<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></SPAN>CHAPTER XV.</h2>
<h3>A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE FORTUNES OF THE AUTHOR.</h3>
<p>Having made so many and extraordinary
warlike excursions, and added to our fleet a
number of Martinianic ships, we set sail for our
own land, into which we entered with a splendor
exceeding the old Roman triumphs. And
really my deeds deserved all possible honors;
for what heroic action could be greater and
more glorious than to change a despised nation,
a nation exposed to the insults of its weaker
neighbors, to the acknowledged and respected
ruler of the whole subterranean world? What<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_172" id="Page_172"></SPAN></span>
could be more honorable to a man, than to reinstate
the human race in that dominion, which
nature has given to it, over all other animals?</p>
<p>From this time a new period may be reckoned
in history; a fifth monarchy can be added to
the glorious roll of splendid empires. To the
Assyrian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires,
the Subterranean-Quamatic monarchy, which
unquestionably exceeds them all in magnificence
and power, may not be considered unworthy to
be joined. I could not decline, for obvious
reasons, the title of Koble, or great, with which
the conquered nations saluted me.</p>
<p>I was hailed thereafter, by the following titles:
"Niels the Great, Ambassador of the Sun, Emperor
in Quama and Mezendore, King of Tanaqui,
Alectoria, Arctonia, the Mezendoric and Martinianic
dominions, Grand Duke of Kispusianania,
Ruler of Martinia, etc. etc."</p>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i7">——firmly founded, stood<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The mighty empire; the favorite of fortune,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">I seemed as firmly fixed; not one, alas!<br/></span>
<span class="i0">May be deemed happy 'till his latest hour.<br/></span></div>
</div>
<p>When I had reached this splendid and powerful
height, greater than any man should desire,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_173" id="Page_173"></SPAN></span>
I became, what men usually become, who are
raised from a simple state to great honor in the
world. I forgot my former condition, and inclined
to vanity. Instead of exerting myself to
retain the favor of the people, I proved myself
cruel and rigorous to all classes. My subjects,
whom I had formerly endeared by friendly and
polite conduct, I now regarded and treated as
slaves. For this course, I came soon to be
despised; the love and reverence of my people
were changed to indifference and fear. Their
sentiments towards me I soon had reason to
understand, when I issued a proclamation to the
inhabitants.</p>
<p>The occasion was this: the empress, whom I
left in pregnancy during my last expedition, had
in my absence been delivered of a son. This
prince I wished to have nominated as my successor.
I therefore summoned a Diet, and commanded
the Quamitian nobles and the great
men among the conquered nations, to meet in
the capital, at the crowning of the child. None
dared to disobey this proclamation, and the
coronation passed off with great magnificence;
but I observed by the countenances of my sub<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_174" id="Page_174"></SPAN></span>jects,
that their joy was dissembled. I became
more confirmed in my mistrust, when I learnt
that a multitude of libels had been spread about.
These libels, by unknown authors, criticised me
very severely, and asserted that prince Timuso
was insulted in the choice of my son. This
enraged me so much that I could not rest
until that noble and excellent prince should be
removed from my path. I therefore suborned
some persons to accuse him of treason; and
since rulers seldom want assistants, when they
would commit crimes, I was quickly enabled to
prove that Timuso had attempted my life. I
had him sentenced to death by bribed judges,
and then threw him into prison, where he was
privately murdered; for I feared to excite a
rebellion by a public execution. I had determined
to murder the younger prince likewise;
but postponed it. His youth procured for
him the safety, which neither my justice nor
humanity would have granted him. Having
once imbued my hands in innocent blood, my
cruelty and moroseness knew no bounds. I
doomed to death several whole families, whose
loyalty I merely suspected. Not a day passed<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_175" id="Page_175"></SPAN></span>
without bloodshed. I defiled my soul with the
blood of innocence, virtue and nobleness. All
these things hastened a rebellion, excited by
the nobles, who had been long disgusted with
me.</p>
<p>I will here acknowledge, that I deserved all
the misfortunes that afterwards met me. It had
certainly been more fit for a Christian king to
have taught his ignorant and heathen subjects
to know the true God, and to have given them
an example in my own person of the sweet
charities of the true religion, than to have
excelled, even themselves in barbarity, sin and
moral turpitude. It would have been an easy
matter for me to have reformed the whole subterranean
world, for whatever I commanded
was fulfilled; whatever I determined was
received in perfect good faith; whenever I
spoke, my words were as those of a God. But
I forgot God and myself; I thought of nothing
but empty and vain splendor, and the augmentation
of my power; wherefore I perpetrated many
cruelties, until the people, unable to bear more,
(and they were a patient people,) broke out
against me.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_176" id="Page_176"></SPAN></span></p>
<p>While matters stood thus, I determined to lay
hands on prince Hidoba. This intention I
revealed to my high-chancellor, Kalak, in whom
I had great confidence. He promised to be of
service to me in all things, and departed to fulfil
my order: but at heart, he detested my cowardly
fears, and left me only to discover my plot to
the prince. Together they repaired to the fort,
collected the garrison, and represented, in a
touching manner, their danger and my fears.
