because we found it a great difficulty to make him understand us.
In the large pocket, on the right side of his middle cover" (so I
translate the word RANFULO, by which they meant my
breeches,) "we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the length of a
man, fastened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; and.
upon one side of the pillar, were huge pieces of iron sticking out,
cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make of. In
the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller
pocket on the right side, were several round flat pieces of white
and red metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed
to be silver, were so large and heavy, that my comrade and I could
hardly lift them. In the left pocket were two black pillars
irregularly shaped: we could not, without difficulty, reach the top
of them, as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them was
covered, and seemed all of a piece: but at the upper end of the
other there appeared a white round substance, about twice the
bigness of our heads. Within each of these was enclosed a
prodigious plate of steel; which, by our orders, we obliged him to
show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous
engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us, that in his
own country his practice was to shave his beard with one of these,
and cut his meat with the other. There were two pockets which we
could not enter: these he called his fobs; they were two large slits
cut into the top of his middle cover, but squeezed close by the
pressure of his belly. Out of the right fob hung a great silver chain,
with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. We directed him to
draw out whatever was at the end of that chain; which appeared to
be a globe, half silver, and half of some transparent metal; for, on
the transparent side, we saw certain strange figures circularly
drawn, and though we could touch them, till we found our fingers
stopped by the lucid substance. He put this engine into our ears,
which made an incessant noise, like that of a water-mill: and we
conjecture it is either some unknown animal, or the god that he
worships; but we are more inclined to the latter opinion, because.
he assured us, (if we understood him right, for he expressed
himself very imperfectly) that he seldom did any thing without
consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said, it pointed out the
time for every action of his life. From the left fob he took out a net
almost large enough for a fisherman, but contrived to open and
shut like a purse, and served him for the same use: we found
therein several massy pieces of yellow metal, which, if they be
real gold, must be of immense value.
"Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's commands,
diligently searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his
waist made of the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on
the left side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the
right, a bag or pouch divided into two cells, each cell capable of
holding three of your majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were
several globes, or balls, of a most ponderous metal, about the
bigness of our heads, and requiring a strong hand to lift them: the
other cell contained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great
bulk or weight, for we could hold above fifty of them in the palms
of our hands.
"This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of
the man-mountain, who used us with great civility, and due
respect to your majesty's commission. Signed and sealed on the
fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious
reign.
CLEFRIN FRELOCK, MARSI FRELOCK.".
When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me,
although in very gentle terms, to deliver up the several particulars.
He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, scabbard and all.
In the mean time he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops
(who then attended him) to surround me at a distance, with their
bows and arrows just ready to discharge; but I did not observe it,
for mine eyes were wholly fixed upon his majesty. He then
desired me to draw my scimitar, which, although it had got some
rust by the sea water, was, in most parts, exceeding bright. I did
so, and immediately all the troops gave a shout between terror and
surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the reflection dazzled their
eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my hand. His majesty,
who is a most magnanimous prince, was less daunted than I could
expect: he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and cast it on
the ground as gently as I could, about six feet from the end of my
chain. The next thing he demanded was one of the hollow iron
pillars; by which he meant my pocket pistols. I drew it out, and at
his desire, as well as I could, expressed to him the use of it; and
charging it only with powder, which, by the closeness of my
pouch, happened to escape wetting in the sea (an inconvenience
against which all prudent mariners take special care to provide,) I
first cautioned the emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in
the air. The astonishment here was much greater than at the sight
of my scimitar. Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck
dead; and even the emperor, although he stood his ground, could
not recover himself for some time. I delivered up both my pistols
in the same manner as I had done my scimitar, and then my pouch
of powder and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept
from fire, for it would kindle with the smallest spark, and blow up.
his imperial palace into the air. I likewise delivered up my watch,
which the emperor was very curious to see, and commanded two
of his tallest yeomen of the guards to bear it on a pole upon their
shoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of ale. He was
amazed at the continual noise it made, and the motion of the
minute-hand, which he could easily discern; for their sight is
much more acute than ours: he asked the opinions of his learned
men about it, which were various and remote, as the reader may
well imagine without my repeating; although indeed I could not
very perfectly understand them. I then gave up my silver and
copper money, my purse, with nine large pieces of gold, and some
smaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and silver snuff-box,
my handkerchief and journal-book. My scimitar, pistols, and
pouch, were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the
rest of my goods were returned me.
