lorious old king; rather choleric--a word and a blow--but of a
right royal heart. Rail at him as they might, at bottom, all the isles
were proud of him. And almost in spite of his rapacity, upon the
whole, perhaps, they were the better for his deeds. For if sometimes
he did evil with no very virtuous intentions, he had fifty, ways of
accomplishing good with the best; and a thousand ways of doing good
without meaning it. According to an ancient oracle, the hump-backed
monarch was but one of the most conspicuous pieces on a board, where
the gods played for their own entertainment.

But here it must not be omitted, that of late, King Bello had somewhat
abated his efforts to extend his dominions. Various causes were
assigned. Some thought it arose from the fact that already he found
his territories too extensive for one scepter to rule; that his more
remote colonies largely contributed to his tribulations, without
correspondingly contributing to his revenues. Others affirmed that his
hump was getting too mighty for him to carry; others still, that the
nations were waving too strong for him. With prophetic solemnity,
head-shaking sages averred that he was growing older and older had
passed his grand climacteric; and though it was a hale old age with
him, yet it was not his lusty youth; that though he was daily getting
rounder, and rounder in girth, and more florid of face, that these,
howbeit, were rather the symptoms of a morbid obesity, than of a
healthful robustness. These wise ones predicted that very soon poor
Bello would go off in an apoplexy.

But in Vivenza there were certain blusterers, who often thus prated:
"The Hump-back's hour is come; at last the old teamster will be gored
by the nations he's yoked; his game is done,--let him show his hand
and throw up his scepter; he cumbers Mardi,--let him be cut down and
burned; he stands in the way of his betters,--let him sheer to one
side; he has shut up many eyes, and now himself grows blind; he hath
committed horrible atrocities during his long career, the old sinner!
--now, let him quickly say his prayers and be beheaded."

Howbeit, Bello lived on; enjoying his dinners, and taking his jorums
as of yore. Ah, I have yet a jolly long lease of life, thought he over
his wine; and like unto some obstinate old uncle, he persisted in
flourishing, in spite of the prognostications of the nephew nations,
which at his demise, perhaps hoped to fall heir to odd parts of his
posse