The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)Paltock, Robert
Science
The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)
Paltock, Robert
Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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