Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 6.djvu/266

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HE 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 three-pence, 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