A journey to the world under-ground
flow’d rather from some vicious Humours, or a Predominancy of the
bilious Juices, than from true Piety. But I never communicated this to
any one, and left them without saying a Word.
At last, after two compleat Months, I arriv’d at _Potu_, so extremely
weary with such incessant Exercise, that my Legs had scarce Strength
to support my Body. It was on the tenth Day of the Month of _Beeches_
that I enter’d this Capital. I went forthwith to his Serene Highness,
and offer’d him my little Historical Collection, which he immediately
order’d to be printed. (For it must be noted, that the Art of
Printing, of which the _Europeans_ and _Chinese_ boast themselves to
be Inventors, was of far greater Antiquity among the _Potuans_.) The
People in general were so pleas’d with this Account of my Travels,
that they were never weary of reading it. All Day long they were
running about the Streets selling my Journal, and crying, as loud
as they could, _A Journey round the World, by_ Scabba, _the King’s
Messenger_. Elated with this Success, I gave a Loose to my Ambition,
and aspir’d to some Employment of greater Weight and Dignity. But
seeing my Hopes not quickly answer’d, I preferr’d a new Petition to
the Prince, wherein extolling my late Labours, I earnestly implor’d
his Highness to vouchsafe me a proper Recompence. The Prince, who
was Humanity in the Abstract, was sensibly touch’d with my Case, and
graciously promis’d that he would have a due Regard to me. He was as
good as his Word: But his whole Favour terminated in the Enlargement
of my annual Salary. I thought I had Reason to expect a far better
Recompence, and therefore I could not rest contented with this. But as
I would not trouble his Highness any further, I open’d my Grief to the
Chancellor. He heard me with his usual Humanity, and promis’d me all
the good Offices in his Power; but at the same Time admonish’d me to
desist from so wild a Petition, and begg’d me to consider the Measure
of my Abilities, and the Weakness of my Judgment. “Nature, says he, has
been but a Step-Mother to you, and has deny’d you those Powers of the
Mind, which are requisite for the more arduous Offices of the State;
and therefore you should not aim at what it is not possible for you
to procure. Nay, the Prince himself, were he to comply with this weak
Request of yours, must suffer in his Fame, as a Violator of the Laws.
Rest contented therefore with your Condition, and renounce a Hope,
which Nature has made unreasonable.” In Conclusion, he own’d I had some
Merit, and particularly extoll’d my late Performance. But it is not,
says he, Merit of this Kind that paves the Way to State-Preferment.
’Tis true, you have drawn a very pretty Picture of the World; but if
for a Performance of this Kind we were to gratify you with the most
honourable Employments, why might not a Painter for drawing a great
Likeness, or a Sculptor for exhibiting a Statue in just Proportion,
with as much Reason expect to be made a Senator? Merit should doubtless
meet with a Recompence, and Rewards should be assign’d to the
Deserving; but then they should be Rewards of such a Nature, as that
the Commonwealth receive no Detriment, and suffer no Ridicule.
These Admonitions silenc’d me for a While. But as I could not bear to
think of growing old in this vile Employ, I resum’d that desperate
Resolution, which had laid dormant a long Time, of attempting a
Reformation in the State, by which Project I might, at one and the same
Time, help forward the publick Good, and my own too.
A little before I set out upon my late Travels, I had closely study’d
the Nature of this Government, to see if I could discover any Defects,
and at the same Time what Remedies were proper for them. Since that, in
the Province of _Cockleku_, I had observ’d that the Government there
was in a tottering Condition, by reason of the Admission of Women to
the Management of publick Affairs, that Sex being naturally ambitious,
still aiming to extend their Power, nor ever resting till they have
acquir’d a full and absolute Authority. Hereupon I determin’d to bring
in a Bill to exclude that Sex from the Administration of publick
Affairs. I flatter’d myself I should find Multitudes to abet and
espouse this Point, since it was an easy Matter to make it very clear,
and to shew beyond Contradiction the Misfortunes that flow from this
Defect in the State, and the Danger the Male Sex was in, unless the
Wings of such an unnatural Power were timely clipt. And if it should so
happen, that the Abolition of this ancient Custom should appear to some
to be too hazardous an Attempt, in such Case I humbly offer’d, that the
Female Power should be at least restrain’d and abridg’d.
This Scheme of mine had three Ends in view. First, to remove an
Inconvenience the State labour’d under. Secondly, by producing a
Specimen of my Sagacity and Judgment, I had Hopes to mend my Condition.
And, thirdly, I thought by these Means to revenge certain Taunts and
Affronts I had receiv’d from many of the Females of this Country. I
frankly confess, that my own private Interest, and a Desire of Revenge,
were the _primum Mobile_ of this Project. But then I artfully conceal’d
these Views, lest under a Pretence of publick Good, I should seem only
to pursue my own, and so tread in the Steps of other Innovators, whose
Schemes breathe nothing but the publick Good, when it is evident to the
dullest Observer, that their private Interest is the Spring that moves
the whole Machine.
