Then I recalled that last interview with Hautia's messengers, so fullof enigmas; and wondered, whether Yoomy had interpreted aright.Unseen, and unsolicited; still pursuing me with omens, with taunts,and with wooings, mysterious Hautia appalled me. Vaguely I began tofear her. And the thought, that perhaps again and again, her heraldswould haunt me, filled me with a nameless dread, which I almostshrank from acknowledging. Inwardly I prayed, that never more theymight appear.
While full of these thoughts, Media interrupted them by saying, thatthe minstrel was about to begin one of his chants, a thing of his owncomposing; and therefore, as he himself said, all critics must belenient; for Yoomy, at times, not always, was a timid youth,distrustful of his own sweet genius for poesy.
The words were about a curious hereafter, believed in by some peoplein Mardi: a sort of nocturnal Paradise, where the sun and its heatare excluded: one long, lunar day, with twinkling stars to keepcompany.
THE SONG Far off in the sea is Marlena, A land of shades and streams, A land of many delights. Dark and bold, thy shores, Marlena; But green, and timorous, thy soft knolls, Crouching behind the woodlands. All shady thy hills; all gleaming thy springs, Like eyes in the earth looking at you. How charming thy haunts Marlena!-- Oh, the waters that flow through Onimoo: Oh, the leaves that rustle through Ponoo: Oh, the roses that blossom in Tarma: Come, and see the valley of Vina: How sweet, how sweet, the Isles from Hind: 'Tis aye afternoon of the full, full moon, And ever the season of fruit, And ever the hour of flowers, And never the time of rains and gales, All in and about Marlena. Soft sigh the boughs in the stilly air, Soft lap the beach the billows there; And in the woods or by the streams, You needs must nod in the Land of Dreams.
"Yoomy," said old Mohi with a yawn, "you composed that song, then,did you?"
"I did," said Yoomy, placing his turban a little to one side.
"Then, minstrel, you shall sing me to sleep every night, especiallywith that song of Marlena; it is soporific as the airs of Nora-Bamma."
"Mean you, old man, that my lines, setting forth the luxurious reposeto be enjoyed hereafter, are composed with such skill, that thedescription begets the reality; or would you ironically suggest, thatthe song is a sleepy thing itself?"
"An important discrimination," said Media; "which mean you, Mohi?"
"Now, are you not a silly boy," said Babbalanja, "when from theambiguity of his speech, you could so easily have derivedsomething flattering, thus to seek to extract unpleasantness from it?Be wise, Yoomy; and hereafter, whenever a remark like that seemsequivocal, be sure to wrest commendation from it, though you tortureit to the quick."
"And most sure am I, that I would ever do so; but often I so inclineto a distrust of my powers, that I am far more keenly alive tocensure, than to praise; and always deem it the more sincere of thetwo; and no praise so much elates me, as censure depresses."
CHAPTER CIVWherein Babbalanja Broaches A Diabolical Theory, And, In His OwnPerson, Proves It
"A truce!" cried Media, "here comes a gallant before the wind.--Look, Taji!"
Turning, we descried a sharp-prowed canoe, dashing on, under thepressure of an immense triangular sail, whose outer edges werestreaming with long, crimson pennons. Flying before it, were severalsmall craft, belonging to the poorer sort of Islanders.
"Out of his way there, ye laggards," cried Media, "or that madprince, Tribonnora, will ride over ye with a rush!"
"And who is Tribonnora," said Babbalanja, "that he thus bravelydiverts himself, running down innocent paddlers?"
"A harum-scarum young chief," replied Media, "heir to three islands;he likes nothing better than the sport you now see see him at."
"He must be possessed by a devil," said Mohi.
Said Babbalanja, "Then he is only like all of us." "What say you?"cried Media.
"I say, as old Bardianna in the Nine hundred and ninety ninth book ofhis immortal Ponderings saith, that all men--"
"As I live, my lord, he has swamped three canoes," cried Mohi,pointing off the beam.
But just then a fiery fin-back whale, having broken into the paddockof the lagoon, threw up a high fountain of foam, almost underTribonnora's nose; who, quickly turning about his canoe, cur-likeslunk off; his steering-paddle between his legs.
Comments over; "Babbalanja, you were going to quote," said Media."Proceed."
"Thank you, my lord. Says old Bardianna, 'All men are possessed bydevils; but as these devils are sent into men, and kept in them, foran additional punishment; not garrisoning a fortress, but limboed ina bridewell; so, it may be more just to say, that the devilsthemselves are possessed by men, not men by them.'"
"Faith!" cried Media, "though sometimes a bore, your old Bardianna isa trump."
