The Luggnaggians Commended. A Detailed Description of the Struldbrugs, and the Author’s Conversations on the Subject.
The people of Luggnagg were generally polite and generous. Although they possessed a certain pride common to many Eastern nations, they were remarkably courteous to strangers, especially those who were well-received at court. I made many acquaintances among the upper classes and, as I was always accompanied by my interpreter, our conversations were both frequent and pleasant.
One day, while in the company of several distinguished individuals, a gentleman of high rank asked me if I had ever seen any of their struldbrugs, or immortals. I replied that I had not, and asked him to explain what he meant by such a term. He informed me that, on very rare occasions, a child was born with a small, red circular spot on the forehead, directly above the left eyebrow. This was an infallible sign that the child would never die. The spot was initially about the size of a small coin, but it changed color as the person aged. By the age of twelve, it turned green; at twenty-five, it became a deep blue; and by forty-five, it grew as black as coal, after which it never changed again. He estimated that there were about eleven hundred of these immortals in the kingdom, including a young girl born only three years prior.
I must admit that I was struck with pure delight upon hearing this. Since I spoke the Balnibarbian language well—a tongue my companion also understood—I could not help but express my admiration. "Happy nation!" I cried out in a rapture. "Where every child has at least a chance of being immortal! How fortunate you are to have living examples of ancient virtue and masters who can instruct you in the wisdom of former ages! But happiest of all are the struldbrugs themselves, who are born free from the universal fear of death."
I expressed my surprise that I had not yet noticed any of these illustrious persons at court. Surely, I argued, the King would want such wise and experienced counselors by his side. Perhaps, I suggested, their virtue was too strict for the relaxed atmosphere of a court, or perhaps the younger generation was too stubborn to listen to their sober advice. I told the gentleman that if the King offered me a permanent position in his country, I would gladly accept it, just for the chance to spend my life in conversation with these superior beings.
The gentleman listened to me with a pitying smile—the kind one gives to a person who is deeply ignorant. After translating my words for the rest of the company, they spoke among themselves for some time in their own language. Eventually, the gentleman turned back to me. He said his friends were amused by my "judicious" remarks on the advantages of immortality and wanted to know what kind of life I would lead if I had been born a struldbrug.
I told them it was easy to speak on such a delightful subject. I explained that if I were immortal, I would first focus on becoming the wealthiest man in the kingdom through careful management and thrift. Within two hundred years, I would be a master of finance. Secondly, I would devote myself to the study of arts and sciences until I surpassed all others in learning. Finally, I would record every significant historical event and observe every change in customs, language, and fashion. I would become a living treasury of knowledge—the ultimate oracle of the nation.
I envisioned myself living a hospitable but modest life. I would mentor promising young men, using my vast experience to teach them the value of virtue. My constant companions would be my fellow immortals, though I would occasionally invite a few "mortals" to my table. I confessed that, over time, I would probably become hardened to the deaths of these mortal friends, viewing their passing as one might view the cycles of flowers in a garden—beautiful for a season, but easily replaced.
"We struldbrugs would watch the rise and fall of empires," I continued enthusiastically. "We would see ancient cities crumble and small villages become the seats of kings. We would witness the discovery of unknown lands and the perfection of great inventions, such as the cure for all diseases or the secrets of the stars."
When my long speech had been interpreted, the company broke into laughter. At last, the gentleman told me he wished to correct a few of my "mistakes," which he attributed to the natural weakness of human nature. He explained that in other kingdoms, like Japan or Balnibarbi, people always wish for a longer life and view death as the greatest evil. However, in Luggnagg, the appetite for living was much lower because they had the example of the struldbrugs constantly before their eyes.
He told me my vision was unrealistic because it assumed a "perpetuity of youth, health, and vigor." No man, he said, could be so foolish as to hope for that. The real question was not whether a man wanted to be forever young, but how he would endure an eternal life burdened by the miseries of old age.
He then gave me a terrifying account of what life was truly like for the immortals. Until the age of thirty, they acted like everyone else. After that, they grew increasingly depressed until they reached eighty. At that age, they possessed all the usual infirmities of the elderly, but with added horrors. They were not only peevish and greedy but were entirely incapable of friendship or natural affection. Envy was their main passion—specifically, envy of the youth of others and, even more strangely, envy of those who were able to die.
"They remember nothing clearly except what they learned in their youth," the gentleman explained. "And even those memories are unreliable. Those who lose their memories entirely are actually the lucky ones, as they receive more pity and assistance."
I was shocked to learn that at the age of eighty, the struldbrugs were considered "dead in the eyes of the law." Their heirs immediately inherited their property, and they were left with only a small allowance to survive. They could no longer hold jobs, buy land, or even serve as witnesses in court. At ninety, they lost their teeth and hair, and their sense of taste vanished. They forgot the names of their closest relatives and could no longer enjoy reading, as they would forget the beginning of a sentence before reaching the end. Most tragically, because language is always changing, a struldbrug born two hundred years ago could barely communicate with the modern inhabitants. They lived like foreigners in their own country.
Later, I was brought five or six of these creatures to see for myself. They were the most mortifying sight I have ever beheld. Beyond the usual deformities of extreme age, they had a ghastly appearance that increased with every century. They showed no curiosity about my travels; instead, they simply begged for a "token of remembrance," a polite way of asking for money.
My keen appetite for eternal life vanished instantly. I grew heartily ashamed of my foolish visions. I realized that the laws of Luggnagg, which stripped the immortals of their rights, were actually necessary. If these beings were allowed to accumulate wealth and power forever, they would eventually own the entire nation and destroy the public.
When the King heard of my change of heart, he joked that I should take a couple of struldbrugs back to my own country to cure my fellow countrymen of their fear of death. However, the laws of the kingdom strictly forbade exporting them. Nevertheless, I had seen enough. I was now quite content with the knowledge that my own life, however short, would eventually come to a peaceful and necessary end.