saptain, whose modesty had extenuated | erous and kind as to furnish me with proor concealed a great part of his merit. I was surprised to find corruption grown so high and so quick in that empire, by the force of luxury so lately introduced; which made me less wonder at many parallel cases in other countries, where vices of all kinds have reigned so much longer, and where the whole praise, as well as pillage, has been engrossed by the chief commander, who, perhaps, had the least title to either. As every person called up made exactly the same appearance he had done in the world, it gave me melancholy reflections to observe how much the race of human kind was degenerated among us within these hundred years past; how disease, under all its consequences and denominations, had altered every lineament of an English countenance; shortened the size of bodies, unbraced the nerves, relaxed the sinews and muscles, introduced a sallow complexion, and rendered the flesh loose and rancid. I descended so low, as to desire some English yeomen of an old stamp might be summoned to appear; once so famous for the simplicity of their manners, diet and dress; for justice in their dealings; for their true spirit of liberty; for their valor and love of their country. Neither could I be wholly unmoved, after comparing the living with the dead, when I considered how all these pure native virtues were prostituted for a piece of money by their grandchildren, who, in selling their votes and managing at elections, have acquired every vice and corruption that can possibly be learned in a court. visions, and see me on board. I was a month on this voyage. We had one violent storm, and were under a necessity of steering westward to get into the trade wind, which holds for about sixty leagues. On the 21st of April, 1708, we sailed into the river of Clumegnig, which is a sea-port town, at the south-east point of Luggnagg. We cast anchor within a league of the town, and made a signal for a pilot. Two of them came on board in less than half an hour, by whom we were guided between certain shoals and rocks which are very dangerous in the passage, to a large basin, where a fleet may ride in safety within a cable's length of the town wall. Some of our sailors, either out of treachery or inadvertence, had informed the pilots that I was a stranger, and a great traveler; whereof these gave notice to a custom house officer, by whom I was examined very strictly upon my landing. This officer spoke to me in the language of Balnibarbi, which, by the force of much commerce, is generally understood in that town, especially by seamen and those employed in the customs. I gave him a short account of some particulars, and made my story as plausible and consistent as I could; but I thought it necessary to disguise my country, and call myself a Hollander: because my intentions were for Japan, and I knew the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to enter into that kingdom. I therefore told the officer, that having been shipwrecked on the coast of Balnibarbi, and cast on a rock, I was received up into Laputa, or the flying island (of which he had often heard), and was now endeavoring to get to Japan, whence I might find a convenience of returning to my own country. The officer said I must be confined till he could receive orders from court, for which he Would write immediately, and hoped to receive an answer in a fortnight. I was carried to a convenient lodging, with a sentry placed at the door ; however, I had the liberty of a large garden, and was treated with humanity enough, being THE day of our departure being come, maintained all the time at the king's I took leave of his highness, the governor charge. I was visited by several persons, of Glubbdubdrib, and returned with my chiefly out of curiosity, because it was retwo companions to Maldonada, where, ported that I came from countries very after a fortnight's waiting, a ship was remote, of which they had never heard. ready to sail for Luggnagg. The two I hired a young man, who came in the gentlemen, and some others, were so gen- | same ship, to be an interpreter; he was a CHAPTER IX. THE AUTHOR RETURNS TO MALDONADA. THE AUTHOR CONFINED.-HE IS SENT FOR HIS SUBJECTS. native of Luggnagg, but had lived some licked up, infallibly kills him in twentyyears at Maldonada, and was a perfect master of both languages. By his assistance, I was able to hold a conversation with those who came to visit me; but this consisted only of their questions and my answers. The despatch came from court about the time we expected. It contained a warrant for conducting me and my retinue to Traldragdubh, or Trildrogdrib (for it is pronounced both ways as near as I can remember), by a party of ten horse. All my retinue was that poor lad for an interpreter, whom I persuaded into my service, and, at my humble request, we had each of us a mule to ride on. A messenger was dispatched half a day's journey before us, to give the king notice of my approach, and to desire that his majesty would please to appoint a day and hour when it would be his gracious pleasure that I might have the honor to lick the dust before his footstool. This is the court style, and I found it to be more than matter of form: for upon my admittance two days after my arrival, I was commanded to crawl upon my belly, and lick the floor as I advanced; but, on account of my being a stranger, care was taken to have it made so clean that the dust was not offensive. However, this was a peculiar