ires of man. That these factions had become so violent and so
universal that public business was altogether stopped, trade quite
extinct, and the instalments due to Vraibleusia not forthcoming.
Finally, he entreated the wisest and the best of nations to send
to these distracted lands some discreet and trusty personages, well
instructed in the first principles of government, in order that they
might draw up constitutions for the ignorant and irritated multitude.

The Private Secretary told Popanilla that this was no more than he had
long expected; that all this would subside, and that he should publish a
postscript to his pamphlet in a few days, which he begged to dedicate to
him.

A whole corps diplomatique and another shipful of abstract philosophers,
principally Scotchmen, were immediately ordered off to the West; and
shortly after, to render their first principles still more effective and
their administrative arrangements still more influential, some brigades
of infantry and a detachment of the guards followed. Free constitutions
are apt to be misunderstood until half of the nation are bayoneted and
the rest imprisoned.

As this mighty Vraibleusian nation had, within the last half-hour,
received intelligence from all quarters of the globe, and interfered
in all possible affairs, civil and military, abstract, administrative,
diplomatic, and financial, Popanilla supposed that the assembly would
now break up. Some petty business, however, remained. War was
declared against the King of Sneezeland, for presuming to buy
pocket-handkerchiefs of another nation; and the Emperor of Pastilles was
threatened with a bombardment for daring to sell his peppers to another
people. There were also some dozen commercial treaties to be signed, or
canvassed, or cancelled; and a report having got about that there was
a rumour that some disturbance had broken out in some parts unknown, a
flying expedition was despatched, with sealed orders, to circumnavigate
the globe and arrange affairs. By this time Popanilla thoroughly
understood the meaning of the mysterious inscription.

Just as the assembly was about to be dissolved another messenger, who,
in his agitation, even forgot the accustomed etiquette of salutation,
rushed into the presence.

'O most mighty! Sir Bombastes Furioso, who commanded our last
expedition, having sailed, in the hurry, with wrong orders, has attacked
our ancient ally by mistake, and utterly destroyed him!'

He