More glorious goblets than these for the drinking of wine, went neverfrom hand to mouth. Capacious as pitchers, they almost supersededdecanters.
Now, in a tropical climate, fruit, with light wines, forms the onlyfit meal of a morning. And with orchards and vineyards forever insight, who but the Hetman of the Cossacs would desire more? We hadplenty of the juice of the grape. But of this hereafter; there aresome fine old cellars, and plenty of good cheer in store.
During the repast, Media, for a time, was much taken up with ourraiment. He begged me to examine for a moment the texture of hisright royal robe, and observe how much superior it was to my own. Itput my mantle to the blush; being tastefully stained with raredevices in red and black; and bordered with dyed fringes of feathers,and tassels of red birds' claws.
Next came under observation the Skyeman's Guayaquil hat; at whosepreposterous shape, our host laughed in derision; clapping a greatconical calabash upon the head of an attendant, and saying that nowhe was Jarl. At this, and all similar sallies, Samoa was sure to roarlouder than any; though mirth was no constitutional thing with him.But he seemed rejoiced at the opportunity of turning upon us theridicule, which as a barbarian among whites, he himself had so oftenexperienced.
These pleasantries over, King Media very slightly drew himself up, asif to make amends for his previous unbending. He discoursedimperially with his chiefs; nodded his sovereign will to his pages;called for another gourd of wine; in all respects carrying hisroyalty bravely.
The repast concluded, we journeyed to the canoe-house, where we foundthe little Chamois stabled like a steed. One solitary depredation hadbeen committed. Its sides and bottom had been completelydenuded of the minute green barnacles, and short sea-grass, which,like so many leeches, had fastened to our planks during our long,lazy voyage.
By the people they had been devoured as dainties.
CHAPTER LXBelshazzar On The Bench
Now, Media was king of Odo. And from the simplicity of his mannershitherto, and his easy, frank demeanor toward ourselves, had wefoolishly doubted that fact, no skepticism could have survived anillustration of it, which this very day we witnessed at noon.
For at high noon, Media was wont to don his dignity with his symbolsof state; and sit on his judgment divan or throne, to hear and tryall causes brought before him, and fulminate his royal decrees.
This divan was elevated at one end of a spacious arbor, formed by anavenue of regal palms, which in brave state, held aloft theirmajestical canopy.
The crown of the island prince was of the primitive old Easternstyle; in shape, similar, perhaps, to that jauntily sported as aforaging cap by his sacred majesty King Nimrod, who so lustilyfollowed the hounds. It was a plaited turban of red tappa, radiatedby the pointed and polished white bones of the Ray-fish. Thesediverged from a bandeau or fillet of the most precious pearls;brought up from the sea by the deepest diving mermen of Mardi. Fromthe middle of the crown rose a tri-foiled spear-head. And a spear-headed scepter graced the right hand of the king.
Now, for all the rant of your democrats, a fine king on a throne is avery fine sight to behold. He looks very much like a god. No wonderthat his more dutiful subjects so swore, that their good lord andmaster King Media was demi-divine.
A king on his throne! Ah, believe me, ye Gracchi, ye Acephali, yeLevelers, it is something worth seeing, be sure; whether beheld atBabylon the Tremendous, when Nebuchadnezzar was crowned; at old Sconein the days of Macbeth; at Rheims, among Oriflammes, at thecoronation of Louis le Grand; at Westminster Abbey, when thegentlemanly George doffed his beaver for a diadem; or under the softshade of palm trees on an isle in the sea.
Man lording it over man, man kneeling to man, is a spectacle thatGabriel might well travel hitherward to behold; for never did hebehold it in heaven. But Darius giving laws to the Medes and thePersians, or the conqueror of Bactria with king-cattle yoked to hiscar, was not a whit more sublime, than Beau Brummel magnificentlyringing for his valet.
A king on his throne! It is Jupiter nodding in the councils ofOlympus; Satan, seen among the coronets in Hell.
A king on his throne! It is the sun over a mountain; the sun overlaw-giving Sinai; the sun in our system: planets, duke-like, dancingattendance, and baronial satellites in waiting.
