fire my Conductor, that he would be pleased to explain to me what could be meant by fo many bufŷ Heads, Hands and Faces, both in the Streets and the Fields, because I did not difcover any good Effects they produced; but on the contrary, I never knew a Soil fo unhappily cultivated, Houfes fo ill contrived and fo ruinous, or a People whofe Countenances and Habit expreffed fo much Mifery and Want.

THIS Lord Muncdi was a Perfon of the firft Rank, and had been fome Years Governor of Lagado; but by a Cabal of Ministers was difcharged for Infufficiency. However the King treated him with Tendernefs, as a well-meaning Man, but of a low contem-ptible Understanding.

WHEN I gave that free Cenfure of the Country and its Inhabitants, he made no further Answer than by telling me, that I had not been long enough among them to form a Judgment; and that the different Nations of the World had different Customs; with other common Topicks to the fame Purpose. But when we returned to his Palace, he asked me how I liked the Building, what Abfurdities I obferved, and what Quarrel I had with the Drefs and Looks of his Domesticks. This he might fafely do; because every Thing about him was magnificent, regular and polite. I answered, that his Excellency's Prudence, Quality, and Fortune, had exempted him from those Defects which Folly and Beggary had produced in o-thers. He faid, if I would go with him to his Country-house about twenty Miles diftant, where his Eftate lay, there would be more Leifure for this Kind of Converfation. I told his Excellency that I was entirely at his Difpofal; and accordingly we fet outs next Morning.

DURING Our Journey, he made me obferve the fe veral Methods ufed by Farmers in managing their Lands; which to me were, wholly unaccountable: For except in fome very few Places, I could not difcover one Ear of Corn, or Blade of Grafs. But, in three Hours travelling, the Scene was wholly altered-;

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we came into a most beautiful Country; Farmers Houses at fmall Distances, neatly built, the Fields inclofed, containing Vineyards, Corn-grounds and Meadows. Neither do I remember to have feen a more delightful Profpect. His Excellency obferved my Countenance to clear up, he told me with a Sigh, that there his Estate began, and would continue the fame until we fhould come to his Houfe. That his Countrymen ridiculed and despised him for managing his Affairs no better, and for fetting fo ill an Example to the Kingdom: which however was followed by very few, fuch as were old and wilful, and weak like himself.

WE came at length to the Houfe, which was indeed a noble Structure, built according to the best Rules of antient Architecture. The Fountains, Gardens, Walks, Avenues, and Groves were all difpofed with exact Judgment and Tafte. I gave due Praises to every Thing I faw, whereof his Excellency took not the leaft Notice until after Supper; when, there being no third Companion, he told me with a very melancholy Air, that he doubted he must throw down his Houfes in Town and Country, to rebuild them after the prefent Mode; deltroy all his Plantations, and caft others into fuch a Form as modern Ufage required, and give the fame Directions to all his Tenants, unless he would fubmit to incur, the Cenfure of Pride, Singularity, Affectation, Ignorance, Caprice; and perhaps increase his Majefty's Difpleasure.

THAT the Admiration I appeared to be under, would ceafe or diminish when he had informed me of fome Particulars, which probably I never heard of at Court, the People there being too much taken up in their own Speculations, to have Regard to what paffed here below.

THE Sum of his Difcourfe was to this Effect. That about forty Years ago, certain Perfons went up to Laputa, either upon Bufinefs or Diverfion; and after five Months Continuance, came back with a very little Smattering in the Mathematicks, but full of vo

