An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 2547 words)
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 order, and over all is
a coat of rich mould, ten or twelve feet deep. The declivity of the
upper surface, from the circumference to the centre, is the natural
cause why all the dews and rains, which fall upon the island, are
conveyed in small rivulets toward the middle, where they are emptied
into four large basins, each of about half a mile in circuit, and two
hundred yards distant from the centre. From these basins the water is
continually exhaled by the sun in the daytime, which effectually
prevents their overflowing. Besides, as it is in the power of the
monarch to raise the island above the region of clouds and vapours, he
can prevent the falling of dews and rain whenever he pleases. For the
highest clouds cannot rise above two miles, as naturalists agree, at
least they were never known to do so in that country.
At the centre of the island there is a chasm about fifty yards in
diameter, whence the astronomers descend into a large dome, which is
therefore called flandona gagnole, or the astronomer’s cave, situated
at the depth of a hundred yards beneath the upper surface of the
adamant. In this cave are twenty lamps continually burning, which, from
the reflection of the adamant, cast a strong light into every part. The
place is stored with great variety of sextants, quadrants, telescopes,
astrolabes, and other astronomical instruments. But the greatest
curiosity, upon which the fate of the island depends, is a loadstone of
a prodigious size, in shape resembling a weaver’s shuttle. It is in
length six yards, and in the thickest part at least three yards over.
This magnet is sustained by a very strong axle of adamant passing
through its middle, upon which it plays, and is poised so exactly that
the weakest hand can turn it. It is hooped round with a hollow cylinder
of adamant, four feet deep, as many thick, and twelve yards in
diameter, placed horizontally, and supported by eight adamantine feet,
each six yards high. In the middle of the concave side, there is a
groove twelve inches deep, in which the extremities of the axle are
lodged, and turned round as there is occasion.
The stone cannot be removed from its place by any force, because the
hoop and its feet are one continued piece with that body of adamant
which constitutes the bottom of the island.
By means of this loadstone, the island is made to rise and fall, and
move from one place to another. For, with respect to that part of the
earth over which the monarch presides, the stone is endued at one of
its sides with an attractive power, and at the other with a repulsive.
Upon placing the magnet erect, with its attracting end towards the
earth, the island descends; but when the repelling extremity points
downwards, the island mounts directly upwards. When the position of the
stone is oblique, the motion of the island is so too. For in this
magnet, the forces always act in lines parallel to its direction.
By this oblique motion, the island is conveyed to different parts of
the monarch’s dominions. To explain the manner of its progress, let A
B represent a line drawn across the dominions of Balnibarbi, let the
line c d represent the loadstone, of which let d be the repelling
end, and c the attracting end, the island being over C; let the
stone be placed in the position c d, with its repelling end
downwards; then the island will be driven upwards obliquely towards
D. When it is arrived at D, let the stone be turned upon its axle,
till its attracting end points towards E, and then the island will be
carried obliquely towards E; where, if the stone be again turned upon
its axle till it stands in the position E F, with its repelling
point downwards, the island will rise obliquely towards F, where, by
directing the attracting end towards G, the island may be carried to
G, and from G to H, by turning the stone, so as to make its
repelling extremity to point directly downward. And thus, by changing
the situation of the stone, as often as there is occasion, the island
is made to rise and fall by turns in an oblique direction, and by those
alternate risings and fallings (the obliquity being not considerable)
is conveyed from one part of the dominions to the other.
But it must be observed, that this island cannot move beyond the extent
of the dominions below, nor can it rise above the height of four miles.
For which the astronomers (who have written large systems concerning
the stone) assign the following reason: that the magnetic virtue does
not extend beyond the distance of four miles, and that the mineral,
which acts upon the stone in the bowels of the earth, and in the sea
about six leagues distant from the shore, is not diffused through the
whole globe, but terminated with the limits of the king’s dominions;
and it was easy, from the great advantage of such a superior situation,
for a prince to bring under his obedience whatever country lay within
the attraction of that magnet.
When the stone is put parallel to the plane of the horizon, the island
stands still; for in that case the extremities of it, being at equal
distance from the earth, act with equal force, the one in drawing
downwards, the other in pushing upwards, and consequently no motion can
ensue.
This loadstone is under the care of certain astronomers, who, from time
to time, give it such positions as the monarch directs. They spend the
greatest part of their lives in observing the celestial bodies, which
they do by the assistance of glasses, far excelling ours in goodness.
For, although their largest telescopes do not exceed three feet, they
magnify much more than those of a hundred with us, and show the stars
with greater clearness. This advantage has enabled them to extend their
discoveries much further than our astronomers in Europe; for they have
made a catalogue of ten thousand fixed stars, whereas the largest of
ours do not contain above one third part of that number. They have
likewise discovered two lesser stars, or satellites, which revolve
about Mars; whereof the innermost is distant from the centre of the
primary planet exactly three of his diameters, and the outermost, five;
the former revolves in the space of ten hours, and the latter in
twenty-one and a half; so that the squares of their periodical times
are very near in the same proportion with the cubes of their distance
from the centre of Mars; which evidently shows them to be governed by
the same law of gravitation that influences the other heavenly bodies.
