Peepi, it seems, had been proclaimed king before he was born; hissire dying some few weeks previous to that event; and vacating hisdivan, declared that he left a monarch behind.
Marvels were told of Peepi. Along with the royal dignity, andsuperadded to the soul possessed in his own proper person, the infantmonarch was supposed to have inherited the valiant spirits of sometwenty heroes, sages, simpletons, and demi-gods, previously lodged inhis sire.
Most opulent in spiritual gifts was this lord of Valapee; thelegatee, moreover, of numerous anonymous souls, bequeathed to him bytheir late loyal proprietors. By a slavish act of his convocation ofchiefs, he also possessed the reversion of all and singular theimmortal spirits, whose first grantees might die intestate inValapee. Servile, yet audacious senators! thus prospectively toadministrate away the inalienable rights of posterity. But while yetunborn, the people of Valapee had been deprived of more than they nowsought to wrest from their descendants. And former Peepies, infantand adult, had received homage more profound, than Peepi the Present.Witness the demeanor of the chieftains of old, upon every newinvestiture of the royal serpent. In a fever of loyalty, theywere wont to present themselves before the heir to the isle, to gothrough with the court ceremony of the Pupera; a curious proceeding,so called: inverted endeavors to assume an erect posture: the nasalorgan the base.
It was to the frequent practice of this ceremony, that mostintelligent observers imputed the flattened noses of the elderlychiefs of the island; who, nevertheless, much gloried therein.
It was these chiefs, also, who still observed the old-fashionedcustom of retiring from the presence of royalty with their headsbetween their thighs; so that while advancing in the contrarydirection, their faces might be still deferentially turned towardtheir lord and master. A fine view of him did they obtain. Allobjects look well through an arch.
But to return to Peepi, the inheritor of souls and subjects. It wasan article of faith with the people of Valapee, that Peepi not onlyactually possessed the souls bequeathed to him; but that his own wasenriched by their peculiar qualities: The headlong valor of the lateTongatona; the pusillanimous discretion of Blandoo; the cunning ofVoyo; the simplicity of Raymonda; the prodigality of Zonoree; thethrift of Titonti.
But had all these, and similar opposite qualities, simultaneouslyacted as motives upon Peepi, certes, he would have been a mostpitiable mortal, in a ceaseless eddy of resolves, incapable of asolitary act.
But blessed be the gods, it was otherwise. Though it fared littlebetter for his subjects as it was. His assorted souls were uppermostand active in him, one by one. Today, valiant Tongatona ruled theisle, meditating wars and invasions; tomorrow, thrice discreetBlandoo, who, disbanding the levies, turned his attention to theterraces of yams. And so on in rotation to the end.
Whence, though capable of action, Peepi, by reason of theserevolving souls in him, was one of the most unreliable of beings.What the open-handed Zonoree promised freely to-day, the parsimoniousTitonti withheld to-morrow; and forever Raymonda was annulling thedoings of Voyo; and Voyo the doings of Raymonda.
What marvel then, that in Valapee all was legislative uproar andconfusion; advance and retreat; abrogations and revivals; foundationswithout superstructures; nothing permanent but the island itself.
Nor were there those in the neighboring countries, who failed to reapprofit from this everlasting transition state of the affairs of thekingdom. All boons from Peepi were entreated when the prodigalZonoree was lord of the ascendant. And audacious claims were urgedupon the state when the pusillanimous Blandoo shrank from the thoughtof resisting them.
Thus subject to contrary impulses, over which he had not the faintestcontrol, Peepi was plainly denuded of all moral obligation to virtue.He was no more a free agent, than the heart which beat in his bosom.Wherefore, his complaisant parliament had passed a law, recognizingthat curious, but alarming fact; solemnly proclaiming, that KingPeepi was minus a conscience. Agreeable to truth. But when they wentfurther, and vowed by statute, that Peepi could do no wrong, theyassuredly did violence to the truth; besides, making a sad blunder intheir logic. For far from possessing an absolute aversion to evil, byhis very nature it was the hardest thing in the world for Peepi to doright.
Taking all these things into consideration, then, no wonder that thiswholly irresponsible young prince should be a lad of considerableassurance, and the easiest manners imaginable.
