of the Stone as often as there is Occafion, the Iland is made to rife and fall by Turns in an oblique Direction, and by thofe alternate Rifings and Fallings (the Obliquity being not confidera ble) is conveyed from one Part of the Dominions to the other.

But it must be observed, that this Island 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 Syftems concerning the Stone) affign the following Reafon: That the magnetic Virtue does not extend beyond the Distance of four Miles, and that the Mineral which acts upon the Stone in the Bowels of the Earth, and in the Sea about fix Leagues diftant from the Shore, is not diffused 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 Situation, for a Prince to bring under his Obedience whatever Country lay within the Attraction of that Magnet.

When the Stone is put parallel to the Plane of the Horizon, the Island standeth ftill; for, in that Cafe, the Extremities of it, being at equal Distance 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 Aftronomers, 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 Affiltance of Glaffes, far excelling ours in Goodness. For, although their largest Telescopes do not exteed three Feet, they magnify much more than

thofe

those of an hundred among us, and at the fame Time fhew the Stars with greater Clearness. This Advantage hath enabled them to extend their Difcoveries much farther than our Astronomers in Europe; for they have made a Catalogue of ten thousand fixed Stars, whereas the largest of ours do not contain above one third Part of that Number. They have likewise discovered two leffer Stars, or Satellites, which revolvé about Mars, whereof the innermost 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; so that the Squares of their periodical Times are very near in the famé 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 wished, that their Obfervations were made public, whereby the Theory of Comets, which at present is very lame and defective, might be brought to the famė Perfection with other Parts of Aftronomy.

The King would be the most abfolute Prince in the Universe, if he could but prevail on a Miniftry to join with him; but these 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 enflaving their Country.

If any Town fhould engage in Rebellion or Mutiny, fall into violent Factions, or refuse to

pay

pay the ufual Tribute, the King hath two Methods of reducing them to Obedience. The firft and the mildeft 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 Sun and the Rain, and confequently afflict the Inhabitants with Death 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 ftill continue obftinate, or offer to raise Infurrections, he proceeds to the laft Remedy, by letting the Island drop directly upon their Heads, which makes an univerfal Deftruction, both of Houfes and Men. However, this is an Extremity to which the Prince is feldom driven, neither, indeed, is he willing to put it in Execution, nor dare his Minifters advise him to an Action, which, as it would render them odious to the People, fo it would be a great Damage to their own Eltates, which lie all below, for the Inland is the King's Demein.

But there is still, indeed, a more weighty Reafon, why the Kings of this Country have been always averfe from executing fo terrible, an Action, unless upon the utmoft Neceffity. For if the Town, intended to be deftroyed, fhould have in it any tall Rocks, as it generally falls out in the larger Cities, a Situation probably chofen at first, with a View to prevent fuch a Catastrophe; or, if it abound in high Spires, or Pillars of Stone, a fudden Fall might endanger the Bottom, or under Surface of the land, which, altho' it confift, as I have faid, of one intire Adamant two hundred Yards thick, might happen to crack by too great a Q Choque,

Choque, or burst, by approaching too near the Fires from the Houfes below, as the Backs both of Iron and Stone will often do in our Chimnies. Of all this, the People are well apprifed, and understand how far to carry their Obstinacy, where their Liberty or Property is concerned. And the King, when he is highest provoked, and moft determined to prefs a City to Rubbish, orders the Ifland to defcend with great Gentleness, out of a Pretence of Tenderness to his People; but, indeed, for Fear of breaking the adamantine Bottom; in which Cafe, it is the Opinion of all their Philofophers, that the Load-ftone could no longer hold it up, and the whole Mass would fall to the Ground.

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By a fundamental Law of this Realm, neither the King, nor either of his two elder Sons, are permitted to leave the Island, nor the Queen, till The is paft Child-bearing.

CHA P. IV.

The Author leaves Laputa, is conveyed to Balnibarbi, arrives at the Metropolis. A Defcription of the Metropolis, and the Country adjoining. The Author hofpitably received by a great Lord. His Converfation with that Lord.

Lthough I cannot fay that I was ill-treated

I

myself too much neglected, not without fome Degree of Contempt. For neither Prince nor Peo ple appeared to be curious in any Part of Knowledge, except Mathematics and Mufic, wherein

I was far their inferior, and upon that Account very little regarded.

On the other Side, after having feen all the Curiofities of the Ifland, I was very defirous to leave it, being heartily weary of thofe People. They were, indeed, excellent in two Sciences, for which I have great Efteem, and wherein I am not unverfed, but at the fame Time so abstracted and involved in Speculation, that I never met with fuch difagreeable Companions. I converfed only with Women, Tradefmen, Flappers, and CourtPages, during two Months of my Abode there; by which, at laft, I rendered myself extremely contemptible; yet these were the only People from whom I could ever receive a reasonable Anfwer.

I had obtained, by hard Study, a good Degree of Knowledge in their Language; I was weary of being confined to an Ifland, where I received fo little Countenance, and refolved to leave it with the first Opportunity.

There was a great Lord at Court, nearly related to the King, and, for that Reason alone, used with Refpect. He was univerfally reckoned the moft ignorant and ftupid Perfon among them. He had performed many eminent Services for the Crown, had great natural and acquired Parts, adorned with Integrity and Honour, but fo ill an Ear for Mufic, that his Detractors reported he had been often known to beat Time in the wrong Place; neither could his Tutors, without extreme Difficulty, teach him to demonstrate the most easy Propofition in the Mathematics. He was pleased to fhew me many Marks of Favour, often did me the Honour of a Vifit, defired to be informed in the Affairs of Europe, the Laws and Customs, the O 2

Man