 him, as well as I could, the whole State of Europe; I
discoursed of Trade and Manufactures, of Arts and Sciences; and the Answers I
gave to all the Questions he made, as they arose upon several Subjects, were a
Fund of Conversation not to be exhausted. But I shall here only set down the
Substance of what passed between us concerning my own Country, reducing it into
Order as well as I can, without any Regard to Time or other Circumstances, while
I strictly adhere to Truth. My only Concern is, that I shall hardly be able to
do Justice to my Master's Arguments and Expressions, which must needs suffer by
my Want of Capacity, as well as by a Translation into our barbarous English.
    In Obedience therefore to his Honour's Commands, I related to him the
Revolution under the Prince of Orange; the long War with France entered into by
the said Prince, and renewed by his Successor the present Queen; wherein the
greatest Powers of Christendom were engaged, and which still continued: I
computed at his Request, that about a Million of Yahoos might have been killed
in the whole Progress of it; and perhaps a Hundred or more Cities taken, and
five times as many Ships burnt or sunk.
    He asked me what were the usual Causes or Motives that made one Country go
to War with another. I answered, they were innumerable; but I should only
mention a few of the chief. Sometimes the Ambition of Princes, who never think
they have Land or People enough to govern: Sometimes the Corruption of
Ministers, who engage their Master in a War in order to stifle or divert the
Clamour of the Subjects against their evil Administration. Difference in
Opinions hath cost many Millions of Lives: For Instance, whether Flesh be Bread,
or Bread be Flesh: Whether the Juice of a certain Berry be Blood or Wine:
Whether Whistling be a Vice or a Virtue: Whether it be better to kiss a Post, or
throw it into the Fire: What is the best Colour for a Coat, whether Black,
White, Red or Grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide,
dirty or clean; with many more. Neither are any Wars so furious and bloody, or
of so long Continuance, as those occasioned by Difference in Opinion, especially
if it be in things indifferent.
    Sometimes the Quarrel between two Princes is to decide which of them shall
dispossess a Third of his Dominions, where neither of them pretend to any Right.
Sometimes one Prince quarrelleth with another, for fear the other should quarrel