They have observed ninety-three different comets, and settled their
periods with great exactness. If this be true (and they affirm it with
great confidence) it is much to be wished, that their observations were
made public, whereby the theory of comets, which at present is very
lame and defective, might be brought to the same perfection with other
arts of astronomy.
The king would be the most absolute prince in the universe, if he could
but prevail on a ministry to join with him; but these having their
estates below on the continent, and considering that the office of a
favourite has a very uncertain tenure, would never consent to the
enslaving of their country.
If any town should engage in rebellion or mutiny, fall into violent
factions, or refuse to pay the usual tribute, the king has two methods
of reducing them to obedience. The first and the mildest course is, by
keeping the island hovering over such a town, and the lands about it,
whereby he can deprive them of the benefit of the sun and the rain, and
consequently afflict the inhabitants with dearth and diseases. And if
the crime deserve it, they are at the same time pelted from above with
great stones, against which they have no defence but by creeping into
cellars or caves, while the roofs of their houses are beaten to pieces.
But if they still continue obstinate, or offer to raise insurrections,
he proceeds to the last remedy, by letting the island drop directly
upon their heads, which makes a universal destruction both of houses
and men. However, this is an extremity to which the prince is seldom
driven, neither indeed is he willing to put it in execution; nor dare
his ministers advise him to an action, which, as it would render them
odious to the people, so it would be a great damage to their own
estates, which all lie below; for the island is the king’s demesne.
But there is still indeed a more weighty reason, why the kings of this
country have been always averse from executing so terrible an action,
unless upon the utmost necessity. For, if the town intended to be
destroyed should have in it any tall rocks, as it generally falls out
in the larger cities, a situation probably chosen at first with a view
to prevent such a catastrophe; or if it abound in high spires, or
pillars of stone, a sudden fall might endanger the bottom or under
surface of the island, which, although it consist, as I have said, of
one entire adamant, two hundred yards thick, might happen to crack by
too great a shock, or burst by approaching too near the fires from the
houses below, as the backs, both of iron and stone, will often do in
our chimneys. Of all this the people are well apprised, and understand
how far to carry their obstinacy, where their liberty or property is
concerned. And the king, when he is highest provoked, and most
determined to press a city to rubbish, orders the island to descend
with great gentleness, out of a pretence of tenderness to his people,
but, indeed, for fear of breaking the adamantine bottom; in which case,
it is the opinion of all their philosophers, that the loadstone could
no longer hold it up, and the whole mass would fall to the ground.
About three years before my arrival among them, while the king was in
his progress over his dominions, there happened an extraordinary
accident which had like to have put a period to the fate of that
monarchy, at least as it is now instituted. Lindalino, the second city
in the kingdom, was the first his majesty visited in his progress.
Three days after his departure the inhabitants, who had often
complained of great oppressions, shut the town gates, seized on the
governor, and with incredible speed and labour erected four large
towers, one at every corner of the city (which is an exact square),
equal in height to a strong pointed rock that stands directly in the
centre of the city. Upon the top of each tower, as well as upon the
rock, they fixed a great loadstone, and in case their design should
fail, they had provided a vast quantity of the most combustible fuel,
hoping to burst therewith the adamantine bottom of the island, if the
loadstone project should miscarry.
It was eight months before the king had perfect notice that the
Lindalinians were in rebellion. He then commanded that the island
should be wafted over the city. The people were unanimous, and had laid
in store of provisions, and a great river runs through the middle of
the town. The king hovered over them several days to deprive them of
the sun and the rain. He ordered many packthreads to be let down, yet
not a person offered to send up a petition, but instead thereof very
bold demands, the redress of all their grievances, great immunities,
the choice of their own governor, and other the like exorbitances. Upon
which his majesty commanded all the inhabitants of the island to cast
great stones from the lower gallery into the town; but the citizens had
provided against this mischief by conveying their persons and effects
into the four towers, and other strong buildings, and vaults
underground.
The king being now determined to reduce this proud people, ordered that
the island should descend gently within forty yards of the top of the
towers and rock. This was accordingly done; but the officers employed
in that work found the descent much speedier than usual, and by turning
the loadstone could not without great difficulty keep it in a firm
position, but found the island inclining to fall. They sent the king
immediate intelligence of this astonishing event, and begged his
majesty’s permission to raise the island higher; the king consented, a
general council was called, and the officers of the loadstone ordered
to attend. One of the oldest and expertest among them obtained leave to
try an experiment, he took a strong line of an hundred yards, and the
island being raised over the town above the attracting power they had
felt, he fastened a piece of adamant to the end of his line, which had
in it a mixture of iron mineral, of the same nature with that whereof
the bottom or lower surface of the island is composed, and from the
lower gallery let it down slowly towards the top of the towers. The
adamant was not descended four yards, before the officer felt it drawn
so strongly downwards that he could hardly pull it back, he then threw
down several small pieces of adamant, and observed that they were all
violently attracted by the top of the tower. The same experiment was
made on the other three towers, and on the rock with the same effect.
