THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF JAMES MASSEY.
Translated from the FRENCH.
LONDON:
Printed for JOHN WATTS, at the Printing-Office
in Wild-Court near Lincoln's-Inn Fields.
MDCCXXXIII.
G. Van de Gucht Inv. et Sculp.
DEDICATION
TO
JEREMIAH DUMMER, Esq;
SIR,
The Recommendation these Travels have been favour'd with from yourself and other good Judges, as a History admirably adapted both to the Entertainment and Instruction of the Reader; and your Commands upon me to translate it, lay me under the strongest Inducement to claim your Patronage.
And I humbly conceive that your Retirement from that AGENCY, during which you perform'd so many National Services in cultivating a mutual good Understanding and Commerce between Old and New England, as justly gain'd you the Love and Applause of those who truly understand the Interests of both People, gives you the more Leisure to receive a Dedication.
It must be own'd that bright Accomplishments, acquired and improv'd in European, as well as American Universities; The Elegance of your Taste, both in Men and Books; The Politeness of your Conversation; Your Esteem for the Sciences, which are so delicately interwoven in the following Narrative; Your Knowledge in the Belles Lettres; Your long Acquaintance with the Beau Monde; And, what is equal to all, Your generous Disposition to do Good to Mankind;, are Qualities which would have continued you very useful and ornamental in a Public Station.
Yet I take Leave to congratulate you on your Preference of a private Life; since not only an innate Principle of Honour, but an easy Fortune, set you above the Temptation of soliciting Employments, and subjecting yourself to Dependencies which often prove Snares to the best of Men, by causing them to deviate from the sacred Paths of Truth and Justice. This probably was the Reason you lately declin'd acting as an Inspector of a GREAT COMPANY'S Affairs, an Office of no little Trust and Confidence, and to which you was unanimously elected by the General Court.
I heartily wish you Health and long Life for the Pleasure and Profit of all your Friends, and especially of,
SIR,
Your most obedient
October 11,
1732.
humble Servant,
STEPHEN WHATLEY.
THE PREFACE
The French EDITOR'S LETTER,
To M * * *
SIR,
These are the TRAVELS you heard so much talk of, and was so desirous to see. By what Chance the Manuscript fell into my Hands, I will let you know another time: As soon as I had dipp'd into it, I could not help reading it from the Beginning to the End, and found so many curious and important Passages in it, and so many instructive Dissertations on several Points of Philosophy, as gave me abundant Satisfaction. Many of my Friends, Men of excellent Sense and Learning, have express'd equal Approbation of it, so that I dare say, Sir, you will read it with the same Pleasure.
I own to you that at the first Reading I suspected the Author had taken a Traveller's Privilege of mixing a little Romance in his Relation; but when I perus'd it again, and consider'd it a little more particularly, I found nothing in it but what was very natural, and highly probable. And that Air of Candour and Simplicity we meet with every where in the honest old Gentleman the Author, has fully convinc'd me.
There are Passages indeed, in certain Conversations upon Points of Religion, which, at first, a little shock'd me, but upon a closer Examination, and finding that the Author, who always was a great Champion for his own Religion, has generally expos'd their Weakness or Falshood, I thought there was nothing in it that could startle a Man well instructed in the Christian Faith, which, God be prais'd, is too well establish'd to fear any thing from the Attacks of Libertines or Infidels: Consequently, we have no need to have recourse to mean Artifices for concealing the force of the Arguments made use of against us, as if we had a bad Cause to defend.
I am, &.
THE CONTENTS.
[CHAP. I.] Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast of Spain.
[CHAP. II.] The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c.
[CHAP. III.] Of the Author's Second Voyage, and his Shipwreck upon an unknown Coast.
[CHAP. IV.] The Author, with only two Comrades, leaves the rest of the Company, and penetrates into those unknown Countries. The Obstacles he meets with in his Passage, &c.
[CHAP. V.] Continuation of the Adventures of the Author and his Comrades, till they came to an Inhabited Country.
[CHAP. VI.] Of the Discovery of a very fine Country, its Inhabitants, their Language, Manners and Customs, &c. and of the Esteem which our Author and his Comrades gained there.
[CHAP. VII.] A curious Conversation between the Author, the Judge, and the Priest of the Village concerning Religion.
[CHAP. VIII.] The Author is carry'd to the King's Court. He traces the Origin of those Monarchs; describes the Royal Palace, Temple, &c.
[CHAP. IX.] Which contains several very curious Conversations betwixt the King and our Author.
[CHAP. X.] Containing the Ceremonies at the Births and Burials in this Country, the manner of administring Justice, and many other Remarkables.
[CHAP. XI.] More Adventures of the Author, and his Comrade, till their Departure from Court.
[CHAP. XII.] The Author leaves this fine Country; the Ways he contriv'd to get out of it. He meets again on the Sea-Side with some of the Ship's Company with whom he had formerly been cast away upon the Coast, &c.
[CHAP. XIII.] Containing what happened to the Residue of the Ship's Company, during the Author's Absence; and the rest of their Adventures 'till their Departure from this Country.
[CHAP. XIV.] The Author's Passage from the Southern Countries to Goa, where he was imprison'd by the Inquisition. The Story of a Chinese whom he met with there, and the Manner how they got their Liberty.
[CHAP. XV.] Of the Author's Departure for Lisbon: How he was taken and carry'd into Slavery, and what happened to him while he was a Slave.
[CHAP. XVI.] Continuation of the Adventures of Peter Hudde who is mention'd in the second Chapter; and the Author's Arrival at London.
The Travels and Adventures of JAMES MASSEY.
CHAP. I.
Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast of Spain.
The narrow Limits with which the Life of Man is circumscrib'd, and the few Years he is capable of employing in cultivating and perfecting the Arts and Sciences, glide away so soon, that no wonder if the Progress he makes in either, turns to very little Account. Nor is the Shortness of Life the only Obstacle which thwarts our natural Desire of Universal Knowledge; the Loss of Worldly Goods being another Bar equally insurmountable, the Truth of which I learnt, to my Cost, long before I had finish'd my Studies.
The Inclination I had from my Cradle to the Belles Lettres, to Antiquity, and to the strange Rarities I saw brought home from foreign Parts, made my Father resolve to put me early to School, where I was such an apt Scholar that my Diligence and Memory got me the Prize in all the Classes. The fine things my Masters said in my Praise, and the Tenderness with which my Parents lov'd me, redoubled my Emulation, insomuch that I gave my self no Respite, and had made so good use of my Time that when I was but eighteen Years old, I understood both Latin and Greek, very well. In short, I had gone thro' a Course of Philosophy, and was far advanc'd in the Mathematics, when my Father David Massey, who was Captain of a Ship, had the Misfortune to be blown up with his Vessel by the Imprudence of a Sailor, who inadvertently set fire to the Powder.
This fatal Blow happen'd to our Family in 1639, and of all the Days in the Year, upon that very Day that our Army was beat by the Spaniards before Thionville; you must know that the good Man was bound to the Factory at Senegal, and as the greatest Part of the Lading was upon his own Account, my Mother was on a sudden left a Widow with five Children, and scarce any thing to maintain them. This Calamity however was so far from breaking her Heart, that as soon as she receiv'd the News of it, she sent for us, and said to us with a manly Air: 'Children, one of the worst Misfortunes has happen'd to you that could fall out in humane Life: One fatal Moment has not only robb'd me of my dear Husband, but you of your Father, and all your fortunes. Nevertheless, be not cast down, for the Divine Providence can work Miracles to support his Creatures. Learn by this Fatality, not to place your Trust in the Arm of Flesh; and be assur'd that God is a gracious Being, who will not abandon you. Since I have not sufficient Means left to bring you all up as we had intended, consider what Professions each of you is most inclin'd to follow. For your part, James, said she, I think you had best be a Surgeon, which, since you seem to be fond of Travelling, like your Father, is an Art that will favour your Design.' She likewise propos'd to the biggest Children what Professions they should undertake; to which every one of them consented with Tears, and apply'd with Success.
My Mother, who was a Native of Hedin, where she had Relations still living, left Abbeville, and went thither to settle. To my very great joy, tho' contrary to my Expectation, I found many People there who were sincerely concern'd for her Misfortune. One of her Brothers took one of the Children off of her Hands; a Father-in-law took another; and twenty People promis'd her that they would never let her want. Nay, some would fain have persuaded me to alter my Purpose, and pursue my Studies, in hopes that in time I might have it in my Power to bring up the innocent Children, who were not able to help themselves; but my Resolution was form'd, and my Inclination fix'd.
I took Leave of my Family and my dearest Acquaintance, who were sorry to part with me, and set out for Paris. The Grandeur, Magnificence, and Variety, together with the vast Concourse of People of all Ranks, which I saw on my Arrival at this fine Place, did at the first Dash astonish me; every thing that occur'd to my View, seem'd perfectly new to me; I thought my self in another World; and M. Rousseau, the Surgeon, to whose Tuition I had been recommended, had enough to do for near a fortnight to answer the Questions I was continually putting to him, to gratify my Curiosity. He likewise did me the Favour to carry me to Marli, Fontainbleu, St. Dennis, St. Germain, the Louvre, the Tuilleries, and many other Places, which are the Admiration of foreigners. But as the Value of Things is enhanc'd by their Rarity, and diminish'd by their Frequency, I accustom'd my self at last to look upon all these Fineries with a sort of Indifference, which by degrees turn'd to an Aversion; so that I abandoned all those Curiosities to the Speculation of the Idle and the Indolent, and began to apply my self carefully to the Art I had purpos'd to study. M. Rousseau had very good Business, and great Experience, and the many Cures he perform'd, open'd new Discoveries to me every Day.
Yet for all this, scarce a Day pass'd but I exercis'd my self several Hours in those Languages and Sciences, in which I had before spent all my Time. I was the more encourag'd to do so, because Philosophy and the Mathematics seem'd to be much in vogue, by the Application of all Gentlemen to them, of what Age and Rank soever. At the same time there came out a Treatise of Conic Sections, said to be written by the Son of M. Pascal, the Intendant of Justice at Roan, at which, many Persons of Learning were really surpris'd. I had the Curiosity to run it over, but I found things in it which I thought above the Reach of a Lad of Sixteen Years of Age, for in several Places it surpass'd Apollonius. Many People were of my Opinion, especially when they consider'd, that the Father of this pretended young Author was a thorough Proficient in this Science, from whence the Generality imagin'd, that he had a mind to give the Son the Credit of it, to usher him into the World with the better Grace. Be this as it will, 'tis certain that the Junior Pascal was a Man of a lively Imagination, and a great deal of Penetration and Judgment, as it afterwards fully appear'd. M. Morin, whom I took the Liberty to apply to, and who receiv'd me with extraordinary Civility, procur'd me also the Acquaintance of M. Des Argues, M. Midorge, and several other Mathematicians, who sav'd me a great deal of Labour by the curious MSS. they put into my Hands, and the clear and concise Methods they were pleas'd to make me acquainted with. By means of these learned Personages, I had Access likewise to the Reverend Father Mercenne. This ingenious Gentleman was a great Help to me for the understanding of several Questions in Natural Philosophy, and the Metaphysics. As he was intimate with M. Descartes, who was then in Holland, I propos'd nothing of Difficulty to him, but he explain'd to me at one time or other; and he was the first Man that ever put into my Hand the Six Meditations of that celebrated Philosopher. I was so desirous of learning how to demonstrate the Exigence of a God, the Immateriality of the Soul, and its real Distinction from the Body, that I read them with all the Attention I was capable of; but I frankly own that I was not satisfy'd with them. His Method for the due conducting of Reason, and finding out the Truth in the Sciences, his Dioptricks, his Meteors, his Theory of the World, and every thing in general that I had seen of his, charm'd me; but for his Metaphysics, as I said before, I lik'd no Part of 'em, but the Subtilty of his Arguments. This made me conclude, that we ought never to wade above the Depth of our shallow Understandings, and that we should confine our selves to Bodies, to explain their Nature, Form, Number, Properties, the Alterations occasion'd by Motion, and what may be most remarkable in them for our own Use, for the Good of Society, and for the Understanding and Advancement of Humane Knowledge, without pretending to make manifest and visible, as it were, to the naked Eye, such things as are in their own Nature Arcana's, and are, in all Probability, design'd to be for ever the Objects of our Faith and Admiration. It appear'd in a very little while, that I was not the only Person of that Opinion for an anonymous Book was publish'd at the Hague, by an unknown Author, with a View to explode the Philosophy of Descartes: At the same time Father Bourdin attack'd it in his public Theses; and then came out the Objections of Messieurs Hobbes, Gassendi, Arnaud, and others, to his Metaphysics. I was so taken with that Author, that I was curious to see all his Disputes, which cost me so much Time, that my Master often reproach'd me for it, and said that I neglected the main Point, for the sake of applying to things which cou'd be of no great Use to me, and which, as to several of them, were not universally approv'd of. He even went so far as to tell me one Day, that I was in the high Road to Atheism, for that I had already embrac'd an Opinion which had been lately condemn'd by the Tribunal of the Inquisition, in the Person of Galileo, whom they had confin'd in the Prisons of the Holy Office, after having caus'd his Treatise of the Circular Motion of the Earth, according to the Principles of Copernicus, to be burnt by the common Hangman. But left these Reproaches might entirely discourage me, he took care to season them with Commendations of my considerable Talents for Surgery, and the Knowledge I had acquir'd in it, notwithstanding the Time I devoted to other Occupations.
At length, when he found that all he could say did not put me out of conceit with those fine Sciences, he resolv'd to enter me into the State of Matrimony. He talk'd to me incessantly of a very pretty Niece of his, who, after her Mother's Death, would have a considerable Estate. He often gave me to understand, that he shou'd not be sorry if I was marry'd to her; and that as he was advanc'd in Years, it would be in his Power to put me into the intire Possession of his Shop, which was well accustom'd: But this was not the Mark I aim'd at. When he perceiv'd my Indifference, he became more cold to me than before, insomuch that he began to neglect me, and to conceal several things from me, which I could not well learn without him; so that after having serv'd two Years Apprenticeship, I went to Diep, where I stay'd one Year more with M. La Croix, who was without Dispute a very able Master.
I will not stop here to relate the minute Adventures which I had in both those Towns, because I think them too inconsiderable; but I cannot pass over in Silence, that while I was at this Port, a Man arriv'd there whom the Vulgar call'd, The Wandering Jew. My Master, who was a curious Man, and very courteous, after having talk'd with him several times occasionally, invited him to Dinner one Day, that he might have the Opportunity of hearing him discourse. The first Thing he told us was, That he was Cotemporary with Jesus Christ, and that he saw him crucify'd. My Name, said he, is Michob, and I was one of Pontius Pilate's Domestics. When that Roman Judge pronounc'd Sentence against Jesus, I stept up to this pretended Criminal (continued he) and said to him, What makes you stay here so long? Han't you heard your Condemnation? Get off! Why do you delay? To which the Holy Man reply'd to me, I'll be gone, but you shall stay till I return. 'This is now above 1600 Years ago (said he) which I hope is the greatest Part of the Time that I am to wander upon the Earth. Most People are fond of Life, and few there are but wou'd be glad to add an Age to the Years they have liv'd already, if it were in their Power, but for my own part, I wish with all my Heart I had dy'd a thousand Years ago.' As the Droll talk'd all manner of Languages, had by consequence a happy Memory, and had been a Traveller all his Life-time, it was a Pleasure to hear him relate a thousand Stories, as clear and evident Truths, which past Ages have transmitted to us in a very confused Light, and after a very uncertain manner. There is no Corner of the World but he affirm'd he had visited. He nam'd several Kingdoms and Republics to us, that lie about the two Poles, which we had never heard the mention of. All the Courts in the World were known to him. He was not ignorant of the minutest Circumstance of the most remarkable Revolutions of Empires, since he came into the World. In short, the remotest Incidents seem'd to him as recent as if they had just happen'd. But the Passage at which we all prick'd up our Ears, was where he began to entertain us with an Account of the Saints that rose again at the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All Jerusalem, said he, was alarm'd when it was reported that the People at the Burial-Places had seen the Earth move in several Parts, the Graves open of themselves, and naked Bodies appear, and make a thousand different Motions. The Spectators, continued he, were so astonish'd at this unexpected Sight, that they all trembled, and several dy'd with Fear. The most daring of them were willing, however, to see the Issue of it, and they were wonderfully surpris'd when, by and by, they saw Humane Creatures start all at once out of their Graves, and press in a Hurry thro' the Multitude, who made way for them by tumbling to the Ground, as if they were all going to take Possession of their Sepulchres. No one cou'd discern, added Michob, was he ever so attentive, of what Sex the risen Bodies were, for they seem'd to be all of the same Bigness, the same Age, and Complexion, and had no visible Mark by which they cou'd be distinguish'd from one another. They had not a Hair upon all their Bodies; their Bellies were flat, and seem'd as if they stuck to their Ribs; several held their Mouths open, but there were no Teeth to be seen; and their round and smooth Fingers seem'd to be intirely bare of Nails. This made him conclude, that all the Excremental Parts, and those which serve to grind, to swallow and digest Food while we are in a State of Mortality, will not accompany us to the other World, where, in short, they would be useless. In fine, according to his Discourse, it was never positively known what became of those Persons; but it was reported some Days after, that they were gone to Galilee, where they were to confer with Jesus Christ, and from thence to be carry'd to the Mansion of the Blessed. It may well be suppos'd that this curious Subject did not fail to occasion a tedious Conversation: 'Twas Midnight when our Guest left us, tho' my Master, notwithstanding the Conversation he had had with him elsewhere, wou'd fain have kept him till next Day. As the Magistrates look'd upon him to be a Visionary, they did not much mind what he said, consequently he was not a dangerous Person, and ask'd no favour of any Body; for the common People, and abundance of credulous and superstitious Gossips, who thought him a Prodigy, gave him what Necessaries he wanted; besides that he stay'd but a little while in a Place, and was no more than a Wanderer up and down in the World.
His Departure, added to all the fine Things I had heard him say of Foreign Countries, very much whetted my natural Desire to travel. I imparted my Design to M. La Croix, and as he had already been so good as to watch all Opportunities of publishing the Progress I had made in my Profession, it was not at all difficult for me to enter my self as a Surgeon on Board the Ship of Captain Le Sage, then preparing for a Voyage to Martinico. We sail'd therefore from Diep the 21st of May, 1643. Our Ship carry'd but four Guns, and the Crew consisted but of Fifty-two Persons. Tho' the Captain was a Huguenot, yet he was a perfect honest Man, strictly just, and extremely devout. He wou'd not suffer a Day to pass over his Head without Publick Prayers on Board, every Morning and Evening, which were perform'd with great Zeal and Edification by Peter du Quesne, a young Student in Divinity, with whom, I can truly say, for my own part, I was so affected, that I immediately conceiv'd an Esteem for him, and that I had not been in his Company a Fortnight, but the Veneration, which the Monks had impress'd me with for the holy Men and Women in Paradise, was very much abated; but as ill Luck would have it, the Benefit I receiv'd from the wholsom Lectures of this agreeable Companion, was of no long Duration.
Twenty-seven Days after our Departure, when we were off of Cape Finisterre, we perceiv'd that our Ship took in much more Water than ordinary. The Carpenters, who were never idle, were as diligent as possible to find out the Cause of this Disaster; but notwithstanding all their Care, and the plying of the Pumps Day and Night, they were never the nearer, and at the end of Thirty-six Hours the Water was risen to such a Height, that it run out at the Port-Holes. The Captain seeing there was no Remedy, order'd us to put to Sea in the two Long-Boats, without taking any thing with us but our Money, of which we had not much. M. Le Sage was still on Board, with the Master, the Pilots, and four other young Gentlemen, who were only making a Voyage of Pleasure, when the Ship sunk to the bottom like a Stone. Tho' they were prepar'd for the Event, yet they were intangled in one another; but as we were at hand, we gave them all the Assistance in our Power, and had only the Misfortune to lose one of those four Lads, Colombier, a young Gentleman of Picardy, who was scarce Fifteen Years of Age.
We were oblig'd to be as easy as possible under our Loss, and to consider what Course to steer next; for tho' we had try'd to make to Land for above two Days, yet the Wind, which was at S.E. hinder'd us. The most mortifying Circumstance of all was, that thro' a Misconstruction of the Captain's Meaning, and for want of Time to supply our selves, we had very little Provision, and no Compass to guide us. The Sky was serene, the Sea calm, and the Weather agreeable; but every one dreaded a Change. Mean time, with the Light of the Sun by Day, and of the Stars by Night, we us'd the utmost Diligence to get ashore, but cou'd not observe that we made any considerable Advance; so that we began to despair of our Lives, especially upon the third Day, when there fell so thick a Fog, that it was impossible to see the Distance of two Foot. At this very time, the little Long-Boat separated from ours, which the Captain perceiving by the Cries we made to one another, press'd the feeble Rowers to strain hard to rejoin us, which they did indeed, with a Vengeance; for falling foul upon our little Vessel, those on Board us were so alarm'd, that they all rose up at once, and gave such a Shock to theirs, that it turn'd Keel upwards. We had a great deal of Difficulty to save them, and much more to make room for them; for we all lay one upon another, and had not eat any thing for above Forty Eight Hours.
In short, it pleased God that about Noon, when the Sun had dispers'd the Fog, we discover'd several Sail coming towards us, which agreeable Sight gave us Joy inexpressible. We tack'd about immediately to meet them, and in three or four Hours time they came up with us, when Captain Davidson was so kind as to take us on Board his Ship. He was bound from Portsmouth, as Convoy to Seventeen English Merchant Ships, that were going to Lisbon. As our Bowels had been so much relax'd, and it being the Opinion of the Physicians (whom, however, we did not go to consult on purpose) that there was no danger in Eating and Drinking heartily, no sooner were the Provisions brought, but we were all glad to see our Beards wag. Every thing that was serv'd up to us was absorb'd as quick as if it had been thrown into a Well; but tho' our Bellies were full, we were not satisfy'd. We had no sooner granted a Respite to our Jaws, but we fell into a profound Sleep, and I question if there was one of us that did not sleep at least Twenty Hours before he was thoroughly awake. The Second Meal set us intirely to rights again. A Lieutenant of the Ship who spoke French, would needs have me give him the Particulars of our Misfortunes, some of which rais'd his Pity, and others his Laughter. At last we arriv'd at a good Harbour, and landed at Lisbon the first of July, without the Loss of one Man besides Colombier.
CHAP. II.
The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c.
Lisbon stands near the Mouth of the Tagus, in a Situation extremely diverting; and certainly 'tis one of the finest Cities in Europe. It has a considerable Trade, which renders it very populous and wealthy. According, to the Calculation I made of it in the Bulk, there cannot be less than 20000 Houses. There are Thirty-five or Forty Gates for the Conveniency of the Inhabitants; and I am very much mistaken if it be not two long Leagues in Compass.
The Person to whom I made my Application, was one M. Du Pre, a Surgeon by Profession, a Man who had a great deal of Practice, and was capable of finding me Employment. In short, the good Man receiv'd me with open Arms. I had been with him but a very little while ere I discover'd that he was one of the Reformed, for he went very seldom to Mass, often read Sermons to his Children, and not a Sunday went over his Head but he catechis'd them privately: And he, for his part, quickly perceiv'd also that I was very far from a Bigot; so that he confess'd to me he kept the Bible at home for the Instruction of his Family, which he carry'd me to see.
To speak the Truth, the first time that I gave it a Reading, which was dispatch'd in a very little time, I took it for an ill-concerted Romance, to which however I gave the Name of Sacred Stories. The Book of Genesis seem'd to me to be meer Fiction; the Jewish Law and Ceremonies a Medley of Trifles and Childish Vanities; the Prophesies an Abyss of Obscurities, and the most ridiculous Nonsense; and the Gospel a pious Fraud, invented to cajole silly Women, and captivate the Vulgar. What shock'd me first of all was to find, that in the Work of the Creation there was Light, before the Luminaries which produce it, and without which all wou'd be Darkness and Obscurity. Then I boggled at the Fatal Necessity Man was laid under to labour and die, as a pretended Consequence of his Crime. Afterwards I reflected on the Sentence pass'd upon the Woman, to bring forth Children in Sorrow, and that on the Serpent, to creep on its Belly, as if before it had Legs. The Rainbow, which was plac'd in the Clouds after the Deluge, to dispossess Mankind of the Fear of perishing by a second Flood: The Favour granted by Heaven to Lot, to depart out of Sodom, that he might be at liberty to go immediately and commit a double Incest with his Daughters: The Amours of Pharaoh and of Sarah the Wife of Abraham; and the Rape committed on her, when she was a decrepid old Woman, by Abimelech King of Gerar: The frequent Dialogues between the Creature and his Creator: The Passage over the Red Sea, and the many other Miracles wrought for the Jews: The Ass, whose Mouth was open'd to say so little to the Purpose; and a thousand other Difficulties of the same Nature, puzzled my Reason to a prodigious Degree. I cou'd not comprehend how Effects cou'd precede their Causes. I had been so often taught the contrary in the Schools, and daily Experience had so many times confirm'd this Truth to me in the Works of Nature, that I did not care so much as once to think of it. I thought it altogether as absurd to suppose that Man wou'd have been immortal, if he had not disobey'd God, because I did not see any Appearance that the Order and Constitution of his Parts wou'd have suffer'd any Alteration, after he had receiv'd Life. Nor did I conceive how the Earth wou'd have been in a Condition to bear its Fruits continually in the same Abundance, without Cultivation, unless it had been quite of another Nature then, than it is at present, which is not probable: I had read a hundred Voyages, which assur'd me that the Women in general, in the East-Indies, in Africa, and in America, about the Line, scarce suffer any Pain at all in the Delivery of the Humane Species into the World; insomuch that the Women of Brasil commonly go to be deliver'd near some Spring or River, where they wash themselves, cleanse the Infant, and then carry it to their Husbands, who immediately take to their Beds, where they lie-in, and receive the Compliments of the Gossips, while the Woman goes abroad for Provision to regale them. On the other hand, among the People who live towards the Poles, the Sex suffers a vast deal at such times, and even many of them lose their Lives; so that this varies proportionably to the Climates, and to Peoples Constitutions. 'Tis the very same thing in Beasts, which for no Crime by them committed, are equally subject to those different Changes. In fine, for it wou'd require whole Volumes to exhaust this Subject, when I consider'd the Cause of the Rainbow, and its Bigness, and Colours, having made a hundred artificial ones my self, which is easily done, by taking Water into one's Mouth and squirting it abroad, in some Place opposite to the Sun Beams, which has no very bright Objects beyond it, and by several other ways; I cou'd not well digest the Account which Moses gives us of it, as a Meteor unknown before that time.
Nevertheless, all these Obstacles did not intirely discourage me; for I undertook to run over this holy Book a second time, on condition, however, that, as I went thro' it, I might desire my Master to explain the difficult Passages. He consented to it, and we were every Day deeply engag'd in Disputes, during which the good Man frequently rav'd at me, and I was well off if he only call'd me a Libertine, and a stubborn Unbeliever. I said to him sometimes, that it was no strange thing to see a Crowd of Swimmers follow the rapid Course of a wide deep River, because 'tis every whit as agreeable as 'tis easy; but as soon as any one Man turns his Back to the others, cutting the Stream, and hastening nimbly towards its Fountain, they are all surpris'd at the Action; for which, some admire him, and others, especially his Companions, envy him to such a degree, that they are ready to burst with Spite, and do every thing they can imagine to discredit and ruine him, because what he does is an evident Proof of Skill and Vigour on his Part, and of meer Dastardy and Folly on their Part. 'Tis the same thing as to our Sentiments concerning the Sciences, and especially Religion; the first we imbibe stick with us, so that we cannot bear to be contradicted. We are disgusted with every thing that is not conformable to them, and from the Moment that a Man talks of discarding them, he is infallibly reckon'd a Mad-man, or a Knave. Mean time, I declare to you, that as I entertain a much more favourable Opinion of a Man who swims against the Stream, than of another who suffers himself to be insensibly born away with it, so I am infinitely more inclin'd to think well of that Man's Penetration and solid Judgment, who examines every thing, and even sometimes opposes Opinions long since receiv'd, than of those Men who hold Sentiments, as by Right of Inheritance, from their Ancestors, and who only retain them for the sake of their Age or their Authority; because it seldom happens that People go out of the common Road, without Reasons for so doing; whereas 'tis not so much expected that Men shou'd give their Reasons for not deviating from it.
At the beginning of our Conversation, another Affair happen'd, which gave occasion to another Dispute. A Captain of a Ship having brought some Negroes from Africa, made a Present of one of the handsomest to a Friend of his, a Man of Figure and Substance, but whimsical, and hard to be pleas'd. This Negro, after having liv'd several Years with so rigid a Master, and suffer'd a thousand Abuses from him, could bear it no longer, and resolv'd, whatever might be the Consequence, to take Revenge in a way the most dangerous that cou'd be. For this End, he went to the Apothecary that serv'd the Family, and under pretence that they were extremely pester'd with Rats, he desired two or three Pennyworth of Arsenic. The Fellow was scarce got out of the Shop to do some Errands, when the Apothecary sent to tell the Gentleman, that since his Black came for the Ratsbane, he had thought of an admirable Composition to destroy those Vermin, and that if he pleas'd he would immediately send him the Receipt. The Gentleman, who was naturally of an uneasy Temper, being surpris'd at this Message, and the more because he very well remember'd that he had us'd his Domestic barbarously but the Day before, sent for him to know what he meant to do with that Poison, and swore by all that's sacred he would murder him, if he gave him the least Cause to suspect him. It happen'd that the Valet was not then in the way, but as soon as he came home, a Servant-maid, who dreaded that she shou'd see him broke upon the Wheel, gave him secret Notice of what had pass'd. The Wretch was sadly affrighted; and being conscious that he had not Courage enough to stand the Test, he stole away, and without more ado, hang'd himself. Mean time, his Master was out of all Patience because he did not see him; and after having order'd Messengers to go and find him out, at the Places to which he had sent him, a Footman came and surpris'd him with the News, that he found him hanging in the Corn-Loft.
The Notice of this tragical Action was quickly spread every where. The Gentleman being one of my Master's best Patients, he went to him immediately, and desired him for several Reasons to order it so, that he might have the Body. The Gentleman, who was a Person of no small Influence, made no Scruple to assure him he should have it, and the very same Day he perform'd his Promise. As soon as the Body was put into our Hands, we dissected it in form. All the Parts of it were disposed like those of the Body of a white Man, at least, we observ'd no Difference; but what surpris'd us was, to find immediately under the Epidermis, a very thin delicate Membrane, which my Master had never perceived in other Bodies, and which I had never heard of before. He immediately sent for a famous Physician of the Town, to whom he imparted this Discovery, but the Doctor did not seem so much surpris'd as I expected, for the same thing had happen'd to him upon the like Occasion. We concluded that this must be the true Cause of the Blackness of this Race of Men, forasmuch as this Tunick stifles, and no doubt absorbs the Rays of Light; as on the contrary, a Leaf of Quicksilver plac'd behind Venice Glass, makes them reflect, and strikes them back towards the Place from whence they came. This gave occasion to a strong Debate concerning the Origin of the Ethiopians, which, when we consider this remarkable Difference, seems not to be the same with other Men. Upon this Principle I was going to draw Consequences which would have tended to no less than the intire Subversion of the System of the Sacred Author in Debate. But I was silenc'd by being told, That there were many things, which it was the Will of Heaven we should admire, but are forbid to dive into.
