A journey to the world under-ground
the great Guns chang’d the Face of Things, and so sunk the Courage of
the _Martinians_, that they retir’d precipitately into their Harbour.
Yet we took not one of the Enemy’s Ships, because, as they were light
Sailors, they could at any Time escape from us. After this Fight,
we landed our Forces, and with all Speed made directly towards the
Metropolis of _Martinia_. In our March we met our own Embassadors
returning from the Senate, by whom they had been receiv’d in a proud
and lofty Manner, and dismiss’d with much such a Message as _Neptune_
gave to the Winds.
_Maturate fugam, Regique hæc dicite vestro;
Non illi imperium Pelagi; sævumq; tridentem,
Nobis sorte datum: tenet ille immania saxa._
For the _Martinians_ claiming the Sovereignty of the Seas, receiv’d my
Offers with all imaginable Disdain.
And now they levy’d a vast Body of Forces, for besides the mercenary
Troops, the whole military Power of _Martinia_ took the Field upon
this Occasion. We had not march’d far before we espy’d a numerous
Army, compos’d of different Nations, advancing directly against us.
This Confidence and Presumption of the Enemy, notwithstanding their
late Defeat at Sea, occasioned a good deal of Uneasiness on our Side.
But all this was but a Meteor which suddenly appears, and as suddenly
vanishes: For at the very first Discharge of our Artillery, they all
turn’d their Backs, and fled. We pursued the flying Foe, and made
a prodigious Slaughter of them. What the Number of the Slain were,
appear’d from that of the Perriwigs, which we collected after the
Action, and which upon a moderate Computation amounted to the Number
of five Thousand. The Make of these Perriwigs was pretty much alter’d
since my Time, and I observ’d above twenty different Fashions of them;
nor is that at all strange; for so ingenious a Nation would give a
thousand Improvements to any Invention whatever.
After this successful Battle, or rather Carnage, we immediately set
about the Siege of the Capital. But, when we had prepared every Thing
for the Enterprize, and dispos’d our Cannon in proper Order, the whole
Body of Senators came in a suppliant Manner to our Camp, and made a
voluntary Surrender of the City, together with the whole Republick.
Hereupon, Peace being declar’d, we enter’d in Triumph into this most
splendid City. Upon our Entrance into the Gates, there was not that
Tumult and Hurry, as is generally observable in conquer’d Towns, but a
sorrowful Silence, and an universal Sadness every where prevail’d. But
when we declar’d that we would not do the least Injury to the Citizens,
their Sadness was chang’d into Joy. The first Thing I did, was to make
a Visit to the publick Treasury. I was beyond Measure astonish’d at
the immense Stores of Riches deposited there; great Part of which I
distributed among my Soldiers, reserving the rest for my own Finances.
I left a Garison at _Martinia_, and took several of the Senators aboard
the Fleet, by way of Hostages. Among these, was my old Friend the
Syndic, together with his Wife, who had falsly accused me of the Crime
for which I was condemned to the Gallies. Yet I entertain’d no Thoughts
of Vengeance, as thinking it beneath an Emperor of _Quama_ to resent an
Injury done to a Chairman.
After this compleat Conquest of the _Martinians_, I resolv’d to reduce
the several neighbouring Powers. But while I was upon the Point of
executing this Design, the Embassadors of four different Realms
arriv’d, and made their Submissions. I had already so many States and
Kingdoms under my Dominion, that I did not so much as give myself the
Trouble to enquire the Names of these four surrender’d Territories,
but was contented to comprehend them under the general Name of the
_Martinian_ Provinces.
CHAP. XV.
_The_ +Catastrophe+.
Having perform’d such an amazing Series of Exploits, and our Fleet
being considerably augmented, by the Addition of the _Martinian_
Ships, we now hoisted Sail, and return’d to _Quama_, where, upon our
Arrival, we triumph’d with more than _Roman_ Magnificence. And, in
good Truth, the noble Deeds we had atchiev’d, deserv’d the highest
Pomp of Festivals and publick Rejoicings. For what can be conceiv’d
more heroic, than to transform a Nation the most abject, and the
most expos’d to the Insults of their Neighbours, into the Lords and
Sovereigns of the whole Subterranean Globe? What can be conceiv’d more
glorious, or more for my Honour, as a Man, whose Fate it happen’d to
be to live among so many heterogeneous Creatures, what, I say, could
redound more to my Glory, than to have asserted that Dominion which
Nature gave Mankind over the Animal Creation? A Description of the
Splendor of this Triumph, the Crowds, and the Applauses of Men of all
Ranks and Ages, would of itself make a regular Volume, and therefore
I shall not attempt it in this short Account. I shall only observe,
that from this Time a new Æra appears in History, and there may now
be reckon’d five Monarchies, namely, the _Assyrian_, the _Persian_,
the _Grecian_, the _Roman_, and the _Quamitic_, the last of which
seems to surpass the rest in Power and Grandeur. And accordingly I
accepted the Title of _Koblu_, or +Great+, which was offer’d me, as
well by the _Quamites_, as by the other vanquish’d Nations. There is, I
confess, something excessively vain and arrogant in the Name +Great+:
But yet, when you compare me with the _Cyrus’s_, the _Alexanders_,
the _Pompeys_, and the _Cæsars_, the Title then seems perfectly
humble and modest. _Alexander_ indeed enslav’d the _East_, but with
what Forces? with hardy veteran Troops inur’d to War; for such were
the _Macedonians_ in the Time of his Father _Philip_. But I, in a
shorter Space of Time, subdued far more and fiercer Nations than the
_Persians_, and that by the Help only of a rude and barbarous People,
whom I myself had form’d and instructed. The Titles I now us’d were
these; _Nicolas the Great_, _Emperor of Quama and Mezendoria_, _King of
Tanachin_, _Alectoria and Arctouia_, _Great Duke of Kispucia_, _Lord of
Martinia and Canalisca_, &c. &c.
