Degree of Heat ten thousand times more intenfe than that of red-hot glowing Iron; and in its Abfence from the Sun, carry a blazing Tail ten hundred thousand and fourteen Miles long; through which if the Earth fhould pass at the Distance of one hundred thoufand Miles from the Neucleus, or main Body of the Comet, it muft in its Paffage be fet on Fire, and reduced to Afhes. That the Sun daily spending its Rays without any Nutriment to fupply them, will at last be wholly confumed and annihilated; which must be attended with the Destruction of this Earth, and of all the Planets that receive their Light from it.

THEY are fo 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 Pleafures or Amusements of Life. When they meet an Acquaintance in the Morning, the first Question is about the Sun's Health; how he looked at his Setting and Rifing, and what Hopes they have to avoid the Stroke of the approaching Comet. This Converfation they are apt to run into with the fame Temper that Boys difcover, in delighting to hear terrible Stories of Spirits and Hobgoblins, 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 Strangers, whereof there is always a confiderable Number from the Continent below, attending at Court, either upon Affairs of the feveral Towns and Corporations, or their own particular Occafions; but are much defpifed, because they want the fame Enduements. Among these the Ladies chufe their Gallants: But the Vexation is, that they act with too much Eafe and Security; for the Husband is always fo wrapped in Speculation, that the Miftrefs and Lover may proceed to the greateft Familiarities before his Face, if he be but provided with Paper and Implements, and without his Flapper at his Side.

THE

THE Wives and Daughters lament their Confinement to the Ifiand, although I think it the most delicious Spot of Ground in the World, and although they live here in the greatest Plenty and Magnificence, and are allowed to do whatever they pleafe: They long to fee the World, and take the Diversions of the Metropolis, which they are not allowed to do without a particular Licence from the King; and this is not eafy 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 several Children, is married to the prime Minister, the richest Subject 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 fent a Warrant to fearch for her; and fhe was found in an obfcure Eating-houfe all in Rags, having pawned her Cloaths to maintain an old deformed Footman, who beat her every Day, and in whofe Company she was taken much against her Will. And although her Hufband received her with all poffible Kindness, and without the leaft Reproach, the foon after contrived to fteal down again with all her Jewels, to the fame Gallant, and hath not been heard of fince.

THIS may perhaps pass with the Reader rather for an European or English Story, than for one of a Country fo remote. But he may please to confider, that the Caprice of Womankind are not limited by any Climate or Nation; and that they are much more uniform than can be easily imagined.

IN about a Month's Time I had made a tolerable Proficiency in their Language, and was able to answer moft of the King's Questions, when I had the Honour to attend him. His Majefty discovered not the leaft Curiofity to inquire into the Laws, Government, Hiftory, Religion, or Manners of the Countries where I had been; but confined his Queftions to the State of Mathematicks, and received the Account I gave him, VOL. III. P

with

with great Contempt and Indifference, although often roufed by his Flapper on each Side.

CHA P. III.

A Phænomenon folved by modern Philofophy and Aftronemy. The Laputians great Improvements in the latter. The King's Method of fuppreffing Infurrections,

I

DESIRED Leave of this Prince to fee the Curiofities of the Island; which he was graciously pleafed 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; its Diameter 7837 Yards, or about four Miles and an half, and confequently contains ten thousand Acres. It is three hundred Yards thick. The Bottom, or under Surface, which appears to those who view it from below, is one even regular Plate of Adamant, hooting up to the Height of about two hundred Yards. Above it ly the feveral Minerals in their ufual Order; and over all is a Coat, of rich Mould ten or twelve Foot deep. The Declivity of the upper Surface, from the Circumference to the Center, is the natural Cause why all the Dews and Rains which fall upon the Ifland, are conveyed in fmall Rivulets towards the Middle, where they are emptied into four large Bafons, each of about half a Mile in Circuit, and two hundred Yards diftant from the Center. From these Basons the Water is continually exhaled by the Sun in the Day-time, which effectually prevents their overflowing. Befides, as it is in the Power of the Monarch to raise the Island above the Region of Clouds and Vapours, he can prevent the falling of Dews and Rains, whenever he pleases. For the highest Clouds cannot rife above two Miles, as Natu

ralifts

ralifts agree, at least they were never known to do fo in that Country..