I was much delighted to hear this Doctor discourse upon the Construction and Operations of the Humane Body. He spoke Latin like Cicero, and was as good an Orator as Demosthenes. I was charm'd with every thing he said, because the Terms in which he express'd himself were Strong, and well-chosen; and he always aim'd to be clear and intelligible.
Not to give you a Detail of the long Conversation we had upon this fine Subject, I will only mention that he observ'd three things to us, which spread themselves in general over the whole Body; the one externally, which is the Skin; and the two others, which are the Veins and Nerves, in the Internal, and less visible Parts of the Corporeal Mass. The Skin, said he, is necessary to the Creature, because, like a Shell, it covers, incloses, and wraps about its Members on all Sides, in such a manner as to defend every Part of us against the Injuries of the Air, as it does the Face and Hands, if we were inur'd to expose the whole Body in the like manner. The Veins and Arteries, those Rivulets, in which flows the Blood, the true Principle and immediate Cause of Life, derive their Streams from the Heart, and run thro' the whole Machine, so that it is not possible to prick it in any Place, be it ever so small, without piercing some of their Branches; which is plain from the Vermilion Colour of the Moisture that instantly starts out. In short, there is no Part in us where we do not meet with Nerves; this is clear, and may easily be prov'd, beyond all Contradiction or Question. All these Nerves, without Exception, proceed from the Brain, where, like so many Strings, Twigs, or hollow Tubes, their several Extremities are so rang'd, one by another, that they form a sort of Sphere, in the middle of which there is a small Glandule extremely sensible and delicate; and to the Basis are fasten'd an infinite Number of imperceptible Arteries, by which a prodigious Quantity of Spirits flow to it from the Heart, which Spirits sweep the Glandule in a continual Agitation, and ready to yield to the least, extraneous Motion.
To illustrate this by an Example; Suppose I have in my Hands a thousand Ends of Thread ty'd together, 'tis impossible that any one shou'd be pluck'd without my perceiving it immediately, tho' I can't point to the very Place where the Attraction is made. Admitting therefore these Nerves, or the little Fibres of which they are compos'd, to be full of Spirits, as indeed they always are when we are awake, tho' they are partly depriv'd of 'em while we sleep; if any Object whatsoever happen to strike against the exterior End, or against any other Part of those Tubes, it is evident, that when they are full, and by Consequence extended, the other Extremity which is in the Brain, must be sensible of the Shock, and communicate the Motion to the Glandule, which must unavoidably be acknowledg'd to be the Seat of the Understanding. And forasmuch as Experience has taught me from the Cradle, that the Blows, Wounds, and other Ailments which my Body suffers, generally come to it from without, as often as I perceive the least Agitation in one of my Parts, I cannot but ascribe the Cause of it to some external Agent, nor help believing that 'tis really the Extremity of some Nerve, and no other Part, which was touch'd. We are also by Nature so far prepossess'd in favour of this Opinion, that those, for Example, who have had the Misfortune to lose an Arm, complain they feel the Pain at their Fingers, and in no other Place; which is a Truth that every Day's Experience confirms. Whether therefore the Impulsion be made by the Rays of Light on the Optic Nerves, or by the small Particles of our Food upon the Nerves which communicate with the Tongue, or by the imperceptible Effluvia from Bodies which we call Scented, upon the Source of the Olfactory Nerves, or in what other manner soever this be, it amounts to the same thing; the Organs may be as different as they will, 'tis the Touch is the sole Cause of all the Perceptions we are capable of. From hence it appears, that neither they who limit the Number of the Senses to Five, nor others, who not knowing under which of those Five to place Hunger; Thirst, and the Pleasure of Love, increase them to Eight; it appears, I say, that neither of 'em have a right Notion of the Nature of the Senses, because 'tis manifest from what we have said, that there is absolutely but one.
Moreover, continued he, I cou'd easily demonstrate, Mathematically, and by the Help of a Geometrical Figure, that 'tis impossible, strictly speaking, to have more than one Perception at a time, as perfectly as we are capable by Nature, and that when two or three are form'd together, they must needs be confus'd; for Experience tells us, that when we look upon an Object, the only Part of it which we see perfectly and distinctly, is the Point which corresponds with the Optic Axes, our Perception of the other Parts being only more or less, in Proportion to their Distance from the Center. Our Ideas or the Images of our Thoughts, are no more different from one another, than our Perceptions are; for tho' we admit of two sorts of them, distinguish'd by the Terms, Conception and Imagination, 'tis certain that Touching is the sole Cause of both the one and the other: 'Tis the only Source of all Human Knowledge, and also of our Reason, which, when all is said and done, is nothing more nor less than the Union or Disunion of Names, which, by common Consent, we have impos'd upon Substances, as they appear to our Comprehension to bear a Conformity to their Qualities, and not at all to their Existence. Other Creatures having Organs like to ours, have no doubt the same Perceptions, and 'tis only the Degree of more or less, that can constitute the Difference. The Beasts therefore have Reason; and tho' they don't shew it, 'tis only for want, perhaps, of Speech to give Names, as we do, to things which affect them by being put in Motion; for, in other Matters, they are very capable of distinguishing——
Here our Physician was interrupted on a sudden, by a terrible Shriek from the Maid-Servant. The poor Girl, as she was bringing an Armful of Wood from the Corn-Loft, had made a false Step, and fell from the Top of the Ladder to the Ground. We all ran out to her Assistance, and found that she had broke her right Leg. The Doctor, after having seen it dress'd the first time, went home, to my very great Concern; for, besides some Objections which I was ready to have offer'd, I should have been very glad to have heard the Conclusion of so curious a Discourse; and was the more mortify'd afterwards, because I could never get another Opportunity to engage that ingenious Gentleman to talk with me upon the same Subject.
To return therefore from this first Digression; I must say, that tho' M. Du Pre was far from being a Philosopher, yet the few Hints I had from him, together with Calvin's Commentaries, which he put into my Hands, were of very great Service to me. From hence I had an Opportunity of observing, That the Creation of Light means nothing more than the Formation of that subtle Matter of which the Stars were composed upon the fourth Day; and that tho' Moses spoke of Day and Night before that Day, it was only by way of Anticipation, as he said in another Place, That God made Man, Male and Female, before he had caus'd a profound Sleep to fall upon Adam, and form'd a Companion for him out of one of his Ribs. I also very easily comprehended, as well with regard to the Penalties which were imposed upon our first Parents, as with regard to the Rainbow, &c. That both the one and the other were at first Natural Signs, which God chang'd at that time into Signs of Institution; much like what we observe with respect to the holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And as to the Term Beginning, at the Head of the Book of Genesis, it did not perplex me, tho' it puzzles many others. I knew very well, that in Philosophy we must distinguish External Time from the Internal; as in Geometry, we distinguish an External Dimension from an Internal one, if I may be indulg'd the Expression; which is as much as to say, that we must make a Difference between a thing which has been measured, and whose Dimensions are known, and another which has not. My Chamber, for Example, has its Dimensions, that's undeniable; but meer Theory cannot ascertain the Contents, Practice must be added to it, and some common Method must be made use of, which Men are agreed on beforehand, ere we can be able to say exactly how many Feet, Inches, or square Lines it contains. By this means, those Dimensions which were at first internal and secret, become external and known, with regard to the external Measures which serv'd to determine the Contents. All Beings in Nature therefore have an Internal Time, and an External Time; their Internal Time is that Duration whereby they continue in their actual and real Existence, which extends from the Beginning to the End of them; their External Time is the Duration of the Earth, as far as its Motion is imploy'd to measure it; so that the External Time of a Thing is the same, with respect to its Internal Time, as the Measure to the Thing measur'd. We can have no Idea of any but Internal Time abstractedly, before the Creation of the World, because then there was no Being existent, but God, the Being of Beings, whose Duration is without Beginning or End, and cannot properly be defin'd or measur'd: But the very Moment that the Sun appear'd in the Firmament, and that the Earth was suppos'd to turn round its Centre, which it does from West to East, in a certain Space of Time, the Name of a Day Natural was given to each of those Periods; and that of Hours, Minutes, &c. to the lesser Parts, just as the Succession of seven Days is call'd a Week; the Moon's Revolution from West to East, a Month; the Revolution of the Earth round the Sun, a Year, &c. These common Measures help us to mark out the Time, and by rendring what was Internal in its own Nature, External for our Use, no wonder that without going farther backwards, we confine our selves to this Beginning, and only make a Computation of Time, since proper Measures were thought of to fix the Duration of it.
The Solution of these Difficulties made the Explanation of others more easy to me. I began to perceive the Connexion in the great Work of Redemption, the Harmony and Relation betwixt the Passages of the Old Testament and the New, and how the Antecedents and Consequents reciprocally depend upon one another; so that at the third Reading of the Bible I concluded, that the Creation of the World, and the Fall of Man, the Deluge, and the Passage of the Red Sea, the Ceremonial Law, and Circumcision, the Menaces and Promises, the Dreams, Visions, and Prophecies, and the most remarkable Transactions in the Republic of Israel, were only Types, Allegories, Emblems, Figures, and Shadows, which referr'd only to the New Covenant, ow'd their Lustre purely to the Light of the Gospel, and had Christ for their real Body.
My Landlord was charm'd at this Metamorphosis. He admir'd to observe the sudden Transition, from that Coldness which made me look upon Things with Contempt, to a Zeal which prompted me to consider them with Esteem. Every thing that I did attracted his Applause; he had scarce ever seen my Fellow. But as there is nothing in the World perfect, he observ'd one thing in me still which gave him great Uneasiness. My Natural Complexion was fair; my Mother had indulg'd me always to wear a great Head of Hair, which cover'd my Shoulders; at which M. Du Pre was sadly scandalis'd. Is it possible, said he once to me, that a Youth who is so very intent on the Solution of the most difficult Passages of Scripture, shou'd not perceive that St. Paul positively forbids the wearing of long Hair, and that he thinks it a Shame for a Man to nourish, and take so much Care of it. I turn'd off his Remonstrances to me, upon this Head, for a long time, with Banter; but perceiving that he spoke to me of it every Day with the more Earnestness, I said to him one Day in my Turn, 'Sir, Is it possible you shou'd not know, that as the Diversity of the Seasons of the Year obliges us to clothe our selves differently, according to the Heat or Coldness of the Weather, so the Changes which happen in Society engage us to observe different Maxims? Heretofore, said I, long Hair was a Mark of Subjection. When a Slave was freed, his Head was shav'd as a Token of the Liberty that had been granted him; and 'tis to this that the Apostle alludes. Under the Law, we were Slaves to Sin, he means, but we are made free by Grace. Why shou'd we still carry the Marks of our old Bondage about us, as the Wife does, who is dependent on her Husband? At that Time there were Slaves, tho' the Use of them is now very much lost among the Christians. I own the Text says, that we are taught by Nature not to pride our selves in our Hair; but this Expression is not to be taken in its Strictest Sense, for Nature there signifies nothing but Custom. Naturally we have nothing that is superfluous. Our Hair was given us for the Guard and Preservation of the Head, and the upper Parts of the Body, as Nails are Weapons with which Nature has provided us for our Defence. Nature, therefore, does not oblige us to cut off the one, or pare the Other; but 'tis rather what we call the Mode, Decency, and certain Civil Laws establish'd among People, which at the long Run we look upon as Natural. The Fashion of this Age authorises the wearing of long Hair, and I don't think it any Harm to follow it, especially in this Part of the World, where, by the Confession of People of the best Sense, and the generality of Divines, the Thing is absolutely a Matter of Indifference.' But all this was not enough to convince my Master; so that to satisfy him, I was fain to permit him to make use of his Scissors, and to crop my Hair even to my Ears. This Change of Custom was an Uneasiness to me; but, in short, what will not a Man do for the sake of Peace and a good Understanding with his Neighbour? And really this Complaisance of mine won me his Heart to such a Degree, that he wou'd have laid down his Life for me upon occasion. His Person, his Family, his Goods, all were at my Service and Disposal.
Besides these Advantages, which were very considerable for a Foreigner, as I was, he procur'd me the Acquaintance of many of his intimate Friends, and particularly of a Factor of the Dutch Company, who was indeed one of the most agreeable young Men that I ever knew. He talk'd French very well, and was perfectly acquainted with his Religion, of which I took an Opportunity to converse with him, whenever we saw one another, which I endeavour'd shou'd be as often as possible. I had moreover this Happiness, that he accommodated me with every thing I wanted, and wou'd not suffer me for the World to be troublesome to my Master, who, however, was a courteous good-natur'd Gentleman. He never made an Entertainment, but he engag'd me to be of the Party; and the worst on't was, he treated so liberally that we had occasion to remember it generally for two Days after it. One time he debauch'd me so, that next Day I was seiz'd with a violent Fever, which really had like to have cost me my Life; for it stuck to me three Weeks, and made me as lean as a Skeleton, so that I was nothing but Skin and Bones; and my Physician actually gave me over. However, by observing a regular Diet, I at length recover'd. During this, I made continual Reflections upon the severe Laws which Nature so punctually executes upon poor Mortals; and being sensible that there are few Excesses which she does not punish, I concluded in my Mind, that Frugality and Temperance are the true Means of keeping the Mind always free, and of securing the Body from all the Distempers to which we are otherwise, almost all of us, subject. This made me take a firm Resolution to be more temperate for the future than I had been in time past, and never to be guilty of any thing with which I might reproach my self afterwards. Van Dyke, which was the Dutchman's Name, had made the same Resolution before I knew him, but his Generosity, when he had a mind to regale his Friends, oblig'd him sometimes to recede from it, and not always to put in practice the good Lessons which he scarce ever fail'd to give when he was the Guest of his Friends. However, I made him own at last, That when Health is at stake, it was better to be reckon'd an Oeconomist, than a Man of Generosity and Complaisance.
During this, the good Man had a troublesome Affair upon his Hands, which gave me more Uneasiness than it did him. He receiv'd a Letter from the Wife of one of his Merchants, which requir'd him in her Husband's Absence, to furnish M. Heudde's Son, who was her Nephew, and then set out for Lisbon, with what Necessaries he wanted to continue his Voyage; adding, that he should be reimburs'd, and that for her own part, she shou'd be much oblig'd to him for the Favour. In about a Fortnight after, M. Heudde arriv'd at Van Dyke's, attended by a Valet de Chambre, who were both very meanly accoutred. The first Question he ask'd him was, Whether he had not receiv'd a Letter from his Aunt, which the Factor no sooner own'd, than he entertain'd him with a great many Particularities about several Persons of the Factor's Acquaintance; after which, he told him his Design of visiting Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, and of returning home thro' the Island of Great Britain. At last he talk'd of the Money he shou'd have occasion for, to make the Tour of so many Countries. Van Dyke told him what he thought would suffice; and as he exhorted him not to be extravagant on the one hand, so he wou'd not have him disparage himself on the other, because he had Orders to accommodate him with what Monies he wanted, not only at Lisbon, but wherever else he travell'd: This the Factor cou'd easily do, because he had very good Correspondence, either directly or indirectly, in most of the chief Towns of Europe. M. Heudde, who seem'd very well pleas'd with the Compliment, contented himself with the Sum of 15000 Livres, and good Recommendations; and after having staid a few Days, continu'd his Journey. Van Dyke, who was a very punctual Man in his Business, immediately certify'd his Principal of what had pass'd betwixt him and his Nephew, and what Rout he had taken. But in a Week after, to his great Surprise, who shou'd he meet in the Street, but him that pretended to be M. Heudde's Valet de Chambre, and asking him if his Master was not gone; he answer'd him to his farther Astonishment, not only that he cou'd not tell what was become of him, but that he did not so much as know who he was. I came hither, said he, some Days ago from Bourdeaux, with a Design to make a Voyage to America; the Gentleman, you speak of, happening to be on Board our Ship, bargain'd with me to be his Servant, as long as he continued in this City, for Twenty-pence a Day, besides my Expences, which he paid me, but dismiss'd me last Week, and I have not since heard a Word of him. This was somewhat alarming to my Friend; and tho' he was not very sure that he was bubbled, he had the Precaution to write immediately to all those to whom he had given the Traveller his Recommendations, and desired them not to let him have any thing till farther Orders. This sav'd him from any farther Loss, but his 300 Ducats were gone past Recovery. The Answer he receiv'd from Holland was, That they knew not what he meant, and that this pretended M. Heudde was a Knave to be sure, that wou'd come to the Gallows.
Tho' this Loss was a Trifle to the Wealth M. Van Dyke had acquir'd, yet it vex'd him a little, and he left no Stone unturn'd to find out the Sharper, but all his Inquiry was to no Purpose; and whether he ever heard of him in his Life, is more than I know, because I left him not long after; for tho' I was heartily welcome to him, yet I did not thoroughly like my Station there, because my Profit was but small, and my principal View was to see the World. The Friendships I had contracted, and the Character my Master gave me, made my Departure the more easy.
CHAP. III.
Of the Author's Second Voyage; and his Shipwreck upon an unknown Coast.
I had an Opportunity of going on board a Portuguese Ship, which was bound to the East Indies, in Company with three others. It was commanded by One Don Pedro, and carry'd only Twenty Guns, but had 147 Men aboard, of which Number were a great many Frenchmen, who however, to a Man, understood the Portuguese Tongue. All things being ready, we set sail the Fifth of June, 1644, with a very favourable Wind. The first Ruffle we met with was the Loss of our Captain, who was, to speak the Truth, a Man of consummate Experience, but a very Brute and Deboshee. The Tenth Day after we were under Sail, when he had taken his usual Dose of Brandy, he fell into such a Passion with one of our Seamen, that from hard Words he proceeded to Blows. The Mariner, who was a meer Blunderbuss, laugh'd, and went to make his Escape from him, at which Don Pedro was so exasperated, that he pursued him with a Lever in his Hand, wishing the Devil might take him if he did not break his Neck; and as they were both running, our Officer stumbled, reel'd, and fell with such a Force against the Capstane, that he broke his left Arm, three Inches above the Elbow. Thereupon I was call'd, and examining the Wound, I perceiv'd that the Bone was intirely shiver'd, and after mature Deliberation, I was absolutely for Sawing it off. But all that I cou'd say, was of no weight with the Patient, who cou'd not be persuaded by any means, to undergo the Operation; for he swore that he wou'd rather die than submit to so desperate an Extremity. I was therefore oblig'd, sorely against the Grain, to manage him as he pleas'd; but what I foresaw, happen'd in two Days time; the Wound was inflam'd, a Mortification ensu'd: upon it, and the Fifth Day after his Fall he was a dead Man.
The Ship's Company was, to the last Degree, alarm'd at this Loss, which we took for a bad Omen; however, we were forc'd to bear it, and after the due Honours paid to his Corpse, it was thrown into the Sea, while the Guns were fir'd as usual on such Occasions. In the mean time we advanc'd in our Voyage; and tho' some little Storms arose now and then, yet they were not dangerous. The greatest Misfortune that befel us, was our being separated from the Company of our other Ships, so that we heard no more of them. When we made the Island of Ascension, we perceiv'd that our Water was very much corrupted and consequently we resolv'd to go to St. Helena, to take in fresh Water, left the Number of our sick Men, which was already considerable, should be much greater, if we did not stop some where before we came to the Cape of Good Hope.
But when we had discover'd that Island at a great Distance, and were congratulating each other upon it, we spy'd that which Sailors call a Wool-Pack, seemingly as big as a great Cask within Cannon-shot of our Ship. As I had never seen any but in Pictures, and in Books of Travels; I consider'd this Phænomenon with all the Attention I was capable of, and concluded that it must be really owing to Air that was agitated, and drove with Impetuosity into the vast Region of our Atmosphere, which happening to meet with another sort of Hurricane impell'd from the opposite Part of the Atmosphere, whirls back towards its Basis, and forms the Figure of a Cylinder, which lengthens it self in an Instant, till it comes to the Surface of the Water: The Sea being then press'd on all Sides, except just there, the Matter which corresponds to the middle of this Column, like what we observe with regard to Pumps, Syringes, and Cupping-Glasses, must needs rise, which it does with so much Rapidity and Force, even to the bearing away of great Fish, that to the Amazement of us all, the Sky, as serene as it was before, was cover'd with thick Clouds, which darken'd the Air in a Moment. The Winds began to roar hideously, the Sea was in a Foam, the Waves swell'd, and one wou'd have thought that Nature, in the Height of her Indignation, wou'd have swallow'd us up. The Seamen, in the utmost Hurry, furl'd all the Sails, the Main-Sail only excepted; nevertheless the Ship was carry'd away with such Violence, that we were also oblig'd to let down the Main-Sail for fear of being drove upon some fatal Rocks. I cannot here prevail with my self to set down every minute Particular from the Journal that I kept, of what happen'd to us during this dreadful Tempest, which lasted Twenty-two Days, because it would take up several Sheets of Paper; and only raise the Reader's Pity and Concern. Not only the Women and Children that were aboard gave such Shrieks, as were enough to have pierc'd the most obdurate Hearts, but the generality of the Men were frighted almost out of their Wits. Not a Day pass'd but one or other of them dy'd; We also lost our Pilot and the Mate, so that the only Man left capable of conducting the Vessel, was the Master of it, and he too was in a bad State of Health. During this bitter Storm, we were compell'd to throw over-board, at several times, 12 of our Guns, and every thing that we thought too heavy; we also lost most of our Anchors, and ran adrift a long while at the Mercy of the Winds and Currents, without knowing whither we were driving, any more than if we had been at the bottom of the Ocean. At length it pleased God, of his special Mercy, that on the Twenty-third Day, a Day as mild as the others had been severe, we happen'd to run ashore at a Place altogether unknown to us, where, after having calculated the Meridian, examin'd our Watches, and made as correct a Computation as we could, we found that we were in about 60 Degrees of Longitude, and 44 of S. Latitude, i.e. 1000 or 1200 Leagues from St. Helena. The biggest of our Boats having been carry'd away by the Waves, which had wash'd our Decks a thousand times, glad we were that we had preserved the least; we immediately put ashore in her; and after having return'd Thanks to God for having sav'd our Lives, we began to take our best Clothes and Goods out of the Ship, together with what wou'd be most necessary for us by Land. With some paltry Sails we made two Tents; and some cut down the Branches of Trees, with, which they built Barracks, in which the remainder of our Ship's Company, consisting of Eighty-five Persons, lodg'd.
There were Forty of us that were as well as we cou'd be in our present Circumstances, part of which Number look'd after the Ship, and the rest went a marauding for what they could get. Never were Fire-Arms, Powder, and Shot of more Service to us than now. There was all sorts of Wild-Fowl in abundance, and particularly Hens larger than Turkeys, which were fat, and very nourishing. Nor did we want for Fish, because we had good store of Nets, Hooks, and other Instruments to catch them. Here were few Tortoises, but they were very good. We took some which I am sure weigh'd from 400 to 500 Pound, and were enough for us all. We thought the Flesh of them very excellent and the Fat was the most delicate Food in the World. It serv'd us for all Purposes, for Sauce, or to eat upon Bread, or to burn; and in general, for almost every Necessity. In two Hours Walk from thence towards the East, we found a River, which supply'd us with very good Water. Notwithstanding these Refreshments, two more of our Men dy'd; but it was not long before the others recover'd.
Mean time our Ship was so lighten'd, that we observ'd she floated, so that we tow'd her to the River just now mention'd. As soon as she was laid up, the Carpenters examin'd her very nicely, and found that there was no likelihood of her being ever in a Condition to serve us in the Pursuit of our Voyage, because the Storm had intirely shatter'd her. We therefore resolv'd unanimously to take her to pieces, and with the best of her Materials to build a smaller, to return in to Africa. The Captain wou'd have had us all in our turns put our Hands to the Work; but we so fully convinc'd him that we were not all equally fit for it, and that there was an absolute Necessity for some body to provide the Kitchen with Victuals for feeding so many Mouths, that Ten of us were appointed to go in quest of Provisions. The Nine that were join'd with me, were very clever Fellows, part of them being as it were Huntsmen, and the rest Fishermen by Profession; consequently 'tis natural to imagine that in such a Country as this, we did not find it a very hard Matter to get Food for our Company. These agreeable Occupations, which would have been a very great Pleasure to another Person, delighted me for a few Days; but I was soon weary of this Life, and my Curiosity to penetrate farther into a Country, where I did not imagine any body had ever been, made me resolve to abandon my Comrades, tho' I was not willing to put so rash a Design in Execution by my self. I therefore communicated my Design to two, that I thought the most resolute, who were overjoy'd with my Proposal, and declar'd to me severally, that they had entertain'd the same Thought, but were afraid to trust it to a third Person. Accordingly the Affair was concluded, upon Oath not to divulge it; and after we had promis'd to be true to each other, we went to rest, fully purposing to be gone as soon as possible.
CHAP. IV.
The Author, with only two Comrades, leaves the rest of the Company, and penetrates into those unknown Countries. The Obstacles he meets with in his Passage, &c.
The next Day in the Morning, which was the 24th of September, 1644, and the 11th of our Arrival, we each took a Hatchet in our Belts with a Gun, and whatsoever we thought necessary for an Enterprise of this Nature, and without more ado enter'd the Wood, leaving the others behind us, and made great Haste towards the S.S.W. We travell'd at least four long Leagues before we talked of resting. La Foret, who was one of my Comrades, as Du Puis was the other, perceiving a Heath-cock about a hundred Paces from us, shot him; while one pick'd it, I and the other fell to cutting of Fuel, and making a Fire under the Tree, at which we soon roasted our Fowl by a String. We made a hearty Dinner, only we wanted Drink, for which we were oblig'd to wait a little longer. As we proceeded in our Journey, we found a Pit of Water, which tho' not very clear, yet we thought it excellent: We fill'd our Flagons with it but made little or no Use of it, for about a League and half further we came to a Brook, where the Water was really as good as I ever met with in my Life. It was about two Foot deep, and ran exactly across that Part of the Road we had purpos'd to travel, by the help of a small Sun-Dial that I had in my Pocket, which was of great Service to us. There being no Bridge, nor other Conveniency, we pull'd off our Stockings, &c. and waded thro' the Rivulet, leaving it with great Regret, after having drank our Bellies full, and laid in a Stock of it for time to come. We hitherto found no Trace of Man or Beast. The Country was all over Sand, Briars, and Forests, for a matter of Eight or Ten Leagues that we had travell'd before Sun-set. In fine, we pitch'd our Camp at the Foot of a little Hill, where there was a Coppice so thick that we were as much out of the Wind, as if we had been in a Tent. Then we eat for Supper what we left at Dinner, and made the best shift we could to repose our selves for Sleep.
The next Morning when we wak'd, we were surpris'd to see the whole Firmament overcast, and threatning us with a heavy Storm; we therefore thought fit to dig a Cave in this Hill, which was pretty steep, on the Side where we were posted, in order to shelter our selves from the bad Weather. In short, we found in a trice, that by the Help of our Hatchets we had prepar'd a small Lodging. The Rain, however, did, not begin till about Eleven of the Clock, so that we had time enough to kill more Quails and other small Birds, which for the most part were unknown to us, than we could spend in a Week. There was a vast Multitude of 'em, and, generally speaking, they suffer'd themselves to be kill'd, without stirring from the Place, which was another Reason that induc'd us to think the Country cou'd not be, inhabited. After all, we were oblig'd to stay here four Days, which to us seem'd more tedious than four Weeks would have done elsewhere. But this Chagrin of ours was alleviated afterwards, for we enjoy'd fair Weather above a Month without Intermission.
When we had quitted our Lodging, we began to discover high Mountains, and for fear we should not find Sustenance there, we laid in a Stock of Provisions for several Days. We were not mistaken in our Conjectures; one would have sworn it was another Greenland, the Place being all dry and barren, so that in many Parts there was neither Herb, nor Bush, nor any thing that could give Nourishment to the minutest Animal; therefore we discover'd nothing worth mentioning: The Birds also were very scarce, from whence 'tis easy to imagine, that we spent our Time there very ill; and had it not been that every now and then we went down into certain little Valleys, where there were some paltry Fruit-Trees, and Water to quench our Thirst, we had been in danger of perishing.
The Ninth Day of our Journey, towards the Evening, we arriv'd in a Vale, where, about a Quarter of a League from us, on the right Hand, we saw a little Torrent that descended from a Rock into a Hollow, from whence it ran into a Marsh, which form'd a Semi-Circle, but extended in the Center farther than our Eyes could reach. The Banks of this fine Water were high, and somewhat steep, which gave us reason to think that the River was then much lower than at another Season of the Year. As I drew near it, in order to go into it, I was startled to find the Ground give way all on a sudden under my Feet, so that I fell in up to my Armpits. My Comrades seeing me stick there, fell a laughing, however they help'd me out. At the same time ten or twelve Birds, as big as our Geese, with Beaks as long and as broad as ones Hand; flutter'd under my Feet, darted like an Arrow into the Air, and sounded an Alarm by a Noise of Quacou, Quacou, which was their natural Cry, and loud enough to be heard at a great Distance. Before one could tell a Hundred, the Sky was darkned with these Birds, which prodigious Number together with the fearful Noise they made, scar'd us so, that we absolutely knew not what to think of it;, especially when they accosted us sometimes in Bodies, with desperate Cries, hovering within a Pike's Length of our Heads, and threatning as were, to tear us Limb from Limb; and tho' we shot at them, and brought several of 'em to the Ground, it was still the same; but when we saw that they meant us no Harm, and that they actually began to found a Retreat, we went to take some Refreshment.
Du Puis presently remark'd, that the Place where I sunk in, was a Nest to which some of those Birds were retired, by the Side of which was a Second, then a Third, and so on, about the distance of ten or twelve Foot from one another. The Mouth of these subterraneous Nests was of an oval Form, the smallest of which was a Foot in Diameter. I crept into the third, where I found a Place as big as a little Room, it being above eight Foot square, and at least three in Height. There were fifteen Nests round it, all built in a circular Form, with small Boughs full of Leaves, clay'd over, and they were three or four Feet in Circumference. In each Nest were six speckled Eggs, as big as one's Fist. In the middle of the Den, there was a sort of Trough much bigger than those Nests, which was full of a certain Matter, divided into little round Bits, some longer than the others, which I imagin'd at first were their Excrements, but being so curious as to put it to my Lips, I found it of an excellent Taste, exceeding our best Macaroons, which it very much resembled. My Comrades, who were as fond as my self to search for Novelties, went severally into other Dens, where they found things in the very same Situation and Order, as I have mention'd, only as the Cavities were not of the same Bigness, there were more Nests in some than in others. We infer'd from thence, That no wonder there were such Numbers of these Birds, because they multiply to such a Degree, and there's no body to destroy them.
