'You have no mines in Vraibleusia, I believe?' said Popanilla to the
Aboriginal.

'No! but we have taxes.'

'Very true!' said Popanilla.

'I understand that a messenger has just arrived from the West,' said the
Secretary to the Fantaisian Plenipotentiary. 'He must bring interesting
intelligence from such interesting countries. Next to ourselves, they
are evidently the most happy, the most wealthy, the most enlightened,
and the most powerful Governments in the world. Although founded only
last week, they already rank in the first class of nations. I will send
you a little pamphlet to-morrow, which I have just published upon this
subject, in which you will see that I have combated, I trust not
unsuccessfully, the ridiculous opinions of those cautious statesmen who
insinuate that the stability of these Governments is even yet
questionable.'

The messenger from the Republics of the West now prostrated himself
before the Statue. He informed it that two parties had, unfortunately,
broken out in these countries, and threatened their speedy dissolution;
that one party maintained that all human government originated in the
wants of man; while the other party asserted that it originated in the
desires of man. That these factions had become so violent and so
universal that public business was altogether stopped, trade quite
extinct, and the instalments due to Vraibleusia not forthcoming.
Finally, he entreated the wisest and the best of nations to send to
these distracted lands some discreet and trusty personages, well