grace, not allowed to any but persons of the highest rank, when they desire an admittance. Nay, sometimes the floor is strewed with dust on purpose, when the person to be admitted happens to have powerful enemies at court; and I have seen a great lord with his mouth so crammed, that when he had crept to the proper distance from the throne, he was not able to speak a word. Neither is there any remedy; because it is capital for those who receive an audience to spit or wipe their mouth in his majesty's presence. There is indeed another custom, which I cannot altogether approve of: when the king has a mind to put any of his nobles to death in a gentle, indulgent manner, he commands the floor to be strewed with a certain brown powder of a deadly composition, which, being 1 There is here an obvious allusion to the humiliation to which men must submit who seek to rise in courts. Few men knew better than Swift what arts were practised at court, and there were few courts in which patronage was more venal than in that of George I. four hours. But in justice to this prince's great clemency, and the care he has of his subjects' lives (wherein it were much to be wished that the monarchs of Europe would imitate him), it must be mentioned for his honor, that strict orders are given to have the infected parts of the floor well washed after every such execution, which, if his domestics neglect, they are in danger of incurring his royal displeasure. I myself heard him give directions that one of his pages should be whipped, whose turn it was to give notice about washing the floor after an execution, but maliciously had omitted it; by which neglect, a young lord of great hopes, coming to an audience, was unfortunately poisoned, although the king at that time had no design against his life. But this good prince was so gracious as to forgive the poor page his whipping, upon promise that he would do so no more, without special orders. To return from this digression; when I had crept to within four yards of the throne, I raised myself gently upon my knees, and then striking my forehead seven times against the ground, I pronounced the following words, as they had been taught me the night before: Inckpling gloffthrobb squw tserumm blhiop mlashnalt zwin tnodbalkuff hsthiophad kurdlubhasht. This is the compliment, established by the laws of the land, for all persons admitted to the king's presence. It may be rendered into English thus: " May your celestial majesty outlive the sun, eleven moons and a half!"1 To this the king returned some answer, which, although I could not understand, yet I replied as I had been directed: Flute drin yalerick dwuldom prtasrad mirpush ; which properly signifies, "My tongue is in the mouth of my friend;" and by this 1 The description of the ceremonial of the introduction to the King of Luggnagg and the hyperbolical language addressed to him are intended, we may infer, to ridicule and reprove the extravagant and adulatory terms in which the Houses of Parliament were in the habit of addressing the English Sovereign. The old Duchess of Marlborough gives it this application :-" The style of the Lords' address," she says, "put me in mind of Dean Swift's account, who I am prodigiously fond of, which he gives of the manner in which he was introduced to the King of Luggnagg.-The Opinions of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. expression was meant that I desired leave | best fashion; and being always attended to bring my interpreter: whereupon the by my interpreter, the conversation we young man already mentioned was accord- had was not disagreeable. ingly introduced, by whose intervention I answered as many questions as his majesty could put in about an hour. I spoke in the Balnibarbian tongue, and my interpreter delivered my meaning in that of Luggnagg. The king was much delighted with my company, and ordered his bliff. marklub, or high chamberlain, to appoint a lodging in the court for me and my interpreter, with a daily allowance for my table, and a large piece of gold for my THE LUGGNAGGIANS COMMENDED.-A PAR- BRUGS, WITH MANY CONVERSATIONS BE PERSONS UPON THAT SUBJECT. THE Luggnaggians are a polite and generous people, and although they are not without some share of that pride which is peculiar to all Eastern countries, yet they show themselves courteous to strangers, especially such as are countenanced by the court. I had many acquaintances, and among persons of the 1 This chapter is principally occupied by an account of the struldbrugs, or immortals, and is, as Thackeray observes, “perhaps the most melancholy satire in the whole book." It is more: it is a most moving discourse upon the miseries which would attend on human life if protracted beyond the ordinary period which God has assigned to man; the moral of which is pointed with peculiarly touching significance, when we remember the horror, almost prophetic, which Swift felt of old For many years he used to bid his friends adieu with age, and the sorrows and sufferings which it entails. these melancholy words, "God bless you; I hope we shall never meet again." On one occasion, he and another clergyman had just moved from under a heavy mirror, when it fell to the ground, and in reply to his companion's exclamation of thankfulness for their escape, he said, "Had I been alone, I could have wished I had not removed." One day, in much good company, I was asked by a person of quality whether I had seen any of their struldbrugs, or immortals. I said I had not, and desired he would