The Cambrian Sketch-Book Part 20

Immediately after our arrival in the open country, the prince conducted me in silence to a building, the walls of which were formed of the finest marble. Its entrance was guarded by two little men, even less in stature than my conductor, who made obeisance as we pa.s.sed. The prince conducted me up a flight of stairs, and then through several rooms, containing rich and costly furniture; at last we came to a door on which was printed in letters of gold "The King's Chamber." This chamber we entered. Having placed a chair beside me for my use, he then walked to the other side of the chamber, where there was a curious instrument fastened to a silver slab, and touched a small spring. There was attached to the instrument a thread or wire of the most delicate workmans.h.i.+p, which quivered at the touch; presently I heard the sound of a bell, which was followed by several ticks, and when the ticks ceased, the prince remarked that the royal carriage from Dinas Aur would arrive there in half an hour, in order to take us to the golden city.

"And how far is it to your city?" I asked.

"The actual distance is one hundred and twenty miles."

"But your carriage travels more swiftly than the flight of the bird?"

"Certainly."

"Well, is it safe to go so fast?"

"Yes, perfectly safe."

"Your a.s.surance contents me. Will you, please, answer me one question, namely: as you appear to travel about 250 miles in an hour, I want to know in what consists your motive power? Surely your horses can't travel so rapidly as that?"

"Oh no; we don't use horses. In these regions we make nature administer to our every want. We shall travel through the air, which we use to propel us along; more I cannot say, as this singular phenomenon is beyond my comprehension. The thing was discovered by our wise men, who keep the secret in their own b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Look, my young friend," said the prince, addressing me; "the carriage is coming, do you observe its approach?"

When I looked, I saw something like a black spot in the air; it appeared like a small bird. Presently it became more distinct, and before I was really aware, the royal carriage had arrived, having come nearly five minutes earlier than we expected. At once we stepped into the royal saloon. Presently I discovered the carriage moving. When we ascended some twenty yards above the earth, we were carried at a fearful pace through the air; I perceived it was kept up by means of wings, which were made of material which in appearance was silk. These wings were of great dimensions, but were extended or contracted in size according to the power and force of the current. The propelling agency was compressed air, but how this worked, and whether it was combined with other gases or not, I could not learn. I found the travelling exceedingly pleasant; when I closed my eyes I could not detect the least motion. Objects came and went, we appeared to pa.s.s them as rapidly as the moving clouds in a terrible storm, or falling stars on a bright November night. We arrived at our destination a few minutes earlier than we antic.i.p.ated. The prince conducted me to the royal palace, and placing me in charge of some important state functionary, repaired to the council of his royal master; when he left, he said he would not be long, and on returning he would join me for the evening. I must own, that I felt extremely sorry to have to part, even for a short time, from one who was so kind and so agreeable; and I felt this the more in consequence of the peculiar position in which I was placed. I was now the denizen of a strange world, and surrounded by a strange race.

During the absence of Prince Tippin I began to realize my position. I thought what a fool I was in leaving my home and country, the anxiety my absence would cause my parents, and the uncertainty of my ever seeing them again. This thought deeply moved me. I was exceedingly uneasy in both mind and conscience; I could neither sit nor lie still for three consecutive minutes. At last, after examining every article in the room, I asked the attendant if he could give me any kind of book or writing material, by the aid of which I hoped to forget myself. The attendant informed me that they did not use books, that their knowledge was orally handed down from father to son, from the priests to the people, and thus all the inhabitants became wise.

When the prince returned dinner was served up in the ante-room,-a fine hall, radiantly lighted up. Our first course was soup made of choice herbs, which was not only extremely satisfying but exceedingly palatable.

Of this I partook heartily. When the dishes were removed our attendant brought in milk thickened with meal, coloured with saffron; this was served up in basins of gold. Afterwards we had tarts, pies, and fruit of the most delicious flavour; the fruit resembled the pear, but was sweeter and more juicy.

After the meal was over, I asked the prince if he would give me a gla.s.s of wine.

"My young friend," replied the prince, "I regret to be unable to comply with your wish. Wines, and all kinds of alcoholic drinks, are prohibited from being used by the law of the State; I dare not, therefore, supply you with this beverage, even if I had it in my possession."

"But why, excellency, have you such a singular law?"

"For various reasons. Would you wish to be furnished with the cause of the existence of such an enactment?"

"You will confer upon me a personal favour by stating the reasons for the existence of such a regulation."

"These are the reasons. We want the minds of our people to be clear and bright, and their intellectual vision unclouded. Is not that important?"

"Yes, certainly."

"Again; in these dominions, crime, dest.i.tution, poverty, pauperism, and wrong-doing are unknown; but if our people, like yours, imbibed spirituous liquors, crimes would be as frequent and poverty as widely spread as are those terrible evils in your kingdom!"

