to occupy any position which may be dangerous to me by making me
conspicuous, and from which I could not easily retire when I believe
the time has come to do so. I have been almost everything; I have even
been a soldier. But I have never taken up arms except when obliged to do
so, and I have known as little of war as possible. No weapon or missile
could kill me, but I have a great regard for my arms and legs. I have
been a ruler of men, but I have trembled in my high estate, for I feared
the populace. They could do everything except take my life. Therefore
I made it a point to abdicate when the skies were clear. In such cases
I set out on journeys from which I never returned.

"I have also lived the life of the lowly; I have drawn water, and I have
hewn wood. By the way, that reminds me of a little incident which may
interest you. I was employed in the East India House at the time Charles
Lamb was a clerk there. It was not long after he had begun to contribute
his Elia essays to the 'London Magazine.' I had read some of them, and
was interested in the man. I met him several times in the corridors or
on the stairways, and one day I was going up-stairs, carrying a hod of
coals, as he was coming down. Looking up at him, I made a misstep, and
came near dropping a portion of my burden. 'My good man,' said he, with
a queer smile, 'if you would learn to carry your coals as well as you
carry your age you would do well.' I don't remember what I said in
reply; but I know I thought if Charles Lamb could be made aware of my
real age he would abandon his Elia work and devote himself to me."

"It is a pity you did not tell him," I suggested.

"No," replied my host. "He might have been interested, but he could not
have appreciated the situation, even if I had told him everything. He
would not really have known my age, for he would not have believed me.