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26 - Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter ten, the Lagnagians commended a particular description of the stroledbrugs,
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  Speaker 1: with many conversations between the author and some eminent persons
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  Speaker 1: upon that subject. The Lagnugians are a polite and generous people,
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  Speaker 1: and although they are not without some share of that
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  Speaker 1: pride which is peculiar to all Eastern countries, yet they
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  Speaker 1: show themselves courteous to strangers, especially such who were countenanced
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  Speaker 1: by the court. I had many acquaintance and among persons
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  Speaker 1: of the best fashion, and being always attended by my interpreter,
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  Speaker 1: the conversation we had was not disagreeable. One day, in
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  Speaker 1: much good company, I was asked by a person of
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  Speaker 1: quality whether I had seen any of their strolled brugs
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  Speaker 1: or immortals. I said I had not, and desired he
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  Speaker 1: would explain to me what he meant by such an
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  Speaker 1: appellation applied to a mortal creature. He told me that
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  Speaker 1: some time, though very rarely, a child happened to be
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  Speaker 1: born in a family with a red circular spot on
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  Speaker 1: the forehead directly over the left eyebrow, which was an
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  Speaker 1: infallible mark that it should never die. The spot, as
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  Speaker 1: he described it, was about the compass of a silver threepence,
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  Speaker 1: but in the course of time grew larger and changed
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  Speaker 1: its color. For at twelve years old it became green,
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  Speaker 1: so continued till five and twenty, then turned to a
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  Speaker 1: deep blue. At five and forty it grew coal black
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  Speaker 1: and as large as an English shilling, but never omitted
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  Speaker 1: any further alteration. He said these berths were so rare
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  Speaker 1: that he did not believe there could be above eleven
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  Speaker 1: hundred stroldbrugs of both sexes in the whole kingdom, of
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  Speaker 1: which he computed about fifteen the metropolis, and among the rest.
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  Speaker 1: A young girl born about three years ago, that these
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  Speaker 1: productions were not peculiar to any family, but a mere
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  Speaker 1: effect of chance, and the children of the Strolsbergs themselves
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  Speaker 1: were equally mortal with the rest of the people. I
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  Speaker 1: freely own myself to being struck with inexpressible delight upon
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  Speaker 1: hearing this account, and the person who gave it to me,
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  Speaker 1: happening to understand the Balnabarbian language, which I spoke very well,
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  Speaker 1: I could not forbear breaking out into expressions perhaps a
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  Speaker 1: little too extravagant. I cried out, as in a rapture
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  Speaker 1: happy nation where every child hath at least a chance
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  Speaker 1: for being immortal. Happy people who enjoy so many living
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  Speaker 1: examples of ancient virtue and of masters really to instruct
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  Speaker 1: them in the wisdom of all former ages. But happiest
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  Speaker 1: beyond all comparison are those excellent strolbrugs, who, being born
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  Speaker 1: exempt from that universal calamity of human nature, have their
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  Speaker 1: minds free and disengaged, without the weight and depression of
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  Speaker 1: spirits caused by the continual apprehensions of death. I discovered,
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  Speaker 1: my admiration that I had not observed any of these
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  Speaker 1: illustrious persons at court, the black spot on the forehead
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  Speaker 1: being so remarkable a distinction that I could not have
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  Speaker 1: easily overlooked it. And it was impossible that His Majesty,
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  Speaker 1: a most judicious prince, should not provide himself with a
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  Speaker 1: good number of such wise and able counselors. Yet, perhaps
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  Speaker 1: the virtue of those reverend sages was too far stretched
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  Speaker 1: for the corrupt and liberty manners of a court, And
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  Speaker 1: we often find by experience that young men are too
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  Speaker 1: opinionated and volatile to be guided by the sober dictates
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  Speaker 1: of their seniors. However, since the king was pleased to
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  Speaker 1: allow me access to his royal person. I was resolved,
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  Speaker 1: upon the very first occasion, to deliver my opinion to
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  Speaker 1: him on this matter freely and at large, by the
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  Speaker 1: help of my interpreter, and whether he would be pleased
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  Speaker 1: to take my advice or not. Yet in one thing,
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  Speaker 1: I was determined that his Majesty, having frequently offered me
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  Speaker 1: an establishment in this country, I would with great thankfulness
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  Speaker 1: accept the favor and pass my life here in the
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  Speaker 1: conversation of these superior beings, the Strauldbruggs, if they were
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  Speaker 1: pleased to admit me. The gentleman to whom I addressed
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  Speaker 1: my discourse, because as I have already observed, he spoke
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  Speaker 1: the language of Aunibarbie, said to me, with a sort
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  Speaker 1: of smile which usually arises from pity to the ignorant,
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  Speaker 1: that he was glad of any occasion to keep me
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  Speaker 1: among them, and desired my permission to explain to the
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  Speaker 1: company what I had spoke. He did so, and they
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  Speaker 1: talked together for some time in their own language, whereof
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  Speaker 1: I understood not a syllable. Neither could I observe by
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  Speaker 1: their countenances what impression my discourse had made on them.
