CHAPTER VII



[The author leaves Lagado: arrives at Maldonada.
No ship ready. He takes a short voyage to Glubbdubdrib.
His reception by the governor.]


The continent, of which this kingdom is apart, extends itself, as
I have reason to believe, eastward, to that unknown tract of
America westward of California; and north, to the Pacific Ocean,
which is not above a hundred and fifty miles from Lagado; where
there is a good port, and much commerce with the great island of
Luggnagg, situated to the north-west about 29 degrees north
latitude, and 140 longitude. This island of Luggnagg stands
south-eastward of Japan, about a hundred leagues distant. There
is a strict alliance between the Japanese emperor and the king of
Luggnagg; which affords frequent opportunities of sailing from
one island to the other. I determined therefore to direct my
course this way, in order to my return to Europe. I hired two
mules, with a guide, to show me the way, and carry my small
baggage. I took leave of my noble protector, who had shown me so
much favour, and made me a generous present at my departure.

My journey was without any accident or adventure worth relating.
When I arrived at the port of Maldonada (for so it is called)
there was no ship in the harbour bound for Luggnagg, nor likely
to be in some time. The town is about as large as Portsmouth. I
soon fell into some acquaintance, and was very hospitably
received. A gentleman of distinction said to me, "that since the
ships bound for Luggnagg could not be ready in less than a month,
it might be no disagreeable amusement for me to take a trip to
the little island of Glubbdubdrib, about five leagues off to the
south-west." He offered himself and a friend to accompany me, and
that I should be provided with a small convenient bark for the
voyage.

Glubbdubdrib, as nearly as I can interpret the word, signifies
the island of sorcerers or magicians. It is about one third as
large as the Isle of Wight, and extremely fruitful: it is
governed by the head of a certain tribe, who are all magicians.
This tribe marries only among each other, and the eldest in
succession is prince or governor. He has a noble palace, and a
park of about three thousand acres, surrounded by a wall of hewn
stone twenty feet high. In this park are several small
enclosures for cattle, corn, and gardening.

The governor and his family are served and attended by domestics
of a kind somewhat unusual. By his skill in necromancy he has a
power of calling whom he pleases from the dead, and commanding
their service for twenty-four hours, but no longer; nor can he
call the same persons up again in less than three months, except
upon very extraordinary occasions.

When we arrived at the island, which was about eleven in the
morning, one of the gentlemen who accompanied me went to the
governor, and desired admittance for a stranger, who came on
purpose to have the honour of attending on his highness. This
was immediately granted, and we all three entered the gate of the
palace between two rows of guards, armed and dressed after a very
antic manner, and with something in their countenances that made
my flesh creep with a horror I cannot express. We passed through
several apartments, between servants of the same sort, ranked on
each side as before, till we came to the chamber of presence;
where, after three profound obeisances, and a few general
questions, we were permitted to sit on three stools, near the
lowest step of his highness's throne. He understood the language
of Balnibarbi, although it was different from that of this
island. He desired me to give him some account of my travels;
and, to let me see that I should be treated without ceremony, he
dismissed all his attendants with a turn of his finger; at which,
to my great astonishment, they vanished in an instant, like
visions in a dream when we awake on a sudden. I could not
recover myself in some time, till the governor assured me, "that
I should receive no hurt:" and observing my two companions to be
under no concern, who had been often entertained in the same
manner, I began to take courage, and related to his highness a
short history of my several adventures; yet not without some
hesitation, and frequently looking behind me to the place where I
had seen those domestic spectres. I had the honour to dine with
the governor, where a new set of ghosts served up the meat, and
waited at table. I now observed myself to be less terrified than
I had been in the morning. I stayed till sunset, but humbly
desired his highness to excuse me for not accepting his
invitation of lodging in the palace. My two friends and I lay at
a private house in the town adjoining, which is the capital of
this little island; and the next morning we returned to pay our
duty to the governor, as he was pleased to command us.

After this manner we continued in the island for ten days, most
part of every day with the governor, and at night in our lodging.
I soon grew so familiarized to the sight of spirits, that after
the third or fourth time they gave me no emotion at all: or, if
I had any apprehensions left, my curiosity prevailed over them.
For his highness the governor ordered me "to call up whatever
persons I would choose to name, and in whatever numbers, among
all the dead from the beginning of the world to the present time,
and command them to answer any questions I should think fit to
ask; with this condition, that my questions must be confined
within the compass of the times they lived in. And one thing I
might depend upon, that they would certainly tell me the truth,
for lying was a talent of no use in the lower world."

I made my humble acknowledgments to his highness for so great a
favour. We were in a chamber, from whence there was a fair
prospect into the park. And because my first inclination was to
be entertained with scenes of pomp and magnificence, I desired to
see Alexander the Great at the head of his army, just after the
battle of Arbela: which, upon a motion of the governor's finger,
immediately appeared in a large field, under the window where we
stood. Alexander was called up into the room: it was with great
difficulty that I understood his Greek, and had but little of my
own. He assured me upon his honour "that he was not poisoned,
but died of a bad fever by excessive drinking."

Next, I saw Hannibal passing the Alps, who told me "he had not a
drop of vinegar in his camp."

I saw Caesar and Pompey at the head of their troops, just ready
to engage. I saw the former, in his last great triumph. I
desired that the senate of Rome might appear before me, in one
large chamber, and an assembly of somewhat a later age in
counterview, in another. The first seemed to be an assembly of
heroes and demigods; the other, a knot of pedlars, pick-pockets,
highwayman, and bullies.

The governor, at my request, gave the sign for Caesar and Brutus
to advance towards us. I was struck with a profound veneration
at the sight of Brutus, and could easily discover the most
consummate virtue, the greatest intrepidity and firmness of mind,
the truest love of his country, and general benevolence for
mankind, in every lineament of his countenance. I observed, with
much pleasure, that these two persons were in good intelligence
with each other; and Caesar freely confessed to me, "that the
greatest actions of his own life were not equal, by many degrees,
to the glory of taking it away." I had the honour to have much
conversation with Brutus; and was told, "that his ancestor
Junius, Socrates, Epaminondas, Cato the younger, Sir Thomas More,
and himself were perpetually together:" a sextumvirate, to which
all the ages of the world cannot add a seventh.

It would be tedious to trouble the reader with relating what vast
numbers of illustrious persons were called up to gratify that
insatiable desire I had to see the world in every period of
antiquity placed before me. I chiefly fed mine eyes with
beholding the destroyers of tyrants and usurpers, and the
restorers of liberty to oppressed and injured nations. But it is
impossible to express the satisfaction I received in my own mind,
after such a manner as to make it a suitable entertainment to the
reader.

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