The island is exactly circular and consists of 10,000 acres of land. Its diameter 7837 yards or about four miles and an half. It is three hundred yards thick. At the center there is a cave for astronomers, containing all their instruments and a lodestone six yards long. It moves the island with its magnetic force. They store the water in four large basons. Because of this floating island they can store much water. 

The stone cannot be moved from its place by any force. By means of this stone the island is made to rise and fall and move from one place to another. 

The mineral that acts upon the magnet is large enough to allow it to move only over the country directly beneath it. The island cannot move beyond the extent of the dominions belowe nor can it rise above the height of four miles.That stone is under the care of certain astronomers who from time to time give it such position as the monarch directs.  When the king wants to punish a particular region of the country, he can keep the island above it, depriving the lands below of sun and rain. It was eight months before the king had perfect notice that the Lindalinians were in rebellion. Such measures failed to work in that town, where the rebellious inhabitants had stored provisions of food in advance and a great river runs through the middle of the town.  So after such efforts he was forced to give the town their own conditions. 

 They planned to force the island to come so low that it would be trapped forever and to kill the king and his officials in order to take over the government. Instead, the king ordered the island to stop descending and gave in to the town’s demands. By the fundamental law of this realm The king is not allowed to leave the floating island, nor is his family.


Chapter 4

I cannot say that I was ill treated in this Island yet I must confess I thought my self too much neglected not without some degree. For neither Prince nor people, except mathematics and music, wherein I was far their inferior. 

On the other side after having seen all the curiosity of the island, I was very desirous to leave it. He conversed with women, tradesmen, flappers during two months. I had obtained by hard study a good degree of knowledge in their language. He had made me several offers very advantageous, which however I refused with expression of the highest acknowledgement. 

On the 16th day of February, He took leave of his majesty and court. The king gave present to the value of about two hundred pounds English and his protector together with a letter of recommendation to a friend of his in in Lagado. The island being over a mountain about two miles from it, I was let down from the lowest Gallery in the same manner as I had been taken up. The continent as far as it is subject to the monarch of the flying island passeth under the general name of balnibarbi. I felt some little satisfaction in finding my self on firm ground. I soon found out the person's house to whome he was recommended; presented his letter from his friend the Grander in the island. This great lord whose name was Munodi, ordered him an apartment in his house. 

The next morning after his arrival, he took him in his Chariot to see the town, which is about half the bigness of London, but the house very strangely built. We passed through one of the town Gates and went about three miles into the country, where he saw many labourers working with several sorts of tools in the ground but he was not able to conjecture what they were about; neither did he observe any expectation either of corn or grass, although the soil appeared to be excellent. So he couldn't understand what they are doing. He want to know more about it and so he set out next morning. During their journey he made him observe the several methods used by farmers in managing their lands. In some very few places he could not discover one ear of corn or blade of grass but in three hours travelling the scene was wholly altered they came into a most beautiful country; farmers houses at small distance, neatly built, the fields enclosed, containing Vineyards,  corn ground and meadows. 

They came at length to the house, which was indeed a noble structure, built according to the best rules of ancient architecture. The fountains, gardens, walks, avenues and groves were all disposed with exact judgment and taste. He praised all these things. 

The some of his discourse was to this effect. That about forty years ago, certain person's went up to Laputa, either upon business or diversion; and after five months continuance came back with a very little smatterin in mathematics. These persons upon their return began to dislike the management of every thing belowe; and fall into schemes of putting all arts, Sciences, languages and mechanics upon a new foot. To this end they procured a royal patent for erecting an academy of projectors in Lagado. In these colleges the professors contrive new rules and methods of agriculture and building, and new instruments and tools for all trades. They prepared many happy proposals. The only inconvenience is that none of these projects are yet brought to perfection and in the mean time, the whole country lies miserably waste, the houses in ruins and the people without food or clothes. 

In a few days they came back to town. His lord was pleased to represent him as a great admirer of projects and a person of much curiosity and easy belief; which indeed was not without truth for he had him self been a sort of projector in his younger days. 

