A CHRONICLE OF LILLIPUT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 102, 3 May 1867, Page 2

A CHRONICLE OF LILLIPUT.

And behold in those days it so happened that the people of Lilliput, being without a Tetrarch, called unto themselves one Curtisius, whose countenance was like unto the rosy morn, and whose speech was as gentle as the zephyr, and as soft and as musical as the lute, and who was noble in aspect and honest and upright in all his ways. And he was a sojourning in the laud, and a dealer in ships, and iu houses, and in laud, and in tobacc'o, aud in divers other things, and he was well beloved of the Lilliputs, and him did they clothe in robes of purple and of gold, and of fine linen, and placed him in the high seat of justice, and fell down before him, and shouted "Long live Curtisius, for he is the chosen of the people, and there is none other like unto him !" And then did they wax merry, and drank of the sweet waters of the malt until darkness was upon them, and great was the joy in Lilliput.

And Curtisius was pleased, aud rejoiced exceedingly.

And he said unto himself, " Now that I have been elevated to the high seat of justice, and that power is iu mine hands, and the people are my children, yea, now will I lift up the prostrate city of Lilliput, and make it bright even as the chrysolite, until it outshineth the fairest nations of the earth and standeth as a paragon to the surrounding cities. Then will I descend unto the home of my fathers, and there rest me the remainder of my days."

But, about this time, stood forth one Webbius, surnamed Snippius, and one of the tribe of Identicus, who was retiring in his habits and unassuming in his deportment, and whose brow was radiant with knowledge, and whose eye was refulgent with wisdom and with literature and with love, and who was the guiding star of Lilliput and the beloved of the ancients, and who was a maker of coats, and of vests, and of breeches and divers other unmentionable things, and who was a great man and luxuriated under the shadow of his own greatness ; yet was he gentle and docile, and humble of spirit and meek of heart, and he was just, and he was generous, and few were there like unto him.

And now did he commune with Burnius, a dealer in brass, and in iron, and in tin, and in pots, and in pans, and in a multitude of other things, and who was great in the estimation of himself, and who was wrath with the choice ofthe people of Lilliput. Now Burnius had vowed with a mighty vow, neither to drink of the gin, nor of the beer, nor of the whisky, nor of the brandy, nor of any of the fire-waters, until he had confounded the pride of Curtisius, and frustrated the plans of the Tetrarch, and driven him without the walls of Lilliput.

And it came to pass about this time that the people assembled together to choose unto themselves a senator, and they looked round about the streets of the city, and its public places, and its high way, and its bye ways, until their choice fell upon one Pittius, a scribe of the law, and a descendant of the sons of Anak, who was full of youth and vigor, and a friend of the Tetrarch, and a follower of his footsteps, and a worshipper of the idol of the multitude, and a captain among the hosts of Lilliput.

And when Webbius and Burnius beheld that the choice of the people fell upon Pittius, the scribe, then did they wax wrath exceedingly, and clamored loudly that Irvinius, who was learned in drugs, and in pills, and in compounds, and in / ointments, and in salves, and in bandages, ■, and in splinters, and in crutches, and in[ coal, and in railways, and in tramways, ! and in many other things, should be sent ; up unto the senate-house-therein to represent the people of Lilliput. But their doings were feeble aud weak exceedingly, and the multitude'heeded them not, but shouted "Long live Pittius, he is our senator and the chosen of Lilliput," and they hurried unto the dealers in spirits that dwelt near by, and there did they partake of the rum, and the beer, and the brandy, until darkness was upon the people, and brawling within the city of Lilliput. Then did Webbius retire unto the windmill which standeth over against the great plain, and unto the very top thereof went he, and gazing forth upon the bosom of the mighty ocean, he gave vent to the anguish of his soul, and these were the words of Webbius, "Lilliput, Lilliput, thou fairest Lilliput, thou brightest gem in the world's creatioD, verily thou wert dear unto me even in the days of thine

infancy, when the fishermen dried their nets in the highways of thy city, and when there was neither sheep, nor cattle, nor goats, nor pigs wherewith to feed thy people, even then did I love thee and bow down and worship thee, but now thou art filled with pride, and with pomp, and with unclean things, and thou hast turned thy back upon me, and upon my teachings, until I have become as it were a byeword in the mouths of the multitude, and a laughing stock to the sojourners in the land. Therefore do I renounce thee, and now will I fly unto distant lands, and no more shall my voice be heard iu thy midst, and I will harden my heart agaiust thy lamentations, and thy miseries I will not hearken unto ; and your children, and your youths, and your men shall no longer wear of my coats, nor of my vests, nor of my breeches, nor of any other of my raimeut; but thou shalt be humbled in sackcloth and ashes, and thy lamp shall be darkened, and fchou shalt fade away and be blotted out from the nations of the earth, aud then shalt thou remember Webbius the teacher, and the tailor, and the taskmaster."

Then went he in unto Burn ius, the dealer in iron, and in tin, and in copper, and they mingled their tears, and their sighs, and their sorrows, and lamented the downfall of Lilliput.