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  Speaker 1: After a short silence, the same person told me that
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  Speaker 1: his friends and mine, so he thought fit to express himself,
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  Speaker 1: were very much pleased with the judicious remarks I had
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  Speaker 1: made on the great happiness and advantages of immortal life,
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  Speaker 1: and they were desirous to know in a particular manner
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  Speaker 1: what scheme of living I should have formed to myself
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  Speaker 1: if it had fallen to my lot to have been
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  Speaker 1: born a Stroldbrugg. I answered, it was easy to be
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  Speaker 1: eloquent on so copious and delightful a subject, especially to me,
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  Speaker 1: who had been at an apt to amuse myself with
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  Speaker 1: visions of what I should do if I were a king,
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  Speaker 1: a general, or a great lord. And upon this very
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  Speaker 1: case I had frequently run over the whole system how
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  Speaker 1: I should employ myself and pass the time if I
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  Speaker 1: were sure to live for ever, that if it had
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  Speaker 1: been my good fortune to come into the world a stoldbrugg,
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  Speaker 1: as soon as I could discover my own happiness by
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  Speaker 1: understanding the difference between life and death, I would first resolve,
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  Speaker 1: by all arts and methods whatsoever, to procure myself riches,
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  Speaker 1: in the pursuit of which, by thrift and management I
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  Speaker 1: might reasonably expect in about two hundred years to be
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  Speaker 1: the wealthiest man in the kingdom. In the second place,
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  Speaker 1: I would from my earliest youth apply myself to the
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  Speaker 1: study of arts and sciences, by which I should arrive
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  Speaker 1: in time to excel all others in learning. Lastly, I
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  Speaker 1: would carefully record every action and event of consequence that
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  Speaker 1: happened in the public impartially draw the characters of the
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  Speaker 1: several successions of princes and great ministers of state with
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  Speaker 1: my own observations. On every point, I would exactly set
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  Speaker 1: down the several changes in customs, language, fashion of dress,
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  Speaker 1: diet and diversions, by all which acquirements I should be
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  Speaker 1: a living treasure of knowledge and wisdom, and certainly become
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  Speaker 1: the oracle of the nations. I would never marry after threescore,
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  Speaker 1: but live in a hospitable manner. Yet still on the
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  Speaker 1: saving side, I would entertain myself in forming and directing
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  Speaker 1: the minds of hopeful young men by convincing them from
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  Speaker 1: my own remembrance, experience, and observation, fortified by numerous examples
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  Speaker 1: of the usefulness of virtue in public and private life.
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  Speaker 1: But my choice and constant companions should be a set
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  Speaker 1: of my own immortal brotherhood, among whom I would elect
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  Speaker 1: a dozen from the most ancient down to my own contemporaries.
