Part 12

One Day amongst the rest, he told us, how a young Man of a very remote Canton, being often ill us'd by his Father, who seem'd to bear a mortal Hatred to him, took the Opportunity, as they went out together in a Gondola to catch Fish, to throw him into the Canal, and seeing him paddling just under Water, he held him down with the End of his Oar, for fear he should rise, and punish him for his Rashness. The Father who was quite stunn'd at first, recovered his Spirits by Degrees, and as he could swim perfectly well, he div'd to the Bottom, and then rising about two Paces distance, he struck away with all the Speed he could make to the other Shore, in order to escape his Son's Fury. While the one was endeavouring to escape, and the other resolving to pursue him, and knock out his Brains, an old Pine-Tree planted on the Side of this Canal, fell in all at once as if the Earth had broke away, and so entangled the Bay in the Gondola with its Branches, that it was impossible for him to stir, tho' he was not hurt in any one Part. The old Man, who was got Ashore by this time, seeing the Boat under the Tree, and no Sign of his Son, was touch'd with Pity, and did not doubt but the Fall of the Tree had kill'd him. He went and knock'd at the first House he came to, and having rais'd the People out of their Beds, it being then pretty early in the Morning, he told them, that as he was going to such a Place with his Boat, a great rotten Tree broke away all on a sudden, and fell upon him with such Violence, that it had knock'd him into the Water, and bruis'd his Son to Pieces. At this, all the People ran to see what was the Matter, and three of them went in their Wherry to relieve the Lad if he happen'd to be alive. The Fellow who had not open'd his Lips all the while, finding himself taken in a manner before he was aware, and that the Men were busy to separate the Boughs of the Tree that they might see what was become of him, fell a crying, and said, _O Father! pray don't kill me, I own I was to blame, and that I deserve your Hatred with a Vengeance, for 'tis no Thanks to me that you are not dead at this Instant, but I beg your Pardon a thousand times_. The more he cry'd out, the more the others struggled to disintangle him, and the stronger was the poor Wretch's Opinion that they were come to cut his Throat. _Mercy, dear Father! Mercy!_ said he again, _it was not I, properly speaking, but a cursed Fit of Passion which I abhor, that prompted me to lay my sacrilegious Hands upon your Person. In the Name of God be pacify'd_. The Father who heard all this, knew not what Countenance to put on; he would gladly have punish'd his Child, but he did not care that the People should know the Cause of it, which was however impossible. Tho' the Gondola was clear of the Branches of the Tree, and the young Man saw a multitude who upon the Rumor of his Disaster came to assist him, and who, to be sure, would not have suffer'd the Father to sacrifice him on the Spot to his Vengeance, he made so many Shrugs and Wrigglings, and us'd such Expressions, that he condemn'd himself in Presence of 100 Witnesses; so that it was not in the Power of the Father to disculpate him as he would gladly have done. Several Fathers of Families who were there, apprehensive of what might be the Consequence, seiz'd the young Fellow, and carry'd him before a Judge, who, after having sent for the Father, and examin'd them both first Face to Face, and then separately, condemn'd the Lad to the Mines for 20 Years. The Father was dissatisfy'd with the Sentence, because he knew in his Conscience he had provok'd his Son to Wrath, by his rough Treatment of him, and therefore he advis'd him privately to appeal to the Governor of their particular Precinct, and if he should confirm the Sentence, to appeal at last to the Court itself. The Governor, _said the King_, to whom the Cause was referr'd, was not willing to decide it, and for this Reason it is to be argued To-morrow before me; but in good Truth, I scarce know how to determine it. What Age is the young Man? _said I_, He is twenty two, _reply'd the King_. Very well, Sir, _said I_, he would be put to Death in our Parts, and nothing could save him. But since you are not so severe here, since the Son detests what he has done, begs Pardon for it with all his Heart, and since the Father confesses he was the Cause of putting the Son into such a Passion; 'tis my Opinion, with Submission to your Majesty, that it would be sufficient if the Lad was whipp'd with Rods, and sentenc'd to carry a Label on his Forehead with these Words in large Characters, REBEL TO HIS FATHER, on Condition however that if he behave well, he shall be discharg'd from that Ignominy at a Year's End. Your Advice is excellent, _said the King_, and if I have any Credit, that shall be the Sentence. As soon as the Council was assembled, the Offence was mention'd, and every one gave their several Opinions. Some were for confirming the former Sentence, others would have it that the young Man ought to make _Amende honourable_, and have one of his Hands cut off before he was banish'd. Some were for sending him to the Bottom of the Mine for his Life; and others were of another Opinion. But when the King had heard what they all had to say, he propos'd his Opinion which was approv'd by the Assembly, and executed that very Day. Both Parties went to Court to express their Obligations for pronouncing so mild a Sentence. The King who was willing that I should have the Honour of it, told them, that if they had any Body to thank, it was I, and no Body else. Accordingly they came to thank me in the most civil and submissive Manner that could be, and then they return'd home, where, as I was told afterwards, they liv'd together in perfect Harmony.

