odo1 whither his anxieties impel him40 8,hist1 hist10 said ,yoomy4 8,i leap upon the soil6 ,render thy account1 ,almanni6 ,where's my throne8 ,mohi1 am ,i not a king8 ,do not thy chronicles record me8 ,yoomy1 am ,i not the soul of some one glorious song8 ,babbalanja1 speak4--,mohi6 ,yoomy60 8,what is it1 my lord8 thou dost but dream40 ,staring wildly2 then calmly gazing round1 ,media smiled4 8,ha6 how we royalties ramble in our dreams6 ,i've told no secrets80 8,while he seemed to sleep1 my lord spoke much10 said ,mohi4 8,i knew it not1 old man2 nor would now2 but that ye tell me40 8,we dream not ourselves10 said ,babbalanja1 8but the thing within us40 8,ay8--good-morrow ,azzageddi6--,but come2 no more dreams3 ,vee-,vee6 wine40 ,and straight through that livelong night1 immortal ,media plied the can4 ,,chapter ,,lxix4 ,after ,a ,long ,interval1 ,by ,night ,they ,are ,becalmed ,now suns rose1 and set2 moons grew1 and waned2 till1 at last1 the star that erewhile heralded the dawn1 presaged the eve2 to us1 sad token6-- while deep within the deepest heart of ,mardi's circle1 we sailed from sea to sea2 and isle to isle2 and group to group2--vast empires explored1 and inland valleys1 to their utmost heads2 and for every ray in heaven1 beheld a king4 ,needless to recount all that then befell2 what tribes and caravans we saw2 what vast horizons2 boundless plains3 and sierras1 in their every intervale1 a nation nestling4 ,enough that still we roamed4 ,it was evening2 and as the red sun1 magnified1 launched into the wave1 once more1 from a wild strand1 we launched our three canoes4 ,soon1 from her clouds1 hooded ,night1 like a nun from a convent1 drew nigh4 ,rustled her train1 yet no spangles were there4 ,but high on her brow1 still shone her pale crescent2 haloed by bandelets--violet1 red1 and yellow4 ,so looked the lone watcher through her rainbow-iris2 so sad1 the night without stars4 ,the winds were laid2 the lagoon1 still1 as a prairie of an ,august noon4 8,let us dream out the calm10 said ,media4 8,one of ye paddlers1 watch3 ,ho companions6 who's for ,cathay80 ,sleep reigned throughout the canoes1 sleeping upon the waters4 ,but nearer and nearer1 low-creeping along1 came mists and vapors1 a thousand2 spotted with twinklings of ,will-o-,wisps from neighboring shores4 ,dusky leopards1 stealing on by crouches1 those vapors seemed4 ,hours silently passed4 ,when startled by a cry1 ,taji sprang to his feet2 against which something rattled2 then1 a quick splash6 and a dark form bounded into the lagoon4 ,the dozing watcher had called aloud2 and1 about to stab1 the assassin1 dropping his stiletto1 plunged4 ,peering hard through those treacherous mists1 two figures in a shallop1 were espied2 dragging another1 dripping1 from the brine4 8,foiled again1 and foiled forever4 ,no foe's corpse was ,i40 ,as we gazed1 in the gloom quickly vanished the shallop2 ere ours could be reversed to pursue4 ,then1 from the opposite mists1 glided a second canoe2 and beneath the ,iris round the moon1 shone now another3--,hautia's flowery flag6 ,vain to wave the sirens off2 so still they came4 ,one waved a plant of sickly silver-green4 8,the ,midnight ,tremmella60 cried ,yoomy2 8the falling-star of flowers6-- ,still ,i come1 when least foreseen2 then flee40 ,the second waved a hemlock top1 the spike just tapering its final point4 ,the third1 a convolvulus1 half closed4 8,the end draws nigh1 and all thy hopes are waning40 ,then they proffered grapes4 ,but once more waved off1 silently they vanished4 ,again the buried barb tore1 at my soul2 again ,yillah was invoked1 but ,hautia made reply4 ,slowly wore out the night4 ,but when uprose the sun1 fled clouds1 and fled sadness4 ,,chapter ,,lxx4 ,they ,land ,at ,hooloomooloo 8,keep all three prows1 for yonder rock40 cried ,media2 8,no sadness on this merry morn6 ,and now for the ,isle of ,cripples1--even ,hooloomooloo40 8,the ,isle of ,cripples80 8,ay2 why not8 ,mohi1 tell how they came to club40 ,in substance1 this was the narration4 ,averse to the barbarous custom of destroying at birth all infants not symmetrically formed2 but equally desirous of removing from their sight those unfortunate beings2 the islanders of a neighboring group had long ago established an asylum for cripples2 where they lived1 subject to their own regulations2 ruled by a king of their own election2 in short1 forming a distinct class of beings by themselves4 ,one only restriction was placed upon them3 on no account must they quit the isle assigned them4 ,and to the surrounding islanders1 so unpleasant the sight of a distorted mortal1 that a stranger landing at ,hooloomooloo1 was deemed a prodigy4 ,wherefore1 respecting any knowledge of aught beyond them1 the cripples were well nigh as isolated1 as if ,hooloomooloo was the only terra-firma extant4 ,dwelling in a community of their own1 these unfortunates1 who otherwise had remained few in number1 increased and multiplied greatly4 ,nor did successive generations improve in symmetry upon those preceding them4 ,soon1 we drew nigh to the isle4 ,heaped up1 and jagged with rocks2 and1 here and there1 covered with dwarfed1 twisted thickets1 it seemed a fit place for its denizens4 ,landing1 we were surrounded by a heterogeneous mob2 and thus escorted1 took our way inland1 toward the abode of their lord1 ,king ,yoky4 ,what a scene6 ,here1 helping himself along with two crotched roots1 hobbled a dwarf without legs2 another stalked before1 one arm fixed in the air1 like a lightning rod2 a third1 more active than any1 seal-like1 flirted a pair of flippers1 and went skipping along2 a fourth hopped on a solitary pin1 at every bound1 spinning round like a top1 to gaze2 while still another1 furnished with feelers or fins1 rolled himself up in a ball1 bowling over the ground in advance4 ,with curious instinct1 the blind stuck close to our side2 with their chattering finger1 the deaf and the dumb described angles1 obtuse and acute in the air2 and like stones rolling down rocky ravines1 scores of stammerers stuttered4 ,discord wedded deformity4 ,all asses' brays were now harmonious memories2 all ,calibans1 as angels4 ,yet for every stare we gave them1 three stares they gave us4 ,at last1 we halted before a tenement of rude stones2 crooked ,banian boughs its rafters1 thatched with fantastic leaves4 ,so rambling and irregular its plan1 it seemed thrown up by the eruption1 according to sage ,mohi1 the origin of the isle itself4 ,entering1 we saw ,king ,yoky4 ,ah6 sadly lacking was he1 in all the requisites of an efficient ruler4 ,deaf and dumb he was2 and save arms1 minus every thing but an indispensable trunk and head4 ,so huge his all-comprehensive mouth1 it seemed to swallow up itself4 ,but shapeless1 helpless as was ,yoky1--as king of ,hooloomooloo1 he was competent2 the state being a limited monarchy1 of which his ,highness was but the passive and ornamental head4 ,as his visitors advanced1 he fell to gossiping with his fingers3 a servitor interpreting4 ,very curious to note the rapidity with which motion was translated into sound2 and the simultaneousness with which meaning made its way through four successive channels to the mind--hand1 sight1 voice1 and tympanum4 ,much amazement ,his ,highness now expressed2 horrified his glances4 8,why club such frights as ye8 ,herd ye1 to keep in countenance2 or are afraid of your own hideousness1 that ye dread to go alone8 ,monsters6 speak40 8,great ,oro60 cried ,mohi1 8are we then taken for cripples1 by the very ,king of the ,cripples8 ,my lord1 are not our legs and arms all right80 8,comelier ones were never turned by turners1 ,mohi4 ,but royal ,yoky6 in sooth we feel abashed before thee40 ,some further stares were then exchanged2 when ,his ,highness sought to know1 whether there were any ,comparative ,anatomists among his visitors4 8,comparative ,anatomists6 not one40 8,and why may ,king ,yoky ask that question80 inquired ,babbalanja4 ,then was made the following statement4 ,during the latter part of his reign1 when he seemed fallen into his dotage1 the venerable predecessor of ,king ,yoky had been much attached to an old gray-headed ,chimpanzee1 one day found meditating in the woods4 ,rozoko was his name4 ,he was very grave1 and reverend of aspect2 much of a philosopher4 ,to him1 all gnarled and knotty subjects were familiar2 in his day he had cracked many a crabbed nut4 ,and so in love with his ,timonean solitude was ,rozoko1 that it needed many bribes and bland persuasions1 to induce him to desert his mossy1 hillside1 misanthropic cave1 for the distracting tumult of a court4 ,but ere long1 promoted to high offices1 and made the royal favorite1 the woodland sage forgot his forests2 and1 love for love1 returned the aged king's caresses4 ,ardent friends they straight became2 dined and drank together2 with quivering lips1 quaffed long-drawn1 sober bumpers2 comparing all their past experiences2 and canvassing those hidden themes1 on which octogenarians dilate4 ,for when the fires and broils of youth are passed1 and ,mardi wears its truer aspect--then we love to think1 not act2 the present seems more unsubstantial than the past2 then1 we seek out gray-beards like ourselves2 and hold discourse of palsies1 hearses1 shrouds1 and tombs2 appoint our undertakers2 our mantles gather round us1 like to winding-sheets2 and every night lie down to die4 ,then1 the world's great bubble bursts2 then1 ,life's clouds seem sweeping by1 revealing heaven to our straining eyes2 then1 we tell our beads1 and murmur pater-nosters2 and in trembling accents cry--8,oro6 be merciful40 ,so1 the monarch and ,rozoko4 ,but not always were they thus4 ,of bright1 cheerful mornings1 they took slow1 tottering rambles in the woods2 nodding over grotesque walking- sticks1 of the ,chimpanzee's handiwork4 ,for sedate ,rozoko was a dilletante-arborist3 an amateur in canes4 ,indeed1 canes at last became his hobby4 ,for half daft with age1 sometimes he straddled his good staff and gently rode abroad1 to take the salubrious evening air2 deeming it more befitting exercise1 at times1 than walking4 ,into this menage1 he soon initiated his friend1 the king2 and side by side they often pranced2 or1 wearying of the saddle1 dismounted2 and paused to ponder over prostrate palms1 decaying across the path4 ,their mystic rings they counted2 and1 for every ring1 a year in their own calendars4 ,now1 so closely did the monarch cleave to the ,chimpanzee1 that1 in good time1 summoning his subjects1 earnestly he charged it on them1 that at death1 he and his faithful friend should be buried in one tomb4 ,it came to pass1 the monarch died2 and ,poor ,rozoko1 now reduced to second childhood1 wailed most dismally3--no one slept that night in ,hooloomooloo4 ,never did he leave the body2 and at last1 slowly going round it thrice1 he laid him down2 close nestled2 and noiselessly expired4 ,the king's injunctions were remembered2 and one vault received them both4 ,moon followed moon2 and wrought upon by jeers and taunts1 the people of the isle became greatly scandalized1 that a base-born baboon should share the shroud of their departed lord2 though they themselves had tucked in the aged ,a,eneas fast by the side of his ,achates4 ,they straight resolved1 to build another vault2 and over it1 a lofty cairn2 and thither carry the remains they reverenced4 ,but at the disinterring1 a sad perplexity arose4 ,for lo surpassing ,saul and ,jonathan1 not even in decay were these fast friends divided4 ,so mingled every relic1--ilium and ulna1 carpus and metacarpus2--and so similar the corresponding parts1 that like the literary remains of ,beaumont and of ,fletcher1 which was which1 no spectacles could tell4 ,therefore1 they desisted2 lest the towering monument they had reared1 might commemorate an ape1 and not a king4 ,such the narration2 hearing which1 my lord ,media kept stately silence4 ,but in courtly phrase1 as beseemed him1 ,babbalanja1 turban in hand1 thus spoke3-- 8,my concern is extreme1 ,king ,yoky1 at the embarrassment into which your island is thrown4 ,nor less my grief1 that ,i myself am not the man1 to put an end to it4 ,i could weep that ,comparative ,anatomists are not so numerous now1 as hereafter they assuredly must become2 when their services shall be in greater request2 when1 at the last1 last day of all1 millions of noble and ignoble spirits will loudly clamor for lost skeletons2 when contending claimants shall start up for one poor1 carious spine2 and1 dog-like1 we shall quarrel over our own bones40 ,then entered dwarf-stewards1 and major-domos2 aloft bearing twisted antlers2 all hollowed out in goblets1 grouped2 announcing dinner4 ,loving not1 however1 to dine with misshapen ,mardians1 ,king ,media was loth to move4 ,but ,babbalanja1 quoting the old proverb--8,strike me in the face1 but refuse not my yams10 induced him to sacrifice his fastidiousness4 ,so1 under a flourish of ram-horn bugles1 court and company proceeded to the banquet4 ,central was a long1 dislocated trunk of a wild ,banian2 like a huge centipede crawling on its hundred branches1 sawn of even lengths for legs4 ,this table was set out with wry-necked gourds2 deformities of calabashes2 and shapeless trenchers1 dug out of knotty woods4 ,the first course was shrimp-soup1 served in great clampshells2 the second1 lobsters1 cuttle-fish1 crabs1 cockles1 cray-fish2 the third1 hunchbacked roots of the ,taro-plant--plantains1 perversely curling at the end1 like the inveterate tails of pertinacious pigs2 and for dessert1 ill-shaped melons1 huge as idiots' heads1 plainly suffering from water in the brain4 ,now these viands were commended to the favorable notice of all guests2 not only for their delicacy of flavor1 but for their symmetry4 ,and in the intervals of the courses1 we were bored with hints to admire numerous objects of vertu3 bow-legged stools of mangrove wood2 zig-zag rapiers of bone2 armlets of grampus-vertebrae2 outlandish tureens of the callipees of terrapin2 and cannakins of the skulls of baboons4 ,the banquet over1 with many congees1 we withdrew4 ,returning to the water-side1 we passed a field1 where dwarfs were laboring in beds of yams1 heaping the soil around the roots1 by scratching it backward2 as a dog4 ,all things in readiness1 ,yoky's valet1 a tri-armed dwarf1 treated us to a glorious start1 by giving each canoe a vigorous triple-push1 crying1 8away with ye1 monsters60 ,nor must it be omitted that just previous to embarking1 ,vee-,vee1 spying a curious looking stone1 turned it over1 and found a snake4 ,,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,a ,book ,from ,the 8,ponderings ,of ,old ,bardianna0 8,now10 said ,babbalanja1 lighting his trombone as we sailed from the isle1 8who are the monsters1 we or the cripples80 8,you yourself are a monster1 for asking the question10 said ,mohi4 8,and so1 to the cripples ,i am2 though not1 old man1 for the reason you mention4 ,but ,i am1 as ,i am2 whether hideous1 or handsome1 depends upon who is made judge4 ,there is no supreme standard yet revealed1 whereby to judge of ourselves2 #8,our very instincts are prejudices1' saith ,alla ,mallolla2 #8,our very axioms1 and postulates are far from infallible4' #8,in respect of the universe1 mankind is but a sect1' saith ,diloro3 #8and first principles but dogmas4' ,what ethics prevail in the ,pleiades8 ,what things have the synods in ,sagittarius decreed80 8,never mind your old authors10 said ,media4 8,stick to the cripples2 enlarge upon them40 8,but ,i have done with them now1 my lord2 the sermon is not the text4 ,give ear to old ,bardianna4 ,i know him by heart4 ,thus saith the sage in ,book ,x4 of the ,ponderings1 #8,zermalmende1' the title3 #8,je pense1' the motto3--#8,my supremacy over creation1 boasteth man1 is declared in my natural attitude3--,i stand erect6 ,but so do the palm-trees2 and the giraffes that graze off their tops4 ,and the fowls of the air fly high over our heads2 and from the place where we fancy our heaven to be1 defile the tops of our temples4 ,belike1 the eagles1 from their eyries look down upon us ,mardians1 in our hives1 even as upon the beavers in their dams1 marveling at our incomprehensible ways4 ,and cunning though we be1 some things1 hidden from us1 may not be mysteries to them4 ,having five keys1 hold we all that open to knowledge8 ,deaf1 blind1 and deprived of the power of scent1 the bat will steer its way unerringly3--could we8 ,yet man is lord of the bat and the brute2 lord over the crows2 with whom1 he must needs share the grain he garners4 ,we sweat for the fowls1 as well as ourselves4 ,the curse of labor rests only on us4 ,like slaves1 we toil3 at their good leisure they glean4 8#8,mardi is not wholly ours4 ,we are the least populous part of creation4 ,to say nothing of other tribes1 a census of the herring would find us far in the minority4 ,and what life is to us1--sour or sweet1--so is it to them4 ,like us1 they die1 fighting death to the last2 like us1 they spawn and depart4 ,we inhabit but a crust1 rough surfaces1 odds and ends of the isles2 the abounding lagoon being its two-thirds1 its grand feature from afar2 and forever unfathomable4 8#8,what shaft has yet been sunk to the antipodes8 ,what underlieth the gold mines8 8#8,but even here1 above-ground1 we grope with the sun at meridian4 ,vainly1 we seek our ,northwest ,passages1--old alleys1 and thoroughfares of the whales4 8#8,oh men6 fellow men6 we are only what we are2 not what we would be2 nor every thing we hope for4 ,we are but a step in a scale1 that reaches further above us than below4 ,we breathe but oxygen4 ,who in ,arcturus hath heard of us8 ,they know us not in the ,milky ,way4 ,we prate of faculties divine3 and know not how sprouteth a spear of grass2 we go about shrugging our shoulders3 when the firmament-arch is over us2 we rant of etherealities3 and long tarry over our banquets2 we demand ,eternity for a lifetime3 when our mortal half-hours too often prove tedious4 ,we know not of what we talk4 ,the ,bird of ,paradise out-flies our flutterings4 ,what it is to be immortal1 has not yet entered into our thoughts4 ,at will1 we build our futurities2 tier above tier1 all galleries full of laureates3 resounding with everlasting oratorios6 ,pater-nosters forever1 or eternal ,misereres6 forgetting that in ,mardi1 our breviaries oft fall from our hands4 ,but divans there are1 some say1 whereon we shall recline1 basking in effulgent suns1 knowing neither ,orient nor ,occident4 ,is it so8 ,fellow men6 our mortal lives have an end2 but that end is no goal3 no place of repose4 ,whatever it may be1 it will prove but as the beginning of another race4 ,we will hope1 joy1 weep1 as before2 though our tears may be such as the spice-trees shed4 ,supine we can only be1 annihilated4 8#8,the thick film is breaking2 the ages have long been circling4 ,fellow-men6 if we live hereafter1 it will not be in lyrics2 nor shall we yawn1 and our shadows lengthen1 while the eternal cycles are revolving4 ,to live at all1 is a high vocation2 to live forever1 and run parallel with ,oro1 may truly appall us4 ,toil we not here8 and shall we be forever slothful elsewhere8 ,other worlds differ not much from this1 but in degree4 ,doubtless1 a pebble is a fair specimen of the universe4 8#8,we point at random4 ,peradventure at this instant1 there are beings gazing up to this very world as their future heaven4 ,but the universe is all over a heaven3 nothing but stars on stars1 throughout infinities of expansion4 ,all we see are but a cluster4 ,could we get to ,bootes1 we would be no nearer ,oro1 than now he hath no place2 but is here4 ,already1 in its unimaginable roamings1 our system may have dragged us through and through the spaces1 where we plant cities of beryl and jasper4 ,even now1 we may be inhaling the ether1 which we fancy seraphic wings are fanning4 ,but look round4 ,there is much to be seen here1 and now4 ,do the archangels survey aught more glorious than the constellations we nightly behold8 ,continually we slight the wonders1 we deem in reserve4 ,we await the present4 ,with marvels we are glutted1 till we hold them no marvels at all4 ,but had these eyes first opened upon all the prodigies in the ,revelation of the ,dreamer1 long familiarity would have made them appear1 even as these things we see4 ,now1 now1 the page is out-spread3 to the simple1 easy as a primer2 to the wise1 more puzzling than hieroglyphics4 ,the eternity to come1 is but a prolongation of time present3 and the beginning may be more wonderful than the end4 8#8,then let us be wise4 ,but much of the knowledge we seek1 already we have in our cores4 ,yet so simple it is1 we despise it2 so bold1 we fear it4 8#8,in solitude1 let us exhume our ingots4 ,let us hear our own thoughts4 ,the soul needs no mentor1 but ,oro2 and ,oro1 without proxy4 ,wanting ,him1 it is both the teacher and the taught4 ,undeniably1 reason was the first revelation2 and so far as it tests all others1 it has precedence over them4 ,it comes direct to us1 without suppression or interpolation2 and with ,oro's indisputable imprimatur4 ,but inspiration though it be1 it is not so arrogant as some think4 ,nay1 far too humble1 at times it submits to the grossest indignities4 ,though in its best estate1 not infallible2 so far as it goes1 for us1 it is reliable4 ,when at fault1 it stands still4 ,we speak not of visionaries4 ,but if this our first revelation stops short of the uttermost1 so with all others4 ,if1 often1 it only perplexes3 much more the rest4 ,they leave much unexpounded2 and disclosing new mysteries1 add to the enigma4 ,fellow-men2 the ocean we would sound is unfathomable2 and however much we add to our line1 when it is out1 we feel not the bottom4 ,let us be truly lowly1 then2 not lifted up with a ,pharisaic humility4 ,we crawl not like worms2 nor wear we the liveries of angels4 8#8,the firmament-arch has no key-stone2 least of all1 is man its prop4 ,he stands alone4 ,we are every thing to ourselves1 but how little to others4 ,what are others to us8 ,assure life everlasting to this generation1 and their immediate forefathers--and what tears would flow1 were there no resurrection for the countless generations from the first man to five cycles since8 ,and soon we ourselves shall have fallen in with the rank and file of our sires4 ,at a blow1 annihilate some distant tribe1 now alive and jocund--and what would we reck8 ,curiosity apart1 do we really care whether the people in ,bellatrix are immortal or no8 8#8,though they smite us1 let us not turn away from these things1 if they be really thus4 8#8,there was a time1 when near ,cassiopeia1 a star of the first magnitude1 most lustrous in the ,north1 grew lurid as a fire1 then dim as ashes1 and went out4 ,now1 its place is a blank4 ,a vast world1 with all its continents1 say the astronomers1 blazing over the heads of our fathers2 while in ,mardi were merry-makings1 and maidens given in marriage4 ,who now thinks of that burning sphere8 ,how few are aware that ever it was8 8#8,these things are so4 8#8,fellow-men6 we must go1 and obtain a glimpse of what we are from the ,belts of ,jupiter and the ,moons of ,saturn1 ere we see ourselves aright4 ,the universe can wax old without us2 though by ,oro's grace we may live to behold a wrinkle in the sky4 ,eternity is not ours by right2 and1 alone1 unrequited sufferings here1 form no title thereto1 unless resurrections are reserved for maltreated brutes4 ,suffering is suffering2 be the sufferer man1 brute1 or thing4 8#8,how small2--how nothing1 our deserts6 ,let us stifle all vain speculations2 we need not to be told what righteousness is2 we were born with the whole ,law in our hearts4 ,let us do3 let us act3 let us down on our knees4 ,and if1 after all1 we should be no more forever2-- far better to perish meriting immortality1 than to enjoy it unmeritorious4 ,while we fight over creeds1 ten thousand fingers point to where vital good may be done4 ,all round us1 ,want crawls to her lairs2 and1 shivering1 dies unrelieved4 ,here1 here1 fellow-men1 we can better minister as angels1 than in heaven1 where want and misery come not4 8#8,we ,mardians talk as though the future was all in all2 but act as though the present was every thing4 ,yet so far as1 in our theories1 we dwarf our ,mardi2 we go not beyond an archangel's apprehension of it1 who takes in all suns and systems at a glance4 ,like pebbles1 were the isles to sink in space1 ,sirius1 the ,dog-star1 would still flame in the sky4 ,but as the atom to the animalculae1 so ,mardi to us4 ,and lived aright1 these mortal lives are long2 looked into1 these souls1 fathomless as the nethermost depths4 8#8,fellow-men2 we split upon hairs2 but stripped1 mere words and phrases cast aside1 the great bulk of us are orthodox4 ,none who think1 dissent from the grand belief4 ,the first man's thoughts were as ours4 ,the paramount revelation prevails with us2 and all that clashes therewith1 we do not so much believe1 as believe that we can not disbelieve4 ,common sense is a sturdy despot2 that1 for the most part1 has its own way4 ,it inspects and ratifies much independent of it4 ,but those who think they do wholly reject it1 are but held in a sly sort of bondage2 under a semblance of something else1 wearing the old yoke4'0 8,cease1 cease1 ,babbalanja10 said ,media1 8and permit me to insinuate a word in your ear4 ,you have long been in the habit1 philosopher1 of regaling us with chapters from your old ,bardianna2 and with infinite gusto1 you have just recited the longest of all4 ,but ,i do not observe1 oh1 ,sage6 that for all these things1 you yourself are practically the better or wiser4 ,you live not up to ,bardianna's main thought4 ,where he stands1 he stands immovable2 but you are a ,dog-vane4 ,how is this80 8,gogle-goggle1 fugle-fi1 fugle-fogle-orum60 8,mad1 mad again10 cried ,yoomy4 ,,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,babbalanja ,starts ,to ,his ,feet ,for twenty-four hours1 seated stiff1 and motionless1 ,babbalanja spoke not a word2 then1 almost without moving a muscle1 muttered thus3--8,at banquets surfeit not1 but fill2 partake1 and retire2 and eat not again till you crave4 ,thereby you give nature time to work her magic transformings2 turning all solids to meat1 and wine into blood4 ,after a banquet you incline to repose3--do so3 digestion commands4 ,all this follow those1 who feast at the tables of ,wisdom2 and all such are they1 who partake of the fare of old ,bardianna40 8,art resuscitated1 then1 ,babbalanja80 said ,media4 8,ay1 my lord1 ,i am just risen from the dead40 8,and did ,azzageddi conduct you to their realms80 8,fangs off6 fangs off6 depart1 thou fiend6--unhand me6 or by ,oro1 ,i will die and spite thee60 8,quick1 quick1 ,mohi6 let us change places10 cried ,yoomy4 8,how now1 ,babbalanja80 said ,media4 8,oh my lord man--not you my lord ,media6--high and mighty ,puissance6 great ,king of ,creation6--thou art but the biggest of braggarts6 ,in every age1 thou boastest of thy valorous advances3--flat fools1 old dotards1 and numskulls1 our sires6 ,all the ,past1 wasted time6 the ,present knows all6 right lucky1 fellow-beings1 we live now6 every man an author6 books plenty as men6 strike a light in a minute6 teeth sold by the pound6 all the elements fetching and carrying6 lightning running on errands6 rivers made to order6 the ocean a puddle6-- ,but ages back they boasted like us2 and ages to come1 forever and ever1 they'll boast4 ,ages back they black-balled the past1 thought the last day was come2 so wise they were grown4 ,mardi could not stand long2 have to annex one of the planets2 invade the great sun2 colonize the moon2--conquerors sighed for new ,mardis2 and sages for heaven-- having by heart all the primers here below4 ,like us1 ages back they groaned under their books2 made bonfires of libraries1 leaving ashes behind1 mid which we reverentially grope for charred pages1 forgetting we are so much wiser than they4--,but amazing times6 astounding revelations2 preternatural divulgings6--,how now8--more wonderful than all our discoveries is this3 that they never were discovered before4 ,so simple1 no doubt our ancestors overlooked them2 intent on deeper things--the deep things of the soul4 ,all we discover has been with us since the sun began to roll2 and much we discover1 is not worth the discovering4 ,we are children1 climbing trees after birds' nests1 and making a great shout1 whether we find eggs in them or no4 ,but where are our wings1 which our fore-fathers surely had not8 ,tell us1 ye sages6 something worth an archangel's learning2 discover1 ye discoverers1 something new4 ,fools1 fools6 ,mardi's not changed3 the sun yet rises in its old place in the ,east2 all things go on in the same old way2 we cut our eye-teeth just as late as they did1 three thousand years ago40 8,your pardon10 said ,mohi1 8for beshrew me1 they are not yet all cut4 ,at threescore and ten1 here have ,i a new tooth coming now40 8,old man6 it but clears the way for another4 ,the teeth sown by the alphabet-founder1 were eye-teeth1 not yet all sprung from the soil4 ,like spring-wheat1 blade by blade1 they break ground late2 like spring-wheat1 many seeds have perished in the hard winter glebe4 ,oh1 my lord6 though we galvanize corpses into ,st4 ,vitus' dances1 we raise not the dead from their graves6 ,though we have discovered the circulation of the blood1 men die as of yore2 oxen graze1 sheep bleat1 babies bawl1 asses bray--loud and lusty as the day before the flood4 ,men fight and make up2 repent and go at it2 feast and starve2 laugh and weep2 pray and curse2 cheat1 chaffer1 trick1 truckle1 cozen1 defraud1 fib1 lie1 beg1 borrow1 steal1 hang1 drown--as in the laughing and weeping1 tricking and truckling1 hanging and drowning times that have been4 ,nothing changes1 though much be new-fashioned3 new fashions but revivals of things previous4 ,in the books of the past we learn naught but of the present2 in those of the present1 the past4 ,all ,mardi's history--beginning middle1 and finis--was written out in capitals in the first page penned4 ,the whole story is told in a title- page4 ,an exclamation point is entire ,mardi's autobiography40 8,who speaks now80 said ,media1 8,bardianna1 ,azzageddi1 or ,babbalanja80 8,all three3 is it not a pleasant concert80 8,very fine3 very fine4--,go on2 and tell us something of the future40 8,i have never departed this life yet1 my lord40 8,but just now you said you were risen from the dead40 8,from the buried dead within me2 not from myself1 my lord40 8,if you1 then1 know nothing of the future--did ,bardianna80 8,if he did1 naught did he reveal4 ,i have ever observed1 my lord1 that even in their deepest lucubrations1 the profoundest1 frankest1 ponderers always reserve a vast deal of precious thought for their own private behoof4 ,they think1 perhaps1 that 'tis too good1 or too bad2 too wise1 or too foolish1 for the multitude4 ,and this unpleasant vibration is ever consequent upon striking a new vein of ideas in the soul4 ,as with buried treasures1 the ground over them sounds strange and hollow4 ,at any rate1 the profoundest ponderer seldom tells us all he thinks2 seldom reveals to us the ultimate1 and the innermost2 seldom makes us open our eyes under water2 seldom throws open the totus-in-toto2 and never carries us with him1 to the unconsubsistent1 the ideaimmanens1 the super-essential1 and the ,one40 ,confusion6 ,remember the ,quadammodatatives60 8,ah60 said ,braid-,beard1 8that's the crack in his calabash1 which all the ,dicibles of ,doxdox will not mend40 8,and from that crazy calabash he gives us to drink1 old ,mohi40 8,but never heed his leaky gourd nor its contents1 my lord4 ,let these philosophers muddle themselves as they will1 we wise ones refuse to partake40 8,and fools like me drink till they reel10 said ,babbalanja4 8,but in these matters one's calabash must needs go round to keep afloat4 ,fogle-orum60 ,,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,at ,last1 ,the ,last ,mention ,is ,made ,of ,old ,bardianna2 ,and ,his ,last ,will ,and ,testament ,is ,recited ,at ,length ,the day was waning4 ,and1 as after many a tale of ghosts1 around their forest fire1 ,hungarian gipsies silent sit2 watching the ruddy glow kindling each other's faces2--so1 now we solemn sat2 the crimson ,west our fire2 all our faces flushed4 8,testators60 then cried ,media1 when your last wills are all round settled1 speak1 and make it known60 8,mine1 my lord1 has long been fixed10 said ,babbalanja4 8,and how runs it80 8,fugle-fogle--0 8,hark ye1 intruding ,azzageddi6 rejoin thy merry mates below2--go there1 and wag thy saucy tail2 or ,i will nail it to our bow1 till ye roar for liberation4 ,begone1 ,i say40 8,down1 devil6 deeper down60 rumbled ,babbalanja4 8,my lord1 ,i think he's gone4 ,and now1 by your good leave1 ,i'll repeat old ,bardianna's ,will4 ,it's worth all ,mardi's hearing2 and ,i have so studied it1 by rote ,i know it40 8,proceed then2 but ,i mistrust that ,azzageddi is not yet many thousand fathoms down40 8,attend my lord3--#8,anno ,mardis #ej1jjj1jjj1 o4s4 ,i1 ,bardianna1 of the island of ,vamba1 and village of the same name1 having just risen from my yams1 in high health1 high spirits1 and sound mind1 do hereby cheerfully make and ordain this my last will and testament4 8#8,imprimis3 8#8,all my kith and kin being well to do in ,mardi1 ,i wholly leave them out of this my will4 8#8,item4 ,since1 in divers ways1 verbally and otherwise1 my good friend ,pondo has evinced a strong love for me1 ,bardianna1 as the owner and proprietor of all that capital messuage with the appurtenances1 in ,vamba aforesaid1 called #8,the ,lair1' wherein ,i now dwell2 also for all my ,bread-fruit orchards1 ,palm-groves1 ,banana-plantations1 ,taro-patches1 gardens1 lawns1 lanes1 and hereditaments whatsoever1 adjoining the aforesaid messuage2--,i do hereby give and bequeath the same to ,bomblum of the island of ,adda2 the aforesaid ,bomblum having never expressed any regard for me1 as a holder of real estate4 8#8,item4 ,my esteemed neighbor ,lakreemo having since the last lunar eclipse called daily to inquire after the state of my health3 and having nightly made tearful inquiries of my herb-doctor1 concerning the state of my viscera2--,i do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid ,lakreemo all and sundry those vegetable pills1 potions1 powders1 aperients1 purgatives1 expellatives1 evacuatives1 tonics1 emetics1 cathartics1 clysters1 injections1 scarifiers1 cataplasms1 lenitives1 lotions1 decoctions1 washes1 gargles1 and phlegmagogues2 together with all the jars1 calabashes1 gourds1 and galipots1 thereunto pertaining2 situate1 lying1 and being1 in the west-by-north corner of my east-southeast crypt1 in my aforesaid tenement known as #8,the ,lair4' 8#8,item4 ,the woman ,pesti2 a native of ,vamba1 having oftentimes hinted that ,i1 ,bardianna1 sorely needed a spouse1 and having also intimated that she bore me a conjugal affection2 ,i do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid ,pesti3--my blessing2 forasmuch1 as by the time of the opening of this my last will and testament1 ,i shall have been forever delivered from the aforesaid ,pesti's persecutions4 8#8,item4 ,having a high opinion of the probity of my worthy and excellent friend ,bidiri1 ,i do hereby entirely1 and wholly1 give1 will1 grant1 bestow1 devise1 and utterly hand over unto the said ,bidiri1 all that tenement where my servant ,oram now dwelleth2 with all the lawns1 meadows1 uplands and lowlands1 fields1 groves1 and gardens1 thereunto belonging3--,,in ,,trust ,,nevertheless to have and to hold the same for the sole use and benefit of ,lanbranka ,hohinna1 spinster1 now resident of the aforesaid island of ,vamba4 8#8,item4 ,i give and bequeath my large carved drinking gourd to my good comrade ,topo4 8',item4 ,my fast friend ,doldrum having at sundry times1 and in sundry places1 uttered the prophecy1 that upon my decease his sorrow would be great2 ,i do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid ,doldrum1 ten yards of my best soft tappa1 to be divided into handkerchiefs for his sole benefit and behoof4 8',item4 ,my sensible friend ,solo having informed me1 that he intended to remain a bachelor for life2 ,i give and devise to the aforesaid ,solo1 the mat for one person1 whereon ,i nightly repose4 8',item4 ,concerning my private ,arbor and ,palm-groves1 adjoining1 lying1 and being in the isle of ,vamba1 ,i give and devise the same1 with all appurtenances whatsoever1 to my friend ,minta the ,cynic1 to have and to hold1 in trust for the first through-and-through honest man1 issue of my neighbor ,mondi2 and in default of such issue1 for the first through-and-through honest man1 issue of my neighbor ,pendidda2 and in default of such issue1 for the first through-and-through honest man1 issue of my neighbor ,wynodo3 and in default of such issue1 to any through-and-through honest man1 issue of any body1 to be found through the length and breadth of ,mardi4 8',item4 ,my friend ,minta the ,cynic to be sole judge of all claims to the above-mentioned devise2 and to hold the said premises for his own use1 until the aforesaid person be found4 8',item4 ,knowing my devoted scribe ,marko to be very sensitive touching the receipt of a favor2 ,i willingly spare him that pain2 and hereby bequeath unto the aforesaid scribe1 three milk-teeth1 not as a pecuniary legacy1 but as a very slight token of my profound regard4 8',item4 ,i give to the poor of ,vamba the total contents of my red-labeled bags of bicuspids and canines 7which ,i account three-fourths of my whole estate72 to my body servant ,fidi1 my staff1 all my robes and togas1 and three hundred molars in cash2 to that discerning and sagacious philosopher my disciple ,krako1 one complete set of denticles1 to buy him a vertebral bone ring2 and to that pious and promising youth ,vangi1 two fathoms of my best kaiar rope1 with the privilege of any bough in my groves4 8',all the rest of my goods1 chattels and household stuff whatsoever2 and all my loose denticles1 remaining after my debts and legacies are paid1 and my body is out of sight1 ,i hereby direct to be distributed among the poor of ,vamba4 8',ultimo4 ,i give and bequeath to all ,mardi this my last advice and counsel3--videlicet3 live as long as you can2 close your own eyes when you die4 8',i have no previous wills to revoke2 and publish this to be my first and last4 8',in witness whereof1 ,i have hereunto set my right hand2 and hereunto have caused a true copy of the tattooing on my right temple to be affixed1 during the year first above written4 8',by me1 ,,bardianna4'0 8,babbalanja1 that's an extraordinary document10 said ,media4 8,bardianna was an extraordinary man1 my lord40 8,were there no codicils80 8,the will is all codicils2 all after-thoughts2 ,ten thoughts for one act1 was ,bardianna's motto40 8,left he nothing whatever to his kindred80 8,not a stump40 8,prom his will1 he seems to have lived single40 8,yes3 ,bardianna never sought to improve upon nature2 a bachelor he was born1 and a bachelor he died40 8,according to the best accounts1 how did he depart1 ,babbalanja80 asked ,mohi4 8,with a firm lip1 and his hand on his heart1 old man40 8,his last words80 8,calmer1 and better60 8,where think you1 he is now80 8,in his ,ponderings4 ,and those1 my lord1 we all inherit2 for like the great chief of ,romara1 who made a whole empire his legatee2 so1 great authors have all ,mardi for an heir40 ,,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,a ,death-,cloud ,sweeps ,by ,them1 ,as ,they ,sail ,next day1 a fearful sight6 ,as in ,sooloo's seas1 one vast water-spout will1 sudden1 form3 and whirling1 chase the flying ,malay keels2 so1 before a swift-winged cloud1 a thousand prows sped by1 leaving braided1 foaming wakes2 their crowded inmates' arms1 in frenzied supplications wreathed2 like tangled forest-boughs4 8,see1 see10 cried ,yoomy1 8how the ,death-cloud flies6 ,let us dive down in the sea40 8,nay10 said ,babbalanja4 8,all things come of ,oro2 if we must drown1 let ,oro drown us40 8,down sails3 drop paddles10 said ,media3 8here we float40 ,like a rushing bison1 sweeping by1 the ,death-cloud grazed us with its foam2 and whirling in upon the thousand prows beyond1 sudden burst in deluges2 and scooping out a maelstrom1 dragged down every plank and soul4 ,long we rocked upon the circling billows1 which expanding from that center1 dashed every isle1 till1 moons after-ward1 faint1 they laved all ,mardi's reef4 8,thanks unto ,oro10 murmured ,mohi1 8this heart still beats40 ,that sun-flushed eve1 we sailed by many tranquil harbors1 whence fled those thousand prows4 ,serene1 the waves ran up their strands2 and chimed around the unharmed stakes of palm1 to which the thousand prows that morning had been fastened4 8,flying death1 they ran to meet it10 said ,babbalanja4 8,but tie not that they fled1 they died2 for maelstroms1 of these harbors1 the ,death-cloud might have made4 ,but they died1 because they might not longer live4 ,could we gain one glimpse of the great calendar of eternity1 all our names would there be found1 glued against their dates of death4 ,we die by land1 and die by sea2 we die by earthquakes1 famines1 plagues1 and wars2 by fevers1 agues2 woe1 or mirth excessive4 ,this mortal air is one wide pestilence1 that kills us all at last4 ,whom the ,death-cloud spares1 sleeping1 dies in silent watches of the night4 ,he whom the spears of many battles could not slay1 dies of a grape-stone1 beneath the vine-clad bower he built1 to shade declining years4 ,we die1 because we live4 ,but none the less does ,babbalanja quake4 ,and if he flies not1 'tis because he stands the center of a circle2 its every point a leveled dart2 and every bow1 bent back3--a twang1 and ,babbalanja dies40 ,,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,they ,visit ,the ,palmy ,king ,abrazza ,night and morn departed2 and in the afternoon1 we drew nigh to an island1 overcast with shadows2 a shower was falling2 and pining1 plaintive notes forth issued from the groves3 half-suppressed1 and sobbing whisperings of leaves4 ,the shore sloped to the water2 thither our prows were pointed4 8,sheer off6 no landing here10 cried ,media1 8let us gain the sunny side2 and like the care-free bachelor ,abrazza1 who here is king1 turn our back on the isle's shadowy side1 and revel in its morning-meads40 8,and lord ,abrazza3--who is he80 asked ,yoomy4 8,the one hundred and twentieth in lineal descent from ,phipora10 said ,mohi2 8and connected on the maternal side to the lord seigniors of ,klivonia4 ,his uttermost uncle was nephew to the niece of ,queen ,zmiglandi2 who flourished so long since1 she wedded at the first ,transit of ,venus4 ,his pedigree is endless40 8,but who is lord ,abrazza80 8,has he not said80 answered ,babbalanja4 8,why so dull8--,uttermost nephew to him1 who was nephew to the niece of the peerless ,queen ,zmiglandi2 and the one hundred and twentieth in descent from the illustrious ,phipora40 8,will none tell1 who ,abrazza is80 8,can not a man then1 be described by running off the catalogue of his ancestors80 said ,babbalanja4 8,or must we e'en descend to himself4 ,then1 listen1 dull ,yoomy6 and know that lord ,abrazza is six feet two3 plump thighs2 blue eyes2 and brown hair2 likes his bread-fruit baked1 not roasted2 sometimes carries filberts in his crown3 and has a way of winking when he speaks4 ,his teeth are good40 8,are you publishing some decamped burglar10 said ,media1 8that you speak thus of my royal friend1 the lord ,abrazza8 ,go on1 sir6 and say he reigns sole king of ,bonovona60 8,my lord1 ,i had not ended4 ,abrazza1 ,yoomy1 is a fine and florid king3 high-fed1 and affluent of heart2 of speech1 mellifluent4 ,and for a royalty extremely amiable4 ,he is a sceptered gentleman1 who does much good4 ,kind king6 in person he gives orders for relieving those1 who daily dive for pearls1 to grace his royal robe2 and gasping hard1 with blood-shot eyes1 come up from shark-infested depths1 and fainting1 lay their treasure at his feet4 ,sweet lord ,abrazza6 how he pities those1 who in his furthest woodlands day-long toil to do his bidding4 ,yet king-philosopher1 he never weeps2 but pities with a placid smile2 and that but seldom40 8,there seems much iron in your blood10 said ,media4 8,but say your say40 8,say ,i not truth1 my lord8 ,abrazza1 ,i admire4 ,save his royal pity all else is jocund round him4 ,he loves to live for life's own sake4 ,he vows he'll have no cares2 and often says1 in pleasant reveries1-- #8,sure1 my lord ,abrazza1 if any one should be care-free1 'tis thou2 who strike down none1 but pity all the fallen6' ,yet none he lifteth up40 ,at length we gained the sunny side1 and shoreward tended4 ,vee-,vee's horn was sonorous2 and issuing from his golden groves1 my lord ,abrazza1 like a host that greets you on the threshold1 met us1 as we keeled the beach4 8,welcome6 fellow demi-god1 and king6 ,media1 my pleasant guest60 ,his servitors salamed2 his chieftains bowed2 his yeoman-guard1 in meadow-green1 presented palm-stalks1--royal tokens2 and hand in hand1 the nodding1 jovial1 regal friends1 went up a lane of salutations2 dragging behind1 a train of envyings4 ,much we marked ,abrazza's jeweled crown2 that shot no honest blaze of ruddy rubies2 nor looked stern-white like ,media's pearls2 but cast a green and yellow glare2 rays from emeralds1 crossing rays from many a topaz4 ,in those beams1 so sinister1 all present looked cadaverous3 ,abrazza's cheek alone beamed bright1 but hectic4 ,upon its fragrant mats a spacious hall received the kings2 and gathering courtiers blandly bowed2 and gushing with soft flatteries1 breathed idol-incense round them4 ,the hall was terraced thrice2 its elevated end was curtained2 and thence1 at every chime of words1 there burst a girl1 gay scarfed1 with naked bosom1 and poured forth wild and hollow laughter1 as she raced down all the terraces1 and passed their merry kingships4 ,wide round the hall1 in avenues1 waved almond-woods2 their whiteness frosted into bloom4 ,but every vine-clad trunk was hollow-hearted2 hollow sounds came from the grottos3 hollow broke the billows on the shore3 and hollow pauses filled the air1 following the hollow laughter4 ,guards1 with spears1 paced the groves1 and in the inner shadows1 oft were seen to lift their weapons1 and backward press some ugly phantom1 saying1 8,subjects6 haunt him not2 ,abrazza would be merry2 ,abrazza feasts his guests40 ,so1 banished from our sight seemed all things uncongenial2 and pleasant times were ours1 in these dominions4 ,not a face passed by1 but smiled2 mocking-birds perched on the boughs2 and singing1 made us vow the woods were warbling forth thanksgiving1 with a thousand throats6 ,the stalwart yeomen grinned beneath their trenchers1 heaped with citrons pomegrantes1 grapes2 the pages tittered1 pouring out the wine2 and all the lords loud laughed1 smote their gilded spears1 and swore the isle was glad4 ,such the isle1 in which we tarried2 but in our rambles1 found no ,yillah4 ,,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,some ,pleasant1 ,shady ,talk ,in ,the ,groves1 ,between ,my ,lords ,abrazza ,and ,media1 ,babbalanja1 ,mohi1 ,and ,yoomy ,abrazza had a cool retreat--a grove of dates2 where we were used to lounge of noons1 and mix our converse with the babble of the rills2 and mix our punches in goblets chased with grapes4 ,and as ever1 ,king ,abrazza was the prince of hosts4 8,your crown10 he said to ,media2 and with his own1 he hung it on a bough4 8,be not ceremonious30 and stretched his royal legs upon the turf4 8,wine60 and his pages poured it out4 ,so on the grass we lounged2 and ,king ,abrazza1 who loved his antique ancestors2 and loved old times2 and would not talk of moderns2--bade ,yoomy sing old songs2 bade ,mohi rehearse old histories2 bade ,babbalanja tell of old ontologies2 and commanded all1 meanwhile1 to drink his old1 old wine4 ,so1 all round we quaffed and quoted4 ,at last1 we talked of old ,homeric bards3--those who1 ages back1 harped1 and begged1 and groped their blinded way through all this charitable ,mardi2 receiving coppers then1 and immortal glory now4 ,,abrazza--,how came it1 that they all were blind8 ,,babbalanja--,it was endemical1 your ,highness4 ,few grand poets have good eyes2 for they needs blind must be1 who ever gaze upon the sun4 ,vavona himself was blind3 when1 in the silence of his secret bower1 he said--8,i will build another world4 ,therein1 let there be kings and slaves1 philosophers and wits2 whose checkered actions--strange1 grotesque1 and merry-sad1 will entertain my idle moods40 ,so1 my lord1 ,vavona played at kings and crowns1 and men and manners2 and loved that lonely game to play4 ,,abrazza--,vavona seemed a solitary ,mardian2 who seldom went abroad2 had few friends2 and shunning others1 was shunned by them4 ,,babbalanja--,but shunned not himself1 my lord2 like gods1 great poets dwell alone2 while round them1 roll the worlds they build4 ,,media--,you seem to know all authors3--you must have heard of ,lombardo1 ,babbalanja2 he who flourished many ages since4 ,,babbalanja--,i have2 and his grand ,kortanza know by heart4 ,,media 7to ,abrazza47--,a very curious work1 that1 my lord4 ,,abrazza--,yes1 my dearest king4 ,but1 ,babbalanja1 if ,lombardo had aught to tell to ,mardi--why choose a vehicle so crazy8 ,,babbalanja--,it was his nature1 ,i suppose4 ,,abrazza--,but so it would not have been1 to me4 ,,babbalanja--,nor would it have been natural1 for my noble lord ,abrazza1 to have worn ,lombardo's head3--every man has his own1 thank ,oro6 ,,abbrazza--,a curious work3 a very curious work4 ,babbalanja1 are you acquainted with the history of ,lombardo8 ,,babbalanja--,none better4 ,all his biographies have ,i read4 ,,abrazza--,then1 tell us how he came to write that work4 ,for one1 ,i can not imagine how those poor devils contrive to roll such thunders through all ,mardi4 ,,media--,their thunder and lightning seem spontaneous combustibles1 my lord4 ,,abrazza--,with which1 they but consume themselves1 my prince beloved4 ,,babbalanja--,in a measure1 true1 your ,highness4 ,but pray you1 listen2 and ,i will try to tell the way in which ,lombardo produced his great ,kortanza4 ,,media--,but hark you1 philosopher6 this time no incoherencies2 gag that devil1 ,azzageddi4 ,and now1 what was it that originally impelled ,lombardo to the undertaking8 ,,babbalanja--,primus and forever1 a full heart3--brimful1 bubbling1 sparkling2 and running over like the flagon in your hand1 my lord4 ,secundo1 the necessity of bestirring himself to procure his yams4 ,,abrazza--,wanting the second motive1 would the first have sufficed1 philosopher8 ,,babbalanja--,doubtful4 ,more conduits than one to drain off the soul's overflowings4 ,besides1 the greatest fullnesses overflow not spontaneously2 and1 even when decanted1 like rich syrups1 slowly ooze2 whereas1 poor fluids glibly flow1 wide-spreading4 ,hence1 when great fullness weds great indolence2--that man1 to others1 too often proves a cipher2 though1 to himself1 his thoughts form an ,infinite ,series1 indefinite1 from its vastness2 and incommunicable2--not for lack of power1 but for lack of an omnipotent volition1 to move his strength4 ,his own world is full before him2 the fulcrum set2 but lever there is none4 ,to such a man1 the giving of any boor's resoluteness1 with tendons braided1 would be as hanging a claymore to ,valor's side1 before unarmed4 ,our minds are cunning1 compound mechanisms2 and one spring1 or wheel1 or axle wanting1 the movement lags1 or halts4 ,cerebrum must not overbalance cerebellum2 our brains should be round as globes2 and planted on capacious chests1 inhaling mighty morning- inspirations4 ,we have had vast developments of parts of men2 but none of manly wholes4 ,before a full-developed man1 ,mardi would fall down and worship4 ,we are idiot1 younger-sons of gods1 begotten in dotages divine2 and our mothers all miscarry4 ,giants are in our germs2 but we are dwarfs1 staggering under heads overgrown4 ,heaped1 our measures burst4 ,we die of too much life4 ,,media 7to ,abrazza7--,be not impatient1 my lord2 he'll recover presently4 ,you were talking of ,lombardo1 ,babbalanja4 ,,babbalanja--,i was1 your ,highness4 ,of all ,mardians1 by nature1 he was the most inert4 ,hast ever seen a yellow lion1 all day basking in the yellow sun3--in reveries1 rending droves of elephants2 but his vast loins supine1 and eyelids winking8 ,such1 ,lombardo2 but fierce ,want1 the hunter1 came and roused his roar4 ,in hairy billows1 his great mane tossed like the sea2 his eyeballs flamed two hells2 his paw had stopped a rolling world4 ,,abrazza--,in other words1 yams were indispensable1 and1 poor devil1 he roared to get them4 ,,babbalanja 7bowing7--,partly so1 my literal lord4 ,and as with your own golden scepter1 at times upon your royal teeth1 indolent tattoos you beat2 then1 potent1 sway it o'er your isle2 so1 ,lombardo4 ,and ere ,necessity plunged spur and rowel into him1 he knew not his own paces4 ,that churned him into consciousness2 and brought ambition1 ere then dormant1 seething to the top1 till he trembled at himself4 ,no mailed hand lifted up against a traveler in woods1 can so1 appall1 as we ourselves4 ,we are full of ghosts and spirits2 we are as grave-yards full of buried dead1 that start to life before us4 ,and all our dead sires1 verily1 are in us2 that is their immortality4 ,from sire to son1 we go on multiplying corpses in ourselves2 for all of which1 are resurrections4 ,every thought's a soul of some past poet1 hero1 sage4 ,we are fuller than a city4 ,woe it is1 that reveals these things4 ,he knows himself1 and all that's in him1 who knows adversity4 ,to scale great heights1 we must come out of lowermost depths4 ,the way to heaven is through hell4 ,we need fiery baptisms in the fiercest flames of our own bosoms4 ,we must feel our hearts hot--hissing in us4 ,and ere their fire is revealed1 it must burn its way out of us2 though it consume us and itself4 ,oh1 sleek-cheeked ,plenty6 smiling at thine own dimples2--vain for thee to reach out after greatness4 ,turn6 turn6 from all your tiers of cushions of eider-down--turn6 and be broken on the wheels of many woes4 ,at white-heat1 brand thyself2 and count the scars1 like old war-worn veterans1 over camp-fires4 ,soft poet6 brushing tears from lilies--this way6 and howl in sackcloth and in ashes6 ,know1 thou1 that the lines that live are turned out of a furrowed brow4 ,oh6 there is a fierce1 a cannibal delight1 in the grief that shrieks to multiply itself4 ,that grief is miserly of its own2 it pities all the happy4 ,some damned spirits would not be otherwise1 could they4 ,,abrazza 7to ,media7--,pray1 my lord1 is this good gentleman a devil8 ,,media4--,no1 my lord2 but he's possessed by one4 ,his name is ,azzageddi4 ,you may hear more of him4 ,but come1 ,babbalanja1 hast forgotten all about ,lombardo8 ,how set he about that great undertaking1 his ,kortanza8 ,,abrazza 7to ,media7--,oh1 for all the ravings of your ,babbalanja1 ,lombardo took no special pains2 hence1 deserves small commendation4 ,for1 genius must be somewhat like us kings1--calm1 content1 in consciousness of power4 ,and to ,lombardo1 the scheme of his ,kortanza must have come full-fledged1 like an eagle from the sun4 ,,babbalanja--,no1 your ,highness2 but like eagles1 his thoughts were first callow2 yet1 born plumeless1 they came to soar4 ,,abrazza--,very fine4 ,i presume1 ,babbalanja1 the first thing he did1 was to fast1 and invoke the muses4 ,,babbalanja--,pardon1 my lord2 on the contrary he first procured a ream of vellum1 and some sturdy quills3 indispensable preliminaries1 my worshipful lords1 to the writing of the sublimest epics4 ,,abrazza--,ah6 then the muses were afterward invoked4 ,,babbalanja--,pardon again4 ,lombardo next sat down to a fine plantain pudding4 ,,yoomy--,when the song-spell steals over me1 ,i live upon olives4 ,,babbalanja--,yoomy1 ,lombardo eschewed olives4 ,said he1 8,what fasting soldier can fight8 and the fight of all fights is to write40 ,in ten days ,lombardo had written-- ,,abrazza--,dashed off1 you mean4 ,,babbalanja--,he never dashed off aught4 ,,abrazza--,as you will4 ,,babbalanja--,in ten days1 ,lombardo had written full fifty folios2 he loved huge acres of vellum whereon to expatiate4 ,,media--,what then8 ,,babbalanja--,he read them over attentively2 made a neat package of the whole3 and put it into the fire4 ,,all--,how8 ,,media--,what6 these great geniuses writing trash8 ,,abrazza--,i thought as much4 ,,babbalanja--,my lords1 they abound in it6 more than any other men in ,mardi4 ,genius is full of trash4 ,but genius essays its best to keep it to itself2 and giving away its ore1 retains the earth2 whence1 the too frequent wisdom of its works1 and folly of its life4 ,,abrazza--,then genius is not inspired1 after all4 ,how they must slave in their mines6 ,i weep to think of it4 ,,babbalanja--,my lord1 all men are inspired2 fools are inspired2 your highness is inspired2 for the essence of all ideas is infused4 ,of ourselves1 and in ourselves1 we originate nothing4 ,when ,lombardo set about his work1 he knew not what it would become4 ,he did not build himself in with plans2 he wrote right on2 and so doing1 got deeper and deeper into himself2 and like a resolute traveler1 plunging through baffling woods1 at last was rewarded for his toils4 8,in good time10 saith he1 in his autobiography1 8,i came out into a serene1 sunny1 ravishing region2 full of sweet scents1 singing birds1 wild plaints1 roguish laughs1 prophetic voices4 8,here we are at last1 then10 he cried2 8,i have created the creative40 ,and now the whole boundless landscape stretched away4 ,lombardo panted2 the sweat was on his brow2 he off mantle2 braced himself2 sat within view of the ocean2 his face to a cool rushing breeze2 placed flowers before him2 and gave himself plenty of room4 ,on one side was his ream of vellum-- ,,abbrazza--,and on the other1 a brimmed beaker4 ,,babbalanja--,no1 your ,highness2 though he loved it1 no wine for ,lombardo while actually at work4 ,,mohi--,indeed8 ,why1 ,i ever thought that it was to the superior quality of ,lombardo's punches1 that ,mardi was indebted for that abounding humor of his4 ,,babbalanja--,not so2 he had another way of keeping himself well braced4 ,,yoomy--,quick6 tell us the secret4 ,,babbalanja--,he never wrote by rush-light4 ,his lamp swung in heaven4-- ,he rose from his ,east1 with the sun2 he wrote when all nature was alive4 ,,mohi--,doubtless1 then1 he always wrote with a grin2 and none laughed louder at his quips1 than ,lombardo himself4 ,,babbalanja--,hear you laughter at the birth of a man child1 old man8 ,the babe may have many dimples2 not so1 the parent4 ,lombardo was a hermit to behold4 ,,media--,what6 did ,lombardo laugh with a long face8 ,,babbalanja--,his merriment was not always merriment to him1 your ,highness4 ,for the most part1 his meaning kept him serious4 ,then he was so intensely riveted to his work1 he could not pause to laugh4 ,,mohi--,my word for it2 but he had a sly one1 now and then4 ,,babbalanja--,for the nonce1 he was not his own master3 a mere amanuensis writing by dictation4 ,,yoomy--,inspiration1 that6 ,,babbalanja4--,call it as you will1 ,yoomy1 it was a sort of sleep- walking of the mind4 ,lombardo never threw down his pen3 it dropped from him2 and then1 he sat disenchanted3 rubbing his eyes2 staring2 and feeling faint--sometimes1 almost unto death4 ,,media--,but pray1 ,babbalanja1 tell us how he made acquaintance with some of those rare worthies1 he introduces us to1 in his ,koztanza4 ,,babbalanja--,he first met them in his reveries2 they were walking about in him1 sour and moody3 and for a long time1 were shy of his advances2 but still importuned1 they at last grew ashamed of their reserve2 stepped forward2 and gave him their hands4 ,after that1 they were frank and friendly4 ,lombardo set places for them at his board2 when he died1 he left them something in his will4 ,,media--,what6 those imaginary beings8 ,,abrazza--,wondrous witty6 infernal fine6 ,,media--,but1 ,babbalanja2 after all1 the ,koztanza found no favor in the eyes of some ,mardians4 ,,abrazza--,ay3 the arch-critics ,verbi and ,batho denounced it4 ,,babbalanja--,yes3 on good authority1 ,verbi is said to have detected a superfluous comma2 and ,batho declared that1 with the materials he could have constructed a far better world than ,lombardo's4 ,but1 didst ever hear of his laying his axis8 ,,abrazza--,but the unities2 ,babbalanja1 the unities6 they are wholly wanting in the ,koztanza4 ,,babbalanja--,your ,highness2 upon that point1 ,lombardo was frank4 ,saith he1 in his autobiography3 8,for some time1 ,i endeavored to keep in the good graces of those nymphs2 but ,i found them so captious1 and exacting2 they threw me into such a violent passion with their fault-findings2 that1 at last1 ,i renounced them40 ,,abrazza--,very rash6 ,,babbalanja--,no1 your ,highness2 for though ,lombardo abandoned all monitors from without2 he retained one autocrat within--his crowned and sceptered instinct4 ,and what1 if he pulled down one gross world1 and ransacked the etherial spheres1 to build up something of his own--a composite3--what then8 matter and mind1 though matching not1 are mates2 and sundered oft1 in his ,koztanza they unite3--the airy waist1 embraced by stalwart arms4 ,,media--,incoherent again6 ,i thought we were to have no more of this6 ,,babbalanja--,my lord ,media1 there are things infinite in the finite2 and dualities in unities4 ,our eyes are pleased with the redness of the rose1 but another sense lives upon its fragrance4 ,its redness you must approach1 to view3 its invisible fragrance pervades the field4 ,so1 with the ,koztanza4 ,its mere beauty is restricted to its form3 its expanding soul1 past ,mardi does embalm4 ,modak is ,modako2 but fogle-foggle is not fugle-fi4 ,,media 7to ,abrazza7--,my lord1 you start again2 but 'tis only another phase of ,azzageeddi2 sometimes he's quite mad4 ,but all this you must needs overlook4 ,,abrazza--,i will1 my dear prince2 what one can not see through1 one must needs look over1 as you say4 ,,yoomy--,but trust me1 your ,highness1 some of those strange things fall far too melodiously upon the ear1 to be wholly deficient in meaning4 ,,abrazza--,your gentle minstrel1 this must be1 my lord4 ,but ,babbalanja1 the ,koztanza lacks cohesion2 it is wild1 unconnected1 all episode4 ,,babbalanja--,and so is ,mardi itself3--nothing but episodes2 valleys and hills2 rivers1 digressing from plains2 vines1 roving all over2 boulders and diamonds2 flowers and thistles2 forests and thickets2 and1 here and there1 fens and moors4 ,and so1 the world in the ,koztanza4 ,,abrazza--,ay1 plenty of dead-desert chapters there2 horrible sands to wade through4 ,,media--,now1 ,babbalanja1 away with your tropes2 and tell us of the work1 directly it was done4 ,what did ,lombardo then8 ,did he show it to any one for an opinion8 ,,babbalanja--,yes1 to ,zenzori2 who asked him where he picked up so much trash2 to ,hanto1 who bade him not be cast down1 it was pretty good2 to ,lucree1 who desired to know how much he was going to get for it2 to ,roddi1 who offered a suggestion4 ,,media--,and what was that8 ,,babbalanja--,that he had best make a faggot of the whole2 and try again4 ,,abrazza--,very encouraging4 ,,media--,any one else8 ,,babbalanja--,to ,pollo2 who1 conscious his opinion was sought1 was thereby puffed up2 and marking the faltering of ,lombardo's voice1 when the manuscript was handed him1 