"The language of this country being always upon the flux, the struldbrugs of one age do not understand those of another; neither are they able after two hundred years to hold any conversation (further than by a few general words) with their neighbors, the mortals; and thus they lie under the disadvantage of living like foreigners in their own country."

are their prevailing passions. But those | ning of a sentence to the end; and by this objects against which their envy seems defect they are deprived of the only enterprincipally directed are the vices of the tainment whereof they might otherwise younger sort, and the deaths of the old. be capable. By reflecting on the former, they find themselves cut off from all possibility of pleasure; and whenever they see a funeral, they lament and repine that others are gone to a harbor of rest, to which they themselves never can hope to arrive. They have no remembrance of anything but what they learned and observed in their youth and middle age, and even that is very imperfect; and for the truth or particulars of any fact, it is safer to depend on common tradition than upon their best recollections. The least miserable among them appear to be those who turn to dotage, and entirely lose their memories; these meet with more pity and assistance, because they want many bad qualities which abound in others.

"If a struldbrug happen to marry one of his own kind, the marriage is dissolved, of course, by the courtesy of the kingdom, as soon as the younger of the two comes to the fourscore; for the law thinks it a reasonable indulgence, that those who are condemned, without any fault of their own, to a perpetual continuance in the world, should not have their miseries doubled by the load of a wife.

"As soon as they have completed the term of eighty years, they are looked on as dead in law; their heirs immediately succeed to their estates; only a small pittance is reserved for their support; and the poor ones are maintained at the public charge. After that period, they are held incapable of any employment of trust or profit; they cannot purchase lands, or take leases; neither are they allowed to be witnesses in any cause, either civil or criminal, not even for the decision of meers and bounds.

This was the account given me of the struldbrugs, as near as I can remember. I afterwards saw five or six of different ages, the youngest not above two hundred years old, who were brought to me at several times by some of my friends; but although they were told that I was a great traveler, and had seen all the world, they had not the least curiosity to ask me a question; only desired I would give them slumskudash, or a token of remembrance, which is a modest way of begging, to avoid the law, that strictly forbids it, because they are provided for by the public, although indeed with a very scanty allowance.

They are despised and hated by all sorts of people. When one of them is born, it is reckoned ominous, and their birth is recorded very particularly: so that you may know their age by consulting the register, which, however, has not been kept above a thousand years past, or at least has been destroyed by time or public disturbances. But the usual way of computing how old they are is by asking them what kings or great persons they can remember, and then consulting history; for infallibly the last prince in their mind did not begin his reign after they were fourscore years old.

They were the most mortifying sight I ever beheld; and the women were more horrible than the men. Besides the usual deformities in extreme old age, they acquired an additional ghastliness, in proportion to their number of years, which is not to be described; and among half a dozen I soon distinguished which was the eldest, although there was not above a contury or two between them.

"At ninety, they lose their teeth and hair; they have at that age no distinction of taste, but eat and drink whatever they can get, without relish or appetite. The diseases they were subject to still continue, without increasing or diminishing. In talking, they forget the common appellation of things, and the names of persons, even of those who are their nearest friends and relations. For the same reason, they never can amuse themselves The reader will easily believe, that from with reading, because their memory will what I had heard and seen, my keen not serve to carry them from the begin-appetite for perpetuity of life was much

abated. I grew heartily ashamed of the pleasing visions I had formed; and thought no tyrant could invent a death into which I would not run with pleasure from such a life. The king heard of all that had passed between me and my friends upon this occasion, and rallied me very pleasantly; wishing I could send a couple of struldbrugs to my own country to arm our people against the fear of death; but this, it seems, is forbidden by the fundamental laws of the kingdom, or else I should have been well content with the trouble and expense of transporting them.

I could not but agree that the laws of this kingdom relative to the struldbrugs were founded upon the strongest reasons, and such as any other country would be under the necessity of enacting in the like circumstances. Otherwise, as avarice is the necessary consequent of old age, those immortals would in time become proprietors of the whole nation, and engross the civil power, which, for want of abilities to manage, must end in the ruin of the public.

will be curious and able enough to supply my defects.

His majesty, having often pressed me to accept some employment in his court, and finding me absolutely determined to return to my native country, was pleased to give me his license to depart; and honored me with a letter of recommendation, under his own hand, to the Emperor of Japan. He likewise presented me with four hundred and forty-four large pieces of gold (this nation delighted in even numbers), and a red diamond, which I sold in England for eleven hundred pounds.

