Southern literary gazette. (Athens, Ga.) 1848-1849, April 28, 1849, Page 399, Image 5

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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 399