_A visitation of the revolted provinces proposed by Peter--His new name
of the country received--Religion settled in the west--Slavery abolished
there--Lasmeel returns with Peter--Peter teaches him letters--The king
surprised at written correspondence--Peter describes the make of a beast
to the king._
THE festival being over, the colambs begged leave to depart; but the
king, who now did nothing without me, consulted with me if it was yet
proper. I told him, as things had so long been in confusion in the west,
that though the provinces had made their submission, yet the necessity
of their circumstances, and the general terror, might have caused them
only to dissemble till their affairs were composed again, and that as it
was more than probable some relations of the deceased Harlokin, or other
popular person, might engage them in another revolt, I thought it would
not be improper to advise with his colambs about the establishment of
the present tranquillity, and not by too great a security, give way to
future commotions; and as all the colambs were then present, it might be
proper to summon them once more.
When they were met, the king declared the more particular satisfaction
he took in that meeting than he had heretofore done, when they had been
put to it for means to secure their lives and properties: "For
now," says he, "our deliberations must turn upon securing our new
acquisitions, and on settling those provinces which, till now, have
never fallen under my power. But," says he, "I shall refer it to Peter
to propose to you what at present seems most necessary for you to
consider of; and that adjusted, shall dismiss you."
I told them that as the too sudden healing of wounds in the body
natural, before the bottom was clean and uncorrupt, made them liable to
break out again with greater malignity, so wounds in the body political,
if skinned over only, without probing and cleansing the source and
spring from whence they arose, would rankle and fret within till a
proper opportunity, and then burst forth again with redoubled violence.
I would therefore propose a visitation of the several provinces; an
inquiry into their conduct; an examination into the lives and principles
of the colambs, the inferior officers, and magistrates; and either
to retain the old, or appoint new, as there should be occasion. This
visitation I would have performed by his majesty--"and so many of you,
the honourable colambs," says I, "as he shall see fit should attend him
in royal state, that his new subjects may see his majesty, and hear his
most gracious words; and being sensible of his good disposition towards
them, may be won, by his equity and justice, to a zealous submission to
his government, which nothing but the perception of their own senses
can establish in the heart This, I don't doubt, will answer the end I
propose, and consolidate the peace and happiness of Norm--Normns--I must
say Doorpt Swangeanti."
Hearing me hesitate at the word Normndbsgrsutt, and call it Doorpt
Swangeanti, the whole assembly rang with Doorpt Swangeanti! and, at
last, came to a resolution that the west being now again united to the
east, the whole dominions should be called Sass Doorpt Swangeanti, or
the Great Flight Land.
They approved the visitation, and all offered to go with the king, but
insisted I should be of the party, which agreeing to do, I chose me out
two of the most knowing ragans to teach the new religion amongst them,
for in every project I had my view to advance religion.
Some were for having the deputies released, and despatched with notice
of the king's intentions; but I objecting that they might disrelish
their confinement, and possibly raise reports prejudicial to our
proceedings, it was thought better to take them with us, and go
ourselves as soon as possible.
We set out with a prodigious retinue, first to the right, in order to
sweep round the whole country, and take all the towns in our way, and
occasionally enter the middle parts, as the towns lay commodious.
We were met by the magistrates and chief officers of each district, at
some distance from each city, with strings about their necks, and the
crashee instrument borne before them in much humility. His majesty said
but little to them on the way, but ordered them to precede him to the
city, and conduct him to the colamb's house; when he was commanded to
surrender his employment to his majesty, as did all the other officers
who held posts under him. Then an examination was taken of their lives,
characters, and behaviour in their stations; and finding most of them
had behaved well to the government they had lived under (for their
plea was, they had found things under a usurpation, and being so, that
government was natural to them, having singly no power to alter it);
upon their perfect submission to the king, and solemn engagement to
advance and maintain his right, they received their commissions anew
from his majesty's own mouth. But where any one had been cruel or
oppressive to the subjects, or committed any notorious crime, or breach
of trust (for the meanest persons had liberty to complain), he was
rejected, and for the most part sent to Crashdoorpt, to prevent the ill
effects of his disgrace.
We having displaced but five colambs and a few inferior officers, the
moderation and justice of our proceedings gave the utmost satisfaction
both to the magistrates and people.
Having observed at Brandleguarp abundance of the small images my
wife had spoken of, and thinking this a proper opportunity to show my
resentment against them, I ordered several of the ragans of the west
before me, and asked what small images they had amongst them. One, who
spoke for the rest, told me, very few, he believed; for he had scarce
had any brought to him to be blessed. "Where," says I, "is your Great
Image?" He told me, "At Youk."--"And have not the people here many small
ones?"--"Very few," says he; "for they have not been forced upon
us long."--"How forced upon you!" says I; "don't the people worship
them?"--"A small number now do," says he.--"Pray speak out," says I.