I had as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped
their search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I
sometimes use for the weakness of mine eyes,) a pocket
perspective, and some other little conveniences; which, being of
no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in
honour to discover, and I apprehended they might be lost or
spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession..
[The author diverts the emperor, and his nobility of both sexes, in
a very uncommon manner. The diversions of the court of Lilliput
described. The author has his liberty granted him upon certain
conditions.]
My gentleness and good behaviour had gained so far on the
emperor and his court, and indeed upon the army and people in
general, that I began to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a
short time. I took all possible methods to cultivate this favourable
disposition. The natives came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive
of any danger from me. I would sometimes lie down, and let five
or six of them dance on my hand; and at last the boys and girls
would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in my hair. I had
now made a good progress in understanding and speaking the
language. The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with
several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I
have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted
with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a
slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches
from the ground. Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the
reader's patience, to enlarge a little..
This diversion is only practised by those persons who are
candidates for great employments, and high favour at court. They
are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble
birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by
death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those
candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the
court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest,
without falling, succeeds in the office. Very often the chief
ministers themselves are commanded to show their skill, and to
convince the emperor that they have not lost their faculty.
Flimnap, the treasurer, is allowed to cut a caper on the straight
rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole
empire. I have seen him do the summerset several times together,
upon a trencher fixed on a rope which is no thicker than a
common pack-thread in England. My friend Reldresal, principal
secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial,
the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are
much upon a par.
These diversions are often attended with fatal accidents, whereof
great numbers are on record. I myself have seen two or three
candidates break a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the
ministers themselves are commanded to show their dexterity; for,
by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they strain so
far that there is hardly one of them who has not received a fall,
and some of them two or three. I was assured that, a year or two
before my arrival, Flimnap would infallibly have broke his neck,
if one of the king's cushions, that accidentally lay on the ground,
had not weakened the force of his fall..
There is likewise another diversion, which is only shown before
the emperor and empress, and first minister, upon particular
occasions. The emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads
of six inches long; one is blue, the other red, and the third green.
These threads are proposed as prizes for those persons whom the
emperor has a mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of his
favour. The ceremony is performed in his majesty's great chamber
of state, where the candidates are to undergo a trial of dexterity
very different from the former, and such as I have not observed
the least resemblance of in any other country of the new or old
world. The emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends parallel
to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one,
sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it,
backward and forward, several times, according as the stick is
advanced or depressed. Sometimes the emperor holds one end of
the stick, and his first minister the other; sometimes the minister
has it entirely to himself. Whoever performs his part with most
agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is
rewarded with the blue-coloured silk; the red is given to the next,
and the green to the third, which they all wear girt twice round
about the middle; and you see few great persons about this court
who are not adorned with one of these girdles.
The horses of the army, and those of the royal stables, having been
daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my
very feet without starting. The riders would leap them over my
hand, as I held it on the ground; and one of the emperor's
huntsmen, upon a large courser, took my foot, shoe and all; which.
was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune to divert the
emperor one day after a very extraordinary manner. I desired he
would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of
an ordinary cane, to be brought me; whereupon his majesty
commanded the master of his woods to give directions
accordingly; and the next morning six woodmen arrived with as
many carriages, drawn by eight horses to each. I took nine of
these sticks, and fixing them firmly in the ground in a
quadrangular figure, two feet and a half square, I took four other
sticks, and tied them parallel at each corner, about two feet from
the ground; then I fastened my handkerchief to the nine sticks that
stood erect; and extended it on all sides, till it was tight as the top
of a drum; and the four parallel sticks, rising about five inches
higher than the handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When
I had finished my work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of his
best horses twenty-four in number, come and exercise upon this
plain. His majesty approved of the proposal, and I took them up,
one by one, in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the
proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got into order
they divided into two parties, performed mock skirmishes,
discharged blunt arrows, drew their swords, fled and pursued,
attacked and retired, and in short discovered the best military
discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their
horses from falling over the stage; and the emperor was so much
delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated several
days, and once was pleased to be lifted up and give the word of
command; and with great difficulty persuaded even the empress
herself to let me hold her in her close chair within two yards of the
stage, when she was able to take a full view of the whole.
performance. It was my good fortune, that no ill accident
happened in these entertainments; only once a fiery horse, that
belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, struck a
hole in my handkerchief, and his foot slipping, he overthrew his
rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and
covering the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the
other, in the same manner as I took them up. The horse that fell
was strained in the left shoulder, but the rider got no hurt; and I
repaired my handkerchief as well as I could: however, I would not
trust to the strength of it any more, in such dangerous enterprises.