CHAPTER LXVIIIHow Teeth Were Regarded In Valapee
Coiling through the thickets, like the track of a serpent, woundalong the path we pursued. And ere long we came to a spacious grove,embowering an oval arbor. Here, we reclined at our ease, andrefreshments were served.
Little worthy of mention occurred, save this. Happening to catch aglimpse of the white even teeth of Hohora one of our attendants, KingPeepi coolly begged of Media the favor, to have those same dentalsdrawn on the spot, and presented to him.
Now human teeth, extracted, are reckoned among the most valuableornaments in Mardi. So open wide thy strong box, Hohora, and show thytreasures. What a gallant array! standing shoulder to shoulder,without a hiatus between. A complete set of jewelry, indeed, thoughtPeepi. But, it seems, not destined for him; Media leaving it to thepresent proprietor, whether his dentals should change owners or not.
And here, to prepare the way for certain things hereafter to benarrated, something farther needs be said concerning the light inwhich men's molars are regarded in Mardi.
Strung together, they are sported for necklaces, or hung in dropsfrom the ear; they are wrought into dice; in lieu of silken locks,are exchanged for love tokens.
As in all lands, men smite their breasts, and tear their hair, whentransported with grief; so, in some countries, teeth are stricken outunder the sway of similar emotions. To a very great extent, this wasonce practiced in the Hawaiian Islands, ere idol and altarwent down. Still living in Oahu, are many old chiefs, who werepresent at the famous obsequies of their royal old generalissimo,Tammahammaha, when there is no telling how many pounds of ivory werecast upon his grave.
Ah! had the regal white elephants of Siam been there, doubtless theyhad offered up their long, hooked tusks, whereon they impale theleopards, their foes; and the unicorn had surrendered that fixedbayonet in his forehead; and the imperial Cachalot-whale, the longchain of white towers in his jaw; yea, over that grim warrior'sgrave, the mooses, and elks, and stags, and fallow-deer had stackedtheir antlers, as soldiers their arms on the field.
Terrific shade of tattooed Tammahammaha! if, from a vile dragon'smolars, rose mailed men, what heroes shall spring from the cannibalcanines once pertaining to warriors themselves!--Am I the witch ofEndor, that I conjure up this ghost? Or, King Saul, that I so quakeat the sight? For, lo! roundabout me Tammahammaha's tattooingexpands, till all the sky seems a tiger's skin. But now, the spottedphantom sweeps by; as a man-of-war's main-sail, cloud-like, blown farto leeward in a gale.
Banquo down, we return.
In Valapee, prevails not the barbarous Hindoo custom of offering upwidows to the shades of their lords; for, bereaved, the widows theremarry again. Nor yet prevails the savage Hawaiian custom of offeringup teeth to the manes of the dead; for, at the decease of a friend,the people rob not their own mouths to testify their woe. On thecontrary, they extract the teeth from the departed, distributing themamong the mourners for memorial legacies; as elsewhere, silver spoonsare bestowed.
From the high value ascribed to dentals throughout the archipelago ofMardi, and also from their convenient size, they are circulated asmoney; strings of teeth being regarded by these people very much asbelts of wampum among the Winnebagoes of the North; or cowries, amongthe Bengalese. So, that in Valapee the very beggars are born with asnug investment in their mouths; too soon, however, to be appropriatedby their lords; leaving them toothless for the rest of their days, andforcing them to diet on poee-pudding and banana blanc-mange.
As a currency, teeth are far less clumsy than cocoanuts; which, amongcertain remote barbarians, ci
rculate for coin; one nut beingequivalent, perhaps, to a penny. The voyager who records the fact,chuckles over it hugely; as evincing the simplicity of thoseheathens; not knowing that he himself was the simpleton; since thatcurrency of theirs was purposely devised by the men, to check theextravagance of their women; cocoanuts, for spending money, beingsuch a burden to carry.
It only remains to be added, that the most solemn oath of a native ofValapee is that sworn by his tooth. "By this tooth," said Bondo toNoojoomo, "by this tooth I swear to be avenged upon thee, ohNoojoomo!"