And now, having drest my Project out to the best Advantage, and
strengthen’d it by the most powerful Reasons I could invent, I waited
upon the Prince, and humbly offer’d it to him. His Highness, who
had always testify’d a great Regard to me, was thunderstruck at the
Boldness and Folly of my Undertaking, which he foreboded must end in my
irreparable Ruin. Wherefore he endeavour’d to dissuade me from this mad
Attempt by the strongest Intreaties:
——_Precibusque minas regaliter addit._
I, for my Part, relying as well upon the Utility of my Project, as upon
the Favour of the Male Sex (who I was in Hopes would not desert the
common Cause) remain’d immovable to all his Highness said, nor could
his repeated Admonitions vanquish my Obstinacy. In fine, according to
the Custom of the Country, I was brought to the _Forum_, and there,
with my Neck in a Halter, I stood waiting the Judgment of the Senate.
That venerable Body debated the Matter, and soon came to a Resolution;
which Resolution was sent up to the Prince for his Confirmation; and
being return’d by him, was read aloud by a publick Officer. It run thus:
“After due Examination, we are of Opinion as follows: That the Project
of _Scabba_, the King’s Messenger, to exclude the Female Sex from
publick Business, cannot take Effect without the highest Detriment
to the Commonwealth, since no less than Half of the Nation, which
consists of the said Sex, must look upon this Innovation as a very
great Hardship, and their Resentment may occasion infinite Disorders.
Moreover we are of Opinion, that it is absurd and unjust, intirely to
exclude Trees of the finest Talents from publick Honours, especially
as Nature, who does nothing in vain, can never be suppos’d to have
given them all those noble Advantages to no Purpose. We are persuaded,
that for the Welfare of the State, Regard ought to be had not to the
Name, but the Abilities of a Person. And as a Country may often labour
under a Want of able Persons, we think it a great Folly, by one Act of
Senate, to render one intire Half of the Nation incapable and unworthy
of Employment, solely upon Account of their Birth. For these and divers
other good Reasons we are of Opinion, that the said _Scabba_, for this
foolish and rash Attempt, ought to be punish’d according to the Custom
of our Ancestors.”
The Prince was extremely concern’d for my Misfortune, but as he never
rescinded the Decree of the Senate, he sign’d it with his own Hand,
and affix’d the Royal Seal to it, and commanded it to be made publick,
inserting however this mollifying Clause, That as I was a Foreigner, a
Native of a new and unknown World, where forward Geniuses are in great
Esteem, I should be exempted from capital Punishment. But lest by a
total Remission of the Sentence the Laws should suffer an Infringement,
it was therefore thought fit to detain me in Prison till the Beginning
of the Month of _Birches_, and that then, with other Violators of the
Law, I should be banish’d to the Firmament.
This Sentence being publish’d, I was clapt into Prison. Some of my
Friends persuaded me to protest against this Sentence, since among my
Judges there were so many Matrons and Virgins, all Judges in their own
Cause. Some advis’d me, as the safer Way, to make a fair Acknowledgment
of my Crime, and lay the Blame upon my own native human Weakness.
But this last Advice I rejected with great Constancy, out of Respect
to Mankind, upon whose Character such a Confession would leave an
indelible Blemish.
I heard soon after, that his Highness had determin’d to give me an
absolute Pardon, if I would but only prostrate myself at his Feet,
confess my Fault, and implore his Favour, although _Rahagna_ the
Treasurer oppos’d that Motion with Might and Main. But, to speak the
Truth, I was not displeas’d with the Sentence. For Death was not half
so terrible to me as that Employment they pick’d out for me; and I was
weary of conversing longer with these Trees, who had so high an Opinion
of their Wisdom. I hop’d also to meet with better Treatment in the
Firmament, where I had heard, that all Strangers, without Distinction,
were kindly receiv’d.
CHAP. X.
_The Author’s Banishment to the_ +Firmament+.
I have hitherto said nothing concerning the strange and very singular
Punishment the _Potuans_ have, of banishing to the Firmament: Wherefore
I think myself oblig’d in this Place, to give some Account of it.
Twice every Year certain Birds of an enormous Magnitude appear upon
this Globe. They are call’d _Cupac_, that is to say, Birds of Post,
and at stated Seasons they come and go. It has long perplex’d the
Subterranean Naturalists to account for this periodical Visit. Some
think they descend upon this Planet in Quest of certain Insects, or
large Flies, of which there are prodigious Numbers about this Time of
the Year, and of which these Birds are exceedingly voracious. This
Opinion is strengthen’d by this Circumstance, that when these Flies
disappear, the Birds fly off towards the Firmament. An evident Proof of
this we have in other Countries, where Birds by the same Instinct of
Nature appear, and for the very same Causes. Others think that these
Birds are train’d up and instructed to this very End and Purpose by
the Inhabitants of the Firmament, like our Falcons and other Birds of
Prey. This Hypothesis receives some Countenance from that Tenderness,
Care, and Dexterity, which these Birds use in bringing home their Prey,
and laying it gently down before their Masters. Other Circumstances
also shew, that these Creatures are either thus instructed, or else
that they have a certain Portion of Reason to direct them; for at the
Approach of the Season of _Departure_, they are so tractable and tame,
that they suffer certain Nets, or small Chains, to be thrown over them,
under which they lie quiet for many Days, and are fed out of Hand by
the Inhabitants with the aforesaid Flies, of which they take Care to
provide a great Quantity for this very Purpose. For it is necessary
to keep feeding them till all Things are prepar’d and got ready for
those who are to be banish’d. The Apparatus for their Departure is as
follows: On those Nets, in which they are intangled, a Box or Cage is
fasten’d with Cords. Every Cage is capable of containing one Person.