'Tis not to be conceiv'd, how considerable this Trifle made us appear to the Deputies. _Solomon_'s Award was nothing compar'd to ours, and if some of them could have had their Wills, we should have been created extraordinary Members of their Body. By that time they assembled again, our Clockwork was in a manner finish'd. Every one had the Curiosity to come and see it, and thought they could not praise it too much. _La Foret_ was a very good Engraver, and tho' he knew how to gild, he had acquainted himself so well with the Custom of the Country to gild with Copper, which is much finer there than it is in our Parts, that the minutest Piece had a wonderful Lustre infinitely beyond the Clock which we had made for our Canton. But it had quite another Appearance a Year after, when they saw the Clock erected over the Dome of the King's House with six Sun-Dials round it pointing to the Hours, which was what we omitted in the former, besides that the Basin or Bell which was of Pewter and Copper mix'd, was at least three times bigger, and had a much better Sound. As a Gratuity for this fine Piece of Work, the King honour'd each of us with a Governor's Robe, and gave Orders that we should have the same Regard paid to us as they had. And in short, we were treated with as much Respect as if we had been Princes. The Cooks and the Butler took care that nothing was wanting at our Table. Beer, Cider, Metheglin, and Pηɤς were as plenty with us as River-Water. The latter is a delicious Tipple, of which one may drink to Eternity and be never the worse, and 'tis made of an admirable Fruit, in form like to a _Spanish_ Melon. There's no sort of Ragoo, Tarts or Pasties but what we had every Day, and as Partridges, which weigh here at least four Pounds, and the Tɤlη, those great Hens I have made mention of elsewhere, are very common here; we had Fowls of one sort or other almost at every Meal; not to mention the excellent Fish which was infallibly serv'd up at every Dinner. The King himself also took us Abroad with him three Days successively, in our Habits of Ceremony which is the greatest Honour that this Monarch does to his Subjects.

One Morning as we were passing by the West Side of the Temple, a Lad who went up to see his Father work at the Dome, leaning over the Gallery to see us pass along, fell down flat upon his Stomach, and kill'd himself. The King, who would never let me rest, took Occasion from this unexpected Fall, to start an Objection to me concerning the Circular Motion of the Earth. It put a Thought into my Head, _said he_, which never enter'd there before, _viz._ That if the Earth had its Revolution, as you would fain persuade me it has; the Boy, if he had fallen ever so quick, must have pitch'd at a considerable distance from the Wall of this Structure, whereas, if I am not mistaken, he touch'd it with one of his Arms. For, in short, the Globe of the Earth is very large, and supposing it makes one compleat Tour in 24 Hours, its Parts must needs pass extremely swift. 'Tis easy, Sir, said I, to solve this Objection. A Terrestrial Degree, you know, contains 60 Miles, by which Number if you only multiply 360 Degrees, the Circumference of the Earth under the Equator will be 21600 _Italian_ Miles, or 21,600000 Geometrical Paces. Now divide this Sum by 24 Hours, and the 900000 which will result from that Operation by 60 Minutes, you will perceive that the Earth must make an Arch of 15000 Paces in a Minute of an Hour, and consequently one of 250 Paces in a Second, which is less Time than a Body can take in falling from the Height of this great Structure. But, Sir, _continued I_, you ought not to consider the Air as independent on the Earth, for it turns equally with it, no more nor no less than the Water of the Sea which is confin'd within its own Limits, and both the one and the other make a Part of this great Whole, so that to fall into either, is in this respect the same Thing. Mean time, there's another Reason confirm'd by Experience, which tells us, that every Body defending by its own Motion, or by a Motion which may be deem'd voluntary, must necessarily pitch upon that very Point to which it corresponded the first Moment of its Fall. Therefore supposing I were at the Top-Mast Head of one of the tallest Masts that our Men of War carry in _Europe_, and should let fall a Bullet of what Size you please, 'tis certain that it will always keep at the same Distance from the Mast, 'till it falls upon the Deck, be the Wind and Tide which carry the Ship ever so rapid, from whence it follows, that this Body does not fall perpendicularly as it seems, but necessarily runs thro' a parabolical Line, because tho' it descends by a single Motion in Appearance, yet it partakes of two Motions at once, _viz._ the artificial one of the Ship, which is form'd according to the Plan of the Horizon, and its natural Motion from Top to Bottom. Which is so true, that if the Vessel was to stop short, the very Moment that the Bullet was dropp'd, it would not in that Case fall down perpendicularly by the Side of the Mast, but a considerable Distance before it. So it often happens to the Horsemen in our Country, who when they are galloping at full Speed, perhaps the skittish Beast frighten'd at some Object makes a sudden Stand which shakes the Rider, who is still suppos'd to be leaning forwards, out of his Saddle, and throws him several Paces over his Head. 'Tis for this Reason also that your clever Sportsmen, tho' perhaps they don't know why, seldom shoot flying without taking their Aim a little before the Bird, to the End that the Bullet or Arrow may thereby acquire a Side Motion, which together with the direct Motion forms a Curve Line by means of which it certainly hits the Mark. I understand all this very plain, _said the King_, and there is nothing extraordinary in it, because the same Thing happens to Bodies which are punish'd with Violence from any Height, by a Line parallel to the Horizon; for 'tis evident, that the very Moment they come out of the Hand that throws them, they fall and must, as you say, before they come to the Ground, describe a Line like to those which are form'd by the Section of a Cone which is parallel to its opposite Side.

