English mile distance. I took out my pocketperspective, and could plainly discover numbers of people moving up and down the fides of it, which appeared to be floping; but, what those people were doing, I was not able to diftinguish.

"

The natural love of life gave me fome inward motions of joy, and I was ready to entertain a hope, that this adventure might some way or other help to deliver me from the defolate place and condition I was in. But at the fame time the reader can hardly conceive my astonishment, to behold an island in the air, inhabited by men, who were able (as it fhould feem) to raise or fink, or put it into a progreffive motion, as they pleased. But not being at that time in a difpofition to philofophife upon this phænomenon, I rather chose to obferve what course the island would take, because it seemed for a while to ftand ftill. Yet foon after it advanced nearer, and I could fee the fides of it encompassed with feveral gradations of galleries, and stairs at certain intervals to defcend from one to the other. In the lowest gallery I beheld fome people fishing with long angling rods, and others looking on. I waved my cap (for my hat was long fince worn out) and my handkerchief towards the ifland; and upon its nearer approach I called and fhouted with the utmost frength of my voice; and then, looking circumspectly, I beheld a crowd gathered to that fide which was moft in my view. I

found

found by their pointing towards me and to each other, that they plainly difcovered me, although they made no return to my fhouting. But I could fee four or five men running in great hafte up the stairs to the top of the ifland, who then difappeared. I happened rightly to conjecture, that thefe were fent for orders to fome perfon in authority upon this

occafion.

The number of people encreased, and in less than half an hour the island was moved and raifed in fuch a manner, that the lowest gallery appeared in a parallel of less than an hundred yards diftance from the heighth where I ftood. I then put myself into the most fupplicating poftures, and spoke in the humblest accent, but received no answer. Thofe, who stood nearest overagainst me, feemed to be perfons of diftinction, as I fuppofed by their habit. They conferred earneftly with each other, looking often upon me. At length one of them called out in a clear, polite, fmooth dialect, not unlike in found to the Italian; and therefore I returned an answer in that language, hoping at least, that the cadence might be more a greeable to his ears. Although neither of us understood the other, yet my meaning was eafily known, for the people faw the distress I

was in.

They made figns for me to come down from the rock, and go towards the fhore, which I accordingly did; and the flying ifland being raised to a convenient heighth, the verge di

rectly

1

rectly over me, a chain was let down from the lowest gallery with a feat faftened to the bottom, to which I fixed myself, and was drawn up by pullies.

CHA P. II.

The bumours and difpofitions of the Laputians defcribed. An account of their learning. Of the king, and his court. The author's recep tion there. The inhabitants fubject to fear and difquietudes. An account of the wo

men.

T my alighting I was, furrounded with at crowd of people, but those who stood. neareft feemed to be of better quality. They beheld me with all the marks and circumftances of wonder, neither indeed was I much in their debt; having never till then feen a race of mortals fo fingular in their thapes, habits, and countenances. Their heads were all reclined either to the right or the left; one of their eyes turned inward, and the other directly up to the zenith. Their outward garments were: adorned with the figures of funs, moons, and ftars, interwoven with thofe of fiddles, flutes,, harps, trumpets, guittars, harpficords, and many other inftruments of mufic unknown to us in Europe. I observed here and there many

By this defcription the author intended to ridicule thofe who wafte life in fpeculative fci

ence, the powers of whofe minds are as abfurdly employed as the eyes of the Laputian:.

in

in the habit of fervants with a blown bladder fastened like a flayl to the end of a short stick, which they carried in their hands. In each bladder was a small quantity of dried peafe or little pebbles (as I was afterwards informed.) With thefe bladders they now and then flapped the mouths and ears of those who stood near them, of which practice I could not then conceive the meaning. It feems the minds of these people are fo taken up with intense speculations, that they neither can speak, nor attend to the difcourfes of others, without being roused by fome external taction upon the organs of fpeech and hearing; for which reafon those perfons, who are able to afford it, always keep a flapper (the original is climenole) in their family, as one of their domestics, nor ever walk abroad or make vifits without him. And the bufinefs of this officer is, when two,' three, or more perfons are in company, gently to ftrike with his bladder the mouth of him who is to fpeak, and the right ear of him or them to whom the speaker addreffeth himself. This flapper is likewife employed diligently to attend his mafter in his walks, and upon occafion to give him a foft flap on his eyes, because he is always fo wrapped up in cogitation, that he is in manifeft danger of falling down every precipice, and bouncing his head against every poft; and in the streets of justling others, or being juftled himself into the ken

nel.