You are very right there, said I, but pardon me if I presume to say that I deny that G.o.d had I no Concern in them. "Tis unreasonable to suppose that Providence would bring a rational Creature into the World, and afterwards leave him intirely to himself. He is the Father of him, and is also inclin"d to be his Director and Preserver. Good Sense tells us this, and his Word, for that is what I always recur to, a.s.sures us of it so positively, that there is no Possibility of doubting it; I wish to G.o.d, cry"d I, that you could but see that Word. It carries with it so many Marks of the Dictator that you would be the first to read it with Veneration if it fell into your Hands; and I don"t despair of its being brought to you one Day or other by some unhappy Wretch, or else by an intire Nation, which shall come to settle with you by the Appointment of Heaven, in order to facilitate the Conversion of a People so honest and humane.
I should be glad, said he, to see the Book you speak so much of, but very sorry that it should be brought to us by a Host of People, whom your own Laws, as sacred as you think "em, would not restrain from tyrannizing over us. We had much rather that things should continue as they are. Be you but content with your Lot, as you see we are with ours, and you"ll be more happy than you really are. But no more of this; methinks, said he, "tis time to have done. I retire. Adieu.
After our Priest was gone, we convers"d a few Moments longer concerning the Immortality of the Soul, the Resurrection of the Dead, and Life Eternal, because the Judge took a Liking to the Discourse; and by the Notice I took, if I am not deceiv"d, it would be easy to bring those People into a good Opinion of our Religion.
Before we parted, my Landlord ask"d me if I did not see the Burning Mountain when I was at the Mines. I did not so much as hear any mention of it, said I. Probably, said he, it did not burn at that time, for otherwise you would infallibly have observ"d it. I should have been glad to have seen it, said I to him, but this is no Rarity in our Country. There"s _Hecla_ in _Iceland_, _aetna_ in _Sicily_, _Vesuvius_ in _Naples_, and several other such Mountains elsewhere, which burn also at times; but there"s no approaching very near them, even when they don"t burn, because of the Sulphureous Exhalations that arise out of them, the prodigious Quant.i.ty of Ashes that encompa.s.ses them, and the Danger there is of sinking into the Ground in several Places, where it is soft, trembling, or hollow.
Perhaps, said he, the _Europeans_ who have been here before you, related the same thing to our Ancestors, and that the People came by that means to be undeceiv"d in the mistaken Notion they had entertain"d of the Cause of this Prodigy. For "tis certain that the simple Vulgar were always of Opinion, that when G.o.d created the World, and determin"d to make certain Beings which should have Life and Motion, he erected a Laboratory under the burning Mountain, with an Oven, and a monstrous large Crucible in it, at the Mouth of which was a Bar that divided it into two equal Parts, and to this Bar there belong"d a Lamp. This great Workman, said they, every now and then fill"d this Vessel with Earth, which he took up behind him, in the Place of which there is now a great Lake, and when this Earth was become liquid by the Force of the Fire, he took out a small Portion of it, by means of a hollow Tube that he made use of for the purpose, at one end of which he only blew, and there immediately appear"d at the other an Animal, which he sent into the wide World. He had made but a small Number of them, when he observ"d his Lamp set Fire to the Mountain under which it hung. This unexpected Inconvenience soon made him change his Post, for fear of burning the whole Earth. He had not fought long, ere he found a deep Pit betwixt two Mountains, which he thought fit to fill with Water, to the end that the Fire might not spread, while he work"d underneath it.
Mean time, as this Water soon attain"d to a very considerable Degree of Heat, which would have presently chang"d it into a Vapour, he pierc"d a neighbouring Mountain, in order that a Stream of fresh Water might issue from it to cool the Heat of the boiling Lake, which is undoubtedly the same that you tell me you saw, and which still retains the same Qualities.
There was an Addition to this Story, that under that very Place G.o.d form"d all other living Creatures in the same manner, except Man, who deriv"d his Origin elsewhere, as I may perhaps shew you another time, when I am more at leisure. Lastly, it was pretended that the Matter which was in the Crucible, being in a violent Agitation, the Sulphur, Mercury, and other mineral and metallic Parts, which evaporated in Smoke, were carry"d with Rapidity under the Arch of the neighbouring Mountains, into which they penetrated, and in some form"d Coal, and in others, Iron, or the Minerals and Metals that we find there.
This Fable, as gross as it is, and invented no doubt in honour to the Gentlemen Chymists, gave me occasion to think that Gla.s.s was not always unknown to them, and that formerly they had Blowers among them. Be this as it will, there the Conversation ended, because it grew late, and every one seem"d desirous to go to rest.
