The king's apartments described—Is introduced to the king—A moucheratt called—His discourse with the king about religion.

I HAVE known some travellers so peculiar in their taste as not to be able to sleep in a strange lodging. But, thanks to my kind stars, that did not prove my case; for having looked on my watch when I went to bed, as I call it, and finding it was down, I wound it up, and observed it began to go at about three o'clock—whether day or night, matters not; and when I waked it was past nine, so that I know I had slept eighteen hours; and finding that a very reasonable refreshment, and myself very hungry, I called Quilly to get me my breakfast.

Quilly told me his majesty had been to visit me, but would not have me disturbed. I, begging him to despatch my breakfast as soon as possible, and let me have some water for my hands, he ordered the gallery-waiters, and everything came immediately.

My breakfast was a brown liquid, with a sort of seeds or grain in it, very sweet and good; but the fear of the king's return before I was ready for him, prevented my inquiring into what it was. So, having finished it, and washed my hands, Quilly presented me a towel, which looked like an unbleached coarse linen, but was very soft and spongy; and I found afterwards was made of threads of bark stripped from some tree. I put on my brown suit, sword, and long wig, and sent Quilly to know when it was his majesty's pleasure I should wait upon him.

I had been so much used to lamplight in my grotto, that the lights of this gloomy mansion did not seem so unusual a thing to me as they would have done to a stranger. The king sent me word he would admit me immediately, and Quilly was my conductor to his majesty's apartment.

We passed through the gallery, at the farther end of which was a very beautiful arch, even with the staircase, through which Quilly led me into a large guard-room, wherein were above a hundred glumms, posted in ranks, with their pikes in hand, some headed with sharp-pointed stone, others with multangular stone, and others with stone globes. Passing through these, we entered another gallery as long as that to my apartment; then under another arch we came into a small square room, carved exceeding fine; on the right and left of which were two other archways, leading into most noble rooms. But we only saw them, passing quite cross the little room, through an arch that fronted us into a small gallery of prodigious height; at the farther end of which Quilly, turning aside a mat, introduced and left me in the most beautiful place in the universe, where, neither seeing nor hearing anybody stir, I employed myself in examining the magnificence of the place, and could, as I then thought, have feasted my eye with variety for a twelvemonth. I paced it over one hundred and thirty of my paces long, and ninety-six broad. There were arches in the middle of each side, and in the middle of each end; the arch ceiling could not be less than the breadth of the room, and covered with the most delightful carvings, from whence hung globe-lights innumerable, but seemingly without order, which I thought appeared the more beautiful on that account. In the centre of the room hung a prodigious cluster of the same lights, so disposed as to represent one vast light; and there were several rows of the same lights hung round the room, one row above another, at proper distances. These lights represented to me the stars, with the moon in the middle of them; and after I came to be better acquainted with the country, I perceived the lights were to represent the southern constellations. The archways were carved with the finest devices imaginable, gigantic glumms supporting on each side the pediments.

At every ten paces all along the sides and ends, arose columns, each upon a broad square base, admirably carved; these reached to the cornice or base of the arched ceiling quite round the room. On the panels between each column were carved the different battles and most remarkable achievements of Begsurbeck himself. Over the arch I entered at, was the statue of Begsurbeck, and over the opposite arch the old prophetic ragan. In the middle of the room stood a long stone table lengthwise, most exquisitely carved, almost the length of the room, except where it was divided in the middle about the breadth of the archways, in order for a passage from one arch to the other. In short, to describe this one room particularly would make a volume of itself.

I stayed here a full hour and a half, wondering why nobody came to me; at length turning myself about, I saw two glumms coming towards me, and having received their compliments, they desired me to walk in to the king. We passed through another middling room, and taking up a mat at the farther side of it, I was conducted in where his majesty was sitting with another glumm. They both arose at my entrance, and calling me their father, and leading me, one by each hand, obliged me to sit down between them.

After some compliments about my journey, and accommodation since, the king told me I had not waited so long without, but he had some urgent despatches to make; and as he chose to have me in private with him, he imagined, he said, I would be able to divert myself in the boskee. I declared I had never seen anything like it for grandeur and magnificence before; but the beauty of the sculpture, and disposition of the lights, were most exquisite.

All this while I felt the other glumm handling my long wig, and feeling whether it grew to my head, or what it was; for he had by this time got his finger under the caul, and was pulling my hair down; when I turning about my head, "Glumm Peter," says the king, "don't be uneasy, the ragan will do you no hurt, it is only to satisfy his curiosity; and I chose to have the ragan here, that we may more leisurely advise with you what course to take in the present exigencies of my State. I have fully heard the story of your travels from my colambs, and we have returned thanks to the Great Image for bringing you, after so many hazards and deliverances, safe to my dominions for our defence."

The ragan desired to know whether all that hair (meaning my wig) grew upon my head or not. I told him no, it was a covering only, to put on occasionally; but that hair did grow on my head, and pulling off my wig I showed them. The ragan then asked me if I had hair of my own growing under that too (meaning my beard, which he then had in his hand, for their glumms have no beards); but I told him that grew there of itself.—"O parly Puly!" says the ragan, rising up, and smiting his hands together, "It is he! It is he!"

