The king returning, ordered all the colambs, who waited my arrival, to assemble in council again; and as I went over the city, I was surprised to see all the rock of which it consisted quite covered with people, besides prodigious numbers in the air, all shouting out peals of welcome to me; and as we were then but little above their heads, every one had something to say of me; one wondering what I had got on; another swearing he saw hair on my face as long as his arm; and in general, every one calling on the Image for my safety.
The king was present when I alighted in the garden; and himself taking me from my chair, I bent on one knee to kiss his hand; but he took me in his arms, called me his father, and told me he hoped I would make his days equal in glory to his great ancestor Begsurbeck. We complimented some time before he took me into a small refectory in the garden, and gave me some of his sort of wine, which I found was loaded with ram's-horn, and some dried and moist sweetmeats. He then told me I had a piece of ceremony to go through, after which he hoped to have me to himself. I told him, whatever forms of State were customary, they become necessary, and I should obey him.
His majesty then called one of the persons in waiting, and telling him he was going to the room of audience, ordered him to conduct me thither forthwith.
Following my guide, after a long walk through a sort of piazza, we entered under a stately arch, curiously carved, into a very spacious room, lighted with infinite numbers of globe-lamps, where he desired me to sit down on a round stone pedestal covered with leaves, and all round the sides were running foliages exquisitely wrought; on the walls were carved figures of glumms in several actions, but chiefly in battle, or other warlike exercises, in alto-relievo, very bold, with other devices interspersed. I sat down, having first paid my submission to the throne, and to the several colambs who sat on the king's right and left, down the sides of the room.
The person then who introduced me, going into the middle of the room, spoke to this effect: "Mighty king—and you honourable lords his colambs—here is present the glumm Peter of Graundevolet; I wait your commands where to dispose him."
Then the king and all the colambs arising, another person stepped forth, and looking at me, for I was standing, "Glumm Peter of Graundevolet," says he, "I am to signify to you that the mighty king Georigetti, and all his honourable colambs, congratulate your arrival in Normnbdsgrsutt, and have commanded me to give you rank according to your merit." Then the king and colambs sat down, and I was led to the king's right hand, and placed on the same stone with, but at some small distance from, his majesty.
The king then told me the great pleasure I had done him and his colambs, in my so speedy arrival upon their message; but said he would give me no farther trouble now than to know how I chose to be served; and desired me to give orders to a bash he would send to me, for whatever I wanted; and then giving orders to a bash to show me my lodgings, I was permitted to retire to refresh myself.
I was then conducted to my apartment, up a sloping flight of stone, very long, with a vast arch over my head; I believed it might be fifty paces long at least, but being a very broad easy ascent, and smooth, it was not in the least fatiguing. All the way I went were the same sorts of globe lights as in the audience-room. The staircase, if I may call it so, it answering the same purpose, was most beautifully carved, both sides and top. At length I came into a very large gallery, at least fourscore paces long, and about twenty broad; on each side of which hung the same globes. At the farther end of this gallery I entered by an arch, very narrow, but most neatly wrought, into an oval room; in the middle of this room, on the right hand, was another small neat archway; entering through which about ten paces, there were two smaller arches to the right and left, and within them, with an easy ascent of about three paces, you came to a flat trough of stone, six or seven feet long, and about the same width; these, I understood by my bash, were the beds to lie on.
I asked him if they were used to lie on the bare stone. He told me some did, but he had orders to lay me on doffee; and presently up came four fellows with great mats, as I took them for by my globe light, full of something, which, by their so easily carrying so great bulk, I perceived was very light. They pitched it down upon my stone bedstead, and first with great sticks, and then with small switches having beat it soundly, retired.
Whilst I was looking about at the oddity of the place, I found my bash was gone too. "So," says I, "all gone! I suppose they intend I shall now go to bed." I then went into my bed-chamber, for there were globe lights there too, and observing my bed lay full four feet above the stone, and sloping higher to the sides and head, I went to feel what it was; but laying my hand upon it, it was so soft I could feel no resistance till I had pressed it some way; and it lay so light, that a fly must have sunk upon it.—"Well," thinks I, "what if I never lay thus before, I believe I have lain as bad!"