Some Days after this Discourse, the Priest was resolv"d to make an Entertainment for our Landlord, and we too were of the Party.
Then he made an Apology for having been so outrageous against our Opinions; and to make us Amends, desired _La Foret_, who had read both the _Old_ and _New Testament_ more than I had done, to give him the most circ.u.mstantial Account he could remember of the Contents of the Bible. My Comrade did so, and he thank"d him, seeming to be very well satisfy"d with it, tho" I know full well that he only made a Jest of it; whereas I thought the Judge extremely edify"d with it: So that Affairs would have gone on very well, if we had always continued together; but to my great Sorrow, it was not the Will of Heaven it should be so.
CHAP. VIII.
_The Author is carry"d to the King"s Court. He traces the Origin of those Monarchs; describes the Royal Palace, Temple, &c._
The Governor, who, I said a while ago, came to levy the Tribute, went afterwards and carry"d it to the King, to whom he related how he met with a couple of Foreigners at such a Village, who knew how to make Machines that exactly measur"d Time, and divided a Day Natural into Twenty-four Parts, which they call"d Hours; and that the most wonderful thing of all, and of great Conveniency to the Inhabitants, was, that at every Hour, there was a Bowl of Metal on which a Hammer fell, denoting by a certain Number of Strokes the particular Time of the Day. The King seem"d surpris"d at this Account, and express"d his Desire to see us.
Accordingly, we were very much alarm"d one Day, by the Arrival of two of this Prince"s Domestics that came to demand us of our Landlord, who having no Excuse to make for detaining us, gave us up with some Regret into their Hands.
Tho" we were extremely sorry to leave the Judge, who made us infinitely more welcome than I could have desir"d to have been in _Europe_, yet we did not fail to express great Joy for the Honour the King had done us to send for us. In the mean time we ask"d our Guides several times, what might be the Reason of it, but they protested to us they did not know. All that they could a.s.sure us of, was, that we were talk"d of at Court as Persons of great Distinction, and that we should not fail of being well entertain"d there. But I was afraid that the King having heard of the Disputes we had held with the Priest, Judge, _&c._ had taken Exceptions against us, and intended to treat us as Seducers of his Subjects, and People that aim"d at the Subversion of his Government; yet it prov"d quite otherwise.
We were no sooner arriv"d, but the King sent for us to his Presence. After having made our Reverences, we were going to bend the Knee before we spoke to him, pursuant to a Hint that had been given us for that Purpose; but he would not permit it, and order"d a Joint-Stool to be brought for each of us, on which he commanded us to sit down; while all the others that were present were either standing or kneeling. The King was seated in a magnificent Chair of State which was ascended to by three Steps, and cover"d with a Canopy of admirable Sculpture. He ask"d us from whence we came, and how we got into his Country. We were oblig"d to gratify his Curiosity by an exact Detail of all our Adventures. He seem"d to be very glad that our Misfortunes had procur"d him the Pleasure of seeing us. At length, he came to the Article of our Science, which he extoll"d mightily, and after having told us, that he had heard we had made a Clock in our Village, he gave us to understand, that the chief reason of his sending for us, was to desire us, to make one for him, and promis"d to reward our Performance with the tenderest Marks of his Friendship, and by granting whatever we should desire at his Hands. We answer"d with a profound Obeisance, that we were not accustom"d to be so treated by our Sovereigns, that his Majesty did us a great deal of Honour to think us worthy of being employ"d in his Service, and that we would discharge ourselves in the best manner we could.
Upon this we were conducted into a very fine Apartment, which was to be our own, where Care was taken to serve and accommodate us as if we had been Persons of great Quality. Next Day, we gave Orders for fetching our Tools from the Place where we left them, caus"d several others to be made, such as my Comrade directed, and set about the Work with all possible Speed, because the King was impatient to see us at it.
The Monarch who then reign"d, was call"d _Bustrol_. He was a sober, modest, affable Prince, and, if he is still living, as I hope he is, one who is much more admir"d for his shining Virtues than for Pomp and Grandeur. He had a large full Robe on of the finest Goats-Hair, dy"d red, that was in all the Country, and he had a Fringe round it above a Foot deep. He wore a five-corner"d Cap with a Copper b.u.t.ton on it, an Inch and half in Diameter, which is the princ.i.p.al Mark of his Royalty, if you except his Gravity, Stature, and good Air.
The Governors are also cloth"d in red Robes, but they are of Woollen, and every way less. Other Men without Exception, wear Woollen Robes of mix"d Colours. The Judges only are distinguish"d by their Caps. As to the Women, they all have Habits or Veils of fine Linen for their upper Garments, under which they wear others more or less according to the Season.
