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hurriedly adjusted their diadems, threw them
selves into attitudes, looking stately as stat
ues. Phidias turned not out his Jupiter so
soon.
In various-dyed robes the five-and-twenty
kings were arrayed: and various their fea
tures, as the rows of lips, eyes, and ears, in
John Caspar Lavater’s physiognomical charts.
Nevertheless, to a king, all their noses were
aquiline.
There were long fox-tail beards of silver
grey, and enamelled chins, like those of girls;
bald pates and Merovingian locks; smooth
brows and wrinkles; forms erect and stoop
ing; an eye that squinted; one king was
deaf; by his side, another that was halt; and
not far off, a dotard. They were old and
young, tall and short, handsome and ugly,
fat and lean, cunning and simple.
With animated courtesy, our host received
us; assigning a neighboring bower for Bab
balanja and the rest; and among so many
light-royal, demi-divine guests, how could
the demi-gods Media and Taji be otherwise
than at home ?
The unwonted sprigbtliness of Donjalolo
surprised us. But he was in one of those
relapses of desperate gaiety invariably fol
lowing his failure in efforts to amend his
life. And the bootless issue of his late mis
sion to outer Mardi had thrown him into a
mood for revelry. Nor had he lately shun
ned a wild wine, called Morando.
A slave now appearing with a bowl of this
beverage, it circulated freely.
Not to gainsay the truth, we fancied the
Morando much. A nutty, pungent flavor it
had; like some kinds of arrack distilled in
the Philippine isles. And a marvellous ef
fect did it have, in dissolving the crystalliza
tion of the brain; leaving nothing hut pre
cious little drops of good humor, beading
round the howl of the cranium.
Meanwhile, garlanded boys, climbing the
limbs of the idol-pillars, and stirruping their
feet in their most holy mouths, suspended
hangings of crimson tappa all round the hall;
so that sweeping the pavement they rustled
in the breeze from the grot.
Presently, stalwart slaves advanced; hear
ing a mighty basin of a porphyry hue, deep
ly hollowed out of a tree. Outside, were in
numerable grotesque conceits: conspicuous
among which, for a border, was an endless
string of the royal lizards circumnavigating
tha basin in inverted chase oi their tails.
Peculiar to the groves of Willamilla, the
yellow lizard formed part of the arms of Juam.
And when Donjalolo’s messengers went a
broad, they carried its effigy, as the emblem
of their royal master; themselves being
known as the Gentlemen of the Golden Liz
ard. .
The porphyry-hued basin planted lull in
our midst, the attendants forthwith filled the
same with the living waters from the cascade;
a proceeding, for which some of the compa
ny were at a loss to account, unless his high
ness, our host, with all the coolness of royal
ty, purposed cooling himself still further, by
taking a bath in presence of his guests. A
conjecture, most premature; for directly, the
basin being filled to within a few inches of
the lizards, the attendants fell to launching
therein divers goodly sized trenchers, all la
den with choice viands: wild boar meat;
humps of grampuses; embrowned bread-fruit,
roasted in odoriferous fires of sandal wood,
but suffered to cool; gold-fish, dressed with
- the fragrant juices of berries; citron sauce;
rolls of the baked paste of yams; juicy ba- -
nanas, steeped in a saccharine oil; marma
lade of plantains; jellies of guava; confec
tions of the treacle of palm sap; and man}’
other danties ; besides numerous stained cal
abashes of Morando, and other beverages,
fixed in carved floats to make them buoyant.
The guest assigned seats, by the woven
handles attached to his purple mat, the prince,
our host, was now gently moved by his ser
vitors to the head of the porphyry-hued ba
sin. Where, flanked by lofty crowned head -,
white-tiaraed, and radiant with royalty, he
fiat; like snow-turbaned Mont Blanc, at sun
rise presiding over the head waters of tne
Rhone: to right and left, looming the gilded
summits of the Simplon, the Gothard, the
Jungfrau, the Great St, Bernard, and the Giand
Glockner. .
Vet turbid from the launching of its ireight.
Lake Como tossed to and fro its navies of
B°.od cheer, the shadow's of the king-peaks
vi jjiy flitting thereupon. ,
Lu\ r,Q fpjorjd wine and fruit cooler, Lake
Como ;as f irst j t aid seem ; but a tropical
dining table, it,,, r f ace a s ] a b of light blue
St. Pons marble in 0 f fluidity.
