Nasgig returns with the cannon—Peter informs him of the execution—Appoints him a guard—Settles the order of his march against Harlokin—Combat between Nasgig and the rebel general—The battle—Peter returning with Harlokids head, is met by a Sweecoan—A public festival—Slavery abolished.
THE tenth day Nasgig arrived, whilst I happened to be in the king's garden; and hearing the trumpet coming before, I called out to him to give Nasgig notice where I was, and to desire him to alight there.
After ceremonies past, and I had inquired after my wife and children, and his answers had informed me of their healths, "Well," says Nasgig, "my friend, am I to live or die?"—"Explain yourself," says I.—"Nay, I only mean," says he, "have you discovered me to the king?"—"Pardon me," says I, "dear Nasgig, I must own the truth, I have."—"Then," says he, "I suppose his majesty has no more commands for me?"—"No," says I, "it is not so bad as that neither."—"But, pray," says he, "what says Barbarsa to it?"—"Oh, nothing at all!" says I; "quite quiet."—"Nor Yaccombourse? Did you discover her baseness to the king?"—"Yes," says I, "and the king behaved like a king upon the occasion."—"And where are they now?" says he.—"Only in Mount Alkoe," says I.—"Mount Alkoe!" replies he, "what do you mean by that? How can they be in Mount Alkoe? Did they go of their own accords?"—"They fled off, I suppose, with ropes about their necks," says I, "as your criminals go to Crashdoorpt."—"Are they slit too?" says he.—"No," says I, "but slipt, I'll assure you. Come, my good friend, I'll let you into the history of it." And then I told all that had happened, and the king's satisfaction at the judgment of the moucheratt "And now," says I, "Nasgig, you may call yourself the favourite, I promise you, for his majesty enjoys himself but to greet you on your return: but have a care of power; most grow giddy with it, and the next thing to that is a fall."—"Pray," says he, "what is become of Nicor? Is he under the same condemnation?"—"No," says I, "Nicor is now by my means absolutely free, and no two greater than he and I." I told him then my proceedings with him; he was glad of it; for, he said, Nicor he believed was honest at bottom.
By this time up came the cannon; and truly had my countrymen but the graundee to convey their cannon at so easy an expense from place to place, the whole world would not stand before us. They brought me five cannon, and three swivel guns, and a larger quantity of ammunition than I had spoken for.
I introduced Nasgig to the king upon his return, as the person to whose conduct the safe arrival of my cannon was owing. His majesty embracing him, told him the service he had done him was so great in the affair of Barbarsa, and his management of it so prudent, he should from thenceforth take him into his peculiar confidence and esteem.
Nasgig thanked his majesty for his acceptance of that act of his duty, and desired to know when he pleased the operations for the campaign should begin.—"Ask my father," says the king; "do you conduct the war, and let him conduct you."
Then Nasgig desired to know what number of troops would be requisite. I asked him what number the enemy had; he said about thirty thousand.—"Then," says I, "take you six only, besides the bearers of me and the artillery; and pick me out fifty of the best men you have, as a guard for my person, and send them to me."
I showed these men my cutlasses and pistols, and showed them the use and management of them: "And," says I, "as our enemies fight with pikes, keep you at a distance first, and when you would assault, toss by the pike with your hand, and closing in, have at the graundee; and this edge" (showing them the sharpness of it) "will strip it down from shoulder to heel; you need strike but once for it, but be sure come near enough; or," says I, "if you find it difficult to turn aside the pike, give it one smart stroke with this; it will cut it in two, and then the point being gone, it will be useless."
"These instructions," says I, "if rightly observed, will make us conquerors."
The next thing was to settle the order of my march, which I did in the following manner; and, taking leave of the king, I set out.
First, ten companies of one hundred men, including officers, with each a gripsack, in ten double lines, fifty abreast.
Secondly, four hundred bearers of the cannon, with two hundred to the right, the like to the left, as relays.
Thirdly, two hundred men with the ammunition, stores, hatchets, and other implements.
Fourthly, fifty body-guards, in two lines.
Fifthly, myself, borne by eight, with twelve on the right, and as many on the left, for relays.
Sixthly, two thousand men in columns, on each side the cannon and me, fifty in a line, double lines.
Seventhly, one thousand men in the rear, fifty in a line, double lines.
I consulted with Nasgig how Harlokin's army lay, that I might avoid the revolted towns, rather choosing to take them in my return; for my design was to encounter Harlokin first, and I did not doubt, if I conquered him, but the towns would surrender of course.