Scarce were we recovered from our last surprize, but we were infinitely more astonish'd at the Sight of one of these Caverns about a hundred Paces off. The Entrance of it could not possibly be the Fabrick of any Birds whatsoever, for three great Stones, each a Foot long, plac'd in the Earth, one by another, form'd the Threshold, and in the Door-way were large Flints, four Foot in height, and above a hundred Weight each, with other Stones plac'd in order, one behind another, which intirely shut it up. These Productions of the Hand of Man made us hesitate whether we ought to wish to find Humane Beings here or not; 'tis true we should have rejoic'd to see Creatures of our own Species, but we were afraid we should not be very well us'd by them. Tho' we were in this sad Quandary, we advanc'd towards it, but took care to cry out and make Noise enough, that we might be heard by any that should happen to be within. La Foret being quite out of Patience to see what wry Faces we made, bid us stand on each Side with our Hatchets in our Hands, while he wou'd remove the Obstacles, and open the Passage, that he might go in and examine what there was behind. He actually did so; but when he was in the Inside, he found it too dark there to see anyone thing. All that he told us when he came out was, that a Man might stand upright in it, and that the Apartment was habitable, he having felt a Bench there. Upon this we went and fell'd some Trees at a small distance from us, where we cut as much Wood as we cou'd carry, and made a Fire before our Cavern, and, when it was well lighted, we enter'd into our Room, which was twice the Bigness of the others, neatly pav'd with choice little Flints, and border'd all round with a Bank of Turf.
But, O dreadful Sight! what should we see at the same time upon the Bank, on the left, which was most shelter'd from the Wind, but a Humane Corpse, which was from Head to Foot a very Skeleton. Over it there was a kind of smooth Slate, fasten'd in the Wall, on which was engrav'd in the Greek Language, and in Capital Letters, á¾½ÎÎÎÎΣ ῾ΠÎÎÎΣ, á¾½ÎÎÎÎΣ ÎΣΧΥΡÎΣ, á¾½ÎÎÎÎΣ ÎÎÎ á¾½ÎÎÎÎÎΤÎΣ, ᾿ÎÎÎÎΣÎΠ῾ÎÎÎΣ. O holy God, holy and powerful, holy and immortal, have Mercy upon us! Every one will naturally imagine, that various were our Conjectures and Sentiments of this Matter, which I will not therefore trouble my self to repeat. Mean time, Hunger, which made us very sharp-set, oblig'd us to take a Brace of the Birds we had kill'd, which we held over the Flame to burn off the Feathers, instead of skinning them, as we us'd to do, because we fancy'd the Skin to be as delicate a Part as any; nor were we at all deceiv'd, for after having drawn them, and wash'd 'em, we put 'em upon the Brands, where they were roasted in a Moment, and as we had eat but very little all Day, we scarce left any thing, besides Bones; for they were fat, juicy, and very well tasted. After having made a very hearty Supper, we settled our selves to sleep, as well as we could, leaving the dead Man to his Cavern, without touching him, because we had a mind to examine him more narrowly next Day.
It was hardly Day-break, when our impertinent Birds renew'd their Noise, as they flew to and from their Holes, to such a degree, that it was impossible for us to sleep any longer, tho' we were heartily inclin'd to it. We staid, however, till the Sun was up; but our Appearance did not at all alarm the Fowls which were all as hard employ'd about their several Occasions, as if they had actually been in Pay. We saw some with their Bills full of Earth, which they brought, no doubt, from the most irregular Parts of their Holes, in order to make them either larger or neater. Others came with Materials for repairing their Nests, but the generality carry'd those Cracknels, which I thought so good the Night before. We ascended the Eminence, to see from whence they brought this Food. As soon as we had lifted up our Eyes, we saw upon a little Hill, within a Musket-shot of us, three Bodies of the same Height and Bigness. We went to take a near View of them, and found, in short, that they were three broken Pyramids, eight Foot in Height, five in Diameter at the Base, and about three at the Top, very regularly built of Flints neatly placed in Rows upon one another.
The bare View of three such rare Monuments in a Desert Country, did not satisfy us; we were resolv'd to take one of them to pieces; But as soon as we had taken off about the thickness of a Foot and half of the Stones at the top, we discover'd first the Skull of a Humane Creature, then the Shoulder-Bones, Arm-Bones, and in a word, the whole Carcase. We just discover'd the Head of a Corpse, which was in the Second, but went no farther, because probably it was all the same in the last. While we were reflecting upon all this with a sort of Wonder, I went and discover'd round the third Pyramid certain Characters, form'd also of little Flints, almost like Pidgeons Eggs, which I took for the following Hebrew Letters; and they were rang'd on the Ground in this Order, Koph, Vau, Lamed, He, Teth, Lamed, Koph, Pe, Gimel, Vau, Beth, Thau, Hajin, Koph, Mem, Lamed, Aleph, Sajin, Samech, Resch; but they had no Points, nor any other Mark to explain them. I try'd my utmost to find out the Meaning of them, and have thought on't a thousand times since, but could never accomplish it, which way soever I set about it. There was something of the like kind round the two other Monuments, but I did not think it worth while to take off the Stones that we had cast upon them. In all Appearance, these were the Remains of four poor Devils like our selves, who, after having rambled out of their Knowledge, and seeing no Likelihood of coming to any better Place than this, stopt here, dug a Cave after the manner of the Birds I mention'd, or perhaps took Possession of one of their Nests, and so dy'd there, one after another; first those we saw under the Monuments, and then the last upon the Bench, where we found him, and where Time had so consumed his Clothes and Flesh, that we did not see the least Traces of either.
What further confirm'd us in this Opinion was, that not far from hence there was a vast Number of Trees, as straight as a Bulrush, whose Branches grew all in Pyramidical Stories, ending at the Top in form of an Acorn, as big as an Egg. All the Branches of these Trees were like so many Plumes of Ostrich-Feathers, that is to say, garnish'd with small Leaves like Strings, on both Sides. From one end to the other, and all round the Edge of this Plumage, there was a Border of the Size of a Writing-Quill, and over each Row of Branches a Ring, which encompass'd the Tree, about the thickness of one's Finger, and was that excellent Food, of which our great Birds seem'd so dainty, and which we imagin'd the four poor Pilgrims eat instead of Bread.
Forasmuch as I had but just tasted this Bread the Night before, I and my Comrades fell on it very heartily. It was who could climb best to come at it, where any was left; for in several Places there was none to be had. In fine, we cramm'd till we could swallow no more, and we all lik'd it so well, that Du Puis actually talk'd of building a Tabernacle, and dying there, as the Owners of those Skeletons seem'd to have done. But while we were talking of this Subject, we were overtaken with such a sudden Drowsiness, that we could scarce heave our Legs from the Ground, and we all lay down. Not one of us was bereft of his Understanding, but our Members were all benumb'd, and we almost lost the Use of Speech. We had been two Hours in this Condition, when we fell asleep till the Afternoon.
Du Puis, who was the first that awak'd, felt something under his right Hand, betwixt Sleeping and Waking, which he thought naked, smooth, and as big as his Thigh. He imagin'd at first, that he had roll'd in his Sleep upon one of us, but recovering his Reason with the Revival of his Spirits, and opening his Eyes for better Information, he was terribly astonish'd to see betwixt him and La Foret, a Serpent, which was above twenty-five Foot long. He was more depriv'd of the Use of his Members then, than before, and could neither stir nor speak; in the mean time the Serpent retreated, twin'd himself about one of the neighbouring Trees, and crept up to taste the Cracknels. Upon this, my Friend took Courage, jogg'd me, and when I awak'd, he shew'd me that hideous Animal. As weak as I still found my self, I got up in a Moment, and ran away as fast as I could. Du Puis follow'd me, and La Foret, upon our calling out to him, did the like instantly. Glad we were that this Monster had not swallow'd us up, the Fear of which was a strong Motive to our Resolution of decamping forthwith; but we were forc'd to stay all Night to recover our selves.
CHAP. V.
Continuation of the Adventures of the Author and his Comrades, till they came to an Inhabited Country.
Finding our selves fresh and brisk when we wak'd, we resolv'd to shift our Quarters; and, despising this terrestrial Manna which had so enervated us, after laying in a good Stock of the roasted Fowls for our Provision, we bid adieu to the Monuments, and advanc'd farther into the Country. We were then full fifty Leagues from the Sea. We were inclinable to eat the first Night, but tho' we had walk'd a great deal, and pass'd over a Mountain of seven or eight Leagues, we had little or no Appetite; and it was three Days before we could take any thing; which gave us reason to think, that the Bread of the Tree must be extremely nourishing, and that it could not but be good, when taken with Moderation. Mean time, the Way prov'd worse and worse; but, to our Comfort; the Nights were clear, and the Days long, and the farther we advanc'd into the Spring of this Country, and the farther we got from the Line, the more charming we thought the Climate and the Soil; and either the one or the other was generally the Subject of our Conversation.
Du Puis, above all things, seem'd to be charm'd with the Sun, which, from its Rising to its Setting, continually smil'd on us with its agreeable Rays. I do assure you, said he to us one Day, If I had not been born in a Country where the People are so happy as to be instructed in the Knowledge of their Creator, and if I had never heard a Word about the Being of all Beings, the Flambeau of Heaven would, without dispute, be the only Deity that I should think worthy of my Adoration; not only, because of all the visible Objects in the World 'tis the most agreeable, but because without its Influence, no Plant nor Animal can subsist: Every thing languishes the Moment that it departs; whereas its Presence renders Vigour to what before seem'd dying. You are not the only Man, said I, of that Opinion; there are intire Nations that invoke this glorious Planet, as the prime Cause of all things; and even those Ancients who acknowledge a Being of Sovereign Perfection, could not help ascribing certain Epithets to it, which plainly denoted their Esteem for it. Orpheus call'd it the Eye of Heaven. Homer, the Being which sees and hears all things. Heraclitus, the Fountain of Celestial Light. St. Ambrose, the Beauty of Heaven. Philo, the Image of eternal Splendor. Plato, the Soul of the World. King David extols its Excellency to a marvellous Degree, especially in his 18th Psalm; and the holy Men of the Old and New Testament, make no Scruple to represent it to us as the Model of the Divinity, whom they call in a hundred Places, the Day-spring from on high, and the Sun of righteousness.
I laugh, continued La Foret, at what some People have said concerning the Planets. I pray to God, and if I have any Veneration for the Creatures, 'tis only for the Creator's sake, who is marvellous in all his Works; but what surprises me most is to hear of two Motions of the Sun, which are directly opposite to each other, viz. its Daily Motion, from East to West; and its Annual one, from West to East. 'Tis true, reply'd I, these two Motions are directly contrary to one another, if they are ascrib'd to the Sun, which is done by the Ancients universally; but nothing is more natural, if we ascribe these two Motions to the Earth, which makes a great Circle round the Sun in the space of a Year, and turns once upon its own Center or Axis in Twenty-four Hours, just as if you were to push a Bowl, or if you please, a Turnep, from one end of an Alley to the other, which, while it was rolling to the end of the Alley, would make several Turns at the same time upon its own Axis. The Earth does the very same thing; and its two different Motions were always of use to Men to measure the Time of their Duration. The Tour which it makes upon its own Axis, forms our Natural Day of Twenty-four Hours; and the Time it takes in its grand Circle round the Sun, makes our Year of 365 Days and 6 Hours, wanting a few Minutes. 'Tis true, that this Computation or Measure for the Year was not known always alike to all Nations. The Egyptians, the Chaldeans, the Jews, and other ancient People, computed their Years differently, and made them longer or shorter, some than others. Many of them regulated their Years rather by the Course of the Moon, than that of the Earth, as several Nations do even at this Day.
The Calendar now follow'd by the Nations of Europe, came from the ancient Romans, but was not always so exactly regulated as at present; for in the time of Romulus, the Founder of Rome, the Year, which ought to be the Time that the Earth is making its great Tour round the Sun, was computed at only 304 Days, included in 10 Months: March, May, July, October, consisted each of 31 Days, and the others of but 30. Numa Pompilius, his Successor, added 51 to this Number, so that then the Year had 355 Days. Besides, he cut off a Day from every lesser Month, which he added to those 51, and of these he instituted the Months of January, consisting of 29, and February, of 28 Days. In fine, Julius Cæsar, the first of the Roman Emperors, having consulted the most skilful Astronomers of his Time, did, with their Consent, change the Year, which was almost a Lunar Year, into a Solar one by adding 10 more Days to it, which he distributed in such manner, that January, August, and December, had each two, and April, June, September, and November, one. Nevertheless, as all this was not enough, because the Year consists of 365 Days, 6 Hours, wanting about 11 Minutes, the Emperor would have every 4 Years, a Year of 366 Days, which additional Day should be plac'd between the 6th and 7th of the Calends of March, so that there were two 6th Days of the Calends of March, in such a Year, which was therefore call'd Bissextile, because the 6th Day was reckon'd twice before they proceeded to the next.
This Correction, as just as it was thought to be, did nevertheless occasion a Mistake in the Calendar, in process of Time; for tho' the Year was then but about 11 Minutes too long, whereas the Sun, as they said, enter'd in his Time (or 45 Years before the Birth of Jesus Christ) into the Vernal Equinox, the 24th of March, it enter'd into it on the 21st, at the time of the Nicene Council, Anno 327, and on the 11th of March in 1582, in the Reign of Pope Gregory XIII, who observing it, suppress'd 10 Days of that Year, between the 4th and 15th of October, because in that Space there were no Festivals nor Saints Days. And for fear that Posterity should relapse into the same Error, which was a Point of Consequence to the Equinoxes, that in time would have made an entire Revolution thro' all the Months of the Year, by such Retrogradation, he order'd, that for the next three Centuries successively, the Bissextile Year should not be computed at their Expiration, but only at the End of the Fourth, from whence it comes, that there must be 400 Gregorian Years and three Days to equal 400 Julian Years.
I am oblig'd to M. Du Puis, said La Foret, for having started this Subject of Conversation; for I had been a long time desirous to know what was meant by the Bissextile Year, by Old and New Style, and what was the real Cause of all those Alterations. They would not be satisfy'd till I had at several times explain'd to them the Meaning of the Terms Epact, Golden Number, Solar Cycle, Roman Indiction, Ides, Calends, and every thing almost that is necessary to be known for the Composition of an Almanack. What they most wonder'd at was, when I assur'd them that the Sun, which to us seem'd so small, is absolutely bigger than the whole Earth. Really, said La Foret, this is beyond Imagination, and I can't think that all the Stories told us of these things are any better than Dreams. Du Puis, who aggravated every Objection made by his Comrade, presum'd to tell me, that I talk'd very much at random, because I maintain'd the Truth of it; so that I was under a Necessity, tho' sorely against the Grain, to proceed to some Eclaircissements for their Satisfaction.
I confess, said I, that 'tis impossible to determine the exact Dimensions of the Celestial Luminaries; and all that have pretended to it have been presumptuous Impostors. The Instruments we make use of to measure the Parallax of the Sun, are too small, and too ill divided, considering the prodigious Distance of that Planet from the Earth. I never yet saw an Astrolabe divided into Minutes, tho' it were necessary it should be divided into Seconds, and perhaps into smaller Parts, which is impossible, or it would be too large for the Purpose. And as a Proof how liable we are to be mistaken for want of it, the most exact Astronomers, who, not content with the Theory, have gone about to reduce this Query to Practice, have been so grossly deceiv'd, that the wide Difference of one Man's Opinion from another, is enough to bring the Understanding of those Men in question, who would palm their Conjectures upon the World for real Truths. Tycho Brahe, who seems to have made a Circuit round the Heavens, as Christopher Columbus did round the Earth, affirms, that the Sun is 139 times bigger than the Globe which we inhabit. Copernicus makes the Number to be 162; Ptolemy, 166; Father Scheiner, 434; Wendelinus 4096: And one of my Tutors affirm'd it to be three Millions of times bigger than the Earth. Therefore we know nothing positively of its Bigness, but that 'tis much larger than this great Body, how big soever it appears to us, is a Certainty. For in the first Place, supposing it to be of equal Bigness with the Earth, 'tis evident that its Rays in their Passage over the exterior Parts of this Terrestrial Sphere, would leave a Cylinder of Obscurity beyond it, whose Sides would be parallel, so that the Planets, in their way thro' that Opaque, receiving no Light, and having none of their own, would be eclips'd. If the Sun was Smaller than the Earth, its Rays, after having glanced over the Earth, would grow wider, and form a Cone cut off by a Shadow, with its Basis in the Firmament, and the Top on the Part of the Earth opposite to the Sun; the Consequence of which is that a still greater part of the Heavens would be darken'd, and all the Planets there, as was just now observ'd, could give no Light. The only Planet that ever we see eclips'd is the Moon; it appears, therefore, that the Sun must be incomparably bigger than the Earth, because its Rays, when they have pass'd over this great Mass, unite again a little above the Moon, where the Cone, form'd by the Shadow of the Earth, ends in a Point. To illustrate this Explanation, I made a Figure in the Sand.
I confess, said Du Puis, this is demonstrative, as to the Cause; but as to the Effects you speak of, or the Defects of the Planets, I can't comprehend it, for I always thought that Eclipses were things uncommon and unnatural. On the contrary, I reply'd, there is nothing in them that is mysterious. The Planets are hard opaque Bodies, which bear a good Resemblance to the Earth, and are by many People thought to be inhabited, for they give no Light but by Reflexion, after having receiv'd it from the Sun. For this Reason it is that we have no Eclipse of the Moon, except when this Planet is rising on the one hand, while the Sun is setting on the other, and when the Earth happens to interpose directly between them, and hinders their seeing each other Face to Face. But if the Sun, said La Foret, be the Source of Light, how happens it that at certain times it loses it? From whence come those Eclipses which are so alarming to the World, and what is it that restores its former Lustre to it? As the Interposition of the Earth, said I, causes Eclipses of the Moon, the Interposition of the Moon, in like manner, darkens the Sun; that is to say, as often as the Moon is in Conjunction with the Sun, and passes in a direct Line, betwixt it and the Earth, it does the Office of a Curtain, and conceals that glorious Planet from us; but this Privation can be of no long Continuance, because of the different Motion of those Bodies. The Circle which the Earth describes about the Sun, is incomparably greater than that which the Moon describes round the Earth; and whereas the former advances about 13 Degrees in a Day, the latter rids away little more than one in Winter, and not quite so much in Summer, so that they soon get clear of one another. What, said La Foret, does the Earth go faster at one Season, than at another? Yes, said I, in Appearance the Difference is about four Minutes, because the Earth being much farther from the Sun in Summer, than in Winter, it must necessarily seem to have a slower Motion during the long Days, than the short ones; as a Waggon which is not above 50 Paces off, seems to go much faster than when it is at the Distance of 500.
But, said Du Puis, since you talk of Paces, is not the Heat of one and the same Fire better felt at the Distance of two Paces, than of ten? No doubt, said I. Then if the Sun, which is a Body of Heat, reply'd he, is nearer the Earth in the Winter, than in Summer, how comes it that the Heat is not felt in proportion to its Distance, and what's the Reason that we shake with Cold at the same time one might expect to be in a melting Sweat? You say very well, I reply'd, and this Objection shews that Ignorance and Reason are not incompatible, but while you think you have hamper'd me, you are quite mistaken. I will not go about to prove to you, that there are no such things in Nature as Heat, Cold, Light, Smell, Sound, or Colours, nor any of the Qualities which we perceive in Bodies; for it would be a Work of too much Trouble, and perhaps too you would not understand me, because this depends on certain Points of Knowledge, of which you have not so much as the Principles. I will only observe to you, that properly speaking, there is but one and the same sort of Matter, which according as it's form'd or actuated, produces in us, by means of our Organs, certain Effects which we ascribe to Bodies, and which therefore we call Hot, Cold, Luminous, Colour'd, and so of the others, tho' in effect Sounds Colour, Taste, &c. are properly in us, and not in those Bodies; as the Pain or Smart which proceeds from a Prick, is in our selves, and not at all in the Thorn which occasion'd it. And to prove that your Comparison is not just, even in the Sense that you your self would use it in, consider, that the Top of the Alpes, which is so much nearer to the Sun than the Foot, is cover'd with Snow in the Summer, while the Valleys, which are so much farther from the Sun, are quite burnt up with Heat: The true Reason of which is, (that we may pass over nothing without some Right Explanation) the Air, about a League from the Earth, is so thin, that it has not Strength enough to dissipate the least Bodies; whereas 'tis so gross upon the Surface, that 'tis capable of shaking our most solid Parts, and to cause what we call excessive Heat.
All this is really fine, reply'd La Foret, but pardon me, if I tell you, that I don't see you have yet settled the Point, with respect to Summer and Winter. Very true, said I, that's a Question of another Nature. When the Sun is ascended towards our Zenith, as it does in Summer, tho' it be at a very great Distance from us, yet it emits a great Number of Rays, almost perpendicularly upon us; whereas in Winter, when it declines lower towards the Horizon, most of its Rays, which can only come sideways, reverberate upon the Surface of our Atmosphere, so that very few pass and penetrate to our Bodies: Mean time, Heat and Cold consist in the greater and lesser Number of those Rays, as is easily to be prov'd by Mirrors and Burning-Glasses, whose Effects are always proportion'd to the Number of Rays of Light which they collect.
During this agreeable Conversation, which was carry'd on with a View, rather to pass the Time, than to increase the Number of Philosophers, because in that Case another Course must have been taken, we had travell'd a good way, but at length we were oblig'd to turn to another Subject. It was now Thirty-five Days that we had left our Company, and we imagin'd that we could not have travell'd less than 130 Leagues, when on a sudden, we found our selves on the Brink of a Lake, which seem'd to be of a vast Extent. This Obstacle in our way so confounded us, that for a long time we knew not what to resolve upon. One talk'd of returning back, another of staying where we were for a few Days, and making the best shift we could to lodge our selves; but at last we resolv'd to go straight along by the Side of this great Water, in hopes of finding the End of it. After coasting it seven or eight Leagues, we began to see Land on the other side of it, and were overjoy'd to find that the farther we advanc'd we had still a plainer View of the Objects on the other Shore; but then we had a fresh Mortification to see our selves got insensibly into a marshy Place, where the Ground was not only soft, but stunk, and trembled under our Feet. All the Country about us was flat and even; we saw no end of it, and every Step we took, which way soever we turn'd, we sunk in half way the Leg. All that I could say to encourage my Comrades, was in vain; there was no going further, so that we were fain to return back as we came, much against our Wills and tho' extremely fatigu'd, were forc'd to travel two long Leagues before we durst make a Halt, because we were sadly bemir'd, and had not yet met with any Fuel fit to make a Fire to dry us.
After we had rested our selves sufficiently, we resolv'd to turn still to the Left, and to see if there was any Rub on that Side. We travell'd on four Days successively, 'till we came to a Forest full of tall Oaks, of an extraordinary Bigness. We paus'd at first whether we should enter it, and at length resolv'd to venture into it, on condition of keeping as near as possible to the Lake; but this did not hold long, for we had scarce advanc'd three small Leagues but we came to the Foot of a Mountain, so cragged, that it was impossible for any Creature to ascend it. The Rock hung over the Lake, the Waters of which being sometimes ruffled, had in all Probability gradually wash'd away the Bottom. We try'd to ascend this Mountain on the other Side, for a whole Day, without finding any Place where it was accessible, because of Precipices and astonishing Hills. At the dismal Sight of so many invincible Obstacles, our Patience left us, and my two Comrades reproached me very heartily for having brought them into this Disaster.
I confess, said I, that we have reason to bewail our unhappy Fate; but you ought to consider that nothing happens by chance, for there is a Providence which directs every thing according to his own Pleasure. As 'tis this same wise Being who has brought us hither, so he will not fail to hint some Means or other to extricate us. 'Tis most certain that God never abandons his People, let them go where they will; if we place our Confidence in him, he will infallibly assist us, You know that it was neither a View to Profit nor Honour that led us hither; we had nothing to lose, and provided we escape with our Lives, we have all that we brought along with us. Let us not be daunted at what has happen'd to us hitherto; our principal Aim is to ramble in search of new Things, which may give us Pleasure; I don't despair of going farther still, and that we shall some Day or other find out a way to get a comfortable Subsistence. Come on, my Lads, let us lose no Time, said I, but return back to the Lake, and see if we can't contrive how to pass it, without running too great a Risque. By good Fortune we have Hatchets, and here's Timber in abundance. If we venture over upon Floats, we shan't be the first Adventurers of this sort, and if we are so happy as to get safe to the other Side, I flatter my self we shall make more fortunate Discoveries. Hitherto the Country is uninhabited, but, humanely speaking, 'tis impossible it should be the same every where; and who knows, but at last we may meet with some civiliz'd Nation, whose kind Treatment of us may make us ample Amends for the Fatigues and Dangers we have run thro' to find them out, and for telling them if they don't know it already, that there are other People in the World besides them.
My Comrades turn'd a deaf Ear to me; nothing I said could make 'em easy, and I am persuaded, that if they had seen the least Probability of finding our Ship's Company again, where we left them, they would undoubtedly have run all Hazards in quest of them. In the mean time, there was a Necessity of resolving upon something. We return'd to the Lake, and view'd it well in many Parts, before we agreed what Place to put off at. These Motions backwards and forwards took us up eight Days, and the ninth we began to set our Hands to the Work. First, we cut down half a score Trees, of seven or eight Inches Diameter, from which we stripp'd the Branches, shorten'd them to the length of twenty Foot, put them into the Water, and then fasten'd them together as well as we could, partly with Rushes, but chiefly with the Bark of Willow-Trees, which were very numerous on the Side of the Lake, and of which we made a sort of Cordage, of what length we pleas'd. After this, we provided a Score of other shorter Trees, which we laid in a row, and bound across the former, and upon these we laid a third Floor of the same Size and Length as those of the first Lay. We also made five Oars, or rather Shovels, which took us up more Time than all the rest.
Before we had finished our Carpenter's Work, La Foret came and told us, that at sixty Paces distance he saw something stir in the Rushes, which were not very far from the Lake, and in short, we were of his Opinion immediately, that it must be some great Animal. Du Puis, and I, took each our Gun, and charging with four Balls, we fir'd both at once, reserving a third Charge in case of Necessity, as we had been taught to do by Experience in our Travels, wherein we had like to have been torn to Pieces by Bears, two or three times, because we had spent all our Fire at once. Our Pieces were scarce discharg'd, when we were extremely surpris'd and terrify'd with a hideous Howling, and prodigious Rustle among the Reeds, so that we were a long time in Suspence, whether we should go near to see what it was; but upon consideration that what we heard and saw could be nothing else, in all probability, but the Effect of a mortal Wound, which had disabled the Beast from defending himself, we charg'd our Pieces again, and approach'd, tho' with great Fear and Trembling, to the Place where he made such a Stir. As soon as he perceiv'd us, he made a greater Noise than before, and struggled hard to escape, which Fear of his rais'd our Spirits, and La Foret seeing him lift up his Head, let fly at him so dexterously that he shot him thro' and thro', and laid him flat on the Ground. Nevertheless, we durst not approach him for some Moments, but perceiving he had no Motion, we began to touch him with the Ends of our Pieces, and at length dragg'd him out, when we found him to be of the Otter Kind, with two very short Legs before, which either Du Puis or I maim'd at the first Discharge, whereby he was disabled from getting away. This Creature could not weigh less than 150 Pound. We skinn'd him, roasted the best Part of him, and found his Flesh to be good, and that it tasted not much unlike our Ducks.
Next Day, which was the thirteenth since we arrived there, we resolv'd to put off, but our Float was so heavy that we made very little way; and two of us constantly ply'd the Oars by turns, while the third rested. As good Luck would have it, the Weather was very favourable, and the Season exceeding pleasant, so that I can truly say, we were very much delighted in the Voyage, tho' we did not know what would become of us when we undertook it. 'Twas surprising to see the infinite Shoals of Fish in this fine Lake, leaping and casting on both sides of our Float, which some of them follow'd with their Heads above Water, and playing with their Tails, as if they had been rejoic'd to see us. We were so attentive at this dumb Sport, that we lay upon our Oars sometimes for a great while together to enjoy it. We took up several of them with our Hands, and then toss'd them back again into their own Element, and might have caught what Number we had pleas'd. At the Close of the Day, just as we lost Sight of the Shore we came from, we were overjoy'd to discover that to which we were steering our Course. This agreeable Sight gave us fresh Spirits; we work'd lustily almost all Night, and I think it was next Day about four of the Clock in the Afternoon, when we had the good Luck to touch Land. As soon as we got ashore, we made use of all the Tackle we had to moor our Machine, not only to great Stones upon the Strand, but to a Post or Stump of a Tree, which we drove into the Ground, and which we carry'd with us for that purpose, being uncertain whether we should fare better elsewhere, and whether we should not be oblig'd to come back again the same way. We were so fatigu'd with our Voyage that we took up our Lodging at the distance of an hundred Paces, and stay'd there till next Morning, when we continu'd our Journey.
We had not travell'd half a League but we came to a Wood, as thick as any we had yet met with, tho' we forc'd our way thro' it in less than two Hours. But there we were stopt all on a sudden, by steep Rocks altogether as difficult to ascend as a Wall. This new Barrier occasion'd fresh wrangling betwixt us; my Comrades murmur'd sadly, and I, as usual, did all I could to hearten them, so that I was forc'd at last to assure them, that tho' my Ideas were commonly so confus'd and irregular in my Slumbers, that I could seldom tell what to make of my Dreams, yet I had one last Night, the Connexion and Circumstances of which were so particular, that it was an infallible Presage of something to our Advantage; and thereupon I invented some Fictions ex-tempore, which, tho' perhaps not very well concerted, had however all the Effect I expected from them. In the Morning, said I, about an Hour before Sun-rise, methoughts I heard a Rumbling, like the Voice of Thunder, which said to me, What have you to do there, Child? Rise up, and walk, thy Deliverance is near at hand. At the same time a young Woman appear'd to me with a smiling Countenance, dress'd in white Raiment, with her dishevell'd Hair flowing about her Shoulders, her Legs bare even to the Knee, and in her Hands a little Basket of fine Ozier, artfully interwoven with all manner of fragrant Flowers, and full of uncommon delicious Fruits, of which she invited me to eat. On my left Hand there appear'd a Field, cover'd all over with Sheaves of the finest Corn that the Earth ever bore; and on my right a Tree, in the Trunk of which there was a Cleft, from whence there gush'd a clear beautiful red Liquor, which smelt like musk. I turn'd about to look behind me, and perceiving a frightful Monster, bristled all over like a Porcupine, I was so affrighted at it, that tho' it turn'd its Back upon me, I started out of my Sleep. To this Dream I gave a favourable Interpretation, which contributed not a little to quicken our Pace.
