have been always averfe from executing fo terrible an action, unless upon the utmoft neceffity. For if the town intended to be deftroyed fhould have in it any tall rocks, as it generally falls out in the larger cities, a fituation probably chosen at first with a view to prevent fuch a cataftrophe; or if it abound in high spires, or pillars of ftone, a fudden fall might endanger the bottom or under furface of the ifland, which, although it confift, as I have faid, of one intire adamant two hundred yards thick, might happen to crack by too great a fhock, or burft by approaching too near the fires from the houses below, as the backs both of iron and stone will often do in our chimnies. Of all this the people are well apprised, and understand how far to carry their obftinacy, where their liberty or property is concerned. And the king, when he is highest provoked, and most determined to prefs a city to rubbish, orders the ifland to defcend with great gentleness out of a pretence of tenderness to his people; but indeed for fear of breaking the adamantine bottom; in which cafe, it is the opinion of all their philofophers,

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philofophers, that the load-ftone could no longer hold it up, and the whole mafs would fall to the ground.

By a fundamental law of this realm neither the king, nor either of his two elder fons, are permitted to leave the island, nor the queen, till fhe is past child-bearing.

CHA P. IV.

The author leaves Laputa, is conveyed to Balnibarbi, arrives at the metropolis. A defcription of the metropolis, and the coun→ try adjoining. The author hofpitably received by a great lord. His converfa

tion with that lord.

A

Lthough I cannot say that I was illtreated in this ifland, yet I must confess I thought myself too much neglected, not without fome degree of contempt. For neither prince nor people appeared to be curious in any part of knowledge, except mathematics and mufic, wherein I was far their inferior, and upon that account very little regarded.

On the other fide, after having feen all the curiofities of the island, I was very de

2

firous

firous to leave it, being heartily weary of those people. They were indeed excellent in two sciences, for which I have great esteem, and wherein I am not unversed, but at the fame time so abstracted and involved in fpeculation, that I never met with such disagreeable companions. Iconverfed only with women, tradefmen, flappers, and court-pages, during two months of my abode there; by which at laft I rendered myself extremely contemptible; yet these were the only people, from whom I could ever receive a reasonable answer.

I had obtained by hard study a good degree of knowledge in their language; I was weary of being confined to an ifland, where I received fo little countenance, and refolved to leave it with the first opportu nity.

There was a great lord at court, nearly related to the king, and for that reafon alone, used with refpect. He was universally reckoned the most ignorant and ftupid person among them. He had performed many eminent fervices for the crown, had great natural and acquired

parts,

parts, adorned with integrity and honour, but fo ill an ear for mufic, that his detractors reported he had been often known to beat time in the wrong place; neither could his tutors without extreme difficulty teach him to demonftrate the most eafy propofition in the mathematics. He was pleased to fhew me many marks of favour, often did me the honour of a vifit, defired to be informed in the affairs of Europe, the laws and cuftoms, the manners and learning of the feveral countries. where I had travelled. He liftened to me with great attention, and made very wife obfervations on all I fpoke. He had two flappers attending him for state, but never made ufe of them, except at court and in vifits of ceremony, and would always command them to withdraw, when we were alone together.

I entreated this illuftrious perfon to intercede in my behalf with his majefty for leave to depart, which he accordingly did, as he was pleased to tell me with regret : for indeed he had made me feveral offers very advantageous, which however I re

fufed

fused with expreffions of the highest acknowledgment.

On the 16th of February I took leave of his majefty and the court. The king made me a present to the value of about two hundred pounds English, and my protector, his kinfman, as much more, together with a letter of recommendation to a friend of his in Lagado, the metropolis: the ifland being then hovering over a mountain about two miles from it, I was let down from the lowest gallery, in the fame manner as I had been taken up.

The continent, as far as it is fubject to the monarch of the flying island, paffes under the general name of Balnibarbi; and the metropolis, as I faid before, is called Lagado. I felt fome little fatisfaction in finding myself on firm ground. I walked to the city without any concern, being clad like one of the natives, and fufficiently inftructed to converse with them. I foon found out the perfon's house, to whom I was recommended, prefented my letter from his friend the grandee in the ifland, and was received with much kindnefs. This great lord, whofe name was Munodi,

U