certainly take in viewing the grand Academy, whither he was refolved I should go. He only defired me to observe 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 thofe Projectors came to him, with Propofals to deftroy this Mill, and build another on the Side of that Mountain, on the long Ridge whereof a long Canal must be cut for a Repofitory 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 becaufe 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 intirely upon him, railing at him ever fince, and putting others upon the fame Experiment, with equal Affurance of Succefs, as well as equal Disappointment.

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 pleafed to represent me as a great Admirer of Projects, and a Perfon of much Curiofity, and eafy Belief; which, indeed, was not without Truth; for I

had

had myself been a Sort of Projector in my younger Days.

CHAP. V.

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

T

H'IS Academy is not an intire fingle Building, but a Continuation of feveral Houses on both Sides of a Street, which, growing waste, was purchased, 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.

The firft Man I faw was of a meagre Afpect, with footy Hands and Face, his Hair and Beard long, ragged and finged in feveral Places. His Clothes, Shirt, and Skin, were all of the fame Colour. He 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, he fhould be able to fupply the Governor's Gardens with Sun-fhine at a reafonable Rate; but he complained that his Stock was low, and entreated me to give him fomething as an Encouragement to Ingenuity, especially fince this had been a very dear Seafon for Cucumbers. I made him a fmall Prefent, for my Lord had furnifhed

nifhed me with Money on Purpofe, because he knew their Practice of begging from all who go to see them.

I went into another Chamber, but was ready to haften back, being almoft overcome with a horrible Stink. My Conductor preffed me forward, conjuring me, in a Whisper, to give no Offence, which would be highly refented, and therefore I durft not fo much as ftop my Nofe. The Projector of this Cell was the most antient Student of the Academy; his Face and Beard were of a pale Yellow; his Hands and Clothes dawbed over with Filth. When I was prefented to him, he gave me a clofe Embrace (a Compli ment I could well have excufed). His Employ. ment, from his firft Coming into the Academy, was an Operation to reduce human Excrement to its original Food, by feparating the feveral Parts, removing the Tincture which it receives from the Gall, making the Odour exhale, and fcumming off the Saliva. He had a weekly Allowance from the Society, of a Veffel filled with human Ordure, about the Bignefs of a Bristol Barrel.

I faw another at Work, to calcine Ice into Gun-powder, who likewife fhewed me a Treatise he had written concerning the Malleability of Fire, which he intended to publish.

There was a moft ingenious Architect, who had contrived a new Method for building Houfes, by beginning at the Roof, and working downwards to the Foundation, which he juftified to me, by the like Practice of those two prudent Infects, the Bee and the Spider.

There was a Man born blind, who had feveral Apprentices in his own Condition: Their Employment was to mix Colours for Painters, which