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the　king　a　popular　color；　and　so　ingratiated　me　with　the　people；

that　when　I　set　up　my　standard；　which　I　soon　after　did；　they

readily　and　cheerfully　listed　under　my　banners　and　embraced　my

cause；　which　I　persuaded　them　was　their　own；　for　that　it　was　to

protect　them　against　foreigners　that　I　had　drawn　my　sword。　　The

word　foreigners　with　an　Englishman　hath　a　kind　of　magical　effect；

they　having　the　utmost　hatred　and　aversion　to　them；　arising　from

the　cruelties　they　suffered　from　the　Danes　and　some　other　foreign

nations。　　No　wonder　therefore　they　espoused　my　cause　in　a　quarrel

which　had　such　a　beginning。　　



〃But　what　may　be　somewhat　more　remarkable　is；　that　when　I

afterwards　returned　to　England　from　banishment；　and　was　at　the

head　of　an　army　of　the　Flemish；　who　were　preparing　to　plunder　the

city　of　London；　I　still　persisted　that　I　was　come　to　defend　the

English　from　the　danger　of　foreigners；　and　gained　their　credit。　

Indeed；　there　is　no　lie　so　gross　but　it　may　be　imposed　on　the

people　by　those　whom　they　esteem　their　patrons　and　defenders。　　



〃The　king　saved　his　city　by　being　reconciled　to　me；　and　taking

again　my　daughter；　whom　he　had　put　away　from　him；　and　thus；

having　frightened　the　king　into　what　concessions　I　thought

proper；　I　dismissed　my　army　and　fleet；　with　which　I　intended；

could　I　not　have　succeeded　otherwise；　to　have　sacked　the　city　of

London　and　ravaged　the　whole　country。



〃I　was　no　sooner　re…established　in　the　king's　favor；　or；　what　was

as　well　for　me；　the　appearance　of　it；　than　I　fell　violently　on

the　archbishop。　　He　had　of　himself　retired　to　his　monastery　in

Normandy；　but　that　did　not　content　me：　　I　had　him　formally

banished；　the　see　declared　vacant；　and　then　filled　up　by　another。



〃I　enjoyed　my　grandeur　a　very　short　time　after　my　restoration　to

it；　for　the　king；　hating　and　fearing　me　to　a　very　great　degree；

and　finding　no　means　of　openly　destroying　me；　at　last　effected

his　purpose　by　poison；　and　then　spread　abroad　a　ridiculous　story；

of　my　wishing　the　next　morsel　might　choke　me　if　I　had　had　any

hand　in　the　death　of　Alfred；　and；　accordingly；　that　the　next

morsel；　by　a　divine　judgment；　stuck　in　my　throat　and　performed

that　office。



〃This　of　a　statesman　was　one　of　my　worst　stages　in　the　other

world。　　It　is　a　post　subjected　daily　to　the　greatest　danger　and

inquietude；　and　attended　with　little　pleasure　and　less　ease。　　In

a　word；　it　is　a　pill　which；　was　it　not　gilded　over　by　ambition；

would　appear　nauseous　and　detestable　in　the　eye　of　every　one；　and

perhaps　that　is　one　reason　why　Minos　so　greatly　compassionates

the　case　of　those　who　swallow　it：　　for　that　just　judge　told　me　he

always　acquitted　a　prime　minister　who　could　produce　one　single

good　action　in　his　whole　life；　let　him　have　committed　ever　so

many　crimes。　　Indeed；　I　understood　him　a　little　too　largely；　and

was　stepping　towards　the　gate；　but　he　pulled　me　by　the　sleeve；

and；　telling　me　no　prime　minister　ever　entered　there；　bid　me　go

back　again；　saying；　he　thought　I　had　sufficient　reason　to　rejoice

in　my　escaping　the　bottomless　pit；　which　half　my　crimes　committed

in　any　other　capacity　would　have　entitled　me　to。〃





CHAPTER　XXI



Julian's　adventures　in　the　post　of　a　soldier。



〃I　was　born　at　Caen；　in　Normandy。　　My　mother's　name　was　Matilda；

as　for　my　father；　I　am　not　so　certain；　for　the　good　woman　on　her

death…bed　assured　me　she　herself　could　bring　her　guess　to　no

greater　certainty　than　to　five　of　duke　William's　captains。　　When

I　was　no　more　than　thirteen　（being　indeed　a　surprising　stout　boy

of　my　age）　I　enlisted　into　the　army　of　duke　William；　afterwards

known　by　the　name　of　William　the　Conqueror；　landed　with　him　at

Pemesey　or　Pemsey；　in　Sussex；　and　was　present　at　the　famous

battle　of　Hastings。



〃At　the　first　onset　it　was　impossible　to　describe　my

consternation；　which　was　heightened　by　the　fall　of　two　soldiers

who　stood　by　me；　but　this　soon　abated；　and　by　degrees；　as　my

blood　grew　warm；　I　thought　no　more　of　my　own　safety；　but　fell　on

the　enemy　with　great　fury；　and　did　a　good　deal　of　execution；

till；　unhappily；　I　received　a　wound　in　my　thigh；　which　rendered

me　unable　to　stand　any　longer；　so　that　I　now　lay　among　the　dead；

and　was　constantly　exposed　to　the　danger　of　being　trampled　to

death；　as　well　by　my　fellow…soldiers　as　by　the　enemy。　　However；　I

had　the　fortune　to　escape　it；　and　continued　the　remaining　part　of

the　day　and　the　night　following　on　the　ground。