Chapter 5

He permitted to see the grand academy of Lagado. This academy is not an entire single building but a continuation of several houses on both sides of a street. He was received very kindly by the warden and went for many days to the academy. Every room has in it one or more projectors. 

The first man he saw was of a meager aspect, with sooty hands and face, his hair and beard long, ragged and signed in several places. His clothes, shirt and skin were all of the same colour. He had eight years upon a project for extracting sun beams out of cucumbers, which were to  be put into Vials hermetically sealed and let out to warm the air in raw increment summers. He told him that he did not doubt in eight years more he should be able to supply the governers gardens with sun shine at a reasonable rate. He asked something as an encouragement to ingenuity. He made him a small present for his lord had furnished him with money on purpose, because he knew their practice of begging from all who go to see them. 

Then he went into another chamber the projector of this cell was the most ancient student of the academy. His face and beard were of a pale yellow, his hands and clothes daubed over with filth. His employment from the first coming into the academy was an operation to reduce human excrement to its original food by separating the several parts, removing the tincture. He saw another at work to calcine ice into gunpowder. 

There was a most ingenious architect who had contrived a new method for building houses by beginning at the roof and Working downwords to the foundation; which he justified to him by the two insects the bee and the spider. There was a man born blind who had several apprentices in his own condition. Their employment was to mix colours for painters, which their master taught them to distinguish by feeling and smell. It was indeed his misfortune to find them at that time not very perfect in their lessons. 

In another apartment he was highly pleased with a projector, who had found a device of plowing the ground with hogs to save the charges of plows, cattle and labour. The method in this; in a acre of ground you bury at six inches distance and eight deep, a quantity of acorns, dates, chestnuts and other master or vegetables where of these animals are fondest; then you drive six hundred or more them into the field, where in a few days they will root up the whole ground in search of their food, and make it fit to showing at the same time manjuring it with their dung. However it is not doubted that this invention may be capable of great improvement. He went into another room where the walls and ceiling were all hung round with cobwebs, except a narrow passage for the artist to go in and out. At his entrance he called aloud to him not to disturb his webs. He lamented the fatal mistake the world had been so long in of using silk worms, while they had such plenty of domestic insect who infinitely excelled the former because they understood how to weave as well as spin. And he proposed farther that by employing spiders the charge of dying silks should be wholly saved; whereof he was fully convinced when he shewed him a vast number of files most beautifully coloured where with he fed his spiders; assuring them that the webs would take a tincture from them and as he had them of all hues, he hoped to fit every body's fancy, as soon as he could find proper food for the flies, of certain gums, oyls and other glutinous matter to give a strength and consistence to the threads. 

There was an astronomer who had undertaken to place a sun dial upon the great weather cock on the town house, by adjusting the annual and diurnal motions of the earth and sun, so as to answer and coincide with all accidental turnings of the wind. 

Then he visited where a great physician resided who was famous for curing cholic disease by contrary operations from the same instrument. He let in the muzzle while the bellows were full of wind, which he discharged into the body of the patient, then withdrew the instrument to replenish it, clapping his thumb strongly against the orifice of the fundament and this being repeated three of four times, the adventitious wind would rush out, bringing the noxious along with it and the patient recover. 

He visited many other apartments but shall not trouble his reader with all the curiosity he observed. 

He has mentioned one illustrious person more, who is called among them the universal artist. He told them that he had been thirty years employing his Thoughts for the improvement of human life. He had two large rooms full of wonderful curiosities and fifty men at work. The artist himself was at that time busy upon two great designs; the first to sow land with chaff and second to prevent the growth of wool upon two young lambs; and he hoped in a reasonable time to propagate the breed of naked sheep all over the kingdom. 

One another professor and students prepared engine which was contrived that the words shifted into new places as the square bits of wood moved upside down. Six hours a day the young students were employed in this labour. 

They next went to the school of languages where three professors sate in consultation upon improving that of their own country. The project was to shorten discourse by cutting polysyllables into one and leaving out verbs and participles. So they were diong such work in language. The great advantage by this invention was that it would serve as a universal language to be understood in all civilized nations, whose goods and utensils are generally of the same kind. 