"When might you not worship them?"--"Never, that I know of," says he,
"in our state, till about ten years ago, when Harlokin obliged us to
it."--"What! did you worship them before?" says I.--"No," says he,
"never since it has been a separate kingdom; for we would follow the old
ragan's advice of worshipping Collwar, which they not admitting of, the
State was divided between us who would and them who would not come
into the ragan's doctrine: and though Harlokin was a zealous
image-worshipper, yet all he could do would not bring the people
heartily into it, for Collwar never wanted a greater majority." This
pleased me prodigiously, being what was never hinted to me before; and I
resolved not to let my scheme be a loser by it.
As we were to visit Youk in about eight days, I summoned the ragans and
people to meet at the mouch; there recounting the great things done by
Collwar in all nations. "This I could make appear," says I, "by many
examples; but as you have one even at your own towns, I need go no
farther.
"I must begin in ancient times, when, I presume, you all worshipped
an idol; have you any tradition before this?"--They said, "No."--"This
image," says I, "was worshipped in Begsurbeck's days, when an old ragan,
whose mind Collwar had enlightened with the truth, would have withdrawn
your reverence from the image to the original Collwar himself; you would
not consent: he threatens you, but promises success to Begsurbeck, who
did consent; and he had it to an old age. Then those who would also
consent, were so far encouraged as to be able to form an independent
kingdom. Could nobody yet see the cause? was it not apparent Collwar was
angry with the east, that would not follow the old ragan, and cherished
the west, who would?
"But, to be short, let us apply the present instance, and sure it will
convince us who is right, who wrong.
"So long as the west followed Collwar, they flourished, and the east
declined; but no sooner had the west degenerated under the command of
Harlokin, and the east by my means had embraced Collwar, but the tables
were turned: the east is found weighty, and the west kicks the beam.
These things whoso sees not, is blind indeed: therefore let publication
be made for the destruction of all small images, and let the harbourers
of them, contrary to this order, be slit; and for myself, I will destroy
this mother-monster. Take you, holy ragans, care to destroy the brood."
And having said this, I hacked the new idol to pieces.
I ordered proclamation for abolishing slavery, under the restrictions
used at Brandleguarp: and thus having composed the west, and given a
general satisfaction, we returned, almost the whole west accompanying
us, till the east received us; and never was so happy a union, or more
present to testify it, since the creation, I believe.
I ordered several of the principal men's sons to court, in order for
employments, and to furnish our future colambs; and this I did, as
knowing each country would rather approve of a member of their own
body for their head than a stranger; and, in my opinion, it is the most
natural union. And then breeding them under the eye of the king eight or
ten years, or more, they are, as it were, naturalised to him too, and in
better capacity to serve both king and country.
As my head was constantly at work for the good of this people, I
turned the most trifling incidents into some use or other; and made
the narrowest prospects extend to the vastest distances. I shall here
instance in one only. There was at Youk a private man's son, whom by
mere accident I happened to ask some slight question of; and he giving
me, with a profound respect and graceful assurance, a most pertinent
answer; that, and the manner of its delivery, gave me a pleasure, which
upon farther discourse with him, was, contrary to custom, very much
increased; for I found in him an extensive genius, and a desire for my
conversation. I desired his father to put him under my care, which the
old man, as I was then in so great repute, readily agreed to; and his
son desiring nothing more, I took him with me to Brandleguarp. I soon
procured him a pretty post but of small duty, for I had purposed other
employment for him, but of sufficient significancy to procure him
respect. I took great delight in talking with him on different subjects,
and observed by his questions upon them, which often puzzled me, or his
answers to them, he had a most pregnant fancy and surprising solidity,
joined to a continual and unwearied application. I frequently mentioning
books, writing, and letters to him, and telling him what great things
might be attained that way, his inquisitive temper, and the schemes
he had formed thereon, put me upon thinking of several things I should
never have hit upon without him. I considered all the ways I could
contrive to teach him letters; and letting him into my design, he asked
me how I did to make a letter. I described a pen to him, and told him I
put a black liquor into it, and as I drew that along upon a flat white
thing we made use of, called paper, it would make marks which way ever I
drew it, into what shape I pleased. "Why then," says he, "anything that
will make a mark upon another thing as I please, will do."--"True,"
says I, "but what shall we get that will make a black mark?"--We were
entering further into this debate; but the king sending for me, I left
him unsatisfied. I stayed late with the king that night, so did not
see Lasmeel (for that was his name) till next night, wondering what was
become of him. I asked him then where he had been all the day. He told
me he had been looking for a pen and paper. I laughed, and asked him if
he had found them.--"Yes," says he, "or something that will do as well:"
so he opened one side of his graundee, and showed me a large flat leaf,
smooth and pulpy, very long and wide, and about a quarter of an inch
thick, almost like an Indian fig-leaf.--"And what am I to do with this?"
says I.--"To mark it," says he, "and see where you mark."--"With what?"
