the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第27节

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In　short；　the　populace　in　many　places　rose　in　the　most　outrageous　and　tumultuous　manner；　forced　open　the　granaries　in　all　places　in　one　day；　and　triumphantly　distributed　the　fudge　through　the　whole　empire。

Whether　on　account　of　the　longing；　the　great　curiosity；　imagination；　or　the　disposition　of　the　people；　I　cannot　saybut　they　found　it　infinitely　to　their　taste；　'twas　intoxication　of　joy；　satisfaction；　and　applause。

Finding　how　much　they　liked　this　fudge；　I　procured　another　quantity　from　England；　much　greater　than　the　former；　and　cautiously　bestowed　it　over　all　the　kingdom。　Thus　were　the　affections　of　the　people　regained；　and　they；　from　hence；　began　to　venerate；　applaud；　and　admire　my　government　more　than　ever。　The　following　ode　was　performed　at　the　castle；　in　the　most　superb　style；　and　universally　admired：


　　ODE。

　　Ye　bulls　and　crickets；　and　Gog；　Magog；　　　And　trump'ts　high　chiming　anthrophog；　　　Come　sing　blithe　choral　all　in　/og/；　　　Caralog；　basilog；　fog；　and　bog！

　　Great　and　superb　appears　thy　cap　sublime；　　　　　Admired　and　worshipp'd　as　the　rising　sun；　　　Solemn；　majestic；　wise；　like　hoary　Time；　　　　　And　fam'd　alike　for　virtue；　sense；　and　fun。

　　Then　swell　the　noble　strain　with　song；　　　　　And　elegance　divine；　　　While　goddesses　around　shall　throng；　　　　　And　all　the　muses　nine。

　　And　bulls；　and　crickets；　and　Gog；　Magog；　　　And　trumpets　chiming　anthrophog；　　　Shall　sing　blithe　choral　all　in　/og/；　　　Caralog；　basilog；　fog；　and　bog！

This　piece　of　poetry　was　much　applauded；　admired；　and　/encored/　in　every　public　assembly；　celebrated　as　an　astonishing　effort　of　genius；　and　the　music；　composed　by　Minheer　Gastrashbark　Gkrghhbarwskhk；　was　thought　equal　to　the　sense！Never　was　there　anything　so　universally　admired；　the　summit　of　the　most　exquisite　wit；　the　keenest　praise；　the　most　excellent　music。

〃Upon　my　honour；　and　the　faith　I　owe　my　love；〃　said　I；　〃music　may　be　talked　of　in　England；　but　to　possess　the　very　soul　of　harmony　the　world　should　come　to　the　performance　of　this　ode。〃　Lady　Fragrantia　was　at　that　moment　drumming　with　her　fingers　on　the　edge　of　her　fan；　lost　in　a　reverie；　thinking　she　was　playing　upon　Was　it　a　forte　piano？

〃No；　my　dear　Fragrantia；〃　said　I；　tenderly　taking　her　in　my　arms　while　she　melted　into　tears；　〃never；　never；　will　I　play　upon　any　other！〃

Oh！　'twas　divine；　to　see　her　like　a　summer's　morning；　all　blushing　and　full　of　dew！



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XXVIII

　　/The　Baron　sets　all　the　people　of　the　empire　to　work　to　build　a　　　bridge　from　their　country　to　Great　BritainHis　contrivance　to　　　render　the　arch　secureOrders　an　inscription　to　be　engraved　on　　　the　bridgeReturns　with　all　his　company；　chariot；　etc。；　to　　　EnglandSurveys　the　kingdoms　and　nations　under　him　from　the　　　middle　of　the　bridge。/