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  Speaker 1: Were any of these wonted fortunes, I would provide them
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  Speaker 1: with convenient lodges round my own estate, and have some
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  Speaker 1: of them always at my table, only mingling a few
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  Speaker 1: of the most valuable among new mortals, whom length of
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  Speaker 1: time would harden me to lose with little or no reluctance,
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  Speaker 1: and treat your posterity after the same manner, just as
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  Speaker 1: a man diverts himself with the annual succession of pinks
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  Speaker 1: and tulips in his garden, without regretting the loss of
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  Speaker 1: those which withered the preceding year. These straldebrugs and eye
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  Speaker 1: would mutually communicate our observations and memorials through the course
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  Speaker 1: of time, remark that several gradations by which corruption steals
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  Speaker 1: into the world, and oppose it in every step, by
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  Speaker 1: giving perpetual warning and instruction to mankind, which added to
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  Speaker 1: the strong influence of our own example, would probably prevent
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  Speaker 1: that continual degeneracy of human nature so justly complained of
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  Speaker 1: in all ages. Add to this the pleasure of seeing
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  Speaker 1: the various revolutions of states and empires, the changes in
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  Speaker 1: the lower and upper world, Ancient cities in ruins and
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  Speaker 1: obscure villages becoming the seats of kings, famous rivers lessening
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  Speaker 1: into shallow brooks, the ocean leaving one coast dry and
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  Speaker 1: overwhelming another. The discovery of many countries yet unknown, barbarity
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  Speaker 1: of running, the politest nations, and the most barbarous becoming civilized.
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  Speaker 1: I should then see the discovery of the longitude, the
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  Speaker 1: perpetual motion, the universal medicine, and many other great inventions
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  Speaker 1: brought to the utmost perfection. What wonderful discovery should we
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  Speaker 1: make in astronomy by outliving and confirming our own predictions,
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  Speaker 1: by observing the progress and return of comets, With the
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  Speaker 1: changes of motion in the sun, moon, and stars, I
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  Speaker 1: enlarged upon many other topics. With the natural desire of
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  Speaker 1: entless life and sublunary happiness could easily furnish me with.
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  Speaker 1: When I had ended and the summer, my discourse had
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  Speaker 1: been interpreted as before to the rest of the company,
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  Speaker 1: there was a good deal of talk among them in
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  Speaker 1: the language of the country, not without some laughter at
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  Speaker 1: my expense. At last, the same gentleman who had been
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  Speaker 1: my interpreter, said he was desired by the rest set
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  Speaker 1: me right in a few mistakes which I had fallen
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  Speaker 1: into through the common imbecility of human nature, and upon
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  Speaker 1: them that allowance was less answerable for them that this
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  Speaker 1: breed of Straldbruggs was peculiar to their country, for there
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  Speaker 1: were no such people in Bowna Barbie or Japan, where
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  Speaker 1: he had the honor to be ambassador for his majesty,
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  Speaker 1: and found the natives in both those kingdoms very hard
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  Speaker 1: to believe that the fact was possible. And it appeared,
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  Speaker 1: from my astonishment when he first mentioned the matter to me,
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  Speaker 1: that I received it as a thing wholly new and
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  Speaker 1: scarcely to be credited. That in the two kingdoms above mentioned,
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  Speaker 1: where during his residence he had conversed very much, he
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  Speaker 1: observed a long life to be the universal desire and
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  Speaker 1: wish of mankind, That whoever had one foot in the
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  Speaker 1: grave was sure to hold back the other as strongly
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  Speaker 1: as he could, that the oldest had still hopes of
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  Speaker 1: living one day longer, and looked on death as the
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  Speaker 1: greatest evil, from which nature always prompted him to retreat.