You are in the right, Sir, _said I_, but there's something wonderful in this which to many People appears a Paradox, _viz._ That if you take one of those Pieces of Ordnance so common with us, I mean a Cannon, levell'd at one of the highest Towers, and if at the very Instant of discharging it, a Bullet be let fall of the same Form and Size as that which the Cannon is charg'd with, notwithstanding the one is shot a Mile off, and the other falls down limply by a perpendicular Line, yet they will both come to the Ground at the same Instant. Indeed, _said the King_, that is surprizing, and I own, I should never have thought it; but I see very plainly now, that it must needs be so, because tho' the Bullet is carry'd a great Way, nevertheless its Motion from Top to Bottom must have its Course, and be every whit as rapid.

Yet these fine Examples don't set me clear enough in the Point of the Earth's Motion. Pray, how comes it that so violent an Agitation does not shake it into a Million of Pieces? Well, Sir, _said I_, take a Confectioner's Vessel made of white Earth; let it be of a round Form, and the Sides low and perpendicular to the Bottom. Put into it a Thimblefull or two of clear Water, and in this Water a small Quantity of the Filings of Copper, fine Sand, and the Grating of red Wax; and to supply the Place of Glass, of which you have none in this Country, cover the Vessel with a Lid very close, then cement it with a little Potter's Clay, and put it upon an Axis, to which you shall give Motion. When this Vessel has been turn'd about a little, if you take off the Lid, which was only plac'd on to hinder the Water from going out during its Agitation, you will see that all the Parts of the Matter put into it stick to the Sides of the Vessel. An evident Proof that if the Heavens turn'd which are here represented by these Sides, the Earth would necessarily be forc'd to quit its present Situation, and range itself against their concave Superficies or their Extremities. And another undeniable Proof which confirms the former, is, that if the Whirl be stopp'd, so that the Firmament or the Side of the Ship turns no more, the Water, which continues its Motion, and by consequence departs in Proportion, from the Centre of the Vessel which contains it, forces the Particles of Copper, Sand, and Wax to quit the Sides to which they stuck so fast, and to approach to the Centre where they form a round Mass, the lowest Region of which is Copper, the second Sand, and the last Wax. From hence it appears, that if the subtile Matter which encompasses the Earth be put in Agitation, 'tis sufficient to oblige all the Terrestrial Parts to rendezvous in one Globe towards their Centre: Which likewise shews us by the way, that 'tis impossible for a Stone cast into this subtile Matter, to rest in it one Moment, but must for the same Reasons abandon the Aerial Region, and repair to other Bodies of its own Species, in which properly consists Gravitation.

Really, _said the King_, you have often talk'd to me about Vortexes, the Alterations which Astronomers observe in the different Aspects of the Planets, the Motion of the Sun round its own Centre, the Spots upon the Face of it which are a Confirmation of that Motion, because as this advances, they change their Situation, as well as about the Periods which the other Planets describe either round themselves, or round the Sun; but I never yet heard any Assertion so bold as what you have just now advanc'd. I should be glad if you would let me have the Machine you spoke of, to the end that by examining it nicely, we may be able to talk of it a little, more particularly: But it were to be wish'd that the Lid you put upon the Vessel was transparent, because then one might easily see what pass'd in the Vessel without taking it off. I will obey your Orders, Sir, _said I_, and if our Parchment won't do for the Purpose, I will supply it by a round Hole of an Inch or two in Diameter, which I will make in the middle of the Lid; for I am of Opinion that the rest will be sufficient to hinder the Water from spurting out in its most vehement Agitation.