explain to me what he meant by such an appellation, applied to a mortal creature. He told me that sometimes, though very rarely, a child happened to be born in a family, with a red circular spot on the forehead, directly over the left eyebrow, which was an infallible mark that it would never die. The spot, as he described it, was about the compass of a silver threepence, but in the course of time grew larger, and changed its color: for at twelve years old it became green, so continued till five and-twenty, then turned to a deep-blue; at five-andforty it grew coal black, and as large as an English shilling; but never admitted any further alteration. He said these births were so rare, that he did not believe there could be above eleven hundred struldbrugs, of both sexes, in the whole kingdom; of which he computed about fifty in the metropolis, and among the rest a young girl born about three years ago: that these productions were effect of chance; and the children of the not peculiar to any family, but a mere tal with the rest of the people. struldbrugs themselves were equally mor with inexpressible delight, upon hearing I freely own myself to have been struck this account: and the person who gave it barbian language, which I spoke very me happening to understand the Balniwell, I could not forbear breaking out into expressions perhaps a little too extravagant. I cried out, as in a rapture, "Happy nation, where every child has at least a chance of being immortal! Hapamples of ancient virtue, and have maspy people, who enjoy so many living exters ready to instruct them in the wisdom of all former ages! but happiest, beyond all comparison, are those excellent struldbrugs, who, being born exempt from that universal calamity of human nature, have their minds free and disengaged, without the weight and depression of spirits caused by the continual apprehension of death." I discovered my admiration that I had not observed any of these illustrious persons at court; the black spot on the fore head being so remarkable a distinction, | pass the time, if I were sure to live for that I could not have easily overlooked ever. it: and it was impossible that his ma- "If it had been my good fortune to jesty, a most judicious prince, should not come into the world a struldbrug, as soon provide himself with a good number of as I could discover my own happiness, by such wise and able counsellors. Yet per- understanding the difference between life haps the virtue of those reverend sages and death, I would first resolve, by all was too strict for the corrupt and libertine arts and methods whatsoever, to procure manners of a court: and we often find, myself riches: in pursuit of which, by by experience, that young men are too thrift and management, I might reasonopinionated and volatile, to be guided by ably expect, in about two hundred years, the sober dictates of their seniors. How-to be the wealthiest man in the kingdom. ever, since the king was pleased to allow me access to his royal person, I was resolved, upon the very first occasion, to deliver my opinion to him on this matter freely and at large, by the help of my interpreter; and whether he would please to take my advice or not, yet in one thing I was determined: that his majesty, having frequently offered me an establishment in this country, I would, with great thankfulness, accept the favor, and pass my life here in the conversation of those superior beings, the struldbrugs, if they would please to admit me. The gentleman to whom I addressed my discourse, because (as I have already observed) he spoke the language of Balnibarbi, said to me, with a sort of a smile, which usually arises from them to the ignorant, that he was glad of any occasion to keep me among them, and desired my permission to explain to the company what I had said. He did so, and they talked together for a long time in their own language, whereof I understood not a syllable, neither could I observe by their countenances what impression my discourse had made on them. After a short silence the same person told me that his friends and mine (so he thought fit to express himself) were very much pleased with the judicious remarks I had made on the great happiness and advantages of immortal life, and they were desirous to know, in a particular manner, what scheme of living I should have formed to myself, if it had fallen to my lot to have been born a struldbrug. I answered it was easy to be eloquent on so copious and delightful a subject, especially to me, who had been often apt to amuse myself with visions of what I should do, if I were a king, a general, or a great lord and upon this very case, I had frequently run over the whole system how I should employ myself, and In the second place, I would, from my earliest youth, apply myself to the study of arts and sciences, by which I should arrive in time to excel all others in learning. Lastly, I would carefully record every action, and event of consequence that happened in the public, impartially draw the characters of the several successions of princes and great ministers of state, with my own observations on every point. I would exactly set down the several changes and customs, language, fashions of dress, diet, and diversions; by all which acquirements I should be a great treasure of knowledge and wisdom, and certainly become the oracle of the nation. "I would never marry after threescore, but live in an hospitable manner, yet still on the saving scale. I would entertain myself in forming