straightway concluded1 that the man who stood thus trembling at the bar1 must needs be inferior to the judge4 ,but his verdict was mild4 ,after sitting up all night over the work2 and diligently taking notes3--8,lombardo1 my friend6 here1 take your sheets4 ,i have run through them loosely4 ,you might have done better2 but then you might have done worse4 ,take them1 my friend2 ,i have put in some good things for you30 ,,media--,and who was ,pollo8 ,,babbalanja--,probably some one who lived in ,lombardo's time1 and went by that name4 ,he is incidentally mentioned1 and cursorily immortalized in one of the posthumous notes to the ,koztanza4 ,,media--,what is said of him there8 ,,babbalanja--,not much4 ,in a very old transcript of the work--that of ,aldina--the note alludes to a brave line in the text1 and runs thus3-- 8,diverting to tell1 it was this passage that an old prosodist1 one ,pollo1 claimed for his own4 ,he maintained he made a free-will offering of it to ,lombardo4 ,several things are yet extant of this ,pollo1 who died some weeks ago4 ,he seems to have been one of those1 who would do great things if they could2 but are content to compass the small4 ,he imagined1 that the precedence of authors he had established in his library1 was their ,mardi order of merit4 ,he condemned the sublime poems of ,vavona to his lowermost shelf4 #8,ah1' thought he1 #8how we library princes1 lord it over these beggarly authors6' ,well read in the history of their woes1 ,pollo pitied them all1 particularly the famous2 and wrote little essays of his own1 which he read to himself40 ,,media--,well3 and what said ,lombardo to those good friends of his1-- ,zenzori1 ,hanto1 and ,roddi8 ,,babbalanja--,nothing4 ,taking home his manuscript1 he glanced it over2 making three corrections4 ,,abrazza--,and what then8 ,,babbalanja--,then1 your ,highness1 he thought to try a conclave of professional critics2 saying to himself1 8,let them privately point out to me1 now1 all my blemishes2 so that1 what time they come to review me in public1 all will be well40 ,but curious to relate1 those professional critics1 for the most part1 held their peace1 concerning a work yet unpublished4 ,and1 with some generous exceptions1 in their vague1 learned way1 betrayed such base1 beggarly notions of authorship1 that ,lombardo could have wept1 had tears been his4 ,but in his very grief1 he ground his teeth4 ,muttered he1 8,they are fools4 ,in their eyes1 bindings not brains make books4 ,they criticise my tattered cloak1 not my soul1 caparisoned like a charger4 ,he is the great author1 think they1 who drives the best bargain with his wares3 and no bargainer am ,i4 ,because he is old1 they worship some mediocrity of an ancient1 and mock at the living prophet with the live coal on his lips4 ,they are men who would not be men1 had they no books4 ,their sires begat them not2 but the authors they have read4 ,feelings they have none3 and their very opinions they borrow4 ,they can not say yea1 nor nay1 without first consulting all ,mardi as an ,encyclopedia4 ,and all the learning in them1 is as a dead corpse in a coffin4 ,were they worthy the dignity of being damned1 ,i would damn them2 but they are not4 ,critics8--,asses6 rather mules6--so emasculated1 from vanity1 they can not father a true thought4 ,like mules1 too1 from dunghills1 they trample down gardens of roses3 and deem that crushed fragrance their own4--,oh6 that all round the domains of genius should lie thus unhedged1 for such cattle to uproot6 ,oh6 that an eagle should be stabbed by a goose-quill6 ,but at best1 the greatest reviewers but prey on my leavings4 ,for ,i am critic and creator2 and as critic1 in cruelty surpass all critics merely1 as a tiger1 jackals4 ,for ere ,mardi sees aught of mine1 ,i scrutinize it myself1 remorseless as a surgeon4 ,i cut right and left2 ,i probe1 tear1 and wrench2 kill1 burn1 and destroy2 and what's left after that1 the jackals are welcome to4 ,it is ,i that stab false thoughts1 ere hatched2 ,i that pull down wall and tower1 rejecting materials which would make palaces for others4 ,oh6 could ,mardi but see how we work1 it would marvel more at our primal chaos1 than at the round world thence emerging4 ,it would marvel at our scaffoldings1 scaling heaven2 marvel at the hills of earth1 banked all round our fabrics ere completed4--,how plain the pyramid6 ,in this grand silence1 so intense1 pierced by that pointed mass1--could ten thousand slaves have ever toiled8 ten thousand hammers rung8--,there it stands1 --part of ,mardi3 claiming kin with mountains2--was this thing piecemeal built8--,it was4 ,piecemeal8--atom by atom it was laid4 ,the world is made of mites40 ,,yoomy 7musing47--,it is even so4 ,,abrazza--,lombardo was severe upon the critics2 and they as much so upon him2--of that1 be sure4 ,,babbalanga--,your ,highness1 ,lombardo never presumed to criticise true critics2 who are more rare than true poets4 ,a great critic is a sultan among satraps2 but pretenders are thick as ants1 striving to scale a palm1 after its aerial sweetness4 ,and they fight among themselves4 ,essaying to pluck eagles1 they themselves are geese1 stuck full of quills1 of which they rob each other4 ,,abrazza 7to ,media47--,oro help the victim that falls in ,babbalanja's hands6 ,,media4--,ay1 my lord2 at times1 his every finger is a dagger3 every thought a falling tower that whelms6 ,but resume1 philosopher--what of ,lombardo now8 ,,babbalanja--8,for this thing10 said he1 8,i have agonized over it enough4--,i can wait no more4 ,it has faults--all mine2--its merits all its own2--but ,i can toil no longer4 ,the beings knit to me implore2 my heart is full2 my brain is sick4 ,let it go--let it go--and ,oro with it4 ,somewhere ,mardi has a mighty heart---that struck1 all the isles shall resound60 ,,abrazza--,poor devil6 he took the world too hard4 ,,media4-,as most of these mortals do1 my lord4 ,that's the load1 self- imposed1 under which ,babbalanja reels4 ,but now1 philosopher1 ere ,mardi saw it1 what thought ,lombardo of his work1 looking at it objectively1 as a thing out of him1 ,i mean4 ,,abrazza--,no doubt1 he hugged it4 ,,babbalanja--,hard to answer4 ,sometimes1 when by himself1 he thought hugely of it1 as my lord ,abrazza says2 but when abroad1 among men1 he almost despised it2 but when he bethought him of those parts1 written with full eyes1 half blinded2 temples throbbing2 and pain at the heart-- ,,abrazza--,pooh6 pooh6 ,,babbalanja--,he would say to himself1 8,sure1 it can not be in vain60 ,yet again1 when he bethought him of the hurry and bustle of ,mardi1 dejection stole over him4 8,who will heed it10 thought he2 8what care these fops and brawlers for me8 ,but am ,i not myself an egregious coxcomb8 ,who will read me8 ,say one thousand pages--twenty-five lines each--every line ten words--every word ten letters4 ,that's two million five hundred thousand a's1 and i's1 and o's to read6 ,how many are superfluous8 ,am ,i not mad to saddle ,mardi with such a task8 ,of all men1 am ,i the wisest1 to stand upon a pedestal1 and teach the mob8 ,ah1 my own ,kortanza6 child of many prayers6--in whose earnest eyes1 so fathomless1 ,i see my own2 and recall all past delights and silent agonies-thou may'st prove1 as the child of some fond dotard3-- beauteous to me2 hideous to ,mardi6 ,and methinks1 that while so much slaving merits that thou should'st not die2 it has not been intense1 prolonged enough1 for the high meed of immortality4 ,yet1 things immortal have been written2 and by men as me2--men1 who slept and waked2 and ate2 and talked with tongues like mine4 ,ah1 ,oro6 how may we know or not1 we are what we would be8 ,hath genius any stamp and imprint1 obvious to possessors8 ,has it eyes to see itself2 or is it blind8 ,or do we delude ourselves with being gods1 and end in grubs8 ,genius1 genius8--a thousand years hence1 to be a household-word8--,i8-- ,lombardo8 but yesterday cut in the market-place by a spangled fool6-- ,lombardo immortal8--,ha1 ha1 ,lombardo6 but thou art an ass1 with vast ears brushing the tops of palms6 ,ha1 ha1 ha6 ,methinks ,i see thee immortal6 #8,thus great ,lombardo saith2 and thus2 and thus2 and thus3-- thus saith he--illustrious ,lombardo6--,lombardo1 our great countryman6 ,lombardo1 prince of poets--,lombardo6 great ,lombardo6'--,ha1 ha1 ha6-- go1 go6 dig thy grave1 and bury thyself60 ,,abrazza--,he was very funny1 then1 at times4 ,,babbalanja--,very funny1 your ,highness3--amazing jolly6 ,and from my nethermost soul1 would to ,oro1 thou could'st but feel one touch of that jolly woe6 ,it would appall thee1 my ,right ,worshipful lord ,abrazza6 ,,abrazza 7to ,media7--,my dear lord1 his teeth are marvelously white and sharp3 some she-shark must have been his dam3--does he often grin thus8 ,it was infernal6 ,,media--,ah6 that's ,azzageddi4 ,but1 prithee1 ,babbalanja1 proceed4 ,,babbalanja--,your ,highness1 even in his calmer critic moods1 ,lombardo was far from fancying his work4 ,he confesses1 that it ever seemed to him but a poor scrawled copy of something within1 which1 do what he would1 he could not completely transfer4 8,my canvas was small10 said he2 8crowded out were hosts of things that came last4 ,but ,fate is in it40 ,and ,fate it was1 too1 your ,highness1 which forced ,lombardo1 ere his work was well done1 to take it off his easel1 and send it to be multiplied4 8,oh1 that ,i was not thus spurred60 cried he2 8but like many another1 in its very childhood1 this poor child of mine must go out into ,mardi1 and get bread for its sire40 ,,abrazza 7with a sigh7--,alas1 the poor devil6 ,but methinks 'twas wondrous arrogant in him to talk to all ,mardi at that lofty rate4--,did he think himself a god8 ,,babbalanja--,he himself best knew what he thought2 but1 like all others1 he was created by ,oro to some special end2 doubtless1 partly answered in his ,koztanza4 ,,media--,and now that ,lombardo is long dead and gone--and his work1 hooted during life1 lives after him--what think the present company of it8 ,speak1 my lord ,abrazza6 ,babbalanja6 ,mohi6 ,yoomy6 ,,abrazza 7tapping his sandal with his scepter7--,i never read it4 ,,babbalanja 7looking upward7--,it was written with a divine intent4 ,mohi 7stroking his beard7--,i never hugged it in a corner1 and ignored it before ,mardi4 ,yoomy 7musing7--,it has bettered my heart4 ,,media 7rising7--,and ,i have read it through nine times4 ,,babbalanja 7starting up7--,ah1 ,lombardo6 this must make thy ghost glad6 ,,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,they ,sup ,there seemed something sinister1 hollow1 heartless1 about ,abrazza1 and that green-and-yellow1 evil-starred crown that he wore4 ,but why think of that8 ,though we like not something in the curve of one's brow1 or distrust the tone of his voice2 yet1 let us away with suspicions if we may1 and make a jolly comrade of him1 in the name of the gods4 ,miserable6 thrice miserable he1 who is forever turning over and over one's character in his mind1 and weighing by nice avoirdupois1 the pros and the cons of his goodness and badness4 ,for we are all good and bad4 ,give me the heart that's huge as all ,asia2 and unless a man1 be a villain outright1 account him one of the best tempered blades in the world4 ,that night1 in his right regal hall1 ,king ,abrazza received us4 ,and in merry good time a fine supper was spread4 ,now1 in thus nocturnally regaling us1 our host was warranted by many ancient and illustrious examples4 ,for old ,jove gave suppers2 the god ,woden gave suppers2 the ,hindoo deity ,brahma gave suppers2 the ,red ,man's ,great ,spirit gave suppers3-- chiefly venison and game4 ,and many distinguished mortals besides4 ,ahasuerus gave suppers2 ,xerxes gave suppers2 ,montezuma gave suppers2 ,powhattan gave suppers2 the ,jews' ,passovers were suppers2 the ,pharaohs gave suppers2 ,julius ,caesar gave suppers3--and rare ones they were2 ,great ,pompey gave suppers2 ,nabob ,crassus gave suppers2 and ,heliogabalus1 surnamed the ,gobbler1 gave suppers4 ,it was a common saying of old1 that ,king ,pluto gave suppers2 some say he is giving them still4 ,if so1 he is keeping tip-top company1 old ,pluto3--,emperors and ,czars2 ,great ,moguls and ,great ,khans2 ,grand ,lamas and ,grand ,dukes2 ,prince ,regents and ,queen ,dowagers3--,tamerlane hob-a-nobbing with ,bonaparte2 ,antiochus with ,solyman the ,magnificent2 ,pisistratus pledging ,pilate2 ,semiramis eating bon-bons with ,bloody ,mary1 and her namesake of ,medicis2 the ,thirty ,tyrants quaffing three to one with the ,council of ,ten2 and ,sultans1 ,satraps1 ,viziers1 ,hetmans1 ,soldans1 ,landgraves1 ,bashaws1 ,doges1 ,dauphins1 ,infantas1 ,incas1 and ,caciques looking on4 ,again3 at ,arbela1 the conqueror of conquerors1 conquering son of ,olympia by ,jupiter himself1 sent out cards to his captains1-- ,hephestion1 ,antigonus1 ,antipater1 and the rest--to join him at ten1 p4m41 in the ,temple of ,belus2 there1 to sit down to a victorious supper1 off the gold plate of the ,assyrian ,high ,priests4 ,how majestically he poured out his old ,madeira that night6--feeling grand and lofty as the ,himmalehs2 yea1 all ,babylon nodded her towers in his soul6 ,spread1 heaped up1 stacked with good things2 and redolent of citrons and grapes1 hilling round tall vases of wine2 and here and there1 waving with fresh orange-boughs1 among whose leaves1 myriads of small tapers gleamed like fire-flies in groves1--,abrazza's glorious board showed like some banquet in ,paradise3 ,ceres and ,pomona presiding2 and jolly ,bacchus1 like a recruit with a mettlesome rifle1 staggering back as he fires off the bottles of vivacious champagne4 ,in ranges1 roundabout stood living candelabras3--lackeys1 gayly bedecked1 with tall torches in their hands2 and at one end1 stood trumpeters1 bugles at their lips4 8,this way1 my dear ,media6--this seat at my left--,noble ,taji6--my right4 ,babbalanja6--,mohi--where you are4 ,but where's pretty ,yoomy8-- ,gone to meditate in the moonlight8 ah6--,very good4 ,let the banquet begin4 ,a blast there60 ,and charge all did4 ,the venison1 wild boar's meat1 and buffalo-humps1 were extraordinary2 the wine1 of rare vintages1 like bottled lightning2 and the first course1 a brilliant affair1 went off like a rocket4 ,but as yet1 ,babbalanja joined not in the revels4 ,his mood was on him2 and apart he sat2 silently eyeing the banquet2 and ever and anon muttering1--8,fogle-foggle1 fugle-fi4--0 ,the first fury of the feast over1 said ,king ,media1 pouring out from a heavy flagon into his goblet1 8,abrazza1 these suppers are wondrous fine things40 8,ay1 my dear lord1 much better than dinners40 8,so they are1 so they are4 ,the dinner-hour is the summer of the day3 full of sunshine1 ,i grant2 but not like the mellow autumn of supper4 ,a dinner1 you know1 may go off rather stiffly2 but invariably suppers are jovial4 ,at dinners1 'tis not till you take in sail1 furl the cloth1 bow the lady-passengers out1 and make all snug2 'tis not till then1 that one begins to ride out the gale with complacency4 ,but at these suppers--,good ,oro6 your cup is empty1 my dear demi-god6--,but at these suppers1 ,i say1 all is snug and ship-shape before you begin2 and when you begin1 you waive the beginning1 and begin in the middle4 ,and as for the cloth1--but tell us1 ,braid-,beard1 what that old king of ,franko1 ,ludwig the ,fat1 said of that matter4 ,the cloth for suppers1 you know4 ,it's down in your chronicles40 8,my lord10--wiping his beard1--8,old ,ludwig was of opinion1 that at suppers the cloth was superfluous1 unless on the back of some jolly good friar4 ,said he1 #8,for one1 ,i prefer sitting right down to the unrobed table4'0 8,high and royal authority1 that of ,ludwig the ,fat10 said ,babbalanja1 8far higher than the authority of ,ludwig the ,great3--the one1 only great by courtesy2 the other1 fat beyond a peradventure4 ,but they are equally famous2 and in their graves1 both on a par4 ,for after devouring many a fair province1 and grinding the poor of his realm1 ,ludwig the ,great has long since1 himself1 been devoured by very small worms1 and ground into very fine dust4 ,and after stripping many a venison rib1 ,ludwig the ,fat has had his own polished and bleached in the ,valley of ,death2 yea1 and his cranium chased with corrodings1 like the carved flagon once held to its jaws40 8,my lord6 my lord60--cried ,abrazza to ,media--8this ghastly devil of yours grins worse than a skull4 ,i feel the worms crawling over me6--,by ,oro we must eject him60 8,no1 no1 my lord4 ,let him sit there1 as of old the ,death's-head graced the feasts of the ,pharaohs--let him sit--let him sit--for ,death but imparts a flavor to ,life--,go on3 wag your tongue without fear1 ,azzageddi6--,but come1 ,braid-,beard6 let's hear more of the ,ludwigs40 8,well1 then1 your ,highness1 of all the eighteen royal ,ludwigs of ,franko--0 8,who like so many ten-pins1 all in a row10 interposed ,babbalanja-- 8have been bowled off the course by grim ,death40 8,heed him not10 said ,media--8go on40 8,the ,debonnaire1 the ,pious1 the ,stammerer1 the ,do-,nothing1 the ,juvenile1 the ,quarreler3--of all these1 ,i say1 ,ludwig the ,fat was the best table-man of them all4 ,such a full orbed paunch was his1 that no way could he devise of getting to his suppers1 but by getting right into them4 ,like the ,zodiac his table was circular1 and full in the middle he sat1 like a sun2--all his jolly stews and ragouts revolving around him40 8,yea10 said ,babbalanja1 8a very round sun was ,ludwig the ,fat4 ,no wonder he's down in the chronicles2 several ells about the waist1 and ,king of cups and ,tokay4 ,truly1 a famous king3 three hundred-weight of lard1 with a diadem on top3 lean brains and a fat doublet--a demijohn of a demi-god60 8,is this to be longer borne80 cried ,abrazza1 starting up4 8,quaff that sneer down1 devil6 on the instant6 down with it1 to the dregs6 ,this comes1 my lord ,media1 of having a slow drinker at one's board4 ,like an iceberg1 such a fellow frosts the whole atmosphere of a banquet1 and is felt a league off ,we must thrust him out4 ,guards60 8,back6 touch him not1 hounds60--cried ,media4 8,your pardon1 my lord1 but we'll keep him to it2 and melt him down in this good wine4 ,drink6 ,i command it1 drink1 ,babbalanja60 8,and am ,i not drinking1 my lord8 ,surely you would not that ,i should imbibe more than ,i can hold4 ,the measure being full1 all poured in after that is but wasted4 ,i am for being temperate in these things1 my good lord4 ,and my one cup outlasts three of yours4 ,better to sip a pint1 than pour down a quart4 ,all things in moderation are good2 whence1 wine in moderation is good4 ,but all things in excess are bad3 whence wine in excess is bad40 8,away with your logic and conic sections6 ,drink6--,but no1 no3 ,i am too severe4 ,for of all meals a supper should be the most social and free4 ,and going thereto we kings1 my lord1 should lay aside our scepters4-- ,do as you please ,babbalanja40 8,you are right1 you are right1 after all1 my dear demi-god10 said ,abrazza4 8,and to say truth1 ,i seldom worry myself with the ways of these mortals2 for no thanks do we demi-gods get4 ,we kings should be ever indifferent4 ,nothing like a cold heart2 warm ones are ever chafing1 and getting into trouble4 ,i let my mortals here in this isle take heed to themselves2 only barring them out when they would thrust in their petitions4 ,this very instant1 my lord1 my yeoman-guard is on duty without1 to drive off intruders4--,hark6--what noise is that8--,ho1 who comes80 ,at that instant1 there burst into the hall1 a crowd of spearmen1 driven before a pale1 ragged rout1 that loudly invoked ,king ,abrazza4 8,pardon1 my lord king1 for thus forcing an entrance6 ,but long in vain have we knocked at thy gates6 ,our grievances are more than we can bear6 ,give ear to our spokesman1 we beseech60 ,and from their tumultuous midst1 they pushed forward a tall1 grim1 pine-tree of a fellow1 who loomed up out of the throng1 like the ,peak of ,teneriffe among the ,canaries in a storm4 8,drive the knaves out6 ,ho1 cowards1 guards1 turn about6 charge upon them6 ,away with your grievances6 ,drive them out1 ,i say1 drive them out6--,high times1 truly1 my lord ,media1 when demi-gods are thus annoyed at their wine4 ,oh1 who would reign over mortals60 ,so at last1 with much difficulty1 the ragged rout were ejected2 the ,peak of ,teneriffe going last1 a pent storm on his brow2 and muttering about some black time that was corning4 ,while the hoarse murmurs without still echoed through the hall1 ,king ,abrazza refilling his cup thus spoke3--8,you were saying1 my dear lord1 that of all meals a supper is the most social and free4 ,very true4 ,and of all suppers those given by us bachelor demi-gods are the best4 ,are they not80 8,they are4 ,for ,benedict mortals must be home betimes3 bachelor demi-gods are never away40 8,ay1 your ,highnesses1 bachelors are all the year round at home20 said ,mohi3 8sitting out life in the chimney corner1 cozy and warm as the dog1 whilome turning the old-fashioned roasting jack40 8,and to us bachelor demi-gods10 cried ,media 8our to-morrows are as long rows of fine punches1 ranged on a board1 and waiting the hand40 