"I readily admit the force of your reasoning; I am bound to own that the drinking customs of my country are the real causes of our more serious national evils."

"Then, sir, your government ought to enact stringent laws in order to diminish the cause of those evils."

"We are a race of free men, living in a free country, and I am afraid that no government will for some years be strong enough to battle successfully with this custom."

"You pa.s.s laws to suppress vice; and drunkenness being one of the greatest vices of your people, and the parent of all others, I can see no reason why you should not put down this traffic by legislation."

"Your excellency may be right in your conclusion. The evil is a terrible blot on our civilization; were we a strictly sober race, we should be by far the grandest people on earth."

"My own observations lead me to the same conclusion; but for the present we must put an end to the argument. It is time for you to retire. Your attendant awaits you. To-morrow we shall meet again, though I am afraid only for a few minutes, as I have to pay a visit to a distant part of the empire."

The next morning I breakfasted alone. Though I saw during the morning several of the little people pa.s.sing along the lawn in front of my window, I did not venture to speak to them, nor did any member of the race pay me a visit.

About midday the door of my room was opened, and a little gentleman walked into the hall, and, without saying a word, sat down in a vacant chair opposite the one on which I was seated. After examining my appearance, he observed, "I presume you are the stranger who accompanied Prince Tippin to the palace last evening?"

"I am the stranger, sir."

"I hope the attendant has shown you every courtesy, and has not been wanting in hospitality."

"From the prince and attendant I have received every consideration; and as for the fare, sir, I might have gone further and fared worse. I like your food much."

"This is a very different country from yours, is it not?"

_Myself_. Yes; widely different.

"I presume you find it strange to have light without a sun or moon or stars?"

_Myself_. I miss the genial light of the sun; but there is a softness, a reflected beauty, in the light here which we do not possess in our diurnal luminary.

"Our light is uniform, as is our climate. In the northern regions of your country the sun constantly s.h.i.+nes during several months of your year, which is followed by continuous darkness or night, when the inhabitants have to reside in snow or ice-built houses. Dreary must be the life of a people so circ.u.mstanced. You have in your climate genial and joyous spring, when nature revives from the dead and puts on her youthful and gay apparel, when the thorn, the citron, and the apple-tree bud and blossom;-beautiful is your spring, the loveliest and most charming season of your year. Then comes your summer, with its green meads, and fields of waving corn, and rich fruit. No artist can paint, no language can set forth, the grandeur of your clime during autumn.

What have you afterwards? Cold, icy, and chilling winter, with its dank and cold atmosphere; with your hills, mountains, and even your dales, covered with snow. In winter your country seems dead, clay-like, and lifeless; sad and dreary to me is your winter scene. In this land we have perpetual spring. In all the months of the year the orange, the citron, and the apple-tree send forth their buds and blossoms and their ripe and rich fruit; our valleys and mountains are always green, a circ.u.mstance which to you, doubtless, appears very strange."

_Myself_. Is that really so? Do your fields and trees and hillsides present at all times the same hue?

"Yes; the colour never alters, and nature in this region is never weary in its development, and never halts in the manifestation of her power; she goes from strength to strength, and with increased vigour as the years roll on."

_Myself_. A strange phenomenon this! Can you account for the existence of such perennial inherent power?

"Oh yes. Upon our mountains, valleys, and plains there perpetually descend from above constant showers of ethereal riches. Our earth thus daily receives from heaven even more riches than she gives in flower and fruit, and gra.s.s, and vegetable matter. Thus she daily and hourly becomes richer and more bountiful."

_Myself_. But suppose the spring, the perennial fountain, of this life-giving bounty and luxuriance, were to fail or to dry up, what would be your position then? From whence could you then obtain your supply?

"Of such a calamity we entertain no dread. For thousands of years this process has been going on, and through years unnumbered it will be continued. In your world there is a gradual decay; nature there is exhausting herself. For the present you have enough and to spare; but how will it be, what will your people do, when the virgin soil of the world on the other side of the Atlantic becomes exhausted? That time must come; what will your people do then?"

_Myself_. Before that day arrives humanity will become etherealized, spirit-like, and super-mundane. As a race, sir, we are not destined to continue the sordid, cloddy, and vulgar eating people we now are. Oh, no; the earthly tabernacle is to be put off, and we shall live on angels'

food.

"Your race then, sir, has the hope and prospect of dwelling in a sphere beyond your present world?"

_Myself_. Most a.s.suredly.

"Who is to be the king of that world? Who the ruler?"

_Myself_. The king will be the great Unseen and Eternal, the self-existent and self-created Being who rules heaven's armies and earth's inhabitants.

"This is the Being, is it not, whom your nation wors.h.i.+p and adore?"

_Myself_. Yes; and we are to live with Him for ever, and enjoy His fellows.h.i.+p. And don't you believe in Him too?