Sun, Delight of the Moon, Terror of the Universe, Gate of Happiness, Source of Honour, Disposer of Kingdoms, and High Priest of the Cacklogallinian Church.  I have, I say, long, in Obedience to this Most Potent Prince, acted as Prime Minister, and to tell me, that such a one will baulk his Master’s, or his own Interest, on the Score of Religion; nay, in his publick Capacity, that he believes one Word of it, or has Ears for Justice or Compassion, wou’d be the same thing as telling me, a Flatterer, in his Encomiums has a strict Eye to Truth, or that a Poet who writes in Praise of great Men, believes them really possess’d of the Virtues he attributes to ’em, and has no other View in his Epistle than that of edifying others, by shewing the bright Example of his Patrons.  My Business now calls me to Court; the Emperor, as yet, has never heard of you:  For whoever dares acquaint him with any thing, without my Permission, passes his Time very ill.  To Morrow, I’ll present you to His Majesty.

He left the Room, and I retired to my Apartment, where none cou’d come at me, but who pass’d thro’ my Lord’s, which was Death to do, or even to fly within Twenty Yards of his House, without Permission.  Nay, the proudest among them, and those of the highest Rank alight at his Outer-gate, and walk into the House.

The next Morning my Lord came into my Apartment: 

“Well, Probusomo, said he, I intend this Day to present you to his Imperial Majesty; and tho’ you are of a Species hitherto unknown in our Parts of the World, and are, for that Reason, look’d upon as a kind of Monster, as perhaps one of us should be, were we to appear in your Nation, yet I have observ’d some Points of Discretion in your Behaviour, and I begin to have a Kindness for you, for which Reason I intend to instruct you how to demean your self; and if you are wise enough to act and be guided by the Counsels I shall prescribe to you, while you are at Court, I can, in spite of your awkard Form, get you naturalized, and then perhaps may prefer you to some Charge in the Government, considerable enough to enable you to pass the rest of your Days in Ease and Plenty.

“You that don’t know what a Court is (proceeded he) should receive some Idea of it before you enter there.  You must first be informed, that Emperors do not always trouble themselves with the Affairs of State; for they sometimes pass their whole Lives in a continued Round of indolent Pleasures, while their Favourites govern all.  I don’t doubt but you have already made your Observation upon the servile Crowd who attend my Motions, who wait upon my Commands, with an Obsequiousness that perhaps is not practised in your Parts of the World, betwixt Creatures of the same Species, yet many of them hate me, as I do them,—­perhaps you’ll think this strange; but when the secret Springs of this Attachment to my Interest come to unfold themselves to you, which will soon happen, by the