The tears of the unfortunate prince gave weight
to his words; all seized their arms, and promised
that they would hazard their lives for him.
The cunning chancellor took the opportunity to
persuade them to swear loyalty to the prince,
and sent messages to others, who, he knew,
were displeased with me, to take arms against
the tyrant.</p>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">All armed themselves, whose hearts, through fear and horror,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Did burn towards their country's tyrant; they met<br/></span></div>
</div>
<p>and united with the garrison, while I awaited
the return of the chancellor.</p>
<hr style='width: 45%;' />
<p>By the advice of Pomopoloko, I fled seasona<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_177" id="Page_177"></SPAN></span>bly
to Tanaqui, leaving my own capital before
the inhabitants generally were apprised of the
immediate cause of the sudden out-break.
Arrived in Tanaqui, I quickly collected an army
of forty thousand men, and boldly retraced the
steps which a few days before I had pursued in
fear and trembling. I had little doubt that my
powers would be augmented by Quamites, who
had been either too remote to suffer from my
cruelty, or too indifferent to my infamy, to hesitate
in joining a force so overpowering, and a
leader whose prospects were so brilliant as mine.
But I was deceived in my hopes: instead of
auxiliaries a herald from the prince met me.
The object of his mission was to declare a
formal war, and, for a commencement of hostilities,
that my wife and son had been imprisoned.
On the footsteps of the herald came the Quamitic
forces. A bloody engagement took place,
in which our part proved to be inferior. I, left
to my fate, fled to a neighboring mountain,
crossed its side and descended to a dale behind
it. There I remained in concealment for some
time, bemoaning, the while, my misery, as I
then believed, but which I afterwards more<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_178" id="Page_178"></SPAN></span>
justly named, my folly. I was so agitated, had
so thoroughly lost that presence of mind for
which I had in former days been distinguished,
that I did not remove from my head the crown,
which, being ornamented with sunbeams, would
have easily betrayed me. While panting like a
bayed lion, I heard a nestling on the other side
of the mountain, which I supposed was made by
men beating the bushes to discover any hiders.
I now looked around for a more secure retreat,
for I doubted not that my flight had been
noticed, and that these pursuers would search
on my side of the mountain. Behind me was</p>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">——A thick and matted forest, sunk between hills<br/></span>
<span class="i0">All desolate and bare, whose dark and awful silence<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Beckoned me.<br/></span></div>
</div>
<p>I hurried thither, fiercely flinging aside the
thorny bushes that clung as fiercely to me, and
came at last to the mouth of a cave. Creeping
in, I observed that the cave was deep, and as far
as the light penetrated, level. I determined to
explore its recesses, though I think I should not
have been so hardy in my days of fortune.</p>
<p>After treading cautiously a hundred paces, I<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_179" id="Page_179"></SPAN></span>
suddenly lost my footing, and plunged with the
quickness of lightning, into a hole that must
have had perpendicular sides.</p>
<p>Having shot through this passage, the abode
of palpable darkness and night, I suddenly perceived
a faint light.</p>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0">As when through clouds the moon doth gleam<br/></span>
<span class="i0">With pallid smile.<br/></span></div>
</div>
<p>As this light increased, my speed decreased, so
that without pain or trouble, I was soon brought
to a stand between two high mountains. My
sensations, during this remarkable passage, were
similar to those experienced while tossing among
the billows of the ocean. On recovering, I
found myself, to my great astonishment, in the
same spot from which, years before, I had
plunged into the subterranean regions. A
moment's reflection gave me the means to
account for the decrease of speed in the latter
part of my course. The weight of the atmosphere
is much greater on the surface of the
globe, than below; consequently I was buoyed
up by the increasing resistance of the air towards
the surface. Had this not been the case, I<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_180" id="Page_180"></SPAN></span>
should, unquestionably, at least in my own mind,
have shot off to the moon.</p>
<p>Still, being obnoxious to cavil, I will defer
this hypothesis to the astronomer's closer examination.</p>
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