_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
assure 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 Button on it, an Inch and half in Diameter,
which is the principal 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 Button.
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 spacious
Antichamber, behind which is the Chamber of Audience: From the
Antichamber there run two narrow Passages, 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
Ballustrade all round of massy 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 Circumference, 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 Glass in this Country, they use instead of it the
Skins of the Polη, which they rasp and dress in such a manner,
that they last for ever, and give so free a Passage 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 Glass
surpasses 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 surpass 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 Ballustrades 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 Spaces 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 Polη, 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 Asses; 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 God_
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 Kalη, 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 ashore 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 passing 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 Shore, 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 circumstantiated, he
went and imparted it to the Judge, who communicated it to the
principal 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.
God, 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 Mass 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 unpassable 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 Passion, 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.