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be rendered into English thus: "May your celestial majesty outlive the sun, eleven moons and a half!"* To this the king returned some answer, which, although I could not understand, yet I replied as I had been directed: Flute drin yalerick dwuldom prtasrad mirpush; which properly signifies, "My tongue is in the mouth of my friend; and by this expression was meant that I desired leave to bring my interpreter: whereupon the young man already mentioned was accordingly introduced, by whose intervention I answered as many questions as his majesty could put in about an hour. I spoke in the Balnibarbian tongue, and my interpreter delivered my meaning in that of Luggnagg. The king was much delighted with my company, and ordered his bliffmarklub, or high chamberlain, to appoint a lodging in the court for me and my interpreter, with a daily allowance for my table, and a large piece of gold for my common expenses.

I stayed three months in this country, out of perfect obedience to his majesty, who was pleased highly to favour me, and made me very honourable offers. But I thought it more consistent with prudence and justice to pass the remainder of my days with my wife and family.

The description of the ceremonial of the introduction to the King of Luggnagg and the hyperbolical language addressed to him are intended, we may infer, to ridicule and reprove the extravagant and adulatory terms in which the Houses of Parliament were in the habit of addressing the English Sovereign. The old Duchess of Marlborough gives it this application : "The style of the Lords' address," she says, "puts me in mind of Dean Swift's account, who I am prodigiously fond of, which he gives of the manner in which he was introduced to the King of Luggnagg."-The Opinions of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough.

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CHAPTER X.*

THE LUGGNAGGIANS COMMENDED.-A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE STRULDBRUGS,
WITH MANY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND SOME EMINENT PERSONS
UPON THAT SUBJECT.

HE Luggnaggians are a polite and
generous people, and although they
are not without some share of that
pride which is peculiar to all Eastern
countries, yet they show themselves
courteous to strangers, especially such
as are countenanced by the court.
had many acquaintances, and among
persons of the best fashion; and being
always attended by my interpreter,
the conversation we had was not dis-
agreeable.

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I

One day, in much good company, I was asked by a person of quality whether I had seen any of their struldbrugs, or immortals. I said I had not, and desired he would explain to me what he meant by such an appellation, applied to a mortal creature. He told me that sometimes, though very rarely, a child happened to be born in a family, with a red circular spot on the forehead, directly over the left eyebrow, which was an infallible mark that it would never die. The spot,

This chapter is principally occupied by an account of the struldbrugs, or immortals, and is, as Thackeray observes, "perhaps the most melancholy satire in the whole book." It is more it is a most moving discourse upon the miseries which would attend on human life if protracted beyond the ordinary period which God has assigned to man; the moral of which is pointed with peculiarly touching significance, when we remember the horror, almost prophetic, which Swift felt of old age, and the sorrows and sufferings which it entails. For many years he used to bid his friends adieu with these melancholy words, "God bless you; I hope we shall never meet again." On one occasion, he and another clergyman had just moved from under a heavy mirror, when it fell to the ground, and in reply to his companion's exclamation of thankfulness for their escape, he said, "Had I been alone, I could have wished I had not removed."

"The description of the struldbrugs," says Lord Orrery, "is an instructive piece of morality; for, if we consider it in a serious light, it tends to reconcile us to our final dissolution. Death, when set in contrast to the immortality of the struldbrugs, is no longer the king of terrors; he loses his sting; he appears to us as a friend, and we cheerfully obey his summons, because it brings certain relief to the greatest miseries. It is in this description that Swift shines in a particular manner. He probably felt in himself the effects of approaching age, and tacitly dreaded the period of life in which he might become a representative of those miserable immortals."

as he described it, was about the compass of a silver threepence, but in the course of time grew larger, and changed its colour: for at twelve years old it became green, so continued till five-and-twenty, then turned to a deep-blue; at five-and-forty it grew coal black, and as large as an English shilling; but never admitted any further alteration. He said these births were so rare, that he did not believe there could be above eleven hundred struldbrugs, of both sexes, in the whole kingdom; of which he computed about fifty in the metropolis, and among the rest a young girl born about three years ago: that these productions were not peculiar to any family, but a mere effect of chance; and the children of the struldbrugs themselves were equally mortal with the rest of the people."

I freely own myself to have been struck with inexpressible delight, upon hearing this account: and the person who gave it me happening to understand the Balnibarbian language, which I spoke very well, I could not forbear breaking out into expressions perhaps a little too extravagant. I cried out, as in a rapture, Happy nation, where every child has at least a chance of being immortal! Happy people, who enjoy so many living examples of ancient virtue, and have masters ready to instruct them in the wisdom of all former ages! but happiest, beyond all comparison, are those excellent struldbrugs, who, being born exempt from that universal calamity of human nature, have their minds free and disengaged, without the weight and depression of spirits caused by the continual apprehension of death." I discovered my admiration that I had not observed any of these illustrious persons at court; the black spot on the forehead being so remarkable a distinction, that I could not have easily overlooked it: and it was impossible that his majesty, a most judicious prince, should not provide himself with a good number of such wise and able counsellors. Yet perhaps the virtue of those reverend sages was too strict for the corrupt and libertine manners of a court: and we often find, by experience, that young men are too opinionated and volatile, to be guided by the sober dictates of their seniors. However, since the king was pleased to allow me access to his royal person, I was resolved, upon the very first occasion, 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 not, 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,

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'Happy people, who enjoy so many living examples of ancient virtue !"-Page 256.

and pass my life here in the conversation of those superior beings, the struldbrugs, 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, said to me, with a sort of a smile, which usually arises from them to the ignorant, that he was glad of any occasion to keep me among them, and desired my permission to explain to the company what I had said.

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He did so, and they talked together for a long time in their own language, whereof I understood not a syllable, neither could I observe by their countenances what impression my discourse had made them. After a short silence 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 desirous 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 struldbrug.

I answered it was easy to be eloquent on so copious and delightful a subject, especially 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 case, I had frequently run over the whole system how I should employ myself, and pass the time, if I were sure to live for ever.

"If it had been my good fortune to come into the world a struldbrug, as soon 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 pursuit of which, by thrift and management, I might reasonably 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 consequence, that happened in the public, impartially draw the characters of the several successions of princes and great ministers of state, with my own observations on every point. I would exactly set down the several changes and customs, language, fashions of dress, diet, and diversions; by all which acquirements I should be a great treasure of knowledge and wisdom, and certainly become the oracle of the nation.

"I would never marry after threescore, but live in an hospitable manner, yet still on the saving scale. I would entertain myself in forming and directing the minds of hopeful young men, by convincing them, 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 constant companions should be a set of my own immortal brotherhood, among whom I would elect a dozen, from the most ancient down to my own contemporaries.

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Where any

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