CHAPTER IV.
1. Now when Robert was come to the city called Charleston, the people had compassion upon him, and no man opened his mouth against him.
2. And the elders and the chief men of the city sought to comfort him, for they verily believed that he had repented him of his evil ways, and had hearkened to the voice of Edward, and had eschewed the worship of the graven image called Nullification.
3. But when Robert saw the elders and the chief men, that they yielded honour to his name, his heart waxed bold, and he was puffed up in his own conceit.
4. And he called upon James, the son of James, who is surnamed "the deluded," and said unto him, "verily the men of Charleston know not of the shame we have been put to at the hands of Daniel, neither have they heard that our graven image hath been broken in pieces, and hath been exposed before the rulers of the land.
5. "Wherefore, O James, let us again put together the pieces, and let us cause it to be set up in a high place before the men of Charleston, even in the City Hall; and let us make a great feast, and let us gather together all the people, and let us say unto them:
6. "O men of Charleston! lo, this is the cunning device which hath been contrived by John, the great conjurer, whereby to destroy the Yankees, your enemies, and to put off from you the evils which George the prophet hath declared will surely come from the ordinance of him called Mallary.
7. "And its name is called Nullification; and behold it has great power and dominion over the hearts of men, for when it shall speak unto Andrew the King, he shall tremble with dread, and the ordinance, even the Tariff, shall straightway become null and void."
8. And the counsel of Robert seemed good in the sight of James, and he trusted that the people would believe, and he did as Robert had spoken.
9. Now there was a certain man of Charleston named Henry, a ruler of the people, and he had a "Grandfather."
10. And he was the high priest who stood before the altar of the false god of the heathen, even of him called Mercury, to whom the thieves, and the liars and the evil speakers of the nations offer sacrifice.
11. Now Henry bowed down day by day before the altar of the strange god, and offered sacrifice thereat, large sheets of paper, stamped and written upon in characters of ink; and afterwards he gave the sheets to his kinsmen, and his friends, and they read the characters, and believed in them.
12. And the sheets of paper found favour with the false god, for they were acceptable unto him, and he put upon them a superscription, even his own name, "The Mercury."
13. Now when Robert and James saw the daily sacrifice of Henry, and that much people received at his hands the sheets of paper, and believed in all that was written upon them, they rejoiced greatly, for they put their trust in Henry.
14. And they besought Henry to set up Nullification in the temple of Mercury, and to offer incense thereto, and to find it favour in the sight of the people.
15. And Henry the high priest hearkened unto their request, and he gave unto the people hundreds and thousands of the sheets of paper, which were daily sacrificed, and he caused to be written thereon praises unto the graven image, which John the conjurer had made, and he pronounced it a good thing to give honour and adoration thereunto.
16. And he desired his followers and all the multitude to come down to the feast which Robert the Nullifier had counselled to be made, and he said unto the people, that lo! it was a feast of peace offering, and that thereby they should do honour Lo all their rulers, and even to William the just, whom they loved.
17. So the people of Charleston listened to the words of Henry, and many of them gathered together to the feast; and Robert the Nullifier, and James, the son of James, who is also called "the deluded," were in the midst of them.
18. Now it came to pass that William the just had returned to his people, and Robert and James entreated of him to come unto the great feast, for they knew the favour which William had found in tho sight of the men of Charleston, and they desired under the shadow of his wing to profit thereby.
19. And they concealed from William the secret purpose which they had in their hearts, to make the feast in honour of the graven image Nullification; and they vowed that it was a meat offering of respect from all the people to William, and to the elders, and to the rulers of the land.
20. So William did even as he was intreated, and went up to the feast; and many of his kinsmen and friends also gathered together, for they verily believed that where William was, there might they be also.
21. And Henry the high priest also called unto the feast Langdon.
22. Now Langdon was a man of humble condition, whose lot had been cast among the lowly, and he could not like Henry the high priest, point up to a grandfather, and claim his station as an inheritance.
23. But Langdon eschewed evil, and was earnest in well doing, and he made himself a name throughout the land, and the people honoured him for his virtues, and gave unto him riches, and distinction, and power.
24. And they made him a ruler over the land, and sent him up as a counsellor before the King, at the great city; and the King had respect unto him, and set him in high places.
25. Then Langdon became puffed up, and his heart was filled with pride, and he forgot his former condition of humility; and he forsook the people who had elevated him, and departed from amongst them.
26. And he put his trust in the fame which had gone before him from the provinces of the South, and from the great city, and he sought a larger kingdom, wherein he might obtain greater riches and power, than could be had in the land whence he had departed.
27. And he pitched his tent in the land of Pennsylvania, and he made to himself a great tabernacle in the city called Philadelphia, and he spake kindly to the people, that they should hold him as a brother, even as he had been held among the men of the South.
28. But the men of Pennsylvania hearkened not to the words of Langdon, and they put no faith in him, for they saw that his heart was set upon the high places of the land; and they yielded unto him neither favour nor distinction, but looked upon him as a stranger and sojourner among them.
29. Then Langdon was greatly vexed, and his soul was disquieted within him, and in his wrath he swore vengeance against the men of Pennsylvania, and he departed from amongst them, and wandered among the provinces, without any fixed habitation or abiding place.
30. Now it came to pass that James, surnamed "the deluded," and Robert the Nullifier, knew of the discontent which overshadowed the heart of Langdon, and they believed that the name of Langdon was still great in the provinces of the South, and they imagined that the hour was come, in which they could prevail upon him to bow down before John the conjurer, and to serve him.
31. And they gathered, together around Langdon, and they comforted him, and they promised to avenge him of the despiteful treatment of the men of Pennsylvania; and James led him to a far country, and shewed unto him the rich fields of the South, and said unto him:
32. "Behold, O Langdon! here is abundance of the fruits of the earth—rice and sugar doth the land yield forth freely; wherefore pitch thou here thy tent, and thou shalt increase in riches and power, and thy sons shall receive honour and distinction at the hands of the people of the South."
33. And Langdon was comforted by the words of James, and he did even as he had counselled; and he pitched his tent amongst the fertile lands near the great river, even the Savannah; and he went down with James by the sea, to the city called Charleston.
34. And the friends of John the conjurer, and of Robert, and of James, took Langdon by the hand, and they gave unto him meat offerings, and drink offerings, and feasts, and his name became great among the lords and princes of the land.
35. But when the men of low degree who are called Republicans, and who were the ancient friends of Langdon, came near unto him, Langdon turned another way, and he knew them not.
36. And the people marvelled greatly at Langdon; and they saw that he was a deserter from the faith, and they looked upon his face, and behold it was greatly changed, and they knew not what manner of man he was, and they feared greatly that he was given over to the enemy.
37. So they held their peace, and every man went his own way with his heart awakened to suspicion against Langdon, and some called him the Disappointed.
38. Now the same Langdon it was, whom Henry the chief priest, and James, the son of James, and Robert the Nullifier, had bidden unto the great feast at the city called Charleston, even the Feast of Nullification.