A journey to the world under-ground
however, in so good Order, without once breaking their Ranks, that
they might be rather said to yield than fly. This was owing to the
Conduct of _Monsonius_, General of the _Kispucians_, who at that Time
was thought to excel all the Subterranean Generals in the Art of War.
The _Alectorians_ yet remain’d, whom it was no easy Matter to subdue;
for as oft as our Musketeers fir’d upon them, the Enemy sprung up all
at once into the Air, and thence discharg’d a Shower of Arrows, which
were so well aim’d, that few of them fell to the Ground without doing
Execution. The Reason why these Arrows seldom miss’d their Aim, was
because it is easier to hit an Object when you are above, than when
you are below it. Our Men often miss’d their Mark, because the Enemy
were so volatile, and perpetually Shifting Places. In the Midst of the
Engagement, whilst the Emperor was in the very Heat of Action, his
Neck was pierc’d through with a poison’d Arrow. He fell from his Horse
immediately, and was carry’d out of the Battle to his Tent, where he
expir’d soon after. In this ticklish Situation of Affairs, I thought it
most advisable to injoin all such as had been Witnesses of this unhappy
Accident, to keep it secret, lest the Ardour of the Soldiers should
abate upon hearing the Emperor was dead. I bade them take Courage, and
told them, that the King indeed was stunn’d with the sudden Stroke, but
that the Arrow had not enter’d deep; that the Wound had been search’d,
and taken due Care of; that every Thing would go well, and that they
might expect to see their Emperor again very soon. By this Means most
of the Army were kept in Ignorance of what had happen’d, and the Battle
was prolong’d till Night. At length the _Alectorians_ quite spent with
Labour, and the Wounds they had receiv’d, retir’d into their Camp, and
a Truce of a few Days Continuance was agreed upon, in order to bury the
dead Bodies. In the mean Time, as I found that there was need of some
other Stratagem to subdue the _Alectorians_, I order’d our Musket-Ball
to be cast into small Shot. This Project was attended with so good
Success, that at our next Encounter the _Alectorians_ came tumbling
down apace, and one Half of the Army perish’d in a miserable Manner:
Those that were left seeing this, threw down their Arms, and begg’d for
Peace. The _Arctonians_ and _Kispucians_ follow’d their Example, and
committed themselves, their Arms, and Fortresses to our Mercy. Matters
being thus brought to a happy Issue, I call’d a Council, and address’d
them in the following Harangue.
“Gentlemen and Fellow-Soldiers, I do not doubt but most of you are
well acquainted, how earnestly I dissuaded our most Serene Emperor
from this Expedition; but his innate Fortitude and Magnanimity would
not permit him to remain idle at home, while his faithful Subjects
were exposing their Lives abroad in his Defence. I can truly say, that
this is the only Request which his Imperial Majesty ever refus’d to
grant me. How happy should I have thought myself had he refus’d me
every Thing besides, and only been indulgent to me in this! For then
we should not have known that Calamity that now hangs over us, our
Return into the Imperial City would have been truly triumphant, and
our Joys for our Success would have been pure and unmix’d. I cannot,
nor indeed ought I, any longer conceal from you that fatal Accident
which has thus dash’d all our Happiness. Attend then to the dreadful
News: Your Emperor, while he was gallantly fighting for his Subjects,
was pierc’d by an Arrow in the Battle, and now lies breathless in his
Tent. What Grief, what Anguish must not the Loss of such a Prince
occasion? I can easily make a Judgment of your Sorrows from what I
feel myself. But let us not give Way to Despondency: Death, to such
a Hero, is not the End of Life, but only the Period of Mortality. We
have not wholly lost our Emperor, since he has left two Princes behind,
form’d after the Example of the best of Parents, and who inherit their
Father’s Virtues, as well as his Dominions. You cannot, therefore, be
so properly said to change your King, as the bare Name of King. And
since the eldest Prince, _Timuso_, is by Right of Primogeniture to be
promoted to his Father’s Throne, I shall henceforth derive my Authority
from him. He it is to whom we ought to swear Allegiance, and to whom we
will now pay Homage.”
CHAP. XIV.
_The Author is elevated to the_ Imperial
Dignity.
At the Conclusion of this Harangue, the Soldiery lifted up their
Voice and cry’d, _We will have no Emperor but_ Pikilsu. I was all
Astonishment at this, and with a Flood of Tears besought them to
consider better, to remember the Allegiance they ow’d to the Imperial
House, and the publick as well as private Benefits they had receiv’d
from the departed Monarch, which it was not possible to forget, without
bringing an indelible Stain upon their Character. To this I added, that
if ever they had Occasion to command my Services, I could be of equal
Use to them in a private Capacity. But all this signify’d nothing.