Ar the Center of the Island there is a Chafm about fifty Yards in Diameter, from whence the Aftronomers descend into a large Dome, which is therefore salled Flandona Gagnole, or the Aftronomers Cave; fituated at the Depth of an hundred Yards beneath the upper Surface of the Adamant. In this Cave are twenty Lamps continually burning, which from the Reflexion of the Adamant caft a ftrong Light into every Part. The Place is ftored with great Variety of Sextants, Quadrants, Telescopes, Aftrolabes, and other Aftronomical Inftruments. But the greatest Curiofity, upon which the Fate of the Island depends, is a Load-ftone of a prodigious Size, in Shape refembling a Weaver's Shuttle. It is in Length fix Yards, and in the thickeft Part at least three Yards over. This Magnet is fuftained by a very ftrong Axle of Adamant, paffing through its middle, upon which it plays, and is poised fo exactly that the weakest Hand can turn it: It is hooped round with an hollow Cylinder of Adamant; four Foot deep, as inany thick, and twelve Yards in diameter, placed horizontally, and fupported by eight adamantine Feet, each fix Yards high. In the Middle of the concave Side, there is a Groove twelve Inches deep, in which the Extremities of the Axle are lodged, and turned round as there is Occafion.

THIS Stone cannot be moved from its Place by any Force, becaufe the Hoop and its Feet are one continued Piece with that Body of Adamant which con ftitutes the Bottom of the Ifland..

By Means of this Load-stone, the Island is made to rife and fall, and move from one Place to another. For, with respect to that Part of the Earth over which the Monarch prefides, the Stone is endued at one of its Sides with an attractive Power, and at the other with a repulfive. Upon placing the Magnet erect with its attracting End towards the Earth, the Ifland defcends; but when the repelling Extremity points downwards, the Island mounts directly upwards. When the Pofi

tion of the Stone is oblique, the Motion of the Island is fo too. For in this Magnet the Forces always act in Lines parallel to its Direction.

с

By this oblique Motion the Ifland is conveyed to different Parts of the Monarch's Dominions. To explain the Manner of its Progrefs, let A B reprefent a Line drawn cross the Dominions of Balnibarbi, let the Line C d reprefent the Load ftone, of which let d be the repelling End, and the attracting End, the Island being over C; let the Stone be placed in the Pofition ed with its repelling End downwards; then the Ifland will be driven upwards obliquely towards D. When it is arrived at D, let the Stone be turned upon its Axle till its attracting End points towards E, and then the Iland will be carried obliquely towards E; where if the Stone be again turned upon its Axle until it stands, in the Pofition E F, with its repelling Point downwards,. the Island will rife obliquely towards F, whereby directing the attracting End towards G, the Island may be carried to G, and from G to H, by turning the Stone, so as to make its repelling Extremity point directly downwards. And thus by changing the Situation of the Stone as often as there is Occafion, the Island is made to rife and fall by turns in an oblique Direction; and by thofe alternate Rifings and Fallings (the Obliquity being not confiderable) is conveyed from one Part of the Dominions to the other.

BUT it must be observed, that this Ifland cannot move beyond the Extent of the Dominions below; nor can it rife above the Height of four Miles. For which the Aftronomers (who have written large Syftems concerning the Stone) affign the following Reafon: That the Magnetick Virtue does not extend beyond the Diftance of four Miles, and that the Mineral which acts upon the Stone in the Bowels of the Earth, and in the Sea about fix Leagues diftant from the Shore, is not diffused through the whole Globe, but terminated with the Limits of the King's Dominions: And it was easy from the great Advantage of fuch a fuperior Situa