_Ingens jam stabat Regnum, poteramque videri
Exilio felix: sed scilicet ultima semper
Expectanda dies homini, dicique beatus
Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet._
Being thus lifted up to a Point of Power and Success, beyond even the
Wishes of a mortal Man, the same Thing happen’d to me, as to almost
all those who rise to Greatness from a sordid Original. For unmindful
of my former State, I grew intolerably vain and haughty, and instead
of all those winning Ways, which artful Princes use to procure the
popular Esteem, I became a hot and cruel Persecutor of all Orders of
Men, despising as very Slaves those Subjects, whom before I had courted
to my Interest with all imaginable Affability, insomuch, that none had
Access to my Person, without a Ceremony, almost like that of Adoration,
and when they were admitted, were receiv’d with a most disdainful Air:
All which alienated the Minds of the People from me, and chang’d their
Love into Coldness and Terror. This Disposition of my Subjects I soon
experienced, and particularly upon the following Occasion. The Empress,
my Spouse, whom I had left big with Child, was in my Absence brought
to Bed of a young Prince. Intending to acknowledge this Prince for
my Successor, I assembled the several States of my Empire, as, well
those of the conquer’d Kingdoms, as those of _Quama_, to the solemn
Inauguration of the Infant. As none dar’d disobey my Orders, the
Ceremony was perform’d with all possible Pomp and Grandeur. But it was
easy to perceive in the Visages of my Subjects, that all the Joy upon
this Occasion was forc’d, unnatural, and mix’d with hidden Discontent.
What help’d to confirm my Jealousy, was, that at this Time certain
Libels or Pasquinades, written by anonymous Authors, were handed about,
in which the Injury done to Prince _Timuso_ by this Inauguration, was
set forth with much Satyr and Acrimony. This created such Disorders in
my Spirits, that I could take no Rest till I had got rid of that best
of Princes. However, I thought it by no means adviseable to dispatch
this illustrious Rival in an arbitrary Manner, and therefore I suborn’d
certain Witnesses to accuse him of High Treason. As Sovereigns never
want for Ministers of Darkness to serve their criminal Purposes,
I quickly found out proper Persons to swear that the Prince was
projecting a Revolution, and had a Design against my Life. Upon this he
was thrown into Prison, and condemn’d by his Judges, the Majority of
whom I had corrupted. However, he was executed privately, for fear of
raising Disturbances.
As to the second Prince, because he was very young, I defer’d
sacrificing him to my Repose yet a while; so that the Weakness of
his Age was his Protection. Thus stain’d with the Parricide of his
Brother, I began now to rule with so much Cruelty and Rigour, and
carry’d my Rage to such a Height, that all Persons, whose Fidelity I
suspected, whether _Quamites_, or others, I deliver’d over to immediate
Death. Not a Day pass’d, but was remarkable for some extraordinary
Execution, which hastened the Rebellion, which the Nobles had been for
a considerable Time projecting; as will be related in its proper Place.
I own I deserv’d all those Misfortunes, which I afterwards experienc’d.
It had doubtless been more glorious, and more worthy of a Christian
Monarch, to have guided a gross and barbarous People to the Knowledge
of the true God, rather than to have proceeded from Conquest to
Conquest, and to have shed such Torrents of innocent Blood. And,
indeed, it had been easy for me to have converted the whole Empire; for
there was a Time when all my Determinations were revered like Oracles.
But unmindful of God, and of myself, I dream’d of nothing but the vain
Splendor of a Court, and the Increase of my Power. Moreover, being
now given up to a deprav’d and reprobate Mind, I chose to aggravate
and inflame these Discontents, rather than remove them, as if the
Offences of my Injustice were to be rectify’d by my Cruelty. To all the
Remonstrances of my Friends I still urg’d,
_Necessity, the Tyrant’s hellish Plea_.
So that Misfortune on Misfortune came thick upon me, and I fell into
such Disgrace and Wretchedness, that from my Example, all Mortals may
learn what a Vicissitude there is in human Affairs, and how short is
the Duration of arbitrary Power and Violence.
My Subjects Aversion increas’d with the Severity of my Government,
and when they perceiv’d that the Vices, to which I abandon’d myself,
but ill agreed with that divine Original I boasted, and were utterly
irreconcilable with my Character, as Embassador of the Sun, they
began to examine every thing with more Attention, particularly the
Circumstance of my Arrival into these Parts, and the Condition I was
in when I landed upon their Coast. They now saw, that all the great
Things I had done, were owing more to the Savageness of the _Quamites_,
than to any extraordinary Abilities of my own, especially as they
found, after that Mist of Ignorance was dispell’d, that I had actually
committed many Errors in the Course of my Government. Above all my
Conduct was highly censur’d by the _Kispucians_, a judicious and
penetrating People. They had observ’d in my publick Edict a Multitude
of Things so crude and indigested, as betray’d the grossest Ignorance
in Politicks. Nor was the Censure unjust: For as my academical Tutors
and Instructors never dream’d of Crowns and Scepters for me, they
gave me an Education more adapted to a private Station, than that of
a Sovereign; and my Studies, which extended no farther than to some
little System of Divinity, and a few metaphysical Terms, were by no