When we arrived within a small flight of his army, I caused a halt at a proper place for my cannon, and having pitched them, which I did by several flat stones, one on another to a proper elevation, I loaded them, and also my small-arms, consisting of six muskets and three brace of pistols, and placing my army, two thousand just behind me, two thousand to my right, and the same number to my left, I gave a strict command for none of them to stir forwards without orders, which Nasgig, who stood just behind me, was to give. I then sent a defiance to Harlokin by a gripsack, who sent me word he fought for a kingdom, and would accept it; and, as I heard afterwards, he was glad I did, for since the intelligence I had scattered in his army, they had in great numbers deserted him, and he was afraid it would have proved general. I then putting the end of a match into a pistol-pan with a little powder, by flashing lighted it; and this I put under my chair, for I sat in that, with my muskets three on each side, a pistol in my right hand, and five more in my girdle. In this manner I waited Harlokin's coming, and in about an hour we saw the van of his army, consisting of about five thousand men, who flew in five layers, one over another. I had not loaded my cannon with ball, but small-sized stones, about sixty in each; and seeing the length of their line, I spread my cannons' mouths somewhat wider than their breeches, and then taking my observation by a bright star, for there was a clear dawn all round the horizon, I observed, as I retired to my chair, how that star answered to the elevation of my cannon; and when the foremost ranks, who, not seeing my men stir, were approaching almost over me, to fall on them, and had come to my pitch, I fired two pieces of my ordnance at once, and so mauled them, that there dropped about ninety upon the first discharge, together with their commander; the rest being in flight and so close together, not being able to turn fast enough to fly, being stopped by those behind them, not only hindered those behind from turning about, but clogged up their own passage. Seeing them in such a prodigious cluster, I so successfully fired two more pieces, that I brought down double the number of the first shot; and then giving the word to fall on, my cutlass-guard and the pikemen did prodigious execution. But fearing the main body should advance before we had got in order again, I commanded them to fall back to their former stations, and to let the remainder of the enemy go off.
This did me more good in the event than if I had killed twice as many; for they not only never returned themselves, but flying some to the right, some to the left, and passing by the two wings of their own army, consisting of six thousand men each, they severally reported that they were all that was left of the whole van of the army; and that the prediction would certainly be fulfilled, for that their companions had died by fire and smoke. This report struck such terror into each wing, that every one shifted for himself, and never appeared more.
The main battle, consisting of about ten thousand men, knowing nothing of what had happened to the wings—for Harlokin had ordered the wings to take a great compass round to enclose us—hearing we were but a handful, advanced boldly; and as I had ordered my men not to mount too high, the enemy sunk to their pitch. When they came near, I asked Nasgig who led them; if it was Harlokin. He told me no, his general, but that he was behind; and Nasgig begging me to let him try his skill with the general, I consented, they not being yet come to the pitch of my cannon. Nasgig immediately took the graundee, and advancing singly with one of my cutlasses in his hand, challenged the general in single combat. He, like a man of honour, accepting it, ordered a halt, and to it they went, each emulous of glory, and of taking all the advantage he could, so that they suddenly did not strike or push; but sometimes one, then the other was uppermost, and whirling expeditiously round, met almost breast to breast; when the general, who had not a pike, but a pikestaff headed with a large stone, gave Nasgig such a stroke on his head that he reeled, and sunk considerably, and I began to be in pain for him, the general lowering after him. But Nasgig springing forward beneath him, and rising light as air behind the general, had gained his height again before the general could turn about to discern him, and then plunging forward, and receiving a stroke across his left arm, at the same time he gave the general such a blow near the outside of the shoulder as slit the graundee almost down to his hip, and took away part of the flesh of the left arm, upon which the general fell fluttering down in vast pain very near me; but not before Nasgig, in his fall, descending, had taken another severe cut at him.
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Immediately upon this defeat Nasgig again took his place behind me, our army shouting to the skies; but no sooner had the general dropped, but on came Harlokin, with majesty and terror mixed in his looks, and seeming to disdain the air he rode on, waved his men to the attack with his hand. When he came near enough to hear me, I called him vile traitor, to oppose the army of his lawful sovereign, telling him, if he would submit, he should be received to mercy. "Base creeping insect," says Harlokin, "if thou hast aught to say to me worth hearing, meet me in the air! This hand shall show thee soon who'll most want mercy; and though I scorn to stoop to thee myself, this messenger shall satisfy the world thou art an impostor, and send thee back lifeless to the fond king that sent thee hither." With that he hurled a javelin pointed with flint, sharp as a needle, at me; but I avoiding it, "This, then," says I, "if words will not do, shall justify the truth of our prediction." And then levelling a musket at him, I shot him through the very heart, that he fell dead within twenty paces of me. But perceiving another to take his room, notwithstanding the confusion my musket made amongst them, I ran to my match, and giving fire to two more pieces of ordnance at the same time, they fell so thick about me, that I had enough to do to escape being crushed to death by them; and the living remainder separating, fled quite away, and put an end to the war. I waited in the field three days, to see if they would make head again; but they were so far from it, that before I could return, as I found afterwards, most of the revolting provinces had sent their deputies, who themselves carried the first news of the defeat, to beg to be received into mercy; all of whom were detained there till my return with Harlokin's head.
At my return to Brandleguarp I was met by the king, the colambs, and almost the whole body of the people; every man, woman, and child, with two sweecoe lights in their hands, which unusual sight in the air gave me great alarm, till I inquired of Nasgig what it meant, who told me it must certainly be a sweecoan, or he knew not what it was. I asking again what he meant by that, he told me it was a particular method of rejoicing he had heard of, but never seen; wherein, if the king goes in triumph, all the people of Brandleguarp, from fifteen to sixty, are obliged to attend him with sweecoes. He said it was reported amongst them that in Begsurbeck's time there were two of them, but there had been none since.
When we met them, I perceived they had opened into two lines or ranks of a prodigious length; at the farther end of which was the king, with innumerable lights about him, the whole looking like a prodigious avenue or vista of lights, bounded at the farther end, where the king was, with a pyramid light. This had the most solemn and magnificent effect on the eye that anything of light could possibly have; but as we passed through the ranks, each of the spectators having two lights, one was given to each soldier of the whole army. And then to look backward, as well as forward, the beauty of the scene was inexpressible. We marched all the way amidst the shouts of people, and the sounds of the gripsacks, going very slowly between the ranks; and at length arriving at the pyramid where the king was, I heard abundance of sweet voices, chanting my actions in triumphal songs; but I could take little notice of these, or of my son with his flageolet amongst them, for the extravagant appearance of the pyramid, which seemed to reach the very sky. For, first, there was a long line of a full half-mile, which hovered at even height with the two side ranks; in the centre of that, and over it, was the king single; over him another line, shorter than the first, and again over that, shorter and shorter lines; till, at a prodigious height, it ended in one single light *These all hovering, kept their stations; while the king darted a little space forward to meet me, and congratulate my success; then turning and preceding me, the whole pyramid turned, and marched before us, singing all the way to the city, the pyramid changing several times into divers forms, as into squares, half-moons, with the horns sometimes erect and again reversed, and various other figures. And yet amongst this infinite number of globes there was not the least glaring or offensive light, but only what was agreeable to the people themselves. As the rear of the army entered the lines, they closed upon it, and followed us into Brandleguarp. While we passed the city to the palace, the whole body of people kept hovering till the king and myself were alighted, and then every one alighted where he best could. All the streets and avenues to the palace were blocked up with people, crowding to receive the king's beneficence; for he had proclaimed a feast and open housekeeping to the people for six days. The king, the colambs, ragans, and great officers of state, with myself, had a magnificent entertainment prepared us in Begsurbeck's great room; and his majesty, after supper, being very impatient to know how the battle went, I told him the only valorous exploit was performed by my friend Nasgig, who opened the way to victory by the slaughter of Harlokin's general. Nasgig then rose, desiring only that so much might be attributed to him as fortune had accidentally thrown into his scale; for it might have been equally his fate as the general's to have fallen. "But except that skirmish," says he, "and some flying cuts at the van, we have had no engagement at all, nor have we lost a single man; Peter only sitting in his chair, and commanding victory. He spake aloud but thrice, and whispered once to them, but so powerfully that, having at the two first words laid above three hundred of the enemy at their lengths, and brought Harlokin to his feet, with a whisper, at the third word he concluded the war. The whole time, from the first sight of the enemy to their total defeat, took not up more space than one might fairly spend in traversing his majesty's garden. In short, sir," says Nasgig, "your majesty needs no other defence against public or private enemies, as I can see, than Peter; and my profession, whilst he is with us, can be of little use to the State."