The Children of the King have no Prerogatives above others, and tho" a greater Deference is paid them, "tis purely voluntary. The eldest only is honour"d, and dress"d almost like his Father, only he does not wear the b.u.t.ton.
The King may have 12 Wives, whom he either causes to be chose, or else chooses himself from among the People when he takes a Tour Abroad to shew himself, and they durst not refuse him any Woman tho" she is actually promis"d to another. The Governors may have three, the Judges two, and the People one. The Priests are likewise permitted to have two Wives at a time; but whether they have both at one time or not, they are allow"d but two in all as long as they live, for if they happen to survive them, they are prohibited to marry again.
The most magnificent Thing belonging to the King is his Palace situated in the middle of the Royal Canton, which is of the same Extent as the others. It fronts to the N.N.E. is 36 Geometrical Paces in Breadth, and 20 in Depth. The first Floor, which is ten Foot above the Foundation, is divided into several Apartments well roof"d, where there"s no want of Pilasters, nor of Marble of various Sorts and Colours. The Pavement is red, the Pillars black, and the Roof-work white. The second Story being 20 Foot from the first, has on the Outside opposite to the Portal, a Stair-Case in form of an half Oval, with 20 Steps, each half a Foot in height. The first Room we enter, is a s.p.a.cious Antichamber, behind which is the Chamber of Audience: From the Antichamber there run two narrow Pa.s.sages, one on the Right, the other on the Left, which divide the main Body of the Building into two Parts, so that there are four stately Salons on each Side, and in the whole ten Apartments with the finest Cielings in the World, and Wainscotting than which I never saw any more curiously carv"d. Over this second Story there is a third divided almost in the same Manner as the former, only that instead of a Chamber of Audience, there is the Bed-Chamber where his Majesty lies. Then we come to a Platform cover"d with Pewter, and a Ball.u.s.trade all round of ma.s.sy Copper. In the middle of it there is a round Pavilion cover"d with Copper also, and the whole is so well polish"d, that when the Sun shines on it, it dazzles ones Eyes. At the Top there is a Globe of 20 Foot Circ.u.mference, and a square Pyramid upon it which is one Foot in the Base and five in height, supported by twelve Pillars of Agate. In the whole Building there is nothing to be seen scarce but Marble, Agate, Jasper, and such exquisite fine Stones wonderfully well polish"d and wrought; the whole built according to an Order which comes pretty near to the _Corinthian_, except the Columns of the Cellars which are properly in the _Tuscan_ Taste.
There being no Gla.s.s in this Country, they use instead of it the Skins of the Pol?, which they rasp and dress in such a manner, that they last for ever, and give so free a Pa.s.sage to the Light, that you have as much of it within Doors as without. This Parchment they put up in their Windows in the form of Quarrels, but as good and fine as it is, it must be own"d that our Gla.s.s surpa.s.ses it by far.
Behind the Palace there is a Dome of the Roman Order, 150 Foot Diameter, cover"d also with Copper, and of the same Materials and Magnificence as the Palace. This Place serves for two Uses, the Temple and the Senate. The King"s Throne is on the South Side over-against the Gate, and is rais"d six Foot upon a Stage of four which is cover"d with a magnificent Carpet; for "tis certain these People infinitely surpa.s.s the _Turks_ in the Weaving of their Tapistry. In the middle of the Cieling, there"s a very large Copper Sun, the Body of which is not perhaps above 10 or 12, Foot Diameter, but its Rays extend to a vast Distance. The Cone upon the Top of the Dome is broad and high. The whole is of Copper, and supported by six great Pillars or Towers, in each of which there is a Stair-case that leads to the Galleries of this stately Edifice.
All round the Canton there are Rows of Lodgings built with Pavilions upon the Angles, and two upon each Front or Side, equidistant from one another, so that in all there are twelve.
Twelve Arches are also built between those Pavilions, which are like so many Gates open to go out of the Canton by 12 Bridges with Ball.u.s.trades of wrought Copper over-against them. Within these Lodgings in short, which are for the King"s twelve Wives, and for some of the Domesticks of the Court, there runs a Gallery all round supported by Pillars of Jasper cover"d with Pewter like the rest of the Lodgings, except the Pavilions which are of Copper, and extraordinary beautiful. The void s.p.a.ces between all these Buildings are full of Obelisks, Pyramids, Statues upon magnificent Pedestals, Pots full of all manner of Flowers according to the Season, Cages full of Birds of all the Colours in the Rainbow, which make very agreeable Melody, and in a Word, here is every thing to please the Senses, so that this Place is properly an inchanted Paradise.
