So Jurgen abode in Leukê, and complied with the customs of that
country; and what with one thing and another, he and Chloris made
the time pass pleasantly enough, until the winter solstice was at
hand. Now Pseudopolis, as has been said, was at war with Philistia:
so it befell that at this season Leukê was invaded by an army of
Philistines, led by their Queen Dolores, a woman who was wise but
not entirely reliable. They came from the coast, a terrible army
insanely clad in such garments as had been commanded by Ageus, a god
of theirs; and chaunting psalms in honor of their god Vel-Tyno, who
had inspired this crusade: thus they swept down upon Pseudopolis,
and encamped before the city.
These Philistines fought in this campaign by casting before them a
more horrible form of Greek fire, which consumed whatever was not
gray-colored. For that color alone was now favored by their god
Vel-Tyno. "And all other colors," his oracles had decreed, "are
forevermore abominable, until I say otherwise."
So the forces of Philistia were marshalled in the plain before
Pseudopolis, and Queen Dolores spoke to her troops. And smilingly
she said:--
"Whenever you come to blows with the enemy he will be beaten. No
mercy will be shown, no prisoners taken. As the Philistines under
Libnah and Goliath and Gershon, and a many other tall captains, made
for themselves a name which is still mighty in traditions and
legend, even thus to-day may the name of Realist be so fixed in
Pseudopolis, by your deeds to-day, that no one shall ever dare again
even to look askance at a Philistine. Open the door for Realism,
once for all!"
Meanwhile within the city Achilles, King of Men, addressed his
army:--
"The eyes of all the world will be upon you, because you are in some
especial sense the soldiers of Romance. Let it be your pride,
therefore, to show all men everywhere, not only what good soldiers
you are, but also what good men you are, keeping yourselves fit and
straight in everything, and pure and clean through and through. Let
us set ourselves a standard so high that it will be a glory to live
up to it, and then let us live up to it, and add a new laurel to the
crown of Pseudopolis. May the Gods of Old keep you and guide you!"
Then said Thersitês, in his beard: "Certainly Pelidês has learned
from history with what weapon a strong man discomfits the
Philistines."
But the other kings applauded, and the trumpet was sounded, and the
battle was joined. And that day the forces of Philistia were
everywhere triumphant. But they report a queer thing happened: and
it was that when the Philistines shouted in their triumph, Achilles
and all they who served him rose from the ground like gleaming
clouds and passed above the heads of the Philistines, deriding them.
Thus was Pseudopolis left empty, so that the Philistines entered
thereinto without any opposition. They defiled this city of
blasphemous colors, then burned it as a sacrifice to their god
Vel-Tyno, because the color of ashes is gray.
Then the Philistines erected lithoi (which were not unlike may-poles),
and began to celebrate their religious rites.
* * * * *
So it was reported: but Jurgen witnessed none of these events.
"Let them fight it out," said Jurgen: "it is not my affair. I agree
with Silenus: dullness will conquer dullness, and it will not
matter. But do you, woman dear, take shelter with your kindred in
the unconquerable Woods, for there is no telling what damage the
Philistines may do hereabouts."
"Will you go with me, Jurgen?"
"My dear, you know very well that it is impossible for me ever again
to go into the Woods, after the trick I played upon Phobetor."
"And if only you had kept your head about that bean-pole of a Helen,
in her yellow wig--for I have not a doubt that every strand of it is
false, and at all events this is not a time to be arguing about it,
Jurgen,--why, then you would never have meddled with Uncle Phobetor!
It simply shows you!"
"Yes," said Jurgen.
"Still, I do not know. If you come with me into the Woods, Uncle
Phobetor in his impetuous way will quite certainly turn you into a
boar-pig, because he has always done that to the people who
irritated him--"
"I seem to recognise that reason."
"--But give me time, and I can get around Uncle Phobetor, just as I
have always done, and he will turn you back."
"No," says Jurgen, obstinately, "I do not wish to be turned into a
boar-pig."
"Now, Jurgen, let us be sensible about this! Of course, it is a
little humiliating. But I will take the very best of care of you,
and feed you with my own acorns, and it will be a purely temporary
arrangement. And to be a pig for a week or two, or even for a month,
is infinitely better for a poet than being captured by the
Philistines."
"How do I know that?" says Jurgen.
"--For it is not, after all, as if Uncle Phobetor's heart were not
in the right place. It is just his way. And besides, you must
remember what you did with that gimlet!"
Said Jurgen: "All this is hardly to the purpose. You forget I have
seen the hapless swine of Phobetor, and I know how he ameliorates
the natural ferocity of his boar-pigs. No, I am Jurgen. So I remain.
I will face the Philistines and whatever they may possibly do to me,
rather than suffer that which Phobetor will quite certainly do to
me."
"Then I stay too," said Chloris.
"No, woman dear--!"
"But do you not understand?" says Chloris, a little pale, as he saw
now. "Since the life of a hamadryad is linked with the life of her
tree, nobody can harm me so long as my tree lives: and if they cut
down my tree I shall die, wherever I may happen to be."
"I had forgotten that." He was really troubled now.
"--And you can see for yourself, Jurgen, it is quite out of the
question for me to be carrying that great oak anywhere, and I wonder
at your talking such nonsense."
"Indeed, my dear," says Jurgen, "we are very neatly trapped. Well,
nobody can live longer in peace than his neighbor chooses.
Nevertheless, it is not fair."
As he spoke the Philistines came forth from the burning city. Again
the trumpet sounded, and the Philistines advanced in their order of
battle.
32.