About two or three days before I was set at liberty, as I was
entertaining the court with this kind of feat, there arrived an
express to inform his majesty, that some of his subjects, riding
near the place where I was first taken up, had seen a great black
substance lying on the around, very oddly shaped, extending its
edges round, as wide as his majesty's bedchamber, and rising up in
the middle as high as a man; that it was no living creature, as they
at first apprehended, for it lay on the grass without motion; and
some of them had walked round it several times; that, by
mounting upon each other's shoulders, they had got to the top,
which was flat and even, and, stamping upon it, they found that it
was hollow within; that they humbly conceived it might be
something belonging to the man-mountain; and if his majesty
pleased, they would undertake to bring it with only five horses. I
presently knew what they meant, and was glad at heart to receive
this intelligence. It seems, upon my first reaching the shore after
our shipwreck, I was in such confusion, that before I came to the
place where I went to sleep, my hat, which I had fastened with a.
string to my head while I was rowing, and had stuck on all the
time I was swimming, fell off after I came to land; the string, as I
conjecture, breaking by some accident, which I never observed,
but thought my hat had been lost at sea. I entreated his imperial
majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as
possible, describing to him the use and the nature of it: and the
next day the waggoners arrived with it, but not in a very good
condition; they had bored two holes in the brim, within an inch
and half of the edge, and fastened two hooks in the holes; these
hooks were tied by a long cord to the harness, and thus my hat was
dragged along for above half an English mile; but, the ground in
that country being extremely smooth and level, it received less
damage than I expected.
Two days after this adventure, the emperor, having ordered that
part of his army which quarters in and about his metropolis, to be
in readiness, took a fancy of diverting himself in a very singular
manner. He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my legs as
far asunder as I conveniently could. He then commanded his
general (who was an old experienced leader, and a great patron of
mine) to draw up the troops in close order, and march them under
me; the foot by twenty-four abreast, and the horse by sixteen, with
drums beating, colours flying, and pikes advanced. This body
consisted of three thousand foot, and a thousand horse. His
majesty gave orders, upon pain of death, that every soldier in his
march should observe the strictest decency with regard to my
person; which however could not prevent some of the younger
officers from turning up their eyes as they passed under me: and,.
to confess the truth, my breeches were at that time in so ill a
condition, that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and
admiration.
I had sent so many memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his
majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and
then in a full council; where it was opposed by none, except
Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provocation, to
be my mortal enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole
board, and confirmed by the emperor. That minister was
GALBET, or admiral of the realm, very much in his master's
confidence, and a person well versed in affairs, but of a morose
and sour complexion. However, he was at length persuaded to
comply; but prevailed that the articles and conditions upon which
I should be set free, and to which I must swear, should be drawn
up by himself. These articles were brought to me by Skyresh
Bolgolam in person attended by two under-secretaries, and
several persons of distinction. After they were read, I was
demanded to swear to the performance of them; first in the
manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method
prescribed by their laws; which was, to hold my right foot in my
left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the
crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear. But
because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the style
and manner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to
know the article upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a
translation of the whole instrument, word for word, as near as I
was able, which I here offer to the public..
"Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue,
most mighty Emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the
universe, whose dominions extend five thousand BLUSTRUGS
(about twelve miles in circumference) to the extremities of the
globe; monarch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men;
whose feet press down to the centre, and whose head strikes
against the sun; at whose nod the princes of the earth shake their
knees; pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer, fruitful
as autumn, dreadful as winter: his most sublime majesty proposes
to the man-mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions, the
following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to
perform:--"
1st, The man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions,
without our license under our great seal.
"2d, He shall not presume to come into our metropolis, without
our express order; at which time, the inhabitants shall have two
hours warning to keep within doors.