The Canton which lies to the South of the Palace, is a Park full of Goats, Stags, which are very small in this Country, Bucks, Does, _&c._ and especially a Sort of Animals call"d Pol?, which have long Hair, a Horn on their Heads, two Ears flat and broad as ones Hand, a short Tail but very broad, and great flat Feet, which is the Reason that they commonly stand upright. This Animal is about the bigness of our little a.s.ses; the Flesh of it is very delicate, but there"s scarce any to be seen except in the King"s Parks, tho" the Damage is not very great, by reason there are few People who do not scruple to eat it, because it very much resembles a Man, and seems indeed to be endow"d with some Reason.
The Canton to the South which is our North, is one continued Flower-Garden water"d with 1000 little artificial Fountains. The two others on the Right and Left are design"d for Fruit-trees, Pulse, and Pot-herbs; and besides those fine Cantons there are twenty more, twelve of which are for the Queen"s, and for their Children and Domestics, and the eight others for Tillage, Pasturage, _&c._
The King"s Revenues consist in the annual Payment of a piece of Copper by every Master of a Family, which is about the Size of a Guinea. I mention"d it once before by the Name of _Kala_, and it has Inscriptions engrav"d on it, signifying _Our Hearts to G.o.d_ on one Side, and _Our Estates to the King_ on the other. I cannot tell what these Pieces are worth, but I have observ"d that they make as much of "em in that Country as we do of _Lewis d"Or_"s in _France_, The current Coin here is of Pewter, of which there are Pieces of all Sizes with each a different Stamp. With this Coin they pay all the Officers of the State; tho" the Gain to particular Persons is but a Trifle, yet as there are 41600 Villages or 41575 deducting the 25 Villages of the Royal Family, yet this Article amounts to 831500 Kal?, not reckoning the Judges and Priests who are exempt from paying the Tribute which, setting aside the Honour of their Posts, is all they get by them.
But I was then inform"d, that Things had not been fix"d on that Foot above 345 Years. Before then, the Kingly Power had been Time immemorial, or to speak in their Language, eternally in one and the same Family. These Kings were call"d Sons of the Sun and Earth, which Descent made them very ambitious, and the Children grew worse and worse from Generation to Generation. They degenerated so far as to demand Homage and Adoration from their Subjects. They abus"d their Wives and Daughters, prey"d upon their Estates, and talk"d of nothing less than cutting their Throats, when they gave the least Indications that they were not pleas"d with their Tyranny.
At last, as good Luck would have it for those wretched People, it happen"d I know not how, that a _Portuguese_ arriv"d there, who having learnt their Language, told them, that after having been drove ash.o.r.e upon their Coast, as we had been, he settled there with his Comrades, who were all dead within four Years Time, except one only, with whom he chose by the help of a very little Boat, to go up the River which ran thereabouts into the Sea. To this he added, that they were 8 Months in the Voyage, and that after having surmounted inconceivable Difficulties, they arriv"d at a Gulph of the Mountain from whence this River flow"d. They try"d to enter it several times, but it was so dark, and there were so many Rocks, Blind Holes, and Obstacles of all kinds, that they despair"d of pa.s.sing it. At length however, they accomplish"d their Design, for after having gone above two Leagues under Ground, they arriv"d in the Country so jaded and fatigued, that they had not Strength to stir; and when this _Portuguese_ had set his Foot upon Land, the other trying to do the same, fell backwards into the Boat, which at the same time drove from Sh.o.r.e, insomuch that this Man who was landed, not being able to reach to him, he had the Mortification to see him return into the Gulph from whence he never came out again. The Priest, to whom he told this Story, was as much astonish"d at it, as he was at his coming. He made him repeat it several times, thinking to catch him tripping, "till having no more room to doubt of the Truth of a Relation so well circ.u.mstantiated, he went and imparted it to the Judge, who communicated it to the princ.i.p.al Men of the other neighbouring Cantons, so that in a very little time the whole Kingdom knew that their Kings had been Knaves and Villains, in that under pretence of a very particular and miraculous Birth, which set them infinitely above their Subjects, they treated them as Slaves, and were in a fair way in time to have us"d "em like Dogs. But before six Weeks were gone and past, they shook off the Yoke, the King was depos"d, and sent to the Mines for his Life: And in his Place they chose the eldest Governor of the Country, with a Promise to let his Children reign after him, so long as they were humane, virtuous, and equitable.
Tho" this banish"d Prince was a wicked Man, yet in one respect he was to be pity"d, because he protested to his Dying-Day that he believ"d what was publish"d concerning the Origin of his Ancestors, of whom he knew nothing but by Tradition. This Tradition however made the whole Race very insolent, and to value themselves infinitely above other Mortals; and indeed it was enough to puff them up, and to impress the People"s Minds with a very profound Respect for their Persons, while both were persuaded of the Truth of the Fact, which was related to me in the following Manner by Persons that might be depended on.