Now r , many a crown . doffed; sceptres
laid aside ; girdles slacke. anc j among
those verdant viands the heart., kings like
goats did browse; or tusking then -id boar’s
meat, like mastiffs ate. ,
And like unto some well-fo u £ & ’ .
a©®irsi as sa ilhtfßSi&isTr ©Asairirs.
ginning calmly, but pressing forward to a
fiery rush, this well-fought feast did now wax
warm*
A few royal epicures, however, there were;
epicures intent upon concoctions, admixtures,
and masterly compoundings ; who comported
themselves with all due deliberation and dig
nity; hurrying themselves in Jo no reckless
deglutition of “the dainties. Ah ! admirable
conceit, Lake Como: supersea in g attendants.
For, from hand to hand the tre.nc hers sailed;
no sooner gaining one port, than despatched
over sea to another.
Well suited they were for the occasion:
sailing high out of water, to resist the.’ convi
vial swell at times ruffling the sociabdo sea ;
and sharp at both ends, still better adapting
them to easy navigation.
But soon, the Morando, in triumphant de
canters, went round, reeling like barks before
a breeze. But their voyages were brief; an'd
ere long, in certain havens, the accumulation
of empty vessels threatened to bridge the lake
with pontoons. In those directions, Trade
winds were setting. But full soon, cut out
were all unladen and unprofitable gourds; and
replaced by jolly-bellied calabashes, for a time
sailing deep, yawing heavily to the push.
At lasi, the whole flotilla of trenchers—
wrecks and all —were sent swimming to the
further end of Lake Como; and thence re-*
moved, gave place to ruddy hillocks of fruit,
and floating islands of flowers. Chief among
the former, a quince-like, golden sphere, that
filled the air with such fragrance, you thought
you were tasting its flavor.
Nor did the wine cease flowing. That day
the Juam grape did bleed ; that day the ten
dril ringlets of the vines did all uncurl; and
grape by grape, in sheer dismay, the sun-ripe
clusters dropped. Grape-glad were five-and
twenty kings; five-and-twenty kings were
merry,
Morando's vintage had no end ; nor other
liquids, in the royal cellar stored, somewhere
secret in the grot. Oh ! where's the endless
Niger’s source? Search ye here, and search
ye there; on, on, through ravine, vega, vale
—no head waters will ye find. But why
need gain, the hidden spring, when its lavish
stream flows by ? At threefold mouths that
Delta-grot discharged ; rivers golden, white,
and red.
But who may sing for aye? Down I
come, and light upon the old and prosy plain.
Among other decanters set afloat, was a
pompous, lordly-looking demijohn, but old
and reverend withal, that sailed about, conse
quential as an autocrat going to be crowned,
or a treasure-freighted argosie bound home
before the wind. It looked solemn, however,
though it reeled ; peradventure, far gone with
its own potent contents. j
Oh! russet shores of Rhine and Rhone!
oh. mellow memories of ripe old vintages!
cobwebs in the Pyramids! oh, dust on
Pharaoh’s tomb! —all, all recur, as I bethink
me of that glorious gourd, its contents cogent
as Tokay, itself as old as Mohi’s legends ;
more venerable to look at than his beard. —
Whence came it? Buried in vases, so saith
the label, with the heart of old Majora, now ;
dead one hundred thousand moons. Exhum- j
ed at last, it looked no wine, but was shrunk :
into a subtile syrup. !
This special calabash was distinguished
by numerous trappings, caparisoned the
sacred bay steed led before the Great Khan 1
of Tartary. A most curious and betasselled
net-w T ork encased it; and the royal lizard w’as
jealously twisted about its neck, like a hand
on a throat containing some invaluable se
cret.
All Hail, Marzilla! King’s Own Royal
Particular ! A vinous Percy! Dating back
to the Conquest! Distilled of yore from
purple berries growing in the purple v alley of
I Ardair! Thrice hail!
But the imperial Marzilla w'as not for all;
| gods only could partake; the Kings and demi
gods of the isles; excluding left-handed de
scendants of sad rakes of immortals, m old
; times breaking heads and hearts in Mardi,
j bequeathing bars-sinister to many mortals,
who now in vain might urge a claim io a
! cup-full of right and regal Marzilla.
! The Royal Particular was pressed upon
!me by the now jovial Donjalolo. With his
own sceptred hand charging my flagon to the
j brim, he declared his despotic pleasure that
IT should quaff it off to the last lingering
Tobule. No hard calamity, truly; for the
drinking of this wine was at the singing ol a
mighty ode, or phrensied lyric to the soul.
