Mations over-against them; I likewife made a Shift to learn feveral fhort Sentences. For my Tutor would order one of my Servants to fetch fomething, to turn about, to make a Bow, to fit, or to ftand, or walk, and the like. Then I took down the Sentence in Writing. He fhewed me alfo, in one of his Books, the Figures of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, the Zodiac, the Tropics, and Polar Circles, together with the Denominations of many Figures of Planes and Solids. He gave me the Names and Defcriptions of all the mufical Inftruments, and the general Terms of Art in Playing on each of them. After he had left me, I placed all my Words, with their Interpretati ons, in alphabetical Order. And thus, in a few Days, by the Help of a very faithful Memory, I got fome Infight into their Language..

The Word, which I interpret the Flying or Floating land, is, in the Original, Laputa, whereof I could never learn the true Etymology. Lap in the old obfolete Language fignifieth High, and Untuh a Governor, from which they fay, by Corruption, was derived Laputa, from Lapuntuh. But I do not approve of this Derivation, which feems to be a little ftrained. I ventured to offer to the Learned among them a Conjecture of my own, that Laputa was quafi Lap outed; Lap fignifying properly the Dancing of the Sun-Beams in the Sea, and outed a Wing, which, however, I fhall not obtrude, but fubmit to the judicious Reader.

Those to whom the King had entrusted me, obferving how ill I was clad, ordered a Taylor to come next Morning, and take my Measure for a Suit of Cloths. This Operator did his Office after a different Manner from thofe of his Trade in

Europe. He firft took my Altitude by a Quadrant, and then, with Rule and Compaffes, defcribed the Dimenfions and Out-Lines of my whole Body, all which he entered upon Paper, and in fix Days brought my Cloths very ill made, and quite out of Shape, by happening to mistake a Figure in the Calculation. But my Comfort was, that I obferved fuch Accidents very frequent, and little regarded.

During my Confinement for Want of Cloths, and by an Indifpofition that held me fome Days longer, I much enlarged my Dictionary; and, when I went next to Court, was able to underftand many Things the King fpoke, and to return him fome Kind of Anfwers. His Majefty had given Orders that the Ifland fhould move Northeaft and by Eaft, to the vertical Point over Lagado, the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom below upon the firm Earth. It was about ninety Leagues diftant, and our Voyage lafted four Days and an half. I was not in the leaft fenfible of the progreffive Motion made in the Air by the Island, On the fecond Morning, about eleven a Clock, the King himself, in Perfon, attended by his Nobility, Courtiers, and Officers, having prepared all their mufical Inftruments, played on them for three Hours, without Intermiffion, fo that I was quite ftunned with the Noise; neither could I poffibly guefs the Meaning, till my Tutor informed me. He faid, that the People of their Island had their Ears adapted to hear the Mufic of the Spheres, which always played at certain Periods, and the Court was now prepared to bear their Part, in whatever Inftrument they moft excelled.

In our Journey towards Lagado, the capital

City, his Majefty ordered that the land fhould ftop over certain Towns and Villages, from whence he might receive the Petitions of his Subjects. And to this Purpose several Pack threads were let down, with fmall Weights at the Bottom. On thefe Packthreads the People ftrung their Petitions, which mounted up directly, like the Scraps of Paper faftened by School-boys at the End of the String that holds their Kite. Sometimes we received Wine and Victuals from below which were drawn up by Pullies.

The Knowlege I had, in Mathematics, gave me great Affiftance in acquiring their Phrafeology, which depended much upon that Science and Mufic; and in the latter I was not unskilled. Their Ideas are perpetually converfant in Lines and Figures. If they would, for Example, praise the Beauty of a Woman, or any other Animal, they defcribe it by Rhombs, Circles, Parallelograms, Ellipfes, and other geometrical Terms, or by Wards of Art drawn from Mufic, needless here to repeat. I obferved, in the King's Kitchen, all Sorts of mathematical and musical Instruments, after the Figures of which they cut up the Joints that were ferved to his Majesty's Table.

Their Houfes are very ill built, the Walls bevil, without one Right-Angle in any Apartment; and this Defect arifeth from the Contempt they bear to practical Geometry, which they defpife as vulgar and mechanic, those Instructions they give being too refined for the Intellectuals of their Workmen, which occafions perpetual Mistakes. And although they are dextrous enough upon a Piece of Paper in the Management of the Rule, the Pencil, and the Divider, yet, in the common Actions and Behaviour of Life, I have not feen a

more clumfy, awkward, and unhandy People, nor fo flow and perplexed in their Conceptions upon all other Subjects, except thofe of Mathematics and Mufic. They are very bad Reafoners, and vehemently given to Oppofition, unlefs when they happen to be of the right Opinion, which is feldom their Cafe. Imagination, Fancy, and Invention, they are wholly Strangers to, nor have any Words in their Language, by which those Ideas can be expreffed; the whole Compafs of their Thoughts and Mind being fhut up within the two forementioned Sciences."

Most of them, and especially those who deal in the aftronomical Part, have great Faith in judicial Aftrology, although they are afhamed to own it publicly. But, what I chiefly admired, and thought altogether unaccountable, was the ftrong Difpofition I obferved in them towards News and Politics, perpetually enquiring into Public Affairs, giving their Judgments in Matters of State, and paffionately difputing every Inch of a Party Opinion. I have, indeed, obferved the fame Difpofition among most of the Mathematicians I have known in Europe, although I could never dif cover the leaft Analogy between the two Sciences; unless those People fuppofe, that, because the fmalleft Circle hath as many Degrees as the largeft, therefore the Regulation and Management of the World require no more Abilities, than the Handling and Turning of a Globe: But I rather take this Quality to fpring from a very common Infirmity of human Nature, inclining us to be more curious and conceited in Matters where we have leaft Concern, and for which we are least adapted, either by Study or Nature.

Thefe

These People are under continual Difquietudes, never enjoying a Minute's Peace of Mind; and their Disturbances proceed from Causes which very little affect the rest of Mortals. Their Ap prehenfions arife from feveral Changes they dread in the celeftial Bodies. For Inftance, that the Earth, by the continual Approaches of the Sun towards it, muft, in Course of Time, be abforbed, or fwallowed up. That the Face of the Sun will by Degrees be encrufted 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 laft Comet, which would have infallibly reduced it to Afhes; and that the next, which they have calculated for one and thirty Years hence, will probably deftroy us. For, if in its Perihelion it fhould approach within a certain Degree of the Sun (as by their Calculations they have Reason to dread) it will conceive a 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 thousand Miles from the Nucleus, or main Body of the Comet, it must in its Paffage be fet on Fire, and reduced to Ashes. That the Sun, daily fpending its Rays without any Nutriment to fupply them, will at laft 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 these, and the like impending Dangers, that they can neither fleep quietly in their Beds, nor have any Relifh for the common Plea

fures