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grave　and　wise　friend　what　was　proper　to　be　done；　whether　I

should　go　myself；　or　employ　a　notary　on　this　occasion；　and　defer

my　journey　to　the　spring。　　To　say　the　truth；　I　was　most　inclined

to　the　latter；　the　rather　as　my　circumstances　were　extremely

flourishing；　as　I　was　advanced　in　years；　and　had　not　one　person

in　the　world　to　whom　I　should　with　pleasure　bequeath　any　fortune

at　my　death。





〃My　friend　told　me　he　thought　my　question　admitted　of　no　manner

of　doubt　or　debate；　that　common　prudence　absolutely　required　my

immediate　departure；　adding；　that　if　the　same　good　luck　had

happened　to　him　he　would　have　been　already　on　his　journey；　'for；'

continued　he；　'a　man　who　knows　the　world　so　well　as　you；　would　be

inexcusable　to　give　persons　such　an　opportunity　of　cheating　you；

who；　you　must　be　assured；　will　be　too　well　inclined；　and　as　for

employing　a　notary；　remember　that　excellent　maxim；　Ne　facias　per

alium；　quod　fieri　potest　per　te。　　I　own　the　badness　of　the　season

and　your　very　late　recovery　are　unlucky　circumstances；　but　a　wise

man　must　get　over　difficulties　when　necessity　obliges　him　to

encounter　them。'　



〃I　was　immediately　determined　by　this　opinion。　　The　duty　of　a

wise　man　made　an　irresistible　impression；　and　I　took　the

necessity　for　granted　without　examination。　　I　accordingly　set

forward　the　next　morning；　very　tempestuous　weather　soon　overtook

me；　I　had　not　traveled　three　days　before　I　relapsed　into　my

fever；　and　died。



〃I　was　now　as　cruelly　disappointed　by　Minos　as　I　had　formerly

been　happily　so。　　I　advanced　with　the　utmost　confidence　to　the

gate；　and　really　imagined　I　should　have　been　admitted　by　the

wisdom　of　my　countenance；　even　without　any　questions　asked：　　but

this　was　not　my　case；　and；　to　my　great　surprise；　Minos；　with　a

menacing　voice；　called　out　to　me；　'You　Mr。　there；　with　the　grave

countenance；　whither　so　fast；　pray？　　Will　you　please；　before　you

move　any　farther　forwards；　to　give　me　a　short　account　of　your

transactions　below？'　　I　then　began；　and　recounted　to　him　my　whole

history；　still　expecting　at　the　end　of　every　period　that　the　gate

would　be　ordered　to　fly　open；　but　I　was　obliged　to　go　quite

through　with　it；　and　then　Minos　after　some　little　consideration

spoke　to　me　as　follows：



〃　'You；　Mr。　Wiseman；　stand　forth　if　you　please。　　Believe　me；　sir；

a　trip　back　again　to　earth　will　be　one　of　the　wisest　steps　you

ever　took；　and　really　more　to　the　honor　of　your　wisdom　than　any

you　have　hitherto　taken。　　On　the　other　side；　nothing　could　be

simpler　than　to　endeavor　at　Elysium；　for　who　but　a　fool　would

carry　a　commodity；　which　is　of　such　infinite　value　in　one　place；

into　another　where　it　is　of　none？　　But；　without　attempting　to

offend　your　gravity　with　a　jest；　you　must　return　to　the　place

from　whence　you　came；　for　Elysium　was　never　designed　for　those

who　are　too　wise　to　be　happy。'



