<h3>III - CHAPTER VII.</h3>
<p class="gutsumm">The author leaves Lagado: arrives at
Maldonada. No ship ready. He takes a short voyage to
Glubbdubdrib. His reception by the governor.</p>
<p>The continent, of which this kingdom is apart, 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, situated to the north-west about 29 degrees north
latitude, and 140 longitude. This island of Luggnagg stands
south-eastward of Japan, about a hundred leagues distant.
There is a strict alliance between the Japanese emperor and the
king of Luggnagg; which affords frequent opportunities of sailing
from one island to the other. I determined therefore to
direct my course this way, in order to my return to Europe.
I hired two mules, with a guide, to show me the way, and carry my
small baggage. I took leave of my noble protector, who had
shown me so much favour, and made me a generous present at my
departure.</p>
<p>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 likely to be in some time. The town is about
as large as Portsmouth. I soon fell into some acquaintance,
and was very hospitably received. A gentleman of
distinction said to me, “that since the ships bound for
Luggnagg could not be ready in less than a month, it might be no
disagreeable amusement for me to take a trip to the little island
of Glubbdubdrib, about five leagues off to the
south-west.” He offered himself and a friend to
accompany me, and that I should be provided with a small
convenient bark for the voyage.</p>
<p>Glubbdubdrib, as nearly as I can interpret the word, signifies
the island of sorcerers 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 succession is prince or governor. He has a
noble palace, and a park of about three thousand acres,
surrounded by a wall of hewn stone twenty feet high. In
this park are several small enclosures for cattle, corn, and
gardening.</p>
<p>The governor and his family are served and attended by
domestics of a kind somewhat unusual. By his skill in
necromancy he has a power of calling whom he pleases from the
dead, and commanding their service for twenty-four hours, but no
longer; nor can he call the same persons up again in less than
three months, except upon very extraordinary occasions.</p>
<p>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 desired 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 dressed after
a very antic manner, and with something in their countenances
that made my flesh creep with a horror I cannot express. We
passed through several apartments, between servants of the same
sort, ranked on each side as before, till we came to the chamber
of presence; where, after three profound obeisances, and a few
general questions, we were permitted to sit on three stools, near
the lowest step of his highness’s throne. He
understood the language of Balnibarbi, although it was different
from that of this island. He desired me to give him some
account of my travels; and, to let me see that I should be
treated without ceremony, he dismissed all his attendants with a
turn of his finger; at which, to my great astonishment, they
vanished in an instant, like visions in a dream when we awake on
a sudden. I could not recover myself in some time, till the
governor assured me, “that I should receive no hurt:”
and observing my two companions to be under no concern, who had
been often entertained in the same manner, I began to take
courage, and related to his highness a short history of my
several adventures; yet not without some hesitation, and
frequently looking behind me to the place where I had seen those
domestic spectres. I had the honour to dine with the
governor, where a new set of ghosts served up the meat, and
waited at table. I now observed myself to be less terrified
than I had been in the morning. I stayed till sunset, but
humbly desired his highness to excuse 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 island; and the next morning we returned
to pay our duty to the governor, as he was pleased to command
us.</p>
<p>After this manner we continued in the island for ten days,
most part of every day with the governor, and at night in our
lodging. I soon grew so familiarized to the sight of
spirits, that after the third or fourth time they gave me no
emotion at all: or, if I had any apprehensions left, my curiosity
prevailed over them. For his highness the governor ordered
me “to call up whatever persons I would choose to name, and
in whatever numbers, among all the dead from the beginning of the
world to the present time, and command them to answer any
questions I should think fit to ask; with this condition, that my
questions must be confined within the compass of the times they
lived in. And one thing I might depend upon, that they
would certainly tell me the truth, for lying was a talent of no
use in the lower world.”</p>
<p>I made my humble acknowledgments to his highness for so great
a favour. We were in a chamber, from whence there was a
fair prospect into the park. And because my first
inclination was to be entertained with scenes of pomp and
magnificence, I desired to see Alexander the Great at the head of
his army, just after the battle of Arbela: which, upon a motion
of the governor’s finger, immediately appeared in a large
field, under the window where we stood. Alexander was
called up into the room: it was with great difficulty that I
understood his Greek, and had but little of my own. He
assured me upon his honour “that he was not poisoned, but
died of a bad fever by excessive drinking.”</p>
<p>Next, I saw Hannibal passing the Alps, who told me “he
had not a drop of vinegar in his camp.”</p>
<p>I saw Cæsar and Pompey at the head of their troops, just
ready to engage. I saw the former, in his last great
triumph. I desired that the senate of Rome might appear
before me, in one large chamber, and an assembly of somewhat a
later age in counterview, in another. The first seemed to
be an assembly of heroes and demigods; the other, a knot of
pedlars, pick-pockets, highwayman, and bullies.</p>
<p>The governor, at my request, gave the sign for Cæsar and
Brutus to advance towards us. I was struck with a profound
veneration at the sight of Brutus, and could easily discover the
most consummate virtue, the greatest intrepidity and firmness of
mind, the truest love of his country, and general benevolence for
mankind, in every lineament of his countenance. I observed,
with much pleasure, that these two persons were in good
intelligence with each other; and Cæsar freely confessed to
me, “that the greatest actions of his own life were not
equal, by many degrees, to the glory of taking it
away.” I had the honour to have much conversation
with Brutus; and was told, “that his ancestor Junius,
Socrates, Epaminondas, Cato the younger, Sir Thomas More, and
himself were perpetually together:” a sextumvirate, to
which all the ages of the world cannot add a seventh.</p>
<p>It would be tedious to trouble the reader with relating what
vast numbers of illustrious persons were called up to gratify
that insatiable desire I had to see the world in every period of
antiquity placed before me. I chiefly fed mine eyes with
beholding the destroyers of tyrants and usurpers, and the
restorers of liberty to oppressed and injured nations. But
it is impossible to express the satisfaction I received in my own
mind, after such a manner as to make it a suitable entertainment
to the reader.</p>
<h3>III - CHAPTER VIII.</h3>
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