fwallowed up. That the face of the fun will by degrees be encrusted with its own effluvia, and give no more light to the world. That the earth very narrowly escaped a brush from the tail of the last co'met, which would have infallibly reduced it to ashes; and that the next, which they have calculated for one and thirty years hence, will probably destroy us. For, if in its perihelion it should approach within a certain degree of the fun (as by their calculations they have reafon to dread) it will receive a degree of heat ten thousand times more intenfe, than that of red hot glowing iron; and, in its abfence from the fun, carry a blazing tail ten hundred thoufand and fourteen miles long; through which if the earth fhould pass at the diftance of one hundred thousand miles from the nucleus, or main body of the comet, it must in its paffage be fet on fire, and reduced to afhes. That the fun, daily spending its rays without any nutriment to fupply them, will at laft be wholly confumed and annihilated; which must be attended with the deftruction of this earth

and

and of all the planets that receive their light from it *.

They are so perpetually alarmed with the apprehenfions of thefe, and the like impending dangers, that they can neither fleep quietly in their beds, nor have any relish for the common pleasures or amufements of life. When they meet an acquaintance in the morning, the first question is about the fun's health, how he looked at his setting and rising, and what hopes they. have to avoid the ftroke of the approaching comet. This conversation they are apt to run into with the fame temper, that boys discover in delighting to hear terrible stories of spirits and hobgobolins, which they greedily liften to, and dare not go to bed for fear.

The women of the ifland have abundance of vivacity; they contemn their husbands, and are exceedingly fond of ftrangers, whereof there is always a confiderable number from the continent below attending at court, either upon affairs of the several towns and corporations, or their

* All these were fuppofitions of perfons eminent in their time for mathematical knowledge.

own particular occafions, but are much despised, because they want the fame endowments. Among these the ladies chuse their gallants: but the vexation is, that they act with too much ease and security, for the husband is always fo rapt in fpeculation, that the mistress and lover may proceed to the greatest familiarities before his face, if he be but provided with paper and implements, and without his flapper at his fide.

The wives and daughters lament their confinement to the island, although I think it the most delicious fpot of ground in the world; and although they live here in the greatest plenty and magnificence, and are allowed to do whatever they please, they long to fee the world, and take the diverfions of the metropolis, which they are not allowed to do without a particular licence from the king; and this is not easy to be obtained, because the people of quality have found by frequent experience, how hard it is to perfuade their women to return from below. I was told, that a great court lady, who had feveral children, is married to the prime minifter, the richest

fubject

fubject in the kingdom, a very graceful perfon, extremely fond of her, and lives in the finest palace of the island, went down to Lagado on the pretence of health, there hid herself for feveral months, till the king sent a warrant to fearch for her, and fhe was found in an obfcure eating-house all in rags, having pawned her cloaths to maintain an old deformed foot-man, who beat her every day, and in whose company the was taken much against her will. And although her husband received her with all poffible kindness, and without the least reproach, fhe foon after contrived to steal down again with all her jewels to the fame gallant, and hath not been heard of fince.

This may perhaps pafs with the reader rather for an European or English ftory, than for one of a country fo remote. But he may please to confider, that the caprices of women-kind are not limited by any climate or nation, and that they are much more uniform than can be eafily imagined.

In about a month's time, I had made a tolerable proficiency in their language,

T 2

and

and was able to answer most of the king's questions, when I had the honour to at→ tend him. His majesty discovered not the leaft curiofity to enquire into the laws, government, history, religion, or manners of the countries where I had been, but confined his questions to the state of mathematics, and received the account I gave him with great contempt and indifference, though often roused by his flapper on each fide.

CHA P. III.

im

A phænomenon folved by modern philofophy and aftronomy. The Laputians great provements in the latter. The king's method of fuppreffing infurrections.

Defired leave of this prince to fee the curiofities of the ifland, which he was graciously pleased to grant, and ordered my tutor to attend me. I chiefly wanted to know, to what cause in art or in nature it owed its feveral motions, whereof I will now give a philofophical account to the reader.

The flying or floating island is exactly

circular,