〃This　sentence　confounded　me　greatly；　especially　as　it　seemed　to

threaten　me　with　carrying　my　wisdom　back　again　to　earth。　　I　told

the　judge；　though　he　would　not　admit　me　at　the　gate；　I　hoped　I

had　committed　no　crime　while　alive　which　merited　my　being　wise

any　longer。　　He　answered　me；　I　must　take　my　chance　as　to　that

matter；　and　immediately　we　turned　our　backs　to　each　other。〃





CHAPTER　XVII



Julian　enters　into　the　person　of　a　king。



〃I　was　now　born　at　Oviedo　in　Spain。　　My　father's　name　was

Veremond；　and　I　was　adopted　by　my　uncle　king　Alphonso　the　chaste。



I　don't　recollect　in　all　the　pilgrimages　I　have　made　on　earth

that　I　ever　passed　a　more　miserable　infancy　than　now；　being　under

the　utmost　confinement　and　restraint；　and　surrounded　with

physicians　who　were　ever　dosing　me；　and　tutors　who　were

continually　plaguing　me　with　their　instructions；　even　those　hours

of　leisure　which　my　inclination　would　have　spent　in　play　were

allotted　to　tedious　pomp　and　ceremony；　which；　at　an　age　wherein　I

had　no　ambition　to　enjoy　the　servility　of　courtiers；　enslaved　me

more　than　it　could　the　meanest　of　them。　　However；　as　I　advanced

towards　manhood；　my　condition　made　me　some　amends；　for　the　most

beautiful　women　of　their　own　accord　threw　out　lures　for　me；　and　I

had　the　happiness；　which　no　man　in　an　inferior　degree　can　arrive

at；　of　enjoying　the　most　delicious　creatures；　without　the

previous　and　tiresome　ceremonies　of　courtship；　unless　with　the

most　simple；　young　and　unexperienced。　　As　for　the　court　ladies；

they　regarded　me　rather　as　men　do　the　most　lovely　of　the　other

sex；　and；　though　they　outwardly　retained　some　appearance　of

modesty；　they　in　reality　rather　considered　themselves　as

receiving　than　conferring　favors。



〃Another　happiness　I　enjoyed　was　in　conferring　favors　of　another

sort；　for；　as　I　was　extremely　good…natured　and　generous；　so　I　had

daily　opportunities　of　satisfying　those　passions。　　Besides　my　own

princely　allowance；　which　was　very　bountiful；　and　with　which　I

did　many　liberal　and　good　actions；　I　recommended　numberless

persons　of　merit　in　distress　to　the　king's　notice；　most　of　whom

were　provided　for。　　Indeed；　had　I　sufficiently　known　my　blessed

situation　at　this　time；　I　should　have　grieved　at　nothing　more

than　the　death　of　Alphonso；　by　which　the　burden　of　government

devolved　upon　me；　but；　so　blindly　fond　is　ambition；　and　such

charms　doth　it　fancy　in　the　power　and　pomp　and　splendor　of　a

crown；　that；　though　I　vehemently　loved　that　king；　and　had　the

greatest　obligations　to　him；　the　thoughts　of　succeeding　him

obliterated　my　regret　at　his　loss；　and　the　wish　for　my

approaching　coronation　dried　my　eyes　at　his　funeral。



〃But　my　fondness　for　the　name　of　king　did　not　make　me　forgetful

of　those　over　whom　I　was　to　reign。　　I　considered　them　in　the

light　in　which　a　tender　father　regards　his　children；　as　persons

whose　wellbeing　God　had　intrusted　to　my　care；　and　again；　in　that

in　which　a　prudent　lord　respects　his　tenants；　as　those　on　whose

wealth　and　grandeur　he　is　to　build　his　own。　　Both　these

considerations　inspired　me　with　the　greatest　care　for　their

welfare；　and　their　good　was　my　first　and　ultimate　concern。



〃The　usurper　Mauregas　had　impiously　obliged　himself　and　his

successors　to　pay　to　the　Moors　every　year　an　infamous　tribute　of

an　hundred　young　virgins：　　from　this　cruel　and　scandalous

imposition　I　resolved　to　relieve　my　country。　　Accordingly；　when

their　emperor　Abderames　the　second　had　the　audaciousness　to　make

this　demand　of　me；　instead　of　complying　with　it　I　ordered　his

ambassadors　to　be　driven　away　with　all　imaginable　ignominy；　and

would　have　condemned　them　to　death；　could　I　have　done　it　without

a　manifest　violation　of　the　law　of　nations。



〃I　now　raised　an　immense　army；　at　the　levying　of　which　I　made　a

speech　from　my　throne；　acquainting　my　subjects　with　the　necessity

and　the　reasons　of　the　war　in　which　I　was　going　to　engage：　　which

I　convinced　them　I　had　undertaken　for　their　ease　and　safety；　and

not　for　satisfying　any　wanton　ambition；　or　revenging　any　private

pique　of　my　own。　　They　all　declared　unanimously　that　they　would

venture　their　lives　and　everything　dear　to　them　in　my　defense；

and　in　the　support　of　the　honor　of　my　crown。　　Accordingly；　my

levies　were　instantly　complete；　sufficient　numbers　being　only

left　to　till　the　land；　churchmen；　even　bishops　themselves；

enlisting　themselves　under　my　banners。　　



〃The　armies　met　at　Alvelda；　where　we　were　discomfited　with

immense　loss；　and　nothing　but　the　lucky　intervention　of　the　night

could　have　saved　our　whole　army。



〃I　retreated　to　the　summit　of　a　hill；　where　I　abandoned　myself　to

the　highest　agonies　of　grief；　not　so　much　for　the　danger　in　which

I　then　saw　my　crown；　as　for　the　loss　of　those　miserable　wretches

who　had　exposed　their　lives　at　my　command。　　I　could　not　then

avoid　this　reflectionthat；　if　the　deaths　of　these　people　in　a

war　undertaken　absolutely　for　their　protection　could　give　me　such

concern；　what　horror　must　I　have　felt　if；　like　princes　greedy　of

dominion；　I　had　sacrificed　such　numbers　to　my　own　pride；　vanity；

and　ridiculous　lust　of　power。



〃After　having　vented　my　sorrows　for　some　time　in　this　manner；　I

began　to　consider　by　what　means　I　might　possibly　endeavor　to

retrieve　this　misfortune；　when；　reflecting　on　the　great　number　of

priests　I　had　in　my　army；　and　on　the　prodigious　force　of

superstition；　a　thought　luckily　suggested　itself　to　me；　to

counterfeit　that　St。　James　had　appeared　to　me　in　a　vision；　and

had　promised　me　the　victory。　　While　I　was　ruminating　on　this　the

bishop　of　Najara　came　opportunely　to　me。　　As　I　did　not　intend　to

communicate　the　secret　to　him；　I　took　another　method；　and；

instead　of　answering　anything　the　bishop　said　to　me；　I　pretended

to　talk　to　St。　James；　as　if　he　had　been　really　present；　till　at

length；　after　having　spoke　those　things　which　I　thought

sufficient；　and　thanked　the　saint　aloud　for　his　promise　of　the

victory；　I　turned　about　to　the　bishop；　and；　embracing　him　with　a

pleased　countenance；　protested　I　did　not　know