As we still kept along the East side of those Mountains, we at last discover'd a narrow Passage, which we resolv'd to climb, but the Difficulty we met with before we got up to the Top, was such that I cannot express it. When we had conquer'd it, we sat down to recover Breath, and take a little Food. Soon after we rose again, we perceiv'd a Pond about a Quarter of a League in Circumference, which was bounded on one side by the craggy Points of a Rock, which hung over the Water, and on the other by a very narrow rugged sort of Dyke, with a Precipice on the right hand, of which there was no discovering the Bottom. These mocking Objects made me as mute as a Fish; I had neither the Strength nor Courage to speak, and to be frank, I wish'd then with all my Heart I had never undertaken the Voyage. There was no Prospect of going down the way that we ascended, and the Danger of going farther was very great.
While we were at that Nonplus, I made a hard Struggle to climb to the Top of a Rock which was behind us; as soon as I was got up to it, my Sorrow was turn'd on a sudden into extravagant Joy, at the Discovery of a fine Champain Country beyond these Hills, which was interspers'd with Canals, and Trees regularly planted on the Banks of them. I thought likewise that I saw Cattle grazing in the Meads, and at a further distance great Bodies, which I took to be the Habitations of Men. I beckon'd to my Comrades to follow me, and signify'd to them by my Gestures and various Contortions of Body, that our Deliverance was nigh. They were so fond to know the good News, that they ventur'd after me, tho' they had like to have broke their Necks as well as I; but then, on the other hand, they were soon satisfy'd for their Pains, and agreed that this Country was, without Dispute, inhabited. All the Difficulty was how to come at it, a Difficulty, which we verily thought insurmountable. From this Eminence we carefully survey'd all the Country round; but there being no Appearance of Access to it, we help'd one another down, and took another View of the Precipice and Pond.
For my part, I was immediately of Opinion let the Danger be what it wou'd, that we ought to return and cut down Timber in the Forest where we had spent the Night, and to draw it up in the best manner we could, in order to venture this short Passage over the Pond. But Du Puis, thinking my Proposal impracticable, said, that the Passage between the Lake and the Precipice seem'd to be only two Foot broad in the narrowed Parts of it, that therefore one might easily cross over it, and that he would undertake to be our Guide. I was wonderfully pleas'd with his Motion, and did not fail to second it by instancing in the Pyrenees and Alpes, of which I had read something in the Memoirs of several Travellers; but La Foret, who was, as he said, subject to Vertigoes, protested he would not go that way, whatever was the Consequence, but that if we were resolv'd to pass it, he would rather do it by Swimming. Du Puis immediately acquiesc'd, and engag'd to carry his Clothes, and mine too, if I would take to the Water with him. No sooner said, but done, for La Foret and I stripp'd, bundled up our Clothes, and Du Puis taking them along with him, set out. We resolv'd to leave our Hatchets and Fowling-Pieces behind us, which indeed were of no more Service to us, because we had not three Charges of Powder left; nevertheless, Du Puis was to return to fetch them, if he found the Passage not so dangerous as we imagin'd. La Foret and I being both very good Swimmers, we arriv'd quickly at the other Shore, because we made choice of the narrowed Place; but Du Puis, who had taken our Clothes, was oblig'd to take a large Compass, before he came to the Place where he was to pass.
As soon as we got ashore, we ran to meet him, and glad we were to see him briskly advancing to us, but by an unaccountable Disaster, which I shall lament as long as I live, the poor Man was within ten Paces of being upon Terra Firma, when a Piece of the Rock giving way all on a sudden under his Feet, he cry'd out, Lord have Mercy upon me! and, and to our Astonishment, disappear'd in an Instant. We ran hastily to see what became of him, but alas! we neither saw nor heard him more.
I beg the kind Reader to pause here for a Moment, and seriously to reflect upon our Misfortune. Our inconceivable Grief for the Loss of our Friend, together with the pitiful Condition he left us in, having neither Clothes to cover our Nakedness, nor any Means possible to subsist us, so dispirited us, that we thought a hundred times of casting our selves headlong after him, and by that means to have put a sudden Period to the fatal Course of our unfortunate Lives.
CHAP. VI.
Of the Discovery of a very fine Country, its Inhabitants, their Language, Manners and Customs, &c. and of the Esteem which our Author and his Comrade gain'd there.
Mean time, the Surf was at the End of his Race, and we found our selves very cold, which were two pressing Motives to induce us to betake our selves to some Shelter. We descended the Mountain with no great Difficulty, because on that side it was not very deep. At the Foot of it was a broad deep Ditch, where we were again forc'd to swim over. This was one of the Barriers of the Country, and was destitute of Bridges, so that People could neither pass in nor out of it.
The farther we went into the Country, the more of its Beauties we discover'd, and a thousand things occur'd to convince us that it was inhabited. The Creatures which we spy'd, as we thought, from the Mountains, were Goats feeding in the Meadows, where the green Herbage was so high, that it partly conceal'd them from our Sight. In short, we were not a great way from one of the Herds, when the Man that look'd after them, who was then lain down upon the Grass, observing that they stretch'd out their Necks as if they spy'd something that had affrighted them, rose up to see what it was, and as soon as he perceiv'd us, ran away with all the Speed he could; and we heard afterwards, that seeing two such naked Men coming down the Mountain in the Evening, he took us for Savages: His Goats also ran as if they had been pursu'd by some Beast of Prey. Certain Shepherds who were not far off, tending their Flocks of Sheep, knew not what to think of this Alarm, but they had the Courage to join one another, and came seven or eight in a Body to examine us. As soon as we thought they could see us, we wrung our Hands, and endeavour'd by all the Signs we could think of, to move them to Compassion. They advanc'd, and perceiving that we were naked and unarm'd, came within four Paces of us, each having a great Stick in his Hand, and fell a talking to us. I told them in Latin, in French, and in Portuguese, a Language which I understood pretty well, considering the Time I was in Portugal, that we were two honest Europeans, who believ'd in God, and at the same time lifted up my Hands to Heaven, and then smote my Breast. But notwithstanding all my various Looks and Actions, I plainly perceiv'd by their Countenances, that they understood us no more than we did them; upon which I fell prostrate at their Feet, and by trembling, and extending my Arms, endeavour'd to give them to understand that I was almost starv'd to Death with Cold. Then they talk'd with one another a few Moments, but without giving the least Indication that they intended us any Harm, and at length, after some Deliberation, they beckon'd to us to follow them, and carry'd us to a venerable Personage, who, after having survey'd us, first gave each of us a great Robe, which cover'd us from Head to Foot, for at the Top of it a Cap was fasten'd, in the manner of a Monk's Cowl; then he interrogated us by Signs from whence we came, whether from the East, the West, or from any other Part of the Globe. We answer'd him in our own Language, and by the best Signs we were capable of making, that we were neither Angels nor Devils; that we came neither from Heaven nor Hell; that we were rational Creatures like himself, who having put to Sea in a great Machine of Wood, were cast away about 150 Leagues off; that of all the Crew only three of us set out inquest of some Asylum to pass the Remainder of our Days; but that we left one of our Companions by the way, in the most tragical manner that could be; and so of the rest. Then we begg'd him to take Pity of us, to put us to work, and to give us Nourishment. Tho' I knew not whether he understood what we said to him, yet he seem'd to be affected, by his shedding of Tears. He gave us a Supper, and in an Hour after we were carry'd to a Bed, which was all done in so handsome a manner, that we were charm'd with our Entertainment. Next Day it was as good as a Comedy to see the Crowds of People that came from all Parts to gaze at us. Every one look'd upon us with Amazement, because no body could comprehend from whence or which way we came hither. These Visits held at least a Fortnight or three Weeks. By hearing them talk much, we began to understand some Words of their Language: The first we retain'd was the Word Mula, which they seldom fail'd to pronounce, when with our Eyes or Hands lifted up to Heaven, we utter'd the Name of God. We learnt the Terms, At, to Eat; Bouskin, to Drink; Kapan, to Sleep; Pryn, to Walk; Tian, to Work; Touto, Yes; Touton, No; and a great many others, which we found afterwards to bear the same Meaning as we imagin'd they had at first. What very much contributed to make this Language familiar to us, was there being but three Tenses in the Indicative Mood of every Verb, viz. the Present, the Præterperfect, indefinite or compound, and the Future; that they have no Imperative Mood; that in their Subjunctive they have only the Præterimperfect and Præterpluperfect; and that besides these they have only the Infinitive Mood and Participle. They have also but three Persons in both the Singular and Plural Numbers, and thus, for Instance, they conjugate the Verb At:
Indicative Mood, Present Tense.
Ata, I eat or We eat.
Até, Thou eatest, You eat.
Atη, He eateth, They eat.
Præterperfect Tense.
Atà i, I have eaten, We have eaten.
Atéi, Thou haft eaten, You have eaten.
Atiη, He has eaten, They have eaten.
Future Tense.
Atà io, I shall or will eat, We will eat.
Atéio, Thou wilt eat, You will eat.
Atηio, He will eat, They will eat.
Infinitive Mood.
At, To eat.
Præterimperfect Tense of the Subjunctive Mood.
Atà in, I would eat, We would eat.
Atéin, Thou wouldn't eat, Ye would eat.
Atηin, He would eat, They would eat.
Præterpluperfect.
Atais, I would have eaten, We would have eaten.
Atéis, Thou would'st have eaten, You would have eaten.
Atηis, He or she should have eaten, They would have eaten.
Participle of the Present Tense.
Atain, Eating.
From thence are deriv'd the Words, Ataus, Kitchen; Ataɤs, Food; Atiɤ, Cook; Atians, Eater, or the Person that Eateth.
Their Alphabet consists of Twenty Characters, viz. Seven Vowels, a, e, i, o, u, η, ɤ, (the Sixth of which is properly the Aita of the Greeks, and the Seventh is equivalent to the Dipthongue, ou) and Thirteen Consonants, b, d, f, g, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t. These same Consonants serve them also for Numerals; as b, 1; d, 2; f, 3; g, 4; h, 5; k, 6; l, 7; m, 8; n, 9; p, 10; pb, 11; pd, 12; &c. dp, is equivalent to twice Ten, or Twenty; fp, to thrice Ten, or Thirty; fb, 31; &c. pp, ten times Ten, or 100; r, 1000; pr, 10000; ppr, 100000; s, a Million; ps, 10 Millions; pps, 100 Millions; ppps, 1000 Millions; and so on, always adding one p more.
It must likewise be observed, that their Nouns and Verbs are deriv'd from one another, like the French, Chat, a Boar Cat; Chate, a She Cat; Chatons, Kittlings; Chatonner, to Kitten. Their Declensions are also very easy, of which this is an Example:
Nom. Brol, }
Gen. Brul, } A Weather.
Dat. Brel, }
Nom. Brolu, }
Gen. Brula, } An Ewe or Sheep.
Dat. Brèla, }
Nom. Brolη, }
Gen. Brulη, } Weathers or Sheep.
Dat. Brelη, }
'Tis wonderful, that there is not one Exception in the Conjugations and Declensions of this Language; and that when we know the Variations of one Verb or Noun, it leads to the Knowledge of all the rest; which Variation consists only in adding the Letter A to the Infinitive Mood to make the Present Tense of the Indicative; as from At, comes Ata; from Bɤskin, Bɤskina, &c. And to the Nouns they add A, to the Nominative Case of the Masculine Gender, to make them Feminine in η when they change them to the Plural Number, as is plain from the foregoing Example. From hence it will not be thought strange, that at the End of six Months we understood every thing they said to us; and that they also understood what we said to them. But to return to our former Subject.
Not many Days after our Arrival, we were awaken'd one Morning by an extraordinary Hurly-burly in the House. We arose to see what was the matter; but tho' we observ'd the minutest of their Proceedings, we could not conceive the Meaning of the Hurry they were all in from the the Highest to the Lowest; only we guess'd there was to be a grand Dinner, because there was a great Slaughter of Fowls, and abundance of Meat in the Kitchen. About Ten of the Clock, the whole Family went out. Our Patron march'd first, with a great Cock under his Arm, and we follow'd with the rest of the Houshold. As we pass'd the Bridge over the Canal, we saw that all our Neighbours did the same, every Family marching out with a Cock. Our opposite Neighbour expos'd his Cock against ours; and the others did the same thing, it being a general Cock-match between the People of both sides the Canal. It is incredible with what Courage and Fury, with what Vigor and Skill these Creatures fought. My Landlord, whose Cock was kill'd, went and took the Victor by the Hand, congratulated him on his Conquest, and carry'd him to his House, follow'd by all his Children and Domestics. The Provisions laid in at the other's House, were brought to ours. We sat down to Table, and I can say, that I had not been at such an Entertainment a long while. It was a Feast truly Royal, and we drank to a very hearty Pitch; but the worst on't was, we did not understand them.
Our People were every whit as alert next Day. As soon as the Sun was risen, all the young Men of the Canton, that is to say, the eldest Son of every Family, went out and took a straight Pole, like to the Mast of a Ship, which they planted in the middle of the Canal, and to the End of it they ty'd as many great Ropes as there were Families present. All these Ropes were afterwards extended, and wound about the several Trees which were planted on the Bank of the Canal; and that there might be no Jealousy, or any Cause of Complaint, there was a Noose made in each Rope, all at the same Distance from the Pole. To the Top of this Pole, which was not Thirty Foot from the Surface of the Water, a round Board was nail'd, upon which an Eagle was plac'd, whose two Feet were fasten'd separately with strong Packthread, to two Cramp-Irons drove into the Timber.
When every thing was ready, each of the young Men laid hold of one of the Ropes at the Place where the Noose was, and at the first Signal, which was given by our Landlord, they drove who could climb up fastest. They that came first up to the Eagle, endeavour'd to lay hold of him, but they had a smart Reception, for as their Hands were oblig'd to be bare, they were expos'd to the Strokes of the Eagle's Beak, which made them all over bloody. Besides, each Man had but one Hand at liberty to attack, because with the other he was oblig'd to hold fast. And then, the Eagle was not ty'd so short, but that he could rise at least two Foot from his Board; so that whereas I thought at the Beginning, the Battle would have been over in a Trice, when it had continued two Hours 'twas like to hold all Day. Notwithstanding the Vigour of the Assailants, their Situation was too fatiguing, and it was impossible they could keep it long. Some rested themselves as well as they could; others dropped into the Water, where they were reliev'd immediately by Persons who were underneath in little Boats, on purpose to catch them. In short, it was a wild Skirmish; but I think they had been engag'd about six Hours, when one of the Assailants nimbly seizing the Eagle, broke one of its Legs, but another pushing him, made him let go his Prize for fear of falling off of the Rope, grip'd the Bird with both his Hands, flung himself desperately down the Rope, and fell, with the dismembered Prey in his Arms, into the Water. At his Fall, the Spectators shouted as much for Joy, as if the Safety of the Publick had been the Matter in question. Those who were wet went to shift their Clothes, and soon after repair'd to the Victor's House, where every one paid him their Compliments. There they supp'd together, and spent part of the Night in Merriment, while the Parents of the Family treated one another reciprocally with hearty good Cheer. The third Day was spent in Plays, Dances, Races, and agreeable Diversions.
We knew not what all this meant; but afterwards we found that they observ'd the same Ceremonies throughout the Kingdom, every Year, at the Full Moon preceding the Solstice of Capricorn, and that the young Man who carries off the Eagle, has that Year the Choice of all the Girls in the Canton, in case he has a mind to alter his Condition, so that there can be no Marriage without his Consent, which however he seldom refuses; and therefore it may be said, that it all terminates in a meer Formality and Punctilio of Honour to the Conqueror. At all the other Full-Moons of the Year, without Exception, they fight Cocks. They take their Pleasure in Gondola's, during the Summer; and in the Winter they are drawn upon the Snow in Sleds. For two Days they take all the innocent Pleasures they are capable of, except that of the Eagle planted on the Pole. The rest of the Month every body is at their Business, and there are no other Feasts at all.
Having spent all this Time without putting our Hands to any thing, we gave our Patron to understand that we should be glad of some Business. At first they pretended not to give ear to it, but seeing that we insisted on being employ'd, they gave us Wool to cleanse, wash, beat, and card, as thinking that we were fit for nothing else. We were soon weary of this Work. La Foret, who was by Profession a Watchmaker, wanted to take a File in his Hand, and to work on the Movement of a Watch; but there were no such Machines in those Parts, and it would have been difficult to have given them a Notion of such presently. When they perceiv'd our Dissatisfaction, they were willing to make use of us for the Rigging of a little Fleet.
There being Twenty-two Houses in our Canton or Village, of which I shall give a Description hereafter, the Number of Vessels to be equipp'd was the same. Every Master of a Family caus'd his Vessel to be fitted, and the necessary Provisions to be put on Board, to serve four Persons for three Weeks. In these Vessels they put all manner of Provisions or Merchandise which they knew to be proper for a Voyage; as for Instance, Cordage, Pullies, Wheelbarrows, Hatchets, Spades, Mattocks, Pick-Axes, and other Tools fit to turn up the Ground; but especially Robes, and other Habits, Woollen and Linen. It was then the Month of December, and by consequence in the Heart of Summer, and in the finest Season of the Year. As the Goats are extremely large in that Country, and as strong as our Horses, they are generally made use of for Carriages. There were four of 'em to every Boat, of which two drew for two Hours, while the others eat, and relied in the Vessel. Thus they work'd alternately for fifteen or sixteen Hours every Day, which was in a manner from Sun-rise to Sun-set, but at Night there was a Halt, and a general Rest.
My Comrade and I could never see enough of the Beauties of this inchanting Country, and the Riches of its Soil. Their Orchards were adorn'd with fine Trees, some in Blossom, and others with ripe Fruit, the most excellent in the World; their Arable Lands were cover'd with Wheat, Barley, and other Grain; their Pastures were full of Goats and Sheep, of an extraordinary Size (for as to Horses and Cows, I never saw any there) and every thing was in such Elegance, Order, and Regularity, that it perfectly charm'd us.
The whole Country, which, as we were afterwards inform'd, extends 130 French Leagues from East to West, and 80 at least from North to South, is divided into Cantons or Villages. These Cantons are exactly of the Form of a Quadrangle, each Side being 1500 Paces, or an Italian Mile and Half in length, incompass'd all round, and separated from one another by a Canal 20 Paces broad, and a Royal Road on each side of it of 25 Paces, with two Rows of Trees in the middle, which form a Walk of 25 Foot, or five Geometrical Paces, that there may be free and commodious Passage for the Creatures employed to draw the Boats.
Every Canton is also divided in the middle by a Ditch of 20 Paces, and by a Road on both sides, of 25; with Trees planted after the same manner. Every one of these Roads contains 11 Habitations in length, each being 130 Geometrical Paces in Front, and about 700 in Depth, which are also separated by little Ditches five Foot over. At the Head of every one of these Habitations, on the Side of the Ditch which divides the Village into two equal Parts, there's a House only one Story high, but 60 Foot wide, with a Passage in the middle, which leads to all the Apartments, Stables, Barns, and other Offices. The Reason why they have no Upper Rooms is, because sometimes, tho' very seldom, they are subject to violent high Winds, which throw down their Houses to the Ground, for their Buildings are but slight.
From this Disposition that I have now describ'd, tis plain that in one Canton there are 22 Habitations; or Houses, opposite to one another, and all of the same Height and Breadth, 11 on one side of the Canal, and 11 on the other. At each End of this Water, on both Sides, there are Bridges to pass from one Village to the other, besides some in the middle of each Canton, which are all built of Free-Stone of fine Architecture, and kept in very good Repair. In these Twenty-two Families, there were always two of Distinction; one, that of the Papɤ or Priest; and the other, that of the Kini, or Judge of the Canton, which face the middle Bridge, and are opposite to one another; and behind these Houses there's an Apartment the breadth of the whole House, which serve the one for the Church, the other for the Court or Senate. But we shall have occasion to treat more of this perhaps elsewhere, and therefore we return now to our Journey.
We stay'd nine Days upon the Road, and when we came within seven or eight Leagues from the Place to which we were bound, we began to discover the Highlands, where we saw nothing scarce but Mountains, whose Tops seem'd to touch the Clouds, and dazzled our Eyes with the Whiteness of the Snow, with which they are cover'd all the Year round. The Canal where we were, ended about two short Leagues from those Hills, so that there we were oblig'd to halt. Part of our Company stay'd there in the Boats, and the rest of us made our way to the Mountains. But before we came to them, we were fain to pass thro' a very beautiful Forest.
The perpetual Din and Clatter, which we heard as we went on, made me think more than once, of Vulcan and his Cyclops. The Air resounded with great Strokes of Hammers, and one would actually have sworn that we were but three Paces from the Forges of Mount Gibel, or the Anvils of Brontes, Pyracmon, and Steropes. We were not vastly mistaken in our Conjecture, for the Men whom we discover'd soon after were not much unlike Giants and Dæmons; some of them were monstrously tall, others as shagged as Bears, and not one but was blacker than a Newcastle Collier.
Some of our Company immediately apply'd to a Director, and told him what Canton we were come from, what sort of Merchandise we had brought, and what we came for in exchange. Then they presented me and my Comrade to him, which we believed was to desire him to conduct us to all those Places which he thought worth seeing by People who had never been there; for he presently gave Orders to one of his Footmen to accompany us wherever we went, and five of our Companions join'd us.
The first thing he shew'd us was a large Pit, of a prodigious Depth, where was an Iron Mine which had been work'd for thousands of Years, and from whence so much Earth, &c. had been dug as form'd several other Mountains near it. On the left side of this Pit was a Descent of Steps, which the Workmen had made in the Rock as they dug downwards, but tho' they were broad and easy, I did not care to go down them. Over it they had erected a wooden Machine, and a great Windlass, with a Pulley fasten'd to it three Foot in Diameter, which drew up the Oar, by means of Baskets that were fill'd by Men at the bottom, as often as they were let down. On the right side of the Pit there was not a Hand at work, but every thing seem'd in Disorder. Our Guide perceiving me stoop to view the confused State of it, made Signs to me, by which he gave me to understand, as well as he could, that not above five Months ago a great part of the Mountain; which had perhaps been undermin'd too far on that Side, broke away, and in the Fall crush'd 360 Labourers that were at work.
After we had view'd that Place, he carry'd us to another, from whence Coal was extracted after the same manner; but 'tis much fatter than the English Coal, and even than that Mineral which is produc'd in the Country of Liege, for the Fire that is commonly made of it burns twenty-four Hours, without laying on fresh Coals.
Between these two Mines there was a Pond of Mineral Water, which continually bubbled up. They make use of it to scour their Bodies, Clothes, and Utensils; but they can't dress their Victuals with it, 'tis so very ill-tasted. The Iron which they steep in this hot Water becomes impenetrably hard, and is much fitter than our Steel to make Springs of. I never was at a Loss to account for the degree of Heat which is said to be in the Mineral Waters of Aix la Chapelle, because they come thro' long Subterranean Channels, where the Earth no doubt abounds with bituminous and sulphureous Particles, which being themselves much agitated, communicate a part of their Motion to them, as they pass along; but here I really saw nothing like it. For this was a little Lake of standing Water, which, as fast as it wafted by Exhalations, and what was drawn off by People for their Use, was supply'd by a Stone Pipe, which Nature seem'd to have form'd for the Purpose, from whence there came a Thread of Water as clear as Crystal, but colder than Marble; which made me think there must be a prodigious Fire of Spirits underneath to give it that Heat and Ferment.
We went also to see the Men that separated the Iron from the Mine, the Furnaces where they melted it, and the Forges where they extended it into Bars, to be work'd elsewhere; but all this was so like the Practice in Europe, that there's no need to describe it here.
I understood by what they told me afterwards, that this intire Chain of Mountains, which serves instead of a Barrier to this fine Country, is properly the Magazine from whence these People have great part of their Wealth, and things which are generally useful in Society; as Stones for Building, others for Lime; Salt, which, tho' different from ours, is very good; very fine Pewter, and red Copper, but in a very little Quantity, which at the same time coils a great deal of Labour, and the Lives of very many Men.
While I was taken up with viewing, all these Curiosities, our People were busy in landing their Goods, bartering them, and taking in their Ladings of such Goods as they had Orders to bring away in exchange, which were carry'd off by Sledges, or little flat long Carts, drawn by two, three, four, and even ten Goats at a time, or on the Backs of Porters, and in which so many People were imploy'd, that they made quick Work, tho' the Way was pretty long, so that we were not there two whole Days. We carry'd our Guide to our Barks, where we treated him in the best manner we could, and made him so drunk, that as he got up to go away, he fell all along and hurt his Shoulder, insomuch that the exquisite Pain he felt made him call out upon the Name of Christ. I was startled at the Expression, and should have been glad to have known how he came to hear of the Saviour of Mankind, but for want of knowing the Language, I contented my self with having raised him on his Legs again, and glad I was to see that he had not hurt himself dangerously.
Just as we were unmooring in order to return, it came into my Head, that if instead of going back by the same Canal, we struck into another two or three Cantons off, perhaps we should see Novelties that would divert us, and make us amends for all our Time and Labour. I communicated my Mind to La Foret, and he join'd with me in persuading the others, who were so complaisant that they consented to our Proposal, without any Scruple. Thereupon we went Westward but when the Goats were to be harness'd which were to draw our Boat, the oldest of 'em, which, according to the Report of the Driver, was Forty-two Years of Age, and had been that way I know not how often, finding that they did not keep in the usual Track, was so unruly, that it was impossible for the Guide to hold him in. He made so many Leaps and Capers, that he broke the Rope with which he was harness'd, and run away. Twenty People immediately pursu'd him, and call'd out to others to stop him, which, as one was attempting to do, the mad Creature leap'd fairly into the middle of the Water, at a Place where the Banks are very high and sleep, so that he could not possibly climb out. Our Guide getting a little before him, stoop'd till he came by, and then throwing in a Rope with a Noose, caught him by the Horns. At the same time the Goat being affrighted, darted towards the other Shore, and whether the Rope was twin'd round the Body of our Guide, or whether he chose to be dragg'd into the Water, rather than let go his Hold, I know not, but so it was that he fell in. The Company were immediately so alarm'd that they all hurry'd to his Assistance; and while they were busy in helping him out, the Creature made up to one of the Steps of the next Bridge, by which he recover'd Land, and got quite out of our Sight, so that we knew not what was become of him. For my own part, I was heartily vex'd to lose him, and wish'd almost that I had been Tongue-ty'd, ere I propos'd to come this way, for I was afraid that my Patron would look upon us with an evil Eye, and revenge himself upon those who had been so complaisant as to hearken to us. We pursued our Purpose, however, tho' some of the other Goats were resty for a little while, but as soon as the foremost were in the Humour to go, the others follow'd as gently as Lambs. Yet we were never the better for this Voyage, for the Country is so uniform, that when you have seen a Part of it, 'tis as well as if you had seen the whole, there being really no remarkable Difference but in the People's Faces, the same that you observe every where else; and indeed, if there had been any Pleasure to have tasted, we were at that time too uneasy to have partaken of it. But we were most agreeably surpriz'd at our Arrival, to hear that the Goat had been a Week in the Stables; so that this nimble Creature had ran home in Thirty-five Hours. This welcome News banish'd all melancholy, and made every one of us laugh very heartily.
The next Day the Boats were unladen, in Presence of all the Inhabitants of the Canto. The Judge having call'd for the Bill of Lading, and examin'd it, caus'd the Goods to be deliver'd to the respective Proprietors, with so much Order, that it was impossible for the least Thing to be lost. To make him amends for this Trouble, every Family sends him next Day a Dish of the best Fish they can catch in their Rivers, half of which is dress'd at his own House, and the other half at the Priest's Apartment, whither the Parents of the Family go to take part of it. This is reckoned an Honour for these Gentlemen, but they pay dearly for it, because all that they can save of the Fish, is not worth one half of the Sauce, which they are oblig'd in Generosity to add to it.
When all was over, the next thing to be thought of was, to return to our Occupation; not that any Body gave us the least Hint of it; for we perceiv'd on the contrary, that they did not care whether we meddled with any thing or not; but because we hated sauntering, tho' we had much rather have been imploy'd in any thing else. La Foret, who was even more tir'd than I with the Woollen Manufacture, did all he could to make our Landlord understand, that as he was by Profession a Clockmaker, if he would furnish him with the Metals and the necessary Tools, he would make a Machine for him to shew the Time of the Day, and to strike the Hour so as to be heard by all the Inhabitants of the Village. As for me, who could be of no Service to them in the Article of Surgery, because the Herbs of that Country differ for most part from ours, and because there are few Minerals, and that they mortally hate Bleeding, all that I had to do, was to applaud what my Comrade said, in Hopes of being employed with him on the same Work.
This proposition seem'd very miraculous to the Judge, who immediately sent for the Priest to impart it to him. They had heard Talk indeed of our Clocks, but not a Man of 'em had ever seen one, and the Idea they had form'd of 'em was very confus'd; so that they were very pressing with us, to set about one as soon as we pleas'd, and to spare no Cost, the rather because their way of dividing the Time was extremely troublesome; for, they tie a Piece of Packthread to the Cieling, and at the End of it hang a Ball of Pewter three Foot and two Inches in length, which serves as a Pendulum, and putting it in Motion, they tell the Vibrations to the Number of 7200, which by reason of the length of the Cord, make just as many Seconds, and by consequence the 12th part of a natural Day, or two of our Hours. I shall give an Account by and by, who they make use of to count these Vibrations, and to go and cry the Hour through the Village, as the Watchmen do by Night, in many Parts of Europe, and particularly in England and Holland, where they hire Men for the Purpose. They furnish'd us therefore with the necessary Materials for our Work. La Foret bespoke some of the Tool that we had need of, and himself made the others. At length we went to work, but we did not hurry ourselves, for 'twas above a Year and half before we finish'd our Clock.
When it was done, you can't imagine with what Admiration every Body star'd at us. They could not conceive how it was possible for this Machine to go by itself, and to sound all the Hours of the Day. Being by this time so perfect in the Language of the Country, that we explain'd ourselves with as much Ease as in the French; we told them, that they ought to have a Tower built over the House of the Priest or Judge, after the manner of the Europeans, and so put up the Clock in it that every Body might hear it strike. No sooner said, but done, and all Hands were set to work to follow our Directions, till the Clock was hung up in the Place which we appointed for it.