"Pray," says I, "ragan, who is this Puly you speak of?"—"It is the image," says he, "of the great Collwar."—"Who is that?" says I.—"Why, he that made the world," says he.—"And, pray," says I, "what did his image make?"—"Oh," says he, "we made the image."—"And, pray," says I, "can't you break it again?"—"Yes," says he, "if we had a mind to be struck dead, we might; for that would be the immediate consequence of such an attempt; nay, of but holding up a finger against it in contempt."—"Pray," says I, "did ever anybody die that way?"—"No," says he, "no one ever durst presume to do it."—"Then, perhaps," said I, "upon trial, the punishment you speak of might not be the consequence of such an attempt. Pray," says I, "what makes Collwar have so great a kindness for that image?"—"Because," says he, "it is his very likeness, and he gives him all he asks for us; for we only ask him. Why," says he, "it is the image that has brought you amongst us."

I did not then think it a proper time to advance the contrary to the person I then had to do with, as I was sure it would have done no good; for a priest is only to be convinced by the strongest party: so I deferred my argument on that head to a fitter opportunity.

"Most admirable Peter," says the king, "you are the glumm we depend upon to fulfil an ancient prediction delivered by a venerable ragan. If you will, Ragan I. O. shall repeat it to you, and therein you will be able to discern yourself plainly described, in not only similar, but the express words I myself, from your story, should describe you in."

In good earnest, I had from divers circumstances concluded that I might be the person; and resolved, as I thought I had the best handle in the world for it from the prediction, to do what I could in the affair of religion, by fair means or stratagem (for I was sensible my own single force would not do it), before I began to show myself in their cause, or else to desert them; and having had a small hint from Nasgig of what the old ragan's design was in part, and which I approved of, I purposed to add what else was necessary as part of his design, if his proposals had been approved of.

I told the king I would excuse the ragan the repetition of the prediction, as I had partly been informed of it by Nasgig; and that conceiving myself, as he did, to be the person predicted of by the ragan, I had the more readily set out on this expedition, which nothing but the hopes of performing so great a good could have prevailed with me to undertake; and I did not doubt, with God's blessing, to accomplish it.

The king grew exceeding joyous at what I said, and told me he would call a moucheratt, at which all his colambs should attend, to have their advice, and then we would proceed to action; and ordered the ragan to let it be for the sixth day, and in the meantime that he and his brethren should, day and night, implore the Image to guide their deliberations.

The ragan being gone, I told the king I had something to impart to him, in which it was my duty to obtain his majesty's sentiments before I appeared publicly at the moucheratt. He desired me to proceed: I told him I had been some time considering the old ragan's prediction, with the occasion of it; "and," says I, "it is plain to me that all these mischiefs have befallen you for neglect of the ragan's proposal concerning religion; as I understand your great ancestor would have come into it, and would have had his people done so too, but for the ragans, who hindered it.

"You find," says I, "by your traditional history, that Begsurbeck lived long, and reigned gloriously; and I would aim at making you as prosperous as he was, and infinitely more happy, not only in outward splendour here, but in great glory hereafter."

Perceiving that my discourse had quickened the king's attention, says I, "I must let your majesty know it is the old ragan's plan I must proceed upon in every branch of it."—"Why," says the king, "he would have abolished our worship of the Image."—"And so would I," says I; "nay, not only would, but must and will, before I engage myself in your deliverance; and then, with the only assistance of the great Collwar, whom I adore, and whom you must too, if you expect any service from me, I don't doubt to prevail.

"Your majesty sees," says I, "in few words, I have been very plain with you; and I desire you, in as concise and plain a manner, to answer me, what are your thoughts on this head? for I can say no more till I hear them."

The king seeing me so peremptory: "Glumm Peter," says he, looking about to see no one was near, "I have too much sense to imagine our Image can do either good or hurt; for if it could have done us good, why would it not in our greatest distress, now near two hundred years past? For my own part, I put no trust in it, nor did my famous ancestor the great Begsurbeck; but here is my difficulty, where to choose another object of worship; for I perceive by myself, mankind must, through natural impulse, look to somewhat still above them, as a child does to his father, from whom he hopes for and expects succour in his difficulties; and though the father be not able to assist him, still he looks to him; and therefore, I say, we must have another before we can part with this, or the people, instead of the part who have been in the defection, will all desert me; for they are easy now in hopes of help from the Image, and every little gleam of success is attributed to it; but for the disadvantages we receive, the ragans charge them on the people's not praying and paying sufficiently; which they, poor souls, knowing in their consciences to be true enough, are willing rather, as they are bid, to take the blame upon themselves, than to suffer the least to fall on the Image.

"All this," says the king, "I am sensible of; but should I tell them so, my life must pay for it; for the ragans would bring some message from the Image against me, to desert or murder me; and then happy would be the first man who could begin the mischief, which the rest would soon follow."

This so frank and unexpected declaration gave me great confidence in the king; and I told him, if that was his opinion, he might leave the rest to me. I would so manage it, that the thing should be brought about by my means; and I would then satisfy all his scruples, and make him a flourishing prince. But I could not help reflecting with myself, how nearly this distant prince, and his State, copied some of my neighbours in Europe.