squabbles; and some even ventured to imagine that the safety of the
Statue might be implicated by their continuance. But this last fear was
futile.

Popanilla asked the Private Secretary which party he thought would
ultimately succeed. The Private Secretary said that, if the present
Managers retained their places, he thought that they would not go out;
but if, on the other hand, they were expelled by the present opposition,
it was probable that the present opposition would become Managers. The
Aboriginal thought both parties equally incompetent; and told Popanilla
some long stories about a person who was chief Manager in his youth,
about five hundred years ago, to whom he said he was indebted for all
his political principles, which did not surprise Popanilla.

At this moment a noise was heard throughout the hall which made his
Excellency believe that something untoward had again happened, and that
another conqueror by mistake had again arrived. A most wonderful being
galloped up to the top of the apartment. It was half man and half
horse. The Secretary told Popanilla that this was the famous Centaur
Chiron; that his Horseship, having wearied of his ardent locality in the
constellations, had descended some years back to the island of
Vraibleusia; that he had commanded the armies of the nation in all the
great wars, and had gained every battle in which he had ever been
engaged. Chiron was no less skilful, he said, in civil than in military
affairs; but the Vraibleusians, being very jealous of allowing
themselves to be governed by their warriors, the Centaur had lately been
out of employ. While the Secretary was giving him this information
Popanilla perceived that the great Chiron was attacking the combatants
on both sides. The tutor of Achilles, Hercules, and Aeneas, of course,
soon succeeded in kicking them all out, and constituted himself chief