But to return to the Persons they make use of to take care of the Pendulums, and to give. Notice to the People of the Time of the Day. You must know, that hitherto no Person in this Country was ever sentenc'd to die. Crimes indeed are prohibited, and the Criminals punish'd, but not with Death; for they imagine, that as the Life of Man is in the Power only of God who gave it, 'tis not in Man's Power to take it away for any Cause whatsoever, not even for the Murder of a Father or Mother. It was in vain to preach to them, that the putting of Criminals to Death for such Capital Offences, was a Maxim, observ'd by almost all Mankind, and expresly commanded by our Law, of which we believe God himself was the Dictator; all this tended only to exasperate them, and to give them an Abhorrence for People whom they knew not, and whom they thought unworthy to see the Light. 'Tis not likely, said they, that a Man who kills another, is in his right Senses, and it would be an Affront to the rest of his Species to suppose it. But when we meet with Persons so extravagant and cruel, as to deprive their Neighbour of a Life which they never gave him, we ought to leave the Revenge to the Universal Spirit (which is the Name they call God by) and not to incroach upon his Prerogatives by imitating their Barbarity, under the specious Pretext of observing the Divine Laws, which in the main, say they, are but the Ordonnances of an unnatural Tyrant. In the Formation of Society, every Man may transfer the Right and Authority which Nature has given him over himself to another, as to his Prince or Sovereign, but he cannot give him any Power over his own Life. 'Tis God who thro' the Means of our Parents has made us without our Participation, and since we have not contributed to our own Existence in any Manner whatsoever, 'tis but just and lawful to leave it to that same God to unmake us, and to content our selves with laying our Hands upon the other Creatures which he seems to have left to our Disposal.
In conformity to these Principles, they only impose upon every Criminal that Punishment which they think most adequate to his Offence. Blasphemy against God is with them the most enormous Sin, and those who commit it, are without Mercy condemned to hard Labour as long as they live, in the Bottom of a dark Mine where the Light of the Sun cannot enter. Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators and great Robbers are treated much after the same manner: Some work at the Bottom, others at the Top; some are condemn'd for 10 Years, others for more or less Time according as the Crime is aggravated, and to the Age and Understanding of the Offender. Peccadillos are not punish'd so severely, those who commit them being generally confin'd to the Village. Some are employ'd in fishing, and in making and mending of Nets, in which they have full Employment, because their Rivers abound with Fish, and they eat great Quantities of them. Some take care of the Trees, and the Walks, and others cleanse the Canals. The Women and Girls look after the Pendulums, being reliev'd every six Hours, and the Boys go about constantly to cry the Hour of the Day from the Time that the Sun comes to their Meridian to the Time it returns. And when they have done this for a certain Term, they are restor'd to their Liberty.
I said a while ago, that Blasphemy is the Crime they punish with the greatest Severity, which gives me Occasion now to say two Words concerning the poor Man, our Guide to the Mines, who when he fell down, call'd out on the Name of Christ, as it were for Help. When I found myself able to speak their Language, I let no Opportunity slip of informing my self of the Things which I desir'd to know. I told our Patron one Day the Circumstances of the Journey we made to the Mountains, and when I mention'd the venerable Personage, and what he said, I ask'd him, if they knew a Christ among them. He made me Answer, that about 300 or 400 Years ago, there came several People into their Country for much the same Reasons that had brought us thither, that the last who came, was a grave Man dress'd in a long Robe in such a manner, that it was natural for me to think he was a Monk of some mendicant Order. This Man, continued he, had Wit and Learning too; he came to a Canton not far from this, but did not stay here long. As soon as he understood a little of our Language, he often shifted his Village. My Grandfather, as I have heard my Father say, had lodg'd him here several times, and took a great deal of Pleasure in hearing him talk. He was continually preaching up Morality, and discoursing of a Resurrection, and happy Immortality after this Life. Moreover, he affirmed, that God had a Son ingender'd of his own Substance long before the World had a Being, who manifested himself to Mankind several Ages past, as born from a Virgin, or one who, if you please, had never known Man: That this God-Man convers'd with Mankind that he suffer'd the Death of a Robber to procure eternal Life for the rest of Men who should be willing to embrace his Religion; and that this Person who was call'd Christ, rose from the Dead, and fitteth in Heaven at the Right Hand of God his Father, with him to govern Heaven and Earth till the End of the World. As this was very soothing Doctrine, the Monk found a great many People who were hugely delighted with what he said, and others took Offence at it, which coming to the King's Ears, he was sent for to Court, and after having been strictly examin'd, was condemned like the worst of Blasphemers, to spend the rest of his Days in the Bottom of a Mine, where, not long after, he died. And as he had the Name of Christ in his Mouth at every Turn, some that work'd with him, imitated him; and what you have now told me of your Guide, added he, is a certain Proof that the Doctrine has found its way to us.
Tho' this Discourse alarm'd me, I could not help telling him, that I was of the same Belief as that Man; that the Maxims of the Religion I profess'd, led me to it, and that I was surpriz'd to think that Persons of their Wisdom and Humanity could find in their Hearts to be so barbarous to a poor Friar, who no doubt was sent to them by Heaven for their Salvation. Perhaps, said my Landlord, it was owing in a great measure to State Policy. Princes don't love great Alterations in Worship, for fear their Persons should suffer by it, or that it should be prejudicial to the Government. And then 'tis as sure on the other hand, that your Sentiments are in many Respects contradictory, and that this Christ above all Things excites to Rebellion, and prodigiously embarrasses humane Reason. I own, said I, 'tis an incomprehensible Mystery, but we believe it; and we believe it with the more Confidence and Steadiness, because we see it is for our Advantage to believe it, and that 'tis interwoven with the Oeconomy of Salvation; besides its being a Truth of which a thousand Eye-Witnesses have given Evidence, and which has been reveal'd to us by God himself.
To be sure, said the Judge, you were born in very happy Climates, since the Divinity communicates himself there in such a manner to the Inhabitants; or rather, the People of your Country must be very vain and presumptuous to have the Impudence to give it out in publick, that the universal Spirit condescends to become a private Man, and to a Familiarity with a Worm of this Earth. To me it seems intolerable, and if this same God was the least concern'd for his own Honour, he would not fail to punish your Arrogance with Severity. But, before I engage farther with you in this Discourse, pray tell me, said he, how does this Revelation come? Does God speak to you directly himself, does he employ Heaven, Earth, or any other Creature in revealing it to you, in what manner doth he do it?
I question, said I, whether 'tis worth while to talk with you on this Subject; I perceive you are so wide from our Sentiments, and so little dispos'd to give the least Credit to our Doctrines, that I fear your Incredulity will stir up your Indignation, and bring me into some Trouble. You need fear nothing, reply'd he, I am your Friend, and a Man of Honour, and will allow you to say what you please, only I will not give up the Right of judging for myself. Upon this Condition, said I, I am willing to tell you as much as my Age, Education, and Business have suffer'd me to know of the Matter. But, for fear of rambling too far from the main Point, or lest I should entertain you with what you know better perhaps than I do, tell me if you please, first of all, what are your Sentiments of God, of the World, of Man, and of his Origin, as well as of his Dependence, and of what he ought to expect after this Life.
You say well, reply'd the old Gentleman, I am ready to satisfy you, as to my own particular, it being impossible that my Confession should be general, because perhaps there are as many Minds as there are Men. I for my part believe an increated Substance, an universal Spirit, sovereignly wise, and perfectly good and just, an independant and unchangeable Being, who made Heaven and Earth, and all Things that are therein, who governs and animates them, but in a Manner so secret, and so far above my Nothingness, that I have but a very imperfect Idea of it. And while we perceive the Necessity of his Existence and our Dependence upon him, we think ourselves under an indispensable Obligation to pay him our Homage and Adoration, never to speak of him but with Respect, nor so much as to think of him but with Trembling, which is one principal Part of our Worship; the other is continually to render him Thanks for all the Favours he has done us, without any Petition for Futurity, and much less for any thing beyond the Grave, because then as our Existence will be at an End, we shall have no more need of any thing whatsoever. And 'tis for this Purpose that we meet every Morning at the House of our Priest, which you have been Witness of many times since you came among us.
'Tis true, reply'd I, that you are very punctual in giving an Hour of your Devotion every Day in the Year to God, for which you are certainly very much to be commended; but I think it strange, that you entirely reject Prayer, and make no Distinction of Days; for we employ six Days in our domestick Affairs, and devote the seventh to God, and the Exercises of our Religion.
We don't think, reply'd he, that one Day is a Jot better than another. They are undoubtedly all alike, and though we are but one Hour in the Morning in our Churches, yet we don't fail to devote the rest of the Day to God, to meditate every Moment upon his Greatness, and to admire his Goodness to all his Creatures. But as to Prayer, 'tis absolutely needless, besides the offering Violence as it were to his Nature, which being immutable, 'tis evident that he cannot suffer any Shadow of Change.
Here Word was brought to the Judge, that the Tιμηɤ, that is to say, the Intendant or Governor was come to receive the Tribute of the Canton. We have already observ'd, that each Village consists of 22 Families govern'd by a Bailiff. Ten of the Cantons form one Government, the eldest of whose Bailiffs is Tιμηɤ, and President of the nine others in the Assemblies which are held for exercising Justice, and regulating the Police in those ten Villages. Besides this, there's the Sovereign Court to which out of the ten Governors one is deputed once a Year to the Assembly which is held for at least twenty Days. The King presides in this illustrious and numerous Body, which takes care of the Rights of the Regale, and to which an Appeal may be made from all the other Tribunals, when the Punishment of any capital Crime is the chief thing in question.
The Intendant, who was come to receive the Gift of the People, was perfectly well receiv'd by our Landlord, and a magnificent Entertainment was made for him, to which the Priest and the two Assessors of the Village were also invited. During the Conversation, they did not forget to talk of Messieurs the Clockmakers. The Governor who had the Curiosity to see our Machine, admir'd the Invention of it, and said a thousand fine Things in praise of us; but it had been better for us that he had known nothing of the Matter, because in the Sequel it did not turn out at all to our Advantage, as will be seen in its Place.
CHAP. VII.
A curious Conversation between the Author, the Judge, and the Priest of the Village concerning Religion.
After the Governor was gone, the Judge who had not forgot our Conversation, was impatient to hear me talk of my Religion, and that he might have the fairer Opportunity, he invited the Priest next Day to Dinner for the Purpose, and sent for me and my Comrade to be of the Party.
The first thing that gave occasion to the Priest to open the Discourse, was our saying Grace before Meat. As I knew his Opinion, and had before talk'd of it to my Landlord, I only told him, that the Notion I had of God as a Being sovereignly powerful, and perfectly good, inclin'd me to implore his Blessing on the Food which he gave me for the Nourishment of my Body, being convinced both from Reason and Experience, that his Word was infinitely more satisfying than Bread. He talk'd on this Subject much after the same Manner as the Judge did, and pretended to evade the Stress of my Argument by instancing in his Countrymen, and even most Animals who are as much nourish'd with what they eat, as we who perform this Ceremony: So that the Drift of what he said was the absolute abolishing of Prayer. Let us not trouble our Heads to dispute about it, said I, 'tis a Question that will resolve itself soon, and only depends on some other Truths which I shall clearly demonstrate to you.
In the Conversation I had t'other Day with the Judge, he himself own'd to me, that you unanimously confess the Existence of a God of all Perfection, which is a Truth that might be very easily prov'd to you by several undeniable Arguments, and especially by that ascrib'd to one St. Thomas, which he calls causalitas causæ efficientis, because by it we infallibly trace Effects to one first, intelligent, and necessary Cause of the Production of all Things.
I know it, said the Priest, and a Man must be quite devoid of Reason so much as to doubt of it. Well then, reply'd I, 'tis clear that 'twas this same God, and no other who has created the Universe, that is to say, Heaven, Earth, and in general every thing that exists, out of nothing. As for that, said the Judge, I don't well understand it, out of Nothing there comes Nothing. You are right, said I, with regard to us; but as to God the Case is quite otherwise; there is no supposing of Matter coexistent with God, without a direct Contradiction; for then there would be two Infinite, two independent Beings, which 'tis presum'd cannot be reconcil'd. But to have done with infinite Things which are out of our Reach, I think it sufficient in the main to know that God has made all Things and not puzzle ourselves as to the Matter, Manner, and Time.
We have a Book, I added, which tells us all this. Moses assures us that God made every thing by his Word, about 6000 Years ago; and that after he had imploy'd Six Days in it, he rested from his Labour. What did he do the first Day, reply'd the Judge? After having created the Heaven and the Earth, he said, Let there be Light, and there was Light, &c. On the Sixth Day he created Man out of Clay, and breath'd into his Nostrils the Breath of Life, &c. When he had endow'd him with Discernment, it was very just that he should live in a Dependence upon him, and own him for the only Lord of the Universe. He gave him Power over all things on the Earth, and only forbad him not to touch one single Tree that was planted in the midst of the delightful Garden in which Providence had plac'd him. The Submission he ow'd to his Creator, would no doubt have constrain'd him from contravening his Orders; but the Woman which he gave him for a Companion, being the weaker Vessel, and more inquisitive than he was, indulg'd her Curiousity, took the admirable Fruit of this Tree into her Hand, tasted it, and found it so excellent, that she gave it to her Husband, who was so unfortunate as to eat of it, and by consequence incurr'd the Penalty that was impos'd on him of dying an everlasting Death, that is to say, of suffering eternal Pains after his Death; a Punishment very harsh, and indeed cruel, considering the Offence, and the Person that committed it, but nevertheless very just, in consideration of the Majesty of the Being that was offended.
Having ran over the History of the Creation, the Deluge, the Patriarch, of Moses and his brother Aaron, and of the Miracles by which the Truth of this History was confirm'd, I entertain'd them with an Account of the Prophets and their Predictions, especially with regard to the Messiah; of our Saviour's coming into the World, how he was the Son of God, and by what means he redeem'd us from the Punishment we had deserv'd in the Person of the First Man, our Father. I show'd them the Necessity of Prayer, as well from the Dictates of Nature, as from the Documents of holy Men, and in particular of Jesus Christ. And, to conclude, I talk'd to them of the Resurrection of the Body, and its being repossess'd by the Son, and of an everlasting happy Life which the Son of God purchas'd for us, by suffering the ignominious Death of the Cross.
I must own they heard me with a great deal of Patience, nay, they seem'd to be pleas'd, and to acquiesce in the greatest part of what I said. But I was very much surpris'd when the Priest ask'd me, with a very serious Countenance, whether I believ'd it all. Verily, said I, I believe every Tittle of it. Those who question'd the Law of Moses, dy'd without Mercy; and the Apostles assure us, that we cannot doubt of the Truth of Christ's Words, and the whole Oeconomy of Salvation, without danger of everlasting Punishment. But that which is the Motive to my Belief, is not Force, but Evidence itself. What would you think of me, continu'd I, if I told you exactly not only your most secret Transactions past, but what you will do hereafter, and what must happen to your Country? If I should cure the Sick, raise the Dead to Life, pass the Seas dryshod, cleave the Rocks with a Rod, and bring Water enough out of them to quench the Thirst of a whole Nation, and if I work'd a thousand more such Miracles? Would you not say, either that I was a God, of at least an Instrument in the Hand of God, to work so many different Miracles, since all this is above the Power of Mortals? And yet, continu'd I, 'tis no more than what was done by the Prophets, the Apostles, and especially by Jesus Christ, as I just now hinted; so that we have no reason to doubt of the Truth of what they have left us upon Record.
Your Consequence is not just, said the Priest. Pray, did you see all those fine things? I own I did not, said I; but the Sight of a Thing is not always necessary to the Belief of it. You never saw Europe, its Kingdoms, Wars, Religions, and Customs, yet you believe what we relate to you about it, because you take us for honest Men, and because two or three other Travellers before us inform'd your Ancestors almost the same things. When a Fact is supported by the Testimony of several Persons of Probity, there's no longer any Reason to call it in question. Now the Facts of which I speak to you, are not only confirm'd by a sufficient Number of wise and good Men, but by Clouds of Witnesses, by intire Nations, which we cannot possibly suspect, because the Worship of some of them is quite different from ours, and they are our mortal Enemies into the Bargain: Even the Jews know after what manner God appear'd to our Fathers, one while in Dreams, another while in a Burning Bush, and that at other times he conducted them in the Form of a Cloud by Day, and a Pillar of Fire by Night, and stopp'd where they were to encamp in the Deserts[1], when he himself led them to the great
[1]I have heard of a learned English gentleman, who lately publish'd a Dissertation to prove that there's nothing miraculous, nor even extraordinary, in this Pillar of Fire, by which the Israelites were conducted into the Wilderness; and to shew them from the best Authors, ancient and modern, that it was always the Custom in Deserts of this kind; to make use of a Fire to direct Armies or Multitudes of People in their March, by causing it to be carry'd before them in such a manner that the whole Company might see the Smoke by Day, and the Flame by Night. He pretends that the Person who had the Direction of this Fire, and serv'd as a Guide to the Israelites, was only Hobab, the Father-in-law of Moses; which he endeavours to prove from the 29th and 30th Verses of the Tenth Chapter of Numbers, and from many other Passages of the sacred Scriptures. Country, of which he had promis'd them the Possession. Surely, after such strong Evidence, I think we should be very much in the wrong to be Unbelievers.
To be ingenuous with you, said the Judge, there's something in all this which is surprising, and which, tho' supernatural, yet appears very probable. Not so probable as you imagine, reply'd the Priest; you know how our Ancestors were bubbled, much after the same manner, by the Craft and Violence of our former Kings. There's Parchment to write upon at all times, and the Punishments inflicted on those who don't subscribe to pretended Facts which are given out as Truths, force People to be silent, who would otherwise take a Pride in talking big. The Creation you was just now speaking of, continued he, looking on me willfully, is a meer Allegory, which I think very gross of its kind, and form'd by an Author altogether ignorant of the Nature of things, insomuch that he makes Effects precede the Cause; for, according to what you have said, Light was created on the very first Day, and the Luminaries from whence that Light comes to us, not till the fourth. Besides, 'tis certain that the Idea of a God who labours, and rests from his Labour, is what cannot be digested by any, but very stupid ignorant People, such as dare not say their Souls are their own, and over whom this Moses you speak of, aim'd to be temporal Lord, while his Brother Aaron domineer'd without Mercy over their Consciences.
I dare not tell you after what manner he treated Jesus Christ and his Mother: But as to the Soul, that Spiritual Substance in us, of which they said they had no Notion, I can't help observing to you an Objection that was started by the Priest, when we talk'd about the Resurrection of the Dead. 'Tis certain, said he, that the Earth is compos'd of innumerable small Particles whose Figures are extremely different, as appears from the variety of Things which this same Earth produces. Certain Parcels of Earth which are proper to form one sort of Fruit, would not be at all proper for the Production of some others. What is good to make Copper, is worth nothing for Iron. From hence it comes, that if Wheat be sow'd for several Years together in one and the same Field, it appears at last that all the Parts of Matter which were proper to yield us Wheat, being spent, and no more of it left, the Earth will absolutely bear no more Wheat till 'tis dung'd. We'll apply this Example to Man: The Particles which are proper for the Composition of Human Flesh, are not more infinite than those of Corn; and undoubtedly in this Kingdom there are no more than what will form a certain determinate Number of Persons. Now make this Number as great as you please, I don't think 'tis equal to that of all the Men that have liv'd since the Beginning of the World. Nay, said he, I know not if there be not reason to question whether there are enough of these Parts here for the People that have been born in it for only ten Centuries. They who have studied the Nature of Beings ever so little, know, that as the Hair and Nails grow, wear away, and fall off, the external Parts of the Fibres of our Body wear in like manner, while the Blood has its Pulsation, and augments the internal Parts. 'Tis incredible what a Dissipation is occasion'd every Day by that thing only which is call'd Perspiration; but then there is this Advantage, that the Loss of the Parts one way is supply'd another. So that if all that we lose were to be transported into another Country, without any Return to ours, 'tis probable that a Famine and Mortality wou'd happen among us every now and then, to the end that the Parts of those who dy'd might serve for the Increase of the others, till in short there be no more left. From hence, said he, I infer, that if we were to rise again, it is impossible that of the Parts proper for the Construction of Man, there would be enough left to distribute to all that have liv'd so much as is absolutely necessary for forming a Body of a middling Stature; and God knows whether there would be enough of the other Parts, because if all that have dy'd for the several thousands of Years past which the World has subsisted, were laid together in a Heap, 'tis probable that the Bulk would even exceed that of the Earth, from whence they deriv'd their Origin.
We will illustrate this Paradox by a general Calculation, as follows. We have in this Country 41600 Villages, and computing Twenty-two Families in each Village, at the rate of nine Persons in every Family, one with another, every Village will contain near 200 Inhabitants; so that throughout the Kingdom we may suppose 8323000. Now we'll allow to every Humane Body, consider'd under the Form of a Parallelopepid of five Foot high, and half a Foot broad and thick, one with another (you see I take it at the least Computation) it will appear on the Day of Resurrection that 8323000 Bodies will contain about 10400000 Cubic Feet of Flesh. Suppose again, that this Number of Men be renew'd every fifty Years, then there must be 208 Millions of Cubic Feet of Flesh, for the People that have liv'd in the Space of only 1000 Years, and 2080 Millions for the People within 10000 Years. Continue this Multiplication, and consider what a vast Length it will run; but, said he, with a great Exclamation, what would it not amount to, if the Opinion of some learned Men be true, which, as you told your Landlord, passes for certain, that the very Seed of most, if not of all Animals, is compounded of innumerable Animalcules which have Life and Motion, so that in a Body no bigger than a Grain of Millet, there are thousands which, small as they are, yet are Individuals of the same Species as the Animals by which they were engender'd, and must consequently partake of the same Advantages as the others, tho' they surpass them as much in Bigness, as the highest Mountain does a Grain of Sand; in which Case 'tis manifest that your Opinion is ridiculous, and a palpable Contradiction.
You talk of thousands of Years, said I, as if they were but so many Minutes, and according to you, the World must be much more ancient than it is. I make use of a definite Term, said he, to denote an indefinite Number; there's no Necessity for being so very strict. Be the World ancient or not, that does not alter the Nature of Things; 'tis certain that we believe it to have subsisted, Time out of mind, which we cannot express either by Words or Figures. You are not the only People, I reply'd, that have been deceiv'd in this Matter. The Chinese have Chronologies for above 40000 Years, and the Ãgyptians carry theirs at least as far back. That ancient Philosopher, Plato, introduces an Ãgyptian Priest, who, in a Discourse with Solon, tells him that 'twas 9000 Years since Minerva built Sais. Diodorus reckons 23000 Years from Osiris and Isis, to the time of Alexander the Great. Laertius speaks of a Term of 49000 Years, during which they had calculated all the Eclipses. They pretended, according to a Remark by St. Austin, to have observ'd the Stars for 100000 Years; and by the Report of Cicero, they had done it for 570000 Years. But all this is advanced without any Foundation, and from a Principle of Vanity to challenge a Superiority over the other Nations of the Earth. As for us, we adhere to Moses's Account, who assures us that the World has not subsisted above 6000 Years. And really, if we give our selves the trouble to reflect: upon this Matter ever so little, there is no room to question the Truth of his Assertion. One undeniable Proof that the World is not very ancient, is that we have no Histories which go above 4000 Years back. The Arts are also very modern. We don't find that above 500 Years ago they had any Knowledge of the Mariner's Compass, of the printing of Books, of Gunpowder, Fire-Arms, Perspectives, Microscopes, and other fine Inventions. 'Tis certain likewise that the Use of Money was unknown to the ancient Writers. Clocks, Watches, Glass, Paper, temper'd Steel, and abundance of other things, are of a very modern Date. I infer therefore, that in this, as well as in other Matters, 'tis absolutely necessary to be guided by the Word of God.
I told you before, said the Priest, that none of us pretends to determine the Age of the World. We are persuaded that it had a Beginning, but we know not when, and all that I can say is, that it was a vast while ago. The first Man has not remark'd it, nor have we any thing like a Register of the Time; all that we know of it is by Tradition. Most of the Arts that you have now mention'd are unknown to us, and yet for all this, our Part of the World is as old as yours: We may be here a Million of Years without knowing them, because we have no need of them, and 'tis not impossible but others may do without them a long time, as well as we. Necessity, or the like Causes, have been the Mother of Inventions within 100 Years, which were unthought of before in as many Ages. But all this is not conclusive. What I know is, that from Father to Son we always hand it down, that the Years which we have continu'd are not to be number'd: And it is certain, that notwithstanding the vast Quantity Of Wood which we burn, the Mountains of Coal which we have already levell'd are so considerable, that if we were to compute them, this alone would be sufficient to confirm us in our Opinions. But the most remarkable thing of all is that about 7000 Years ago, as the Men were digging in one of those Mountains, they found within 30 Foot of the Top, a double Hook of Iron of above 1500 Weight, which we still keep, and which the Foreigners that have been here from time to time, affirm is one of those Instruments that are us'd at Sea to stop great Ships; from whence one would think that the Ocean was in possession of this fine Country before us, and that perhaps our highest Mountains only serv'd then to break its Billows.
Besides this, who knows but those Arts, of which you pretend to the Invention, were not known to your Predecessors? I plainly observe here that the Sciences are upon the Decay. My Great Grandfather was much better skill'd than my Father in Astronomy: I know even less of it than both; and by what I learn from them, the Knowledge they had of it was very obscure in comparison of what their Ancestors knew. 'Tis the very same in all other Families. There are Sciences which are cultivated at certain times, in complaisance to the Mode that then prevails, but are intirely neglected at others; and 'tis possible they may be so far bury'd in Oblivion, that those who are born afterwards, seeing no Trace of them, imagine when they come to the Exercise of 'em, that they are the first Inventors.
That may be, I reply'd, in your Country, where you have no Communication with other Parts of the World; but with us, if the Sciences decay in one Place by Wars and Conflagrations, or by the Indolence and Indifference of some People, of which we have several Instances, yet they are advanc'd else where to a higher Degree of Perfection thro' the Diligence of others; and I question whether any considerable Part of former Inventions is lost; whereas on the contrary, every Day produces some Discovery or other that is curious and advantageous to Society.
I would have explain'd to him that which he thought a Contradiction in Genesis, with regard to the Luminaries, and to Light; and have shewn how far he was mistaken concerning the Resurrection; but he laugh'd at me, and all my Arguments: Indeed he was for admitting the Omnipotence of God, but then in this Case he did not think it necessary. For why, said he, should there be a Resurrection after this Life? What Necessity for exterminating the Race of Man, to bring them to Life again hereafter? If Christ was God, could not he have exempted Man from that Death, as well as from the other? And besides, if we were all to be living at one time, which way should we subsist? There would not be Provision enough for a Breakfast thro' the whole Country. But, said I, our Bodies will be of another Nature; we shall neither eat, nor drink, nor be subject: to any natural Infirmity; and moreover, God will translate us into the Heaven of Heavens, where we shall be fill'd with his Glory.
What! are you to be mounted above the Sky? Pray, Friend, what Notion have you then, continued he, of Heaven? As for our parts, we believe that the Air we breathe is infinitely more gross than that which is above, and that the higher we are from the Earth, Matter is more subtil. This being so, the Heaven of the Blessed must be like a Vacuum, in comparison with the lower Heavens, as to the Matter which fills it. Farewell then to the Lungs, because there will be no more Breathing; farewell to the Use of the Larynx for Speech; farewell to the Intestines, and in a Word, to the whole Body, which the Blood, for want of being cool'd, will throw into a burning Fever that will soon consume it. But suppose that all this be retain'd as a very useless Load, what is it to rest upon? What is it will sustain such material heavy Bodies? They will be sustain'd, said I, by the Almighty Power of God. I am weary to hear you talk so much, reply'd he, of the Power of God. I plainly perceive that you practise the very same thing in your Religion, that we observe in our Mysteries of Nature; when we are at a Loss to give a Reason for a Thing, we say that 'tis the Effect of some latent Power. I say it again, I make no manner of question of God's Power; but I don't see the Necessity of inventing Chimeras in order to have recourse to it. If yours indeed were a Paradise of Pleasures, well and good; but a Place intirely devoid of every thing, where the Body shall absolutely enjoy no Pleasure, where there shall be no Object to affect the Senses, no Odours to please the Sense of Smelling, no Viands to stimulate the Palate, no Instrument of Music to tickle the Ear, nothing to divert the Eye; surely this is miraculous. Certainly you must be extremely sensual, because notwithstanding the Eternity you attribute to your Souls, which you believe to be capable of subsisting independently from the Body, you choose rather to embarras the Soul again, and to clog it with a terrible Weight, which, by the way, according to you, is to have no Basis to rest on, rather than leave it at full Scope, and abandon this Lump of Flesh to that Corruption from which it cannot possibly be exempt.
'Tis not the Soul alone, I reply'd, that does Good or Evil. The Body and the Mind both contribute to it, and they must equally partake of the Rewards or the Punishments which the Sovereign Judge of the World shall think them worthy of. All this, said he, is not enough to convince me. Our Bodies are every Moment changing, and no Man ever liv'd to Twenty-five Years of Age, that retain'd any one thing that he brought into the World. The Blood, Flesh, Skin, Nerves, and Bones, are continually diminishing on one hand, and increasing on the other, and the whole Machine is every now and then renew'd. Our Inclinations vary also according to our Age and Constitution; for we are often great Deboshees at Thirty Years of Age, and at Sixty extremely devout and retired. With which of these two Bodies, pray, are we to rise again? With the old decrepid and weak Body which has liv'd perfectly well, and whose Actions have been exemplary to the Youth and edifying to those advanced in Years? Or are we to rise again with that juvenile, straight, vigorous, handsome Body, which deserv'd twenty times to be doom'd to the Mines? You see plainly that take it which way you will, 'tis extremely perplexing, and that 'tis pretty evident that whoever was the Author of this Opinion, he did not foresee all those Inconveniences. If I were for the Resurrection, t'would be a Matter of Indifference to me what Parts the Body was to be composed of when it rose again, for 'tis the same thing to the Soul; and I should lay it down for a certain Maxim, That would be the Condition, and not the Place, that was to make us happy; but all these things are meer Trifles, unworthy of a Man of Sense.
But I must own to you, he added, that tho' I don't comprehend what you mean by a Soul, by a Spiritual Substance destitute of all Matter, or by a Spirit properly constituted by Thought, and yet confin'd in a Body, where its Powers are limited to prompt or make him to act according to its Will, and in a Body too which 'tis not oblig'd at all to for its Existence, yet as the Idea you form of it is agreeable, in that it gives you hopes of another Life, I am not surpris'd that there are People who acquiesce in your Opinion. They are undoubtedly of the common Class of Understandings, yet nevertheless they are happy; for Felicity, generally speaking, consists meerly in the Imagination. They who are full of this Opinion, that Death is but a Passage to a Life of Glory, cannot be so loth to leave the World as others (especially where they are so wedded to that Opinion, as I observe they are in your Parts) and must have some Taste beforehand of that pretended Eternal Felicity. So that whether it be true, or not, the Thing is all one to them, neither more nor less than my Satisfaction would be, supposing I have 10000 Kalη in my Coffer, which I shall never want, and which I firmly believe to be of the best Metal that is dug out of our Mines, tho' they are all the while but Iron.
