the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第20节

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rds　two　guns　were　fired　at　them；　loaded　with　balls；　one　of　which　took　place　in　a　bladder　of　liquor　that　hung　to　my　waist；　the　other　entered　the　breast　of　the　foremost　eagle；　who　fell　to　the　ground；　while　that　which　I　rode；　having　received　no　injury；　flew　away　with　amazing　swiftness。

This　circumstance　alarmed　me　exceedingly；　and　I　began　to　think　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　escape　with　my　life；　but　recovering　a　little；　I　once　more　looked　down　upon　the　earth；　when；　to　my　inexpressible　joy；　I　saw　Margate　at　a　little　distance；　and　the　eagle　descending　on　the　old　tower　whence　it　had　carried　me　on　the　morning　of　the　day　before。　It　no　sooner　came　down　than　I　threw　myself　off；　happy　to　find　that　I　was　once　more　restored　to　the　world。　The　eagle　flew　away　in　a　few　minutes；　and　I　sat　down　to　compose　my　fluttering　spirits；　which　I　did　in　a　few　hours。

I　soon　paid　a　visit　to　my　friends；　and　related　these　adventures。　Amazement　stood　in　every　countenance；　their　congratulations　on　my　returning　in　safety　were　repeated　with　an　unaffected　degree　of　pleasure；　and　we　passed　the　evening　as　we　are　doing　now；　every　person　present　paying　the　highest　compliments　to　my　COURAGE　and　VERACITY。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SECOND　VOLUME



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PREFACE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TO　THE　SECOND　VOLUME

Baron　Munchausen　has　certainly　been　productive　of　much　benefit　to　the　literary　world；　the　numbers　of　egregious　travellers　have　been　such；　that　they　demanded　a　very　Gulliver　to　surpass　them。　If　Baron　de　Tott　dauntlessly　discharged　an　enormous　piece　of　artillery；　the　Baron　Munchausen　has　done　more；　he　has　taken　it　and　swam　with　it　across　the　sea。　When　travellers　are　solicitous　to　be　the　heroes　of　their　own　story；　surely　they　must　admit　to　superiority；　and　blush　at　seeing　themselves　out…done　by　the　renowned　Munchausen：　I　doubt　whether　any　one　hitherto；　Pantagruel；　Gargantua；　Captain　Lemuel；　or　De　Tott；　has　been　able　to　out…do　our　Baron　in　this　species　of　excellence：　and　as　at　present　our　curiosity　seems　much　directed　to　the　interior　of　Africa；　it　must　be　edifying　to　have　the　real　relation　of　Munchausen's　adventures　there　before　any　further　intelligence　arrives；　for　he　seems　to　adapt　himself　and　his　exploits　to　the　spirit　of　the　times；　and　recounts　what　he　thinks　should　be　most　interesting　to　his　auditors。

I　do　not　say　that　the　Baron；　in　the　following　stories；　means　a　satire　on　any　political　matters　whatever。　No；　but　if　the　reader　understands　them　so；　I　cannot　help　it。

If　the　Baron　meets　with　a　parcel　of　negro　ships　carrying　whites　into　slavery　to　work　upon　their　plantations　in　a　cold　climate；　should　we　therefore　imagine　that　he　intends　a　reflection　on　the　present　traffic　in　human　flesh？　And　that；　if　the　negroes　should　do　so；　it　would　be　simple　justice；　as　retaliation　is　the　law　of　God！　If　we　were　to　think　this　a　reflection　on　any　present　commercial　or　political　matter；　we　should　be　tempted　to　imagine；　perhaps；　some　political　ideas　conveyed　in　every　page；　in　every　sentence　of　the　whole。　Whether　such　things　are　or　are　not　the　intentions　of　the　Baron　the　reader　must　judge。

We　have　had　not　only　wonderful　travellers　in　this　vile　world；　but　splenetic　travellers；　and　of　these　not　a　few；　and　also　conspicuous　enough。　It　is　a　pity；　therefore；　that　the　Baron　has　not　endeavoured　to　surpass　them　also　in　this　species　of　story…telling。　Who　is　it　can　read　the　travels　of　Smellfungus；　as　Sterne　calls　him；　without　admiration？　To　think　that　a　person　from　the　North　of　Scotland　should　travel　through　some　of　the　finest　countries　in　Europe；　and　find　fault　with　everything　he　meetsnothing　to　please　him！　And　therefore；　methinks；　the　Tour　to　the　Hebrides　is　more　excusable；　and　also　perhaps　Mr。　Twiss's　Tour　in　Ireland。　Dr。　Johnson；　bred　in　the　luxuriance　of　London；　with　more　reason　should　become　cross　and　splenetic　in　the　bleak　and　dreary　regions　of　the　Hebrides。

The　Baron；　in　the　following　work；　seems　to　be　sometimes　philosophical；　his　account　of　the　language　of　the　interior　of　Africa；　and　its　analogy　with　that　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　moon；　show　him　to　be　profoundly　versed　in　the　etymological　antiquities　of　nations；　and　throw　new　light　upon　the　abstruse　history　of　the　ancient　Scythians；　and　the　Collectanea。

His　endeavour　to　abolish　the　custom　of　eating　live　flesh　in　the　interior　of　Africa；　as　described　in　Bruce's　Travels；　is　truly　humane。　But　far　be　it　from　me　to　suppose；　that　by　Gog　and　Magog　and　the　Lord　Mayor's　show　he　means　a　satire　upon　any　person　or　body　of　persons　whatever：　or；　by　a　tedious　litigated　trial　of　blind　judges　and　dumb　matrons　following　a　wild　goose　chase　all　round　the　world；　he　should　glance　at　any　trial　whatever。