"3d, The said man-mountain shall confine his walks to our
principal high roads, and not offer to walk, or lie down, in a
meadow or field of corn.
"4th, As he walks the said roads, he shall take the utmost care not
to trample upon the bodies of any of our loving subjects, their
horses, or carriages, nor take any of our subjects into his hands
without their own consent..
"5th, If an express requires extraordinary despatch, the man-mountain
shall be obliged to carry, in his pocket, the messenger
and horse a six days journey, once in every moon, and return the
said messenger back (if so required) safe to our imperial presence.
"6th, He shall be our ally against our enemies in the island of
Blefuscu, and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now
preparing to invade us.
"7th, That the said man-mountain shall, at his times of leisure, be
aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain
great stones, towards covering the wall of the principal park, and
other our royal buildings.
"8th, That the said man-mountain shall, in two moons' time,
deliver in an exact survey of the circumference of our dominions,
by a computation of his own paces round the coast.
"Lastly, That, upon his solemn oath to observe all the above
articles, the said man-mountain shall have a daily allowance of
meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724 of our subjects,
with free access to our royal person, and other marks of our
favour. Given at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the
ninety-first moon of our reign."
I swore and subscribed to these articles with great cheerfulness
and content, although some of them were not so honourable as I
could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the malice of
Skyresh Bolgolam, the high-admiral: whereupon my chains were.
immediately unlocked, and I was at full liberty. The emperor
himself, in person, did me the honour to be by at the whole
ceremony. I made my acknowledgements by prostrating myself at
his majesty's feet: but he commanded me to rise; and after many
gracious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of vanity, I shall
not repeat, he added, "that he hoped I should prove a useful
servant, and well deserve all the favours he had already conferred
upon me, or might do for the future."
The reader may please to observe, that, in the last article of the
recovery of my liberty, the emperor stipulates to allow me a
quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724
Lilliputians. Some time after, asking a friend at court how they
came to fix on that determinate number, he told me that his
majesty's mathematicians, having taken the height of my body by
the help of a quadrant, and finding it to exceed theirs in the
proportion of twelve to one, they concluded from the similarity of
their bodies, that mine must contain at least 1724 of theirs, and
consequently would require as much food as was necessary to
support that number of Lilliputians. By which the reader may
conceive an idea of the ingenuity of that people, as well as the
prudent and exact economy of so great a prince..
[Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the
emperor's palace. A conversation between the author and a
principal secretary, concerning the affairs of that empire. The
author's offers to serve the emperor in his wars.]
The first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that
I might have license to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the
emperor easily granted me, but with a special charge to do no hurt
either to the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by
proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall which
encompassed it is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven
inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely
round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I
stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently, and
sidling, through the two principal streets, only in my short
waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses
with the skirts of my coat. I walked with the utmost
circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might
remain in the streets, although the orders were very strict, that all
people should keep in their houses, at their own peril. The garret
windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that
I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more populous place.
The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five.
hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across and
divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and
alleys, which I could not enter, but only view them as I passed, are
from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding
five hundred thousand souls: the houses are from three to five
stories: the shops and markets well provided.
The emperor's palace is in the centre of the city where the two
great streets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two feet high, and
twenty feet distance from the buildings. I had his majesty's
permission to step over this wall; and, the space being so wide
between that and the palace, I could easily view it on every side.
The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other
courts: in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very
desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great
gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches
high, and seven inches wide. Now the buildings of the outer court
were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride
over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls
were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the
same time the emperor had a great desire that I should see the
magnificence of his palace; but this I was not able to do till three
days after, which I spent in cutting down with my knife some of
the largest trees in the royal park, about a hundred yards distant
from the city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three
feet high, and strong enough to bear my weight. The people
having received notice a second time, I went again through the
city to the palace with my two stools in my hands. When I came to
the side of the outer court, I stood upon one stool, and took the.
other in my hand; this I lifted over the roof, and gently set it down
on the space between the first and second court, which was eight
feet wide. I then stept over the building very conveniently from
one stool to the other, and drew up the first after me with a hooked
stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost court; and, lying
down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows of the
middle stories, which were left open on purpose, and discovered
the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw
the empress and the young princes, in their several lodgings, with
their chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was
pleased to smile very graciously upon me, and gave me out of the
window her hand to kiss.