8,but my good lords10 said ,babbalanja1 now brightening with wine2 8if1 of all suppers those given by bachelors be the best3--of all bachelors1 are not your priests and monks the jolliest8 ,i mean1 behind the scenes8 ,their prayers all said1 and their futurities securely invested1--who so carefree and cozy as they8 ,yea1 a supper for two in a friar's cell in ,maramma1 is merrier far1 than a dinner for five-and-twenty1 in the broad right wing of ,donjalolo's great ,palace of the ,morn40 8,bravo1 ,babbalanja60 cried ,media1 8your iceberg is thawing4 ,more of that1 more of that4 ,did ,i not say1 we would melt him down at last1 my lord80 8,ay10 continued ,babbalanja1 8bachelors are a noble fraternity3 ,i'm a bachelor myself4 ,one of ye1 in that matter1 my lord demi-gods4 ,and if unlike the patriarchs of the world1 we father not our brigades and battalions2 and send not out into the battles of our country whole regiments of our own individual raising2--yet do we oftentimes leave behind us goodly houses and lands2 rare old brandies and mountain ,malagas2 and more especially1 warm doublets and togas1 and spatterdashes1 wherewithal to keep comfortable those who survive us2-- casing the legs and arms1 which others beget4 ,then compare not invidiously ,benedicts with bachelors1 since thus we make an equal division of the duties1 which both owe to posterity40 8,suppers forever60 cried ,media4 8,see1 my lord1 what yours has done for ,babbalanja4 ,he came to it a skeleton2 but will go away1 every bone padded60 8,ay1 my lord demi-gods10 said ,babbalanja1 drop by drop refilling his goblet4 8,these suppers are all very fine1 very pleasant1 and merry4 ,but we pay for them roundly4 ,every thing1 my good lords1 has its price1 from a marble to a world4 ,and easier of digestion1 and better for both body and soul1 are a half-haunch of venison and a gallon of mead1 taken under the sun at meridian1 than the soft bridal breast of a partridge1 with some gentle negus1 at the noon of night60 8,no lie that60 said ,mohi4 8,beshrew me1 in no well-appointed mansion doth the pantry lie adjoining the sleeping chamber4 ,a good thought3 ,i'll fill up1 and ponder on it40 8,let not ,azzageddi get uppermost again1 ,babbalanja10 cried ,media4 8,your goblet is only half-full40 8,permit it to remain so2 my lord4 ,for whoso takes much wine to bed with him1 has a bedfellow1 more restless than a somnambulist4 ,and though ,wine be a jolly blade at the board1 a sulky knave is he under a blanket4 ,i know him of old4 ,yet1 your ,highness1 for all this1 to many a ,mardian1 suppers are still better than dinners1 at whatever cost purchased4 ,forasmuch1 as many have more leisure to sup1 than dine4 ,and though you demi-gods1 may dine at your ease2 and dine it out into night3 and sit and chirp over your ,burgundy1 till the morning larks join your crickets1 and wed matins to vespers2--far otherwise1 with us plebeian mortals4 ,from our dinners1 we must hie to our anvils3 and the last jolly jorum evaporates in a cark and a care40 8,methinks he relapses10 said ,abrazza4 8,it waxes late10 said ,mohi2 8your ,highnesses1 is it not time to break up80 8,no1 no601 cried ,abrazza2 8let the day break when it will3 but no breakings for us4 ,it's only midnight4 ,this way with the wine2 pass it along1 my dear ,media4 ,we are young yet1 my sweet lord2 light hearts and heavy purses2 short prayers and long rent-rolls4 ,pass round the ,tokay6 ,we demi-gods have all our old age for a dormitory4 ,come6--,round and round with the flagons6 ,let them disappear like mile-stones on a race-course60 8,ah60 murmured ,babbalanja1 holding his full goblet at arm's length on the board1 8not thus with the hapless wight1 born with a hamper on his back1 and blisters in his palms4--,toil and sleep--sleep and toil1 are his days and his nights2 he goes to bed with a lumbago1 and wakes with the rheumatics2--,i know what it is2--he snatches lunches1 not dinners1 and makes of all life a cold snack6 ,yet praise be to ,oro1 though to such men dinners are scarce worth the eating2 nevertheless1 praise ,oro again1 a good supper is something4 ,off jack-boots2 nay1 off shirt1 if you will1 and go at it4 ,hurrah6 the fagged day is done3 the last blow is an echo4 ,twelve long hours to sunrise6 ,and would it were an ,antarctic night1 and six months to to-morrow6 ,but1 hurrah6 the very bees have their hive1 and after a day's weary wandering1 hie home to their honey4 ,so they stretch out their stiff legs1 rub their lame elbows1 and putting their tired right arms in a sling1 set the others to fetching and carrying from dishes to dentals1 from foaming flagon to the demijohn which never pours out at the end you pour in4 ,ah6 after all1 the poorest devil in ,mardi lives not in vain4 ,there's a soft side to the hardest oak-plank in the world60 8,methinks ,i have heard some such sentimental gabble as this before from my slaves1 my lord10 said ,abrazza to ,media4 8,it has the old gibberish flavor40 8,gibberish1 your ,highness8 ,gibberish8 ,i'm full of it--,i'm a gibbering ghost1 my right worshipful lord6 ,here1 pass your hand through me-- here1 here1 and scorch it where ,i most burn4 ,by ,oro6 ,king6 but ,i will gibe and gibber at thee1 till thy crown feels like another skull clapped on thy own4 ,gibberish8 ay1 in hell we'll gibber in concert1 king6 we'll howl1 and roast1 and hiss together60 8,devil that thou art1 begone6 ,ho1 guards6 seize him60 8,back1 curs60 cried ,media4 8,harm not a hair of his head4 ,i crave pardon1 ,king ,abrazza1 but no violence must be done ,babbalanja40 8,trumpets there60 said ,abrazza2 8so3 the banquet is done--lights for ,king ,media6 ,good-night1 my lord60 ,now1 thus1 for the nonce1 with good cheer1 we close4 ,and after many fine dinners and banquets--through light and through shade2 through mirth1 sorrow1 and all--drawing nigh to the evening end of these wanderings wild--meet is it that all should be regaled with a supper4 ,,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,they ,embark ,next morning1 ,king ,abrazza sent frigid word to ,media that the day was very fine for yachting2 but he much regretted that indisposition would prevent his making one of the party1 who that morning doubtless would depart his isle4 8,my compliments to your king10 said ,media to the chamberlains1 8and say the royal notice to quit was duly received40 8,take ,azzageddi's also10 said ,babbalanja2 8and say1 ,i hope his ,highness will not fail in his appointment with me3--the first midnight after he dies2 at the grave-yard corner2--there ,i'll be1 and grin again60 ,sailing on1 the next land we saw was thickly wooded3 hedged round about by mangrove trees2 which growing in the water1 yet lifted high their boughs4 ,here and there were shady nooks1 half verdure and half water4 ,fishes rippled1 and canaries sung4 8,let us break through1 my lord10 said ,yoomy1 8and seek the shore4 ,its solitudes must prove reviving40 8,solitudes they are10 cried ,mohi4 8,peopled but not enlivened10 said ,babbalanja4 8,hard landing here1 minstrel6 see you not the isle is hedged80 8,why1 break through1 then10 said ,media4 8,yillah is not here40 8,i mistrusted it10 sighed ,yoomy2 8an imprisoned island6 full of uncomplaining woes3 like many others we must have glided by1 unheedingly4 ,yet of them have ,i heard4 ,this isle many pass1 marking its outward brightness1 but dreaming not of the sad secrets here embowered4 ,haunt of the hopeless6 ,in those inland woods brood ,mardians who have tasted ,mardi1 and found it bitter--the draught so sweet to others6--maidens whose unimparted bloom has cankered in the bud2 and children1 with eyes averted from life's dawn--like those new-oped morning blossoms which1 foreseeing storms1 turn and close40 8,yoomy's rendering of the truth10 said ,mohi4 8,why land1 then80 said ,media4 8,no merry man of sense--no demi-god like me1 will do it4 ,let's away2 let's see all that's pleasant1 or that seems so1 in our circuit1 and1 if possible1 shun the sad40 8,then we have circled not the round reef wholly10 said ,babbalanja1 8but made of it a segment4 ,for this is far from being the first sad land1 my lord1 that we have slighted at your instance40 8,no more4 ,i will have no gloom4 ,a chorus6 there1 ye paddlers6 spread all your sails2 ply paddles2 breeze up1 merry winds60 ,and so1 in the saffron sunset1 we neared another shore4 ,a gloomy-looking land6 black1 beetling crags1 rent by volcanic clefts2 ploughed up with water-courses1 and dusky with charred woods4 ,the beach was strewn with scoria and cinders2 in dolorous soughs1 a chill wind blew2 wails issued from the caves2 and yellow1 spooming surges1 lashed the moaning strand4 8,shall we land80 said ,babbalanja4 8,not here10 cried ,yoomy2 8no ,yillah here40 8,no10 said ,media4 8,this is another of those lands far better to avoid40 8,know ye not10 said ,mohi1 8that here are the mines of ,king ,klanko1 whose scourged slaves1 toiling in their pits1 so nigh approach the volcano's bowels1 they hear its rumblings8 #8,yet they must work on1' cries ,klanko1 #8the mines still yield6' ,and daily his slaves' bones are brought above ground1 mixed with the metal masses40 8,set all sail there1 men6 away60 8,my lord10 said ,babbalanja2 8still must we shun the unmitigated evil2 and only view the good2 or evil so mixed therewith1 the mixture's both80 ,half vailed in misty clouds1 the harvest-moon now rose2 and in that pale and haggard light1 all sat silent2 each man in his own secret mood3 best knowing his own thoughts4 ,,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,babbalanja ,at ,the ,full ,of ,the ,moon 8,ho1 mortals6 ,go we to a funeral1 that our paddles seem thus muffled8 ,up heart1 ,taji6 or does that witch ,hautia haunt thee8 ,be a demi-god once more1 and laugh4 ,her flowers are not barbs2 and the avengers' arrows are too blunt to slay4 ,babbalanja6 ,mohi6 ,yoomy6 up heart6 up heart6--,by ,oro6 ,i will debark the whole company on the next land we meet4 ,no tears for me4 ,ha1 ha6 let us laugh4 ,ho1 ,vee-,vee6 awake2 quick1 boy1--some wine6 and let us make glad1 beneath the glad moon4 ,look6 it is stealing forth from its clouds4 ,perdition to ,hautia6 ,long lives1 and merry ones to ourselves6 ,taji1 my charming fellow1 here's to you3--,may your heart be a stone6 ,ha1 ha6--will nobody join me8 ,my laugh is lonely as his who laughed in his tomb4 ,come1 laugh2 will no one quaff wine1 ,i say8 ,see6 the round moon is abroad40 8,say you so1 my lord8 then for one1 ,i am with you20 cried ,babbalanja4 8,fill me a brimmer4 ,ah6 but this wine leaps through me like a panther4 ,ay1 let us laugh3 let us roar3 let us yell6 ,what1 if ,i was sad but just now8 ,life is an ,april day1 that both laughs and weeps in a breath4 ,but whoso is wise1 laughs when he can4 ,men fly from a groan2 but run to a laugh4 ,vee-,vee6 your gourd4 ,my lord1 let me help you4 ,ah1 how it sparkles6 ,cups1 cups1 ,vee-,vee1 more cups6 ,here1 ,taji1 take that3 ,mohi1 take that3 ,yoomy1 take that4 ,and now let us drown away grief4 ,ha6 ha6 the house of mourning1 is deserted1 though of old good cheer kept the funeral guests2 and so keep ,i mine2 here ,i sit by my dead1 and replenish your wine cups4 ,old ,mohi1 your cup3 ,yoomy1 yours3 ha6 ha6 let us laugh1 let us scream6 ,weeds are put off at a fair2 no heart bursts but in secret2 it is good to laugh1 though the laugh be hollow2 and wise to make merry1 now and for aye4 ,laugh1 and make friends3 weep1 and they go4 ,women sob1 and are rid of their grief3 men laugh1 and retain it4 ,there is laughter in heaven1 and laughter in hell4 ,and a deep thought whose language is laughter4 ,though wisdom be wedded to woe1 though the way thereto is by tears1 yet all ends in a shout4 ,but wisdom wears no weeds2 woe is more merry than mirth2 'tis a shallow grief that is sad4 ,ha6 ha6 how demoniacs shout2 how all skeletons grin2 we all die with a rattle4 ,laugh6 laugh6 ,are the cherubim grave8 ,humor1 thy laugh is divine2 whence1 mirth-making idiots have been revered2 and therefore may ,i4 ,ho6 let us be gay1 if it be only for an hour1 and ,death hand us the goblet4 ,vee-,vee6 bring on your gourds6 ,let us pledge each other in bumpers6--let us laugh1 laugh1 laugh it out to the last4 ,all sages have laughed1--let us2 ,bardianna laughed1 let us2 ,demorkriti laughed1--let us3 ,amoree laughed1--let us2 ,rabeelee roared1--let us2 the hyenas grin1 the jackals yell1--let us4--,but you don't laugh1 my lord8 laugh away60 8,no1 thank you1 ,azzageddi1 not after that infernal fashion2 better weep40 8,he makes me crawl all over1 as if ,i were an ant-hill10 said ,mohi4 8,he's mad1 mad1 mad60 cried ,yoomy4 8,ay1 mad1 mad1 mad6--mad as the mad fiend that rides me6--,but come1 sweet minstrel1 wilt list to a song8--,we madmen are all poets1 you know3--,ha6 ha6-- ,stars laugh in the sky3 ,oh fugle-fi ,i ,the waves dimple below3 ,oh fugle-fo6 8,the wind strikes her dulcimers2 the groves give a shout2 the hurricane is only an hysterical laugh2 and the lightning that blasts1 blasts only in play4 ,we must laugh or we die2 to laugh is to live4 ,not to laugh is to have the tetanus4 ,will you weep8 then laugh while you weep4 ,for mirth and sorrow are kin2 are published by identical nerves4 ,go1 ,yoomy3 go study anatomy3 there is much to be learned from the dead1 more than you may learn from the living and ,i am dead though ,i live2 and as soon dissect myself as another2 ,i curiously look into my secrets3 and grope under my ribs4 ,i have found that the heart is not whole1 but divided2 that it seeks a soft cushion whereon to repose2 that it vitalizes the blood2 which else were weaker than water3 ,i have found that we can not live without hearts2 though the heartless live longest4 ,yet hug your hearts1 ye handful that have them2 'tis a blessed inheritance6 ,thus1 thus1 my lord1 ,i run on2 from one pole to the other2 from this thing to that4 ,but so the great world goes round1 and in one ,somerset1 shows the sun twenty-five thousand miles of a landscape60 ,at that instant1 down went the fiery full-moon1 and the ,dog-,star2 and far down into ,media1 a ,tivoli of wine4 ,,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,morning ,life or death1 weal or woe1 the sun stays not his course4 ,on3 over battle-field and bower2 over tower1 and town1 he speeds1--peers in at births1 and death-beds2 lights up cathedral1 mosque1 and pagan shrine2--laughing over all2--a very ,democritus in the sky2 and in one brief day sees more than any pilgrim in a century's round4 ,so1 the sun2 nearer heaven than we3--with what mind1 then1 may blessed ,oro downward look4 ,it was a purple1 red1 and yellow ,east2--streaked1 and crossed4 ,and down from breezy mountains1 robust and ruddy ,morning came1--a plaided ,highlander1 waving his plumed bonnet to the isles4 ,over the neighboring groves the larks soared high2 and soaring1 sang in jubilees2 while across our bows1 between two isles1 a mighty moose swam stately as a seventy-four2 and backward tossed his antlered wilderness in air4 ,just bounding from fresh morning groves1 with the brine he mixed the dew of leaves1--his antlers dripping on the swell1 that rippled before his brown and bow-like chest4 8,five hundred thousand centuries since10 said ,babbalanja1 8this same sight was seen4 ,with ,oro1 the sun is co-eternal2 and the same life that moves that moose1 animates alike the sun and ,oro4 ,all are parts of ,one4 ,in me1 in me1 flit thoughts participated by the beings peopling all the stars4 ,saturn1 and ,mercury1 and ,mardi1 are brothers1 one and all2 and across their orbits1 to each other talk1 like souls4 ,of these things what chapters might be writ6 ,oh6 that flesh can not keep pace with spirit4 ,oh6 that these myriad germ-dramas in me1 should so perish hourly1 for lack of power mechanic4--,worlds pass worlds in space1 as men1 men1--in thoroughfares2 and after periods of thousand years1 cry3--8,well met1 my friend1 again60--,to me to me1 they talk in mystic music2 ,i hear them think through all their zones4 --,hail1 furthest worlds6 and all the beauteous beings in ye6 ,fan me1 sweet ,zenora6 with thy twilight wings6--,ho6 let's voyage to ,aldebaran4--,ha6 indeed1 a ruddy world6 ,what a buoyant air6 ,not like to ,mardi1 this4 ,ruby columns3 minarets of amethyst3 diamond domes6 ,who is this8--a god8 ,what a lake-like brow6 transparent as the morning air4 ,i see his thoughts like worlds revolving--and in his eyes--like unto heavens--soft falling stars are shooting4--,how these thousand passing wings winnow away my breath3--,i faint3--back1 back to some small asteroid4--,sweet being6 if1 by ,mardian word ,i may address thee-- speak6--#8,i bear a soul in germ within me2 ,i feel the first1 faint trembling1 like to a harp-string1 vibrate in my inmost being4 ,kill me1 and generations die4'--,so1 of old1 the unbegotten lived within the virgin2 who then loved her ,god1 as new-made mothers their babes ere born4 ,oh1 ,alma1 ,alma1 ,alma6--,fangs off1 fiend6--will that name ever lash thee into foam8--,smite not my face so1 forked flames60 8,babbalanja6 ,babbalanja6 rouse1 man6 rouse6 ,art in hell and damned1 that thy sinews so snake-like coil and twist all over thee8 ,thy brow is black as ,ops6 ,turn1 turn6 see yonder moose60 8,hail6 mighty brute6--thou feelest not these things3 never canst thou be damned4 ,moose6 would thy soul were mine2 for if that scorched thing1 mine1 be immortal--so thine2 and thy life hath not the consciousness of death4 ,i read profound placidity--deep--million-- violet fathoms down1 in that soft1 pathetic1 woman eye6 ,what is man's shrunk form to thine1 thou woodland majesty8--,moose1 moose6--my soul is shot again--,oh1 ,oro6 ,oro60 8,he falls60 cried ,media4 8,mark the agony in his waning eye10 said ,yoomy2--8alas1 poor ,babbalanja6 ,is this thing of madness conscious to thyself8 ,if ever thou art sane again1 wilt thou have reminiscences8 ,take my robe3-- here1 ,i strip me to cover thee and all thy woes4 ,oro6 by this1 thy being's side1 ,i kneel3--grant death or happiness to ,babbalanja60 ,,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,l'ultima ,sera ,thus far1 through myriad islands1 had we searched3 of all1 no one pen may write3 least1 mine2--and still no trace of ,yillah4 ,but though my hopes revived not from their ashes2 yet1 so much of ,mardi had we searched1 it seemed as if the long pursuit must1 ere many moons1 be ended2 whether for weal or woe1 my frenzy sometimes reeked not4 ,after its first fair morning flushings1 all that day was overcast4 ,we sailed upon an angry sea1 beneath an angry sky4 ,deep scowled on deep2 and in dun vapors1 the blinded sun went down1 unseen2 though full toward the ,west our three prows were pointed2 steadfast as three printed points upon the compass-card4 8,when we set sail from ,odo1 'twas a glorious morn in spring10 said ,yoomy2 8toward the rising sun we steered4 ,but now1 beneath autumnal night-clouds1 we hasten to its setting40 8,how now80 cried ,media2 8why is the minstrel mournful8--,he whose place it is to chase away despondency3 not be its minister40 8,ah1 my lord1 so thou thinkest4 ,but better can my verses soothe the sad1 than make them light of heart4 ,nor are we minstrels so gay of soul as ,mardi deems us4 ,the brook that sings the sweetest1 murmurs through the loneliest woods3 ,the isles hold thee not1 thou departed6 ,from thy bower1 now issues no lay3-- ,in vain we recall perished warblings3 ,spring birds1 to far climes1 wing their way60 ,as ,yoomy thus sang2 unmindful of the lay1 with paddle plying1 in low1 pleasant tones1 thus hummed to himself our bowsman1 a gamesome wight3-- ,ho6 merrily ho6 we paddlers sail6 ,ho6 over sea-dingle1 and dale6-- ,our pulses fly1 ,our hearts beat high1 ,ho6 merrily1 merrily1 ho6 ,but a sudden splash1 and a shrill1 gurgling sound1 like that of a fountain subsiding1 now broke upon the air4 ,then all was still1 save the rush of the waves by our keels4 8,save him6 ,put back60 ,from his elevated seat1 the merry bowsman1 too gleefully reaching forward1 had fallen into the lagoon4 ,with all haste1 our speeding canoes were reversed2 but not till we had darted in upon another darkness than that in which the bowsman fell4 ,as1 blindly1 we groped back1 deep ,night dived deeper down in the sea4 8,drop paddles all1 and list40 ,holding their breath1 over the six gunwales all now leaned2 but the only moans were the wind's4 ,long time we lay thus2 then slowly crossed and recrossed our track1 almost hopeless2 but yet loth to leave him who1 with a song in his mouth1 died and was buried in a breath4 8,let us away10 said ,media--8why seek more8 ,he is gone40 8,ay1 gone10 said ,babbalanja1 8and whither8 ,but a moment since1 he was among us3 now1 the fixed stars are not more remote than he4 ,so far off1 can he live8 ,oh1 ,oro6 this death thou ordainest1 unmans the manliest4 ,say not nay1 my lord4 ,let us not speak behind ,death's back4 ,hard and horrible is it to die3 blindfold to leap from life's verge6 ,but thus1 in clouds of dust1 and with a trampling as of hoofs1 the generations disappear2 death driving them all into his treacherous fold1 as wild ,indians the bison herds4 ,nay1 nay1 ,death is ,life's last despair4 ,hard and horrible