and directing the minds of hopeful young men, by convincing them, from my own remembrance, experience, and observation, fortified by numerous examples, of the usefulness of virtue in public and private life. But my choice and constant companions should be a set of my own immortal brotherhood, among whom I would elect a dozen, from the most ancient down to my own contemporaries. Where any of these wanted fortunes, I would provide them with convenient lodges round my own estate, and have some of them always at my table; only mingling a few of the most valuable among you mortals, whom length of time would harden me to lose with little or no reluctance, and treat your posterity after the same manner; just as a man diverts himself with the annual succession of pinks and tulips in his garden, without regretting the loss of those which withered the preceding year. "These struldbrugs and I would mutually communicate our observations and memorials, through the course of time; remark the several gradations by which corruption steals into the world, and oppose it in every step, by giving perpetual warning and instruction to mankind: which, added to the strong influence of our own example, would probably prevent that continual degeneracy of human nature, so justly complained of in all ages. Add to this the pleasure of seeing the various revolutions of states and empires; the changes in the lower and upper world; ancient cities in ruins, and obscure villages become the seats of kings; famous rivers lessening into shallow brooks; the ocean leaving one coast dry, and overwhelming another; the discovery of many countries yet unknown; barbarity overrunning the politest nations, and the most barbarous becoming civilized. I should then see the discovery of the longitude, the perpetual motion, the universal medicine, and many other great inventions, brought to the utmost perfection. "What wonderful discoveries should we make in astronomy, by outliving and confirming our own predictions; by observing the progress and returns of comets, with the changes of motion in the sun, moon, and stars!" I enlarged upon many other topics, which the natural desire of endless life, and sublunary happiness, could easily furnish me with. When I had ended, and the sum of my discourse had been interpreted, as before, to the rest of the company, there was a good deal of talk among them in the language of the country, not without some laughter at my expense. At last, the same gentleman who had been my interpreter, said, "He was desired by the rest to set me right in a few mistakes, which I had fallen into through the common imbecility of human nature, and upon that allowance was less answerable for them. That this breed of struldbrugs was peculiar to their country, for there were no such people either in Balnibarbi or Japan, where he had the honor to be ambassador from his majesty, and found the natives in both these kingdoms very hard to believe that the fact was possible and it appeared from my astonishment when he first mentioned the matter to me, that I received it as a thing wholly new, and scarcely to be credited. That in the two kingdoms above-mentioned, where during his residence he had conversed very much, he observed long life to be the universal desire and wish of mankind. That whoever had one foot in the grave was sure to hold back the other as strongly as he could. That the oldest had still hopes of living one day longer, and looked on death as the greatest evil, from which nature always prompted him to retreat. Only in this island of Luggnagg the appetite for living was not so eager, from the continual example of the struldbrugs before their eyes. "That the system of living contrived by me was unreasonable and unjust; because it supposed a perpetuity of youth, health, and vigor, which no man could be so foolish to hope, however extravagant he may be in his wishes. That the question therefore was not whether a man would choose to be always in the prime of youth, attended with prosperity and health; but how he would pass a perpetual life, under all the usual disadvantages which old age brings along with it; for although few men will avow their desires of being immortal, upon such hard conditions, yet in the two kingdoms beforementioned, of Balnibarbi and Japan, he observed that every man desired to put off death some time longer, let it approach ever so late; and he rarely heard of any man who died willingly, except he were incited by the extremity of grief or torture. And he appealed to me, whether in those countries I had travelled, as well as my own, I had not observed the same general disposition." After this preface, he gave me a particular account of the struldbrugs among them. He said they commonly acted like mortals till about thirty years old; after which, by degrees, they grew melancholy and dejected, increasing in both till they came to fourscore. This he learned from their own confession; for otherwise, there not being above two or three of that species born in an age, they were too few to form a general observation by. When they came to fourscore years, which is reckoned the extremity of living in this country, they had not only all the follies and infirmities of other old men, but many more which arose from the dreadful prospect of never dying. They were not only opinionated, peevish, covetous, morose, vain, talkative; but incapable of friendship, and dead to all natural affection, which never descended below their grandchildren. "Envy and impotent desires |