This incident broke entirely the king’s measures, and (to dwell no
longer on other circumstances) he was forced to give the town their own
conditions.
I was assured by a great minister that if the island had descended so
near the town as not to be able to raise itself, the citizens were
determined to fix it for ever, to kill the king and all his servants,
and entirely change the government.
By a fundamental law of this realm, neither the king, nor either of his
two eldest sons, are permitted to leave the island; nor the queen, till
she is past child-bearing.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The Vulnerability Map - How Power Systems Really Work
Every system of control has built-in weaknesses created by the competing self-interests of those who maintain it.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to see past intimidating facades to identify the actual vulnerabilities in any power structure.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone in authority makes threats - then ask yourself what they actually need from you and what would genuinely cost them if you withdrew cooperation.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"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."
Context: Gulliver is giving precise technical specifications of the island's size and structure
Swift provides incredibly specific measurements to make this fantastical place seem real and scientific. The precision creates credibility while describing something impossible.
In Today's Words:
Let me give you the exact specs on this thing so you understand how massive and impressive it really is.
"If any town should engage in rebellion or mutiny, fall into violent factions, or refuse to pay the usual tribute, the king hath two methods of reducing them to obedience."
Context: Explaining how the king uses the island as a weapon against rebellious cities
This reveals the true purpose of all that impressive technology - it's not for exploration or advancement, but for maintaining control through fear and intimidation.
In Today's Words:
When people don't do what he wants, the boss has two ways to make them fall in line.
"But there is still indeed a more weighty reason, why the kings of this country have been always averse to the executing so terrible an action."
Context: Explaining why the king rarely follows through on his ultimate threat to crush cities
Swift reveals that even absolute power has practical limits. The king's own advisors have investments in the cities below, so they resist policies that would destroy their wealth.
In Today's Words:
But here's the real reason why the people in charge don't go nuclear - they'd hurt themselves too.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
The king's seemingly absolute control through the flying island is revealed to have multiple vulnerabilities and dependencies
Development
Evolved from earlier observations of Laputan detachment to show how power actually operates through fear and self-interest
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when dealing with seemingly untouchable authority figures who actually depend on cooperation from people with their own agendas
Control
In This Chapter
Control operates through creating dependency and fear, but requires the cooperation of people who have their own interests to protect
Development
Builds on themes of manipulation to show the mechanical reality of how control systems function
In Your Life:
You might see this in workplace dynamics where harsh policies are softened by managers who know they need employee cooperation
Resistance
In This Chapter
Lindalino's magnetic towers show how understanding a system's mechanics can create effective countermeasures
Development
Introduced here as a new theme showing that oppression isn't absolute
In Your Life:
You might apply this when facing bureaucratic obstacles by finding who really makes decisions and what they actually care about
Class
In This Chapter
The ministers' property ownership creates a conflict between their role as enforcers and their personal wealth
Development
Continues exploration of how class interests shape behavior and decision-making
In Your Life:
You might notice this when middle management seems sympathetic to worker concerns because they're not far removed from your position
Self-Interest
In This Chapter
Everyone in the system acts according to what benefits them personally, creating predictable patterns of behavior
Development
Builds on earlier themes of human motivation to show how self-interest can be leveraged strategically
In Your Life:
You might use this understanding when negotiating by appealing to what the other party actually needs rather than what they claim to want
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
How does the magnetic stone work, and what does the king use it for beyond just moving the island?
analysis • surface - 2
Why don't the king's own ministers support his most extreme threats against rebellious cities?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen someone in authority back down when their own supporters started getting uncomfortable?
application • medium - 4
If you were facing someone who seemed to have all the power in a situation, how would you look for their 'magnetic towers' - the leverage that could make them reconsider?
application • deep - 5
What does Lindalino's successful resistance tell us about the difference between appearing powerful and actually being invincible?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Power Structure
Think of a situation where you felt powerless - at work, with family, dealing with an institution. Draw a simple diagram showing who the authority figure is, who they answer to, what they need to maintain their position, and where their interests might conflict with unlimited power. Look for the 'property-owning ministers' in your situation.
Consider:
- •Even the most intimidating authority figures usually answer to someone else who cares about different things
- •People who enforce power often benefit from the current system and don't want it completely destroyed
- •Those in charge need cooperation from others to maintain their position
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you discovered that someone who seemed untouchable actually had vulnerabilities you hadn't noticed before. What changed your perspective?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 20: The Cost of Endless Innovation
Having seen how power operates from above, Gulliver will soon descend to ground level to explore what life is like for the people living under Laputa's shadow. The contrast between the abstract theorizing above and the practical realities below promises to reveal even more about Swift's critique of disconnected authority.
