A journey to the world under-ground
Words: “We command and enjoin all Husbandmen, Inventors of Machines for
the Manufactures, Merchants, Tradesmen, Philosophers, Officers of the
Court, _&c._”
I was inform’d, that in the Archives of the Prince, this Catalogue of
Honour was preserv’d.
1. Those who had assisted the Government with their Wealth and Fortunes
in its greatest Streights.
2. Officers who serve _gratis_ and without Salary or Pension.
3. Husbandmen of eight Branches and upwards.
4. Husbandmen of seven Branches and under.
5. Inventors or Erectors of Machines for Manufactures.
6. Operators who exercise the more necessary Callings and Employments.
7. Philosophers and graduate Doctors of both Sexes.
8. Artisans.
9. Merchants.
10. Officers of the Court, with a Salary of 500 _Rupats_.
11. Officers of the Court, with a Salary of 1000 _Rupats_.
This Series of Honours seem’d very ridiculous to me, as it must to
everyone of our Globe. I guess’d indeed at some of the Reasons for
this inverted Order, what Foundation it was grounded on, and by what
Arguments the Subterraneans would defend it. But I confess upon the
whole it was a Paradox I could not comprehend.
Among other Things worthy of Observation, I remark’d the following: The
more Benefit any one receiv’d from the Government, with a proportional
Modesty and Humility he carry’d himself. Thus I frequently saw
_Bospolak_, the richest Man in the _Potuan_ Dominions, receive all he
met with such Condescension, that he lower’d all his Branches, and by
inclining his Head, testify’d to every common Tree his grateful Sense
of the Publick Favours. Upon my asking the Reason, I was told, that
thus it ought to be, since upon no Subject more Benefits were confer’d,
and that therefore he was the greatest Debtor to the Commonwealth.
Not that he was oblig’d by any Law to this Condescension; but as
the _Potuans_ in general act wisely and judiciously, so they make
a voluntary Virtue of it, holding themselves bound to use such a
Behaviour as Gratitude would dictate; far otherwise than it is with
us, where those, whom their Country has loaded with Wealth and Titles,
receive their Inferiors with a lofty and contemptuous Air.
But the most deserving Subjects of all, and who receive the most
universal Honour and Respect, are the Parents of a numerous Offspring.
These are the Heroes of the Subterranean World, and their Memory is
held sacred with Posterity. They are also the only Persons upon whom
the Name of +Great+ is conferr’d. Not so with us; where the Destroyers
of Mankind are complimented with that Title. One may easily guess
what Sentiments they would entertain here of _Alexander the Great_
and _Julius Cæsar_, each of whom having slain their Millions, died
without Offspring. I remember to have seen at _Keba_ this Epitaph of a
Husbandman: “_Here lies Jochtan the Great, Father of thirty Children,
the Heroe of his Time_.” It must be observ’d, that in order to acquire
this Glory, the mere Procreation of Children is not alone sufficient,
unless they be also liberally and virtuously educated.
In the enacting Laws, they proceed with a Deliberation equal to that
of the old _Romans_. The Proposal of a new Law is fix’d upon all the
Courts and Places of Resort through out the City. The Citizens are
free to examine it, and send their Sentiments and Advices upon it to
_the College of Wise Men_, instituted for this very Purpose. Here
every Thing is weigh’d that concerns the enacting, the disannulling,
approving, correcting, limiting, or extending this Law. And when it
has thus gone through all this Trial and Examination, it is offer’d to
the Prince for his Consent and Authority. This Delay may seem absurd
to some; but the Consequence of this Caution is, that their Laws are
immortal; and I have been inform’d, that not one of their Laws for
these five hundred Years past has suffer’d the least Alteration.
In the Custody of the Sovereign, there is a List of the most worthy and
valuable Trees, together with Certificates of their Learning from the
_Karatti_, and of their Life and Morals from their Neighbours. Hence
the Republick are never in Want of proper Persons to fill the vacant
Offices. It is particularly worth remarking, that no one has a Right or
Freedom to live in any City or Village without a Certificate from the
Place they came from, and Security for their future Behaviour.
A Law once enacted by publick Authority, all future canvassing and
criticising upon it is prohibited upon Pain of Death. So that in their
Politicks, their Liberty seems to be more restrained than in their
Religion. The Reason they assign is this: “If any one err in Matters of
Faith and Speculation, at his own Peril he errs; but if any one call
in Question the establish’d Laws, or endeavour to pervert the Sense of
them by some new Gloss or Interpretation, he is an Enemy to Society.”
Something has already been said of the State and Oeconomy of the Court.
It has been observ’d, that the _Kadoki_, or High Chancellor, is the
Supreme Officer. Next to him is the _Smirian_, or High Treasurer. This
Post was in my Time discharg’d by a Widow of seven Branches, call’d
_Rahagna_, who for her eminent Integrity and other great Endowments,
was advanced to an Office of that Weight and Trust. Long had she
presided at the Head of the Treasury, even many Years before the Death
of her Husband, who, tho’ extremely well vers’d in the State of the
Finances, yet was entirely ruled by the Counsels and Authority of his
Wife, and never ventur’d to act upon his own Judgment; hence he was
more her Official or Deputy than her Husband. The Edicts and Ordinances
indeed were issued out in his Name, as often as she was hindred, by
Lyings-in, or any other Malady; yet nothing was esteem’d firm and
authentic till her Subscription or Seal was affixed to it. _Rahagna_
had two Brothers, one of which was Butler, and the other Butcher to
the Court; nor, tho’ they had a Sister in the highest Exaltation, did
they dare to aim at any Thing greater by Reason of the Poverty and
Slenderness of their Abilities: With so much Equity are Preferments
here distributed.