is it to die4 ,oro himself1 in ,alma1 died not without a groan4 ,yet why1 why live8 ,life is wearisome to all3 the same dull round4 ,day and night1 summer and winter1 round about us revolving for aye4 ,one moment lived1 is a life4 ,no new stars appear in the sky2 no new lights in the soul4 ,yet1 of changes there are many4 ,for though1 with rapt sight1 in childhood1 we behold many strange things beneath the moon1 and all ,mardi looks a tented fair-- how soon every thing fades4 ,all of us1 in our very bodies1 outlive our own selves4 ,i think of green youth as of a merry playmate departed2 and to shake hands1 and be pleasant with my old age1 seems in prospect even harder1 than to draw a cold stranger to my bosom4 ,but old age is not for me4 ,i am not of the stuff that grows old4 ,this ,mardi is not our home4 ,up and down we wander1 like exiles transported to a planet afar3--'tis not the world we were born in2 not the world once so lightsome and gay2 not the world where we once merrily danced1 dined1 and supped2 and wooed1 and wedded our long-buried wives4 ,then let us depart4 ,but whither8 ,we push ourselves forward then1 start back in affright4 ,essay it again1 and flee4 ,hard to live2 hard to die2 intolerable suspense6 ,but the grim despot at last interposes2 and with a viper in our winding-sheets1 we are dropped in the sea40 8,to me10 said ,mohi1 his gray locks damp with night-dews1 8death's dark defile at times seems at hand1 with no voice to cheer4 ,that all have died1 makes it not easier for me to depart4 ,and that many have been quenched in infancy seems a mercy to the slow perishing of my old age1 limb by limb and sense by sense4 ,i have long been the tomb of my youth4 ,and more has died out of me1 already1 than remains for the last death to finish4 ,babbalanja says truth4 ,in childhood1 death stirred me not2 in middle age1 it pursued me like a prowling bandit on the road2 now1 grown an old man1 it boldly leads the way2 and ushers me on2 and turns round upon me its skeleton gaze3 poisoning the last solaces of life4 ,maramma but adds to my gloom40 8,death6 death60 cried ,yoomy1 8must ,i be not1 and millions be8 ,must ,i go1 and the flowers still bloom8 ,oh1 ,i have marked what it is to be dead2--how shouting boys1 of holidays1 hide-and-seek among the tombs1 which must hide all seekers at last40 8,clouds on clouds60 cried ,media1 8but away with them all6 ,why not leap your graves1 while ye may8 ,time to die1 when death comes1 without dying by inches4 ',tis no death1 to die2 the only death is the fear of it4 ,i1 a demi-god1 fear death not40 8,but when the jackals howl round you80 said ,babbalanja4 8,drive them off6 ,die the demi-god's death6 ,on his last couch of crossed spears1 my brave old sire cried1 #8,wine1 wine2 strike up1 conch and cymbal2 let the king die to martial melodies6'0 8,more valiant dying1 than dead10 said ,babbalanja4 8,our end of the winding procession resounds with music and flaunts with banners with brave devices3 #8,cheer up6' #8,fear not6' #8,millions have died before6'-- but in the endless van1 not a pennon streams2 all there1 is silent and solemn4 ,the last wisdom is dumb40 ,silence ensued2 during which1 each dip of the paddles in the now calm water1 fell full and long upon the ear4 ,anon1 lifting his head1 ,babbalanja thus3--8,yillah still eludes us4 ,and in all this tour of ,mardi1 how little have we found to fill the heart with peace3 how much to slaughter all our yearnings40 8,croak no more1 raven60 cried ,media4 8,mardi is full of spring-time sights1 and jubilee sounds4 ,i never was sad in my life40 8,but for thy one laugh1 my lord1 how many groans6 ,were all happy1 or all miserable1--more tolerable then1 than as it is4 ,but happiness and misery are so broadly marked1 that this ,mardi may be the retributive future of some forgotten past4--,yet vain our surmises4 ,still vainer to say1 that all ,mardi is but a means to an end2 that this life is a state of probation3 that evil is but permitted for a term2 that for specified ages a rebel angel is viceroy4--,nay1 nay4 ,oro delegates his scepter to none2 in his everlasting reign there are no interregnums2 and ,time is ,eternity2 and we live in ,eternity now4 ,yet1 some tell of a hereafter1 where all the mysteries of life will be over2 and the sufferings of the virtuous recompensed4 ,oro is just1 they say4--,then always1--now1 and evermore4 ,but to make restitution implies a wrong2 and ,oro can do no wrong4 ,yet what seems evil to us1 may be good to him4 ,if he fears not1 nor hopes1--he has no other passion2 no ends1 no purposes4 ,he lives content2 all ends are compassed in ,him2 ,he has no past1 no future2 ,he is the everlasting now2 which is an everlasting calm2 and things that are1 have been1-- will be4 ,this gloom's enough4 ,but hoot6 hoot6 the night-owl ranges through the woodlands of ,maramma2 its dismal notes pervade our lives2 and when we would fain depart in peace1 that bird flies on before3-- cloud-like1 eclipsing our setting suns1 and filling the air with dolor40 8,too true60 cried ,yoomy4 8,our calms must come by storms4 ,like helmless vessels1 tempest-tossed1 our only anchorage is when we founder40 8,our beginnings10 murmured ,mohi1 8are lost in clouds2 we live in darkness all our days1 and perish without an end40 8,croak on1 cowards60 cried ,media1 8and fly before the hideous phantoms that pursue ye40 8,no coward he1 who hunted1 turns and finds no foe to fight10 said ,babbalanja4 8,like the stag1 whose brow is beat with wings of hawks1 perched in his heavenward antlers2 so ,i1 blinded1 goaded1 headlong1 rush6 this way and that2 nor knowing whither2 one forest wide around60 ,,chapter ,,lxxxii4 ,they ,sail ,from ,night ,to ,day ,ere long the three canoes lurched heavily in a violent swell4 ,like palls1 the clouds swept to and fro1 hooding the gibbering winds4 ,at every head-beat wave1 our arching prows reared up1 and shuddered2 the night ran out in rain4 ,whither to turn we knew not2 nor what haven to gain2 so dense the darkness4 ,but at last1 the storm was over4 ,our shattered prows seemed gilded4 ,day dawned2 and from his golden vases poured red wine upon the waters4 ,that flushed tide rippled toward us2 floating from the east1 a lone canoe2 in which1 there sat a mild1 old man2 a palm-bough in his hand3 a bird's beak1 holding amaranth and myrtles1 his slender prow4 8,alma's blessing upon ye1 voyagers6 ye look storm-worn40 8,the storm we have survived1 old man2 and many more1 we yet must ride10 said ,babbalanja4 8,the sun is risen2 and all is well again4 ,we but need to repair our prows10 said ,media4 8,then1 turn aside to ,serenia1 a pleasant isle1 where all are welcome2 where many storm-worn rovers land at last to dwell40 8,serenia80 said ,babbalanja2 8methinks ,serenia is that land of enthusiasts1 of which we hear1 my lord2 where ,mardians pretend to the unnatural conjunction of reason with things revealed2 where ,alma1 they say1 is restored to his divine original2 where1 deriving their principles from the same sources whence flow the persecutions of ,maramma1--men strive to live together in gentle bonds of peace and charity2--folly6 folly60 8,ay10 said ,media2 8much is said of those people of ,serenia2 but their social fabric must soon fall to pieces2 it is based upon the idlest of theories4 ,thanks for thy courtesy1 old man1 but we care not to visit thy isle4 ,our voyage has an object1 which1 something tells me1 will not be gained by touching at thy shores4 ,elsewhere we may refit4 ,farewell6 ',tis breezing2 set the sails6 ,farewell1 old man40 8,nay1 nay6 think again2 the distance is but small2 the wind fair1--but 'tis ever so1 thither2--come3 we1 people of ,serenia1 are most anxious to be seen of ,mardi2 so that if our manner of life seem good1 all ,mardi may live as we4 ,in blessed ,alma's name1 ,i pray ye1 come60 8,shall we then1 my lord80 8,lead on1 old man6 ,we will e'en see this wondrous isle40 ,so1 guided by the venerable stranger1 by noon we descried an island blooming with bright savannas1 and pensive with peaceful groves4 ,wafted from this shore1 came balm of flowers1 and melody of birds3 a thousand summer sounds and odors4 ,the dimpled tide sang round our splintered prows2 the sun was high in heaven1 and the waters were deep below4 8,the land of ,love60 the old man murmured1 as we neared the beach1 where innumerable shells were gently rolling in the playful surf1 and murmuring from their tuneful valves4 ,behind1 another1 and a verdant surf played against lofty banks of leaves2 where the breeze1 likewise1 found its shore4 ,and now1 emerging from beneath the trees1 there came a goodly multitude in flowing robes2 palm-branches in their hands2 and as they came1 they sang3-- ,hail6 voyagers1 hail6 ,whence e'er ye come1 where'er ye rove1 ,no calmer strand1 ,no sweeter land1 ,will e'er ye view1 than the ,land of ,love6 ,hail6 voyagers1 hail6 ,to these1 our shores1 soft gales invite3 ,the palm plumes wave1 ,the billows lave1 ,and hither point fix'd stars of light6 ,hail6 voyagers1 hail6 ,think not our groves wide brood with gloom2 ,in this1 our isle1 ,bright flowers smile3 ,full urns1 rose-heaped1 these valleys bloom4 ,hail6 voyagers1 hail6 ,be not deceived2 renounce vain things2 ,ye may not find ,a tranquil mind1 ,though hence ye sail with swiftest wings4 ,hail6 voyagers1 hail6 ,time flies full fast2 life soon is o'er2 ,and ye may mourn1 ,that hither borne1 ,ye left behind our pleasant shore4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiii4 ,they ,land ,the song was ended2 and as we gained the strand1 the crowd embraced us2 and called us brothers2 ourselves and our humblest attendants4 8,call ye us brothers1 whom ere now ye never saw80 8,even so10 said the old man1 8is not ,oro the father of all8 ,then1 are we not brothers8 ,thus ,alma1 the master1 hath commanded40 8,this was not our reception in ,maramma10 said ,media1 8the appointed place of ,alma2 where his precepts are preserved40 8,no1 no10 said ,babbalanja2 8old man6 your lesson of brotherhood was learned elsewhere than from ,alma2 for in ,maramma and in all its tributary isles true brotherhood there is none4 ,even in the ,holy ,island many are oppressed2 for heresies1 many murdered2 and thousands perish beneath the altars1 groaning with offerings that might relieve them40 8,alas6 too true4 ,but ,i beseech ye1 judge not ,alma by all those who profess his faith4 ,hast thou thyself his records searched80 8,fully1 ,i have not4 ,so long1 even from my infancy1 have ,i witnessed the wrongs committed in his name2 the sins and inconsistencies of his followers2 that thinking all evil must flow from a congenial fountain1 ,i have scorned to study the whole record of your ,master's life4 ,by parts ,i only know it40 8,ah6 baneful error6 ,but thus is it1 brothers66 that the wisest are set against the ,truth1 because of those who wrest it from itself40 8,do ye then claim to live what your ,master hath spoken8 ,are your precepts practices80 8,nothing do we claim3 we but earnestly endeavor40 8,tell me not of your endeavors1 but of your life4 ,what hope for the fatherless among ye80 8,adopted as a son40 8,of one poor1 and naked80 8,clothed1 and he wants for naught40 8,if ungrateful1 he smite you80 8,still we feed and clothe him40 8,if yet an ingrate80 8,long1 he can not be2 for ,love is a fervent fire40 8,but what1 if widely he dissent from your belief in ,alma2--then1 surely1 ye must cast him forth80 8,no1 no2 we will remember1 that if he dissent from us1 we then equally dissent from him2 and men's faculties are ,oro-given4 ,nor will we say that he is wrong1 and we are right2 for this we know not1 absolutely4 ,but we care not for men's words2 we look for creeds in actions2 which are the truthful symbols of the things within4 ,he who hourly prays to ,alma1 but lives not up to world-wide love and charity--that man is more an unbeliever than he who verbally rejects the ,master1 but does his bidding4 ,our lives are our ,amens40 8,but some say that what your ,alma teaches is wholly new--a revelation of things before unimagined1 even by the poets4 ,to do his bidding1 then1 some new faculty must be vouchsafed1 whereby to apprehend aright40 8,so have ,i always thought10 said ,mohi4 8,if ,alma teaches love1 ,i want no gift to learn10 said ,yoomy4 8,all that is vital in the ,master's faith1 lived here in ,mardi1 and in humble dells was practiced1 long previous to the ,master's coming4 ,but never before was virtue so lifted up among us1 that all might see2 never before did rays from heaven descend to glorify it1 ,but are ,truth1 ,justice1 and ,love1 the revelations of ,alma alone8 ,were they never heard of till he came8 ,oh6 ,alma but opens unto us our own hearts4 ,were his precepts strange we would recoil--not one feeling would respond2 whereas1 once hearkened to1 our souls embrace them as with the instinctive tendrils of a vine40 8,but10 said ,babbalanja1 8since ,alma1 they say1 was solely intent upon the things of the ,mardi to come--which to all1 must seem uncertain--of what benefit his precepts for the daily lives led here80 8,would6 would that ,alma might once more descend6 ,brother6 were the turf our everlasting pillow1 still would the ,master's faith answer a blessed end2--making us more truly happy here4 ,that is the first and chief result2 for holy here1 we must be holy elsewhere4 ',tis ,mardi1 to which loved ,alma gives his laws2 not ,paradise40 8,full soon will ,i be testing all these things10 murmured ,mohi4 8,old man10 said ,media1 8thy years and ,mohi's lead ye both to dwell upon the unknown future4 ,but speak to me of other themes4 ,tell me of this island and its people4 ,from all ,i have heard1 and now behold1 ,i gather that here there dwells no king2 that ye are left to yourselves2 and that this mystic ,love1 ye speak of1 is your ruler4 ,is it so8 ,then1 are ye full as visionary1 as ,mardi rumors4 ,and though for a time1 ye may have prospered1--long1 ye can not be1 without some sharp lesson to convince ye1 that your faith in ,mardian virtue is entirely vain40 8,truth4 ,we have no king2 for ,alma's precepts rebuke the arrogance of place and power4 ,he is the tribune of mankind2 nor will his true faith be universal ,mardi's1 till our whole race is kingless4 ,but think not we believe in man's perfection4 ,yet1 against all good1 he is not absolutely set4 ,in his heart1 there is a germ4 ,that we seek to foster4 ,to that we cling2 else1 all were hopeless60 8,your social state80 8,it is imperfect2 and long must so remain4 ,but we make not the miserable many support the happy few4 ,nor by annulling reason's laws1 seek to breed equality1 by breeding anarchy4 ,in all things1 equality is not for all4 ,each has his own4 ,some have wider groves of palms than others2 fare better2 dwell in more tasteful arbors2 oftener renew their fragrant thatch4 ,such differences must be4 ,but none starve outright1 while others feast4 ,by the abounding1 the needy are supplied4 ,yet not by statute1 but from dictates1 born half dormant in us1 and warmed into life by ,alma4 ,those dictates we but follow in all we do2 we are not dragged to righteousness2 but go running4 ,nor do we live in common4 ,for vice and virtue blindly mingled1 form a union where vice too often proves the alkali4 ,the vicious we make dwell apart1 until reclaimed4 ,and reclaimed they soon must be1 since every thing invites4 ,the sin of others rests not upon our heads3 none we drive to crime4 ,our laws are not of vengeance bred1 but ,love and ,alma40 8,fine poetry all this10 said ,babbalanja1 8but not so new4 ,oft do they warble thus in bland ,maramma60 8,it sounds famously1 old man60 said ,media1 8but men are men4 ,some must starve2 some be scourged4--,your doctrines are impracticable40 8,and are not these things enjoined by ,alma8 ,and would ,alma inculcate the impossible8 of what merit1 his precepts1 unless they may be practiced8 ,but1 ,i beseech ye1 speak no more of ,maramma4 ,alas6 did ,alma revisit ,mardi1 think you1 it would be among those ,morals he would lay his head80 8,no1 no10 said ,babbalanja1 8as an intruder he came2 and an intruder would he be this day4 ,on all sides1 would he jar our social systems40 8,not here1 not here6 ,rather would we welcome ,alma hungry and athirst1 than though he came floating hither on the wings of seraphs2 the blazing zodiac his diadem6 ,in all his aspects we adore him2 needing no pomp and power to kindle worship4 ,though he came from ,oro2 though he did miracles2 though through him is life2--not for these things alone1 do we thus love him4 ,we love him from1 an instinct in us2--a fond1 filial1 reverential feeling4 ,and this would yet stir in our souls1 were death our end2 and ,alma incapable of befriending us4 ,we love him because we do40 8,is this man divine80 murmured ,babbalanja4 8,but thou speakest most earnestly of adoring ,alma3--,i see no temples in your groves40 8,because this isle is all one temple to his praise2 every leaf is consecrated his4 ,we fix not ,alma here and there2 and say1--#8those groves for ,him1 and these broad fields for us4' ,it is all his own2 and we ourselves2 our every hour of life2 and all we are1 and have40 8,then1 ye forever fast and pray2 and stand and sing2 as at long intervals the censer-bearers in ,maramma supplicate their gods40 8,alma forbid6 ,we never fast2 our aspirations are our prayers2 our lives are worship4 ,and when we laugh1 with human joy at human things1 --then do we most sound great ,oro's praise1 and prove the merit of sweet ,alma's love6 ,our love in ,alma makes us glad1 not sad4 ,ye speak of temples2--behold6 'tis by not building them1 that we widen charity among us4 ,the treasures which1 in the islands round about1 are lavished on a thousand fanes2--with these we every day relieve the ,master's suffering disciples4 ,in ,mardi1 ,alma preached in open fields1 --and must his worshipers have palaces80 8,no temples1 then no priests20 said ,babbalanja1 8for few priests will enter where lordly arches form not the portal40 8,we have no priests1 but one2 and he is ,alma's self4 ,we have his precepts3 we seek no comments but our hearts40 8,but without priests and temples1 how long will flourish this your faith80 said ,media4 8,for many ages has not this faith lived1 in spite of priests and temples8 and shall it not survive them8 ,what we believe1 we hold divine2 and things divine endure forever40 8,but how enlarge your bounds8 how convert the vicious1 without persuasion of some special seers8 ,must your religion go hand in hand with all things secular80 8,we hold not1 that one man's words should be a gospel to the rest2 but that ,alma's words should be a gospel to us all4 ,and not by precepts would we have some few endeavor to persuade2 but all1 by practice1 fix convictions1 that the life we lead is the life for all4 ,we are apostles1 every one4 ,where'er we go1 our faith we carry in our hands1 and hearts4 ,it is our chiefest joy4 ,we do not put it wide away six days out of seven2 and then1 assume it4 ,in it we all exult1 and joy2 as that which makes us happy here2 as that1 without which1 we could be happy nowhere2 as something meant for this time present1 and henceforth for aye4 ,it is our vital mode of being2 not an incident4 ,and when we die1 this faith shall be our pillow2 and when we rise1 our staff2 and at the end1 our crown4 ,for we are all immortal4 ,here1 ,alma joins with our own hearts1 confirming nature's promptings40 8,how eloquent he is60 murmured ,babbalanja4 8,some black cloud seems floating from me4 ,i begin to see4 ,i come out in light4 ,the sharp fang tears me less4 ,the forked flames wane4 ,my soul sets back like ocean streams1 that sudden change their flow4 ,have ,i been sane8 ,quickened in me is a hope4 ,but pray you1 old man--say on--methinks1 that in your faith must be much that jars with reason40 8,no1 brother6 ,right-reason1 and ,alma1 are the same2 else ,alma1 not reason1 would we reject4 ,the ,master's great command is ,love2 and here do all things wise1 and all things good1 unite4 ,love is all in all4 ,the more we love1 the more we know2 and so reversed4 ,oro we love2 this isle2 and our wide arms embrace all ,mardi like its reef4 ,how can we err1 thus feeling8 ,we hear loved ,alma's pleading1 prompting voice1 in every breeze1 in every leaf2 we see his earnest eye in every star and flower40 8,poetry60 cried ,yoomy2 8and poetry is truth6 ,he stirs me40 8,when ,alma dwelt in ,mardi1 'twas with the poor and friendless4 ,he fed the famishing2 he healed the sick2 he bound up wounds4 ,for every precept that he spoke1 he did ten thousand mercies4 ,and ,alma is our loved example40 8,sure1 all this is in the histories60 said ,mohi1 starting4 8,but not alone to poor and friendless1 did ,alma wend his charitable way4 ,from lowly places1 he looked up2 and long invoked great chieftains in their state2 and told them all their pride was vanity2 and bade them ask their souls4 #8,in me1' he cried1 #8is that heart of mild content1 which in vain ye seek in rank and title4 ,i am ,love3 love ye then me4'0 8,cease1 cease1 old man60 cried ,media2 8thou movest me beyond my seeming4 ,what thoughts are these8 ,have done6 ,wouldst thou unking me80 8,alma is for