infufficiency. However the King treated him with tenderness, as a well-meaning man, but of a low contemptible understanding.

When I gave that free cenfure of the country and its inhabitants, he made no further anfwer, than by telling me, that I had not been long enough among them to form a judgement; and that the different nations of the world had different cuftoms; with other common topics to the fame purpose. But, when we returned to his palace, he afked me how I liked the building, what abfurdities I obferved, and what quarrel I had with the dress or looks of his domeftics. This he might fafely do; because every thing about him was magnificent, regular, and polite. I anfwered, that his Excel. lency's prudence, quality, and fortune, had exempted him from thefe defects, which folly and beggary had produced in others. He faid, if I would go with him to his country-houfe about twenty miles diftant, where his eftate lay, there would be more leisure for this kind of converfation. I told his Excellency, that I was intirely at his dispofal; and accordingly we fet out next morning.

During our journey he made me obferve the feveral methods ufed by farmers in managing their lands; which to me were wholly unaccountable; for except in fome very few places, I could not difcover one ear of corn, or blade of grafs. But in three hours travelling, the fcene was wholly altered; we came into a most beautiful country; farmers houfes at fmall distances neatly built, the fields inclofed, containing vineyards, corn-grounds, and meadows. Neither do I remember to have seen a more delightful profpect. His Excellency obferv. ed my countenance to clear up; he told me with a figh, that there his eftate began, and would continue the fame, till we fhould come to his house. That his countrymen ridiculed and defpifed him for managing his affairs no better, and for setting so ill

an

an example to the kingdom, which however was followed by very few, fuch as were old, and wilful, and weak like himfelf.

We came at length to the houfe, which was indeed a noble structure, built according to the beft rules of ancient architecture. The fountains, gardens, walks, avenues, and groves, were all difpofed with exact judgement and tafte. I gave due praises to every thing I faw, whereof his Excellency took not the leaft notice till after fupper; when, there being no third companion, he told me with a very melancholy air, that he doubted he muft throw down his houfes in town and country to rebuild them after the prefent mode, deftroy all his plantations, and caft others into fuch-a form as modern ufage required, and give the fame directions to all his tenants, unless he would fubmit to incur the cenfure of pride, fingularity, affectation, igno rance, caprice, and perhaps increase his Majefty's difpleasure.

That the admiration I appeared to be under, would ceafe or diminifh, when he had informed me of fome particulars, which probably I never heard of at court, the people there being too muchi taken up in their own fpeculations to have regard to what paffed here below.

The fum of his difcourfe was to this effect: that about forty years ago certain perfons went up to Laputa, either upon bufinefs or diverfion, and after five months continuance came back with a very little fmattering in mathematics, but full of volatile fpirits acquired in that airy region. That thefe perfons upon their return began to dislike the management of every thing below, and fell into fchemes of putting all arts, fciences, languages, and mechanics upon a new foot. To this end they procured a royal patent for erecting an academy of projectors in Lagado; and the humour prevailed fo strongly among the people, that there is not a town of any VOL. V. confequence

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confequence in the kingdom without fuch an academy. In thefe colleges the profeffors contrive new rules and methods of agriculture and building, and new inftruments and too's for all trades and manufactures, whereby, as they undertake, one man fhall do the work of ten, a palace may be built in a week, of materials fo durable, as to laft for ever without repairing. All the fruits of the earth fhall come to maturity at whatever feafon we think fit to chuse, and increase an hundred-fold nore than they do at prefent; with innumerable other happy propofals. The only inconvenience is, that none of thefe projects are yet brought to perfection, and in the mean time the whole country lies miferably wafte, the houfes in ruins, and the people without food or cloaths. By all which, inftead of being difcouraged, they are fifty times more violently bent upon profecuting their fchemes, driven equally on by hope and defpair; that as for himself, being not of an enterprifing fpirit, he was content to go on in the old forms, to live in the houses his ancestors had built, and act as they did in every part of life without innovation. That fome few other perfons of quality and gentry had done the fame, but were looked on with an eye of contempt and ill-will, as enemies to art, ignorant, and ill commonwealths-men, preferring their own eafe and floth before the general improvement of their country.

His Lordship added, that he would not by any further particulars prevent the pleafure I fhould certainly take in viewing the grand academy, whither he was refolved I fhould go. He only defired me to obferve a ruined building upon the fide of a mountain about three miles diftant, of which he gave me this account: that he had a very convenient mill within half a mile of his houfe, turned by a current from a large river, and fufficient for his own family, as well as a great number of his te

nants.

nants. That about feven years ago, a club of these projectors came to him with propofals to deftroy this mill, and build another on the fide of that mountain, on the long ridge whereof a long canal must be cut for a repofitory of water to be conveyed up by pipes and engines to fupply the mill, becaufe the wind and air upon a height agitated the water, and thereby made it fitter for motion: and because the water defcending down a declivity would turn the mill with half the current of a river, whose courfe is more upon a level. He faid, that being then not very well with the court, and preffed by many of his friends, he complied with the propofal; and, after employing an hundred men for two years the work mifcarried, the projectors went off, laying the blame entirely upon him, railing at him ever fince, and putting others upon the fame experiment with equal affurance of fuccefs, as well as equal disappointment.

In a few days we came back to town, and his excellency, confidering the bad character he had in the academy, would not go with me himfelf, but recommended me to a friend of his to bear me company thither. My lord was pleased to represent me as a great admirer of projects, and a perfon of much curiofity, and eafy belief: which indeed was not without truth; for I had myself been a fort of projector in my younger days.

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The author permitted to fee the grand academy of Lagado. The academy largely defcribed. The arts wherein the profeffors employ themselves *.

THIS

HIS academy is not an entire fingle building, but a continuation of feveral houses on both fides of a ftreet, which growing wafte, was purchafed and applied to that use.

* However wild the defcription of the Aying ifland, and the manners and various projects of the philofophers of Lagado, may appear, yet it is a real picture embellished with much latent wit and humour. It is a fatire upon those aftronomers and mathematicians who have fo entirely dedicated their time to the planets, that they have been careless of their family and country, and have been chiefly anxious about the economy and welfare of the upper worlds. But if we confider Swift's romance in aferious light, we shall find him of opinion, that thofe determinations in philofophy, which at prefent feem to the most knowing men to be perfectly well founded and underflood, are in reality unfettled, or uncertain, and may perhaps, fome ages hence, be as much decried as the axioms of Ariftotle are at this day. Sir Ifaac Newton and his notions may hereafter be out of fashion. There is a kind of mode in philofophy, as well as in other things and fuch modes often change more from the humour and caprice of men, than either from the unreafonable, or the illfounded conclufions of the phil fophy itself. The reafonings of some philofophers have undoubtedly better foundation than those of others: but I am of opinion, (and Swift feems to be in the fame way of thinking,) that the most applauded philofophy, hitherto extant, has not fully, clearly, and certainly explained many difficulties in the phænomena of nature, I am induced to believe, that God may have abfolutely denied us the perfect knowledge of many points in philofophy, fo that we fhall never arrive at that perfection, however certain we may fuppofe ourselves of having attained to it already. Upon the whole, we may fay with Tully, Omnibus fere in rebus, et maxime în phyficis, quid non fit citius quam quid fic, dixerim. Orrery.

This note in general feems to be a teftimony of his Lordship's approbation, but it is not eafy to difcover what in particular is meant by the word real, fince every picture is a real picture, whether it be copied from nature or fancy; and indeed it is equally difficult to conceive now a picture of any kind can be embellished with that which is hidden.