cure all their letters and papers, and put the owners in chains. Thefe papers are delivered to a fett of artifts, very dexterous in finding out the mysterious meanings of words, fyllables, and letters: for inftance, they can difcover a clofeftool to fignify a privy-council; a flock of geefe, a fenate; a lame dog, an invader; the plague, a ftanding army; a buzzard, a prime minifter; the gout, an high priest; a gibbet, a secretary of state; a chamber-pot, a committee of grandees; a fieve, a court-lady; a broom, a revolution; a mousetrap, an employment; a bottomless pit, a treafury; a fink, a court; a cap and bells, a favourite; a broken reed, a court of justice; an empty tun, a general; a running fore, the administration. When this method fails, they have two others more effectual, which the learned among them call acrostics and anagrams. First, they can decypher all initial letters into political meanings. Thus, N fhall fignify a plot, B, a regiment of horfe, L, a fleet at fea: or, fecondly, by tranfpofing the letters of the alphabet in any fufpected paper, they can lay open the deepest designs of a difcontented 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 compofe that fentence, may be analyfed into the following words, a See the proceedings against Dr. Atterbury, bishop of Rochester State Trials, Vol. VI. Refift, -The tour: Refift, --a plot is brought home The profeffor made me great acknowledgments 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 Maldonada. No fhip ready. He takes a fhort voyage to Glubbdubdrib. His reception by the go vernor. HE continent, of which this kingdom TH is a part, extends itself, as I have reason to believe, eastward to that unknown tract of America westward 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 island of Luggnagg, fituated to the northweft about 29 degrees north latitude, and 140 longitude. This ifland of Luggnagg ftands fouth-eastward of Japan, about an hundred leagues diftant. There is a strict alliance between the Japanese emperor and the king of Luggnagg, which affords frequent opportunities of failing from one ifland to the other. I determined therefore to direct my course this way way in order to my return to Europe. I hired two mules, with a guide, to fhew me the way, and carry my small baggage. I took leave of my noble protector, who had fhewn me fo much favour, and made me a generous prefent at my departure. My journey was without any accident or adventure worth relating. When I arrived at the port of Maldonada (for so 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 hofpita bly received. A gentleman of diftinction faid to me, that fince the fhips 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 fouth-weft. He offered himself 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 island of forcerers 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 fucceffion is prince or governor. He hath a noble palace, and a park of about three thousand acres, furrounded by a wall of hewn ftone twenty feet high. In this park are several fmall fmall inclofures for cattle, corn, and gardening. The governor and his family are ferved and attended by domeftics of a kind fomewhat unufual. By his fkill in necromancy he hath a power of calling whom he pleaseth from the dead, and commanding their fervice for twen→ four hours, but no longer; nor can he call the fame perfons up again in lefs than three months, except upon very extraordinary occafions. When we arrived at the island, which was about eleven in the morning, one of the gentlemen, who accompanied me, went to the governor, 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 flesh creep my with a horror I cannot exprefs. We paffed through several apartments between fervants of the fame fort ranked on each fide, as before, till we came to the chamber of presence, where, after three profound obeyfances and a few general 'queftions, we were permitted to fit on three ftools near the lowest step of his highnefs's throne. He understood 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 difVOL. II. $ miffed miffed all his attendants with a turn of his finger, at which to my great aftonishment they vánifhed in an inftant, like vifions in a dream, when we awake on a sudden. 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 fhort history of my several adventures; yet not without fome hesitation, and frequently looking behind me to the place, where I had feen thofe domeftic fpectres. I had the honour to dine with the governor, where a new fett of ghosts served up the meat, and waited at table. I now obferved myself to be lefs terrified, than I had been in the morning. I stayed till fun-fet, but humbly defired his highness to excufe me for not accepting his invitation of lodging in the palace. My two friends and I lay at a private house in the town adjoining, which is the capital of this little ifland; 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 island for ten days, moft part of every day with the governor, and at night in our lodging. I foon grew fo familiarized to the fight 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 highness the governor ordered me to call |