The wives and daughters lament their confinement to the island, 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 please, they long to fee the world, and take the diverfions of the metropolis, which they are not allowed to do without a particular licence from the King; and this is not easy 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 feveral children, is married to the prime minifter, 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 search for her, and she was found in an obscure eating-house all in rags, having pawned her cloaths to maintain an old de formed foot-man, who beat her every day, and in whofe company she was taken much against her will. And al though her hufband received her with all poffible kind nefs, and without the leaft reproach, fhe foon after con trived to steal down again with all her jewels to the fame gallant, and hath not been heard of fince.

This may perhaps pafs with the reader rather for an European or English story, than for one of a country fo remote. But he may pleafe to confider, that the caprices of women-kind 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 most of the King's questions, when I had the honour to attend him. His Majelty difcovered not the leaft curiofity to enquire into the laws, government, hiftory, religion, or manners of the countries where I had been, but confined his questions to the ftate of mathematics, and received the account I gave him with great contempt and indiffe rence, though often roufed by his flapper on each fide.

GH.A P..

A phænomenon folved by modern philofophy and aftronomy. The Laputians great improvements in the latter. The King's method of fuppressing infurrections.

I

Defired leave of this prince to fee the curiofities of the island, which he was graciously pleased 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 philosophical 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 furface, which appears to those who view it from below, is one even regular plate of adamant, shooting up to the height of about two hundred yards. Above it lie the feveral minerals in their ufual order, and over all is a coat of rich mould, ten or twelve feet deep. The declivity of the upper furface, from the circumference to the center, is the natural cause why all the dews and rains, which fall upon the island, 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 thefe bafons the water is continually exhaled by the fun in the day-time, which effectually prevents their overflowing. Befides, as it is in the power of the monarch to raise the ifland 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 naturalifts agree, at least they were never known to do fo in that country.

At the center of the island there is a chaẩm about fifty yards in diameter, from whence the aftronomers defcend into a large dome, which is therefore called fandona gagnole, or the aftronomer's cave, fituated at the depth of a hundred yards beneath the upper furface of the ada

mant,

mant. In this cave are twenty lamps continually burn. ing, which from the reflexion of the adamant, caft a ftrong light into every part. The place is ftored with great variety of fextants, quadrants, telescopes, aftrolabes, and other astronomical inftruments. But the greateft curiofity, upon which the fate of the island depends, is a loadstone of a prodigious fize, in fhape refembling a weaver's shuttle. It is in length fix yards, and in the thickest part at least three yards over. This magnet is fuftained by a very strong axle of adamant passing through its middle, upon which it plays, and is poised so exactly, that the weakest hand can turn it. It is hooped round with an hollow cylinder of adamant, four feet deep, as many thick, and twelve yards in diameter, placed horizontally, and fupported by eight adamantine feet, each fix yards high. In the middle of the concave fide there is a groove twelve inches deep, in which the extremities of the axle are lodged, and turned round as there is occafion.

The ftone cannot be moved from its place by any force, because the hoop and its feet are one continued piece with that body of adamant, which conftitutes the bottom of the island.

By means of this load-ftone the island is made to rife and fall, and move from one place to another. For, with refpect to that part of the earth over which the monarch prefides, the ftone is endued at one of its fides with an attractive power, and at the other with a repulfive. Upon placing the magnet erect, with its attracting end towards the earth, the island defcends; but when the repelling extremity points down-wards, the inland mounts directly upwards. When the pofition of the ftone is oblique, the motion of the island is fo too: for in this magnet the forces always act in lines parallel to its direction.

By this oblique motion the island is conveyed to different parts of the monarch's dominions. To explain the manner of its progress, let A B reprefent a line drawn crofs the dominions of Balnibarbi, let the line c d reprefent the load-stone, of which let d be the repelling end, and c the attracting end, the island being over C; let the stone be placed in the pofition cd, with its repelling end

down

downwards; then the island will be driven upwards obliquely towards D. When it is arrived at D, let the ftone be turned upon its axle till its attracting end points towards E, and then the island will be carried obliquely towards E; where, if the ftone be again turned upon its axle till it ftands in the pofition E F, with its repelling point downward, the inland will rife obliquely towards F, where, by directing the attracting end towards G, the ifland may be carried to G, and from G to H, by turning the ftone, fo as to make its repelling extremity point directly downward. And thus, by changing the fituation of the ftone 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 obferved, 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 fyftems concerning the ftone) affign the following reafon: that the magnetic vir. tue does not extend beyond the distance of four miles, and that the mineral, which acts upon the ftone in the bowels of the earth, and in the fea about fix leagues diftant from the fhore, is not diffufed through the whole globe, but terminated with the limits of the King's dominions; and it was eafy, from the great advantage of fuch a fuperior fituation, for a prince to bring under his obedience, whatever country lay within the attraction of that magnet.

When the ftone is put parallel to the plane of the ho rizon, the island ftandeth fill; for in that cafe the extremities of it, being at equal diftance from the earth, act with equal force, the one in drawing downwards, the other in pushing upwards, and confequently no motion can enfue.

This load-ftone is under the care of certain astrono mers, who from time to time give it fuch pofitions as the monarch directs. They fpend the greatest part of their lives in obferving the celestial bodies, which they do by the affiftance of glaffes far excelling ours in goodness. For, although their largest telefcopes do not exceed three VOL: IV.

feet,

feet, they magnify much more than thofe of an hundred with us, and fhew the ftars with greater clearnefs. This advantage hath enabled them to extend their difcoveries much farther than our aftronomers in Europe; for they have made a catalogue of ten thoufand fixed ftars, whereas the largest of ours do not contain above one third part of that number. They have likewise discovered two lef fer itars, or fatellites, which revolve about Mars, whereof the innermoft is distant from the center of the primary planet, exactly three of his diameters, and the outermoft, five; the former revolves in the space of ten hours, and the latter in twenty-one and an half; fo that the fquares of their periodical times are very near in the fame proportion with the cubes of their distance from the center of Mars, which evidently fhews them to be governed by the fame law of gravitation, that influences the other heavenly bodies.

They have obferved ninety-three different comets, and fettled their periods with great exactness. If this be true, (and they affirm it with great confidence) it is much to be wifhed, that their obfervations were made public, whereby the theory of comets, which at prefent is very lame and defective, might be brought to the fame perfection with other parts of aftronomy.

The King would be the most abfolute prince in the univerfe, if he could but prevail on a miniftry to join with him; but thefe having their eftates below on the continent, and confidering that the office of a favourite hath a very uncertain tenure, would never confent to the enflav ing their country.

If any town fhould engage in rebellion or mutiny, fall into violent factions, or refufe to pay the ufual tribute, the King hath two methods of reducing them to obedience. The first and the mildest courfe is by keeping the ifland hovering over fuch a town, and the lands about it, whereby he can deprive them of the benefit of the fun and the rain, and confequently afflict the inhabitants with dearth and difeafes. And if the crime deferve it, they are at the fame time pelted from above with great stones, against which they have no defence but by creeping into cellars or caves, while the roofs of their houses are beaten to pieces. But if they still continue obftinate, or of

fer