G.o.d, said they, was from all Eternity, but Heaven and Earth are not so ancient. As soon as the World was created, the Earth which is an animated Body, being charm"d with the shining Beauty of the Sun, became desperately in Love with him, made divers Attempts to mount up to him, but its Efforts were in vain, because the Weight of its Ma.s.s was such a Clog to it, that it rose but a very little way. The Sun perceiving how it shook and trembled, took Pity of it, and hiding himself in Clouds extremely thick, for fear of inflaming it more, and scorching it quite up, drew near to it, pierc"d it with his Rays to its very Bowels, and immediately retir"d. The Earth that Moment conceiv"d, and in 365 Days 1/4 after, was deliver"d of a Man and a Woman both surprizingly beautiful and majestick. This charming Couple advancing into the Country where they met with all manner of Trees without number bearing the choicest Fruits, had the Curiosity to ramble all over the Earth where "twas accessible, till at length being arriv"d at the Southern Extremities of this vast Country, they found it bounded by unpa.s.sable Mountains. There it was, that _Mol_ and his Wife _Mola_, by which Names, "tis said, they were call"d, had some Contention. She it seems was for turning to the Right Hand, or else for going back the same Way they came, and he was for pushing on further, but being oblig"d to alter his Purpose by the Obstinacy of his Wife, he was in such a Pa.s.sion, that he struck the Rock so hard with his Foot that it made a Gap, out of which Water flow"d in abundance, and form"d a River, which ran like a Torrent into a Pit, from whence there came out two Twins. This so cool"d the Matrix of the Earth, that it never more desir"d to be in Conjunction with its Lover the Sun, and consequently never had any more Children.
To this fine Tale they added, that from the two Persons were descended the Inhabitants of their Country, which they thought was the only Part of the World that was inhabited. But as soon as the _Portuguese_ arriv"d, and told his Adventures, they were convinc"d, that they were not the only People of the World, and that the pretended Labour of the Earth was a meer Fable; which was follow"d by the Revolution that I just now mention"d. From that Time, the Kings and their Subjects liv"d in great Tranquillity and Harmony, spoke extremely well of one another, and indeed, I always observ"d that the People had an infinite Respect for their Sovereign, and that the King on his Part was fond of giving Demonstrations of his Tenderness to all that approach"d his Presence. He was civil to all Men in general, and as to us in particular, "tis certain that he was so beyond measure.
CHAP. IX.
_Which contains several very curious Conversations betwixt the King and our Author._
"Tis not to be imagin"d how a.s.siduous this Monarch was at first to see us at work, and how attentive to hear us talk of our Part of the World. Above all, he took an unspeakable Pleasure in conversing about the Sciences, and particularly Philosophy, in which he exercis"d himself very much: And we were seldom together, but he put some Question to me in Natural Philosophy, and Mechanics, or Astronomy.
He was mightily fond of the System of _Copernicus_, and to his Praise be it spoken, I made him easily comprehend all the different Motions which the Earth was under a Necessity of making to answer the apparent Motions according to the Opinion of the Vulgar, which are distinguish"d by Diurnal from West to East, by annual round the Sun, the Motion of the fix"d Stars, and the two Motions of Vibration ascrib"d heretofore to the Crystalline Heavens. For I took a Bowl, and having mark"d on it the chief Points and Circles of a Terrestrial Globe, I shew"d him how the Earth turn"d from West to East round its Centre in a Natural Day, and in the s.p.a.ce of 365 Days 6 Hours wanting 11 Minutes, round the Sun, which I plac"d in the Centre of the World. I afterwards observ"d to him how this annual Motion was not perform"d upon the Equator but according to the Ecliptic, because the Axis of the Earth, instead of being perpendicular to the Plan of the annual Circle, inclines to it on both Sides 23 Degrees 30 Minutes which we call the Motion of Parallelism. Then we discours"d of the fourth Motion occasion"d by the Impulsion or Pressure which the Earth feels more or less according to the Places where it pa.s.ses in its Tour; for by that means it happens that its Axis rises or falls sometimes several Minutes, and that consequently the Ecliptic appears nearer the Equator at certain Times than at others. This is also explain"d perfectly well by the subtile Matter which enters and pa.s.ses by the Vortexes; but I did not choose then to expatiate upon a Point which perhaps would have puzzled him, or at least requir"d more Time. As to the Calculation of Eclipses, this Prince understood it as well as _Copernicus_ himself; he reason"d very well about Comets, Planets, Meteors, and all the most agreeable Parts of Natural Philosophy. But he was absolutely ignorant of the Cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, which he had indeed scarce ever heard of; and he was all in Admiration to hear of the Proportion of s.p.a.ces which Falling Bodies pa.s.s through in certain determin"d Times, of the Vibration of Pendulums, of the Force of the Lever, and in general of every thing relating to Statics.
