The Travels and Adventures of James Massey

by Simon Tyssot de Patot

But to return to the Persons they make use of to take care of the Pendulums, and to give. Notice to the People of the Time of the Day. You must know, that hitherto no Person in this Country was ever sentenc'd to die. Crimes indeed are prohibited, and the Criminals punish'd, but not with Death; for they imagine, that as the Life of Man is in the Power only of God who gave it, 'tis not in Man's Power to take it away for any Cause whatsoever, not even for the Murder of a Father or Mother. It was in vain to preach to them, that the putting of Criminals to Death for such Capital Offences, was a Maxim, observ'd by almost all Mankind, and expresly commanded by our Law, of which we believe God himself was the Dictator; all this tended only to exasperate them, and to give them an Abhorrence for People whom they knew not, and whom they thought unworthy to see the Light. 'Tis not likely, said they, that a Man who kills another, is in his right Senses, and it would be an Affront to the rest of his Species to suppose it. But when we meet with Persons so extravagant and cruel, as to deprive their Neighbour of a Life which they never gave him, we ought to leave the Revenge to the Universal Spirit (which is the Name they call God by) and not to incroach upon his Prerogatives by imitating their Barbarity, under the specious Pretext of observing the Divine Laws, which in the main, say they, are but the Ordonnances of an unnatural Tyrant. In the Formation of Society, every Man may transfer the Right and Authority which Nature has given him over himself to another, as to his Prince or Sovereign, but he cannot give him any Power over his own Life. 'Tis God who thro' the Means of our Parents has made us without our Participation, and since we have not contributed to our own Existence in any Manner whatsoever, 'tis but just and lawful to leave it to that same God to unmake us, and to content our selves with laying our Hands upon the other Creatures which he seems to have left to our Disposal.

In conformity to these Principles, they only impose upon every Criminal that Punishment which they think most adequate to his Offence. Blasphemy against God is with them the most enormous Sin, and those who commit it, are without Mercy condemned to hard Labour as long as they live, in the Bottom of a dark Mine where the Light of the Sun cannot enter. Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators and great Robbers are treated much after the same manner: Some work at the Bottom, others at the Top; some are condemn'd for 10 Years, others for more or less Time according as the Crime is aggravated, and to the Age and Understanding of the Offender. Peccadillos are not punish'd so severely, those who commit them being generally confin'd to the Village. Some are employ'd in fishing, and in making and mending of Nets, in which they have full Employment, because their Rivers abound with Fish, and they eat great Quantities of them. Some take care of the Trees, and the Walks, and others cleanse the Canals. The Women and Girls look after the Pendulums, being reliev'd every six Hours, and the Boys go about constantly to cry the Hour of the Day from the Time that the Sun comes to their Meridian to the Time it returns. And when they have done this for a certain Term, they are restor'd to their Liberty.

I said a while ago, that Blasphemy is the Crime they punish with the greatest Severity, which gives me Occasion now to say two Words concerning the poor Man, our Guide to the Mines, who when he fell down, call'd out on the Name of Christ, as it were for Help. When I found myself able to speak their Language, I let no Opportunity slip of informing my self of the Things which I desir'd to know. I told our Patron one Day the Circumstances of the Journey we made to the Mountains, and when I mention'd the venerable Personage, and what he said, I ask'd him, if they knew a Christ among them. He made me Answer, that about 300 or 400 Years ago, there came several People into their Country for much the same Reasons that had brought us thither, that the last who came, was a grave Man dress'd in a long Robe in such a manner, that it was natural for me to think he was a Monk of some mendicant Order. This Man, continued he, had Wit and Learning too; he came to a Canton not far from this, but did not stay here long. As soon as he understood a little of our Language, he often shifted his Village. My Grandfather, as I have heard my Father say, had lodg'd him here several times, and took a great deal of Pleasure in hearing him talk. He was continually preaching up Morality, and discoursing of a Resurrection, and happy Immortality after this Life. Moreover, he affirmed, that God had a Son ingender'd of his own Substance long before the World had a Being, who manifested himself to Mankind several Ages past, as born from a Virgin, or one who, if you please, had never known Man: That this God-Man convers'd with Mankind that he suffer'd the Death of a Robber to procure eternal Life for the rest of Men who should be willing to embrace his Religion; and that this Person who was call'd Christ, rose from the Dead, and fitteth in Heaven at the Right Hand of God his Father, with him to govern Heaven and Earth till the End of the World. As this was very soothing Doctrine, the Monk found a great many People who were hugely delighted with what he said, and others took Offence at it, which coming to the King's Ears, he was sent for to Court, and after having been strictly examin'd, was condemned like the worst of Blasphemers, to spend the rest of his Days in the Bottom of a Mine, where, not long after, he died. And as he had the Name of Christ in his Mouth at every Turn, some that work'd with him, imitated him; and what you have now told me of your Guide, added he, is a certain Proof that the Doctrine has found its way to us.