He was at the methamatical school where the master taught his pulis after a method scarce imaginable to use in Europe. 

Chapter 6

In the school of political projectors he was but ill entertained because the professors appearing in his judgment wholly out of their sense. These unhappy people were proposing schemes for persuading monarchs to choose favourites upon the score of their wisdom, capacity and vertue of teaching ministers to consult the public good. There was a most ingenious doctor who seemed to be perfectly versed in the whole nature and system of government. This illustrious person had very usefully employed his studies in finding out effectual remedys for all diseases and corruptions. 

When parties in a state are violent, he offered a wonderful contrivance to recouncil them. The method is this. You take an hundred leaders of each party, you dispose of them into couples of such whose heads are nearest of a size; then let two nice operators saw off the occiput of each couple at the same time, in such a manner that the brain may be equally divided. 

Then he heard a very warm debate between two professors, about the most commodious and effectual ways and means of raising money without grieving the subject. The first affirmed the justest method would be to lay a certain tax upon vices and folly and the sun fixed upon every man, to be rated after the fairest manner by a jury of his neighbours. The second was of an opinion directly contrary, to tax those qualities of body and mind for which men chiefly value themselves, the rate to be more or less according to the degrees of excelling. The women were proposed to be taxed according to their beauty and skill in dressing.

Another professor shewed him a large paper of instructions for discovering plots and conspiracies against the governments. He advised great statement to examine into the dyet of all suspected persons; their times of eating; upon which side they lay in bed; with which hand they wiped their posteriors; take a strict view of their excrements and from the colour, the odour, the taste, the consistence, the crudeness or maturity of digestion from a judgment of their Thoughts and designs. Because men are never so serious, thoughtful and intent as when they are at stool which he found by frequent experiment: for in such conjunctures when he used merely as a trial to consider which was the best way of murdering the king. 

The professor made him great acknowledgements for communicating these observations and promised to make honourable mention of men in his treatise.

I saw nothing in this country that could invite him to a longer continuance; and began to think of returning home to England. 

Chapter 7

The continent of which this kingdom is a part, extends itself, as he has reason to believe, Eastward to that unknown tract of America, Westward of California and North to the Pacific Ocean, which is not above an hundred and fifty miles from Lagado; where there is a good port and much commerce with the great island of Luggnagg. He hired two miles with a guide to shew him the way and carry his small baggage. He took leave of his noble protector who had shewn him so much favour and made him a generous present at his departure. 

His journey was without any accident or adventure worth releting. When he arrived at the port of Maldonada, there was no ships for Luggnagg, nor like to be in some time. A gentleman of distinction said to him that since the ship bound for Luggnagg could not be ready in less than a month, it might be no disagreeable Amusement for me to take a trip to the little island of Glubbdubdrib. He should be provided with a small convenient Barque for the voyage. 

Glubbdubdrib as nearly as he can interpret the word, signifies the Island of Magicians. It is about one third as large as the Isle of Wight, and extremely fruitful. It is governed by the Head of a certain tribe who are all Magicians. This tribe marries only among each other and the eldest in succession is Prince or Governor. He has a noble palace and a park of about three thousand Acres, surrounded by a wall of stone twenty foot high. In this park are several small enclosures for cattle, corn and Gardening. 

The governor and his family are served and attended by Domestic of a kind somewhat unusual. By his skill in Necromancy he had a power of calling whom he pleased from the dead and commanding their service for twenty four hours. When they arrived at the island which was about eleven in the morning, one of the gentlemen who accompanied him, went to the governor and desired admittance for a stranger, who came on purpose to have the honour of attending on his highness. This was immediately granted and they all three entered the gate of the palace between two rows of guards, armed and dressed in very antic manner and something in their countenances that made his flesh creep with a horror he cannot express. They passed through several apartments between servants of the same sort till they came to the chamber of presence where after general questions they were permitted to sit on three stools near the lowest step of his highness's throne. 