Fire-Arms were also quite unknown to him, but the bad Use that they were put to, took off his liking to them. Nothing affected him with so much Horror as the Narratives I gave him now and then, of our Wars and b.l.o.o.d.y Battles. He could not conceive how People could be so silly as to rush into Slaughter, and to the Destruction of their Species, for such trifling Causes, and often only for gratifying the Covetousness, Ambition, or Caprice of one Man. "Tis near four Centuries ago, he said to me one Day, that the King then reigning was declar"d incapable, because under pretence of his Origin and such a miraculous Birth, as distinguish"d him from other Men, he treated his Subjects at his Will and Pleasure. You would have said, added he, that his Vanity was sufficient to excite him to great Undertakings in order to maintain himself on the Throne; but so far from it, that he scarce said a Word in his own Vindication, and to appease the Wrath of those who sent him to the Mines; and when he heard it was his People"s Will, he instantly obey"d. And I swear to you, that instead of exposing Armies to the Fury of my Enemies, I would rather by a thousand times be the meanest Man in my Kingdom, than keep the Sovereignty at the Expence of one single Man"s Life.
I own, said I, that there is something cruel and inhuman in War; but just Wars are often enter"d into, and then G.o.d himself gives a Sanction to them, and as a Mark that he takes Pleasure in them, he has term"d himself the _G.o.d of Hosts_. O Heavens! said the King, What"s that you say? I am angry to hear you talk so. "Tis very well for you that none of our Judges hears you, for tho" you are but a Stranger, you would pa.s.s your Time very ill; because, according to our Principles, you could not have utter"d a more enormous Blasphemy. I ask your Pardon, Sir, said I; the most holy Men that have written our Law, affect in many Places thus to characterise the Deity: To him alone they ascribe all the Victories and Conquests obtained by the _Jews_, and they put him at the Head of their Troops like a formidable General, who demolishes every thing in his way. I am far from thinking it a Crime to tread in the Steps of such great Men, and to have their Lives, Precepts, and Sentiments in Veneration; yet I have so much Respect for your Person, that I had rather be for ever silent, than give you any Cause of Disgust. What, said the King, do your Legislators talk in this Strain? Really, I think it very extraordinary that a G.o.d, who, according to you, forbids the shedding of one Man"s Blood, should authorise a general Slaughter of whole Nations. There is undoubtedly a great deal of Pa.s.sion and Cruelty in your Laws; the very Thought of it makes me shiver.
Let us talk no more of it, for fear I should say more than you would choose to hear. I am really charm"d with your Sciences, but your Religion and your Politicks don"t please me at all. That"s because you don"t understand "em, Sir, said I; I want Books, and am not a Divine good enough to convert you; but we have a thousand Doctors in our Country capable of pointing out so many Marks of the Divinity in our Bible, and to shew you the Contents of it so clearly that you wou"d be forc"d to give your Consent to it as much as to any Demonstration in the Mathematics.
Very well, reply"d the King; but till such time as we see one, tell me, how those Armies which you talk to me so much of, are compos"d and subsisted, how they fight, what Reward the Conquerors have, and what Profit the Widows and Orphans; whether such Wars have no End, and whether you never have a Peace. Very seldom, Sir, said I: The Earth is immensely great, in comparison to your Empire; there"s a vast Number of such Kingdoms in the Parts from whence we came. So many great Lords cannot possibly live long without a Misunderstanding: The Interests of the Royal Families, more than those of private Men, often cause Broils.
Jealousy, the Desire of Aggrandis.e.m.e.nt, Precedence, the Diversity of Religions almost in every Kingdom; all these things are Causes of Ruptures, which are seldom accommodated till there has been a great Effusion of Blood. We have an Empire call"d _Spain_, in the Bowels of which a War broke out some time ago, which rag"d fifty or sixty Years, and cost the Lives of a Million of Men.
The prevailing Religion of that Country, and in which I was born, is the Christian, which differs extremely from all others; nor have all that profess it the same Sentiments in every respect.
