mark,
that nothing lays nearer to a monkey's heart than the adornment of his
tail.

When my conductor was polished, dressed and adorned, we departed for the
president's palace, followed by three servants.

On coming to the entrance, the mayor loosed his shoes, that he might not
soil the marble floor. After waiting for a long time, with not a little
impatience, we were suffered to enter the reception hall. Here the
president sat in a golden chair.

As soon as he saw us, the president burst out in a terrific laugh. I
concluded either that he was seized by delirium, or that silly and
insane laughter was a peculiarity of great people in Martinia. In short,
I took his lordship to be a fool.

I afterwards expressed this opinion to the mayor; but he assured me that
the president was a monkey of remarkable natural powers; that his mind
was so comprehensive, that he not only determined matters of the highest
importance at table, with his glass in hand, but even wrote or dictated
a new statute between the courses.

His excellency tattled to me half an hour, his tongue wagging, the
while, with an agility immeasurably superior to that of our European
barbers.

Then turning to my companion, he said, he would take me among his
subordinate attendants, since he perceived, from my sluggish
disposition, that I must have been born in the land of stupidity, where

Long-eared mortals, in perpetual fogs,
Oft lose their way to mire in horrid bogs:--

and consequently that I was unfit for any office of trust and
respectability. "I have, indeed," urged the mayor, "observed a natural
obtuseness in this man; nevertheless, when he is allowed time to think,
he judges by no means badly."

"Of what use is that," replied the president; "here we need nimble
officers, for the immense diversity of our affairs does not give us time
to think."

The president, having spoken thus, very gravely, and carefully examined
my body, and directed me to lift a heavy weight from the floor. Seeing
that I did this with ease, he remarked: "Nature, although she has
stinted you in the faculties of the soul, has compensated, in some
measure, by granting to you a degree of bodily strength."

I now received orders to go out and wait in the court. Soon after the
mayor followed, and as he passed, told me that his excellency had
determined to include me in his train.

I concluded from his lordship's undervaluing opinion of me, that my
situation could not