Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground; Being a Narrative of His Wonderful Descent to the Subterranean Lands Together with an Account of the Sensible Animals and Trees Inhabiting the Planet Nazar and the Firmament (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: gfiffif CHAPTER XVI. THE AUTHOR'S RETURN TO HIS FATHER-LAND, AND THE END OF THE FIFTH MONARCHY. Although perfectly sensible, my limbs were entirely benumbed; and I lay helpless for a long time. Meanwhile I ruminated on my singular course. The events of the past years rose one after another with clearness in my mind; particularly those of my exaltation and fame. Here was I, the late founder of the splendid fifth monarchy, metamorphosed to a poor and hungry bachelor-of-arts; a change so terrible and unprecedented, that it might well have disturbed the strongest brain. I seriously examined my present circumstances ? were they real ? or did I dream ? Alas ? the tremors of terror and uncertainty only gave place to the pangs of sorrow and regret. " Almighty Father ! " I exclaimed, and towards heaven Stretched my trembling hands, " what sin provoked thy vengeance, That all thy thunders crash upon my head? Where am I! whence came I ? how shall I escape Thy anger." Truly! should one look over the journals of all times, he will neither in ancient nor modern history find a parallel to so great a fall; with the single exception of that of Nebuchadnezzar, who from the greatest of kings was changed to a dumb beast. I began to descend the mountain by the path which leads to Sandvig. When about half way down, I observed some boys, whom I beckoned towards me, repeating the words: Jeru pikal salim, which in the Q, uamitic language signify: show me the way. The lads, however, were apparently frightened at seeing a man in a strange dress, and with a hat on his head glittering with golden rays; for they rushed down the mountain in great haste, arriving at Sandvig an hour hefore me. The rumor of the strange appearance on the mountain was spread about and caused terror t...