This Lady, tho’ ingag’d in the most arduous Affairs of the Kingdom, yet
at the same Time suckled an Infant she was deliver’d of soon after the
Death of her Husband. This I thought was too troublesome and too mean
an Employment for so great a Matron. And upon my giving my Opinion,
they reply’d in this Manner: “Can you imagine that Nature has given
Breasts to Women only as a softer Ornament, and not rather for the
Nourishment of their Offspring? The Quality of the Milk, and the Temper
of the Nurse, go farther than we imagine, in forming the Disposition
of the Infant. And Mothers who disdain to nourish their own Issue,
dissolve one of the finest and strongest Ties of Nature.” And hence
there is hardly a Lady throughout all these Dominions but suckles her
own Children.
The Heir apparent of the Crown was a Youth of six Years old, in whom
’twas easy to discover the Seeds of many great and shining Virtues.
Nature had been so liberal, as to adorn him with six Pair of Branches;
an uncommon Circumstance in that tender Age. His Preceptor, the wisest
Tree in all the Empire, instructed him in the Knowledge of the Creator,
in History, in Mathematicks and moral Philosophy. I obtain’d a Sight
of that Moral System or Political Compendium, which he compos’d for
the Use of his Pupil. The Title of it was, _Mahalda Libab helil_,
which in the Subterranean Language signifies _a Key to Government_. It
consists of a Collection of Precepts and Maxims, the most solid and
advantageous; some of which I yet perfectly remember, and shall here
set them down.
* * * * *
1. Aspersions or Encomiums are not hastily to be credited; but the
Judgment is to be suspended, till an indubitable Knowledge can be
procur’d.
2. When any one is accus’d and convicted of a Crime, it should be
examin’d what Good the Delinquent has ever done; thus his good Actions
being compar’d with his bad, let Reason interpose and pronounce
Sentence.
3. Those Counsellors who are given to Contradiction and Contest, the
Sovereign may safely confide in as the heartiest Subjects; for no one
will expose themselves to Danger, but those to whom the Welfare of
their Country is dearer than their private Safety.
4. Let none but large estated Men compose the Senate. Their Advantage
is united with the Publick Advantage: Whereas those who possess but a
moveable Estate, look upon the Kingdom not as their Country, but as an
Inn, and themselves as Travellers.
5. The Prince may make use of the Ministry or Agency of bad Men, if
they should happen to be fit for a particular Business, but never
load them with uncommon Favours; for if a wicked or an obnoxious Man
be receiv’d into Favour, the worst of Subjects will rise under his
Patronage, and work themselves into Office.
6. Let him most of all suspect those, who perpetually haunt the Court:
Such either have committed, or are prepar’d to commit the most daring
Things.
7. Let him be very backward to reward those who are most impatient of
Honours. For as no one begs an Alms till oppress’d with Poverty and
Hunger, so none insatiably haunt after Dignities, but who despair to
rise by real Merit and Virtue.
8. The eighth Precept is indeed a very useful one, but what I could
not be pleas’d with upon Account of the odious Example with which it
was illustrated. The Precept is this: No Subject is to be consider’d
as altogether useless; none are so dull but may be made subservient
to some good Purpose, nay even may be made to excel in some Point.
For Instance, one excels in Judgment, another in Ingenuity; one’s
Excellence shall be in the Mind, another’s in the Body; this shall make
a good Judge, that a better Advocate. One shall have a vast Power of
Invention, another shall labour at the Execution of a Thing; insomuch,
that there are few entirely unprofitable. That some Creatures indeed
seem so, is not the Fault of the Creator, but of those who will not
perceive or enquire where their chief Strength lies, and follow that
Clue. This Position he thus illustrated. We have seen, says he, in
this our Age, one of the Superterranean Animals, who, by the unanimous
Suffrage of all was deem’d as an unprofitable Load upon the Earth, by
reason of that Quickness and Forwardness of his Judgment; but yet we
see his great Swiftness of Foot is of no small Service to us. Upon
reading this Paragraph, I could not help saying, _This is a very honest
Preface, but a scandalous Conclusion_.
9. It is of no small Importance to a Prince who would know the Arts of
governing, to be very nice and cautious in the Choice of a Preceptor to
the Heir of his Dominions. Let him therefore chuse one of remarkable
Piety, and eminent Learning, since from the Institution of the future
Successor, the Welfare of the State must be determin’d. What we learn
in the tender Age of Life, passes into Nature. Hence it is necessary,
that the young Prince’s Tutor should be a Lover of his Country, that
he may instil into his Prince a Love for his Subjects, the first and
principal Mark that all his Precepts should be aim’d at.
10. ’Tis necessary the Prince should study the Genius of his
Government, and conform to it; and if he would correct the Disorders of
his Subjects, let him do it rather from his own Example than the Laws.
——_Velocius & citius nos
Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domestica, magnis
Cum subeant animos autoribus._
11. Let none be suffer’d to be idle, since such are a dead Weight upon
their Country. By constant Industry and Toil, the Republick rises into
Strength and Power; nor is there any Room left for pernicious Counsels
and Contrivances against the State. And therefore it is safer for the