‘•Drink, Taji,” cried Donjalolo, “drink
deep. In this wine a king’s heart is dissolv
ed. Drink long; in this wine lurk the seeds
of the life everlasting. Drink deep; drink
long: thou drinkest w isdom and valor at ev
j ery draught. Drink forever, oh, Tati, for
thou drinkest that which will enable thee to
j stand up and speak out before mighty Oro
! himself.”
“Borabolla,” he added, turning round upon
I a domed old king at his left, “Was it the god
Xiplio, who begged of my great-great-grand
j sire a draught oi this same wine, saying he
was about to beget a hero ?”
“Even so. And thy glorious Marzilla
produced thrice valiant’ Ononna, who slew
the giants of the reef.”
“ Ha, ha, hear’st that, oh, Taji ?” And
Donjalolo drained another cup.
Amazing! the flexibility of the royal el
bow, and the rigidity of the royal spine!—
More especially as we had been impressed
with a notion of their debility. But, some
times, these seemingly enervated young blades
approve themselves steadier of limb than vet
eran revellers of very long standing.
“Discharge the basin, and refill it with
wine,” cried Donjalolo. “Break all empty
gourds! Drink, kings, and dash your cups
at every draught.”
So saying, he started from his purple mat;
and with one foot planted unknowingly upon
the skull of Marjora; while all the skeletons
grinned at him from the pavement; Donjalo
lo, holding on high his blood-red goblet,
burst forth with the following invocation:
J) , l\a, gods and kings ; fill high, one and all;
Dr.ink, drink! shout and drink! mad respond to tho
call!
Fill fast, mid fill full; ’gainst the gohlet ne'er sin ;
Quatf thi'rc, at high tide, to the uttermost >im:—
FloOd-tide, and soul-tide to the brim 1
Who with ivine in him fears'? who thinks of his
cares ?
Who sighs to he wise, when wine in him flares ?
Water sinh's do wu below, in currents full slow ;
But wine mounts on high with its genial glow:—
Welling up>, till the brain overflow !
As the spheret, wit b n roll, some fiery of soul, 1
Others golden, w\ th music, revolve round the polo ; j
So let our cups, ratlin ut with many-hued wines,
Round and round in groups circle, our Zodiac's!
Signs :
Round reeling, an<3 ringing their chimes !
Then drink, gods an A brings; wine merriment
brings:
It bounds through the veins ; there, jubilant sings.
Let it ebb, then, and flow ; wine never grows dim ;
Drain down that bright tin’ 1 ’ afi tho foam-beaded
. rim:—
Fill up, every cup, to tho brim! *
Caught by all present, the chorus resound-,
ed again and again. The beaded wine danc
ed on many a beard; the cataract lifted high
er its voice; the grotto sent hack a shout:
the ghosts of the Coral MonarcJhs seemed
starting from their insulted hones. Hut ha,
ha, ha, roared forth the five-and-twenly kings,
—alive, not dead —holding both hands to j
their girdles, and baying out their laughter |
from abysses; like Nimrod’s hounds over
some fallen elk.
Mad and crazy revellers,, how ye drank
and roared! but kings no more: vestures
loosed: and sceptres rolling on the ground, i
Glorious agrarian, thou wine! bringing all !
hearts on a level, and at last all legs to the !
earth ; even those of kings, who, to do them j
justice, have been much maligned for imputed
qualities not theirs. For whoso has touched
flagons with monarchs, bear they their back
| bones never so stiffly on the throne, well
know the rascals to be at bottom royal good
I fellows: capable of a vinous frankness cx
; ceeding that of base-born men. Was not
Alexander a boon companion? And daft!
Cambyses ? and what of old Rowley, as
good a judge of wine and other matters, as ,
ever sipped claret or kisses.
If ever Taji joins a club, be it a Beef-Steak 1
Club of Kings!
Donjalolo emptied yet another cup.
The mirth now blew a gale ; like a ship’s \
shoulders in a Typhoon, every tendon vibrat- j
ed; the breezes of Omi came forth with a
rush ; the hangings shook; the goblets danc- j
cd fandangos; and Donjalolo, clapping his
hands, called before him his dancing women.
Forth came from the grotto a reed-like
burst of song, making all start, and look that
way to behold such enchanting strains. —
Sounds heralding sights! Swimming in the
air, emerged the nymphs, lustrous arms inter
locked like Indian jugglers’ glittering snakes. !
Round the cascade they thronged; then paus
ed in its spray. Os a sudden, seemed to
spring from its midst, a young form of foam,
that danced into the soul like a thought. At
last, sideways floating off, it subsided into the
grotto, a wave. Evening drawing on apace,
the crimson draperies were lifted, and festoon
ed to the arms of the idol-pillars, admitting
I the rosy light of the even.