CHAPTER LXIXThe Company Discourse, And Braid-Beard Rehearses A Legend
Finding in Valapee no trace of her whom we sought, and but littlepleased with the cringing demeanor of the people, and the waywardfollies of Peepi their lord, we early withdrew from the isle.
As we glided away, King Media issued a sociable decree. He declaredit his royal pleasure, that throughout the voyage, all stiffness andstate etiquette should be suspended: nothing must occur to mar thefreedom of the party. To further this charming plan, he doffed hissymbols of royalty, put off his crown, laid aside his scepter, andassured us that he would not wear them again, except when we landed;and not invariably, then.
"Are we not all now friends and companions?" he said. "So companionsand friends let us be. I unbend my bow; do ye likewise."
"But are we not to be dignified?" asked Babbalanja.
"If dignity be free and natural, be as dignified as you please; butaway with rigidities."
"Away they go," said Babbalanja; "and, my lord, now that you mind meof it, I have often thought, that it is all folly and vanity for anyman to attempt a dignified carriage. Why, my lord,"--frankly crossinghis legs where he lay--"the king, who receives his ambassadors with amajestic toss of the head, may have just recovered from the tooth-ache. That thought should cant over the spine he bears so bravely."
"Have a care, sir! there is a king within hearing."
"Pardon, my lord; I was merely availing myself of the immunitybestowed upon the company. Hereafter, permit a subject to rebelagainst your sociable decrees. I will not be so frank any more."
"Well put, Babbalanja; come nearer; here, cross your legs by mine;you have risen a cubit in my regard. Vee-Vee, bring us that gourd ofwine; so, pass it round with the cups. Now, Yoomy, a song!"
And a song was sung.
And thus did we sail; pleasantly reclining on the mats stretched outbeneath the canopied howdah.
At length, we drew nigh to a rock, called Pella, or The Theft. Ahigh, green crag, toppling over its base, and flinging a cavernousshadow upon the lagoon beneath, bubbling with the moisture thatdropped.
Passing under this cliff was like finding yourself, as some sea-hunters unexpectedly have, beneath the open, upper jaw of a whale;which, descending, infallibly entombs you. But familiar with therock, our paddlers only threw back their heads, to catch the cool,pleasant tricklings from the mosses above.
Wiping away several glittering beads from his beard, old Mohi turninground where he sat, just outside the canopy, solemnly affirmed, thatthe drinking of that water had cured many a man of ambition.
"How so, old man?" demanded Media.
"Because of its passing through the ashes of ten kings, of yoreburied in a sepulcher, hewn in the heart of the rock."
"Mighty kings, and famous, doubtless," said Babbalanja, "whose boneswere thought worthy of so noble and enduring as urn. Pray, Mohi,their names and terrible deeds."
"Alas! their sepulcher only remains."
"And, no doubt, like many others, they made that sepul forthemselves. They sleep sound, my word for it, old man. But Ivery much question, if, were the rock rent, any ashes would be found.Mohi, I deny that those kings ever had any bones to bury."
"Why, Babbalanja," said Media, "since you intimate that they neverhad ghosts to give up, you ignore them in toto; denying the very factof their being even defunct."
"Ten thousand pardons, my lord, no such discourtesy would I do theanonymous memory of the illustrious dead. But whether they ever livedor not, it is all the same with them now. Yet, grant that they lived;then, if death be a deaf-and-dumb death, a triumphal procession overtheir graves would concern them not. If a birth into brightness, thenMardi must seem to them the most trivial of reminiscences. Or,perhaps, theirs may be an utter lapse of memory concerning sublunarythings; and they themselves be not themselves, as the butterfly isnot the larva."
Said Yoomy, "Then, Babbalanja, you account that a fit illustration ofthe miraculous change to be wrought in man after death?"
"No; for the analogy has an unsatisfactory end. From its chrysalisstate, the silkworm but becomes a moth, that very quickly expires.Its longest existence is as a worm. All vanity, vanity, Yoomy, toseek in nature for positive warranty to these aspirations of ours.Through all her provinces, nature seems to promise immortality tolife, but destruction to beings. Or, as old Bardianna has it, if notagainst us, nature is not for us."
Said Media, rising, "Babbalanja, you have indeed put aside thecourtier; talking of worms and caterpillars to me, a king and a demi-god! To renown, for your theme: a more agreeable topic."
