_Seventh trial of the Ring._
The stifled Toy.
Tho' the female cits of Banza doubted whether Toys of their rank would
be honoured with the gift of speech; yet they all furnish'd themselves
with muzzles. In Banza muzzles became as common, as a general court
mourning in this country.
Here the African author observes with astonishment, that neither the
lowness of the price, nor the commonness of muzzles put them out of
fashion in the Seraglio. "This once," says he, "utility got the
better of prejudice." So trite a reflection was not worth the pains
of repeating: but to me it seems as if it was the defect of all the
ancient authors of Congo, to fall into repetitions; whether they
thereby hoped to give a greater air of truth and facility to their
productions; or that they were far from having as much fecundity of
invention as their admirers ascribe to them.
However that be, one day Mangogul, walking in his gardens, attended
by his whole court, took the maggot to level his ring at Zelais.
She was handsome, and suspected of several adventures: yet her Toy
did no more than stammer, and utter'd only some few mangled words,
which had no meaning, and which the Blasters interpreted as they
thought fit.----"Pshuh!" says the Sultan, "here is a Toy that has a
vast impediment of speech. Most certainly there must be somewhat
that impedes its respiration." Wherefore he applied his ring more
intensely. The Toy made a second effort to speak; and in some measure
surmounting the obstacle, that stop'd its mouth, these words were heard
very distinctly. "Alas! alas!--I am--I am--I am stifled. I can no
more.--Alas! alas! I am stifled."
Immediately Zelais found herself going: she grew pale, her neck
swell'd, and she fell, with her eyes shut and mouth half open, between
the arms of those who stood around her.
Any where else Zelais would have been speedily relieved. 'Twas only
debarrassing her of her muzzle, and allowing her Toy a freedom of
respiration: but how to lend the helping hand in Mangogul's presence.
"Quick, quick, physicians," cried the Sultan, "Zelais is dying."
Some pages ran to the palace, and returned, with the doctors gravely
marching after them. Orcotomus was at their head. Some gave their
opinion for bleeding, others for the _kermes mineral_; but the
penetrating Orcotomus ordered Zelais to be carried to a neighbouring
closet, examined her, and cut the braces of her harness. This muzzled
Toy was one of those, which he boasted to have seen in the paroxysm.
However, the bloating was excessive, and Zelais would have continued to
suffer, had not the Sultan had pity on her condition. He turn'd off his
ring, the fluids return'd to their equilibrium. Zelais came to herself,
and Orcotomus assumed the honour of this miraculous cure.
Zelais's accident and her physician's indiscretion, made the muzzles
lose much of their credit. Orcotomus, without any regard to Eolipila's
interest, proposed to himself to raise his own fortune on the ruins of
the others; advertised himself as a patentee physician of Toys that
had caught cold: and some of his bills are to be seen at this day in
the by-streets. He began by getting money, and ended by falling into
contempt. The Sultan took pleasure in lowering the presumption of the
empiric. Did Orcotomus boast of silencing a Toy that had never utter'd
a word? Mangogul had the cruelty to make it speak. People went so far
as to remark, that any Toy that was tired of silence, need only have
two or three visits from Orcotomus. In a little time he was rank'd with
Eolipila in the class of quacks; and they will both continue therein,
until it shall please Brama to take them out.
Shame was preferred to the apoplexy. "The one kills," said the women,
"the other does not." Wherefore they renounced their muzzles; let their
Toys talk on; and no body died thereby.