all2 for high and low4 ,like heaven's own breeze1 he lifts the lily from its lowly stem1 and sweeps1 reviving1 through the palmy groves4 ,high thoughts he gives the sage1 and humble trust the simple4 ,be the measure what it may1 his grace doth fill it to the brim4 ,he lays the lashings of the soul's wild aspirations after things unseen2 oil he poureth on the waters2 and stars come out of night's black concave at his great command4 ,in him is hope for all2 for all1 unbounded joys4 ,fast locked in his loved clasp1 no doubts dismay4 ,he opes the eye of faith and shuts the eye of fear4 ,he is all we pray for1 and beyond2 all1 that in the wildest hour of ecstasy1 rapt fancy paints in bright ,auroras upon the soul's wide1 boundless ,orient60 8,oh1 ,alma1 ,alma6 prince divine60 cried ,babbalanja1 sinking on his knees--8in thee1 at last1 ,i find repose4 ,hope perches in my heart a dove2--a thousand rays illume2--all ,heaven's a sun4 ,gone1 gone6 are all distracting doubts4 ,love and ,alma now prevail4 ,i see with other eyes3--,are these my hands8 ,what wild1 wild dreams were mine2--,i have been mad4 ,some things there are1 we must not think of4 ,beyond one obvious mark1 all human lore is vain4 ,where have ,i lived till now8 ,had dark ,maramma's zealot tribe but murmured to me as this old man1 long since had ,i1 been wise6 ,reason no longer domineers2 but still doth speak4 ,all ,i have said ere this1 that wars with ,alma's precepts1 ,i here recant4 ,here ,i kneel1 and own great ,oro and his sovereign son40 8,and here another kneels and prays10 cried ,yoomy4 8,in ,alma all my dreams are found1 my inner longings for the ,love supreme1 that prompts my every verse4 ,summer is in my soul40 8,nor now1 too late for these gray hairs10 cried ,mohi1 with devotion4 8,alma1 thy breath is on my soul4 ,i see bright light40 8,no more a demigod10 cried ,media1 8but a subject to our common chief4 ,no more shall dismal cries be heard from ,odo's groves4 ,alma1 ,i am thine40 ,with swimming eyes the old man kneeled2 and round him grouped king1 sage1 gray hairs1 and youth4 ,there1 as they kneeled1 and as the old man blessed them1 the setting sun burst forth from mists1 gilded the island round about1 shed rays upon their heads1 and went down in a glory--all the ,east radiant with red burnings1 like an altar-fire4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiv4 ,babbalanja ,relates ,to ,them ,a ,vision ,leaving ,babbalanja in the old man's bower1 deep in meditation2 thoughtfully we strolled along the beach1 inspiring the musky1 midnight air2 the tropical stars glistening in heaven1 like drops of dew among violets4 ,the waves were phosphorescent1 and laved the beach with a fire that cooled it4 ,returning1 we espied ,babbalanja advancing in his snow-white mantle4 ,the fiery tide was ebbing2 and in the soft1 moist sand1 at every step1 he left a lustrous foot-print4 8,sweet friends6 this isle is full of mysteries10 he said4 8,i have dreamed of wondrous things4 ,after ,i had laid me down1 thought pressed hard upon me4 ,by my eyes passed pageant visions4 ,i started at a low1 strange melody1 deep in my inmost soul4 ,at last1 methought my eyes were fixed on heaven2 and there1 ,i saw a shining spot1 unlike a star4 ,thwarting the sky1 it grew1 and grew1 descending2 till bright wings were visible3 between them1 a pensive face angelic1 downward beaming2 and1 for one golden moment1 gauze-vailed in spangled ,berenice's ,locks4 8,then1 as white flame from yellow1 out from that starry cluster it emerged2 and brushed the astral ,crosses1 ,crowns1 and ,cups4 ,and as in violet1 tropic seas1 ships leave a radiant-white1 and fire-fly wake2 so1 in long extension tapering1 behind the vision1 gleamed another ,milky-,way4 8,strange throbbings seized me2 my soul tossed on its own tides4 ,but soon the inward harmony bounded in exulting choral strains4 ,i heard a feathery rush2 and straight beheld a form1 traced all over with veins of vivid light4 ,the vision undulated round me4 8#8,oh6 ,spirit66 angel6 god6 whate'er thou art1'--,i cried1 #8leave me2 ,i am but man4' 8,then1 ,i heard a low1 sad sound1 no voice4 ,it said1 or breathed upon me1--#8,thou hast proved the grace of ,alma3 tell me what thou'st learned4' 8,silent replied my soul1 for voice was gone1--#8,this have ,i learned1 oh6 spirit6--,in things mysterious1 to seek no more2 but rest content1 with knowing naught but ,love4' 8#8,blessed art thou for that3 thrice blessed1' then ,i heard1 and since humility is thine1 thou art one apt to learn4 ,that which thy own wisdom could not find1 thy ignorance confessed shall gain4 ,come1 and see new things4' 8,once more it undulated round me2 its lightning wings grew dim2 nearer1 nearer2 till ,i felt a shock electric1--and nested 'neath its wing4 8,we clove the air2 passed systems1 suns1 and moons3 what seem from ,mardi's isles1 the glow-worm stars4 8,by distant fleets of worlds we sped1 as voyagers pass far sails at sea1 and hail them not4 ,foam played before them as they darted on2 wild music was their wake2 and many tracks of sound we crossed1 where worlds had sailed before4 8,soon1 we gained a point1 where a new heaven was seen2 whence all our firmament seemed one nebula4 ,its glories burned like thousand steadfast-flaming lights4 8,here hived the worlds in swarms3 and gave forth sweets ineffable4 8,we lighted on a ring1 circling a space1 where mornings seemed forever dawning over worlds unlike4 8#8,here1' ,i heard1 #8thou viewest thy ,mardi's ,heaven4 ,herein each world is portioned4' 8,as he who climbs to mountain tops pants hard for breath2 so panted ,i for ,mardi's grosser air4 ,but that which caused my flesh to faint1 was new vitality to my soul4 ,my eyes swept over all before me4 ,the spheres were plain as villages that dot a landscape4 ,i saw most beauteous forms1 yet like our own4 ,strange sounds ,i heard of gladness that seemed mixed with sadness3--a low1 sweet harmony of both4 ,else1 ,i know not how to phrase what never man but me e'er heard4 8#8,in these blest souls are blent1' my guide discoursed1 #8far higher thoughts1 and sweeter plaints than thine4 ,rude joy were discord here4 ,and as a sudden shout in thy hushed mountain-passes brings down the awful avalanche2 so one note of laughter here1 might start some white and silent world4' 8,then low ,i murmured3--#8,is their's1 oh guide6 no happiness supreme8 their state still mixed8 ,sigh these yet to know8 ,can these sin8' 8,then ,i heard3--#8,no mind but ,oro's can know all2 no mind that knows not all can be content2 content alone approximates to happiness4 ,holiness comes by wisdom2 and it is because great ,oro is supremely wise1 that ,he's supremely holy4 ,but as perfect wisdom can be only ,oro's2 so1 perfect holiness is his alone4 ,and whoso is otherwise than perfect in his holiness1 is liable to sin4 8#8,and though death gave these beings knowledge1 it also opened other mysteries1 which they pant to know1 and yet may learn4 ,and still they fear the thing of evil2 though for them1 'tis hard to fall4 ,thus hoping and thus fearing1 then1 their's is no state complete4 ,and since ,oro is past finding out1 and mysteries ever open into mysteries beyond2 so1 though these beings will for aye progress in wisdom and in good2 yet1 will they never gain a fixed beatitude4 ,know1 then1 oh mortal ,mardian6 that when translated hither1 thou wilt but put off lowly temporal pinings1 for angel and eternal aspirations4 ,start not3 thy human joy hath here no place3 no name4 8,still1 ,i mournful mused2 then said3--#8,many ,mardians live1 who have no aptitude for ,mardian lives of thought3 how then endure more earnest1 everlasting1 meditations8' 8#8,such have their place1' ,i heard4 8#8,then low ,i moaned1 #8,and what1 oh6 guide6 of those who1 living thoughtless lives of sin1 die unregenerate2 no service done to ,oro or to ,mardian8' 8#8,they1 too1 have their place1' ,i heard2 #8but 'tis not here4 ,and ,mardian6 know1 that as your ,mardian lives are long preserved through strict obedience to the organic law1 so are your spiritual lives prolonged by fast keeping of the law of mind4 ,sin is death4' 8#8,ah1 then1' yet lower moan made ,i2 #8and why create the germs that sin and suffer1 but to perish8' 8#8,that1' breathed my guide2 #8is the last mystery which underlieth all the rest4 ,archangel may not fathom it2 that makes of ,oro the everlasting mystery he is2 that to divulge1 were to make equal to himself in knowledge all the souls that are2 that mystery ,oro guards2 and none but him may know4' 8,alas6 were it recalled1 no words have ,i to tell of all that now my guide discoursed1 concerning things unsearchable to us4 ,my sixth sense which he opened1 sleeps again1 with all the wisdom that it gained4 8,time passed2 it seemed a moment1 might have been an age2 when from high in the golden haze that canopied this heaven1 another angel came2 its vans like ,east and ,west2 a sunrise one1 sunset the other4 ,as silver-fish in vases1 so1 in his azure eyes swam tears unshed4 8,quick my guide close nested me2 through its veins the waning light throbbed hard4 8#8,oh1 spirit6 archangel6 god6 whate'er thou art1' it breathed2 #8leave me3 ,i am but blessed1 not glorified4' 8,so saying1 as down from doves1 from its wings dropped sounds4 ,still nesting me1 it crouched its plumes4 8,then1 in a snow of softest syllables1 thus breathed the greater and more beautiful3--#8,from far away1 in fields beyond thy ken1 ,i heard thy fond discourse with this lone ,mardian4 ,it pleased me well2 for thy humility was manifeat2 no arrogance of knowing4 ,come thou and learn new things4' 8,and straight it overarched us with its plumes2 which1 then1 down- sweeping1 bore us up to regions where my first guide had sunk1 but for the power that buoyed us1 trembling1 both4 8,my eyes did wane1 like moons eclipsed in overwhelming dawns3 such radiance was around2 such vermeil light1 born of no sun1 but pervading all the scene4 ,transparent1 fleck-less1 calm1 all glowed one flame4 8,then said the greater guide ,this is the night of all ye here behold-- its day ye could not bide4 ,your utmost heaven is far below4' 8,abashed1 smote down1 ,i1 quaking1 upward gazed2 where1 to and fro1 the spirits sailed1 like broad-winged crimson-dyed flamingos1 spiraling in sunset-clouds4 ,but a sadness glorified1 deep-fringed their mystic temples1 crowned with weeping halos1 bird-like1 floating o'er them1 whereso'er they roamed4 8,sights and odors blended4 ,as when new-morning winds1 in summer's prime1 blow down from hanging gardens1 wafting sweets that never pall2 so1 from those flowery pinions1 at every motion1 came a flood of fragrance4 8,and now the spirits twain discoursed of things1 whose very terms1 to me1 were dark4 ,but my first guide grew wise4 ,for me1 ,i could but blankly list2 yet comprehended naught2 and1 like the fish that's mocked with wings1 and vainly seeks to fly2--again ,i sought my lower element4 8,as poised1 we hung in this rapt ether1 a sudden trembling seized the four wings now folding me4 ,and afar of1 in zones still upward reaching1 suns' orbits off1 ,i1 tranced1 beheld an awful glory4 ,sphere in sphere1 it burned3--the one ,shekinah6 ,the air was flaked with fire2--deep in which1 fell showers of silvery globes1 tears magnified --braiding the flame with rainbows4 ,i heard a sound2 but not for me1 nor my first guide1 was that unutterable utterance4 ,then1 my second guide was swept aloft1 as rises a cloud of red-dyed leaves in autumn whirlwinds4 8,fast clasping me1 the other drooped1 and1 instant1 sank1 as in a vacuum2 myriad suns' diameters in a breath2--my five senses merged in one1 of falling2 till we gained the nether sky1 descending still4 8,then strange things--soft1 sad1 and faint1 ,i saw or heard2 as1 when1 in sunny1 summer seas1 down1 down1 you dive1 starting at pensive phantoms1 that you can not fix4 8#8,these1' breathed my guide1 #8are spirits in their essences2 sad1 even in undevelopment4 ,with these1 all space is peopled2--all the air is vital with intelligence1 which seeks embodiment4 ,this it is1 that unbeknown to ,mardians1 causes them to strangely start in solitudes of night1 and in the fixed flood of their enchanted noons4 ,from hence1 are formed your mortal souls2 and all those sad and shadowy dreams1 and boundless thoughts man hath1 are vague remembrances of the time when the soul's sad germ1 wide wandered through these realms4 ,and hence it is1 that when ye ,mardians feel most sad1 then ye feel most immortal4 8,like a spark new-struck from flint1 soon ,mardi showed afar4 ,it glowed within a sphere1 which seemed1 in space1 a bubble1 rising from vast depths to the sea's surface4 ,piercing it1 my ,mardian strength returned2 but the angel's veins once more grew dim4 8,nearing the isles1 thus breathed my guide3--#8,loved one1 love on6 ,but know1 that heaven hath no roof4 ,to know all is to be all4 ,beatitude there is none4 ,and your only ,mardian happiness is but exemption from great woes--no more4 ,great ,love is sad2 and heaven is ,love4 ,sadness makes the silence throughout the realms of space2 sadness is universal and eternal2 but sadness is tranquillity2 tranquillity the uttermost that souls may hope for4' 8,then1 with its wings it fanned adieu2 and disappeared where the sun flames highest40 ,we heard the dream and1 silent1 sought repose1 to dream away our wonder4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxv4 ,they ,depart ,from ,serenia ,at sunrise1 we stood upon the beach4 ,babbalanja thus3--8,my voyage is ended4 ,not because what we sought is found2 but that ,i now possess all which may be had of what ,i sought in ,mardi4 ,here1 tarry to grow wiser still3--then ,i am ,alma's and the world's4 ,taji6 for ,yillah thou wilt hunt in vain2 she is a phantom that but mocks thee2 and while for her thou madly huntest1 the sin thou didst cries out1 and its avengers still will follow4 ,but here they may not come3 nor those1 who1 tempting1 track thy path4 ,wise counsel take4 ,within our hearts is all we seek3 though in that search many need a prompter4 ,him ,i have found in blessed ,alma4 ,then rove no more4 ,gain now1 in flush of youth1 that last wise thought1 too often purchased1 by a life of woe4 ,be wise3 be wise4 8,media6 thy station calls thee home4 ,yet from this isle1 thou earnest that1 wherewith to bless thy own4 ,these flowers1 that round us spring1 may be transplanted3 and ,odo made to bloom with amaranths and myrtles1 like this ,serenia4 ,before thy people act the things1 thou here hast heard4 ,let no man weep1 that thou may'st laugh2 no man toil too hard1 that thou may'st idle be4 ,abdicate thy throne3 but still retain the scepter4 ,none need a king2 but many need a ruler4 8,mohi6 ,yoomy6 do we part8 then bury in forgetfulness much that hitherto ,i've spoken4 ,but let not one syllable of this old man's words be lost4 8,mohi6 ,age leads thee by the hand4 ,live out thy life2 and die1 calm- browed4 8,but ,yoomy6 many days are thine4 ,and in one life's span1 great circles may be traversed1 eternal good be done4 ,take all ,mardi for thy home4 ,nations are but names2 and continents but shifting sands4 8,once more3 ,taji6 be sure thy ,yillah never will be found2 or found1 will not avail thee4 ,yet search1 if so thou wilt2 more isles1 thou say'st1 are still unvisited2 and when all is seen1 return1 and find thy ,yillah here4 8,companions all6 adieu40 ,and from the beach1 he wended through the woods4 ,our shallops now refitted1 we silently embarked2 and as we sailed away1 the old man blessed us4 ,for a time1 each prow's ripplings were distinctly heard3 ripple after ripple4 ,with silent1 steadfast eyes1 ,media still preserved his noble mien2 ,mohi his reverend repose2 ,yoomy his musing mood4 ,but as a summer hurricane leaves all nature still1 and smiling to the eye2 yet1 in deep woods1 there lie concealed some anguished roots torn up3--so1 with these4 ,much they longed1 to point our prows for ,odo's isle2 saying our search was over4 ,but ,i was fixed as fate4 ,on we sailed1 as when we first embarked2 the air was bracing as before4 ,more isles we visited3--thrice encountered the avengers3 but unharmed2 thrice ,hautia's heralds but turned not aside2--saw many checkered scenes--wandered through groves1 and open fields--traversed many vales--climbed hill-tops whence broad views were gained--tarried in towns--broke into solitudes--sought far1 sought near3--,still ,yillah there was none4 ,then again they all would fain dissuade me4 8,closed is the deep blue eye10 said ,yoomy4 8,fate's last leaves are turning1 let me home and die10 said ,mohi4 8,so nigh the circuit's done10 said ,media1 8our morrow's sun must rise o'er ,odo2 ,taji6 renounce the hunt40 8,i am the hunter1 that never rests6 the hunter without a home6 ,she ,i seek1 still flies before2 and ,i will follow1 though she lead me beyond the reef2 through sunless seas2 and into night and death4 ,her1 will ,i seek1 through all the isles and stars2 and find her1 whate'er betide60 ,again they yielded2 and again we glided on2--our storm-worn prows1 now pointed here1 now there2--beckoned1 repulsed2--their half-rent sails1 still courting every breeze4 ,but that same night1 once more1 they wrestled with me4 ,now1 at last1 the hopeless search must be renounced3 ,yillah there was none3 back must ,i hie to blue ,serenia4 ,then sweet ,yillah called me from the sea2--still must ,i on6 but gazing whence that music seemed to come1 ,i thought ,i saw the green corse drifting by3 and striking 'gainst our prow1 as if to hinder4 ,then1 then6 my heart grew hard1 like flint2 and black1 like night2 and sounded hollow to the hand ,i clenched4 ,hyenas filled me with their laughs2 death-damps chilled my brow2 ,i prayed not1 but blasphemed4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvi4 ,they ,meet ,the ,phantoms ,that starless midnight1 there stole from out the darkness1 the ,iris flag of ,hautia4 ,again the sirens came4 ,they bore a large and stately urn-like flower1 white as alabaster1 and glowing1 as if lit up within4 ,from its calyx1 flame-like1 trembled forked and crimson stamens1 burning with intensest odors4 ,the phantoms nearer came2 their flower1 as an urn of burning niter4 ,then it changed1 and glowed like ,persian dawns2 or passive1 was shot over by palest lightnings2--so variable its tints4 8,the night-blowing ,cereus60 said ,yoomy1 shuddering1 8that never blows in sun-light2 that blows but once2 and blows but for an hour4--,for the last time ,i come2 now1 in your midnight of despair1 and promise you this glory4 ,take heed6 short time hast thou to pause2 through me1 perhaps1 thy ,yillah may be found40 8,away6 away6 tempt me not by that1 enchantress6 ,hautia6 ,i know thee not2 ,i fear thee not2 but instinct makes me hate thee4 ,away6 my eyes are frozen shut2 ,i will not be tempted more40 8,how glorious it burns60 cried ,media4 ,i reel with incense3--can such sweets be evil80 8,look6 look60 cried ,yoomy1 8its petals wane1 and creep2 one moment more1 and the night-flower shuts up forever the last1 last hope of ,yillah60 8,yillah6 ,yillah6 ,yillah60 bayed three vengeful voices far behind4 8,yillah6 ,yillah6--dash the urn6 ,i follow1 ,hautia6 though thy lure be death40 ,the ,cereus closed2 and in a mist the siren prow went on before2 we1 following4 ,when day dawned1 three radiant pilot-fish swam in advance3 three ravenous sharks astern4 ,and1 full before us1 rose the isle of ,hautia4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvii4 ,they ,draw ,nigh ,to ,flozella ,as if ,mardi were a poem1 and every island a canto1 the shore now in sight was called ,flozella-a-,nina1 or ,the-,last-,verse-of-the-,song4 ,according to ,mohi1 the origin of this term was traceable to the remotest antiquity4 ,in the beginning1 there were other beings in ,mardi besides ,mardians2 winged beings1 of purer minds1 and cast in gentler molds1 who would fain have dwelt forever with mankind4 ,but the hearts of the ,mardians were bitter against them1 because of their superior goodness4 ,yet those beings returned love for malice1 and long entreated to virtue and charity4 ,but in the end1 all ,mardi rose up against them1 and hunted them from isle to isle2 till1 at last1 they rose from the woodlands like a flight of birds1 and disappeared in the skies4 ,thereafter1 abandoned of such sweet influences1 the ,mardians fell into all manner of sins and sufferings1 becoming the erring things their descendants were now4 ,yet they knew not1 that their calamities were of their own bringing down4 ,for deemed a victory1 the expulsion of the winged beings was celebrated in choruses1 throughout ,mardi4 ,and among other jubilations1 so ran the legend1 a pean was composed1 corresponding in the number of its stanzas1 to the number of islands4 ,and a band of youths1 gayly appareled1 voyaged in gala canoes all round the lagoon1 singing upon each isle1 one verse of their song4 ,and ,flozella being the last isle in their circuit1 its queen commemorated the circumstance1 by new naming her realm4 ,that queen had first incited ,mardi to wage war against the beings with wings4 ,she it was1 who had been foremost in every assault4 ,and that queen was ancestor of ,hautia1 now ruling