THE MERCOLIANS, a People who possessed an Island in the Lilliputian Sea, had by their Industry, Trade, and Commerce, acquired immense Riches. by their Shipping they made the Product of all Nations their own, and the inhabitants of the neighbouring Isles, and on the Continent, were their Slaves and Dependents. Nothing, however, is so difficult to manage as too much Wealth; and a State may be crushed under the Weight of its own Power, 50 which was the Fate of the MERCOLIANS. They grew proud, insolent, and idle: And the only Use they made of their Riches was to purchase them new invented Pleasures. They sunk in Down-beds, and grew effeminate: Exercise, which strings the Nerves and preserves Health, was a Stranger to them; they turned Day into Night, and the Night into Day, and wasted their most valuable and precious Time, in Routs, Drums, and riotous Assemblies. They took Counsel of Strangers, they chose their Generals and Officers from a foreign People, and were at last plundered and dispossessed of their Property by their own Dependents.

In this Confusion some of the best families left MERCOLIA, and took Possession of an Island uninhabited in the same Seas, but were followed by their Enemies, who drew up in Battle Array to destroy them. At this Instant of Time, when no Prospect of Safety remained, and every Man expected his Fate, Master TURVILO, a Lad of about fourteen Years, arose, and thus addressed himself to the Mercolians: “Brethren, and you Men of MERCOLIA! Let not Fear drive you to Madness! You have Lives, you have Families, and the Means is in your own Hands to do it. Let every Man deliver to me his Money, the only Cause and Source of his Misfortunes, and I will deliver him from these People, who from 51 being your Slaves and Dependents, are now become your Lords and Dictators.” He then took a large Heap of Money which he divided into three hundred Bags, untied and distributed these Bags to the same number of Men, to each Man his Bag; and placed them behind those of his Friends who were armed, who were to retreat when their Pursuers came upon them. The Men with the Money, according to their Directions, having emptied their Bags on the Ground, the tempting Metal diverted the Soldiers, as they came forward, from their Duty, and set them to fighting among themselves. The Mercolians stood at a Distance and beheld them destroying one another, till such Time as their Forces were sufficiently weakened, and then turning upon them overthrew them with great Slaughter. After this Master TURVILLO was placed at the Head of the People, and made their King; and in Order to establish in them virtuous and good Principles, he erected two Temples, one whereof was classed the Temple of FAME, and built on the Top of an high Hill, fortified round with a strong Wall and a deep Ditch; and the other was placed in the Middle of the Rod, leading to that on the Hill; so that there was no coming thither but through it; and this was called the Temple of VIRTUE. The first Portal of this Temple was dignified with this Inscription, namely, 52 The Road to the Temple of FAME is through the Temple of VIRTUE.

And after passing through a spacious Court, a beautiful Portico presented itself, on which was written in Azure and Gold, the folliowing Words, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength, and thy Neighbour as thyself.

In the Temple of Fame were registered the Names of all those who were good Men, whether Plow-men, Trades-men, or whatever else; (for Worth and Honour are confined to no particular Class of People) and Seals were given them at the Public Expence, as a testimony of their Esteem; but to those who were loose, indolent, and did nothing for the Service of the Community, no Seals were given, nor were they suffered to enter the Temple. And if at any Time those who had procured that Honour, degenerated, that Mark of Esteem was taken from them, and a Badge of Infamy placed on their Backs, which they were obliged to wear, or abandon their Friends and Country. Nor did either Honour or Infamy descend from the Father to the Son, for every Man was to win his own Laurels, and be accountable for his own Actions only^A.

They have some other valuable Regulations, of which the Manner of electing their 53 Parliament-men is a very good One, though not done by Ballot or secretly as the Crusonians and Lilliputians; for they are yet far behind them in political Wisdom, and carry on their Improvements very slowly like the English, and as the American Sluggard it costs them many a Groan to make a Movement.—However the Way is thus:— When a Writ is issued for a Member, the day of Election is appointed, and on that Day, every Parish in the County or Town that is to return him, meet at their respective Churches or other proper Plaes, where the Minister, Church-wardens, and other principal Men in the Parish attend, having a List of all the settled Inhabitants or Householders in the Parish, (for all such People have a Right to vote.) Then the Candidates are named, and the first Parishioner is asked whom he votes for? who if he answers for B, then his Name is placed next to B's Account, and the next is asked whom he votes for? and is perhaps for A, and so placed to A's Account; the next we suppose votes for C, and is set to C's Account: And so they go on, voting some for A, some for B, and some for C, according to their various Inclinations, and are marked down to the Person's Account they vote for, till all the Parish has voted and then the Poll is closed. Now this being done in every Parish on the same Day, the the Day quietly finishes the Election, and nothing remains but for each Parish to send their Poll-books to the 54 Returning Officer, for the said Town or County, and the Candidates, at the Place appointed; who on collecting the Numbers in every Parish for each Candidate together, directly see who is chosen.^B

Thus did little king TURVILO raise a ruined State, and make a miserable People happy; for, in a few Years, Peace regined in every Breast, and Plenty smiled in every Valley: They had no Ambition but of excelling in Virtue, and no Contentions, but who should be most religious and most just.