My Comrade, who was a religious Man, was enrag'd to hear this Pagan call in question the Mysteries of a Worship founded upon the pure Word of God; he gave me to understand several times, that he could hardly contain himself, and that he wanted at least to reprove him by plain Passages out of holy Scripture. But I always dissuaded him from it, because the other deny'd that they were divine Writings, and as he also pretended they were but a Medley of very ill-concerted Fictions, it would have disgusted him to have talk'd any more to him about it.
I told them, however, with a real Design to alarm them, that I was not only persuaded of an eternal State of Happiness for those who did good Works, and had Faith, but that there were also Torments and a Hell prepar'd for the Wicked and Unbelievers, and that every one would infallibly be dealt with according to the Good or Evil that he had done in this Life.
What you have already said, reply'd the Priest, tends to as much; but this is an Error as gross as the former; for besides that 'tis making God the most cruel of all Beings, to have created Man in order to damn him everlastingly, on pretence that he infring'd one of his Commands, and a Command too which was only that he should not eat an Apple, the very Thought of which really makes me shrink with Horror; I deny that any body is capable of doing Good or Evil, with respect to God; and I ask you seriously, whether you your self believe it? Undoubtedly, I do, said I; and methinks it is so clear, that one cannot question it without shocking common Sense.
What, said I, are not Whoredom, Murder, Theft, and Blasphemy, Crimes of Offence against the Majesty of the Almighty? Not at all, reply'd the Priest; for in the first Place, if Whoredom was a Sin, God himself would be the Author of it, and, what is worse, of Incest it self, because, according to you and your great Moses, as there were at first but one Man and one Woman, their Descendants must have committed several Acts of Incest before there were Persons enough living for them to avoid it: And as to the pretended Necessity of it at that time, I can't bear to hear it, for God could as easily have created a hundred Persons, as only one. We are all Children of the first Man. There are Degrees of Consanguinity among us, but in the Sight of God 'tis not so. Women and Goods were in common at first, as Air and Water are now. But Men, who seem to have been form'd for Society, observing the Disorder which this occasion'd, thought it proper that every Father of a Family should have one or more Women, a certain Extent of Ground, and a particular Number of Cattle, at his sole Disposal. They were also oblig'd afterwards by common Consent, to make Laws imposing Penalties on those who did not observe them. So that if any body is offended by the Transgression of those Laws, 'tis properly the Society, or the Heads that represent it, and not at all the universal Spirit, who can by no means be offended by any Person. The same thing may be said of Robbery and Murder, whereby, properly speaking, no Hurt is done to any Being but to the Person whose Life or Property is taken away. And as to Blasphemy, tho' we punish it more severely than other Crimes, 'tis not because we think that God is offended at it; not at all; it would be a Weakness in him, if he were capable of it; but 'tis because we cannot tolerate Ingratitude, of which the blackest Instance that Man can be guilty of, is to affront or not to pay due Respect to him who is the Author of his Being, and of all the Benefits he is capable of receiving; besides, that it sets an ill Example to Children and Inferiors, with regard to their Parents and Matters.
As much as I dislik'd this Discourse, I was willing to hear him out; but upon his stopping I reply'd: You yourself acknowledge that Men seem to have been form'd for Society; and from hence I argue, that God, who form'd them for this Purpose, must will and intend, that they should avoid all those Actions which introduce Disorder and Confusion in Society, as you allow Whoredom, Murder, Theft, &c. to do. Does it not follow then, that God must be offended by these Actions which are so directly contrary to his Will and Intention? Give me a Reason why the Society, or Heads that represent it, should be offended by such Crimes, which will not hold as strongly for God's being so? Is it because their Will, express'd by their Laws, is offended and transgress'd? And is not the Will of God, express'd plainly in his forming us for Society, equally offended and transgress'd? When we speak of God's being offended or angry, we do not mean that he suffers what Men suffer on those Occasions: Anger is call'd a Passion, and it would be a Weakness in God (as you say) if that could be properly apply'd to him: but when we speak of him as angry or offended by our Actions, we consider his Disposition of Mind, on such Occasions, only with regard to the Effects of it towards us: we mean to signify not what he feels inwardly, but what we may expect to feel as the Punishment of our Crimes. Upon these and other Considerations, I, for my part, am firmly persuaded, that God may and must be offended by such Actions as you just now instanced in.
Do you believe, continued I, that God, who is a God of Order, and hates Confusion, has prescrib'd Rules to Man, and given him Laws, by which he is oblig'd to conduct himself and regulate his Actions? No, said he, in the Sense that you take it, I don't believe it, nor was it necessary, because he gave him Will and Understanding whereby to conduct himself, as you see we do. As there, is no Pride, Vanity, Jealousy or Desire, of Dominion in the Beasts, so God has not made them subject to any Civil Laws, nor would there have been any greater Need of such for rational Creatures, than there is for the Brutes, only as soon as some endeavour'd to impose upon the Weakness or Good-nature of others, there was a Necessity of inventing Punishments for those who transgress'd certain Rules, and these Rules were multiply'd as fall as the unbridled Licentiousness of some turbulent Spirits gave occasion for them.
You are very right there, said I, but pardon me if I presume to say that I deny that God had I no Concern in them. 'Tis unreasonable to suppose that Providence would bring a rational Creature into the World, and afterwards leave him intirely to himself. He is the Father of him, and is also inclin'd to be his Director and Preserver. Good Sense tells us this, and his Word, for that is what I always recur to, assures us of it so positively, that there is no Possibility of doubting it; I wish to God, cry'd I, that you could but see that Word. It carries with it so many Marks of the Dictator that you would be the first to read it with Veneration if it fell into your Hands; and I don't despair of its being brought to you one Day or other by some unhappy Wretch, or else by an intire Nation, which shall come to settle with you by the Appointment of Heaven, in order to facilitate the Conversion of a People so honest and humane.
I should be glad, said he, to see the Book you speak so much of, but very sorry that it should be brought to us by a Host of People, whom your own Laws, as sacred as you think 'em, would not restrain from tyrannizing over us. We had much rather that things should continue as they are. Be you but content with your Lot, as you see we are with ours, and you'll be more happy than you really are. But no more of this; methinks, said he, 'tis time to have done. I retire. Adieu.
After our Priest was gone, we convers'd a few Moments longer concerning the Immortality of the Soul, the Resurrection of the Dead, and Life Eternal, because the Judge took a Liking to the Discourse; and by the Notice I took, if I am not deceiv'd, it would be easy to bring those People into a good Opinion of our Religion.
Before we parted, my Landlord ask'd me if I did not see the Burning Mountain when I was at the Mines. I did not so much as hear any mention of it, said I. Probably, said he, it did not burn at that time, for otherwise you would infallibly have observ'd it. I should have been glad to have seen it, said I to him, but this is no Rarity in our Country. There's Hecla in Iceland, Ãtna in Sicily, Vesuvius in Naples, and several other such Mountains elsewhere, which burn also at times; but there's no approaching very near them, even when they don't burn, because of the Sulphureous Exhalations that arise out of them, the prodigious Quantity of Ashes that encompasses them, and the Danger there is of sinking into the Ground in several Places, where it is soft, trembling, or hollow.
Perhaps, said he, the Europeans who have been here before you, related the same thing to our Ancestors, and that the People came by that means to be undeceiv'd in the mistaken Notion they had entertain'd of the Cause of this Prodigy. For 'tis certain that the simple Vulgar were always of Opinion, that when God created the World, and determin'd to make certain Beings which should have Life and Motion, he erected a Laboratory under the burning Mountain, with an Oven, and a monstrous large Crucible in it, at the Mouth of which was a Bar that divided it into two equal Parts, and to this Bar there belong'd a Lamp. This great Workman, said they, every now and then fill'd this Vessel with Earth, which he took up behind him, in the Place of which there is now a great Lake, and when this Earth was become liquid by the Force of the Fire, he took out a small Portion of it, by means of a hollow Tube that he made use of for the purpose, at one end of which he only blew, and there immediately appear'd at the other an Animal, which he sent into the wide World. He had made but a small Number of them, when he observ'd his Lamp set Fire to the Mountain under which it hung. This unexpected Inconvenience soon made him change his Post, for fear of burning the whole Earth. He had not fought long, ere he found a deep Pit betwixt two Mountains, which he thought fit to fill with Water, to the end that the Fire might not spread, while he work'd underneath it. Mean time, as this Water soon attain'd to a very considerable Degree of Heat, which would have presently chang'd it into a Vapour, he pierc'd a neighbouring Mountain, in order that a Stream of fresh Water might issue from it to cool the Heat of the boiling Lake, which is undoubtedly the same that you tell me you saw, and which still retains the same Qualities.
There was an Addition to this Story, that under that very Place God form'd all other living Creatures in the same manner, except Man, who deriv'd his Origin elsewhere, as I may perhaps shew you another time, when I am more at leisure. Lastly, it was pretended that the Matter which was in the Crucible, being in a violent Agitation, the Sulphur, Mercury, and other mineral and metallic Parts, which evaporated in Smoke, were carry'd with Rapidity under the Arch of the neighbouring Mountains, into which they penetrated, and in some form'd Coal, and in others, Iron, or the Minerals and Metals that we find there.
This Fable, as gross as it is, and invented no doubt in honour to the Gentlemen Chymists, gave me occasion to think that Glass was not always unknown to them, and that formerly they had Blowers among them. Be this as it will, there the Conversation ended, because it grew late, and every one seem'd desirous to go to rest.
Some Days after this Discourse, the Priest was resolv'd to make an Entertainment for our Landlord, and we too were of the Party. Then he made an Apology for having been so outrageous against our Opinions; and to make us Amends, desired La Foret, who had read both the Old and New Testament more than I had done, to give him the most circumstantial Account he could remember of the Contents of the Bible. My Comrade did so, and he thank'd him, seeming to be very well satisfy'd with it, tho' I know full well that he only made a Jest of it; whereas I thought the Judge extremely edify'd with it: So that Affairs would have gone on very well, if we had always continued together; but to my great Sorrow, it was not the Will of Heaven it should be so.
CHAP. VIII.
The Author is carry'd to the King's Court. He traces the Origin of those Monarchs; describes the Royal Palace, Temple, &c.
The Governor, who, I said a while ago, came to levy the Tribute, went afterwards and carry'd it to the King, to whom he related how he met with a couple of Foreigners at such a Village, who knew how to make Machines that exactly measur'd Time, and divided a Day Natural into Twenty-four Parts, which they call'd Hours; and that the most wonderful thing of all, and of great Conveniency to the Inhabitants, was, that at every Hour, there was a Bowl of Metal on which a Hammer fell, denoting by a certain Number of Strokes the particular Time of the Day. The King seem'd surpris'd at this Account, and express'd his Desire to see us. Accordingly, we were very much alarm'd one Day, by the Arrival of two of this Prince's Domestics that came to demand us of our Landlord, who having no Excuse to make for detaining us, gave us up with some Regret into their Hands.
Tho' we were extremely sorry to leave the Judge, who made us infinitely more welcome than I could have desir'd to have been in Europe, yet we did not fail to express great Joy for the Honour the King had done us to send for us. In the mean time we ask'd our Guides several times, what might be the Reason of it, but they protested to us they did not know. All that they could assure us of, was, that we were talk'd of at Court as Persons of great Distinction, and that we should not fail of being well entertain'd there. But I was afraid that the King having heard of the Disputes we had held with the Priest, Judge, &c. had taken Exceptions against us, and intended to treat us as Seducers of his Subjects, and People that aim'd at the Subversion of his Government; yet it prov'd quite otherwise.
We were no sooner arriv'd, but the King sent for us to his Presence. After having made our Reverences, we were going to bend the Knee before we spoke to him, pursuant to a Hint that had been given us for that Purpose; but he would not permit it, and order'd a Joint-Stool to be brought for each of us, on which he commanded us to sit down; while all the others that were present were either standing or kneeling. The King was seated in a magnificent Chair of State which was ascended to by three Steps, and cover'd with a Canopy of admirable Sculpture. He ask'd us from whence we came, and how we got into his Country. We were oblig'd to gratify his Curiosity by an exact Detail of all our Adventures. He seem'd to be very glad that our Misfortunes had procur'd him the Pleasure of seeing us. At length, he came to the Article of our Science, which he extoll'd mightily, and after having told us, that he had heard we had made a Clock in our Village, he gave us to understand, that the chief reason of his sending for us, was to desire us, to make one for him, and promis'd to reward our Performance with the tenderest Marks of his Friendship, and by granting whatever we should desire at his Hands. We answer'd with a profound Obeisance, that we were not accustom'd to be so treated by our Sovereigns, that his Majesty did us a great deal of Honour to think us worthy of being employ'd in his Service, and that we would discharge ourselves in the best manner we could.
Upon this we were conducted into a very fine Apartment, which was to be our own, where Care was taken to serve and accommodate us as if we had been Persons of great Quality. Next Day, we gave Orders for fetching our Tools from the Place where we left them, caus'd several others to be made, such as my Comrade directed, and set about the Work with all possible Speed, because the King was impatient to see us at it.
The Monarch who then reign'd, was call'd Bustrol. He was a sober, modest, affable Prince, and, if he is still living, as I hope he is, one who is much more admir'd for his shining Virtues than for Pomp and Grandeur. He had a large full Robe on of the finest Goats-Hair, dy'd red, that was in all the Country, and he had a Fringe round it above a Foot deep. He wore a five-corner'd Cap with a Copper Button on it, an Inch and half in Diameter, which is the principal Mark of his Royalty, if you except his Gravity, Stature, and good Air.
The Governors are also cloth'd in red Robes, but they are of Woollen, and every way less. Other Men without Exception, wear Woollen Robes of mix'd Colours. The Judges only are distinguish'd by their Caps. As to the Women, they all have Habits or Veils of fine Linen for their upper Garments, under which they wear others more or less according to the Season.
The Children of the King have no Prerogatives above others, and tho' a greater Deference is paid them, 'tis purely voluntary. The eldest only is honour'd, and dress'd almost like his Father, only he does not wear the Button.
The King may have 12 Wives, whom he either causes to be chose, or else chooses himself from among the People when he takes a Tour Abroad to shew himself, and they durst not refuse him any Woman tho' she is actually promis'd to another. The Governors may have three, the Judges two, and the People one. The Priests are likewise permitted to have two Wives at a time; but whether they have both at one time or not, they are allow'd but two in all as long as they live, for if they happen to survive them, they are prohibited to marry again.
The most magnificent Thing belonging to the King is his Palace situated in the middle of the Royal Canton, which is of the same Extent as the others. It fronts to the N.N.E. is 36 Geometrical Paces in Breadth, and 20 in Depth. The first Floor, which is ten Foot above the Foundation, is divided into several Apartments well roof'd, where there's no want of Pilasters, nor of Marble of various Sorts and Colours. The Pavement is red, the Pillars black, and the Roof-work white. The second Story being 20 Foot from the first, has on the Outside opposite to the Portal, a Stair-Case in form of an half Oval, with 20 Steps, each half a Foot in height. The first Room we enter, is a spacious Antichamber, behind which is the Chamber of Audience: From the Antichamber there run two narrow Passages, one on the Right, the other on the Left, which divide the main Body of the Building into two Parts, so that there are four stately Salons on each Side, and in the whole ten Apartments with the finest Cielings in the World, and Wainscotting than which I never saw any more curiously carv'd. Over this second Story there is a third divided almost in the same Manner as the former, only that instead of a Chamber of Audience, there is the Bed-Chamber where his Majesty lies. Then we come to a Platform cover'd with Pewter, and a Ballustrade all round of massy Copper. In the middle of it there is a round Pavilion cover'd with Copper also, and the whole is so well polish'd, that when the Sun shines on it, it dazzles ones Eyes. At the Top there is a Globe of 20 Foot Circumference, and a square Pyramid upon it which is one Foot in the Base and five in height, supported by twelve Pillars of Agate. In the whole Building there is nothing to be seen scarce but Marble, Agate, Jasper, and such exquisite fine Stones wonderfully well polish'd and wrought; the whole built according to an Order which comes pretty near to the Corinthian, except the Columns of the Cellars which are properly in the Tuscan Taste.
There being no Glass in this Country, they use instead of it the Skins of the Polη, which they rasp and dress in such a manner, that they last for ever, and give so free a Passage to the Light, that you have as much of it within Doors as without. This Parchment they put up in their Windows in the form of Quarrels, but as good and fine as it is, it must be own'd that our Glass surpasses it by far.
Behind the Palace there is a Dome of the Roman Order, 150 Foot Diameter, cover'd also with Copper, and of the same Materials and Magnificence as the Palace. This Place serves for two Uses, the Temple and the Senate. The King's Throne is on the South Side over-against the Gate, and is rais'd six Foot upon a Stage of four which is cover'd with a magnificent Carpet; for 'tis certain these People infinitely surpass the Turks in the Weaving of their Tapistry. In the middle of the Cieling, there's a very large Copper Sun, the Body of which is not perhaps above 10 or 12, Foot Diameter, but its Rays extend to a vast Distance. The Cone upon the Top of the Dome is broad and high. The whole is of Copper, and supported by six great Pillars or Towers, in each of which there is a Stair-case that leads to the Galleries of this stately Edifice.
All round the Canton there are Rows of Lodgings built with Pavilions upon the Angles, and two upon each Front or Side, equidistant from one another, so that in all there are twelve. Twelve Arches are also built between those Pavilions, which are like so many Gates open to go out of the Canton by 12 Bridges with Ballustrades of wrought Copper over-against them. Within these Lodgings in short, which are for the King's twelve Wives, and for some of the Domesticks of the Court, there runs a Gallery all round supported by Pillars of Jasper cover'd with Pewter like the rest of the Lodgings, except the Pavilions which are of Copper, and extraordinary beautiful. The void Spaces between all these Buildings are full of Obelisks, Pyramids, Statues upon magnificent Pedestals, Pots full of all manner of Flowers according to the Season, Cages full of Birds of all the Colours in the Rainbow, which make very agreeable Melody, and in a Word, here is every thing to please the Senses, so that this Place is properly an inchanted Paradise.
The Canton which lies to the South of the Palace, is a Park full of Goats, Stags, which are very small in this Country, Bucks, Does, &c. and especially a Sort of Animals call'd Polη, which have long Hair, a Horn on their Heads, two Ears flat and broad as ones Hand, a short Tail but very broad, and great flat Feet, which is the Reason that they commonly stand upright. This Animal is about the bigness of our little Asses; the Flesh of it is very delicate, but there's scarce any to be seen except in the King's Parks, tho' the Damage is not very great, by reason there are few People who do not scruple to eat it, because it very much resembles a Man, and seems indeed to be endow'd with some Reason.
The Canton to the South which is our North, is one continued Flower-Garden water'd with 1000 little artificial Fountains. The two others on the Right and Left are design'd for Fruit-trees, Pulse, and Pot-herbs; and besides those fine Cantons there are twenty more, twelve of which are for the Queen's, and for their Children and Domestics, and the eight others for Tillage, Pasturage, &c.
The King's Revenues consist in the annual Payment of a piece of Copper by every Master of a Family, which is about the Size of a Guinea. I mention'd it once before by the Name of Kala, and it has Inscriptions engrav'd on it, signifying Our Hearts to God on one Side, and Our Estates to the King on the other. I cannot tell what these Pieces are worth, but I have observ'd that they make as much of 'em in that Country as we do of Lewis d'Or's in France, The current Coin here is of Pewter, of which there are Pieces of all Sizes with each a different Stamp. With this Coin they pay all the Officers of the State; tho' the Gain to particular Persons is but a Trifle, yet as there are 41600 Villages or 41575 deducting the 25 Villages of the Royal Family, yet this Article amounts to 831500 Kalη, not reckoning the Judges and Priests who are exempt from paying the Tribute which, setting aside the Honour of their Posts, is all they get by them.
But I was then inform'd, that Things had not been fix'd on that Foot above 345 Years. Before then, the Kingly Power had been Time immemorial, or to speak in their Language, eternally in one and the same Family. These Kings were call'd Sons of the Sun and Earth, which Descent made them very ambitious, and the Children grew worse and worse from Generation to Generation. They degenerated so far as to demand Homage and Adoration from their Subjects. They abus'd their Wives and Daughters, prey'd upon their Estates, and talk'd of nothing less than cutting their Throats, when they gave the least Indications that they were not pleas'd with their Tyranny.
At last, as good Luck would have it for those wretched People, it happen'd I know not how, that a Portuguese arriv'd there, who having learnt their Language, told them, that after having been drove ashore upon their Coast, as we had been, he settled there with his Comrades, who were all dead within four Years Time, except one only, with whom he chose by the help of a very little Boat, to go up the River which ran thereabouts into the Sea. To this he added, that they were 8 Months in the Voyage, and that after having surmounted inconceivable Difficulties, they arriv'd at a Gulph of the Mountain from whence this River flow'd. They try'd to enter it several times, but it was so dark, and there were so many Rocks, Blind Holes, and Obstacles of all kinds, that they despair'd of passing it. At length however, they accomplish'd their Design, for after having gone above two Leagues under Ground, they arriv'd in the Country so jaded and fatigued, that they had not Strength to stir; and when this Portuguese had set his Foot upon Land, the other trying to do the same, fell backwards into the Boat, which at the same time drove from Shore, insomuch that this Man who was landed, not being able to reach to him, he had the Mortification to see him return into the Gulph from whence he never came out again. The Priest, to whom he told this Story, was as much astonish'd at it, as he was at his coming. He made him repeat it several times, thinking to catch him tripping, 'till having no more room to doubt of the Truth of a Relation so well circumstantiated, he went and imparted it to the Judge, who communicated it to the principal Men of the other neighbouring Cantons, so that in a very little time the whole Kingdom knew that their Kings had been Knaves and Villains, in that under pretence of a very particular and miraculous Birth, which set them infinitely above their Subjects, they treated them as Slaves, and were in a fair way in time to have us'd 'em like Dogs. But before six Weeks were gone and past, they shook off the Yoke, the King was depos'd, and sent to the Mines for his Life: And in his Place they chose the eldest Governor of the Country, with a Promise to let his Children reign after him, so long as they were humane, virtuous, and equitable.
Tho' this banish'd Prince was a wicked Man, yet in one respect he was to be pity'd, because he protested to his Dying-Day that he believ'd what was publish'd concerning the Origin of his Ancestors, of whom he knew nothing but by Tradition. This Tradition however made the whole Race very insolent, and to value themselves infinitely above other Mortals; and indeed it was enough to puff them up, and to impress the People's Minds with a very profound Respect for their Persons, while both were persuaded of the Truth of the Fact, which was related to me in the following Manner by Persons that might be depended on.
God, said they, was from all Eternity, but Heaven and Earth are not so ancient. As soon as the World was created, the Earth which is an animated Body, being charm'd with the shining Beauty of the Sun, became desperately in Love with him, made divers Attempts to mount up to him, but its Efforts were in vain, because the Weight of its Mass was such a Clog to it, that it rose but a very little way. The Sun perceiving how it shook and trembled, took Pity of it, and hiding himself in Clouds extremely thick, for fear of inflaming it more, and scorching it quite up, drew near to it, pierc'd it with his Rays to its very Bowels, and immediately retir'd. The Earth that Moment conceiv'd, and in 365 Days 1/4 after, was deliver'd of a Man and a Woman both surprizingly beautiful and majestick. This charming Couple advancing into the Country where they met with all manner of Trees without number bearing the choicest Fruits, had the Curiosity to ramble all over the Earth where 'twas accessible, till at length being arriv'd at the Southern Extremities of this vast Country, they found it bounded by unpassable Mountains. There it was, that Mol and his Wife Mola, by which Names, 'tis said, they were call'd, had some Contention. She it seems was for turning to the Right Hand, or else for going back the same Way they came, and he was for pushing on further, but being oblig'd to alter his Purpose by the Obstinacy of his Wife, he was in such a Passion, that he struck the Rock so hard with his Foot that it made a Gap, out of which Water flow'd in abundance, and form'd a River, which ran like a Torrent into a Pit, from whence there came out two Twins. This so cool'd the Matrix of the Earth, that it never more desir'd to be in Conjunction with its Lover the Sun, and consequently never had any more Children.
To this fine Tale they added, that from the two Persons were descended the Inhabitants of their Country, which they thought was the only Part of the World that was inhabited. But as soon as the Portuguese arriv'd, and told his Adventures, they were convinc'd, that they were not the only People of the World, and that the pretended Labour of the Earth was a meer Fable; which was follow'd by the Revolution that I just now mention'd. From that Time, the Kings and their Subjects liv'd in great Tranquillity and Harmony, spoke extremely well of one another, and indeed, I always observ'd that the People had an infinite Respect for their Sovereign, and that the King on his Part was fond of giving Demonstrations of his Tenderness to all that approach'd his Presence. He was civil to all Men in general, and as to us in particular, 'tis certain that he was so beyond measure.
CHAP. IX.
Which contains several very curious Conversations betwixt the King and our Author.
'Tis not to be imagin'd how assiduous this Monarch was at first to see us at work, and how attentive to hear us talk of our Part of the World. Above all, he took an unspeakable Pleasure in conversing about the Sciences, and particularly Philosophy, in which he exercis'd himself very much: And we were seldom together, but he put some Question to me in Natural Philosophy, and Mechanics, or Astronomy.
He was mightily fond of the System of Copernicus, and to his Praise be it spoken, I made him easily comprehend all the different Motions which the Earth was under a Necessity of making to answer the apparent Motions according to the Opinion of the Vulgar, which are distinguish'd by Diurnal from West to East, by annual round the Sun, the Motion of the fix'd Stars, and the two Motions of Vibration ascrib'd heretofore to the Crystalline Heavens. For I took a Bowl, and having mark'd on it the chief Points and Circles of a Terrestrial Globe, I shew'd him how the Earth turn'd from West to East round its Centre in a Natural Day, and in the Space of 365 Days 6 Hours wanting 11 Minutes, round the Sun, which I plac'd in the Centre of the World. I afterwards observ'd to him how this annual Motion was not perform'd upon the Equator but according to the Ecliptic, because the Axis of the Earth, instead of being perpendicular to the Plan of the annual Circle, inclines to it on both Sides 23 Degrees 30 Minutes which we call the Motion of Parallelism. Then we discours'd of the fourth Motion occasion'd by the Impulsion or Pressure which the Earth feels more or less according to the Places where it passes in its Tour; for by that means it happens that its Axis rises or falls sometimes several Minutes, and that consequently the Ecliptic appears nearer the Equator at certain Times than at others. This is also explain'd perfectly well by the subtile Matter which enters and passes by the Vortexes; but I did not choose then to expatiate upon a Point which perhaps would have puzzled him, or at least requir'd more Time. As to the Calculation of Eclipses, this Prince understood it as well as Copernicus himself; he reason'd very well about Comets, Planets, Meteors, and all the most agreeable Parts of Natural Philosophy. But he was absolutely ignorant of the Cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, which he had indeed scarce ever heard of; and he was all in Admiration to hear of the Proportion of Spaces which Falling Bodies pass through in certain determin'd Times, of the Vibration of Pendulums, of the Force of the Lever, and in general of every thing relating to Statics.
Fire-Arms were also quite unknown to him, but the bad Use that they were put to, took off his liking to them. Nothing affected him with so much Horror as the Narratives I gave him now and then, of our Wars and bloody Battles. He could not conceive how People could be so silly as to rush into Slaughter, and to the Destruction of their Species, for such trifling Causes, and often only for gratifying the Covetousness, Ambition, or Caprice of one Man. 'Tis near four Centuries ago, he said to me one Day, that the King then reigning was declar'd incapable, because under pretence of his Origin and such a miraculous Birth, as distinguish'd him from other Men, he treated his Subjects at his Will and Pleasure. You would have said, added he, that his Vanity was sufficient to excite him to great Undertakings in order to maintain himself on the Throne; but so far from it, that he scarce said a Word in his own Vindication, and to appease the Wrath of those who sent him to the Mines; and when he heard it was his People's Will, he instantly obey'd. And I swear to you, that instead of exposing Armies to the Fury of my Enemies, I would rather by a thousand times be the meanest Man in my Kingdom, than keep the Sovereignty at the Expence of one single Man's Life.
I own, said I, that there is something cruel and inhuman in War; but just Wars are often enter'd into, and then God himself gives a Sanction to them, and as a Mark that he takes Pleasure in them, he has term'd himself the God of Hosts. O Heavens! said the King, What's that you say? I am angry to hear you talk so. 'Tis very well for you that none of our Judges hears you, for tho' you are but a Stranger, you would pass your Time very ill; because, according to our Principles, you could not have utter'd a more enormous Blasphemy. I ask your Pardon, Sir, said I; the most holy Men that have written our Law, affect in many Places thus to characterise the Deity: To him alone they ascribe all the Victories and Conquests obtained by the Jews, and they put him at the Head of their Troops like a formidable General, who demolishes every thing in his way. I am far from thinking it a Crime to tread in the Steps of such great Men, and to have their Lives, Precepts, and Sentiments in Veneration; yet I have so much Respect for your Person, that I had rather be for ever silent, than give you any Cause of Disgust. What, said the King, do your Legislators talk in this Strain? Really, I think it very extraordinary that a God, who, according to you, forbids the shedding of one Man's Blood, should authorise a general Slaughter of whole Nations. There is undoubtedly a great deal of Passion and Cruelty in your Laws; the very Thought of it makes me shiver. Let us talk no more of it, for fear I should say more than you would choose to hear. I am really charm'd with your Sciences, but your Religion and your Politicks don't please me at all. That's because you don't understand 'em, Sir, said I; I want Books, and am not a Divine good enough to convert you; but we have a thousand Doctors in our Country capable of pointing out so many Marks of the Divinity in our Bible, and to shew you the Contents of it so clearly that you wou'd be forc'd to give your Consent to it as much as to any Demonstration in the Mathematics.
Very well, reply'd the King; but till such time as we see one, tell me, how those Armies which you talk to me so much of, are compos'd and subsisted, how they fight, what Reward the Conquerors have, and what Profit the Widows and Orphans; whether such Wars have no End, and whether you never have a Peace. Very seldom, Sir, said I: The Earth is immensely great, in comparison to your Empire; there's a vast Number of such Kingdoms in the Parts from whence we came. So many great Lords cannot possibly live long without a Misunderstanding: The Interests of the Royal Families, more than those of private Men, often cause Broils. Jealousy, the Desire of Aggrandisement, Precedence, the Diversity of Religions almost in every Kingdom; all these things are Causes of Ruptures, which are seldom accommodated till there has been a great Effusion of Blood. We have an Empire call'd Spain, in the Bowels of which a War broke out some time ago, which rag'd fifty or sixty Years, and cost the Lives of a Million of Men.
