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Rh and their wealth, they drank to the dregs the cup offered to them by their god, the mammon of the world. Look at them now, and look at their dwellings; but here we are at our destination.'

Leaden walls with huge gates surrounded a great palace, standing in a garden in which were small offices and arbours, and statues of lead and black marble. The gates opened and admitted us into a courtyard, and several officers and servants dressed in mourning came forward. They seemed to know the Doctor, for they saluted him respectfully, but at me they stared in vacant surprise, while some of them, with strange significance, placed their hands upon their necks.

The Doctor told the principal officer that he wished to see his Majesty and his Eminence, and to introduce a distinguished visitor, if permitted so to do. The officer sent a subordinate to inquire the pleasure of these great personages, who returned in a short time with an invitation for us to enter the palace.

We were shown in by the grand entrance, and found ourselves in a large hall; then we passed through a vestibule, and into a corridor that led us into a picture-gallery, from which we emerged into what appeared to be a chapel, with a great organ, and some hundreds of kneeing figures. Communicating with this was an antechamber, also crowded with people, who were not kneeling. The gentlemen-in-waiting bowed to the Doctor, and looked suspiciously on me. One knocked at a large door, which he, on a signal from within, opened wide, and we entered the apartment.

It was a tolerably large one, surrounded with book-cases, but as the light was defective I could not see whether there were books on the shelves or not. At one end of a long table covered with papers and parchments sat an