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  Speaker 1: Only in this island of Lugnag, the appetite for living
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  Speaker 1: was not so eager from the continual example of the
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  Speaker 1: stoldbrugs before their eyes. That the system of living contrived
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  Speaker 1: by me was unreasonable and unjust, because it supposed a
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  Speaker 1: perpetuity of youth, health, and vigor, which no man could
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  Speaker 1: be so foolish to hope, however extravagant he may be
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  Speaker 1: in his wishes. That the question therefore was not whether
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  Speaker 1: a man would choose to be always in the prime
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  Speaker 1: of youth, attended with prosperity and health, but how he
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  Speaker 1: would pass a perpetual life under all the usual disadvantages
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  Speaker 1: which old age brings along with it. For although few
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  Speaker 1: men will avow their desires of being a mortal upon
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  Speaker 1: such hard conditions, yet in the two kingdoms before mentioned,
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  Speaker 1: of Balnibabi and Japan, he observed that every man desired
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  Speaker 1: to put of death sometimes longer let it approach, ever
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  Speaker 1: so late. And he rarely heard of any man who
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  Speaker 1: died willingly, except he were incited by the extremis of
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  Speaker 1: grief or torture. And he appealed to me whether in
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  Speaker 1: those countries I had traveled, as well as my own,
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  Speaker 1: I had not observed the same general disposition. After this preface,
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  Speaker 1: it gave me a particular account of the Stoldbrugs. Among them,
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  Speaker 1: he said, they commonly acted like mortals till about thirty
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  Speaker 1: years old, after which by degrees they grew melancholy and dejected,
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  Speaker 1: increasing in both till they came to forescore. This he
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  Speaker 1: learned from their own confession, for otherwise, their not being
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  Speaker 1: above two or three of that species born in the
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  Speaker 1: same age, there were too few to form a general
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  Speaker 1: observation by when they came to fourscore years, which has
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  Speaker 1: reckoned the extremity of living in this country. They had
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  Speaker 1: not only all the follies and infirmities of other old men,
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  Speaker 1: but many more, which arose from the dreadful prospect of
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  Speaker 1: never dying. They were not only opinionative, peevish Covitus Morrose
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  Speaker 1: vain talkative, but incapable of friendship, and dead to all
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  Speaker 1: natural affection, which never descended below their grandchildren. Envy and
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  Speaker 1: impotent desires are their prevailing passions. But those objects against
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  Speaker 1: which their envy seems principally directed are the vices of
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  Speaker 1: the younger sort and the deaths of the old. By
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  Speaker 1: reflecting on the former. They find themselves cut off from
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  Speaker 1: all possibility of pleasure, and whenever they see a funeral
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  Speaker 1: they lament and repine that others have gone to a
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  Speaker 1: harbor of rest to which they themselves can never hope
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  Speaker 1: to arrive. They have no remembrance of anything but what
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  Speaker 1: they learned and observed in their youth and middle age,
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  Speaker 1: and even this is very imperfect, and for the truth
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  Speaker 1: of particulars of any fact, it is safer to depend
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  Speaker 1: on common tradition than upon their best recollections. The least
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  Speaker 1: miserable among them appear to be those who turn to
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  Speaker 1: dotage and entirely lose their memories. These meet with more
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  Speaker 1: pity and assistance, because they want many bad qualities which
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  Speaker 1: are bound in others. If a stralsbrugg happen to marry
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  Speaker 1: one of his own kind, the marriage is dissolved, of course,
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  Speaker 1: by the courtesy of the kingdom, as soon as the
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  Speaker 1: younger of the two comes to be forescore, for the
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  Speaker 1: law thinks it a reasonable indulgence that those who are condemned,
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  Speaker 1: without any fault of their own, to a perpetual continuance
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  Speaker 1: in the world should not have the misery doubled by
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  Speaker 1: the load of a wife. As soon as they have
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  Speaker 1: completed the term of eighty years, they are looked on
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  Speaker 1: as dead in law. Their heirs immediately succeeded to their estates.
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  Speaker 1: Only a small pittance is reserved for their support, and
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  Speaker 1: the poor ones are maintained at the public charge. After
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  Speaker 1: that period they are held incapable of any employment of
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  Speaker 1: trust or profit. They cannot purchase lands or take leases.
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  Speaker 1: Neither are they allowed to be witnesses in any cause,
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  Speaker 1: either civil or criminal, not even for the decision of
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  Speaker 1: merees and bounds. At ninety they lose their teeth and hair.
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  Speaker 1: They have at that age no distinction of taste, but
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  Speaker 1: eat and drink whatever they can get without relish or appetite.