The Officers and Soldiers join in the common Cry, and the whole Camp
resounded with the before-mention’d Acclamation. Upon this, I retir’d
to my Tent in Confusion, and order’d the Guards to give Entrance to
none: Because, probably, the Soldiers might return to Reason, when
this sudden Fit of Zeal should cool. But the Generals and common
Soldiers burst into my Tent, and in spight of all my Reluctance,
adorn’d me with the Ensigns of Royalty, and conducting me out of
the Tent with Trumpets and Drums, proclaim’d me Emperor of _Quama_,
King of _Tanachin_, _Arctonia_, _Alectoria_, and Great Duke of the
_Kispucians_. Seeing then how vain was all Resistance, I no longer
struggled with my Fortune, but follow’d the Torrent; and I must own,
that I was not altogether unwilling to be rais’d to this Elevation; for
an Empire, with three Kingdoms, and a Great Dutchy, was too delicious a
Morsel to be ey’d with Indifference. I immediately sent to the Prince,
to acquaint him with the present Situation of Affairs, and to advise
him to insist strenuously upon his natural and hereditary Rights,
and to declare this new Election void, as being contrary to the Laws
of the Realm. But at the same Time I had resolv’d with myself not to
relinquish in Haste an Empire thus spontaneously offer’d me; so that
this Advice of mine to his Highness the Prince was rather to feel his
Pulse upon this Occasion. The Prince had an admirable Understanding,
and a very solid Judgment; and as he well knew the Doubles and
Disguises of the human Heart, and that this Modesty of mine was only
put on to serve a Turn, he wisely yielded to the Necessity of the
Times, and after the Example of the Army, he himself proclaim’d me
Emperor in the Capital City, to which I was soon after led in Triumph,
attended by the Generals and Officers of the Army, in the midst of the
Shouts and Acclamations of the Populace. In a few Days after this, I
was solemnly crown’d, and invested with the Regal Authority. Being thus
metamorphos’d from a miserable Shipwreck’d Sailor into a Monarch, that
I might strengthen my Interest with the _Quamites_, who I perceiv’d had
still a great Veneration for the Royal Race of _Quama_, I espous’d the
Daughter of the deceas’d Emperor, whose Name was _Ralac_.
Having perform’d these great Things, I projected new Schemes, to raise
the Empire to a Height that should make it formidable to the whole
subterranean World. My first Care was to assure myself of the Duty and
Allegiance of the lately conquer’d Nations. To this End I garison’d
all their Citadels and fortify’d Places in the strongest Manner,
treated the Conquer’d with the utmost Humanity, and advanc’d some of
them to very great Offices in the Capital. In particular the Captive
Generals, _Tomopoloko_ and _Monsonius_, had the highest Share in my
Favour, a Circumstance that rais’d the Envy of the _Quamites_, tho’
they suppress’d their Dissatisfaction for the present; but in Time the
Spark, which had long lain concealed under the Ashes, burst into an
open Flame, as shall be related in its proper Place. To return to my
domestick Affairs: The liberal Sciences, and the Art of War, I labour’d
to bring to the highest Perfection: And as this Country abounded with
very deep Woods, which could furnish Plenty of Timber for the building
a Fleet after the Manner of the _Europeans_, I pursued this Point with
such unweary’d Ardour, that tho’ in Reality I had a thousand other
Affairs to perplex me, it seem’d as if my whole Thoughts were directed
to this one View. The _Kispucians_ were of great Service to me in this
Case; they had a tolerable Knowledge of maritime Affairs, and their
General _Monsonius_ I appointed Lord High Admiral of the Fleet.
And now the Timber is felling, the Instruments for working it
preparing, and with such Vehemence I apply myself to the Business,
that in sixty Days from the first falling of the Wood, a Fleet of
twenty Ships now rides at Anchor in the Harbour. All this corresponding
exactly with my Wishes, I look’d upon myself as the _Alexander_ of
the subterranean World, and that below I was the Author of as great
Revolutions as he was above. The Lust of Power is infinite, and never
finds the Point to stop at. Some few Years since, the Office of a
Deacon, or that of a Writer, or Clerk, was the Height of my Ambition,
nor did I aspire to any thing greater; and now four or five Kingdoms
seem too narrow for me: So that with Respect to my Desires, which
rise in Proportion to our Wealth and Power, I never found myself more
indigent than now.
Having made myself acquainted, from the Accounts and Informations
of the _Kispucian_ Mariners, with the Nature of the Seas, and the
Situation of the Kingdoms on the Coasts, and understanding that it
was very practicable with a fair Wind to make the _Mezendoric_ Shore
in eight Days Sail, from whence it would be but a short Trip to
_Martinia_, and that over a well-known Ocean; I say, being acquainted
with all this, I made Preparation for the Voyage. Indeed, _Martinia_
was the principal Object of my Designs. I was spurr’d on by the
immense Wealth of that Nation, and the Informations I should gain from
a People of their Knowledge in maritime Affairs, since the Lights I
might receive from them would be very useful to me in the Course of
all my great Undertakings. There was also another Incentive, namely,
a Thirst of Revenge, which prompted me to subdue this Nation. I took
the Elder of the two Royal Princes along with me as an Associate in
this Expedition, pretending that a fine Occasion offer’d itself to his
Highness of exercising his Bravery and martial Virtues. But the true
Meaning of this was, that I might keep him as a Hostage or Pledge of
the Fidelity of the _Quamites_. The younger Prince indeed remain’d at
Home, but the Regency of the Empire I committed to the Empress, who
was then big with Child. The whole Fleet consisted of twenty Ships,
great and small; and were all built after the _Martinian_ Model, by the
Direction and Superintendency of _Monsonius_ the _Kispucian_ General,
to whom the sole Management of the Navy was intrusted, and who had made
Draughts and Designs of them with his own Hand. For the _Martinians_
were among the Subterraneans what the _Tyrians_ and _Sidonians_ were
in antient Days, or what the _English_ and _Dutch_ are in our Times,
that is, Sovereigns of the Seas. Yet, when we arriv’d at _Martinia_, I
perceiv’d that in the Built of our Ships we had widely err’d from their
Model.
We set sail about that Time of Year when the Planet _Nazar_ was at
its mean Distance from us. Having sail’d three Days, we spy’d a large
Island, the Conquest of which would be no difficult Matter, by Reason