The children wept very heartily, and both promised me to remember and to do as I had taught them.
Being now in my oval chamber, and alone with my children, I had a mind to be informed of some things I was almost ashamed to ask Quilly. "Tommy," says I, "what sort of fire do they keep in these globes? and what are they made of?"—"Daddy," says he, "yonder is the man shifting them, you may go and see." Being very curious to see how he did it, I went to him. As I came near him, he seemed to have something all fire on his arm. "What has the man got there?" says I. "Only sweecoes," says Tommy. By this time I came up to him; "Friend," says I, "what are you about?"—"Shifting the sweecoes, sir," says he, "to feed them."—"What oil do you feed with?" says I.—"Oil!" says he, "they won't eat oil; that would kill them all."—"Why," says I, "my lamp is fed with oil."
Tommy could scarce forbear laughing himself; but for fear the servant should do so too, pulled me by the sleeve, and desired me to say no more. So turning away with him, "Daddy," says he, "it is not oil that gives this light, but sweecoes, a living creature. He has got his basket full, and is taking the old ones out to feed them, and putting new ones in. They shift them every half day and feed them."—"What!" says I, "are all these infinite number of globes I see living creatures?"—"No," says he, "the globes are only the transparent shell of a bott, like our calibashes. The light comes from the sweecoe within."—"Has that man," says I, "got any of them?"—"Yes," says he, "you may see them. The king and the colambs, and indeed every man of note, has a place to breed and feed them in."—"Pray, let us go see them," says I, "for that is a curiosity indeed."
Tommy desired the man to show me the swee-coes; so he set down his basket, which was a very beautiful resemblance of a common higler's basket, with a handle in the middle, and a division under it, with flaps on each side to lift up and down. It was made of straw-coloured small twigs, neatly compacted, but so light as scarce to be of any weight. Opening one of the lids, I could make very little distinction of substances, the bottom seeming all over of a white colour. I looking surprised at the light, the man took out one, and would have put it into my hand, but perceiving me shy of it, he assured me it was one of the most innocent things in the world. I then took it, and surveying it, it felt to my touch as smooth and cold as a piece of ice. It was about as long as a large lobworm, but much thicker. The man seeing me admire the brightness of its colour, told me it had done its duty, and was going to be fed, but those which were going upon duty were much clearer; and then opening the other lid, those appeared far exceeding the others in brightness, and thickness too. I asked what he fed them with. He said, "Leaves and fruit; but grass, when he could get it, which was not often, they were very fond of."
Having dismissed my children, I sent for Nasgig, to gain some intelligences I wanted to be informed of. The moment I saw him it came into my mind to inquire after my new filgays. He said the king granted my request at the first word. I told him then he had saved his honour with me, and I was obliged to him. "But," says I, "you told me my bearers should be free too."—"They are so," says he.—"Then there is one thing I want," says I, "and that is to see the second bearer on my right hand, who came through without shifting. I have a fancy for that fellow," says I, "to be about my person. I like him; and if you can give him a good word, I should be glad to treat with him about it."
"My friend Peter," says he, "you are a man of penetration, though it ill becomes me to say so in regard of persons; but I can say that for him, if he likes you as well as you seem to like him, he is the trustiest fellow in the world; but as he knows his own worth, he would not be so to everybody, I can tell you that."—"I don't fear his disliking me," says I, "for I make it my maxim to do as I would be done by; and if he is a man of honour, as you seem to say, he would do the same, and we shall be soon agreed."—"But," says Nasgig, "it being now the fourth day since he was freed, he may be gone home perhaps, for he is not of our country, but of Mount Alkoe. If Quilly can find him, he will come." So he ordered Quilly to send for Maleck of Mount Alkoe, with orders to come to me.
We descended from one discourse to another, and at length to King Georigetti's affairs, when Nas-gig, giving a sigh, "Ah, Peter!" says he, "we shall loiter away our time here till the enemy are upon our backs. There is venom in the grass; I wish my good master is not betrayed."—"By whom?" says I.—"By those he little suspects," says he.—"Why," says I, "they tell me you are much in his favour; if so, why do you suffer it?"—"I believe," says Nasgig, "I am in his favour, and may continue in it, if I will join in measures to ruin him, but else I shall soon be out of it."—"You tell me riddles," says I.—"These things," says he, "a man talks with his head in his teeth. There is danger in them, Peter; there is danger!"—"You don't suspect me," says I, "do you?"—"No," says he, "I know your soul too well; but there are three persons in these dominions who will never let my master rest till out of his throne, or in hoximo. I am but lately in favour, but have made as many observations, perhaps, as those who have been longer about the king."
"Nasgig," says I, "your concern proceeds from an honest heart. Don't stifle what you have to say; if I can counsel you with safety, I'll do it; if not, I'll tell you so."
"Peter," says he, "Georigetti was the only son of a well-beloved father, and ascended his throne ten years ago on his decease: but Harlokin, the prince of the revolters, whose head is never idle, finding that whispers and base stories spread about did not hurt Georigetti, or withdraw his subjects' affections, has tried a means to make him undo himself."—"As how?" says I.—"Why," said he, "by closely playing his game he has got one of his relations into the king's service, than whom he could never have chosen a fitter instrument. He, by degrees, feeding the king's humour, and promising mountains, has pushed into the best places into the kingdom. His name is Barbarsa, a most insolent man, who has had the assurance to corrupt the king's mistress, and has prevailed and brought her over to his interest."—"Oh perfidy!" says I, "is it possible?"—"Yes," says he; "and more than that, has drawn in, till now, an honest man called Nicor; and it has been agreed between them to protract this war, till by their stratagems in procuring the revolt of Gauingrunt, a very large and populous province, and now the barrier between us and the rebels, and two or three more places, they shall have persuaded Georigetti to fly; and then Barbarsa is to be king, and Yaccom-bourse his queen. A union is then to be struck between him and Harlokin, and peace made, by restoring some of the surrendered provinces; and upon the death of the first of them, or their issue, childless, the survivor, or his issue, is to take the whole. They laugh at your uniting the dominions, and the old prediction."
"These," said I, "Nasgig, are serious things, and, as you say, are not lightly to be talked of; but, Nasgig, know this, he that conceals them is a traitor. Can you prove this?"—"I have heard them say so," says Nasgig.—"How!" says I, "and not discover it!"—"I am as anxious for that as you can be," says he; "but for me to be cashiered, slit, and sent to Crashdoorpt, only for meaning well, without power to perfect my good intentions, where will be the benefit to my master or me?"—"When and where did you hear this?" says I.—"Several and several times," says he, "in my own bed."—"In your own bed?" says I.—"I'll tell you," says he; "it so happens that when I rest at the palace, as I am bound to do when on duty, there is a particular bed for me: now, as the whole palace is cut out of one solid rock, though Yaccom-bourse's apartment at the entrance is at a prodigious distance from the entrance to mine, yet my bed, and one in an inner apartment of hers, stand close together; the partition, indeed, is stone, but either from the thinness of it, or some flaw in it, I have not yet discovered, I can plainly hear every word that is spoken. And there it is, in their hours of dalliance, when they use this bed, that I hear what I have now told you."—"Say nothing of it," says I, "but leave the issue to me."