exactly, is not, as with us, fitted up again, but the Children are in a cruel Manner cut and fqueez'd to bring them to its Proportion. Yet this they feem not much to regard, provided their principal Parts are not affected. When the Drefs is thus fettled on them, they are clad for Life, it being feldom their Custom to alter it, or put it off: In fhort, they live in it Night and Day, and wear it to Rags rather than part with it, being fure of the fame Torture, and a greater Danger if they fhou'd be drefs'd a fecond Time. I have further taken Notice, that they delight to go open Breafted, most of them fhewing their Bofoms fpeckled. Some Lawyers indeed wear them quite White, perhaps for Diftinction fake, or to be known at a Distance. But the finest Shew, is among the Beaux and Ladies, who mightily affect fomething of Gold, both before and behind them. Food I never faw them eat; they being a People, who, as I obferved, live in Air: Their Houses are all fingle and high, having no back Rooms, but frequently feven or eight Stories, which are all feparate Houses above one another. They have one Gate to their City, and generally no Doors to their Houfes; tho' I have fometimes feen them have particular Doors, and even made of Glafs, where the Inhabitants have been obferv'd to ftand many Days, Days, that their fine Apparel may be seen thro' them. If at any time they lye down, which they do when they come from their Habitations (as if coming Abroad were their greateft Fatigue) they will lie together in Heaps without receiving Hurt: Though the foundest Sleep they get, is when they can have Duft enough to cover them over. The Females amongst them are but few, nothing being there produced by a Marriage of Sexes. The Males are of a different Strength or Endowment of Parts, fome having Knowledge in an extream Degree, and others none at all; yet at the fame Time, they are mighty Pretenders to inftruct others. Their Names, (for as many as wou'd discover them to me) I obferv'd to be the very fame as ours are upon Earth; I met a few who made theirs a Myftery, but why, I am yet to learn. They are fo communicative, that they will tell all the Knowledge they boaft, if a Stranger apply himfelf to their Converfation: And this may be worth his while, if he confiders that all Languages, Arts, and Sciences, are profeft amongst them. I think I may fay it without Vanity, that I knew a certain Talifman, with proper Figures and Characters infcrib'd, whereby their greatest People may be charm'd, brought to refide with a Man, and serve him like a Fami̟liar in the Conduct of Life. There There is no fuch thing as fighting amongst them, but their Controverfies are determin'd by Words, wherein they feldom own themfelves conquer'd, yet proceed no further than two or three Replies: Perhaps indeed two others take up their Neighbour's Quarrel, but then they defift too after the fame Manner; fometimes however, Blows have enfu'd upon their Account, though not amongst them: In fuch a Cafe they have defcended to infpire Mankind with their Sentiments, and chofen Champions from among us, in order to decide it. The Time of their Life is very different, fome dye as foon as born, and others in their Youth; fome get a new Lease of Life by their entring into the Womb again, and if any weather it out to a hundred Years, they generally live on to an extreme Age. After which it is remarkable, that inftead of growing weaker as we do, by Time, they increase in Strength, and become at laft fo confirm'd in Health, that it is the Opinion of their Country, they never can perish while the World remains. The Sickneffes which may take them off, befides what happens from their natural Weakness of Body, are of different Sorts. One is over-moif ture, which affecting their Manfions, makes them lofe their Complexions, become deform'd, and rot away infenfibly: This is often obviated by their not keeping too much within Doors. Another is the Worms, which prey upon their Bowels: If they be maim'd by Accidents, they become, like us, fo far useless; and that Maim will fome time or other be the Occafion of their Ruin. However, they perifh by thefe Means only in Appearance, and like Spirits, who vanish in one Place, to be seen in another. But as Men dye of Paffions, so Difefteem is what the most nearly touches them; then they withdraw into Holes and Corners, and confume away in Darkness. Or if they are kept alive a few Days by the force of Spices, it is but a fhort Reprieve from their perifhing to Eternity; without any Honour, but that instead of a Burial, a fmall Pyre of Paft fhou'd be erected over them, while they, like the antient Romans, are reduc'd to Ashes. N. B. This Vifion is to be understood of a Library of Books. FINIS. |