To return from this digression. When I had crept
within four yards of the throne, I raised myself gently
upon my knees, and then striking my forehead seven
times against the ground, I pronounced the following
words, as they had been taught me the night before,
Inckpling gloffthrobb squut serummblhiop mlashnalt
zwin tnodbalkuffh slhiophad gurdlubh asht. This
is the compliment, established by the laws of the
land, for all persons admitted to the king’s
presence. It may be rendered into English thus:
“May your celestial majesty outlive the sun,
eleven moons and a half!” To this the king returned
some answer, which, although I could not understand,
yet I replied as I had been directed: Fluft drin
yalerick dwuldom prastrad mirpush, which properly signifies,
“My tongue is in the mouth of my friend;”
and by this expression was meant, that I desired leave
to bring my interpreter; whereupon the young man already
mentioned was accordingly introduced, by whose intervention
I answered as many questions as his majesty could put
in above an hour. I spoke in the Balnibarbian
tongue, and my interpreter delivered my meaning in
that of Luggnagg.
The king was much delighted with my company, and ordered
his bliffmarklub, or high-chamberlain, to appoint
a lodging in the court for me and my interpreter;
with a daily allowance for my table, and a large purse
of gold for my common expenses.
I staid three months in this country, out of perfect
obedience to his majesty; who was pleased highly to
favour me, and made me very honourable offers.
But I thought it more consistent with prudence and
justice to pass the remainder of my days with my wife
and family.
CHAPTER X.
[The Luggnaggians commended. A particular description
of the Struldbrugs, with many conversations between
the author and some eminent persons upon that subject.]
The Luggnaggians are a polite and generous people;
and although they are not without some share of that
pride which is peculiar to all Eastern countries,
yet they show themselves courteous to strangers, especially
such who are countenanced by the court. I had
many acquaintance, and among persons of the best fashion;
and being always attended by my interpreter, the conversation
we had was not disagreeable.
One day, in much good company, I was asked by a person
of quality, “whether I had seen any of their
struldbrugs, or immortals?” I said, “I
had not;” and desired he would explain to me
“what he meant by such an appellation, applied
to a mortal creature.” He told me “that
sometimes, though very rarely, a child happened to
be born in a family, with a red circular spot in the
forehead, directly over the left eyebrow, which was
an infallible mark that it should never die.”
The spot, as he described it, “was about the
compass of a silver threepence, but in the course of
time grew larger, and changed its colour; for at twelve