〃The　next　morning；　the　duke　sending　out　parties　to　bring　off　the

wounded；　I　was　found　almost　expiring　with　loss　of　blood；

notwithstanding　which；　as　immediate　care　was　taken　to　dress　my

wounds；　youth　and　a　robust　constitution　stood　my　friends；　and　I

recovered　after　a　long　and　tedious　indisposition；　and　was　again

able　to　use　my　limbs　and　do　my　duty。



〃As　soon　as　Dover　was　taken　I　was　conveyed　thither　with　all　the

rest　of　the　sick　and　wounded。　　Here　I　recovered　of　my　wound；　but

fell　afterwards　into　a　violent　flux；　which；　when　it　departed；

left　me　so　weak　that　it　was　long　before　I　could　regain　my

strength。　　And　what　most　afflicted　me　was；　that　during　my　whole

illness；　when　I　languished　under　want　as　well　as　sickness；　I　had

daily　the　mortification　to　see　and　hear　the　riots　and　excess　of

my　fellow…soldiers；　who　had　happily　escaped　safe　from　the　battle。



〃I　was　no　sooner　well　than　I　was　ordered　into　garrison　at　Dover

Castle。　　The　officers　here　fared　very　indifferently；　but　the

private　men　much　worse。　　We　had　great　scarcity　of　provisions；

and；　what　was　yet　more　intolerable；　were　so　closely　confined　for

want　of　room　（four　of　us　being　obliged　to　lie　on　the　same　bundle

of　straw）；　that　many　died；　and　most　sickened。



〃Here　I　had　remained　about　four　months；　when　one　night　we　were

alarmed　with　the　arrival　of　the　earl　of　Boulogne；　who　had　come

over　privily　from　France；　and　endeavored　to　surprise　the　castle。　

The　design　proved　ineffectual；　for　the　garrison　making　a　brisk

sally；　most　of　his　men　were　tum…　bled　down　the　precipice；　and　he

returned　with　a　very　few　back　to　France。　　In　this　action；

however；　I　had　the　misfortune　to　come　off　with　a　broken　arm；　it

was　so　shattered；　that；　besides　a　great　deal　of　pain　and　misery

which　I　endured　in　my　cure；　I　was　disabled　for　upwards　of　three

months。



〃Soon　after　my　recovery　I　had　contracted　an　amour　with　a　young

woman　whose　parents　lived　near　the　garrison；　and　were　in　much

better　circumstances　than　I　had　reason　to　expect　should　give

their　consent　to　the　match。　　However；　as　she　was　extremely　fond

of　me　（as　I　was　indeed　distractedly　enamored　of　her）；　they　were

prevailed　on　to　comply　with　her　desires；　and　the　day　was　fixed

for　our　marriage。



〃On　the　evening　preceding；　while　I　was　exulting　with　the　eager

expectation　of　the　happiness　I　was　the　next　day　to　enjoy；　I

received　orders　to　march　early　in　the　morning　towards　Windsor；

where　a　large　army　was　to　be　formed；　at　the　head　of　which　the

king　intended　to　march　into　the　west。　　Any　person　who　hath　ever

been　in　love　may　easily　imagine　what　I　felt　in　my　mind　on

receiving　those　orders；　and　what　still　heightened　my　torments

was；　that　the　commanding　officer　would　not　permit　any　one　to　go

out　of　the　garrison　that　evening；　so　that　I　had　not　even　an

opportunity　of　taking　leave　of　my　beloved。



〃The　morning　came　which　was　to　have　put　me　in　the　possession　of

my　wishes；　but；　alas！　the　scene　was　now　changed；　and　all　the

hopes　which　I　had　raised　were　now　so　many　ghosts　to　haunt；　and

furies　to　torment　me。



〃It　was　now　the　midst　of　winter；　and　very　severe　weather　for　the

season；　when　we　were　obliged　to　make　very　long　and　fatiguing

marches；　in　which　we　suffered　all　the　inconveniences　of　cold　and

hunger。　　The　night　in　which　I　expected　to　riot　in　the　arms　of　my

beloved　mistress　I　was　obliged　to　take　up　with　a　lodging　on　the

ground；　exposed　to　the　inclemencies　of　a　rigid　frost；　nor　could　I

obtain　the　least　comfort　of　sleep；　which　shunned　me　as　its　enemy。



In　short；　the　horrors　of　that　night　are　not　to　be　described；　or

perhaps　imagined。　　They　made　such　an　impression　on　my　soul；　that

I　was　forced　to　be　dipped　three　times　in　the　river　Lethe　to

prevent　my　remembering　it　in　the　characters　which　I　afterwards

performed　in　the　flesh。〃



Here　I　interrupted　Julian　for　the　first　time；　and　told　him　no

such　dipping　had　happened　to　me　in　my　voyage　from　one　world　to

the　other：　　but　he　satisfied　me　by　saying　〃that　this　only

happened　to　those　spirits　which　returned　into　the　flesh；　in　order

to　prevent　that　reminiscence　which　Plato　mentions；　and　which

would　otherwise　cause　great　confusion　in　the　other　world。〃



He　then　proceeded　as　follows：　　〃We　continued　a　very　laborious

march　to　Exeter；　which　we　were　ordered　to　besiege。　　The　town　soon

surrendered；　and　his　majesty　built　a　castle　there；　which　he

garrisoned　with　his　Normans；　and　unhappily　I　had　the　misfortune

to　be　one　of　the　number。　　



〃Here　we　were　confined　c