I was told that
a great court lady, who had several children,--is married to the prime
minister, the richest subject in the kingdom, a very graceful person,
extremely fond of her, and lives in the finest palace of the
island,--went down to Lagado on the pretence of health, there hid herself
for several months, till the king sent a warrant to search for her; and
she was found in an obscure eating-house all in rags, having pawned her
clothes to maintain an old deformed footman, who beat her every day, and
in whose company she was taken, much against her will. And although her
husband received her with all possible kindness, and without the least
reproach, she soon after contrived to steal down again, with all her
jewels, to the same gallant, and has not been heard of since.

This may perhaps pass with the reader rather for an European or English
story, than for one of a country so remote. But he may please to
consider, that the caprices of womankind are not limited by any climate
or nation, and that they are much more uniform, than can be easily
imagined.

In about a month's time, I had made a tolerable proficiency in their
language, and was able to answer most of the king's questions, when I had
the honour to attend him. His majesty discovered not the least curiosity
to inquire into the laws, government, history, religion, or manners of
the countries where I had been; but confined his questions to the state
of mathematics, and received the account I gave him with great contempt
and indifference, though often roused by his flapper on each side.

CHAPTER III.

A phenomenon solved by modern philosophy and astronomy. The Laputians'
great improvements in the latter. The king's method of suppressing
insurrections.

I desired leave of this prince to see the curiosities of the island,
which he was graciously pleased to grant, and ordered my tutor to attend
me. I chiefly wanted to know, to what cause, in art or in nature, it
owed its several motions, whereof I will now give a philosophical account
to the reader.

The flying or floating island is exactly circular, its diameter 7837
yards, or about four miles and a half, and consequently contains ten
thousand acres. It is three hundred yards thick. The bottom, or under
surface, which appears to those who view it below, is one even regular
plate of adamant, shooting up to the height of about two hundred yards.
Above it lie the several minerals in their usual ord