The greatest part pretend, "tis not sufficient to worship one G.o.d, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, but that Prayers should also be made to the departed Saints, to the end that they may intercede for us in Paradise. The Prelates of this Church injoin the Necessity of believing Purgatory, which is a Place full of Fire and Brimstone, where, after Death, Souls are to fry in Torment, for a certain Number of Years, more or less, according to the Crimes they have committed, that they may be enabled to appear pure and undefiled before the Throne of G.o.d. This same Church demands a Confession that Jesus Christ is alive still in Flesh and Bones, and altogether as large, as when he was crucify"d, in a Wafer or Piece of Paste no bigger than the Palm of one"s Hand, which the Priest gives to every Layman on certain Days of the Year appropriated to that Ceremony, _&c_. Many People finding these Maxims as inconsistent with common Sense, as they are with the Precepts contain"d in the sacred Book of our Laws, thought in their Consciences they should be to blame if they observ"d them. The Clergy perceiving this Disorder in the Church, erected a severe Tribunal, which impos"d great Penalties on those that took the Liberty to reform the Divine Worship. To this we must add, that besides the Clergy who drain"d the People"s Purses, and took their Money for reading Prayers, by which they pretended effectually to deliver the Souls of their Ancestors out of Purgatory, the King"s Officers loaded them every Day with new Taxes, insomuch that the most resolute Inhabitants, in order to shake off the Yoke, form"d secret Cabals, and made themselves Masters of some wall"d Cantons or Cities. Thereupon Commerce decay"d, the Labourers suffer"d for want of Work, and a Foreign Prince puts himself at the Head of the Malecontents, who are join"d by other Monarchs jealous of the King of _Spain_"s Greatness, who only seek to raise themselves upon his Ruin.
Companies of Tradesmen are form"d, who are glad to serve for their Subsistence. Of these Companies, which consist of 100 Men, more or less, with their proper Officers, are form"d Regiments, and of these Regiments Armies, which are commanded by Generals experienced in the Art of War, who take care to furnish them with Arms, Clothes, and all sorts of Ammunition, at the Expence of the Public, whom the Magistrates charge with Subsidies for that Purpose. When the Forces are ready in the Field, a thousand Artifices and Stratagems are invented and made use of to surprise the Enemy; at length they come to close Engagement, and after they have fought a whole Day many times, it happens sometimes that the greatest Advantage which the Conqueror has to boast of is, having kept the Field of Battle, which costs him upon those Occasions 15 or 20000 fighting Men, while perhaps his Enemy retreats about 500 Paces, with the Loss of not half that Number.
When the one has intirely defeated the other, he improves his Victory by gaining Countries and Towns, where sometimes he lays all waste with Fire and Sword. Mean time his Adversary endeavours to recruit himself, either by raising new Troops, or by contracting Alliances with other Princes whom he draws into his Party. Then he returns to the Charge, when Fortune declares sometimes for the one, sometimes for the other, till their Men and Money are exhausted, and they are forc"d to come to an Accommodation; which is sure to last not long, because there are turbulent Spirits that never want Pretences to disturb the Tranquillity.
But what becomes of those Troops? said the King. They are disbanded, I reply"d. That"s well, continu"d he, for the Ease of the People; but are Men who are accustom"d in War-time to a licentious way of living, and undoubtedly to all sorts of Pleasures, are such fit for any other Imployment? and how do they subsist when their Pay is at an end? I have already told your Majesty, said I, that there"s an infinite Number of Countries in the World, govern"d by different Princes, so that when Troubles are over in one Place, they generally begin again in another, to which the Soldiers repair for Employment; or else they return home to their Callings. I confess, however, that there"s a great Number, who having lost the Spirit of Industry, or not knowing any Trade to follow, beg from Door to Door with their Wives and Children (and if they dy"d in the Wars, their Widows and Orphans do the same), or else abandon themselves to ill Courses for a better Livelihood. Some rob upon the Highway, others coin Money, and some keep company with lewd Women, whom they help to ruine, and sometimes to murder such as haunt the Stews. In short, there are no Intrigues but what they commit to support their idle Courses, which obliges honest People to take very great care that they ben"t gull"d by them, as they but too often are. I could confirm this Truth by a hundred shocking Instances, but one shall suffice at present, to give you an Idea of the rest.
About eight Months before I left _Paris_, that famous City, which is the Metropolis of the finest Kingdom in _Europe_, a Counsellor of the Parliament travelling in his Coach, in a By-Street, where there was but little Trade, spy"d a very pretty young Woman at a distance, who by extending her Arms, joining her Hands, and lifting up her Eyes sometimes to Heaven, and then calling them down to the Earth, gave Proofs that she was in some very great Agonies of Grief. The Noise of the Coach-Wheels and the Horses, made her stop all of a sudden, so that she immediately wiped her Face, and with a slow Pace walk"d on. The Counsellor, who soon overtook her, halted, and ask"d her very civilly, what was the Matter. I see, said he, you have been weeping plentifully, has any Disaster happen"d to your Family?
