me 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 years old it
became green, so continued till five and twenty, then turned to a deep
blue: at five and forty it grew coal black, and as large as an English
shilling; but never admitted any further alteration." He said, "these
births were so rare, that he did not believe there could be above eleven
hundred struldbrugs, of both sexes, in the whole kingdom; of which he
computed about fifty in the metropolis, and, among the rest, a young girl
born; about three years ago: that these productions were not peculiar to
any family, but a mere effect of chance; and the children of the
_struldbrugs_ themselves were equally mortal with the rest of the
people."

I freely own myself to have been struck with inexpressible delight, upon
hearing this account: and the person who gave it me happening to
understand the Balnibarbian language, which I spoke very well, I could
not forbear breaking out into expressions, perhaps a little too
extravagant. I cried out, as in a rapture, "Happy nation, where every
child hath at least a chance for being immortal! Happy people, who enjoy
so many living examples of ancient virtue, and have masters ready to
instruct them in the wisdom of all former ages! but happiest, beyond all
comparison, are those excellent _struldbrugs_, who, being born exempt
from that universal calamity of human nature, have their minds free and
disengaged, without