A king on his throne! After all, but a gentleman seated. And thus satthe good lord, King Media.
Time passed. And after trying and dismissing several minor affairs,Media called for certain witnesses to testify concerning one Jiromo,a foolhardy wight, who had been silly enough to plot against themajesty now sitting judge and jury upon him.
His guilt was clear. And the witnesses being heard, from a bunch ofpalm plumes Media taking a leaf, placed it in the hand of a runner orpursuivant, saying, "This to Jiromo, where he is prisoned; with hisking's compliments; say we here wait for his head."
It was doffed like a turban before a Dey, and brought back on theinstant.
Now came certain lean-visaged, poverty-stricken, and hencesuspicious-looking varlets, grumbling and growling, and amiable asBruin. They came muttering some wild jargon about "bulwarks,""bulkheads," "cofferdams," "safeguards," "noble charters," "shields,"and "paladiums," "great and glorious birthrights," and otherunintelligible gibberish.
Of the pursuivants, these worthies asked audience of Media.
"Go, kneel at the throne," was the answer.
"Our knee-pans are stiff with sciatics," was the rheumatic reply.
"An artifice to keep on your legs," said the pursuivants.
And advancing they salamed, and told Media the excuse of those sour-looking varlets. Whereupon my lord commanded them to down on theirmarrow-bones instanter, either before him or the headsman,whichsoever they pleased.
They preferred the former. And as they there kneeled, in vain did menwith sharp ears (who abound in all courts) prick their auriculars, tolist to that strange crackling and firing off of bone balls andsockets, ever incident to the genuflections of rheumatic courtiers.
In a row, then, these selfsame knee-pans did kneel before the king;who eyed them as eagles in air do goslings on dunghills; or hunters,hounds crouching round their calves.
"Your prayer?" said Media.
It was a petition, that thereafter all differences between man andman in Ode, together with all alleged offenses against the state,might be tried by twelve good men and true. These twelve to beunobnoxious to the party or parties concerned; their peers; andpreviously unbiased touching the matter at issue. Furthermore, thatunanimity in these twelve should be indispensable to a verdict; andno dinner be vouchsafed till unanimity came.
Loud and long laughed King Media in scorn.
"This be your judge," he cried, swaying his scepter. "What! aretwelve wise men more wise than one? or will twelve fools, puttogether, make one sage? Are twelve honest men more honest than one?or twelve knaves less knavish than one? And if, of twelve men, threebe fools, and three wise, three knaves, and three upright, how obtainreal unanimity from such?
"But if twelve judges be better than one, then are twelve hundredbetter than twelve. But take the whole populace for a judge, and youwill long wait for a unanimous verdict.
"If upon a thing dubious, there be little unanimity in theconflicting opinions of one man's mind, how expect it in the uproarof twelve puzzled brains? though much unanimity be found in twelvehungry stomachs.
"Judges unobnoxious to the accused! Apply it to a criminal case. Ha!ha! if peradventure a Cacti be rejected, because he had seen theaccused commit the crime for which he is arraigned. Then, his mindwould be biased: no impartiality from him! Or your testy accusedmight object to another, because of his tomahawk nose, or a cruelsquint of the eye.
"Of all follies the most foolish! Know ye from me, that true peersrender not true verdicts. Jiromo was a rebel. Had I tried him by hispeers, I had tried him by rebels; and the rebel had rebelled to somepurpose.
"Away! As unerring justice dwells in a unity, and as one judge willat last judge the world beyond all appeal; s
o--though often herebelow justice be hard to attain--does man come nearest the mark, whenhe imitates that model divine. Hence, one judge is better thantwelve."
"And as Justice, in ideal, is ever painted high lifted above thecrowd; so, from the exaltation of his rank, an honest king is thebest of those unical judges, which individually are better thantwelve. And therefore am I, King Media, the best judge in this land."