Speak freely, you are happily fallen into good Hands; there are many People who would take an Advantage of the Confusion you are in, but from me you have nothing to fear. I am a frank honest Man, of some Reputation, and if I can be of Service to you in any thing, I will exert my self with all the Zeal I"m capable of.
Tho" the Girl was no more than sixteen or seventeen Years old, she put on a serious Air at first, and held it out stifly for a long time, that she ail"d nothing, that she did not want his Protection, tho" however she was oblig"d to him for the Offer, and that all she desired of him was, that he would let her proceed. But at length, after many Intreaties, which were the real Effect of the Gentleman"s compa.s.sionate Temper, the young Woman falling again into Tears, which she could refrain no longer, said to him, You are in the right, Sir, I am not my self, I am disorder"d in my Mind, I run up and down like one mad, and am within an Ace sometimes of making away with my self. I am the only Daughter of a Father who perfectly ador"d me. My Will was a Law to him, which he took a Pleasure in observing, whatever it was; so that I never ask"d him any thing but he immediately granted it. But about a Twelvemonth ago, when he was in the Prime of his Years, G.o.d call"d him to himself, at which time the Thoughts of our Separation gave him a thousand times more Uneasiness than the Prospect of Death. He was so loth to leave me, that he recommended me, in the most earnest manner, to the Care of his Wife, my Mother-in-law, who promis"d him whatever he desir"d, embrac"d me in his Presence, and swore by an Oath, accompany"d with a Torrent of Tears, that I should for ever have a Share in her tenderest Friendship. But alas! my poor Father had scarce clos"d his Eyes, when she began to tyrannize over me in such a manner, that there is scarce a Moment but she insults and threatens me; from Menaces she often proceeds to Blows; and this very Day, after having us"d me extremely ill, she turn"d me out of Doors. That"s bad indeed, said the Counsellor; you have reason, without dispute, to complain; come into my Coach, if you please; I must make you Friends, if possible, or at least know what"s the Cause of such a dangerous Quarrel. She express"d a Reluctance against taking him home with her; she was very fearful of being seen, and her Mother-in-law"s Indignation made her tremble; but she was fain to comply at last. The Widow"s House made a goodly Appearance, and was separated from the Street by a strong Wall, and a large Yard before the Door. The Counsellor having sent in to know whether the Gentlewoman was at leisure, was carry"d into a fine Hall, hung with Tapestry, to which Madam came in a Moment. He was surpris"d to find her a tall handsome Woman, about fifty Years of Age, with a sweet engaging Countenance, and the Porte of a Queen, rather than the Widow of a private Man. After mutual Compliments, he gave her an exact Account of what had pa.s.s"d betwixt him and her Daughter, shew"d her what would be the Consequence, and having begg"d her Pardon for the Liberty he took to intermeddle in an Affair which was properly Domestic, he intreated her very courteously to tell him the Reason of the Difference. The old Lady thank"d him for the kind Concern he shew"d for her Family, and did not spare to reproach her Daughter-in-law; but at length, in Complaisance to the Arbitrator, Miss was sent for in, restor"d to Madam"s good Graces, and they made reciprocal Promises, the one to be very obedient for the future, the other to be more indulgent, and to shew all the tender Regard that a Mother is capable of to a Child of her own, which was very much to the Satisfaction of the Counsellor, who was glad at his Heart that he had been so successful a Mediator. Then the Daughter was order"d to withdraw, and Madam took that Opportunity to confess her vast Obligation to the Counsellor. She earnestly intreated him to bring her into the Acquaintance of his Lady, that she might have more Opportunities of being benefited by his wholesome Counsels: She hop"d he would vouchsafe to honour her with his Company at Dinner, the rather because the Cloth was already laid, and as she had invited some Friends, she was the better prepar"d to regale him with three or four good Dishes. This Compliment was utter"d with so good a Grace, that the Counsellor gave his Consent, order"d his Coachman to go home and tell his Family not to wait for him, and bid him return again with the Coach in two Hours. Mean time the Lady, with his Leave, retir"d to give Orders concerning the Dinner. As he was walking alone, expecting her Return, he accidentally struck his Elbow against the Hangings, and found a void s.p.a.ce, which excited his Curiosity to lift them up, when, to his great Astonishment, he saw the naked Corps of a Man all b.l.o.o.d.y, who seem"d to have been but lately murder"d, extended at full length upon a Bed of Straw contriv"d in the Wall. This horrid Spectacle, which threaten"d him with the like Fate, made him run precipitantly out of the Room, and when he was got into the middle of the Yard, some body saw him and call"d to him, intreating him to have a little Patience, adding, that the old Lady would be with him in a Trice, that every thing was ready to be serv"d up, _&c_. But all these fine Words could not stop him.