During this, one of the King's Brothers fell sick, and died. I thought to have seen some Particularity at his Funeral, but was very much surpriz'd, that I did not observe the least Circumstance at it more than at common Interments. They only wrap up the Corps in a Robe of fine Linen, and then put it on a Bier, which is carry'd by two Men preceded by four of the nearest Relations, and attended by two Men and two Women, marry'd or not marry'd, and by four young Persons of both Sexes who mourn all the Way, and converse about his good Qualities. When they come to the End of the Place where the Deceas'd liv'd, they throw him into a Grave made for the Purpose, which they immediately close up again, and erect a little Pyramid of Wood upon it, on which are mark'd the Name and Age of the Person underneath, after which every one goes Home, and they never talk of him more than if there had been no such Person in the World, The King's Brother was bury'd after the same Manner; two of his Brothers (for the Prince is exempt from it) with his Mother, and one of his Sisters were the only Persons of the Convoy, besides the Mourners who are People that attend on these Occasions purely for the sake of a Meal's Meat. Then it was that I heard that the Brothers and Sisters of the Kings of this Country are forbid to marry, which is only permitted to the eldest Son of the Royal Family, and even he can have but one Wife before he is King.

As to a Wife, I can't avoid telling you here how our Monarch recover'd one in my Presence worthy to wear a Diadem. He had form'd a Design a long time to make a Visit to the West Part of the Kingdom; but as he intended that we should accompany him, and the Work we had in hand was too exquisite in his Opinion to be interrupted, there was a Necessity for staying 'till it was finish'd; then came bad Weather, afterwards the Diet; but when this was broke up, and the fine Season was advanc'd, the King was resolv'd to lay hold of it. He made up but a small Equipage, and only took 10 Persons along with us in his Retinue. He was mounted on a small but magnificent Chaise with two Wheels drawn by four white He-Goats, which had each a great black Beard, and Horns of a prodigious Size. His Train and Baggage were in two Gondolas, in each of which were four Rowers, and four to relieve them.

I was overjoy'd to be of this Party, because I had never yet travell'd this Way. Most of the Inhabitants of this Frontier are employ'd in making Bricks, Potters Ware, and all Sorts of Porcelane according as the Soil is proper for the different Sorts of Work. We pass'd thro' no Village but all the People of Consequence came out to see the King, who sometimes alighted for the Purpose, and walk'd very slowly that they might have the better Opportunity of viewing him. One Day as we were at a Place where there was such a Crowd about him that he could scarce get out of it, he spy'd a young Woman whose Charms made him fall in Love with her. He call'd her to him, and having survey'd her from Head to Foot, and found her more charming near at hand than at a Distance, he sent for the Father, and ask'd him what Age she was? The honest Man having already promis'd her to another, and guessing at the King's intention, knew not what Answer to make, but after a small Pause, he said to him, Sir, She is not yet marriageable, and by consequence neither to be sold nor given away. The Girl being more ambitious of the Title of Queen than of the Wife of a Carpenter, which was the Craft of the Fellow that was to have her, said very pertly, 'Tis true, Sir, I am not marriageable, but I want only two Days to be 20 Years old. Very well, _reply'd the King_, we will stay, honest Man, 'till the Term is expir'd, rather than break in upon the Laws; but after To-morrow, bring your Daughter to Court that I may make her my Wife, and take care that no Body comes near her. Tho' the old Man thought it a great Honour to have the King for his Son-in-law, yet he was sorry that he could not keep his Word with the Carpenter, which I chose to mention here only to shew the Simplicity and Sincerity of the People of this Country. Pηo, which was the Person's Name, was ready at the Time and Place appointed, and three Days after we arriv'd, he begg'd an Audience, and presented his Daughter to the King in Presence of his Chaplain, who return'd Thanks to God for it on the Spot. The Nuptials lasted three Days, after which Pηo return'd Home with 100 Kalƞ, or Pieces of Copper in his Pocket, as Pay for his Daughter; but the poor young Woman having never had the Small-Pox, was seiz'd with it three Months after, and died.

'Tis a prodigious Thing to consider the Multitudes of People which this plaguy Distemper carries off, there not being one in ten that escapes. The Generality of the Living never had it, and be they ever so old, so few are excus'd from it, that they seldom die of any other Disease. If this were not the Case, the Country would in all Appearance be exceeding populous, whereas at present 'tis but thinly inhabited, considering the Goodness of the Soil, and the Purity of the Air.

Not long after this, the King made two or three other Conquests, so that in four Years after his first Marriage, he had seven Wives. My Comrade and I were at all those Solemnities, and had great Share of the Pleasures of them. Wherever we came, we were sure to be commended upon Account of our Clocks, tho' many People knew that I had the least Share in them.