The arrangements were judicious; the whole populace was marshalled into
ranks; classes of twelve persons were allowed consecutively to walk past
the victim of tyranny, corruption, and ignorance; and each person had
the honour to touch his finger. During this proceeding, which lasted a
few hours, an influential personage generously offered to receive the
eager subscriptions of the assembled thousands. Even the boys
subscribed, and ere six hours had passed since his arrival as a coatless
vagabond in this liberal city, Captain Popanilla found himself a person
of considerable means.

The receiver of the subscriptions, while he crammed Popanilla's
serpent-skin pockets fall of gold pieces, at the same time kindly
offered the stranger to introduce him to an hotel. Popanilla, who was
quite beside himself, could only bow his assent, and mechanically
accompanied his conductor. When he had regained his faculty of speech,
he endeavoured, in wandering sentences of grateful incoherency, to
express his deep sense of this unparalleled liberality. 'It was an
excess of generosity in which mankind could never have before indulged!'

'By no means!' said his companion, with great coolness; 'far from this
being an unparalleled affair, I assure you it is a matter of hourly
occurrence; make your mind quite easy. You are probably not aware that
you are now living in the richest and the most charitable country in the
world?'

'Wonderful!' said Popanilla; 'and what is the name, may I ask, of this
charitable city?'

'Is it possible,' said his companion, with a faint smile, 'that you are
ignorant of the great city of Hubbabub; the largest city not only that