Yielding to the re-action of the banquet, the
kings now reclined ; and two mute damsels
entered : one with a gourd of scented waters;
the other with napkins. Bending over Don
i jalolo’s steaming head, the first let fall a
shower of aromatic drops, slowly absorbed
jby her companion. Thus, in turn, all were
served ; nothing heard but deep breathing.
In a marble vase they now kindled some
incense : a handful of spices.
m*Ri
Shortly after, came three of the king’s
beautiful smokers ; who, lighting their tubes
at this odorous fire, blew over the company .
the sedative fumes of the Aina.
•Steeped in languor, I strove against it long:
; essayed to struggle out of the enchanted mist.
But a syren hand seemed ever upon me, press
ing me back.
Half-revealed, as in a dream, and the last
sight that I saw, was Donjalolo: eyes closed,
face pale, locks moist, home slowly to his se
dan, to cross the hollow, and wake in the
seclusion of his harem.
sTctus}Ki|)cr Analects.
j.
AN EGYPTIAN LADY.
She wore, first, a chemise of some thin
white material, with loose sleeves, embroider
ed round the edge, hanging over her hands :
then a large pair of crimson silk trousers, so
long and wide that they entirely concealed
her hare feet; then came a garment like the
Turkish antercc , descending to the feet before,
hanging in a train behind, and opening at
the sides, with long sleeves open from the
wrist to the elbow, and falling back so as to
display those of the chemise beneath. This
dress was made of crimson damask, and em
broidered all round the edge with black braid
ing, and was confined—-not at the wrist, but
over the hips—with an Indian Shawl, wound
two or three times round, and knotted before.
The last garment was a jacket, reaching only
to the waist, with half-sleeves, made of ex
ceedingly rich stuff of dark blue silk, em
broidered all over, in a running pattern, with
gold, and edjjed with gold braiding and but
tons. Three large silver amulet-cases, con
taining charms, were hung over the shawl
girdlcr. The head-dress is the prettiest part
of the Egyptian costume —and Sofia’s was
exceedingly rich. Her hair was divided into
twenty or thirty small braids, hanging over
her shoulders—to the end of each “of which
were affixed three silk cords strung with gold
coins of various sizes. Two rows of gold
coins, as large as half-crown pieces, laid close
together, encircled her forehead; and at each
temple depended a cluster of smaller ones,
with an agate ornament in the middle. The
hack of her head was covered with a small
Egyptian Fex, ornamented with a large Ckoors
of solid gold, and buund on by a handkerchief
of embroidered crape. She wore two neck
laces of large gold coins, thickly strung to
gether, and each individual piece of money
depending from a massive ornament in the
form of a fish; one of these necklaces was
long, and the other just encircled her throat;
and between them was a string of beads of
Egyptian agates, as large as bird’s eggs, and
strung together with golden links. Her ear
rings were of gold filigree, in the shape of
flowers; and her bracelets—of which she
wore several —of massive gold and silver.—
We computed that she carried about three
hundred and fifty pounds on her person, in
coins alone, without including her other orna
ments.
Marriage.—Wherever woman plights her
troth under the sky of Heaven, at the domes
tic hearth or in consecrated aisles, the ground
is holy, the spirit of <he hour is sacramental.
That it is thus felt, even by the most trivial,
may be observed at every wedding ceremony.
Though the mirth may be fast and furious
before or after the irrevocable formula is
spoken, yet at that point of time, there is a
shadow on the the most laughing lip.—a
moisture in the firmest eye. Wedlock, in
dissoluble, except by an act of God—a sacra
ment whose solemnity reaches to eternity—
will always hold its rank in life as well as
literature, as the most impressive fact of hu
man experience in dramatic writing, whether
of the stage or closet, the play or the novel.
It must always be so. If government with
all its usurpations and aggressions, has ap
propriated history, let the less ambitious por
tions of our literature be sacred to the affec
tions—to the family based upon conjugal and
parental love as that institution is the state
which hitherto in the world’s annals has been
little less than the sad exponent of human
ambition.— Steel.
Small Beginnings.—lt is related in the
Gentleman’s Magazine, of Chantrev, the
celebrated sculptor, that when a boy, ho was
observed by a gentleman in the neighborhood
of Sheffield very‘attentively engaged in cut
ting a stick with a penknife. He asked the
lad what he was doing; when, with great
simplicity of manner, but with great courtesy,
he replied. “ I am cutting old Fox’s head.”
Fox was the schoolmaster of the village. On
! this the gentiemau asked to see what he hsfd
done, and pro; ouncing it to be an excellent
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