He shared the experiences of his early adventures. He had the honour to dine with the governor where a new set of ghosts served up the meat and waited at table. He now observed himself to be less terrified than he had been in the morning. He don't want to live in the palace his two friends and he lay at a private house in the town adjoining which is the capital of this little island and in the next morning they returned to pay their duty to the governor as he was command them. After this manner they continued in the island for ten days, most part of every day with the governor and at night in their lodging. The governor ordered him to call up whatever persons he would choose name and in whatever numbers among all dead from the beginning of the world to the present time, and command them any questions he should think. 

He desired to see Alexander the Great, he assured him upon his honour that he was not poisoned but died of a fever by excessive drinking. Then he talked with Caesar and Brutus and with many other men from history. While conversation Ceasar freely confessed to him that the greatest actions of his own life were not equal by many Degrees to the glory of taking it away. He had the honour to have much conversation with Brutus; and was told that his ancestor Junius, Socrates, Epaminondas, Cato, Sir Thomas More and himself were perpetually togather.

Chapter 8 

Having a desire to see those Ancients who were most renowned for witt and Learning, he set apart one day on purpose. He proposed that Homer and Aristotle might appear at the Head of all their commentators; but these were so numerous that some hundreds were forced to attend in the court and outward rooms of the place. He knew and could distinguish those two heroes at first sight, not only from the croud but from each other. Homer was the taller and comelier person of the two, walked very erect for one of his age, and his eyes were the most quick and piercing he ever beheld. Aristotle stopped much and made us of a staff. His visage was meager, his hair lank and thin and his voice hollow. He soon discovered that both of were perfect strangers to the rest of the company and had never seen or heard of them before. And he had a whisper from a ghost, who shall be nameless , that these commentators always kept in the most distant quarters from their principals. 

He introduced Didymus and Eustathius to Homer and prevailed on him to treat them better than perhaps they deserved; for he soon found they wanted a genius to enter into the spirit of a poet. But Aristotle was out of all patience with the account he gave him of Scotus and Ramus as he presented them to him; and he asked them wether the rest of the tribe were as great Dunces as themselves. He then desired the governor to call up Descartes and Gassendi, with whom he prevailed to explain their systems to Aristotle. This great philosopher freely acknowledged his own mistakes in Natural Philosophy because he proceeded in many things upon conjecture as all men must do; and he found that Gassendi who had made the doctrine of Epicurus as palatable as he could and the Vortices of Descartes were equally exploded. He predicted the same Fate to attraction, whereof the present learned are such zealous asserters. 

He spent five days in conversing with many others of the antient learned. He was chiefly disgusted with modern history. For having strictly examined all the persons of greatest name in the courts of Princes for a hundred years past, I found how the world had been misled by prostitute writers, to ascribe the greatest exploits in war to cowards, the wisest councel to fools, sincerity to flatterers, Roman virtue to betrayers of their country, piety to atheists, chastity to Sodomites, truth to informers. How many innocent and excellent persons had been condemned to death or banishment, by the practising of great ministers upon the corruption of judges and the Malice of faction. 

Here he discovered the roguery and ignorance of those who pretend to write Anecdotes, or secret history who send so many kings to their graves with a cup of poison; will repeat the discourse between a Prince and chief minister, where no witness was by; unlock the Thoughts and Cabinets of Embassadors and Secretaries of State, and have the perpetual misfortune to be mistaken. Here he discovered the secret causes of many great events that have surprised the world, how a whore can govern the back stairs, the back stairs a council, and the council a senate. Three kings protested to him that in their whole reigns they never did once prefer any person of merit, unless by mistake or treachery of some minister in whom they confided : neither would they do it if they were to live again and they shewed with great strength of reason, that the royal throne could not be supported without corruption because that positive, confident, restive temper which virtue infused into man, was a perpetual Clog to public business. 

He was surprised to find corruption grown so high and so quick in that empire, by the force of luxury so lately introduced which made him less wonder at many parallel cases in other countries. Where vices of all kinds have reigned so much longer and where the whole praise as well as pillage has been engrossed by the chief commander. 

Neither could be wholly unmov'd after comparing the living with the dead, when he considered how all these pure native virtues were prostituted for a piece of money by their grand children, who in selling their votes and managing at elections have acquired every vice and corruption that can possibly be learned in a court.