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 inEurope, 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 quickWork, 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 toLa 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'dhim, 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, thesame 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 withthe 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 Watchmendo by Night, in many Parts ofEurope, and particularly inEnglandandHolland, where they hire Men for the Purpose. They furnish'd us therefore with the necessary Materials for our Work.La Foretbespoke 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 theFrench; 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 Murderof 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 theUniversal 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 ofChrist, 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 aChristamong 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'dChrist, rose fromthe 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 ofChristin 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 thisChristabove all Things excites to Rebellion, and prodigiously embarrasses humane Reason. I own, said I, 'tis an incomprehensible Mystery, but we believe it; and webelieve 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. Uponthis 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 'tisfor 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 theTιμηɤ, 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 isTιμηɤ, 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'sthe 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.
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, andthat 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 callscausalitas causæ efficientis, because by it we infallibly trace Effects toone 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.Mosesassures 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, ofMosesand his brotherAaron, 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'dto 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 ofMoses, 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 Ijust 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 sawEurope, 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 theJewsknow 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 learnedEnglishgentleman, who lately publish'd a Dissertation to prove that there's nothing miraculous, nor even extraordinary, in this Pillar of Fire, by which theIsraeliteswere 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 theIsraelites,was onlyHobab,the Father-in-law ofMoses;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.
[1]I have heard of a learnedEnglishgentleman, who lately publish'd a Dissertation to prove that there's nothing miraculous, nor even extraordinary, in this Pillar of Fire, by which theIsraeliteswere 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 theIsraelites,was onlyHobab,the Father-in-law ofMoses;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 Effectsprecede 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 thisMosesyou speak of, aim'd to be temporal Lord, while his BrotherAarondomineer'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 ofCorn; 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 partakeof 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. TheChinesehave Chronologies for above 40000 Years, and theÃgyptianscarry theirs at least as far back. That ancient Philosopher,Plato, introduces anÃgyptianPriest, who, in a Discourse withSolon, tells him that 'twas 9000 Years sinceMinervabuiltSais.Diodorusreckons 23000 Years fromOsirisandIsis, to the time ofAlexander the Great.Laertiusspeaks 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 ofCicero, 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 toMoses'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 within100 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 inGenesis, 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 anotherNature; 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 aParadise 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. Withwhich 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 10000Kalηin 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 tothe 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 greatMoses, 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 incommon 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 avoidall 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, Jealousyor 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'sHeclainIceland,ÃtnainSicily,VesuviusinNaples, 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, theEuropeanswho have been here before you, related the same thing toour 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 Streamof 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, desiredLa Foret, who had read both theOldandNew Testamentmore than I had done, to give him the most circumstantial Account he could remember of the Contents of the Bible. My Comradedid 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.
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 Excuseto 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 inEurope, 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 ourAdventures. 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'dBustrol. 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 afive-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. Thefirst 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 andwrought; the whole built according to an Order which comes pretty near to theCorinthian, except the Columns of the Cellars which are properly in theTuscanTaste.
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 theTurksin 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, equidistantfrom 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 ofKala, and it has Inscriptions engrav'd on it, signifyingOur Hearts to Godon one Side, andOur Estates to the Kingon 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 ofLewis d'Or's inFrance, 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 werecall'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 aPortuguesearriv'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 thisPortuguesehad 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 waslanded, 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.