{"id":"01KG8AJWVX9SR6MDGJFYAYDBM2","cid":"bafkreicwqbzhtb6eibscb4mojlatguzxgnaj2odqucjxmxkxqbwpjpbzdm","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XCI. Of King Uhia And His Subjects\n\n## Overview\nThis is chapter XCI, titled \"Of King Uhia And His Subjects,\" from the novel *Mardi: And a Voyage Thither*. It was extracted from the file `mardi_vol1.txt` and is part of the larger collection \"Melville Complete Works.\"\n\n## Context\nThis chapter is situated within the narrative of *Mardi: And a Voyage Thither*, a novel by Herman Melville. It follows Chapter XC, \"Rare Sport At Ohonoo,\" and precedes Chapter XCII, \"The God Keevi And The Precipice Of Mondo.\" The chapter explores themes of ambition, discontent, and the subjective nature of happiness through the character of King Uhia.\n\n## Contents\nChapter XCI focuses on King Uhia's ambition to fulfill a prophecy that states he will become ruler of all Mardi by moving the island of Ohonoo to the center of the lagoon. Despite the efforts of magicians, this task remains unaccomplished. The chapter also delves into the philosophical musings of Babbalanja, who observes Uhia's discontent, noting that the king's desire for greater dominion makes him miserable. Babbalanja illustrates this point by describing how various subjects, from chieftains to retainers, envy those perceived to have more, creating a chain of discontent that even reaches Uhia himself, who envies the peace of a dying man. The narrative highlights the irony that even those in positions of power can be consumed by dissatisfaction, while those in lesser positions may find a form of contentment.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:16.301Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER XCI. Of King Uhia And His Subjects","end_line":9832,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:39.469Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XCI.\nOf King Uhia And His Subjects","source_file":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","start_line":9768,"text":"CHAPTER XCI.\r\nOf King Uhia And His Subjects\r\n\r\n\r\nAs beseemed him, Uhia was royally lodged. Ample his roof. Beneath it a\r\nhundred attendants nightly laying their heads. But long since, he had\r\ndisbanded his damsels.\r\n\r\nSpringing from syren embrace—“They shall sap and mine me no more” he\r\ncried “my destiny commands me. I will don my manhood. By Keevi! no more\r\nwill I clasp a waist.”\r\n\r\n“From that time forth,” said Braid-Beard, “young Uhia spread like the\r\ntufted top of the Palm; his thigh grew brawny as the limb of the\r\nBanian; his arm waxed strong as the back bone of the shark; yea, his\r\nvoice grew sonorous as a conch.”\r\n\r\n“And now he bent his whole soul to the accomplishment of the destiny\r\nbelieved to be his. Nothing less than bodily to remove Ohonoo to the\r\ncenter of the lagoon, in fulfillment of an old prophecy running\r\nthus—When a certain island shall stir from its foundations and stand in\r\nthe middle of the still water, then shall the ruler of that island be\r\nruler of all Mardi.”\r\n\r\nThe task was hard, but how glorious the reward! So at it he went, and\r\nall Ohonoo helped him. Not by hands, but by calling in the magicians.\r\nThus far, nevertheless, in vain. But Uhia had hopes.\r\n\r\nNow, informed of all this, said Babbalanja to Media, “My lord, if the\r\ncontinual looking-forward to something greater, be better than an\r\nacquiescence in things present; then, wild as it is, this belief of\r\nUhia’s he should hug to his heart, as erewhile his wives. But my lord,\r\nthis faith it is, that robs his days of peace; his nights of sweet\r\nunconsciousness. For holding himself foreordained to the dominion of\r\nthe entire Archipelago, he upbraids the gods for laggards, and curses\r\nhimself as deprived of his rights; nay, as having had wrested from him,\r\nwhat he never possessed. Discontent dwarfs his horizon till he spans it\r\nwith his hand. ‘Most miserable of demi-gods,’ he cries, ‘here am I\r\ncooped up in this insignificant islet, only one hundred leagues by\r\nfifty, when scores of broad empires own me not for their lord.’ Yet\r\nUhia himself is envied. ‘Ah!’ cries Karrolono, one of his chieftains,\r\nmaster of a snug little glen, ‘Here am I cabined in this paltry cell\r\namong the mountains, when that great King Uhia is lord of the whole\r\nisland, and every cubic mile of matter therein.’ But this same\r\nKarrolono is envied. ‘Hard, oh beggarly lot is mine,’ cries Donno, one\r\nof his retainers. ‘Here am I fixed and screwed down to this paltry\r\nplantation, when my lord Karrolono owns the whole glen, ten long\r\nparasangs from cliff to sea.’ But Donno too is envied. ‘Alas, cursed\r\nfate!’ cries his servitor Flavona. ‘Here am I made to trudge, sweat,\r\nand labor all day, when Donno my master does nothing but command.’ But\r\nothers envy Flavona; and those who envy him are envied in turn; even\r\ndown to poor bed- ridden Manta, who dying of want, groans forth,\r\n‘Abandoned wretch that I am! here I miserably perish, while so many\r\nbeggars gad about and live!’ But surely; none envy Manta! Yes; great\r\nUhia himself. ‘Ah!’ cries the king. ‘Here am I vexed and tormented by\r\nambition; no peace night nor day; my temples chafed sore by this cursed\r\ncrown that I wear; while that ignoble wight Manta, gives up the ghost\r\nwith none to molest him.’”\r\n\r\nIn vain we wandered up and down in this isle, and peered into its\r\ninnermost recesses: no Yillah was there.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XCI.\nOf King Uhia And His Subjects"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJWVXAANNR2K2B8HFD9ZM","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJWVX7S92VVXN4FRDBM43","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:46.557Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:17.510Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}