"Subjects! so long as I live, I will rule you and judge you alone.And though you here kneeled before me till you grew into the ground,and there took root, no yea to your petition will you get from thisthrone. I am king: ye are slaves. Mine to command: yours to obey. Andthis hour I decree, that henceforth no gibberish of bulwarks andbulkheads be heard in this land. For a dead bulwark and a bulkhead,to dam off sedition, will I make of that man, who again but breathesthose bulky words. Ho! spears! see that these knee-pans here kneeltill set of sun."
High noon was now passed; and removing his crown, and placing it onthe dais for the kneelers to look at during their devotions, KingMedia departed from that place, and once more played the agreeablehost.
CHAPTER LXIAn Incognito
For the rest of that day, and several that followed, we werecontinually receiving visits from the neighboring islands; whoseinhabitants in fleets and flotillas flocked round Odo to behold theguests of its lord. Among them came many messengers from theneighboring kings with soft speeches and gifts.
But it were needless to detail our various interviews, or relate inwhat manifold ways, the royal strangers gave token of their interestconcerning us.
Upon the third day, however, there was noticed a mysterious figure,like the inscrutable incognitos sometimes encountered, crossing thetower-shadowed Plaza of Assignations at Lima. It was enveloped in adark robe of tappa, so drawn and plaited about the limbs; and withone hand, so wimpled about the face, as only to expose a solitaryeye. But that eye was a world. Now it was fixed upon Yillah with asinister glance, and now upon me, but with a different expression.However great the crowd, however tumultuous, that fathomless eyegazed on; till at last it seemed no eye, but a spirit, forever pryinginto my soul. Often I strove to approach it, but it would evade me,soon reappearing.
Pointing out the apparition to Media, I intreated him to take meansto fix it, that my suspicions might be dispelled, as to its beingincorporeal. He replied that, by courtesy, incognitos were sacred.Insomuch that the close-plaited robe and the wimple were secure as acastle. At last, to my relief, the phantom disappeared, and was seenno more.
Numerous and fervent the invitations received to return the callswherewith we were honored. But for the present we declined them;preferring to establish ourselves firmly in the heart of Media, ereencountering the vicissitudes of roaming. In a multitude ofacquaintances is less security, than in one faithful friend.
Now, while these civilities were being received, and on the fourthmorning after our arrival, there landed on the beach three black-eyeddamsels, deep brunettes, habited in long variegated robes, and withgay blossoms on their heads.
With many salams, the strangers were ushered into my presence by anold white-haired servitor of Media's, who with a parting congemurmured, "From Queen Hautia," then departed. Surprised, I stoodmute, and welcomed them.
The first, with many smiles and blandishments, waved before me amany-tinted Iris: the flag-flower streaming with pennons. Advancing,the second then presented three rose-hued purple-veined Circeaflowers, the dew still clinging to them. The third placed in my handa moss-rose bud; then, a Venus-car.
"Thanks for your favors! now your message."
Starting at this reception, graciously intended, they conferred amoment; when the Iris-bearer said in winning phrase, "We come fromHautia, whose moss-rose you hold."
"All thanks to Hautia then; the bud is very fragrant."
Then she pointed to the Venus-car.
"This too is sweet; thanks to Hautia for her flowers. Pray, bring memore."
"He mocks our mistress," and gliding from me, they waved witch-hazels, leaving me alone and wondering.
Informing Media of this scene, he smiled; threw out queer hints ofHautia; but knew not what her message meant.
At first this affair occasioned me no little uneasiness, with muchmatter for marveling; but in the novel pleasure of our sojourn inOdo, it soon slipped from my mind; nor for some time, did I againhear aught of Queen Hautia.
CHAPTER LXIITaji Retires From The World
After a while, when the strangers came not in shoals as before, Iproposed to our host, a stroll over his dominions; desirous ofbeholding the same, and secretly induced by the hope of selecting anabode, more agreeable to my fastidious taste, than the one alreadyassigned me.
The ramble over--a pleasant one it was--it resulted in adetermination on my part to quit Odo. Yet not to go very far; onlyten or twelve yards, to a little green tuft of an islet; one of many,which here and there, all round the island, nestled like birds' nestsin the branching boughs of the coral grove, whose roots laid hold ofthe foundations of the deep. Between these islets and the shore,extended shelving ledges, with shallows above, just sufficient tofloat a canoe. One of these islets was wooded and wined; an arbor inthe sea. And here, Media permitting, I decided to dwell.
