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 Nativity, and well affected to his Government; yet I could not imagine by what it was caus'd; for it was more loud and shrill than any Sound of Bells I had ever heard in Ireland. I was inform'd that they had no Bells in the Moon; and to supply that Defect, they, upon Days of Rejoicing, hir'd certain Persons, fit for nothing else, to foment Quarrels between Women, so as that they might scold: Those Women were immediately carried to the Tops of Steeples, where they were furnish'd with Liquors to enflame their Rage, and had those Fomenters standing by them, to take care that each mould return the ill Language she receiv'd, tho' they were ready enough of themselves to continue their loud Reproaches; and that thole scolding Women were what made such an horrible Din. Tckbrff further told me, that this Custom of putting the scolding Women upon the Tops of Steeples, had made them, for some Years, past keep their Tongues in more Subjection than they were wont to do, which oblig'd 'em to hire Persons to make them alarm the Kingdom. I could not but wish that all the loud-tongu'd Women in mine own Country were transported to the Moon, till I consider'd, that by that Means poor Ireland would find a great Scarcity of Wives, and perhaps in one Age be wholly uninhabited. I have since thought that Philosophers upon Earth might mistake this Noise in the Moon for Musick, which made them first talk of the Musick of the Spheres.

Before I had Time to reflect upon what I had heard, we met with a Company of Beasts, among whom we could not discover the least Remains of Humanity, except in one, who had preserv'd his Nose; but I believe that was owing to his not taking Snuff; for I did not see him take a Pinch during our Conference, as the rest did. Those were Persons, who to shew how ready they were to serve