On the 6th of May, 1709, I took a solemn leave of his majesty, and all my friends. This prince was so gracious as to order a guard to conduct me to Glanguenstald, which is a royal port to the south-west part of the island. In six days I found a vessel ready to carry me to Japan, and spent fifteen days in the voyage. We landed at a small port-town, called Xamoschi, situated on the southeast part of Japan; the town lies on the western point, where there is a narrow strait leading northward into a long arm of the sea, upon the north-west part of which Yedo, the metropolis, stands. At landing I showed the custom-house officer my letter from the King of Luggnagg to his imperial majesty. They knew the DUTCH SHIP TO AMSTERDAM, AND FROM seal perfectly well; it was as broad as the

THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER XI.

LEAVES

LUGGNAGG, AND SAILS TO JAPAN-FROM THENCE IN

AMSTERDAM TO ENGLAND.

A

I THOUGHT this account of the struldbrugs might be some entertainment to the reader, because it seems to be a little out of the common way; at least I do not remember to have met the like in any book of travels that has come to my hands; and if I am deceived, my excuse must be, that it is necessary for travelers who describe the same country, very often to agree in dwelling on the same particulars, without deserving the censure of having borrowed or transcribed from those who wrote before them.

There is indeed a perpetual commerce between this kingdom and the great empire of Japan; and it is very probable that the Japanese authors may have given some account of the struldbrugs; but my stay in Japan was so short, and I was so entirely a stranger to the language, that I was not qualified to make any inquiries. But I hope the Dutch, upon this notice,

VOL. III.-W. H.

palm of my hand. The impression was, "A king lifting up a lame beggar from the earth." The magistrates of the town, hearing of my letter, received me as a public minister; they provided me with carriages and servants, and bore my charges to Yedo, where I was admitted to an audience, and delivered my letter, which was opened with great ceremony, and explained to the emperor by an interpreter; who then gave me notice, by his majesty's order, that I should signify my request, and, whatever it were, it should be granted, for the sake of his royal brother of Luggnagg. This interpreter was a person employed to transact affairs with the Hollanders: he soon conjectured, by my countenance, that I was a European, and therefore repeated his majesty's commands in Low Dutch, which he spoke perfectly well; I answered, as I had before determined, that I was a Dutch merchant, shipwrecked in a very remote country, whence I had travelled by sea

8

bable as I could, but concealed the greatest part. I knew many persons in Holland; I was able to invent names for my parents, whom I pretended to be obscure people in the province of Guelderland. I would have given the captain (one Theodorus Vangrult) what he pleased to ask for my voyage to Holland; but understanding I was a surgeon, he was contented to take half the usual rate, on condition that I would serve him in the way of my calling. Before we took shipping, I was often asked by some of the crew whether I had performed the ceremony above mentioned. I evaded the question by general answers

and land to Luggnagg, and then took whence I came last; they were curious to shipping for Japan; where I knew my inquire into my voyages and course of countrymen often traded, and with some life. I made up a story as short and proof these I hoped to get an opportunity of returning into Europe. I therefore most humbly entreated his royal favor, to give order that I should be conducted in safety to Nangasac. To this I added another petition, that for the sake of my patron, the King of Luggnagg, his majesty would condescend to excuse my performing the ceremony imposed on my countrymen, of trampling upon the crucifix; because I had been thrown into this kingdom by my misfortunes, without any intention of trading. When this latter petition was interpreted to the emperor, he seemed a little surprised, and said he believed I was the first of my countrymen who ever made any scruple on this point, and that he began to doubt whether I was a real Hollander or not; but rather suspected I must be a Christian. However, for the reasons I had offered, but chiefly to gratify the King of Luggnagg by an uncommon mark of his favor, he would comply with the singularity of my humor; but the affair must be managed with dexterity, and his officers should be commanded to let me pass, as it were by forgetfulness; for he assured me, that if the secret should be discovered by my countrymen, the Dutch, they would cut my throat in the voyage. I returned my thanks, by the interpreter, for so unusual a favor; and some troops being at that time on the march to Nangasac, the commanding officer had orders to convey me safe thither, with particular instructions about the business of the crucifix.'

On the 9th of June, 1709, I arrived at Nangasac, after a very long and troublesome journey. I soon fell into the company of some Dutch sailors belonging to the Amboyna of Amsterdam, a stout ship of 450 tons. I had lived long in Holland, pursuing my studies in Leyden, and I spoke Dutch well. The seamen soon knew

1 In this account of Gulliver's reception at Japan, Swift refers to the popular but erroneous belief that the Dutch merchants were compelled, when entering Japan, to trample on the crucifix. There is no doubt that the missionaries from Spain had excited great jealousy and resentment against the Christian religion, so much so that every Japanese official at the Dutch factory was

that I had satisfied the emperor and court in all particulars. However, a malicious rogue of a skipper went to an officer, and pointing to me, told him I had not yet trampled on the crucifix; but the other, who had received instructions to let me pass, gave the rascal twenty strokes on the shoulders with a bamboo; after which I was no more troubled with such questions.

