A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE FORTUNES OF THE AUTHOR.
Having made so many and extraordinary warlike excursions, and added to
our fleet a number of Martinianic ships, we set sail for our own land,
into which we entered with a splendor exceeding the old Roman triumphs.
And really my deeds deserved all possible honors; for what heroic action
could be greater and more glorious than to change a despised nation, a
nation exposed to the insults of its weaker neighbors, to the
acknowledged and respected ruler of the whole subterranean world? What
could be more honorable to a man, than to reinstate the human race in
that dominion, which nature has given to it, over all other animals?
From this time a new period may be reckoned in history; a fifth monarchy
can be added to the glorious roll of splendid empires. To the Assyrian,
Persian, Greek and Roman empires, the Subterranean-Quamatic monarchy,
which unquestionably exceeds them all in magnificence and power, may not
be considered unworthy to be joined. I could not decline, for obvious
reasons, the title of Koble, or great, with which the conquered nations
saluted me.
I was hailed thereafter, by the following titles: "Niels the Great,
Ambassador of the Sun, Emperor in Quama and Mezendore, King of Tanaqui,
Alectoria, Arctonia, the Mezendoric and Martinianic dominions, Grand
Duke of Kispusianania, Ruler of Martinia, etc. etc."
----firmly founded, stood
The mighty empire; the favorite of fortune,
I seemed as firmly fixed; not one, alas!
May be deemed happy 'till his latest hour.
When I had reached this splendid and powerful height, greater than any
man should desire, I became, what men usually become, who are raised
from a simple state to great honor in the world. I forgot my former
condition, and inclined to vanity. Instead of exerting myself to retain
the favor of the people, I proved myself cruel and rigorous to all
classes. My subjects, whom I had formerly endeared by friendly and
polite conduct, I now regarded and treated as slaves. For this course, I
came soon to be despised; the love and reverence of my people were
changed to indifference and fear. Their sentiments towards me I soon had
reason to understand, when I issued a proclamation to the inhabitants.
The occasion was this: the empress, whom I left in pregnancy during my
last expedition, had in my absence been delivered of a son. This prince
I wished to have nominated as my successor. I therefore summoned a Diet,
and commanded the Quamitian nobles and the great men among the conquered
nations, to meet in the capital, at the crowning of the child. None
dared to disobey this proclamation, and the coronation passed off with
great magnificence; but I observed by the countenances of my subjects,
that their joy was dissembled. I became more confirmed in my mistrust,
when I learnt that a multitude of libels had been spread about. These
libels, by unknown authors, criticised me very severely, and asserted
that prince Timuso was insulted in the choice of my son. This enraged me
so much that I could not rest until that noble and excellent prince
should be removed from my path. I therefore suborned some persons to
accuse him of treason; and since rulers seldom want assistants, when
they would commit crimes, I was quickly enabled to prove that Timuso had
attempted my life. I had him sentenced to death by bribed judges, and
then threw him into prison, where he was privately murdered; for I
feared to excite a rebellion by a public execution. I had determined to
murder the younger prince likewise; but postponed it. His youth procured
for him the safety, which neither my justice nor humanity would have
granted him. Having once imbued my hands in innocent blood, my cruelty
and moroseness knew no bounds. I doomed to death several whole families,
whose loyalty I merely suspected. Not a day passed without bloodshed. I
defiled my soul with the blood of innocence, virtue and nobleness. All
these things hastened a rebellion, excited by the nobles, who had been
long disgusted with me.
I will here acknowledge, that I deserved all the misfortunes that
afterwards met me. It had certainly been more fit for a Christian king
to have taught his ignorant and heathen subjects to know the true God,
and to have given them an example in my own person of the sweet
charities of the true religion, than to have excelled, even themselves
in barbarity, sin and moral turpitude. It would have been an easy matter
for me to have reformed the whole subterranean world, for whatever I
commanded was fulfilled; whatever I determined was received in perfect
good faith; whenever I spoke, my words were as those of a God. But I
forgot God and myself; I thought of nothing but empty and vain splendor,
and the augmentation of my power; wherefore I perpetrated many
cruelties, until the people, unable to bear more, (and they were a
patient people,) broke out against me.
While matters stood thus, I determined to lay hands on prince Hidoba.
This intention I revealed to my high-chancellor, Kalak, in whom I had
great confidence. He promised to be of service to me in all things, and
departed to fulfil my order: but at heart, he detested my cowardly
fears, and left me only to discover my plot to the prince. Together they
repaired to the fort, collected the garrison, and represented, in a
touching manner, their danger and my fears. The tears of the unfortunate
prince gave weight to his words; all seized their arms, and promised
that they would hazard their lives for him. The cunning chancellor took
the opportunity to persuade them to swear loyalty to the prince, and
sent messages to others, who, he knew, were displeased with me, to take
arms against the tyrant.
All armed themselves, whose hearts, through fear and horror,
Did burn towards their country's tyrant; they met
and united with the garrison, while I awaited the return of the
chancellor.
* * * * *
By the advice of Pomopoloko, I fled seasonably to Tanaqui, leaving my
own capital before the inhabitants generally were apprised of the
immediate cause of the sudden out-break. Arrived in Tanaqui, I quickly
collected an army of forty thousand men, and boldly retraced the steps
which a few days before I had pursued in fear and trembling. I had
little doubt that my powers would be augmented by Quamites, who had been
either too remote to suffer from my cruelty, or too indifferent to my
infamy, to hesitate in joining a force so overpowering, and a leader
whose prospects were so brilliant as mine. But I was deceived in my
hopes: instead of auxiliaries a herald from the prince met me. The
object of his mission was to declare a formal war, and, for a
commencement of hostilities, that my wife and son had been imprisoned.
On the footsteps of the herald came the Quamitic forces. A bloody
engagement took place, in which our part proved to be inferior. I, left
to my fate, fled to a neighboring mountain, crossed its side and
descended to a dale behind it. There I remained in concealment for some
time, bemoaning, the while, my misery, as I then believed, but which I
afterwards more justly named, my folly. I was so agitated, had so
thoroughly lost that presence of mind for which I had in former days
been distinguished, that I did not remove from my head the crown, which,
being ornamented with sunbeams, would have easily betrayed me. While
panting like a bayed lion, I heard a nestling on the other side of the
mountain, which I supposed was made by men beating the bushes to
discover any hiders. I now looked around for a more secure retreat, for
I doubted not that my flight had been noticed, and that these pursuers
would search on my side of the mountain. Behind me was
----A thick and matted forest, sunk between hills
All desolate and bare, whose dark and awful silence
Beckoned me.
I hurried thither, fiercely flinging aside the thorny bushes that clung
as fiercely to me, and came at last to the mouth of a cave. Creeping in,
I observed that the cave was deep, and as far as the light penetrated,
level. I determined to explore its recesses, though I think I should not
have been so hardy in my days of fortune.
After treading cautiously a hundred paces, I suddenly lost my footing,
and plunged with the quickness of lightning, into a hole that must have
had perpendicular sides.
Having shot through this passage, the abode of palpable darkness and
night, I suddenly perceived a faint light.
As when through clouds the moon doth gleam
With pallid smile.
As this light increased, my speed decreased, so that without pain or
trouble, I was soon brought to a stand between two high mountains. My
sensations, during this remarkable passage, were similar to those
experienced while tossing among the billows of the ocean. On recovering,
I found myself, to my great astonishment, in the same spot from which,
years before, I had plunged into the subterranean regions. A moment's
reflection gave me the means to account for the decrease of speed in the
latter part of my course. The weight of the atmosphere is much greater
on the surface of the globe, than below; consequently I was buoyed up by
the increasing resistance of the air towards the surface. Had this not
been the case, I should, unquestionably, at least in my own mind, have
shot off to the moon.
Still, being obnoxious to cavil, I will defer this hypothesis to the
astronomer's closer examination.
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