〃And　now；　most　noble　Baron；〃　said　the　illustrious　Hilaro　Frosticos；　〃now　is　the　time　to　make　this　people　proceed　in　any　business　that　we　find　convenient。　Take　them　at　this　present　ferment　of　the　mind；　let　them　not　think；　but　at　once　set　them　to　work。〃　In　short；　the　whole　nation　went　heartily　to　the　business；　to　build　an　edifice　such　as　was　never　seen　in　any　other　country。　I　took　care　to　supply　them　with　their　favourite　kava　and　fudge；　and　they　worked　like　horses。　The　tower　of　Babylon；　which；　according　to　Hermogastricus；　was　seven　miles　high；　or　the　Chinese　wall；　was　a　mere　trifle；　in　comparison　to　this　stupendous　edifice；　which　was　completed　in　a　very　short　space　of　time。

It　was　of　an　immense　height；　far　beyond　anything　that　ever　had　been　before　erected；　and　of　such　gentle　ascent；　that　a　regiment　of　cavalry　with　a　train　of　cannon　could　ascend　with　perfect　ease　and　facility。　It　seemed　like　a　rainbow　in　the　heavens；　the　base　of　which　appeared　to　rise　in　the　centre　of　Africa；　and　the　other　extremity　seemed　to　stoop　into　great　Britain。　A　most　noble　bridge　indeed；　and　a　piece　of　masonry　that　has　outdone　Sir　Christopher　Wren。　Wonderful　must　it　have　been　to　form　so　tremendous　an　arch；　especially　as　the　artists　had　certain　difficulties　to　labour　against　which　they　could　not　have　in　the　formation　of　any　other　arch　in　the　worldI　mean；　the　attraction　of　the　moon　and　planets：　Because　the　arch　was　of　so　great　a　height；　and　in　some　parts　so　elongated　from　the　earth；　as　in　a　great　measure　to　diminish　in　its　gravitation　to　the　centre　of　our　globe；　or　rather；　seemed　more　easily　operated　upon　by　the　attraction　of　the　planets：　So　that　the　stones　of　the　arch；　one　would　think；　at　certain　times；　were　ready　to　fall　/up/　to　the　moon；　and　at　other　times　to　fall　down　to　the　earth。　But　as　the　former　was　more　to　be　dreaded；　I　secured　stability　to　the　fabric　by　a　very　curious　contrivance：　I　ordered　the　architects　to　get　the　heads　of　some　hundred　numbskulls　and　blockheads；　and　fix　them　to　the　interior　surface　of　the　arch；　at　certain　intervals；　all　the　whole　length；　by　which　means　the　arch　was　held　together　firm；　and　its　inclination　to　the　earth　eternally　established；　because　of　all　the　things　in　the　world；　the　skulls　of　these　kind　of　animals　have　a　strange　facility　of　tending　to　the　centre　of　the　earth。

The　building　being　completed；　I　caused　an　inscription　to　be　engraved　in　the　most　magnificent　style　upon　the　summit　of　the　arch；　in　letters　so　great　and　luminous；　that　all　vessels　sailing　to　the　East　or　West　Indies　might　read　them　distinct　in　the　heavens；　like　the　motto　of　Constantine。

　　KARDOL　BAGARLAN　KAI　TON　FARINGO　SARGAI　RA　　　MO　PASHROL　VATINEAC　CAL　COLNITOS　RO　NA　FILNAT　　　AGASTRA　SA　DINGANNAL　FANO。

That　is　to　say；　〃As　long　as　this　arch　and　bond　of　union　shall　exist；　so　long　shall　the　people　be　happy。　Nor　can　all　the　power　of　the　world　affect　them；　unless　the　moon；　advancing　from　her　usual　sphere；　should　so　much　attract　the　skulls　as　to　cause　a　sudden　elevation；　on　which　the　whole　will　fall　into　the　most　horrible　confusion。〃

An　easy　intercourse　being　thus　established　between　Great　Britain　and　the　centre　of　Africa；　numbers　travelled　continually　to　and　from　both　countries；　and　at　my　request　mail　coaches　were　ordered　to　run　on　the　bridge　between　both　empires。　After　some　time；　having　settled　the　government　to　my　satisfaction；　I　requested　permission　to　resign；　as　a　great　cabal　had　been　excited　against　me　in　England；　I　therefore　received　my　letters　of　recall；　and　prepared　to　return　to　Old　England。

In　fine；　I　set　out　upon　my　journey；　covered　with　applause　and　general　admiration。　I　proceeded　with　the　same　retinue　that　I　had　before　Sphinx；　Gog　and　Magog；　&c。；　and　advanced　along　the　bridge；　lined　on　each　side　with　rows　of　trees；　adorned　with　festoons　of　various　flowers；　and　illuminated　with　coloured　lights。　We　advanced　at　a　great　rate　along　the　bridge；　which　was　so　very　extensive　that　we　could　scarcely　perceive　the　ascent；　but　proceeded　insensibly　until　we　arrived　on　the　centre　of　the　arch。　The　view　from　thence　was　glorious　beyond　conception；　'twas　divine　to　look　down　on　the　kingdoms　and　seas　and　islands　under　us。　Africa　seemed　in　general　of　a　tawny　brownish　colour；　burned　up　by　the　sun：　Spain　seemed　more　inclining　to　a　yellow；　on　account　of　some　fields　of　corn　scattered　over　the　kingdom；　France　appeared　more　inclining　to　a　bright　straw…colour；　intermixed　with　green；　and　England　appeared　covered　with　the　most　beautiful　verdure。　I　admired　the　appearance　of　the　Baltic　Sea；　which　evidently　seemed　to　have　been　introduced　between　those　countries　by　the　sudden　splitting　of　the　land；　and　that　originally　Sweden　was　united　to　the　western　coast　of　Denmark；　in　short；　the　whole　interstice　of　the　Gulf　of　Finland　had　no　being；　until　these　countries；　by　mutual　consent；　separated　from　one　another。　Such　were　my　philosophical　meditations　as　I　advanced；　when　I　observed　a　man　in　armour　with　a　tremendous　spear　or　lance；　and　mounted　upon　a　steed；　advancing　against　me。　I　soon　discovered　by　a　telescope　that　it　could　be　no　other　than　Don　Quixote；　and　promised　myself　much　amusement　in　the　rencounter。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XXIX

　　/The　Baron's　retinue　is　opposed　in　a　heroic　style　by　Don　Quixote；　　　who　in　his　turn　is　attacked　by　Gog　and　MagogLord　Whittington；　　　with　the　Lord　Mayor's　show；　comes　to　the　assistance　of　Don　Quixote　　　Gog　and　Magog　assail　his　LordshipLord　Whittington　makes　a　　　speech；　and　deludes　Gog　and　Magog　to　his　partyA　general　scene　of　　　uproar　and　battle　among　the　company；　until　the　Baron；　with　great　　　presence　of　mind；　appeases　the　tumult。/

〃What　art　thou？〃　exclaimed　Don　Quixote　on　his　potent　steed。　〃Who　art　thou？　Speak！　or；　by　the　eternal　vengeance　of　mine　arm；　thy　whole　machinery　shall　perish　at　sound　of　this　my　trumpet！〃

Astonished　at　so　rude　a　salutation；　the　great　Sphinx　stopped　short；　and　bridling　up　herself；　drew　in　her　head；　like　a　snail　when　it　touches　something　that　it　does　not　like：　the　bulls　set　up　a　horrid　bellowing；　the　crickets　sounded　an　alarm；　and　Gog　and　Magog　advanced　before　the　rest。　One　of　these　powerful　brothers　had　in　his　hand　a　great　pole；　to　the　extremity　of　which　was　fastened　a　cord　of　about　two　feet　in　length；　and　to　the　end　of　the　cord　was　fastened　a　ball　of　iron；　with　spikes　shooting　from　it　like　the　rays　of　a　star；　with　this　weapon　he　prepared　to　encounter；　and　advancing　thus　he　spoke：

〃Audacious　wight！　that　thus；　in　complete　steel　arrayed；　doth　dare　t