the isle4 ,approaching the dominions of one who so long had haunted me1 conflicting emotions tore up my soul in tornadoes4 ,yet ,hautia had held out some prospect of crowning my yearnings4 ,but how connected were ,hautia and ,yillah8 ,something ,i hoped2 yet more ,i feared4 ,dire presentiments1 like poisoned arrows1 shot through me4 ,had they pierced me before1 straight to ,flozella would ,i have voyaged2 not waiting for ,hautia to woo me by that last and victorious temptation4 ,but unchanged remained my feelings of hatred for ,hautia2 yet vague those feelings1 as the language of her flowers4 ,nevertheless1 in some mysterious way seemed ,hautia and ,yillah connected4 ,but ,yillah was all beauty1 and innocence2 my crown of felicity2 my heaven below2--and ,hautia1 my whole heart abhorred4 ,yillah ,i sought2 ,hautia sought me4 ,one1 openly beckoned me here2 the other dimly allured me there4 ,yet now was ,i wildly dreaming to find them together4 ,but so distracted my soul1 ,i knew not what it was1 that ,i thought4 ,slowly we neared the land4 ,flozella-a-,nina6--,an omen8 ,was this isle1 then1 to prove the last place of my search1 even as it was the ,last- ,verse-of-the-,song8 ,,chapter ,,lxxxviii4 ,they ,land ,a jeweled tiara1 nodding in spray1 looks flowery ,flozella1 approached from the sea4 ,for1 lo you6 the glittering foam all round its white marge2 where1 forcing themselves underneath the coral ledge1 and up through its crevices1 in fountains1 the blue billows gush4 ,while1 within1 zone above zone1 thrice zoned in belts of bloom1 all the isle1 as a hanging-garden soars2 its tapering cone blending aloft1 with heaven's own blue4 8,what flies through the spray6 what incense is this80 cried ,media4 8,ha6 you wild breeze6 you have been plundering the gardens of ,hautia10 cried ,yoomy4 8,no sweets can be sweeter10 said ,braid-,beard1 8but no ,upas more deadly40 ,anon we came nearer2 sails idly flapping1 and paddles suspended2 sleek currents our coursers4 ,and round about the isle1 like winged rainbows1 shoals of dolphins were leaping over floating fragments of wrecks3-- dark-green1 long-haired ribs1 and keels of canoes4 ,for many shallops1 inveigled by the eddies1 were oft dashed to pieces against that flowery strand4 ,but what cared the dolphins8 ,mardian wrecks were their homes4 ,over and over they sprang3 from east to west3 rising and setting3 many suns in a moment2 while all the sea1 like a harvest plain1 was stacked with their glittering sheaves of spray4 ,and far down1 fathoms on fathoms1 flitted rainbow hues3--as seines- full of mermaids2 half-screening the bones of the drowned4 ,swifter and swifter the currents now ran2 till with a shock1 our prows were beached4 ,there1 beneath an arch of spray1 three dark-eyed maidens stood2 garlanded with columbines1 their nectaries nodding like jesters' bells2 and robed in vestments blue4 8,the pilot-fish transformed60 cried ,yoomy4 8,the night-eyed heralds three60 said ,mohi4 ,following the maidens1 we now took our way along a winding vale2 where1 by sweet-scented hedges1 flowed blue-braided brooks2 their tributaries1 rivulets of violets1 meandering through the meads4 ,on one hand1 forever glowed the rosy mountains with a tropic dawn2 and on the other2 lay an ,arctic eve2--the white daisies drifted in long banks of snow1 and snowed the blossoms from the orange boughs4 ,there1 summer breathed her bridal bloom2 her hill-top temples crowned with bridal wreaths4 ,we wandered on1 through orchards arched in long arcades1 that seemed baronial halls1 hung o'er with trophies3--so spread the boughs in antlers4 ,this orchard was the frontlet of the isle4 ,the fruit hung high in air1 that only beaks1 not hands1 might pluck4 ,here1 the peach tree showed her thousand cheeks of down1 kissed often by the wooing winds2 here1 in swarms2 the yellow apples hived1 like golden bees upon the boughs2 here1 from the kneeling1 fainting trees1 thick fell the cherries1 in great drops of blood2 and here1 the pomegranate1 with cold rind and sere1 deep pierced by bills of birds revealed the mellow of its ruddy core4 ,so1 oft the heart1 that cold and withered seems1 within yet hides its juices4 ,this orchard passed1 the vale became a lengthening plain1 that seemed the ,straits of ,ormus bared so thick it lay with flowery gems3 torquoise-hyacinths1 ruby-roses1 lily-pearls4 ,here roved the vagrant vines2 their flaxen ringlets curling over arbors1 which laughed and shook their golden locks4 ,from bower to bower1 flew the wee bird1 that ever hovering1 seldom lights2 and flights of gay canaries passed1 like jonquils1 winged4 ,but now1 from out half-hidden bowers of clematis1 there issued swarms of wasps1 which flying wide1 settled on all the buds4 ,and1 fifty nymphs preceding1 who now follows from those bowers1 with gliding1 artful steps3--the very snares of love6--,hautia4 ,a gorgeous amaryllis in her hand2 ,circe-flowers in her ears2 her girdle tied with vervain4 ,she came by privet hedges1 drooping2 downcast honey-suckles2 she trod on pinks and pansies1 blue-bells1 heath1 and lilies4 ,she glided on3 her crescent brow calm as the moon1 when most it works its evil influences4 ,her eye was fathomless4 ,but the same mysterious1 evil-boding gaze was there1 which long before had haunted me in ,odo1 ere ,yillah fled4--,queen ,hautia the incognito6 ,then two wild currents met1 and dashed me into foam4 8,yillah6 ,yillah6--tell me1 queen60 ,but she stood motionless2 radiant1 and scentless3 a dahlia on its stalk4 8,where8 ,where80 8,is not thy voyage now ended8--,take flowers6 ,damsels1 give him wine to drink4 ,after his weary hunt1 be the wanderer happy40 ,i dashed aside their cups1 and flowers2 still rang the vale with ,yillah6 8,taji6 did ,i know her fate1 naught would ,i now disclose2 my heralds pledged their queen to naught4 ,thou but comest here to supplant thy mourner's night-shade1 with marriage roses4 ,damsels6 give him wreaths2 crowd round him2 press him with your cups60 ,once more ,i spilled their wine1 and tore their garlands4 ,is not that1 the evil eye that long ago did haunt me8 and thou1 the ,hautia who hast followed me1 and wooed1 and mocked1 and tempted me1 through all this long1 long voyage8 ,i swear6 thou knowest all40 8,i am ,hautia4 ,thou hast come at last4 ,crown him with your flowers6 ,drown him in your wine6 ,to all questions1 ,taji6 ,i am mute4--,away6-- damsels dance2 reel round him2 round and round60 ,then1 their feet made music on the rippling grass1 like thousand leaves of lilies on a lake4 ,and1 gliding nearer1 ,hautia welcomed ,media2 and said1 8,your comrade here is sad3--be ye gay4 ,ho1 wine6--,i pledge ye1 guests60 ,then1 marking all1 ,i thought to seem what ,i was not1 that ,i might learn at last the thing ,i sought4 ,so1 three cups in hand ,i held2 drank wine1 and laughed2 and half-way met ,queen ,hautia's blandishments4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxix4 ,they ,enter ,the ,bower ,of ,hautia ,conducted to the arbor1 from which the queen had emerged1 we came to a sweet-brier bower within2 and reclined upon odorous mats4 ,then1 in citron cups1 sherbet of tamarinds was offered to ,media1 ,mohi1 ,yoomy2 to me1 a nautilus shell1 brimmed with a light-like fluid1 that welled1 and welled like a fount4 8,quaff1 ,taji1 quaff6 every drop drowns a thought60 ,like a blood-freshet1 it ran through my veins4 ,a philter8--,how ,hautia burned before me6 ,glorious queen6 with all the radiance1 lighting up the equatorial night4 8,thou art most magical1 oh queen6 about thee a thousand constellations cluster40 8,they blaze to burn10 whispered ,mohi4 8,i see ten million ,hautias6--all space reflects her1 as a mirror40 ,then1 in reels1 the damsels once more mazed1 the blossoms shaking from their brows2 till ,hautia1 glided near2 arms lustrous as rainbows3 chanting some wild invocation4 ,my soul ebbed out2 ,yillah there was none6 but as ,i turned round open- armed1 ,hautia vanished4 8,she is deeper than the sea10 said ,media4 8,her bow is bent10 said ,yoomy4 8,i could tell wonders of ,hautia and her damsels10 said ,mohi4 8,what wonders80 8,listen2 and in his own words will ,i recount the adventure of the youth ,ozonna4 ,it will show thee1 ,taji1 that the maidens of ,hautia are all ,yillahs1 held captive1 unknown to themselves2 and that ,hautia1 their enchantress1 is the most treacherous of queens4 8#8,camel-like1 laden with woe1' said ,ozonna1 #8after many wild rovings in quest of a maiden long lost--beautiful ,ady6 and after being repelled in ,maramma2 and in vain hailed to land at ,serenia1 represented as naught but another ,maramma2--with vague promises of discovering ,ady1 three sirens1 who long had pursued1 at last inveigled me to ,flozella2 where ,hautia made me her thrall4 ,but ere long1 in ,rea1 one of her maidens1 ,i thought ,i discovered my ,ady transformed4 ,my arms opened wide to embrace2 but the damsel knew not ,ozonna4 ,and even1 when after hard wooing1 ,i won her again1 she seemed not lost ,ady1 but ,rea4 ,yet all the while1 from deep in her strange1 black orbs1 ,ady's blue eyes seemed pensively looking3--blue eye within black3 sad1 silent soul within merry4 ,long ,i strove1 by fixed ardent gazing1 to break the spell1 and restore in ,rea my lost one's ,past4 ,but in vain4 ,it was only ,rea1 not ,ady1 who at stolen intervals looked on me now4 ,one morning ,hautia started as she greeted me2 her quick eye rested on my bosom2 and glancing there1 affrighted1 ,i beheld a distinct1 fresh mark1 the impress of ,rea's necklace drop4 ,fleeing1 ,i revealed what had passed to the maiden1 who broke from my side2 as ,i1 from ,hautia's4 ,the queen summoned her damsels1 but for many hours the call was unheeded2 and when at last they came1 upon each bosom lay a necklace-drop like ,rea's4 ,on the morrow1 lo6 my arbor was strown over with bruised ,linden-leaves1 exuding a vernal juice4 ,full of forbodings1 again ,i sought ,rea3 who1 casting down her eyes1 beheld her feet stained green4 ,again she fled2 and again ,hautia summoned her damsels3 malicious triumph in her eye2 but dismay succeeded3 each maid had spotted feet4 ,that night ,rea was torn from my side by three masks2 who1 stifling her cries1 rapidly bore her away2 and as ,i pursued1 disappeared in a cave4 ,next morning1 ,hautia was surrounded by her nymphs1 but ,rea was absent4 ,then1 gliding near1 she snatched from my hair1 a jet-black tress1 loose-hanging4 #8,ozonna is the murderer6 ,see6 ,rea's torn hair entangled with his6' ,aghast1 ,i swore that ,i knew not her fate4 #8,then let the witch ,larfee be called6' ,the maidens darted from the bower2 and soon after1 there rolled into it a green cocoa-nut1 followed by the witch1 and all the damsels1 flinging anemones upon it4 ,bowling this way and that1 the nut at last rolled to my feet4--#8,it is he6' cried all4--,then they bound me with osiers2 and at midnight1 unseen and irresistible hands placed me in a shallop2 which sped far out into the lagoon1 where they tossed me to the waves2 but so violent the shock1 the osiers burst2 and as the shallop fled one way1 swimming another1 ere long ,i gained land4 8#8,thus in ,flozella1 ,i found but the phantom of ,ady1 and slew the last hope of ,ady the true4'0 ,this recital sank deep into my soul4 ,in some wild way1 ,hautia had made a captive of ,yillah2 in some one of her black-eyed maids1 the blue-eyed ,one was transformed4 ,from side to side1 in frenzy1 ,i turned2 but in all those cold1 mystical eyes1 saw not the warm ray that ,i sought4 8,hast taken root within this treacherous soil80 cried ,media4 8,away6 thy ,yillah is behind thee1 not before4 ,deep she dwells in blue ,serenia's groves2 which thou would'st not search4 ,hautia mocks thee2 away6 ,the reef is rounded2 but a strait flows between this isle and ,odo1 and thither its ruler must return4 ,every hour ,i tarry here1 some wretched serf is dying there1 for whom1 from blest ,serenia1 ,i carry life and joy4 ,away60 8,art still bent on finding evil for thy good80 cried ,mohi4--8,how can ,yillah harbor here8--,beware6--,let not ,hautia so enthrall thee40 8,come away1 come away10 cried ,yoomy4 8,far hence is ,yillah6 and he who tarries among these flowers1 must needs burn juniper40 8,look on me1 ,media1 ,mohi1 ,yoomy4 ,here ,i stand1 my own monument1 till ,hautia breaks the spell40 ,in grief they left me4 ,vee-,vee's conch ,i heard no more4 ,,chapter ,,xc4 ,taji ,with ,hautia ,as their last echoes died away down the valley1 ,hautia glided near2-- zone unbound1 the amaryllis in her hand4 ,her bosom ebbed and flowed2 the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes4 8,come6 let us sin1 and be merry4 ,ho6 wine1 wine1 wine6 and lapfuls of flowers6 let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes4 ,damsels6 dance2 reel1 swim1 around me3--,i1 the vortex that draws all in4 ,taji6 ,taji6-- as a berry1 that name is juicy in my mouth6--,taji1 ,taji60 and in choruses1 she warbled forth the sound1 till it seemed issuing from her syren eyes4 ,my heart flew forth from out its bars1 and soared in air2 but as my hand touched ,hautia's1 down dropped a dead bird from the clouds4 8,ha6 how he sinks6--but did'st ever dive in deep waters1 ,taji8 ,did'st ever see where pearls grow8--,to the cave6--damsels1 lead on60 ,then wending through constellations of flowers1 we entered deep groves4 ,and thus1 thrice from sun-light to shade1 it seemed three brief nights and days1 ere we paused before the mouth of the cavern4 ,a bow-shot from the sea1 it pierced the hill-side like a vaulted way2 and glancing in1 we saw far gleams of water2 crossed1 here and there1 by long-flung distant shadows of domes and columns4 ,all ,venice seemed within4 ,from a stack of golden palm-stalks1 the damsels now made torches2 then stood grouped2 a sheaf of sirens in a sheaf of frame4 ,illuminated1 the cavern shone like a ,queen of ,kandy's casket3 full of dawns and sunsets4 ,from rocky roof to bubbling floor1 it was columned with stalactites2 and galleried all round1 in spiral tiers1 with sparkling1 coral ledges4 ,and now1 their torches held aloft1 into the water the maidens softly glided2 and each a lotus floated2 while1 from far above1 into the air ,hautia flung her flambeau2 then bounding after1 in the lake1 two meteors were quenched4 ,where she dived1 the flambeaux clustered2 and up among them1 ,hautia rose2 hands1 full of pearls4 8,lo6 ,taji2 all these may be had for the diving2 and ,beauty1 ,health1 ,wealth1 ,long ,life1 and the ,last ,lost ,hope of man4 ,but through me alone1 may these be had4 ,dive thou1 and bring up one pearl if thou canst40 ,down1 down6 down1 down1 in the clear1 sparkling water1 till ,i seemed crystalized in the flashing heart of a diamond2 but from those bottomless depths1 ,i uprose empty handed4 8,pearls1 pearls6 thy pearls6 thou art fresh from the mines4 ,ah1 ,taji6 for thee1 bootless deep diving4 ,yet to ,hautia1 one shallow plunge reveals many ,golcondas4 ,but come2 dive with me3--join hands--let me show thee strange things40 8,show me that which ,i seek1 and ,i will dive with thee1 straight through the world1 till we come up in oceans unknown40 8,nay1 nay2 but join hands1 and ,i will take thee1 where thy ,past shall be forgotten2 where thou wilt soon learn to love the living1 not the dead40 8,better to me1 oh ,hautia6 all the bitterness of my buried dead1 than all the sweets of the life thou canst bestow2 even1 were it eternal40 ,,chapter ,,xci4 ,mardi ,behind3 ,an ,ocean ,before ,returned from the cave1 ,hautia reclined in her clematis bower1 invisible hands flinging fennel around her4 ,and nearer1 and nearer1 stole dulcet sounds dissolving my woes1 as warm beams1 snow4 ,strange languors made me droop2 once more within my inmost vault1 side by side1 the ,past and ,yillah lay3--two bodies tranced2--while like a rounding sun1 before me ,hautia magnified magnificence2 and through her fixed eyes1 slowly drank up my soul4 ,thus we stood3--snake and victim3 life ebbing out from me1 to her4 ,but from that spell1 ,i burst again1 as all the ,past smote all the ,present in me4 8,oh ,hautia6 thou knowest the mystery ,i die to fathom4 ,i see it crouching in thine eye3--,reveal60 8,weal or woe80 8,life or death60 8,see1 see60 and ,yillah's rose-pearl danced before me4 ,i snatched it from her hand3--8,yillah6 ,yillah60 8,rave on3 she lies too deep to answer2 stranger voices than thine she hears3--bubbles are bursting round her40 8,drowned6 drowned then1 even as she dreamed3--,i come1 ,i come6--,ha1 what form is this8--hast mosses8 sea-thyme8 pearls8--,help1 help6 ,i sink6--,back1 shining monster6---,what1 ,hautia1--is it thou8--,oh vipress1 ,i could slay thee60 8,go1 go1--and slay thyself3 ,i may not make thee mine2--go1--dead to dead6--,there is another cavern in the hill40 ,swift ,i fled along the valley-side2 passed ,hautia's cave of pearls2 and gained a twilight arch2 within1 a lake transparent shone4 ,conflicting currents met1 and wrestled2 and one dark arch led to channels1 seaward tending4 ,round and round1 a gleaming form slow circled in the deepest eddies3-- white1 and vaguely ,yillah4 ,straight ,i plunged2 but the currents were as fierce headwinds off capes1 that beat back ships4 ,then1 as ,i frenzied gazed2 gaining the one dark arch1 the revolving shade darted out of sight1 and the eddies whirled as before4 8,stay1 stay6 let me go with thee1 though thou glidest to gulfs of blackness2--naught can exceed the hell of this despair6--,why beat longer in this corpse oh1 my heart60 ,as somnambulists fast-frozen in some horrid dream1 ghost-like glide abroad1 and fright the wakeful world2 so that night1 with death-glazed eyes1 to and fro ,i flitted on the damp and weedy beach4 8,is this specter1 ,taji80--and ,mohi and the minstrel stood before me4 8,taji lives no more4 ,so dead1 he has no ghost4 ,i am his spirit's phantom's phantom40 8,nay1 then1 phantom6 the time has come to flee40 ,they dragged me to the water's brink1 where a prow was beached4 ,soon-- ,mohi at the helm--we shot beneath the far-flung shadow of a cliff2 when1 as in a dream1 ,i hearkened to a voice4 ,arrived at ,odo1 ,media had been met with yells4 ,sedition was in arms1 and to his beard defied him4 ,vain all concessions then4 ,foremost stood the three pale sons of him1 whom ,i had slain1 to gain the maiden lost4 ,avengers1 from the first hour we had parted on the sea1 they had drifted on my track survived starvation2 and lived to hunt me round all ,mardi's reef2 and now at ,odo1 that last threshold1 waited to destroy2 or there1 missing the revenge they sought1 still swore to hunt me round ,eternity4 ,behind the avengers1 raged a stormy mob1 invoking ,media to renounce his rule4 ,but one hand waving like a pennant above the smoke of some sea-fight1 straight through that tumult ,media sailed serene3 the rioters parting from before him1 as wild waves before a prow inflexible4 ,a haven gained1 he turned to ,mohi and the minstrel3--8,oh1 friends6 after our long companionship1 hard to part6 ,but henceforth1 for many moons1 ,odo will prove no home for old age1 or youth4 ,in ,serenia only1 will ye find the peace ye seek2 and thither ye must carry ,taji1 who else must soon be slain1 or lost4 ,go3 release him from the thrall of ,hautia4 ,outfly the avengers1 and gain ,serenia4 ,reek not of me4 ,the state is tossed in storms2 and where ,i stand1 the combing billows must break over4 ,but among all noble souls1 in tempest-time1 the headmost man last flies the wreck4 ,so1 here in ,odo will ,i abide1 though every plank breaks up beneath me4 ,and then1--great ,oro6 let the king die clinging to the keel6 ,farewell60 ,such ,mohi's tale4 ,in trumpet-blasts1 the hoarse night-winds now blew2 the ,lagoon1 black with the still shadows of the mountains1 and the driving shadows of the clouds4 ,of all the stars1 only red ,arcturus shone4 ,but through the gloom1 and on the circumvallating reef1 the breakers dashed ghost-white4 ,an outlet in that outer barrier was nigh4 8,ah6 ,yillah6 ,yillah6--the currents sweep thee ocean-ward2 nor will ,i tarry behind4--,mardi1 farewell6--,give me the helm1 old man60 8,nay1 madman6 ,serenia is our haven4 ,through yonder strait1 for thee1 perdition lies4 ,and from the deep beyond1 no voyager e'er puts back40 8,and why put back8 is a life of dying worth living o'er again8--,let me1 then1 be the unreturning wanderer4 ,the helm6 ,by ,oro1 ,i will steer my own fate1 old man4--,mardi1 farewell60 8,nay1 ,taji3 commit not the last1 last crime60 cried ,yoomy4 8,he's seized the helm6 eternity is in his eye6 ,yoomy3 for our lives we must now swim40 ,and plunging1 they struck out for land3 ,yoomy buoying ,mohi up1 and the salt waves dashing the tears from his pallid face1 as through the scud1 he turned it on me mournfully4 8,now1 ,i am my own soul's emperor2 and my first act is abdication6 ,hail6 realm of shades60--and turning my prow into the racing tide1 which seized me like a hand omnipotent1 ,i darted through4 ,churned in foam1 that outer ocean lashed the clouds2 and straight in my white wake1 headlong dashed a shallop1 three fixed specters leaning o'er its prow3 three arrows poising4 ,and thus1 pursuers and pursued flew on1 over an endless sea4 ,,the ,,end4