Nevertheless；　I　must　allow　that　it　was　extremely　presumptuous　in　Munchausen　to　tell　half　the　sovereigns　of　the　world　that　they　were　wrong；　and　advise　them　what　they　ought　to　do；　and　that　instead　of　ordering　millions　of　their　subjects　to　massacre　one　another；　it　would　be　more　to　their　interest　to　employ　their　forces　in　concert　for　the　general　good；　as　if　he　knew　better　than　the　Empress　of　Russia；　the　Grand　Vizier；　Prince　Potemkin；　or　any　other　butcher　in　the　world。　But　that　he　should　be　a　royal　Aristocrat；　and　take　the　part　of　the　injured　Queen　of　France　in　the　present　political　drama；　I　am　not　at　all　surprised；　but　I　suppose　his　mind　was　fired　by　reading　the　pamphlet　written　by　Mr。　Burke。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XXI

　　/The　Baron　insists　on　the　veracity　of　his　former　MemoirsForms　a　　　design　of　making　discoveries　in　the　interior　parts　of　AfricaHis　　　discourse　with　Hilaro　Frosticos　about　itHis　conversation　with　　　Lady　FragrantiaThe　Baron　goes；　with　other　persons　of　　　distinction；　to　Court；　relates　an　anecdote　of　the　Marquis　de　　　Bellecourt。/

All　that　I　have　related　before；　said　the　Baron；　is　gospel；　and　if　there　be　any　one　so　hardy　as　to　deny　it；　I　am　ready　to　fight　him　with　any　weapon　he　pleases。　Yes；　cried　he；　in　a　more　elevated　tone；　as　he　started　from　his　seat；　I　will　condemn　him　to　swallow　this　decanter；　glass　and　all　perhaps；　and　filled　with　kerren…wasser　＇a　kind　of　ardent　spirit　distilled　from　cherries；　and　much　used　in　some　parts　of　Germany＇。　Therefore；　my　dear　friends　and　companions；　have　confidence　in　what　I　say；　and　pay　honour　to　the　tales　of　Munchausen。　A　traveller　has　a　right　to　relate　and　embellish　his　adventures　as　he　pleases；　and　it　is　very　unpolite　to　refuse　that　deference　and　applause　they　deserve。

Having　passed　some　time　in　England　since　the　completion　of　my　former　memoirs；　I　at　length　began　to　revolve　in　my　mind　what　a　prodigious　field　of　discovery　must　be　in　the　interior　part　of　Africa。　I　could　not　sleep　with　the　thoughts　of　it；　I　therefore　determined　to　gain　every　proper　assistance　from　Government　to　penetrate　the　celebrated　source　of　the　Nile；　and　assume　the　viceroyship　of　the　interior　kingdoms　of　Africa；　or；　at　least；　the　great　realm　of　Monomotapa。　It　was　happy　for　me　that　I　had　one　most　powerful　friend　at　court；　whom　I　shall　call　the　illustrious　Hilaro　Frosticos。　You　perchance　know　him　not　by　that　name；　but　we　had　a　language　among　ourselves；　as　well　we　may；　for　in　the　course　of　my　peregrinations　I　have　acquired　precisely　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　leash　of　languages。　What！　gentlemen；　do　you　stare？　Well；　I　allow　there　are　not　so　many　languages　spoken　in　this　vile　world；　but　then；　have　I　not　been　in　the　moon？　and　trust　me；　whenever　I　write　a　treatise　upon　education；　I　shall　delineate　methods　of　inculcating　whole　dozens　of　languages　at　once；　French；　Spanish；　Greek；　Hebrew；　Cherokee；　&c。；　in　such　a　style　as　will　shame　all　the　pedagogues　existing。

Having　passed　a　whole　night　without　being　able　to　sleep　for　the　vivid　imagination　of　African　discoveries；　I　hastened　to　the　levee　of　my　illustrious　friend　Hilaro　Frosticos；　and　having　mentioned　my　intention　with　all　the　vigour　of　fancy；　he　gravely　considered　my　words；　and　after　some　awful　meditations　thus　he　spoke：　/Olough；　ma　genesat；　istum　fullanah；　cum　dera　kargos　belgarasah　eseum　balgo　bartigos　triangulissimus！/　However；　added　he；　it　behoveth　thee　to　consider　and　ponder　well　upon　the　perils　and　the　multitudinous　dangers　in　the　way　of　that　wight　who　thus　advanceth　in　all　the　perambulation　of　adventures：　and　verily；　most　valiant　sire　and　Baron；　I　hope　thou　wilt　demean　thyself　with　all　that　laudable　gravity　and　precaution　which；　as　is　related　in　the　three　hundred　and　forty…seventh　chapter　of　the　Prophilactics；　is　of　more　consideration　than　all　the　merit　in　this　terraqueous　globe。　Yes；　most　truly　do　I　advise　thee　unto　thy　good；　and　speak　unto　thee；　most　valiant　Munchausen；　with　the　greatest　esteem；　and　wish　thee　to　succeed　in　thy　voyage；　for　it　is　said；　that　in　the　interior　realms　of　Africa　there　are　tribes　that　can　see　but　just　three　inches　and　a　half　beyond　the　extremity　of　their　noses；　and　verily　thou　shouldest　moderate　thyself；　even　sure　and　slow；　they　stumble　who　walk　fast。　But　we　shall　bring　you　unto　the　Lady　Fragrantia；　and　have　her　opinion　of　the　matter。　He　then　took　from　his　pocket　a　cap　of　dignity；　such　as　described　in　the　most　honourable　and　antique　heraldry；　and　placing　it　upon　my　head；　addressed　me　thus：〃As　thou　seemest　again　to　revive　the　spirit　of　ancient　adventure；　permit　me　to　place　upon　thy　head