Nasgig comes with a guard to fetch Peter—Long debate about his going—Nasgig's uneasiness at Peter's refusal—Relates a prediction to him, and proceedings thereon at Georigetti's court—Peter consents to go—Prepares a machine for that purpose.
WE were waked by the trumpet giving notice of Nasgig's coming; I did not care to inquire of the strangers into the particulars of his embassy; "for be it what it will," thinks I, "Nasgig is so much my friend that I can know the motives of it from him, and, or I am much deceived, he is too honest to impose upon me." But I had but little time for thought, for upon our entering the level, we found him and his train, of at least a hundred persons, just alighting before us.
We embraced, and professed the particular pleasure fortune had done us in once more meeting together. When we arrived at the grotto, he told me he was assured I had been informed of the occasion of his visit; and that it would be the greatest honour done to his country that could be imagined. He then laid his hand on my beard, which was now of about five months' growth, having never shaved it since my father went, and told he was glad to see that.—"And are you not so to see me?" says I.—"Yes, surely," says he, "for I prize that for your sake."—"But," says I, "pray be open with me, and tell me what you mean by my being informed of the occasion of your coming?"—"Why," says he, "of Georigetti's message to you, as it will be of such infinite service to our country: and," says he, "if you had not consented to it, the messengers had returned and stopped me."—"True," says I, "one of the messengers told me the king would be glad to see me; which as I, so well as he, knew it was impossible he should, in return to his compliment, I believe I might say what a happiness it would be to me if I could wait on him. But pray what is your immediate message? for I hear you are in great favour at court, and would never have come hither with this retinue in so much ceremony on a trifling account."
"My dear Peter," says Nasgig, "know that your fame has reached far and near since I saw you before; and our state, though a large and populous one, and once of mighty power and twice its present extent, by the revolt of the western part of it, who chose themselves a king, has been so miserably harassed by wars, that the revolters, who are ever fomenting discontent and rebellion amongst us, will, by the encroachments they daily make on us, certainly reduce us at last to a province under their government; which will render us all slaves to a usurped power, set up against our lawful sovereign. Now these things were foretold long enough before they actually began to be transacted; but all being then at peace, and no prospect of what has since happened, we looked not out for a remedy, till the disease became stubborn and incurable."—"Pray," says I, "by whom were the things you mention foretold?"—"By a very ancient and grave ragan," says he.—"How long ago?" says I.—"Oh, above four times the age of the oldest man living," says he.—"And when did he say it would happen?" says I.—"That," says he, "was not quite so clear then."—"But how do you know," says I, "that he ever said any such thing?"—"Why, the thing itself was so peculiar," says he, "and the ragan delivered it so positively, that his successors have ever since pronounced it twelve times a year publicly, word for word, to put the people in mind of it, and from whom they must hope for relief; and now the long-expected time being come, we have no hopes but in your destruction of the tyrant-usurper."—"I destroy him!" says I: "if he is not destroyed till I do it, I fear your state is but in a bad case."—"My good friend Peter," says he, "you or nobody can do it."—"Pugh," says I, "Nasgig, I took you for a man of more sense, notwithstanding the prejudices of education, than to think, because you have seen me kill a beast-fish that could not come to hurt me at the distance of twenty paces, that I can kill your usurper at the distance he is from me."—"No, my good friend," says Nasgig, "I know you take me to have more judgment than to think so."—"Why, what else can I do," says I, "unless he will come hither to be killed by me?"—"Dear Peter," says he, "you will not hear me out."—"I will," says I, "say on."—"You, as I said before, being the only person that can, according to our prediction, destroy this usurper and restore peace among us, my master Georigetti, and the whole state of Normnbdsgrsutt, were going to send a splendid embassy to you; but your father advising to repose the commission wholly in me, they all consented to it, and I am come to invite you over to Brandleguarp for that purpose. I know you will tell me you have not the graundee, and cannot get thither: but I am assured you have what is far better; the wisdom you have will help you to surmount that difficulty, which our whole moucheratt cannot get over. And I am sure did you apply half the thought to accomplish it you seem to do to invent excuses against it, you would easily overcome that. And now, dear friend," continues he, "refuse me not; for as my first rise was owing to your favour, so my downfall as absolutely attends your refusal."
"Dear Nasgig," says I, "you know I love you, and could refuse you nothing in my power; but for me to be mounted in the air, I know not how, over these rocks, and then drowned by a fall into the sea, which is a necessary consequence of such a mad attempt; and all this in prosecution of a project founded upon an old wife's tale, is such a chimera as all men of sense would laugh at; as if there was no way of destroying me, but with a guard of a hundred men to souse me into the wide ocean. A very pretty conqueror of rebels I should prove, truly, kicking for life till the next wave sent me to the bottom."
Nasgig looked then so grave, I almost thought I should have heard no more of it; but after a short pause, "Peter," says he, "I am sorry you make so light of sacred things; a thing foretold so long ago by a holy ragan, kept up by undoubted tradition ever since, in the manner I have told you; in part performed, and now waiting your concurrence for its accomplishment; but if I cannot prevail with you, though I perish at my return, I dread to think you may be forced without thanks to perform what generously to undertake will be your greatest glory."
"Pray," says I, "Nasgig (for now I perceive you are in earnest), what may this famous prediction be?"
"Ah, Peter!" says Nasgig, "to what purpose should I relate so sacred a prediction to one who, though the most concerned in it, makes such a jest of it?"
His mentioning me as concerned in it, raised my curiosity once more to desire a relation of it. "Why should I relate it," says he, "if you are resolved not to fulfil it?"—I told him I had no resolution against anything that related to my own good, or that of my friends. "But the greatest question with me," says I, "is, whether I am at all concerned in it."—"Oh clearly, clearly!" says he, "there is no doubt of it; it must mean you or nobody."—I told him I must judge by the words of it that I was the person intended by it; and till that was apparent to my reason, it would be difficult to procure my consent to so perilous an undertaking.—"And," says he, "will you, upon hearing it, judge impartially, and go with me if you can take the application to yourself?"—"I cannot go quite so far as that," says I; "but this I'll promise you, I'll judge impartially, and if I can so apply it to myself, that it must necessarily mean me, and no other, and if you convince me I may go safely, I will go."
Nasgig was so rejoiced at this, he was at a loss how to express himself. "My dear Peter," says he, "you have given me new life! our state is free! our persons free! we are free! we are free! And, Peter," says he, "now I have given vent to my joy, you shall hear the prediction.