The prevailing Religion of that Country, and in which I was born, is the Christian, which differs extremely from all others; nor have all that profess it the same Sentiments in every respect. The greatest part pretend, 'tis not sufficient to worship one God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, but that Prayers should also be made to the departed Saints, to the end that they may intercede for us in Paradise. The Prelates of this Church injoin the Necessity of believing Purgatory, which is a Place full of Fire and Brimstone, where, after Death, Souls are to fry in Torment, for a certain Number of Years, more or less, according to the Crimes they have committed, that they may be enabled to appear pure and undefiled before the Throne of God. This same Church demands a Confession that Jesus Christ is alive still in Flesh and Bones, and altogether as large, as when he was crucify'd, in a Wafer or Piece of Paste no bigger than the Palm of one's Hand, which the Priest gives to every Layman on certain Days of the Year appropriated to that Ceremony, &c. Many People finding these Maxims as inconsistent with common Sense, as they are with the Precepts contain'd in the sacred Book of our Laws, thought in their Consciences they should be to blame if they observ'd them. The Clergy perceiving this Disorder in the Church, erected a severe Tribunal, which impos'd great Penalties on those that took the Liberty to reform the Divine Worship. To this we must add, that besides the Clergy who drain'd the People's Purses, and took their Money for reading Prayers, by which they pretended effectually to deliver the Souls of their Ancestors out of Purgatory, the King's Officers loaded them every Day with new Taxes, insomuch that the most resolute Inhabitants, in order to shake off the Yoke, form'd secret Cabals, and made themselves Masters of some wall'd Cantons or Cities. Thereupon Commerce decay'd, the Labourers suffer'd for want of Work, and a Foreign Prince puts himself at the Head of the Malecontents, who are join'd by other Monarchs jealous of the King of Spain's Greatness, who only seek to raise themselves upon his Ruin. Companies of Tradesmen are form'd, who are glad to serve for their Subsistence. Of these Companies, which consist of 100 Men, more or less, with their proper Officers, are form'd Regiments, and of these Regiments Armies, which are commanded by Generals experienced in the Art of War, who take care to furnish them with Arms, Clothes, and all sorts of Ammunition, at the Expence of the Public, whom the Magistrates charge with Subsidies for that Purpose. When the Forces are ready in the Field, a thousand Artifices and Stratagems are invented and made use of to surprise the Enemy; at length they come to close Engagement, and after they have fought a whole Day many times, it happens sometimes that the greatest Advantage which the Conqueror has to boast of is, having kept the Field of Battle, which costs him upon those Occasions 15 or 20000 fighting Men, while perhaps his Enemy retreats about 500 Paces, with the Loss of not half that Number. When the one has intirely defeated the other, he improves his Victory by gaining Countries and Towns, where sometimes he lays all waste with Fire and Sword. Mean time his Adversary endeavours to recruit himself, either by raising new Troops, or by contracting Alliances with other Princes whom he draws into his Party. Then he returns to the Charge, when Fortune declares sometimes for the one, sometimes for the other, till their Men and Money are exhausted, and they are forc'd to come to an Accommodation; which is sure to last not long, because there are turbulent Spirits that never want Pretences to disturb the Tranquillity.
But what becomes of those Troops? said the King. They are disbanded, I reply'd. That's well, continu'd he, for the Ease of the People; but are Men who are accustom'd in War-time to a licentious way of living, and undoubtedly to all sorts of Pleasures, are such fit for any other Imployment? and how do they subsist when their Pay is at an end? I have already told your Majesty, said I, that there's an infinite Number of Countries in the World, govern'd by different Princes, so that when Troubles are over in one Place, they generally begin again in another, to which the Soldiers repair for Employment; or else they return home to their Callings. I confess, however, that there's a great Number, who having lost the Spirit of Industry, or not knowing any Trade to follow, beg from Door to Door with their Wives and Children (and if they dy'd in the Wars, their Widows and Orphans do the same), or else abandon themselves to ill Courses for a better Livelihood. Some rob upon the Highway, others coin Money, and some keep company with lewd Women, whom they help to ruine, and sometimes to murder such as haunt the Stews. In short, there are no Intrigues but what they commit to support their idle Courses, which obliges honest People to take very great care that they ben't gull'd by them, as they but too often are. I could confirm this Truth by a hundred shocking Instances, but one shall suffice at present, to give you an Idea of the rest.
About eight Months before I left Paris, that famous City, which is the Metropolis of the finest Kingdom in Europe, a Counsellor of the Parliament travelling in his Coach, in a By-Street, where there was but little Trade, spy'd a very pretty young Woman at a distance, who by extending her Arms, joining her Hands, and lifting up her Eyes sometimes to Heaven, and then calling them down to the Earth, gave Proofs that she was in some very great Agonies of Grief. The Noise of the Coach-Wheels and the Horses, made her stop all of a sudden, so that she immediately wiped her Face, and with a slow Pace walk'd on. The Counsellor, who soon overtook her, halted, and ask'd her very civilly, what was the Matter. I see, said he, you have been weeping plentifully, has any Disaster happen'd to your Family? Speak freely, you are happily fallen into good Hands; there are many People who would take an Advantage of the Confusion you are in, but from me you have nothing to fear. I am a frank honest Man, of some Reputation, and if I can be of Service to you in any thing, I will exert my self with all the Zeal I'm capable of. Tho' the Girl was no more than sixteen or seventeen Years old, she put on a serious Air at first, and held it out stifly for a long time, that she ail'd nothing, that she did not want his Protection, tho' however she was oblig'd to him for the Offer, and that all she desired of him was, that he would let her proceed. But at length, after many Intreaties, which were the real Effect of the Gentleman's compassionate Temper, the young Woman falling again into Tears, which she could refrain no longer, said to him, You are in the right, Sir, I am not my self, I am disorder'd in my Mind, I run up and down like one mad, and am within an Ace sometimes of making away with my self. I am the only Daughter of a Father who perfectly ador'd me. My Will was a Law to him, which he took a Pleasure in observing, whatever it was; so that I never ask'd him any thing but he immediately granted it. But about a Twelvemonth ago, when he was in the Prime of his Years, God call'd him to himself, at which time the Thoughts of our Separation gave him a thousand times more Uneasiness than the Prospect of Death. He was so loth to leave me, that he recommended me, in the most earnest manner, to the Care of his Wife, my Mother-in-law, who promis'd him whatever he desir'd, embrac'd me in his Presence, and swore by an Oath, accompany'd with a Torrent of Tears, that I should for ever have a Share in her tenderest Friendship. But alas! my poor Father had scarce clos'd his Eyes, when she began to tyrannize over me in such a manner, that there is scarce a Moment but she insults and threatens me; from Menaces she often proceeds to Blows; and this very Day, after having us'd me extremely ill, she turn'd me out of Doors. That's bad indeed, said the Counsellor; you have reason, without dispute, to complain; come into my Coach, if you please; I must make you Friends, if possible, or at least know what's the Cause of such a dangerous Quarrel. She express'd a Reluctance against taking him home with her; she was very fearful of being seen, and her Mother-in-law's Indignation made her tremble; but she was fain to comply at last. The Widow's House made a goodly Appearance, and was separated from the Street by a strong Wall, and a large Yard before the Door. The Counsellor having sent in to know whether the Gentlewoman was at leisure, was carry'd into a fine Hall, hung with Tapestry, to which Madam came in a Moment. He was surpris'd to find her a tall handsome Woman, about fifty Years of Age, with a sweet engaging Countenance, and the Porte of a Queen, rather than the Widow of a private Man. After mutual Compliments, he gave her an exact Account of what had pass'd betwixt him and her Daughter, shew'd her what would be the Consequence, and having begg'd her Pardon for the Liberty he took to intermeddle in an Affair which was properly Domestic, he intreated her very courteously to tell him the Reason of the Difference. The old Lady thank'd him for the kind Concern he shew'd for her Family, and did not spare to reproach her Daughter-in-law; but at length, in Complaisance to the Arbitrator, Miss was sent for in, restor'd to Madam's good Graces, and they made reciprocal Promises, the one to be very obedient for the future, the other to be more indulgent, and to shew all the tender Regard that a Mother is capable of to a Child of her own, which was very much to the Satisfaction of the Counsellor, who was glad at his Heart that he had been so successful a Mediator. Then the Daughter was order'd to withdraw, and Madam took that Opportunity to confess her vast Obligation to the Counsellor. She earnestly intreated him to bring her into the Acquaintance of his Lady, that she might have more Opportunities of being benefited by his wholesome Counsels: She hop'd he would vouchsafe to honour her with his Company at Dinner, the rather because the Cloth was already laid, and as she had invited some Friends, she was the better prepar'd to regale him with three or four good Dishes. This Compliment was utter'd with so good a Grace, that the Counsellor gave his Consent, order'd his Coachman to go home and tell his Family not to wait for him, and bid him return again with the Coach in two Hours. Mean time the Lady, with his Leave, retir'd to give Orders concerning the Dinner. As he was walking alone, expecting her Return, he accidentally struck his Elbow against the Hangings, and found a void Space, which excited his Curiosity to lift them up, when, to his great Astonishment, he saw the naked Corps of a Man all bloody, who seem'd to have been but lately murder'd, extended at full length upon a Bed of Straw contriv'd in the Wall. This horrid Spectacle, which threaten'd him with the like Fate, made him run precipitantly out of the Room, and when he was got into the middle of the Yard, some body saw him and call'd to him, intreating him to have a little Patience, adding, that the old Lady would be with him in a Trice, that every thing was ready to be serv'd up, &c. But all these fine Words could not stop him. He told them, as he ran out, that something was just come into his Head which would admit of no Delay, that he would be back again almost as soon as gone, and that fall to as soon as they pleas'd, there would be enough left for him. Just as he was got out of the Gate, who shou'd enter but four great cut-throat Villains, who were hir'd no doubt to reward him for his good Offices; but they came a little too late, so that the honest Man escap'd the Snare that was laid for him, and the old Bawd and the young Whore had the Mortification to find that they had acted their Parts in vain.
Verily, said the King, that was a Stratagem deep enough to have caught the wisest Man in the World; but what was the Consequence of it? Was no Search made after the Criminals, that they might be punish'd for an Example to such Ruffians? None at all, said I. People who are too busy upon such Occasions, generally come off very scurvily. The Gangs of those Villains are so numerous, that the least Disturbance you give any one of 'em, is sure to be doubly reveng'd sooner or later, by the rest of them, either by Day or by Night, upon you and yours, in one manner or another. And is this all that you get, said the King, by the Wars to which you are expos'd? I pity your Fate; for at this rate you are only a Prey to the Wicked, and wretched Victims to the Ambition and Self-Interest of your Sovereigns. The very Dogs have a better time on't in my Country, than Men have in yours. You reason upon your own Principles, said I, and we act according to ours: Every one thinks his own Opinion the best, and is offended with those that differ from him. 'Tis true, he reply'd, that Education has a great Ascendant over our Minds. Our Ancestors would have been content to be sacrificed rather than admit of the least Doubt of the Excellence of their Origin. The Sun had engender'd them, as they believ'd, and the Earth had brought them forth; but now, a Man would be sent to the Mines that should go about to maintain that Opinion. What we suck in with our Milk, we retain; the first Lessons of our Preceptors are the most prevalent, and take such deep Root, that the Winds of a contrary Opinion are not able to shake them.
But as to your Ancestors, said I, were they all so ignorant of the Nature of Things, that not one of them doubted of the Reality of this pretended miraculous Birth? For, in short, nothing can be more obvious than the impossibility of the Union of the Sun with the Earth, and that those two inanimate Creatures, being destitute of Understanding and Thought, are incapable of the Effects which are so absurdly ascrib'd to them. Indeed, said the King, there were some of a contrary Opinion, but no body durst declare it, because if they had, the Populace were so prepossess'd in favour of this idle Notion, that they would have been ready to have cut 'em in pieces. Besides, the Kings, every now and then, made use of a very extraordinary Stratagem to put them out of the World, which contributed not a little to fortify the others in their Opinion. They had contriv'd a subterraneous Passage from the Palace to the Temple, under this Footstool, where there was a great deep Well, and when any Person was accus'd of having said any thing tending to invalidate the Mystery of the Birth of the first Man, which was accounted no less than Blasphemy, he was oblig'd to appear before the Court, where the Governors never fail'd to condemn him to the Mines: But the King, in order to be reputed a merciful Prince, immediately revok'd the Sentence, on pretence that it had not been pass'd in due Form, and according to the Rules of Equity, and order'd the Assembly to repair to the Senate at Midnight, with all that had a mind to be Spectators, nor did he fail to be upon his Throne at the Time appointed. Then one of his Sons, Brothers, or nearest Kindred, brought the Criminal before him, with his Hands ty'd behind his Back, and made him sit upon the Footstool just now mentioned: And the King, with his Eyes fix'd on the Ground, pronounc'd four Verses with a loud Voice, in which, after applauding the Justice of his Mother Earth, he call'd on her instantly to swallow up either of the two that was most guilty in the Sight of Heaven.
At that same time, a Person that lay conceal'd under the Stage, unbolted a Trap-Door made on purpose in the Footstool, and the poor Victim sunk down all at once into the deep Well underneath, which was done so suddenly and dexterously, that the Door was shut again as soon as open'd, so that it was hardly to be perceiv'd. Nevertheless, in order to play their Game sure, they took care that the Place should not be very much illuminated; besides, as the Footstool was plac'd high, the Governors and others present, who were sitting or kneeling, could not well see what pass'd above, where, one of those concern'd in the Secret, pretending as if he saw the Earth open, made a great Noise, started back, and cry'd out as loud as if he was really afraid of being swallow'd up alive with the guilty Person.
But how were those Impostures discover'd, said I? The King's Priests, reply'd Bustrol, seeing their Master banish'd, and the Face of Affairs quite chang'd, propos'd, on condition that they might not be punish'd, to discover every pernicious Thing they knew, for they were not only privy to the Secret, but engag'd by an Oath to assist in those cruel Executions. The subterraneous Passage is still in being, and when you please I'll shew it to you. As to the Well, it is quite fill'd up, and the Trap-Door was chang'd with the rest, and made a Part of the Cieling.
Another Imposture which was carry'd on several Centuries, is this. When there happen'd to be any great Debates betwixt the Sovereign and his Subjects, which threaten'd his Family with some fatal Revolution, a Person who could be trusted with the Secret, us'd to steal up into the Dome, between the Cupola and the Cieling, where, when the Council was assembled, he bawl'd out as loud as he could, thro' a Hole made for the Purpose, which answer'd the Centre of the Copper Sun in the middle of the Edifice, My Son is righteous, and you are wicked. This Voice, which rattled over their Heads like Thunder, was extremely surprising to the Assembly, and never fail'd of the desired Effect. Some of them perhaps might have a Suspicion, but the Generality were ready to swear that those Words were utter'd by the Sun himself; and perhaps they would not have suffer'd any Man that had but seem'd to entertain the least Suspicion, to have gone unpunish'd.
CHAP. X.
Containing the Ceremonies at the Births and Burials in this Country, the manner of administring Justice, and many other Remarkables.
Our Discourse was interrupted by a Domestic who came in puffing and blowing, to tell the King that Mela was brought to Bed of a Male Child. He had been marry'd but two Years to his first Wife, so that he was Twenty-seven Years of Age, which I mention, because it must be noted, that the King cannot marry but at Twenty-five, nor other Men till they are Thirty, whereas the Females are marrigeable at Twenty. Since that time he had marry'd two more. He had two Daughters by the first Wife, and one by the Second. She that had now brought him a Son, and whose Father was Marshal of one of the neighbouring Cantons, was the Third, and as she is the lawful Queen, we will distinguish her from the rest by the Title of Empress, according to the Law of the Country, which properly gives this Title to none but that Wife of the Sovereign who brings him a Successor to the Crown. We congratulated the King on the Birth of this young Prince, and gave him to understand that we heartily wish'd he might reign happily after him. He seem'd to be pleas'd at our Compliment, and in order to convince us of it the more, order'd us to follow him, that we might be Witnesses of the Ceremony which Custom oblig'd him to observe for giving a Name to the Infant.
He went out, accompany'd by two of his Brothers, his Cook, whose Employment is very considerable, and his Steward. The Empress expected him in a magnificent Bed, as well for the Sculpture, as other Ornaments with which it was enrich'd. As soon as she saw him, she sat upright, and Care was taken to cover her Shoulders with a Mantle of red Goats Hair, fring'd and embroider'd, and lin'd with Ermin as white as Snow. After she had desired the King to permit her to kiss his Hand, she express'd her Joy that God had granted her a Son, because it gave her the Honour of being Empress of so great a Kingdom. Then a Chaplain stepp'd forwards, who, according to his Orders, thank'd God in the Name of the King, Queen, and all the People, for the Favour he had now granted them; and I can truly say, that his Eloquence, added to the Submission and Zeal with which he acquitted himself, pierc'd my very Soul. He expatiated at large upon the Nothingness of Man, upon the infinite Greatness of the Monarch of the World, upon the Care which his Providence continually takes of his Creatures, notwithstanding their Disproportion, and the immense Distance which separates Beings so different. He shew'd wherein that Care consisted, and there he took occasion to treat of the Virtues necessarily requisite for a good King, and how God had given them one who in every respect deserv'd the sincere Affections of his People. Then he talk'd concerning the young Prince; whom he had now granted them, of the Obligations they ow'd him for so many Benefits, and concluded with a Million of Thanks: So that this Act of Devotion continu'd at least an Hour. Afterwards the Infant was presented to the King, who call'd him Baïol, i.e. Benign. Then they serv'd up preserv'd Fruits, and Sweetmeats confected with Honey, which is certainly better than the best Sugar in America. Besides this, we drank most excellent Metheglin, and other Liquors not a whit inferior to ours, Wine only excepted, of which they have not a Drop, there being not so much as a Vine thro' the whole Country, The Ceremony of the Empress's Coronation was put off till after her Lying-in, which was over at the end of eighteen Days, but as, like the former, is consisted only of Thanksgiving, 'tis needless for me to repeat it. Mean time, this is not only observ'd in the King's Palace, but in all the Cantons of the Kingdom, the Moment they receive the News.
As to the Method of spreading their News, this is the Place, if I am not mistaken, where I ought to observe, that every Day from Twelve at Noon to One o' Clock, each Village sends two Men into every Road of the neighbouring Cantons, on which Pillars are set up at equal distance, within the Sound of a Speaking-Trumpet from one to the other. If therefore any thing happens extraordinary at Court, that is capable of being express'd in a few Words, as for Instance, the Death, Marriage, or Sickness of the King, the Birth of a Prince, &c. those who are sent from Court publish it to their Neighbours, and they to others, so that from the one to the other it flies with such Speed, that in less than a Hour 'tis known all over the Kingdom. When there is no News they only say, All is well. In like manner, when the Cantons have any thing to make known to the Court, their Trumpeters make use of the very same Methods. If there are any Packets or Letters to carry, there are Messengers for the Purpose, who set out with them from Court at Five of the Clock in the Morning, to the neighbouring Villages, from whence others set out at Six, and carry what they have to others that start at Seven, and so of the rest. As for great Burdens they make use of Boats, which go backwards and forwards very regularly, and without Expence to any one, because the Children or Domestics of every Family are employ'd in navigating them by turns.
Soon after the Empress was brought to Bed; the States or Deputies of the Governors repair'd to Court to exercise Justice, and to put all things in order. This Assembly continues Twenty-two Days, and abundance of Business was dispatch'd in it, in most of which I may say without Vanity, I had indirectly some Share. As these Gentlemen met only in a Morning, and devoted their Afternoons partly to Pleasure, and partly to the Consideration of the Points which were to come before them next Session, the King could not help coming as usual to spend some Moments in the Evening with us, not so much to see our Works as to converse with us freely concerning the Business that was to come upon the Tapis next Day, as to which, he never fail'd to ask us what would be done in such a Case in Europe.
One Day amongst the rest, he told us, how a young Man of a very remote Canton, being often ill us'd by his Father, who seem'd to bear a mortal Hatred to him, took the Opportunity, as they went out together in a Gondola to catch Fish, to throw him into the Canal, and seeing him paddling just under Water, he held him down with the End of his Oar, for fear he should rise, and punish him for his Rashness. The Father who was quite stunn'd at first, recovered his Spirits by Degrees, and as he could swim perfectly well, he div'd to the Bottom, and then rising about two Paces distance, he struck away with all the Speed he could make to the other Shore, in order to escape his Son's Fury. While the one was endeavouring to escape, and the other resolving to pursue him, and knock out his Brains, an old Pine-Tree planted on the Side of this Canal, fell in all at once as if the Earth had broke away, and so entangled the Bay in the Gondola with its Branches, that it was impossible for him to stir, tho' he was not hurt in any one Part. The old Man, who was got Ashore by this time, seeing the Boat under the Tree, and no Sign of his Son, was touch'd with Pity, and did not doubt but the Fall of the Tree had kill'd him. He went and knock'd at the first House he came to, and having rais'd the People out of their Beds, it being then pretty early in the Morning, he told them, that as he was going to such a Place with his Boat, a great rotten Tree broke away all on a sudden, and fell upon him with such Violence, that it had knock'd him into the Water, and bruis'd his Son to Pieces. At this, all the People ran to see what was the Matter, and three of them went in their Wherry to relieve the Lad if he happen'd to be alive. The Fellow who had not open'd his Lips all the while, finding himself taken in a manner before he was aware, and that the Men were busy to separate the Boughs of the Tree that they might see what was become of him, fell a crying, and said, O Father! pray don't kill me, I own I was to blame, and that I deserve your Hatred with a Vengeance, for 'tis no Thanks to me that you are not dead at this Instant, but I beg your Pardon a thousand times. The more he cry'd out, the more the others struggled to disintangle him, and the stronger was the poor Wretch's Opinion that they were come to cut his Throat. Mercy, dear Father! Mercy! said he again, it was not I, properly speaking, but a cursed Fit of Passion which I abhor, that prompted me to lay my sacrilegious Hands upon your Person. In the Name of God be pacify'd. The Father who heard all this, knew not what Countenance to put on; he would gladly have punish'd his Child, but he did not care that the People should know the Cause of it, which was however impossible. Tho' the Gondola was clear of the Branches of the Tree, and the young Man saw a multitude who upon the Rumor of his Disaster came to assist him, and who, to be sure, would not have suffer'd the Father to sacrifice him on the Spot to his Vengeance, he made so many Shrugs and Wrigglings, and us'd such Expressions, that he condemn'd himself in Presence of 100 Witnesses; so that it was not in the Power of the Father to disculpate him as he would gladly have done. Several Fathers of Families who were there, apprehensive of what might be the Consequence, seiz'd the young Fellow, and carry'd him before a Judge, who, after having sent for the Father, and examin'd them both first Face to Face, and then separately, condemn'd the Lad to the Mines for 20 Years. The Father was dissatisfy'd with the Sentence, because he knew in his Conscience he had provok'd his Son to Wrath, by his rough Treatment of him, and therefore he advis'd him privately to appeal to the Governor of their particular Precinct, and if he should confirm the Sentence, to appeal at last to the Court itself. The Governor, said the King, to whom the Cause was referr'd, was not willing to decide it, and for this Reason it is to be argued To-morrow before me; but in good Truth, I scarce know how to determine it. What Age is the young Man? said I, He is twenty two, reply'd the King. Very well, Sir, said I, he would be put to Death in our Parts, and nothing could save him. But since you are not so severe here, since the Son detests what he has done, begs Pardon for it with all his Heart, and since the Father confesses he was the Cause of putting the Son into such a Passion; 'tis my Opinion, with Submission to your Majesty, that it would be sufficient if the Lad was whipp'd with Rods, and sentenc'd to carry a Label on his Forehead with these Words in large Characters, REBEL TO HIS FATHER, on Condition however that if he behave well, he shall be discharg'd from that Ignominy at a Year's End. Your Advice is excellent, said the King, and if I have any Credit, that shall be the Sentence. As soon as the Council was assembled, the Offence was mention'd, and every one gave their several Opinions. Some were for confirming the former Sentence, others would have it that the young Man ought to make Amende honourable, and have one of his Hands cut off before he was banish'd. Some were for sending him to the Bottom of the Mine for his Life; and others were of another Opinion. But when the King had heard what they all had to say, he propos'd his Opinion which was approv'd by the Assembly, and executed that very Day. Both Parties went to Court to express their Obligations for pronouncing so mild a Sentence. The King who was willing that I should have the Honour of it, told them, that if they had any Body to thank, it was I, and no Body else. Accordingly they came to thank me in the most civil and submissive Manner that could be, and then they return'd home, where, as I was told afterwards, they liv'd together in perfect Harmony.
'Tis not to be conceiv'd, how considerable this Trifle made us appear to the Deputies. Solomon's Award was nothing compar'd to ours, and if some of them could have had their Wills, we should have been created extraordinary Members of their Body. By that time they assembled again, our Clockwork was in a manner finish'd. Every one had the Curiosity to come and see it, and thought they could not praise it too much. La Foret was a very good Engraver, and tho' he knew how to gild, he had acquainted himself so well with the Custom of the Country to gild with Copper, which is much finer there than it is in our Parts, that the minutest Piece had a wonderful Lustre infinitely beyond the Clock which we had made for our Canton. But it had quite another Appearance a Year after, when they saw the Clock erected over the Dome of the King's House with six Sun-Dials round it pointing to the Hours, which was what we omitted in the former, besides that the Basin or Bell which was of Pewter and Copper mix'd, was at least three times bigger, and had a much better Sound. As a Gratuity for this fine Piece of Work, the King honour'd each of us with a Governor's Robe, and gave Orders that we should have the same Regard paid to us as they had. And in short, we were treated with as much Respect as if we had been Princes. The Cooks and the Butler took care that nothing was wanting at our Table. Beer, Cider, Metheglin, and PÎ·É¤Ï were as plenty with us as River-Water. The latter is a delicious Tipple, of which one may drink to Eternity and be never the worse, and 'tis made of an admirable Fruit, in form like to a Spanish Melon. There's no sort of Ragoo, Tarts or Pasties but what we had every Day, and as Partridges, which weigh here at least four Pounds, and the Tɤlη, those great Hens I have made mention of elsewhere, are very common here; we had Fowls of one sort or other almost at every Meal; not to mention the excellent Fish which was infallibly serv'd up at every Dinner. The King himself also took us Abroad with him three Days successively, in our Habits of Ceremony which is the greatest Honour that this Monarch does to his Subjects.
One Morning as we were passing by the West Side of the Temple, a Lad who went up to see his Father work at the Dome, leaning over the Gallery to see us pass along, fell down flat upon his Stomach, and kill'd himself. The King, who would never let me rest, took Occasion from this unexpected Fall, to start an Objection to me concerning the Circular Motion of the Earth. It put a Thought into my Head, said he, which never enter'd there before, viz. That if the Earth had its Revolution, as you would fain persuade me it has; the Boy, if he had fallen ever so quick, must have pitch'd at a considerable distance from the Wall of this Structure, whereas, if I am not mistaken, he touch'd it with one of his Arms. For, in short, the Globe of the Earth is very large, and supposing it makes one compleat Tour in 24 Hours, its Parts must needs pass extremely swift. 'Tis easy, Sir, said I, to solve this Objection. A Terrestrial Degree, you know, contains 60 Miles, by which Number if you only multiply 360 Degrees, the Circumference of the Earth under the Equator will be 21600 Italian Miles, or 21,600000 Geometrical Paces. Now divide this Sum by 24 Hours, and the 900000 which will result from that Operation by 60 Minutes, you will perceive that the Earth must make an Arch of 15000 Paces in a Minute of an Hour, and consequently one of 250 Paces in a Second, which is less Time than a Body can take in falling from the Height of this great Structure. But, Sir, continued I, you ought not to consider the Air as independent on the Earth, for it turns equally with it, no more nor no less than the Water of the Sea which is confin'd within its own Limits, and both the one and the other make a Part of this great Whole, so that to fall into either, is in this respect the same Thing. Mean time, there's another Reason confirm'd by Experience, which tells us, that every Body defending by its own Motion, or by a Motion which may be deem'd voluntary, must necessarily pitch upon that very Point to which it corresponded the first Moment of its Fall. Therefore supposing I were at the Top-Mast Head of one of the tallest Masts that our Men of War carry in Europe, and should let fall a Bullet of what Size you please, 'tis certain that it will always keep at the same Distance from the Mast, 'till it falls upon the Deck, be the Wind and Tide which carry the Ship ever so rapid, from whence it follows, that this Body does not fall perpendicularly as it seems, but necessarily runs thro' a parabolical Line, because tho' it descends by a single Motion in Appearance, yet it partakes of two Motions at once, viz. the artificial one of the Ship, which is form'd according to the Plan of the Horizon, and its natural Motion from Top to Bottom. Which is so true, that if the Vessel was to stop short, the very Moment that the Bullet was dropp'd, it would not in that Case fall down perpendicularly by the Side of the Mast, but a considerable Distance before it. So it often happens to the Horsemen in our Country, who when they are galloping at full Speed, perhaps the skittish Beast frighten'd at some Object makes a sudden Stand which shakes the Rider, who is still suppos'd to be leaning forwards, out of his Saddle, and throws him several Paces over his Head. 'Tis for this Reason also that your clever Sportsmen, tho' perhaps they don't know why, seldom shoot flying without taking their Aim a little before the Bird, to the End that the Bullet or Arrow may thereby acquire a Side Motion, which together with the direct Motion forms a Curve Line by means of which it certainly hits the Mark. I understand all this very plain, said the King, and there is nothing extraordinary in it, because the same Thing happens to Bodies which are punish'd with Violence from any Height, by a Line parallel to the Horizon; for 'tis evident, that the very Moment they come out of the Hand that throws them, they fall and must, as you say, before they come to the Ground, describe a Line like to those which are form'd by the Section of a Cone which is parallel to its opposite Side.
You are in the right, Sir, said I, but there's something wonderful in this which to many People appears a Paradox, viz. That if you take one of those Pieces of Ordnance so common with us, I mean a Cannon, levell'd at one of the highest Towers, and if at the very Instant of discharging it, a Bullet be let fall of the same Form and Size as that which the Cannon is charg'd with, notwithstanding the one is shot a Mile off, and the other falls down limply by a perpendicular Line, yet they will both come to the Ground at the same Instant. Indeed, said the King, that is surprizing, and I own, I should never have thought it; but I see very plainly now, that it must needs be so, because tho' the Bullet is carry'd a great Way, nevertheless its Motion from Top to Bottom must have its Course, and be every whit as rapid.