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  Speaker 1: The diseases they were subject to still continue without increasing
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  Speaker 1: or diminishing. In talking, they forget the common appellation of
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  Speaker 1: things and the names of persons, even those who are
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  Speaker 1: their nearest friends and relations. For the same reason, they
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  Speaker 1: can never amuse themselves with reading, because their memory will
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  Speaker 1: not serve to carry them from the beginning of a
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  Speaker 1: sentence to the end. And by this defect they are
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  Speaker 1: deprived of the only entertainment whereof they might otherwise be
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  Speaker 1: capable the language of this country, being always upon the flux,
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  Speaker 1: the strolled brugs of one age do not understand those
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  Speaker 1: of another. Neither are they able, after two hundred years,
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  Speaker 1: to hold any conversation farther than by a few general
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  Speaker 1: words with their neighbors, the mortals. And thus they lie
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  Speaker 1: under the disadvantage of living like foreigners in their own country.
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  Speaker 1: This was the account given me of the stroldbrugs, as
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  Speaker 1: near as I can remember. I afterwards saw five or
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  Speaker 1: six of different ages, the youngest not above two hundred
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  Speaker 1: years old, who were brought to me at several times
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  Speaker 1: by some of my friends. But although they were told
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  Speaker 1: that I was a great traveler and had seen all
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  Speaker 1: the world, they had not the least curiosity to ask
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  Speaker 1: me a question. Only desired, I would give them slum scudesque,
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  Speaker 1: or a token of remembrance, which is a modest way
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  Speaker 1: of begging, to avoid the law that strictly forbids it.
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  Speaker 1: Because they are provided for by the public, although indeed
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  Speaker 1: with a very scanty allowance. They are despised and hated
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  Speaker 1: by all sorts of people. When one of them is born,
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  Speaker 1: it is recondominous, and their birth is recorded very pretty,
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  Speaker 1: so that you may know their age by consulting the register,
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  Speaker 1: which however, has not been kept above a thousand years past,
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  Speaker 1: or at least has been destroyed by time or public disturbances.
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  Speaker 1: But the usual way of computing how old they are
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  Speaker 1: is by asking them what kings or great persons they
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  Speaker 1: can remember, and then consulting history, for infallibly, the last prince,
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  Speaker 1: in their mind, did not begin his reign after they
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  Speaker 1: were fourscore years old. They were the most mortifying sight
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  Speaker 1: I ever beheld, and the women more horrible than the men.
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  Speaker 1: Besides the usual deformities in extreme old age, they acquired
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  Speaker 1: an additional ghastliness in proportion to their number of years,
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  Speaker 1: which is not to be described. And among half a
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  Speaker 1: dozen I soon distinguished which was the eldest, Although there
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  Speaker 1: was not above a century or two between them. The
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  Speaker 1: reader will easily believe that from what I had heard
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  Speaker 1: and seen, my keen appetite for perpetuity of life was
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  Speaker 1: much abated. I grew heartily ashamed of the pleasing visions
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  Speaker 1: I had formed, and thought no tyrant could invent a
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  Speaker 1: death into which I would not run with pleasure from
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  Speaker 1: such a life. The King heard of all that had
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  Speaker 1: passed between me and my friends upon this occasion, and
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  Speaker 1: rallied me very pleasantly, wishing I could send a couple
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  Speaker 1: of Stoldbrugs to my own country to arm our people
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  Speaker 1: against the fear of death. But this it seems as
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  Speaker 1: forbidden by the fundamental laws of the kingdom, or else
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  Speaker 1: I should have been well content with the trouble and
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  Speaker 1: expense of transporting them. I could not but agree that
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  Speaker 1: the laws of this kingdom relative to the Stoldbruggs were
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  Speaker 1: founded upon the strongest reasons, and such as any other
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  Speaker 1: country would be under the necessity of enacting in the
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  Speaker 1: like circumstances. Otherwise, as avoris is the necessary consequence of
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  Speaker 1: old age, those immortals would in time become proprietors of
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  Speaker 1: the whole nation and engross the civil power, which, for
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  Speaker 1: want of abilities to manage, must end in the ruin
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  Speaker 1: of the public. End Apart Three, Chapter ten.