After these compliments from Nasgig, and separate ones from the king and the rest, I told them it was the highest felicity to me to be made an instrument by the great Collwar in freeing so mighty a kingdom and considerable a people from the misery of a tyrannical power. "You live," says I, "so happily under the mild government of Georigetti, that it is shocking but to think into what a distressed state you must have fallen under the power of a usurper, who, claiming all as his own by way of conquest, would have reduced you to a miserable servitude. But," says I, "there is, and I am sorry to see it, still amongst you an evil that you great ones feel not, and yet it cries for redress. Are we not all, from the king to the meanest wretch amongst us, formed with the same members? Do we not all breathe the same air? inhabit the same earth? Are we not all subject to the same disorders? and do we not all feel pain and oppression alike? Have we not all the same senses, the same faculties? and, in short, are we not all equally creatures of, and servants to, the same master, the great Collwar? Would not the king have been a slave but for the accident of being begotten by one who was a king? and would not the poorest creature amongst us have been the king had he been so begotten? Did you great men, by any superior merit before your births, procure a title to the high stations in which you are placed? No, you did not. Therefore give me leave to tell you what I would have done. As every man has equal right to the protection of Collwar, why, when you have no enemy to distress you, will you distress one another? Consider, you great ones, and act upon this disinterested principle; do to another, what you, in his place, would have him do to you; dismiss your slaves, let all men be what Collwar made them, free. But if this unequal distinction amongst you, of man and man, is still retained, though you are at present free from the late disaster, it shall be succeeded with more, and heavier. And now, that you may know I would not have every man a lord, nor every one a beggar, remember I would only have every serving-man at liberty to choose his own master, and every master his own man; for he that has property and benefits to bestow will never want dependants, for the sake of those benefits to serve him, as he that has them not must serve for the sake of obtaining them. But then let it be done with free-will; he that then serves you will have an interest in it, and do it, for his own sake, with a willing mind; and you, who are served, will be tenderer and kinder to a good servant, as knowing by a contrary usage you shall lose him. I desire this may now be declared to be so, or your reasons, if any there are, against it."
One of the ragans said he thought I spoke what was very just, and would be highly acceptable to Collwar.
Then two of the colambs rose to speak together, and after a short compliment who should begin, they both declared they only arose to testify their consents.
The king referring it to me, and the colambs consenting, I ordered freedom to be proclaimed through the city; so that every one appeared at their usual duties, to serve their own masters for a month, and then to be at liberty to come to a fresh agreement with them, or who else they pleased.
"This, sir," says I to the king, "will now be a day of joy indeed to those poor hearts who would have been in no fear of losing before, let who would have reigned; for can any man believe a slave cares who is uppermost? he is but a slave still. But now," says I, "those who were so before may by industry gain property; and then their own interest engages them to defend the State.
"There is but one thing more I will trouble you with now—and that," says I to the ragans, "is, that we all meet at the mouch to-morrow, to render Collwar thanks for the late, and implore future favour." And this passed without any contradiction.
When we met, the poor ragans were at a great loss for want of their image, not knowing what to do or say; for their practice had been to prostrate themselves on the ground, making several odd gestures; but whether they prayed, or only seemed to do so, no one knew.
While the people were gathering, I called to a ragan, seeing him out of character. "Suppose," said I "(for I see you want your image), you and your brethren had received a favour of the king, and you was deputed by them to thank him, you would scarce be at a loss to express your gratitude to him, and tell him how highly you all esteemed his benefits, hoping you should retain a just sense of them, and behave yourselves as dutiful subjects for the future, and then desire him to keep you still in his protection. And this," says I, "as you believe in such a Being as Collwar, who understands what you say, you may with equal courage do to Him, keeping but your mind intent upon Him, as if you saw Him present."—"Indeed," says he, "I believe you are right, we may so; but it is a new thing, and you must excuse us if we do it not so well at first."
I found I had a very apt scholar, for after he had begun, he made a most extraordinary prayer in regular order, the people standing very attentive. It was not long, but he justly observed the points I hinted to him.
When he had done, another and another went on, till we had heard ten of them, and in every one something new, and very À propos; and several of them afterwards confessed they never had the like satisfaction in their lives, for they had new hearts and new thoughts, they said.
We spent the sixth-day feast in every gaiety imaginable, and especially of dancing, of which they were very fond in their way; but it was not so agreeable to me as my own country way, there being too much antic in it. New deputies daily arrived from the revolted towns, and several little republics, not claimed by Georigetti before, begged to be taken under his protection; so that in one week the king saw himself not only released from the dread of being driven from his throne, but courted by some, submitted to by others, and almost at the summit of glory a sovereign can attain to.
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