Yet these fine Examples don't set me clear enough in the Point of the Earth's Motion. Pray, how comes it that so violent an Agitation does not shake it into a Million of Pieces? Well, Sir, said I, take a Confectioner's Vessel made of white Earth; let it be of a round Form, and the Sides low and perpendicular to the Bottom. Put into it a Thimblefull or two of clear Water, and in this Water a small Quantity of the Filings of Copper, fine Sand, and the Grating of red Wax; and to supply the Place of Glass, of which you have none in this Country, cover the Vessel with a Lid very close, then cement it with a little Potter's Clay, and put it upon an Axis, to which you shall give Motion. When this Vessel has been turn'd about a little, if you take off the Lid, which was only plac'd on to hinder the Water from going out during its Agitation, you will see that all the Parts of the Matter put into it stick to the Sides of the Vessel. An evident Proof that if the Heavens turn'd which are here represented by these Sides, the Earth would necessarily be forc'd to quit its present Situation, and range itself against their concave Superficies or their Extremities. And another undeniable Proof which confirms the former, is, that if the Whirl be stopp'd, so that the Firmament or the Side of the Ship turns no more, the Water, which continues its Motion, and by consequence departs in Proportion, from the Centre of the Vessel which contains it, forces the Particles of Copper, Sand, and Wax to quit the Sides to which they stuck so fast, and to approach to the Centre where they form a round Mass, the lowest Region of which is Copper, the second Sand, and the last Wax. From hence it appears, that if the subtile Matter which encompasses the Earth be put in Agitation, 'tis sufficient to oblige all the Terrestrial Parts to rendezvous in one Globe towards their Centre: Which likewise shews us by the way, that 'tis impossible for a Stone cast into this subtile Matter, to rest in it one Moment, but must for the same Reasons abandon the Aerial Region, and repair to other Bodies of its own Species, in which properly consists Gravitation.
Really, said the King, you have often talk'd to me about Vortexes, the Alterations which Astronomers observe in the different Aspects of the Planets, the Motion of the Sun round its own Centre, the Spots upon the Face of it which are a Confirmation of that Motion, because as this advances, they change their Situation, as well as about the Periods which the other Planets describe either round themselves, or round the Sun; but I never yet heard any Assertion so bold as what you have just now advanc'd. I should be glad if you would let me have the Machine you spoke of, to the end that by examining it nicely, we may be able to talk of it a little, more particularly: But it were to be wish'd that the Lid you put upon the Vessel was transparent, because then one might easily see what pass'd in the Vessel without taking it off. I will obey your Orders, Sir, said I, and if our Parchment won't do for the Purpose, I will supply it by a round Hole of an Inch or two in Diameter, which I will make in the middle of the Lid; for I am of Opinion that the rest will be sufficient to hinder the Water from spurting out in its most vehement Agitation.
During this, one of the King's Brothers fell sick, and died. I thought to have seen some Particularity at his Funeral, but was very much surpriz'd, that I did not observe the least Circumstance at it more than at common Interments. They only wrap up the Corps in a Robe of fine Linen, and then put it on a Bier, which is carry'd by two Men preceded by four of the nearest Relations, and attended by two Men and two Women, marry'd or not marry'd, and by four young Persons of both Sexes who mourn all the Way, and converse about his good Qualities. When they come to the End of the Place where the Deceas'd liv'd, they throw him into a Grave made for the Purpose, which they immediately close up again, and erect a little Pyramid of Wood upon it, on which are mark'd the Name and Age of the Person underneath, after which every one goes Home, and they never talk of him more than if there had been no such Person in the World, The King's Brother was bury'd after the same Manner; two of his Brothers (for the Prince is exempt from it) with his Mother, and one of his Sisters were the only Persons of the Convoy, besides the Mourners who are People that attend on these Occasions purely for the sake of a Meal's Meat. Then it was that I heard that the Brothers and Sisters of the Kings of this Country are forbid to marry, which is only permitted to the eldest Son of the Royal Family, and even he can have but one Wife before he is King.
As to a Wife, I can't avoid telling you here how our Monarch recover'd one in my Presence worthy to wear a Diadem. He had form'd a Design a long time to make a Visit to the West Part of the Kingdom; but as he intended that we should accompany him, and the Work we had in hand was too exquisite in his Opinion to be interrupted, there was a Necessity for staying 'till it was finish'd; then came bad Weather, afterwards the Diet; but when this was broke up, and the fine Season was advanc'd, the King was resolv'd to lay hold of it. He made up but a small Equipage, and only took 10 Persons along with us in his Retinue. He was mounted on a small but magnificent Chaise with two Wheels drawn by four white He-Goats, which had each a great black Beard, and Horns of a prodigious Size. His Train and Baggage were in two Gondolas, in each of which were four Rowers, and four to relieve them.
I was overjoy'd to be of this Party, because I had never yet travell'd this Way. Most of the Inhabitants of this Frontier are employ'd in making Bricks, Potters Ware, and all Sorts of Porcelane according as the Soil is proper for the different Sorts of Work. We pass'd thro' no Village but all the People of Consequence came out to see the King, who sometimes alighted for the Purpose, and walk'd very slowly that they might have the better Opportunity of viewing him. One Day as we were at a Place where there was such a Crowd about him that he could scarce get out of it, he spy'd a young Woman whose Charms made him fall in Love with her. He call'd her to him, and having survey'd her from Head to Foot, and found her more charming near at hand than at a Distance, he sent for the Father, and ask'd him what Age she was? The honest Man having already promis'd her to another, and guessing at the King's intention, knew not what Answer to make, but after a small Pause, he said to him, Sir, She is not yet marriageable, and by consequence neither to be sold nor given away. The Girl being more ambitious of the Title of Queen than of the Wife of a Carpenter, which was the Craft of the Fellow that was to have her, said very pertly, 'Tis true, Sir, I am not marriageable, but I want only two Days to be 20 Years old. Very well, reply'd the King, we will stay, honest Man, 'till the Term is expir'd, rather than break in upon the Laws; but after To-morrow, bring your Daughter to Court that I may make her my Wife, and take care that no Body comes near her. Tho' the old Man thought it a great Honour to have the King for his Son-in-law, yet he was sorry that he could not keep his Word with the Carpenter, which I chose to mention here only to shew the Simplicity and Sincerity of the People of this Country. Pηo, which was the Person's Name, was ready at the Time and Place appointed, and three Days after we arriv'd, he begg'd an Audience, and presented his Daughter to the King in Presence of his Chaplain, who return'd Thanks to God for it on the Spot. The Nuptials lasted three Days, after which Pηo return'd Home with 100 KalÆ, or Pieces of Copper in his Pocket, as Pay for his Daughter; but the poor young Woman having never had the Small-Pox, was seiz'd with it three Months after, and died.
'Tis a prodigious Thing to consider the Multitudes of People which this plaguy Distemper carries off, there not being one in ten that escapes. The Generality of the Living never had it, and be they ever so old, so few are excus'd from it, that they seldom die of any other Disease. If this were not the Case, the Country would in all Appearance be exceeding populous, whereas at present 'tis but thinly inhabited, considering the Goodness of the Soil, and the Purity of the Air.
Not long after this, the King made two or three other Conquests, so that in four Years after his first Marriage, he had seven Wives. My Comrade and I were at all those Solemnities, and had great Share of the Pleasures of them. Wherever we came, we were sure to be commended upon Account of our Clocks, tho' many People knew that I had the least Share in them.
That I might not go without my Reward, I told the King, that we had indeed adorn'd his Palace with a Machine, with which he had the Goodness to seem pleas'd, but that if he desir'd it, I would make him another to put up at the Front of the Temple which should be subject to no Variation, and be regulated by the Course of the Sun. I am convinc'd, said the Monarch, from the little Knowlege I have of Astronomy, that it would not be impossible to divide an artificial Day into any equal Parts by the Shade, which might be form'd from a Body in the Sun-shine, but we have had no Body here that I know of, who ever apply'd to it. Before I go to work upon it, said I, I must examine which way the Front of this Edifice stands. That's not necessary, said the King, I know that it declines from East to North 22 Degrees 30 Minutes, and what is yet more, I know it by Experience. Pardon me, Sir, said I, if I take the Freedom to ask you what Method you took to be sure of the Fact. I caus'd a Board to be plan'd, said he, perfectly smooth with several Circles drawn upon it by the Compass; and in the Centre I set up perpendicularly a Stile of Copper Wire, to the End of which hangs a Button as big as a small Nut. This square Instrument I place against the Wall of the Temple, and when the Sun is ascended some Degrees above the Horizon, I stay till the Shadow of the Button of my Stile falls upon the Circumference of one of the Circles of the Board, when I mark that Place by a Point, and then with another Point I mark the Place on the opposite Side of the Circumference, where the Shadow falls in the Afternoon. I divide the Arch between these two Points into two equal Parts by a straight Line which passes thro' the Centre of the Stile, which Line is the Meridian of the Place where I make the Operation. There are several Ways, said I, whereby you may easily attain to the same End of which that you mention is one of the best I know; but I will make you a vertical Sun-Dial according to the above Declination of the Front of the Temple. No, said the King, as the Point in Question is only drawing of Lines, you must do me the Pleasure to teach me the Construction of 'em. I consented willingly to his Demand, so that we made a Sun-Dial of 8 Foot broad, and 6 in height, and another horizontal Dial of Copper, which was plac'd on a Pedestal of Agate of 8 Sides before the King's Palace, and both had the Signs of the Zodiac upon them. These two Machines supply'd fresh Matter of Admiration to those who saw them; and I make no doubt but they were of more Service to them than the others after our Departure, because not a Man in the Kingdom knew how to keep them, much less to make them.
La Foret had such a Sense of the Civilities he and I receiv'd every Day from the whole Court, and was so desirous to shew he was not ungrateful, that without saying one Word to me he set about a Pocket-Watch, and had actually finish'd it before I perceiv'd any thing of the matter. Tho' he work'd much better in large than in small Things, yet a Watch in a Country where there never was one before, was a Jewel of inestimable Value. As soon as he finish'd it, he went to wait on the King, and after having complimented him on the Obligations we had to him, he took the Watch out of his Pocket, and intreated his Acceptance of it as a Token of his sincere Gratitude. The King having view'd it Inside and Outside, was perfectly astonish'd, admir'd the Beauty and Usefulness of this little Machine, and protested to him that he should never desire any thing of him in his Disposal, but it should be at his Service.
CHAP. XI.
More Adventures of the Author, and his Comrade, till their Departure from Court.
As the King went often to see his Wives, there is no question but he was fond to shew them his Watch, and that every one admir'd the Genius of the Workman. For tho' they had seen the Clock a thousand times, and seem'd even astonish'd at its Performance, they thought it nothing in comparison to this pretty Instrument, which, though small, went as regularly, and pointed out all the Parts of the Day as exactly as the great one.
Lidola in particular, who was the King's second Wife, gave broad Hints that she long'd to be Mistress of it; but the King, who did not care to part with it, and indeed could not, without raising the Jealousy of all his other Ladies, and making the Empress her self uneasy, pretended not to understand her Meaning. Lidola was so disobliged by it, that after Supper, when she was to have entertain'd the King, who had given her to understand that he would spend that Night with her (which he did very frequently, because he was much more enamour'd with her than with any of the other Ladies) she counterfeited an Indisposition, and sent to desire the King not to come to her that Night. The King, mistrusting nothing of the Matter, sent next Morning to inquire after her Health, which he repeated for several Days together. But at last perceiving no Alteration in her for the better, and that she not only receiv'd his Messengers very cavalierly, but that as he himself saw her en passant, she look'd upon him with a Coldness enough to have chill'd the very Blood in his Veins, he guess'd what she had taken Pet at, but wou'd not seem to know it; and having a mind to see how far she would carry her Indifference, he left off his Visits by degrees, and gave himself up so intirely to his last Queen, that he was very seldom with any but her.
La Foret, who knew no more than my self what had pass'd, was surpris'd one Evening, as he was walking under the Galleries, with a Voice that call'd him by his Name. Turning about to it very hastily, and being suddenly struck with Astonishment at the Beauty of the finest Lady that ever he had seen in his Life (for she was not veil'd, tho' 'tis an establish'd Rule of the Country, that marry'd Women are not seen in Mens Company without a Veil, which almost hides their Faces) he stood with his Eyes fix'd upon her, and had not Power to ask what was her Pleasure. Fair Genius, said she, you seem to be surpris'd, but don't be frighten'd; I only call'd to you to let you know how glad I am to see you whenever you pass by my Apartment, and to give you this Melon. There, take it, and farewel. Then she dropp'd the Fruit, and immediately withdrew and shut her Casement.
La Foret could never be tax'd either with Stupidity or Ignorance, yet he knew not what to think of this Frolick. Tho' he was not nimble enough to catch the Melon before it fell to the Ground, he snatch'd it up without saying one Word, and brought it to our Chamber where he told me in Confidence what had pass'd. I immediately took the Melon, and going to stick my Knife into it, I perceiv'd it had been open'd already very nicely towards the Stalk; which made me cautious in cutting it, for fear of spoiling anything that might happen to be within it, where, instead of the little Kernels which are by Nature contain'd in that excellent Fruit, we found a Scroll of the finest Vellum, with Writing on it in the Language of the Country, to this Effect.
I have seen you pass by my Window a thousand times, but scarce ever heard you talk. The Judgment which I form of your Mind, by your easy Deportment, and your uncommon Productions, excites my Curiosity to have the Happiness of your Conversation when I am disengag'd. I fancy that you can say nothing but what is very good. Prepare therefore to give me that Satisfaction. I expect you to-morrow without fail at my Door. Be sure to be there at the first Stroke of your curious Machine, after Midnight, and you'll oblige
LIDOLA.
I was alarm'd at the reading of this Billet, and told La Foret what I thought of it, very seriously; but it all signify'd nothing. He was lusty, well-proportion'd, as vigorous as a Man could possibly be at 30 Years of Age, and no Enemy to the Sex. The Friendship the King shew'd to us, induc'd him to think that he would be far from suspecting him of a Design upon any of his Wives, and therefore, without weighing the Consequences, he resolv'd to lay hold of the Opportunity at all Events. What confounded him most was his want of Eloquence, and the other necessary Talents for expressing himself politely; for he came of an obscure Family, and had seen but little of the World. As he knew not how to behave, and had a better Opinion of me than of himself, he would fain have engag'd me to take the first Step, and to pave the way for him: But besides that, his Stature and mine were very different, he being at least taller than me by the Head, which would have been too gross a Cheat to pass, I had other Reasons against embarking in an Affair of this Nature. But all this did not discourage La Foret.
Next Day he dress'd as sprucely as he could, equipp'd himself as a Galant ought to do when he goes to visit his Mistress, and study'd every thing that might contribute to her Pleasure. Being thus rigg'd, he took his Leave of me, and at the appointed time went to the Place of Assignation. The Fair One, who probably hearken'd for his coming, open'd the Door to him softly, and after injoining him by a Signal to profound Silence, conducted him into her Closet. She was in her Deshabille, which was very fine, and notwithstanding the careless Air of it, seem'd to be the Effect of Contrivance. Her Head and Shoulders were cover'd with a Veil of fine Linen, in which there had been an infinite Expence of Art; but whether it was by Chance, or by Design, under pretence of handling the said Veil, and tossing it forwards and backwards to hide what Modesty should have taught her to conceal, she often gave a Glimpse of Beauties enough to have stir'd a Heart not near so susceptible of Love as La Foret's, who could not stand those Charms. For his very Eyes were dazzled with the Glare of so many Wonders, and, as if he had been perfectly inchanted, he had not Strength to open his Lips, notwithstanding the firm Resolution he had made to say abundance of fine things to her.
Lidola perceiving her Lover so mute, fetch'd a deep Sigh, and said to him with a most languishing Countenance, I'm in love with you, fair Stranger; I did not imagine I should have had the Trouble of telling you so, because I thought you would easily guess it: Your Silence does Violence to my Modesty; I am asham'd that I have let fall the Expression; but make a prudent Use of it, and remember to be discreet, if you would be happy with Ladies. La Foret answer'd with very great Respect, 'Don't reproach me, Madam, I beseech you; my very Silence has an Eloquence in it which must fully apprize you of the Sentiments of my Heart. Tho' your Presence, continued he, has depriv'd me of the Faculty of Speech, it is only suspended to give me the more Leisure to contemplate the Delicacy of your Charms. Words are not always in season. There are Moments when the Eyes express themselves infinitely better than the Tongue can, so that without being a Conjurer, a Person, by observing their Motions, may know the Sentiments of the Soul. I confess I was in the wrong to keep Silence, but it was well for me that I did not speak, because the fined Expressions that I could have thought of in a Language with which I am so little acquainted, would not have fetch'd that from your pretty Mouth in an Age, which Silence has drawn from it in an Instant. What! you in love with me, Madam? O Heavens! how shall I contain my Joy at so tender a Confession! Who would ever have imagin'd that a Queen could debase her self so much as to declare such a Kindness for the lowest of her Slaves. Persist, I beg you; That shall be the utmost Boundary of the greatest of all my Wishes, because undoubtedly I never ought to think of any thing else.'
Just as she was going to answer him, a Waiting-maid bolted into the Room, to the Terror of our Lover, who knew not the Meaning of it at first, and so great was his Surprise, that he could not hide it. But Lidola dissembled hers, for fear of putting him into Confusion. I had given Orders, she said to him, for some dry Sweetmeats, and a Glass of Mead to be brought; you perceive they are obey'd. I hope you'll meet with something or other in this Bason that, you like. La Foret, who was too impatient for amorous Endearments to mind Sweetmeats, was mad to find their Conversation interrupted by an impertinent Witness. He had much rather have spent the Time in Dalliance, than have wasted the precious Moments in Eating. But for the sake of Complaisance, he was under a Necessity of admiring the Extent of her Civility, and he even acknowledg'd how much he was oblig'd to her for it. The Fair One, who was not willing to omit any Proof of her Tenderness for him, took one half of a Nectarin, and wantonly put it to his Mouth. Once she pluck'd from his Lips what he had in part chew'd, and eat it with an inconceivable Greediness; at another time she made him bite a Piece which she held between her white Teeth; in short, there was no wanton Air which she did not invent to increase the Passion of the new Lover.
The Days were then about Sixteen Hours in length, the Sun not being far from Capricorn, and that Place being situate in 51 Degrees, and 20 Minutes South Latitude, so that they were toying with one another, when the Darkness or rather the Twilight vanish'd, and the Torch of Heaven was rising to gild the enamell'd Fields with his splendid Rays. The Damsel being the first to observe it, told the Queen of it, at which La Foret was offended, and even took the Liberty to reproach her for not having appointed him sooner, because he said it was not worth his while to come thither for so short a Stay. Tho' I'm a little out of favour with the King at present, reply'd the charming Lidola, I am not sure that he will neglect me long; the Fancy may take him to come and see me in the Morning; and tho' he should not, there are other People that have an Eye upon what we do. I should pass my Time but ill, if any body should see you go out of my Apartment: Let us act upon sure Grounds, and for this time do you withdraw. If you have a Pocket-Watch like to that which you gave the King, take care to bring it with you when you come again, that we may know how much time we have to spend; for we mayn't always have People near us to tell us how it passes. When she had said these kind Words, she fell on his Neck, kiss'd him very tenderly, and immediately withdrew. The Time flies away insensibly at such agreeable Interviews; nevertheless La Foret had not so far lost the Use of his Reason, but he knew very well that it was high Time for him to be gone. Therefore he pull'd out a Kala, which he gave to the Maid, and after recommending himself to her Friendship, stole out softly, and return'd home.
The first thing he was bent on at his Return, was to impart to me in Confidence what had pass'd with his Mistress. To hear him talk, never Man travers'd so much Land in the Territories of Love, in ten Years, as he had been doing in an Hour; in short, he was in full Possession, and only wanted the Fruition. 'O Heavens! (said I) how credulous are Lovers, and how easy is it for Love to impose on them! La Foret, La Foret, you are playing a Game that will infallibly ruine you. Gaming, Women, and Wine have a good Aspect, I confess, but when made too familiar, are of no Value; they produce short Pleasures, attended with long Repentance; their greatest Sweets often change to Bitter; and their Payment is only in Tinsel, with which they who suffer their Eyes to be dazzled, are commonly deceiv'd. Remember what I now tell you: The Affair you are engag'd in is such, that you'll repent of it more than once.' I might have moraliz'd thus till Doomsday, for all that I said was to no purpose. My Friend thought of nothing but the Pleasure he should have, and turning his Back upon the Consequences, was actually captivated by the most flattering Ideas that his Mind was capable of forming. The poor Man was blinded to such a Degree, that he did not see the Precipice he was just falling into, and was sway'd by nothing but his prevailing Passion. His Imagination was so disorder'd, that he thought he had his Fair One every now and then in his Arms, and he often talk'd to her as if he had been actually enjoying her. In short, he pass'd his Hours in Bed very pleasantly, for tho' he rarely slept, he had such sort of Dreams as create more Pleasure than a profound Sleep, and have this Advantage, that they tickle the Fancy, without impairing the Strength of the Body.
La Foret heard nothing of his Mistress in three Days, which made him so uneasy that it had like to have turn'd his Brains. He often retraced his whole Conduct, but could find nothing to reproach himself with, unless that he had been too respectful. I had not observ'd till then, that the Women of that Country had any Inclination to Galantry. I really thought they were too silly for it; but I began to see by this Specimen that there are few of them in any Country but know a great deal of it in the Affair of granting Love to the Men, and that if they don't take greater Liberties than they do, it is only owing to the extreme Severity of the Laws against such as transgress the Rules to which Hymen seems to bind them. And they say moreover, that the Kings and Governors are subject to the same Inconveniences, as private Men in Europe, because those Gentlemen having more than one Wife, each of them studies to gain her Husband's Favour, and when she can't succeed, it gives her Occasion to embrace the first Offer that presents: But return we now to our Love-Story.
Upon the Fourth Day in the Forenoon, as the King came to see us at work, I thought at the first Sight of him that he smelt a Rat; for looking willfully upon La Foret, he said to him, You seem to be ruffled, Friend; your Countenance is chang'd from what it us'd to be, and if I may be allow'd to form a Judgment by your Eyes, your Heart is not in a very serene State. Are you fallen in love with any Fair One of this Canton? For Love in a few Hours commits great Ravages. You blush, continued the King. Don't be afraid to own it: Tho' you are a Foreigner, and of a Religion very different from mine, I assure you that I will do every thing for you that is in my Power. If you make your Addresses to any Free Person, I'll find the way to make her marry you; but let me advise you not to delude any Woman, because, should you be taken in the Fact, all my Credit would not be of weight enough to save you. Galantry may perhaps prevail among us, but if it does, 'tis conceal'd; and you are not ignorant that 'tis a Breach of one of the Articles of our Law, which the Judge treats with the greatest Severity. Adultery especially would not be pardon'd in my self.
La Foret, who had by this time recover'd himself, reply'd, 'Tis perfectly right, Sir, to be severe upon that Head, and especially with respect to the great Men: If I had the Power in my own Hands, a King who prais'd that sort of Galantry should be less exempt from Punishment than other Men, because while his Subjects are oblig'd, for the Generality, to adhere to one Person only, he has the Liberty of taking a Dozen, and by consequence the Pleasure of having all the Variety at home that he could expect to find abroad. However, continu'd he, this is a Happiness which I don't envy your Majesty; for tho' I have neither Wife nor Mistress, I am very well contented; and if I don't look at present altogether so brisk as usual, 'tis owing no doubt to my not having slept well for two or three Nights past, for otherwise I am in perfect Health. Nevertheless, he added, I am infinitely oblig'd to your Majesty for your Desire to make me happy, and to find me out a Settlement. If ever I'm inclin'd to marry, I swear to you, Sir, that I will refer my self intirely to your Disposal. Let us call another Cause, La Foret, said I, 'tis time enough to think of altering your Condition. The King reply'd very graciously, That shall be when you please. You know the Privileges of the Gown which you wear, so that you will not have much to reproach me with.
The King thereupon retiring, we went to Dinner, and made various Reflections upon the little Dialogue that had pass'd betwixt us. Mean time La Foret did not fail to take a Walk after Dinner in the Galleries. Lidola, who generally took a Pleasure in seeing him pass by her Windows, fix'd her Eye upon him till he was out of Sight. Her Waiting-woman, who always kept a Look-out for some Intelligence that might be to their Advantage, came at last to her with News that she had just met the King taking the Air with the Empress; from whence the Queen concluded, that he would infallibly spend the Night with her, as had always been his constant Practice when he took her out in the Day time; therefore without Hesitation she injoin'd her Servant to go after La Foret, and to signify to him, as she pass'd by him, that she expected him at Eleven of the Clock.
The young Woman was not dilatory in the Execution of her Commission. She met him just as he was upon the Return, brush'd as close by him as she could with Decency, and said to him, en passant, Come to us an Hour before Midnight. I dare not express his Joy at the hearing of these agreeable Words, for fear of saying too much to be believ'd, or not enough to give a just Idea of his Transports. He made such Haste back, and was so absent from himself all the while, that he was at home before he perceiv'd it. I need not say he had no Thought, for he did not care that I shou'd speak to him. The little Time he had to spare, was spent at the Toilet, where he consulted his Mirrour a hundred times, which being only of polish'd Steel, made him fearful that he had not discover'd all his Blemishes. He wash'd himself almost all over with perfum'd Water, cut and trim'd his Whiskers, comb'd his black Hair over and over again, and being at length as handsome as Adonis, he wish'd me Good-night, and went his way. Lidola's Servant, who stood Centinel, receiv'd and carry'd him into the Anti-Chamber, where there was no Light, and bid him steal into her Mistress's Apartment.
Lidola was lain down on a Bed so fragrant, that it perfum'd the whole House. Her Head-Dress was in the careless Air, her Neck bare, as was also her left Breast, her Arms at Liberty, and her whole Posture was like one between Sleeping and Waking. La Foret made his Approach to her so softly, that she did not perceive it. At the unexpected Sight of so many Beauties he stood like a Statue, with his Eyes so fix'd on the Person of this charming Venus, that they had no Motion. A secret Desire, on which he was incapable of making the least Reflection, push'd him forward to view her more nearly. She was like a Loadstone that attracted him imperceptibly and irresistibly. This adorable Beauty happening to open her Eyes, seem'd to the last Degree astonish'd to see her Lover by her Bed-side. She blush'd, and having rais'd her self up, and put on a Veil that lay in a Chair, just at hand, You have surpris'd me, said she, and perhaps seen things you ought not to have seen. Nay, Madam, he reply'd, the Fates will'd it, and not you, that I should have the Opportunity of contemplating Beauties that had like to have thrown me into a Trance. However, what I have seen will be so far from diminishing the Respect I owe you, that it has infinitely heighten'd a Passion which I thought could not have been stronger than it was before. You deserve tho' to be chastis'd, reply'd the Fair One, for not letting me know that you was present. But what made you come so soon? It cannot be Night yet, and I did not appoint you 'till Eleven o' Clock. You mistake, said La Foret, you only upbraid me for coming so late, tho' you don't consider how long I have been here. You deceive your self, said the Queen; if you consult your Watch, you'll find that you are in the Wrong to contradict me. I have no Watch, reply'd La Foret, nor have I need of one, for on these Occasions my Head is a Minute-Watch, so that I would not lose one Moment. Have you not a Watch? said Lidola; 'tis surprising that you should be without those Jewels which you bestow upon others? If I had the Skill to make such pretty Machines, it should never be said that I had not one for my own Use, and another at the Service of my Mistress. This was a mortifying Compliment to the Frenchman, who very well understood the Tendency of the Rebuke, and was mad with himself that he had not prevented it. The Queen perceiving him in some Confusion, thought fit to put him out of his Pain. I only banter, La Foret, said she, and you are studying for a serious Answer. Sit down upon my Bed, continu'd she, the Moments are precious, let us not squander them to no purpose. At the same time she went to grasp his Hand, but Love render'd her so weak, that she gave a Sigh, and fell back on her Pillow. So far things went on swimmingly, and the two young Hearts did not doubt that their Bliss was upon the Point of being compleated. But Fortune envying their Felicity, chang'd all their Hopes on a sudden into mortal Terrors.
The King had a real Love for Lidola, the Violence he had done himself in not seeing her so long was such a Burden upon his Mind, that he could bear it no longer; and a fresh Report which she had given out of her Indisposition, adding to his former Uneasiness, he was resolv'd to keep her Company that Night. The Waiting-woman, who was always at the Window, hearing a confused Noise at a distance, like that of a Company of Men, immediately had a Mistrust, because 'twas but just Midnight, and the King never went to Bed before that time: At length, seeing the Train approach, she ran and gave the Alarm, crying out, We are all undone, Madam, here is the King just at the Gate. As warm as our two Lovers were before, their Blood immediately chill'd in their Veins. La Foret knew not what would be his Doom. It was no time to demur, and he was immediately hurry'd into a Closet which fronted that Chamber. He was no sooner enter'd but a Domestic who stepp'd before, knock'd at the Gate. The Chamber-maid made him stay just as long as she thought it might have taken her up to rise, and as Visits of this sort were pretty frequent, she did not seem to be at all surpriz'd. As the King was close at the Domestic's Heels, he enter'd the very Moment that the Gate was open'd. The Queen, who heard him coming, found it no very hard Task to counterfeit an Indisposition, to which the Fear she was in, both for her self and her Spark, did not a little contribute; and the King verily believing that she was not well, had not the least Suspicion, tho' he saw her more disorder'd than usual. He shew'd a greater Fondness for her than ever, and said to her, that notwithstanding the ill State of Health he found her in, he intended to spend the Night with her. Sire, reply'd Lidola, you do me a great deal of Honour, but I am not now in a Condition either to give Pleasure, or to receive it; I fear that if I were to stir ever so little, it would do me an Injury, and I find that I want Rest. I would not incommode you, said the King, for the World; if you can't admit of my Company, I'll go and rest upon the Tent Bed in that Closet, being determin'd to stay here all Night. This Answer quite unexpected by the Fair One, so alarm'd her, that after abundance of Excuses for the Coldness wherewith she had treated him, which she ascrib'd entirely to her Illness, she began to be very sweet upon him, and begg'd him earnestly to undress himself.
As soon as he was in Bed, and the Domestics gone, the Chamber-maid took an Opportunity to go into the Closet to consult with the Prisoner what shift to make for his Liberty, when, to her great Surprize, she could not find him, tho' there was no Door but what he went in at, and the Windows were so close, that they did not seem to have been open'd. While she was rummaging the Bed and other Furniture in that Apartment, the Lady, who was perplex'd to think what was become of her Lover, call'd to her to raise her Pillow, and bring her some Drink, and having by that means an Opportunity to whisper, and to hear that he was gone, tho' she knew not which way, it put her out of Pain, and she slept the remainder of the Night very quietly. La Foret imagining that the King would make a very short Stay, had shut himself up in the Privy, but he found himself terribly mistaken when he heard soon after that he design'd to pass the whole Night with his Wife, or at least in the Closet where he was, in case that she could not admit him to her Bed. Then it was, as he has own'd to me since, more than once, that he was seiz'd with a Panick which he had never felt the like of before. He could not return thro' the Chamber where the King was, without the Hazard of being seen; he thought all the Windows of the Apartment were secur'd with Iron Bars: Besides, he was afraid the Noise would betray him, if he open'd them, especially if he leap'd into the Canal, which the Closet over-look'd. Having resolv'd all this in his Mind, in the utmost Hurry, he thought of no better Expedient, than to slip into the Water thro' the Hole of the Privy, and so to save himself by Swimming.