Tho' this Discourse alarm'd me, I could not help telling him, that I was of the same Belief as that Man; that the Maxims of the Religion I profess'd, led me to it, and that I was surpriz'd to think that Persons of their Wisdom and Humanity could find in their Hearts to be so barbarous to a poor Friar, who no doubt was sent to them by Heaven for their Salvation. Perhaps, said my Landlord, it was owing in a great measure to State Policy. Princes don't love great Alterations in Worship, for fear their Persons should suffer by it, or that it should be prejudicial to the Government. And then 'tis as sure on the other hand, that your Sentiments are in many Respects contradictory, and that this Christ above all Things excites to Rebellion, and prodigiously embarrasses humane Reason. I own, said I, 'tis an incomprehensible Mystery, but we believe it; and we believe it with the more Confidence and Steadiness, because we see it is for our Advantage to believe it, and that 'tis interwoven with the Oeconomy of Salvation; besides its being a Truth of which a thousand Eye-Witnesses have given Evidence, and which has been reveal'd to us by God himself.

To be sure, said the Judge, you were born in very happy Climates, since the Divinity communicates himself there in such a manner to the Inhabitants; or rather, the People of your Country must be very vain and presumptuous to have the Impudence to give it out in publick, that the universal Spirit condescends to become a private Man, and to a Familiarity with a Worm of this Earth. To me it seems intolerable, and if this same God was the least concern'd for his own Honour, he would not fail to punish your Arrogance with Severity. But, before I engage farther with you in this Discourse, pray tell me, said he, how does this Revelation come? Does God speak to you directly himself, does he employ Heaven, Earth, or any other Creature in revealing it to you, in what manner doth he do it?

I question, said I, whether 'tis worth while to talk with you on this Subject; I perceive you are so wide from our Sentiments, and so little dispos'd to give the least Credit to our Doctrines, that I fear your Incredulity will stir up your Indignation, and bring me into some Trouble. You need fear nothing, reply'd he, I am your Friend, and a Man of Honour, and will allow you to say what you please, only I will not give up the Right of judging for myself. Upon this Condition, said I, I am willing to tell you as much as my Age, Education, and Business have suffer'd me to know of the Matter. But, for fear of rambling too far from the main Point, or lest I should entertain you with what you know better perhaps than I do, tell me if you please, first of all, what are your Sentiments of God, of the World, of Man, and of his Origin, as well as of his Dependence, and of what he ought to expect after this Life.

You say well, reply'd the old Gentleman, I am ready to satisfy you, as to my own particular, it being impossible that my Confession should be general, because perhaps there are as many Minds as there are Men. I for my part believe an increated Substance, an universal Spirit, sovereignly wise, and perfectly good and just, an independant and unchangeable Being, who made Heaven and Earth, and all Things that are therein, who governs and animates them, but in a Manner so secret, and so far above my Nothingness, that I have but a very imperfect Idea of it. And while we perceive the Necessity of his Existence and our Dependence upon him, we think ourselves under an indispensable Obligation to pay him our Homage and Adoration, never to speak of him but with Respect, nor so much as to think of him but with Trembling, which is one principal Part of our Worship; the other is continually to render him Thanks for all the Favours he has done us, without any Petition for Futurity, and much less for any thing beyond the Grave, because then as our Existence will be at an End, we shall have no more need of any thing whatsoever. And 'tis for this Purpose that we meet every Morning at the House of our Priest, which you have been Witness of many times since you came among us.

'Tis true, reply'd I, that you are very punctual in giving an Hour of your Devotion every Day in the Year to God, for which you are certainly very much to be commended; but I think it strange, that you entirely reject Prayer, and make no Distinction of Days; for we employ six Days in our domestick Affairs, and devote the seventh to God, and the Exercises of our Religion.

We don't think, reply'd he, that one Day is a Jot better than another. They are undoubtedly all alike, and though we are but one Hour in the Morning in our Churches, yet we don't fail to devote the rest of the Day to God, to meditate every Moment upon his Greatness, and to admire his Goodness to all his Creatures. But as to Prayer, 'tis absolutely needless, besides the offering Violence as it were to his Nature, which being immutable, 'tis evident that he cannot suffer any Shadow of Change.

Here Word was brought to the Judge, that the Tιμηɤ, that is to say, the Intendant or Governor was come to receive the Tribute of the Canton. We have already observ'd, that each Village consists of 22 Families govern'd by a Bailiff. Ten of the Cantons form one Government, the eldest of whose Bailiffs is Tιμηɤ, and President of the nine others in the Assemblies which are held for exercising Justice, and regulating the Police in those ten Villages. Besides this, there's the Sovereign Court to which out of the ten Governors one is deputed once a Year to the Assembly which is held for at least twenty Days. The King presides in this illustrious and numerous Body, which takes care of the Rights of the Regale, and to which an Appeal may be made from all the other Tribunals, when the Punishment of any capital Crime is the chief thing in question.