Nothing happened worth mentioning in this voyage. We sailed with a fair wind to the Cape of Good Hope, where we stayed only to take in fresh water. On the 10th of April, 1710, we arrived safe at Amsterdam, having lost only three men by sickness on the voyage, and a fourth, who fell from the foremast into the sea, not far from the coast of Guinea. From Amsterdam I soon after set sail for England, in a small vessel belonging to that city.

On the 16th of April we put in at the Downs. I landed next morning, and saw once more my native country, after an absence of five years and six months complete. I went straight to Redriff, where I arrived the same day, at two in the afternoon, and found my wife and family in good health.

bound, twice or thrice a year, to take a solemn oath of renunciation and hatred of the Christian religion, and was made to trample the cross and crucifix under his feet, which probably gave rise to the opinion above referred to. The Dutch, through whom the entire European trade was carried on, were subjected to great indignities.

END OF THE VOYAGE TO LAPUTA.

THAT TEXAN CATTLE MAN.

WE rode the tawny Texan hills,

"'T would make a poem true and grand;
All time should note it near and far;
And thy fair, virgin Texan land

Should stand out like a Winter star.
America should heed. And then

The doubtful French beyond the sea'T would make them truer, nobler men To know how this may be."

A bearded cattle man and I;
Below us laughed the blossomed rills,
Above the dappled clouds blew by.
We talked. The topic? Guess. Why, sir,"
Three-fourths of man's whole time he keeps
To talk, to think, to be of HER;

The other fourth he sleeps.

To learn what he might know of love,
I laughed all constancy to scorn.
"Behold yon happy, changeful dove!
Behold this day, all storm at morn,
Yet now 't is changed to cloud and sun.
Yea, all things change the heart, the
head,

Behold on earth there is not one

That changeth not," I said.

He drew a glass as if to scan

The plain for steers; raised it and sighed.
He craned his neck, this cattle man,

Then drove the cork home and replied:
"For twenty years (forgive these tears)-
For twenty years no word of strife-
I have not known for twenty years
One folly from my wife."

I looked that Texan in the face

That dark-browed, bearded cattle man,
He pulled his beard, then dropped in place
A broad right hand, all scarred and tan,
And toyed with something shining there
From out his holster, keen and small.
I was convinced. I did not care
To argue it at all.

The story of my Texan guide;
His dauntless love, enduring trust;
His blessed, immortal bride.

I wondered, marvelled, marvelled much.
Was she of Texan growth? Was she
Of Saxon blood, that boasted such
Eternal constancy?

I could not rest until I knew-
"Now twenty years, my man," said I,
"Is a long time." He turned and drew
A pistol forth, also a sigh.

"T is twenty years or more," said he,
"Nay, nay, my honest man, I vow
I do not doubt that this may be ;
But tell, oh! tell me how.

It's twenty years or more," urged he,
"Nay, that I know, good guide of mine;
But lead me where this wife may be,

And I a pilgrim at a shrine.
And kneeling, as a pilgrim true

He, scowling, shouted in my ear;
"I cannot show my wife to you;
She's dead this twenty year."

JOAQUIN MILLER, b. 1836.

A LOVE CONFIDENCE.

(FACT.)

SOME years ago, at one of Dr. Y's soirées, at Paris, I met an Irish gentleman, whose name was not O'Sullivan, but whom, for the sake of concealment, I shall so designate. I had never seen him before, nor were we upon that occasion introduced to each other; but this ceremony he soon rendered needless, by introducing himself. With a smile peculiarly Irish and modest, and with a tinge of the brogue just sufficient to give the world assurance of a "Pat," he thus addressed me:

"I beg ten thousand pardons, sir: if I am not greatly mistaken your name is Fidkins." (I take the same privilege of concealment, under an assumed name, as I have given to my new friend.)

"Fidkins is my name."

"I beg ten thousand pardons, sir, but if I am not greatly mistaken you have lately published a novel called "The Scheming Lover.'" (My novel, like my friend and myself, travels incog.)

I have, sir."

Why, then, sir, upon my honor and conscience, that is a mighty pretty thing to be able to say."

He smiled, bowed and withdrew, and I, as in duty bound, was much amused at the oddity of the proceeding. Later in the evening, at Mr. O'Sullivan's especial request, Dr. Y-"favored" him with a formal introduction to me.

On the following morning, at an hour

much earlier than is usual for paying visits "Why, yes, and it is. If I propose to of ceremony, my servant brought Mr. her, people will say it is for the sake of O'Sullivan's card with Mr. O'Sullivan's the dirty lucre, when if you could read most earnest request that I would grant him a quarter of an hour's interview. The rule being granted, as a lawyer would say, the gentleman entered; and after exhausting no inconsiderable portion of the time stipulated for in preparatory "hems" and "has," he thus began: