A journey to the world under-ground
a mercurial Quality and Appearance. Nay some think it is Quicksilver
itself, inasmuch as in a Barometer it is found to have the same Effect.
At the Distance of about two Days Journey from hence lies the Republick
of _Siklok_, which is divided into two Societies, in Alliance with
each other, but govern’d by different and opposite Laws. The first is
call’d _Miho_, founded by _Mihac_, a famous Lawgiver of old, and the
_Lycurgus_ of the _Subterraneans_. In order to render his Republick
stronger and more lasting, he made sumptuary Laws, which forbid all
Luxury on the severest Penalties. And accordingly this Society, for its
great Continence and Parsimony, may be justly call’d another _Sparta_.
One Thing I wonder’d at, and that was, that in a Government so well
constituted, and which piqu’d itself upon the Excellence of its Laws,
there should be so many Beggars. For wherever I turn’d my Eyes, there
was a Tree begging an Alms, which is a very troublesome Thing to
Travellers. Upon a nice Inspection into the State of the Republick, I
was convinc’d, that these Miseries flow’d from the too great Œconomy
of the People. For all Luxury being proscrib’d, and the Rich baulking
their Genius, and giving into no Indulgences, the common People of
course must lead an indolent, idle, and beggarly Life, for want of
Matter to make a proper Gain of. I concluded from hence, that rigid
Parsimony in a State produces the same Inconveniences as an Obstruction
of the Blood in a human Body. In the other Province, that of _Liho_,
they live splendidly and jovially, and spare no Expence. Here Arts and
Professions flourish; the People are encourag’d to Industry, and every
Citizen has an Opportunity to raise a Fortune. Whoever is poor among
them may fairly impute it to his own Negligence. Thus the Profusion of
the Rich gives Life to the Body politick, as the Circulation of the
Blood in the human Body gives Strength and Vigour to the Limbs.
The Territory of _Lama_ borders upon this. Here is the celebrated
School of Physicians. With so much Ardour is the Study of Physick here
pursued, that none are look’d upon as genuine Doctors, unless they come
from the illustrious School of _Lama_. And hence this City is crouded
with so many Doctors, that you see more of them than of all other
Sorts of People put together. Whole Streets are fill’d with Shops of
Apothecaries, and anatomical Instrument-Makers. Loitering about the
City, I met a Tree offering to Sale the Bills of Mortality for the
Year last past. I bought one of them, and to my great Surprize found
the Births and Burials stand thus: Born fifty; buried six hundred. I
could not conceive that in a Place, where _Apollo_ himself seem’d to
have fix’d his Residence, there should be such a yearly Havock among
the Citizens. I ask’d the Tree what unusual Plague or Pestilence had
rag’d in the City the last Year. He reply’d, that two Years ago
the Number of the Deceas’d was greater, that this was the common
Proportion between the Births and Burials, and that the Inhabitants
of _Lama_ were perpetually afflicted with Distempers, which hasten’d
their Deaths; insomuch that in a short Time the City would be empty,
if it were not supplied and recruited from the neighbouring Provinces.
Upon this I hurry’d out of the City, not thinking it prudent to stay
longer here, especially as the Name of a Physician, and the Sight of
the anatomical Instruments, after what I had suffer’d in the Country
of Philosophers, could not be very agreeable. Therefore leaving this
Place, I never stopt, till I came to a Town four Miles distant, where
the People live without Physicians, and without Diseases. In the Space
of two Days, I arriv’d at the _Land of Liberty_. The People here are
accountable to no Authority. They consist of separate Families, without
being subject to any Laws or Power whatsoever. Yet an Appearance of
Society is preserv’d, and in publick Matters they consult the Seniors,
who perpetually exhort them to Peace and Unanimity, and admonish them
never to depart from that primary Precept of Nature, of _doing to
others, as you would be done by_. On all the Gates of the Cities and
Villages a Statue of Liberty is erected trampling upon Chains and
Fetters, with this Inscription over the Head, GOLDEN LIBERTY. In the
first City I enter’d, all was quiet enough; yet I observ’d some of the
Citizens distinguish’d themselves by certain Ribbands which they wore,
and which, as I afterward understood, were Marks and Symbols of two
Factions which then divided the People. The Avenues and Court-Yards of
the Houses of the Great were lin’d with arm’d Soldiers, who always held
themselves in Readiness, because the Truce being about two Days ago
expir’d, the War was upon breaking out afresh. I fled away trembling as
fast as I could, nor thought myself free, till I had convey’d myself
out of Sight of this Land of Liberty.