"I have long been of that mind, my lord. But let me go on. SaysBardianna, 'Devils are divers;--strong devils, and weak devils;knowing devils, and silly devils; mad devils, and mild devils;devils, merely devils; devils, themselves bedeviled; devils, doublybedeviled."
"And in the devil's name, what sort of a devil is yours?" cried Mohi.
"Of him anon; interrupt me not, old man. Thus, then, my lord, asdevils are divers, divers are the devils in men. Whence, the widedifference we see. But after all, the main difference is this:--thatone man's devil is only more of a devil than another's; and bebedeviled as much as you will; yet, may you perform the mostbedeviled of actions with impunity, so long as you only bedevilyourself. For it is only when your deviltry injures another, that theother devils conspire to confine yours for a mad one. That is to say,if you be easily handled. For there are many bedeviled Bedlamites inMardi, doing an infinity of mischief, who are too brawny in the armsto be tied."
"A very devilish doctrine that," cried Mohi. "I don't believe it."
"My lord," said Babbalanja, "here's collateral proof;--the sagelawgiver Yamjamma, who flourished long before Bardianna, roundlyasserts, that all men who knowingly do evil are bedeviled; for goodis happiness; happiness the object of living; and evil is not good."
"If the sage Yamjamma said that," said old Mohi, "the sage Yamjammamight have bettered the saying; it's not quite so plain as it might be."
"Yamjamma disdained to be plain; he scorned to be fully comprehendedby mortals. Like all oracles, he dealt in dark sayings. But oldBardianna was of another sort; he spoke right out, going straight tothe point like a javelin; especially when he laid it down for auniversal maxim, that minus exceptions, all men are bedeviled."
"Of course, then," said Media, "you include yourself among the number."
"Most assuredly; and so did old Bardianna; who somewhere says, thatbeing thoroughly bedeviled himself, he was so much the betterqualified to discourse upon the deviltries of his neighbors. But inanother place he seems to contradict himself, by asserting, that heis not so sensible of his own deviltry as of other people's."
"Hold!" cried Media, "who have we here?" and he pointed ahead of ourprow to three men in the water, urging themselves along, each with apaddle.
We made haste to overtake them.
"Who are you?" said Media, "where from, and where bound?"
"From Variora," they answered, "and bound to Mondoldo." "And did thatdevil Tribonnora swamp your canoe?" asked Media, offering to helpthem into ours.
"We had no such useless incumbrance to lose," they replied, restingon their backs, and panting with their exertions. "If we had had acanoe, we would have had to paddle it along with us; whereas we haveonly our bodies to paddle."
"You are a parcel of loons," exclaimed Media. "But go your ways, ifyou are satisfied with your locomotion, well and good."
"Now, it is an extreme case, I grant," said Babbalanja, "but thosepoor devils there, help to establish old Bardianna's position.They belong to that species of our bedeviled race, called simpletons;but their devils harming none but themselves, are permitted to be atlarge with the fish. Whereas, Tribonnora's devil, who daily runs downcanoes, drowning their occupants, belongs to the
species of out andout devils; but being high in station, and strongly backed by kithand kin, Tribonnora can not be mastered, and put in a strait jacket.For myself, I think my devil is some where between these twoextremes; at any rate, he belongs to that class of devils who harmnot other devils."
"I am not so sure of that," retorted Media. "Methinks this doctrineof yours, about all mankind being bedeviled, will work a deal ofmischief; seeing that by implication it absolves you mortals frommoral accountability. Further-more; as your doctrine is exceedinglyevil, by Yamjamma's theory it follows, that you must beproportionably bedeviled; and since it harms others, your devil is ofthe number of those whom it is best to limbo; and since he is one ofthose that can be limboed, limboed he shall be in you."
And so saying, he humorously commanded his attendants to lay handsupon the bedeviled philosopher, and place a bandage upon his mouth,that he might no more disseminate his devilish doctrine.
Against this, Babbalanja demurred, protesting that he was no orang-outang, to be so rudely handled.
"Better and better," said Media, "you but illustrate Bardianna'stheory; that men are not sensible of their being bedeviled."
Thus tantalized, Babbalanja displayed few signs of philosophy.
Whereupon, said Media, "Assuredly his devil is foaming; behold hismouth!" And he commanded him to be bound hand and foot.
At length, seeing all resistance ineffectual, Babbalanja submitted;but not without many objurgations.
Presently, however, they released him; when Media inquired,how he relished the application of his theory; and whether he wasstill' of old Bardianna's mind?
To which, haughtily adjusting his robe, Babbalanja replied, "Thestrong arm, my lord, is no argument, though it overcomes all logic."
END OF VOL. I.
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