ページの画像
PDF
ePub

journed fome Time in my Travels, the Bulk of the People confift, in a Manner, wholly of Difcoverers, Witneffes, Informers, Aceuters, Profecutors, Evidences, Swearers, together with their feveral fubfervient and fubaltern Inftruments, all under the Colours, the Conduct, and Pay of Minifters of State, and their Deputies. The Plots in that Kingdom are ufually the Workmanship of thofe Perfons, who defire to raise their own Cha racters of profound Politicians; to restore new Vigour to a crazy Administration; to stifle or diyert general Discontents; to fill their Coffers with Forfeitures; and raise or fink the Opinion of the Public Credit, as either fhall beft anfwer their private Advantage. It is firft agreed, and fettled among them, what fufpected Perfons fhall be accufed of a Plot: Then, effectual Care is taken to fecure all their Letters and Papers, and put the Owners in Chains. Thefe Papers are delivered to a Sett of Artists, very dexterous in finding out the myfterious Meanings of Words, Syllables, and Letters For Inftance, they can difcover a Closeftool to fignify a Privy-Council; a Flock of Geefe, a Senate; a lame Dog, an Invader; the Plague, a Standing Army; a Buzzard, a Prime Minifter; the Gout, a High Priest; a Gibbet, a Secretary of State; a Chamber-pot, a Committee of Grandees; a Sieve, a Court Lady; a Broom, a Revolution; a Moufe-trap, an Employment; a bottomless Pit, a Treasury; a Sink, a Court; a Cap and Bells, a Favourite; a broken Reed, a Court of Juftice; an empty Tun, a General; a running Sore, the Administration.

Where this Method fails, they have two others more effectual, which the Learned among them call Acroftics and Anagrams. First, they can decypher

cypher all initial Letters into political Meanings. Thus, N fhall fignify a Plot, B a Regiment of Horse, La Fleet at Sea: Or, Secondly, by tranfpofing the Letters of the Alphabet in any fufpected Paper, they can lay open the deepest Designs of a discontented Party. So, for Example, if I fhould fay in a Letter to a Friend, Our Brother Tom has just got the Piles, a skilful Decypherer would difcover, that the fame Letters, which com pose that Sentence, may be analysed in the fol lowing Words: Refift, a Plot is brought The Tour. And this is the anagram

Home

matic Method.

The Profeffor made me great Acknowledgements for communicating thefe Obfervations, and promised to make honourable Mention of me in his Treatife.

I faw nothing in this Country that could invite me to a longer Continuance, and began to think of returning Home to England.

CHAP. VII.

The Author leaves Lagado,

arrives at Maldo

He takes a short

nada. No Ship ready. Voyage to Glubbdubdrib. His Reception by the Governor.

T

HE Continent, of which this Kingdom is

a Part, extends itself, as I have Reason to believe, Eastward to that unknown Tract of America, Weftward of California, and North to the Pacific Ocean, which is not above a hundred and fifty Miles from Lagado; where there is a good Port, and much Commerce with the great Ifland

of

of Luggnagg, fituated to the North-weft about 29 Degrees North Latitude, and 140 Longitude. This Ifland of Luggnagg ftands South-eastwards of Japan, about an hundred Leagues diftant. There is a ftrict Alliance between the Japanese Emperor and the King of Luggnagg, which affords frequent Opportunities of failing from one Island to the other. I determined therefore to direct my Course this Way, in order to my Return to Europe. I hired two Mules, with a Guide, to fhew me the Way, and carry my fmall Baggage. I took Leave of my noble Protector, who had fhewn me fo much Favour, and made me a generous Present at my Departure.

My Journey was without any Accident, or Ad-venture, worth relating. When I arrived at the Port of Maldonada (for fo it is called) there was no Ship in the Harbour bound for Luggnagg, nor like to be in fome Time. The Town is about as large as Portsmouth. I foon fell into fome Acquaintance, and was very hofpitably received. A Gentleman of Diftinction faid to me, that fince the Ships, bound for Luggnagg, could not be ready in lefs than a Month, it might be no disagreeable Amusement for me to take a Trip to the little Ifland of Glubbdubdrib, about five Leagues off to the South-weft. He offered himfelf and a Friend to accompany me, and that I should be provided with a small convenient Barque for the Voyage.

Glubbdubdrib, as nearly as I can interpret the Word, fignifies the Ifland of Sorcerers or Magicians. It is about one Third as large as the Isle of Wight, and extremely fruitful: It is governed by the Head of a certain Tribe, who are all Magicians. This Tribe marries only among each other, and the eldest, in Succeffion, is Prince or Gover

nor.

nor. He hath a noble Palace, and a Park of a bout three thoufand Acres, furrounded by a Wall of hewn Stone, twenty Feet high. In this Park are feveral fmall Inclofures for Cattle, Corn, and Gardening.

The Governor and his Family are ferved and attended by Domestics of a Kind somewhat unusual. By his Skill in Necromancy, he hath a Power of calling whom he pleaseth from the Dead, and commanding their Service for twenty-four Hours, but no longer; nor can he call the fame Perfons up again in less than three Months, except upon very extraordinary Occafions.

When we arrived at the Island, which was a bout eleven in the Morning, one of the Gentlemen, who accompanied me, went to the Gover nor, and defired Admittance for a Stranger, who came on Purpose to have the Honour of attending on his Highness. This was immediately granted, and we all three entered the Gate of the Palace, between two Rows of Guards, armed and dreffed after a very antic Manner, and fomething in their Countenances that made my Flesh creep with a Horror I cannot exprefs. We paffed through feveral "Apartments, between Servants of the fame Sort, ranked on each Side, as before, till we came to the Chamber of Prefence, where, after three profound Obey fances, and few general Queftions, we were permitted to fit on three Stools, near the lowest Step of his Highness's Throne. He underftood the Language of Balnibarbi, although it were different from that of this Ifland. He defired me to give him fome Account of my Travels; and, to let me fee that I fhould be treated without Ceremony, he difmiffed all his Attendants with a Turn of his Finger, at which, to my great

Afto

Aftonishment, they vanifhed in an Inftant, like Vifions in a Dream, when we awake on a fudden. I could not recover myself in fome Time, till the Governor affured me, that I fhould receive no Hurt; and obferving my two Companions to be under no Concern, who had been often entertained in the fame Manner, I began to take Courage, and related to his Highness a short Hiftory of my feveral Adventures; yet not without fome Hefita tion, and frequently looking behind me, to the Place where I had feen thofe domeftic Spectres. I had the Honour to dine with the Governor, where a new Sett of Ghofts ferved up the Meat, and waited at Table. I now obferved myself to be lefs terrified than I had been in the Morning. I ftayed till Sun-fet, but humbly defired his Highnefs to excufe me for not accepting his Invitation of Lodging in the Palace. My two Friends and I lay at a private Houfe in the Town adjoining, which is the Capital of this little Island; and the next Morning we returned to pay our Duty to the Governor, as he was pleased to command us.

After this Manner, we continued in the Ifland for ten Days, moft Part of every Day with the Governor, and at Night in our Lodging. I foon grew fo familiarized to the Sight of Spirits, that, after the third or fourth Time, they gave me no Emotion at all; or, if I had any Apprehenfions left, my Curiofity prevailed over them. For his Highnefs the Governor ordered me to call up whatever Perfons I would chufe to name, and in whatever Numbers, among all the Dead, from the Beginning of the World, to this present Time, and command them to answer any Questions I fhould think fit to ask; with this Condition, that my Questions must be confined within the Compafs

of

« 前へ次へ »