ED 3 ! ! ence, that young men are too opinionative and volatile to be guided by the fober dictates of their seniors. However, since the king was pleased to allow me access to his royal person, I was refolved, upon the very first occafion, to deliver my opinion to him on this matter freely and at large by the help of my interpreter; and whether he would please to take my advice or no, yet in one thing I was determined, that, his majesty having frequently offered me an establishment in this country, I would with great thankfulness accept the favour, and pass my life here in the converfation of those superior beings, the ftruldbrugs, if they would please to admit me. The gentleman, to whom I addressed my discourse, because (as I have already observed) he spoke the language of Balnibarbi, faid to me with a fort of a smile, which usually arifeth from pity to the ignorant, that he was glad of any occafion to keep me among them, and defired my permiffion to explain to the company what I had spoke. He did fo, and they talked together for fome time in their Aa own own language, whereof I understood not a fyllable, neither could I observe by their countenances, what impression my difcourse had made on them. After a short filence the same person told me, that his friends and mine (so he thought fit to express himself) were very much pleased with the judicious remarks I had made on the great happiness and advantages of immortal life, and they were defirous to know in a particular manner, what scheme of living I should have formed to myself, if it had fallen to my lot to have been born a ftruldbrug. I answered, it was easy to be eloquent on fo copious and delightful a subject, efpecially to me, who had been often apt to amuse myself with visions of what I should do, if I were a king, a general or a great lord: and, upon this very cafe, I had frequently run over the whole system how I should employ myself, and pafs the time, if I were fure to live for ever. That, if it had been my good fortune to come into the world a struldbrug, as foon as I could discover my own happiness by understanding the difference between life and death, I would first resolve by all arts and methods whatsoever to procure myself riches. In the pursuit of which by thrift and management, I might reasona bly expect in about two hundred years to be the wealthiest man in the kingdom. In the second place, I would from my earliest youth apply myself to the study of arts and sciences, by which I should arrive in time to excel all others in learning. Lastly, I would carefully record every action and event of confequence that happened in the public, impartially draw the characters of the several fuccessions of princes and great ministers of state, with my own observations on every point. I would exactly set down the several changes in customs, language, fashions of drefs, diet and diversions. By all which acquirements I should be a living treafury of knowledge and wisdom, and certainly become the oracle of the nation. I would never marry after threescore, but live in an hofpitable manner, yet ftill on the faving fide. I would entertain myfelf in forming and directing the minds of hopeful young men, by convincing them from Aa2 from my own remembrance, experience and observation, fortified by numerous examples, of the usefulness of virtue in public and private life. But my choice and conftant companions should be a fett of my own immortal brotherhood, among whom I would elect a dozen from the most ancient down to my own contemporaries. Where any of these wanted fortunes, I would provide them with convenient lodges round my own estate, and have fome of them always at my table, only mingling a few of the most valuable among you mortals, whom length of time would harden me to lose with little or nos reluctance, and treat your pofterity after the fame manner; just as a man diverts himself with the annual fuccession of pinks. and tulips in his garden, without regretting the lofs of those, which withered the preceding year. These struldbrugs and I would mutually communicate our observations, and memorials through the course of time; remark the feveral gradations by which corruption steals into the world, and op pose it in every step by giving perpetual warning warning and instruction to mankind; which, added to the strong influence of our own example, would probably prevent that continual degeneracy of human nature so justly complained of in all ages. 4 Add to all this the pleasure of feeing the various revolutions of states and empires; the changes in the lower and upper world; ancient cities in ruins, and obfcure villages become the feats of kings; famous rivers lessening into shallow brooks; the ocean leaving one coaft dry, and overwhelming another; the difcovery of many countries yet unknown. Barbarity overrunning the politeft nations, and the most barbarous become civilized. I should then fee the discovery of the longitude, the perpetual motion, the univerfal medicine, and many other great inventions brought to the utmost perfection. What wonderful discoveries should we make in astronomy by out-living and confirming our own predictions, by observing the progress and returns of comets, with the changes of motion in the fun, moon, and stars. I enlarged upon many other topics, which Aa3 |