We croffed a Walk to the other Part of the Academy, where, as I have already faid, the Projectors in Speculative Learning refided.

The firft Profeffor I faw, was in a very large Room, with forty Pupils about him. After Salutation, obferving me to look earnestly upon a Frame, which took up the greatest Part of both the Length and Breadth of the Room, he faid, perhaps I might wonder to fee him employed in a Project for improving Speculative Knowledge by practical and mechanical Operations. But the World would foon be fenfible of its Ufefulness; and he flattered himself, that a more noble exalted Thought never fprang in any other Man's Head. Every one knew how laborious the ufual Method is of attaining to Arts and Sciences; whereas, by his Contrivance, the most ignorant Perfon, at a reasonable Charge, and with a little bodily Labour, may write Books in Philofophy, Poetry, Politics, Law, Mathematics, and Theology, without the leaft Affiftance from Genius or Study. He then led me to the Frame, about the Sides whereof, all his Pupils ftood in Ranks. It was twenty Feet fquare, placed in the Middle of the Room. The Superficies was compofed of feveral Bits of Wood, about the Bignefs of a Dye, but fome larger than others. They were all linked together by flender Wires. Thefe Bits of Wood were covered on every Square with Paper pafted on them; and on thefe Papers were written all the Words of their Language in their feveral Moods, Tenfes, and Declenfions; but without any Order. The Profeffor then defired me to obferve, for he was going to fet his Engine at Work. The Pupils, at his Command, took each of them hold of an iron Handle, whereof

there

there were forty fixed round the Edges of the Frame; and, giving them a fudden Turn, the whole Difpofition of the Words was intirely changed. He then commanded fix and thirty of the Lads to read the feveral Lines foftly, as they appeared upon the Frame; and, where they found three or four Words together that might make Part of a Sentence, they dictated to the four remaining Boys who were Scribes. This Work was repeated three or four Times, and at every Turn, the Engine was fo contrived, that the Words fhifted into new Places, as the fquare Bits of Wood moved upfide down.

Six Hours a Day the young Students were employed in this Labour, and the Profeffor fhewed me feveral Volumes in large Folio already collected, of broken Sentences, which he intended to piece together; and, out of those rich Materials, to give the World a compleat Body of all Arts and Sciences; which, however, might be ftill improved, and much expedited, if the Public would raise a Fund for making and employing five hundred fuch Frames in Lagado, and oblige the Managers to contribute in common their feveral Col lections.

He affured me, that this Invention had employed all his Thoughts from his Youth; that he had emptied the whole Vocabulary into his Frame, and made the stricteft Computation of the general Proportion there is in Books between the Numbers of Particles, Nouns, and Verbs, and other Parts of Speech.

I made my humbleft Acknowledgement to this illuftrious Perfon for his great Communicativenefs; and promised, if ever I had the good Fortune to return to my native Country, that I

would

would do him Juftice, as the fole Inventor of this wonderful Machine; the Form and Contrivance of which I defired Leave to delineate upon Paper, as in the Figure here annexed. I told him, although it were the Cuftom of our Learned in Europe to fteal Inventions from each other, who had thereby, at least, this Advantage, that it became a Controverfy which was the right Owner, yet I would take fuch Caution, that he should have the Honour intire, without a Rival.

We next went to the School of Languages, where three Profeffors fat in Confultation upon improving that of their own Country.

The first Project was to fhorten Discourse, by Cutting Polyfyllables into one, and leaving out Verbs and Participles; because, in Reality, all Things imaginable are but Nouns.

The other Project was a Scheme for intirely abolishing all Words whatsoever; and this was urged as a great Advantage in Point of Health, as well as Brevity. For it is plain, that every Word we fpeak is, in fome Degree, a Diminution of our Lungs by Corrofion; and confequently contributes to the Shortening of our Lives. An Expedient was therefore offered, that, fince Words are only Names for Things, it would be more convenient for all Men to carry about them fuch Things as were neceffary to express the particular Bufinefs they are to difcourfe on. And this In

vention would certainly have taken Place, to the great Eafe, as well as Health of the Subject, if the Women, in Conjunction with the Vulgar and Illiterate, had not threatened to raise a Rebellion, unless they might be allowed the Liberty to fpeak with their Tongues, after the Manner of their Fore-fathers; fuch constant` irreconcile. P

able

able Enemies to Science are the common People. However, many of the most learned and wife adhere to the new Scheme of expreffing themselves by Things, which hath only this Inconvenience attending it, that if a Man's Business be very great, and of various Kinds, he must be obliged, in Proportion, to carry a greater Bundle of Things upon his Back, unless he can afford one or two ftrong Servants to attend him. I have often beheld two of those Sages almoft finking under the Weight of their Packs, like Pedlars among us; who, when they met in the Streets, would lay down their Loads, open their Sacks, and hold Conversation for an Hour together; then put up their Implements, help each other to refume their Burthens, and take their Leave.

But, for fhort Conversations, a Man may carry Implements in his Pockets, and under his Arms, enough to fupply him; and in his House he cannot be at a Lofs. Therefore the Room where Company meet, who practise this Art, is full of all Things ready at Hand, requifite to furnish Matter for this Kind of artificial Converse.

Another great Advantage, propofed by this Invention, was, that it would ferve as an univerfal Language, to be understood in all civilized Nations, whofe Goods and Utenfils are generally of the fame Kind, or nearly resembling, fo that their Ufes might, eafily be comprehended. And thus Ambaffadors would be qualified to treat with foreign Princes, or Minifters of State, to whose Tongues they were utter Strangers.

I was at the Mathematical School, where the Mafter taught his Pupils after a Method fcarce imaginable to us in Europe. The Propofition and Demonftration were fairly written on a thin Wa

fer,

fer, with Ink compofed of a cephalic Tincture. This the Student was to fwallow upon a fasting Stomach, and for three Days following eat nothing but Bread and Water. As the Wafer digested, the Tincture mounted to his Brain, bearing the Propofition along with it. But the Succefs hath not hitherto been answerable, partly by fome Error in the Quantum or Compofition, and partly by the Perverseness of Lads; to whom this Bolus is fo naufeous, that they generally fteal afide, and discharge it upwards, before it can operate; neither have they been yet perfuaded to use fo long an Abftinence as the Prefcription requires.

CHA P. IV.

A further Account of the Academy. The Author propofes fome Improvements, which are honourably received.

I

N the School of Political Projectors, I was but ill entertained; the Profeffors appearing, in my Judgment, wholly out of their Senfes ; which is a Scene that never fails to make me melancholy. Thefe unhappy People were propofing Schemes for perfuading Monarchs to chufe Favourites upon the Score of their Wisdom, Capacity, and Virtue; of teaching Minifters to confult the Public Good; of rewarding Merit, great Abilities, and eminent Services; of inftructing Princes to know their true Intereft, by placing it on the fame Foundation with that of their People: Of chufing for Employments Perfons qualified to exercise them; with many other wild impoffible Chimæras, that never entered before into the Heart of Man to