Not long was Media in complying; nor long, ere my retreat was inreadiness. Laced together, the twisting boughs were closely thatched.And thatched were the sides also, with deep crimson pandannus leaves;whose long, forked spears, lifted by the breeze, caused the wholeplace to blaze, as with flames. Canes, laid on palm trunks, formedthe floor. How elastic! In vogue all over Odo, among the chiefs, itimparted such a buoyancy to the person, that to this special causemay be imputed in good part the famous fine spirits of the nobles.
Hypochondriac! essay the elastic flooring! It shall sopleasantly and gently jolt thee, as to shake up, and pack off thestagnant humors mantling thy pool-like soul.
Such was my dwelling. But I make no mention of sundry littleappurtenances of tropical housekeeping: calabashes, cocoanut shells,and rolls of fine tappa; till with Yillah seated at last in my arbor,I looked round, and wanted for naught.
But what of Jarl and Samoa? Why Jarl must needs be fanciful, as wellas myself. Like a bachelor in chambers, he settled down rightopposite to me, on the main land, in a little wigwam in the grove.
But Samoa, following not his comrade's example, still tarried in thecamp of the Hittites and Jebusites of Odo. Beguiling men of theirleisure by his marvelous stories: and maidens of their hearts by hismarvelous wiles.
When I chose, I was completely undisturbed in my arbor; an ukase ofMedia's forbidding indiscriminate intrusion. But thrice in the daycame a garrulous old man with my viands.
Thus sequestered, however, I could not entirely elude the pryings ofthe people of the neighboring islands; who often passed by, slowlypaddling, and earnestly regarding my retreat. But gliding along at adistance, and never essaying a landing, their occasional vicinitytroubled me but little. But now and then of an evening, when thickand fleet the shadows were falling, dim glimpses of a canoe would bespied; hovering about the place like a ghost. And once, in thestillness of the night, hearing the near ripple of a prow, I salliedforth, but the phantom quickly departed.
That night, Yillah shuddered as she slept. "The whirl-pool," shemurmured, "sweet mosses." Next day she was lost in reveries, pluckingpensive hyacinths, or gazing intently into the lagoon.
CHAPTER LXIIIOdo And Its Lord
Time now to enter upon some further description of the island and itslord.
And first for Media: a gallant gentleman and king. From a goodlystock he came. In his endless pedigree, reckoning deities bydecimals, innumerable kings, and scores of great heroes, chiefs, andpriests. Nor in person, did he belie his origin. No far-descendeddwarf was he, the least of a receding race. He stood like a palmtree; about whose acanthus capital droops not more gracefully thesilken fringes, than Media's locks upon his noble brow. Strong washis arm to wield the club, or hurl the javelin; and potent, I ween,
round a maiden's waist.
Thus much here for Media. Now comes his isle.
Our pleasant ramble found it a little round world by itself; full ofbeauties as a garden; chequered by charming groves; watered by rovingbrooks; and fringed all round by a border of palm trees, whose rootsdrew nourishment from the water. But though abounding in otherquarters of the Archipelago, not a solitary bread-fruit grew in Odo.A noteworthy circumstance, observable in these regions, where islandsclose adjoining, so differ in their soil, that certain fruits growinggenially in one, are foreign to another. But Odo was famed for itsguavas, whose flavor was likened to the flavor of new-blown lips; andfor its grapes, whose juices prompted many a laugh and many a groan.
Beside the city where Media dwelt, there were few otherclusters of habitations in Odo. The higher classes living, here andthere, in separate households; but not as eremites. Some buriedthemselves in the cool, quivering bosoms of the groves. Others,fancying a marine vicinity, dwelt hard by the beach in little cagesof bamboo; whence of mornings they sallied out with jocund cries, andwent plunging into the refreshing bath, whose frothy margin was thethreshold of their dwellings. Others still, like birds, built theirnests among the sylvan nooks of the elevated interior; whence allbelow, and hazy green, lay steeped in languor the island's throbbingheart.