The next Province is _Jochtan_, of which I had heard a short
Description, which very much alarm’d me, and led me to think it must be
the Seat of Disorder, Confusion, and Insecurity. For this Country was
the Sink and Receptacle of all Religions. All the several Principles
and Doctrines which prevail in any Part of this Globe, retire here as
to their Center, and are taught publickly. Recollecting, therefore,
what Troubles had been excited in _Europe_ by religious Differences,
I was almost afraid to approach the capital City, the several Streets
and Portions of which have all Churches and Temples for different
and opposite Sects. But my Fears soon vanish’d, when I observ’d a
profound Agreement and Concord reign in every Part. With respect to
their Politicks, there was the same Face, the same Sentiments, the
same Tranquillity, and the same Care in all. For as the Laws made it
capital for one Member of the State to disturb another in his Way of
Worship, or to molest him upon Account of any religious Difference,
hence whatever Dissensions they had were without the least Appearance
of Hostility, their Disputes were without Bitterness or Invectives,
and they had no Aversions, because they had no Persecutions. There was
a perpetual, but very honest and worthy Emulation among the several
Sects, every one of which endeavour’d to demonstrate the Excellence
of their Religion by the Purity of their Life and Morals. Thus by the
Wisdom of the Magistrate, all these different Sentiments excited no
more Troubles in the State, than did the different Shops of the Artists
and Merchants in the _Forum_, where the Buyers are invited by the sole
Goodness of the Commodity, and where they use neither Fraud, Force, or
Disparagement. By these Means, the least Seed of Discord is stifled
in the Birth, and that Sort of Emulation only encourag’d, which is
honourable in itself, and advantageous to the State. This convinc’d
me, that the religious Troubles which reign in many Places arise not
from the Variety of Religions, but from Persecution alone. A sensible
and learned _Jochtanian_ explain’d to me more at large the Genius of
this Government, and the Causes of its Tranquillity. I heard him with
Rapture, and his Observations I shall keep engrav’d on the Table of my
Heart. I did indeed, for some Time, make Replies and Objections to him,
but was at last forc’d to own myself vanquish’d, since he irresistibly
prov’d all his Points by Arguments drawn from Experience. Asham’d,
therefore, to contradict my Senses, and give the Lie to positive
Matter of Fact, I was forc’d to own, that Liberty of Belief was the
true Fountain of this Tranquillity and Concord. However, once more I
attack’d my Adversary with an Argument different from all I had us’d.
I told him it was the Duty of a Lawgiver, in erecting a Government, to
regard the future, rather than the present Happiness of Mortals, and
that he should conform his Scheme not so much to their Palate as to the
Laws of God. To this he reply’d in this Manner: “My good Friend, says
he, you are greatly deceiv’d, if you imagine that God, the Fountain
of Truth, can be pleas’d with dissembled Worship. In other Nations,
where all are oblig’d by publick Authority to one certain Rule of
Faith, what a Door is open’d for Ignorance and Hypocrisy! Few, or none,
have the Will or the Courage to discover their true Sentiments, and
so they profess one Thing, and believe another. This makes the Study
of Divinity a cold, lifeless Thing, and begets a Negligence in the
Discovery of Truth. This also makes profane Learning more cultivated:
For the Priests themselves, lest they should be branded with the Title
of Hereticks, relinquish the Pursuit of sacred Things, and divert
their Studies to other Subjects, where their Minds may range without
Danger, and where their Liberty is not fetter’d. The Vulgar will still
condemn all who depart from the reigning Doctrines. But Hypocrites and
Dissemblers must be hateful to God, to whom a sincere, tho’ erroneous
Belief, must be infinitely less displeasing than an orthodox, but
pretended Faith.” Hearing this, I kept Silence, unable to dispute the
Point any longer with so wise a People.
I had now been almost two Months out upon my Travels, when at last I
arriv’d at _Tumbac_, a Territory contiguous to the _Potuan_ Dominions.
I thought myself now at home, my wearisome Journey being almost
finish’d. The Inhabitants of this Region are chiefly Wild Olives,
extremely devout, and extremely censorious. In the first Inn I enter’d,
I waited two Hours for my Breakfast, knocking and calling for it almost
all that Time in vain. The Reason of this Delay, was the unseasonable
Devotion of my Host, who would not, for the World, put his Hand to the
least Thing, till he had finish’d his Morning Prayers.
_Tandem intrans magno porrexit murmure panem
Pallidus, & caulem misero mihi ponit alentem
Lanteram._
However, that Breakfast was one of the dearest in all my Travels, and
I protest I never met with a Landlord more devout, or more unmerciful.
Well! thought I to myself, this Landlord had better have pray’d less,
and been more honest. But I dissembled my Resentment, well knowing
how dangerous it is to provoke a Saint. The Citizens here were all
_Cato’s_, all Censors of Manners. They walk’d up and down the Streets
with pensive Looks and folded Arms, declaiming against the Vanity of
the Times, and condemning every innocent Pleasure. Not a Gesture, not a
Smile escap’d their Observation. And thus by their perpetual Censures,
and envenom’d Zeal, they pass’d for Persons of eminent Sanctity. For my
Part, as I was spent and exhausted with Fatigues, I made no Scruple of
indulging in several innocent Diversions. But I got a bad Name by so
doing, insomuch that every House I enter’d was like a Court of Justice,
where I was sure to be arraign’d. Some, when they saw I was not at all
mov’d by their Rebukes and Admonitions, shunn’d me like a Plague or a
Contagion. I forbear to say more upon the Moroseness of this People:
However, one Circumstance I must not omit, because it gives you their
exact Character; and from this Sample you may judge of the rest. A
certain _Tumbacian_, with whom I had been acquainted at _Potu_, being
at an Inn, and seeing me go by, stept out to me, and press’d me to go
in. I waited on him. As he had heard that I was far from being an Enemy
to Pleasure, he gave me such a Lecture, and upbraided me with my Life
and Morals in such Terms, that my Hair stood on End, and every Joint of
me shook. But while our _Cato_ was discharging thus the Artillery of
his Censures, the Glass had pass’d very insensibly, but very briskly,
from one to the other, till in short we both fell fairly fuddled on the
Floor, and were carried off half dead. Having slept off this Debauch,
and recover’d my Reason, I set myself to examine into the Nature of
these People’s Religion; and I made a fair Discovery, that their Zeal