says I.--"With this," says he, putting his hand again into his graundee,
and taking out three or four strong sharp prickles. I looked at them
both; and clapping him on the head, "Lasmeel," says I, "if you and I
were in England, you should be made a privy-councillor."--"What! won't
it do, then?" says he.--I told him we would try.--"I thought," says he,
"it would have done very well; for I marked one all about, and though I
could not see much at first, by that time I had made an end, that I did
first was quite of a different colour from the leaf, and I could see it
as plain as could be." I told him as he was of an age to comprehend what
I meant, I would take another method with him than with a child; so I
reasoned from sentences backwards to words, and from them to syllables,
and so on to letters. I then made one, the vowel A, told him its sound,
and added a consonant to it, and told him that part of the sound of each
distinct letter put together, as the two letters themselves were, made
another sound, which I called a syllable; and that joining two or more
of them together made a word, by putting the same letters together as
made the sounds of those syllables which made that word. Then setting
him a copy of letters, which with very little difficulty were to
be drawn upon the leaf, and telling him their sounds, I left him to
himself; and when he had done, though I named them but twice over, his
memory was so strong as to retain the sounds, as he called them, of
every one but F, L, and Q.
In two months' time I made him master of anything I wrote to him; and
as he delighted in it, he wrote a great deal himself, so that we kept
an epistolary correspondence, and he would set down all the common
occurrences of the day, as what he heard and saw, with his remarks on
divers things.
One day, as the king and I were walking in the gardens, and talking
of the customs of my country, and about our wars, telling him how our
soldiers fought on horseback, the king could not conceive what I meant
by a horse. I told him my wife had said there were neither beasts nor
fishes in the country; which I was very much surprised at, considering
how we abounded with both: "And therefore," says I, "to tell your
majesty that a horse is a creature with four legs, you must naturally
believe it to be somewhat like a man with four legs."--"Why, truly,"
says he, "I believe it is; but has it the graundee?" I could not forbear
smiling, even at his majesty, and wanted to find some similitude to
compare it to, to carry the king's mind that way; for else he would
sooner, I thought, conceive it like a tree or a mountain than what
it really was; and as I was musing, it came into my head I had given
Lasmeel a small print of a horse, which I found in one of the captain's
pockets at Graundevolet, and believing it to be the stamp of a
tobacco-paper, had kept it to please the children with; so I told the
king I believed I could show him the figure of a horse. He told me it
would much oblige him.
Seeing several of the guards waiting at the garden arch, I looked, and
at last found one of Lasmeel's leaves in the garden, and cutting one of
them up with my knife, I took the point of that, and wrote to Lasmeel
to send me by the bearer the picture of a horse I gave him, that I
might show it the king. And calling one of the guards, "Carry that to
Lasmeel," says I; "he is, I believe, in my apartment, and bring me an
answer directly." Then falling into discourse again with the king, and
presently turning at the end of the walk, I saw the same guard again.
Says I "You cannot have brought me an answer already."--"You have not
told me," says he, "what to bring you an answer to."--"Nor shall I,"
says I; "do as you are bid;" for I perceived then what the fellow stuck
at. He walked off with the leaf, but very discontentedly. The king said
he wondered how I could act such a contradiction. "This, father," says
he, "is not what I expected from you; to order a man to bring an answer
without giving him a message." I desired his patience only till the man
came back. Presently says the king, "Here he comes!--Well," says he,
"what answer?"--"Sir," says the fellow, "I have only had the walk for
my pains: for he sent it back again, and a little white thing with
it."--"Ha, ha!" says the king, "I thought so.--Come, father, own you
have once been in the wrong; for I am sure you intended to give him
a message, but having forgot it, would not submit to be told of your
mistake by a guard." I looked very grave, reading what Lasmeel had
wrote; which was to tell me he had obeyed my orders by sending the
horse, for he was just then drawing it out upon a leaf.
"Come, come," says the king, "give the man his message, father, and
let him go again."--"Sir," says I, "there is no need of that, he has
punctually obeyed me; and Lasmeel was then at the table in my oval
chamber with a leaf, and this picture in my hand, before him."
The king was ready to sink when I said so, and showed the print. "Truly,
father," says he, "I have been to blame to question you; for though
these things are above my comprehension, I am not to think anything
beyond your skill." I made no reply to it; but showing the king the
picture, the guard sneaked off; and glad he was, I believe, he could do
so.
I went then upon the explanation of my horse, and answering fifty
questions about him, at last he asked what his inside was: "Exactly the
same as your majesty's," said I.--"And can he eat and breathe too?" says
he.--"Just as you can," says I.--"Well," says he, "I would never have
believed there had been such a creature: what would I give for one of
them!"--I set forth the divers other uses we put them to, besides the
wars; and by the picture, with some supposed alterations, I described a
cow, a sheep, and numberless other quadrupeds; my account of which gave
him great pleasure.
[Illustration: 0216]