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latile Spirits acquired in that airy Region. That thefe Persons upon their Return, began to dislike the Management of every Thing below; and fell into Schemes of putting all Arts, Sciences, Languages, and Mechanicks upon a new Foot. To this end they procured a Royal Patent for erecting an Academy of PROJECTORS in Lagado: And the Humour prevailed fo ftrongly among the People, that there is not a Town of any Confequence in the Kingdom without fuch an Academy. In thefe Colleges, the Profeffors contrive new Rules and Methods of Agriculture and "Building, and new Inftruments and Tools for all Trades and Manufactures, whereby, as they undertake, one Man fhall do the Work of ten; a Palace may be built in a Week, of Materials so durable as to laft for ever without repairing. All the Fruits of the Earth fhall come to Maturity at whatever Seafon we think fit to chufe, and increafe an hundredfold more than they do at prefent; with innumerable other happy Propofals. The only Inconvenience is, that none of these Projects are yet brought to PerfeЄtion; and in the mean time, the whole Country lies miferably wafte, the Houses in Ruins, and the People without Food or Cloaths. By all which, instead of being difcouraged, they are fifty times more violently bent upon profecuting their Schemes, driven equally on by Hope and Defpair: That, as for himself, being not of an enterprifing Spirit, he was content to go on in the old Forms; to live in the Houfes his Anceftors had built, and act as they did in every Part of Life without Innovation. That, fome few other Perfons of Quality and Gentry had done the fame; but were looked on with an Eye of Contempt and Ill-will, as Enemies to Art, ignorant, and ill Commonwealthsmen, preferring their own Eafe and Sloth before the general Improvement of their Country.

His Lordfhip added, that he would not by any further Particulars prevent the Pleasure I fhould certainly take in viewing the grand Academy, whither he was refolved I fhould go. He only defired me to obferve a

ruined Building upon the Side of a Mountain about three Miles diftant, of which he gave me this Account: That he had a very convenient Mill within half a Mile of his House, turned by a Current from a large River, and fufficient for his own Family as well as a great Number of his Tenants: That, about feven Years ago, a Club of those Projectors came to him with Propofals to destroy this Mill, and build another on the Side of that Mountain, on the long Ridge whereof, a long Canal must be cut for a Repository of Water, to be conveyed up by Pipes and Engines to fupply the Mill; because the Wind and Air, upon a Height, agitated the Water, and thereby made it fitter for Motion: And because the Water defcending down a Declivity, would turn the Mill with half the Current of a River whose Course is more upon a Level. He faid, that being then not very well with the Court, and preffed by many of his Friends, he complied with the Propofal; and after employing an hundred Men for two Years, the Work mifcarried, the Projectors went off, laying the Blame entirely upon him; railing at him ever fince, and putting others upon the fame Experiment, with equal Affurance of Succefs, as well as equal Difappointment.

In a few Days we came back to Town; and his Excellency, confidering the bad Character he had in the Academy, would not go with me himfelf, but recommended me to a Friend of his to bear me Company thither. My Lord was pleased to represent me as a geat Admirer of Projects, and a Perfon of much Curiofity and eafy Belief; which indeed was not without Truth; for I had myself been a Sort of Projector in my younger Days.

VOL. III.

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CHAP.

CHA P. V.

The Author permitted to fee the grand Academy of Lagado. The Academy largely defcribed. The Arts wherein the Profeffors employ themselves.

TH

HIS Academy is not an entire fingle Building, but a Continuation of feveral Houfes on both Sides of a Street; which growing wafte, was purchafed and applied to that Ufe.

I was received very kindly by the Warden, and went for many Days to the Academy. Every Room hath in it one or more Projectors; and I believe I could not be in fewer than five hundred Rooms.

He

THE first Man I saw was of a meagre Afpect, with footy Hands and Face, his Hair and Beard long, ragged, and finged in feveral Places. His Cloaths, Shirt, and Skin, were all of the fame Colour. had been eight Years upon a Project for extracting Sun-beams out of Cucumbers, which were to be put into Vials hermetically fealed, and let out to warm the Air in raw inclement Summers. He told me, he did not doubt in eight Years more, that he should be able to fupply the Governor's Gardens with Sunfhine at a reasonable Rate; but he complained that his Stock was low, and intreated me to give him fomething as an Encouragement to Ingenuity, especially fince this had been a very dear Season for Cucumbers. I made him a fmall Prefent; for my Lord had furnished me with Money on purpose, because he knew their Practice of begging from all who go to fee them.

I went into another Chamber, but was ready to haften back, being almost overcome with a horrible Stink. My Conductor preffed me forward, conjuring me in a Whifper to give no Offence, which would be highly refented; and therefore I durft not