Chapter 76

Some Pleasant, Shady Talk In The Groves, Between My Lords Abrazza And
Media, Babbalanja, Mohi, And Yoomy

Abrazza had a cool retreat--a grove of dates; where we were used to
lounge of noons, and mix our converse with the babble of the rills;
and mix our punches in goblets chased with grapes. And as ever, King
Abrazza was the prince of hosts.

"Your crown," he said to Media; and with his own, he hung it on a
bough.

"Be not ceremonious:" and stretched his royal legs upon the turf.

"Wine!" and his pages poured it out.

So on the grass we lounged; and King Abrazza, who loved his antique
ancestors; and loved old times; and would not talk of moderns;--bade
Yoomy sing old songs; bade Mohi rehearse old histories; bade
Babbalanja tell of old ontologies; and commanded all, meanwhile, to
drink his old, old wine.

So, all round we quaffed and quoted.

At last, we talked of old Homeric bards:--those who, ages back,
harped, and begged, and groped their blinded way through all this
charitable Mardi; receiving coppers then, and immortal glory now.

ABRAZZA--How came it, that they all were blind?

BABBALANJA--It was endemical, your Highness. Few grand poets have
good eyes; for they needs blind must be, who ever gaze upon the sun.
Vavona himself was blind:
when, in the silence of his secret bower, he said--"I will build
another world. Therein, let there be kings and slaves, philosophers
and wits; whose checkered actions--strange, grotesque, and merry-sad,
will entertain my idle moods." So, my lord, Vavona played at kings and
crowns, and men and manners; and loved that lonely game to play.

ABRAZZA--Vavona seemed a solitary Mardian; who seldom went abroad;
had few friends; and shunning others, was shunned by them.

BABBALANJA--But shunned not himself, my lord; like gods, great poets
dwell alone; while round them, roll the worlds they build.

MEDIA--You seem to know all authors:--you must have heard of
Lombardo, Babbalanja; he who flourished many ages since.

BABBALANJA--I have; and his grand Kortanza know by heart.

MEDIA (_to Abrazza._)--A very curious work, that, my lord.

ABRAZZA--Yes, my dearest king. But, Babbalanja, if Lombardo had aught
to tell to Mardi--why choose a vehicle so crazy?

BABBALANJA--It was his nature, I suppose.

ABRAZZA--But so it would not have been, to me.

BABBALANJA--Nor would it have been natural, for my noble lord
Abrazza, to have worn Lombardo's head:--every man has his own, thank
Oro!

ABBRAZZA--A curious work: a very curious work. Babbalanja, are you
acquainted with the history of Lombardo?

BABBALANJA--None better. All his biographies have I read.