"Pardon, once again, my lord. And since you will, let us discourse ofthat subject. First, I lay it down for an indubitable maxim, that initself all posthumous renown, which is the only renown, is valueless.Be not offended, my lord. To the nobly ambitious, renown hereaftermay be something to anticipate. But analyzed, that feverishtyphoid feeling of theirs may be nothing more than a flickeringfancy, that now, while living, they are recognized as those who willbe as famous in their shrouds, as in their girdles."
Said Yoomy, "But those great and good deeds, Babbalanja, of which thephilosophers so often discourse: must it not be sweet to believe thattheir memory will long survive us; and we ourselves in them?"
"I speak now," said Babbalanja, "of the ravening for fame which evenappeased, like thirst slaked in the desert, yields no felicity, butonly relief; and which discriminates not in aught that will satisfyits cravings. But let me resume. Not an hour ago, Braid-Beard wastelling us that story of prince Ottimo, who inodorous while living,expressed much delight at the prospect of being perfumed andembalmed, when dead. But was not Ottimo the most eccentric ofmortals? For few men issue orders for their shrouds, to inspect theirquality beforehand. Far more anxious are they about the texture ofthe sheets in which their living limbs lie. And, my lord, with somerare exceptions, does not all Mardi, by its actions, declare, that itis far better to be notorious now, than famous hereafter?"
"A base sentiment, my lord," said Yoomy. "Did not poor Bonja, theunappreciated poet, console himself for the neglect of hiscontemporaries, by inspiriting thoughts of the future?"
"In plain words by bethinking him of the glorious harvest of bravoshis ghost would reap for him," said Babbalanja; "but Banjo,--Bonjo,--Binjo,--I never heard of him."
"Nor I," said Mohi.
"Nor I," said Media.
"Poor fellow!" cried Babbalanja; "I fear me his harvest is not yetripe."
"Alas!" cried Yoomy; "he died more than a century ago."
"But now that you speak of unappreciated poets, Yoomy," saidBabbalanja, "Shall I give you a piece of my mind?" "Do," said Mohi,stroking his beard.
"He, who on all hands passes for a cypher to-day, if at allremembered hereafter, will be sure to pass for the same. For there ismore likelihood of being overrated while living, than of beingunderrated when dead. And to insure your fame, you must die."
"A rather discouraging thought for your race. But answer: I assumethat King Media is but a mortal like you; now, how may I bestperpetuate my name?"
Long pondered Babbalanja; then said, "Carve it, my lord, deep into aponderous stone, and sink it, face downward, into the sea; for theunseen foundations of the deep are more enduring than the palpabletops of the mountains."
Sailing past Pella, we gained a view of its farther side; and seatedin a lofty cleft, beheld a lonely fisherman; solitary as a seal on aniceberg; his motionless line in the water.
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"What recks he of the ten kings," said Babbalanja.
"Mohi," said Media, "methinks there is another tradition concerningthat rock: let us have it."
"In old times of genii and giants, there dwelt in barren lands, notvery remote from our outer reef, but since submerged, a band of evil-minded, envious goblins, furlongs in stature, and with immeasurablearms; who from time to time cast covetous glances upon our bloomingisles. Long they lusted; till at last, they waded through the sea,strode over the reef, and seizing the nearest islet, rolled it overand over, toward an adjoining outlet.
"But the task was hard; and day-break surprised them in the midst oftheir audacious thieving; while in the very act of giving the devotedland another doughty surge and Somerset. Leaving it bottom upward andmidway poised, gardens under water, its foundations in air, theyprecipitately fled; in their great haste, deserting a comrade, vainlystruggling to liberate his foot caught beneath the overturned land."
"This poor fellow now raised such an outcry, as to awaken the godUpi, or the Archer, stretched out on a long cloud in the East; whoforthwith resolved to make an example of the unwilling lingerer.Snatching his bow, he let fly an arrow. But overshooting its mark, itpierced through and through, the lofty promontory of a neighboringisland; making an arch in it, which remaineth even unto this day. Asecond arrow, however, accomplished its errand: the slain giantsinking prone to the bottom."
"And now," added Mohi, "glance over the gunwale, and you will see hisremains petrified into white ribs of coral."