I CHA P. VI Of the Inhabitants of Lilliput; their A Lthough I intend to leave the Defcription of this Empire to a particular Treatife, yet in the mean time I am content to gratify the curious Reader with fome general Ideas. As the common Size of the Natives is somewhat under fix Inches high, fo there is an exact Proportion in all other Animals, as well as Plants and Trees: For inftance, the tallest Horfes and Oxen are between four and five Inches ches in height, the Sheep an Inch and a half, more or lefs; their Geese about the bigness of a Sparrow, and fo the several Gradations downwards, till you come to the smallest, which, to my fight, were almost invisible; but Nature hath adapted the Eyes of the Lilliputians to all Objects proper for their view: They fee with great exactness, but at no great dif tance. And to show the sharpness of their Sight toward Objects that are near, I have been much pleased obferving a Cook pulling a Lark, which was not fo large as a common Fly; and a young Girl threading an invifible Needle with invifible Silk. Their talleft Trees are about feven foot high: Imean fome of those in the great Royal Park, the Tops whereof I could but just reach with my Fift clenched. The other Vegetables are in the fame Proportion; but this I leave to the Reader's Imagination. Ifhall fay but little at prefent of their Learning, which for many Ages hath flourished flourished in all its Branches among them: But their manner of Writing is very peculiar, being neither from the Left to the Right, like the Europeans; nor from the Right to the Left, like the Arabians; nor from up to down, like the Chinese; nor from down to up, like the Cafcagians but aflant from one Corner of the Paper to the other, like Ladies in England. THEY bury their Dead with their Heads directly downwards, because they hold an Opinion, that in eleven thoufand Moons they are all to rife again, in which Period the Earth (which they conceive to be flat) will turn upfide down, and by this means they fhall, at their Resurrection, be found ready standing on their Feet. The Learned among them confess the Abfurdity of this Doctrine, but the Practice ftill continues, in compliance to the Vulgar. THERE are fome Laws and Customs in this Empire very peculiar ; and if they were were not fo directly contrary to those of my own dear Country, I fhould be tempted to say a little in their juftification. It is only to be wifhed, that they were as well executed. The firft I fhall mention, relates to Informers. All Crimes against the State are punished here with the utmost severity; but if the Perfon accused maketh his Innocence plainly to appear upon his Tryal, the Accufer is immediately put to an ignominious Death; and out of his Goods or Lands, the innocent Per fon is quadruply recompenfed for the Lofs of his Time, for the Danger he underwent, for the Hardship of his Imprisonment, and for all the Charges he hath been at in making his Defence. Or, if that Fund be deficient, it is largely fupplyed by the Crown. The Emperor does alfo confer on him fome publick Mark of his Favour, and Proclamation is made of his Innocence through the whole City. THEY look upon Fraud as a greater Crime than Theft, and therefore seldom F fail to punish it with Death; for they alledge, that Care and Vigilance, with a very common Understanding, may preferve a Man's Goods from Thieves, but Honefty has no fence against fuperior Cunning: and fince it is neceffary that there should be a perpetual Intercourfe of Buying and Selling, and dealing upon Credit, where Fraud is permitted or connived at, or hath no Law to punish it, the honeft Dealer is always undone, and the Knave gets the advantage. I remember when I was once in tercceding with the King for a Criminal who had wronged his Mafter of a great Sum of Money, which he had received by Order, and ran away with; and happening to tell his Majefty, by way of Extenuation, that it was only a Breach of Truft; the Emperor thought it monstrous in me to offer, as a Defence, the greatest Aggravation of the Crime and truly I had little to say in return, farther than the common Answer, that different Nations had different Customs; for, I confess, I was heartily afhamed. AL |