But I shall not anticipate the reader with further descriptions of
this kind, because I reserve them for a greater work, which is now
almost ready for the press; containing a general description of this
empire, from its first erection, through along series of princes;
with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning,
and religion; their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and
customs, with other matters very curious and useful; my chief
design at present being only to relate such events and transactions
as happened to the public or to myself during a residence of about
nine months in that empire.
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty,
Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) for private
affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant. He
ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired I would give
him an hours audience; which I readily consented to, on account.
of his quality and personal merits, as well as of the many good
offices he had done me during my solicitations at court. I offered
to lie down that he might the more conveniently reach my ear, but
he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand during our
conversation. He began with compliments on my liberty; said "he
might pretend to some merit in it;" but, however, added, "that if it
had not been for the present situation of things at court, perhaps I
might not have obtained it so soon. For," said he, "as flourishing a
condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labour
under two mighty evils: a violent faction at home, and the danger
of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the
first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past
there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the
names of TRAMECKSAN and SLAMECKSAN, from the high
and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish
themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most
agreeable to our ancient constitution; but, however this be, his
majesty has determined to make use only of low heels in the
administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the
crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that his
majesty's imperial heels are lower at least by a DRURR than any
of his court (DRURR is a measure about the fourteenth part of an
inch). The animosities between these two parties run so high, that
they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. We
compute the TRAMECKSAN, or high heels, to exceed us in
number; but the power is wholly on our side. We apprehend his
imperial highness, the heir to the crown, to have some tendency
towards the high heels; at least we can plainly discover that one of
his heels is higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his.
gait. Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are
threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is
the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and
powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you
affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world
inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our
philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that
you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is
certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time
destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty's dominions:
besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of
any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and
Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell
you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty
moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on
all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat
them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty's
grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking
it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his
fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict,
commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the
smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law,
that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on
that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his
crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the
monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles
always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven
thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than
submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large.
volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the
books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole
party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During
the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefusca did
frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of
making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental
doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of
the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought
to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: 'that all
true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.'
And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to
be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the
chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have
found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu's court, and so
much private assistance and encouragement from their party here
at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two
empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during
which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much a greater
number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our
best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy
is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have
now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a
descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great
confidence in your valour and strength, has commanded me to lay
this account of his affairs before you.".
I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor;
and to let him know, "that I thought it would not become me, who
was a foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready, with the
hazard of my life, to defend his person and state against all
invaders.".
[The author, by an extraordinary stratagem, prevents an invasion.
A high title of honour is conferred upon him. Ambassadors arrive
from the emperor of Blefuscu, and sue for peace. The empress's
apartment on fire by an accident; the author instrumental in saving
the rest of the palace.]
The empire of Blefuscu is an island situated to the north-east of
Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of eight
hundred yards wide. I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of
an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the
coast, for fear of being discovered, by some of the enemy's ships,
who had received no intelligence of me; all intercourse between
the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war,
upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our emperor upon all
vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his majesty a project I had
formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet; which, as our scouts
assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail with the first
fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the
depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed; who told me,
that in the middle, at high-water, it was seventy GLUMGLUFFS
deep, which is about six feet of European measure; and the rest of
it fifty GLUMGLUFFS at most. I walked towards the north-east
coast, over against Blefuscu, where, lying down behind a hillock,.
I took out my small perspective glass, and viewed the enemy's
fleet at anchor, consisting of about fifty men of war, and a great
number of transports: I then came back to my house, and gave
orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the
strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as
packthread and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle.
I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I
twisted three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities into
a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went
back to the north-east coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and
stockings, walked into the sea, in my leathern jerkin, about half an
hour before high water. I waded with what haste I could, and
swam in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived
at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was so frightened
when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships, and swam
to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand
souls. I then took my tackling, and, fastening a hook to the hole at
the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I
was thus employed, the enemy discharged several thousand
arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face, and, beside
the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My
greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have
infallibly lost, if I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I
kept, among other little necessaries, a pair of spectacles in a
private pocket, which, as I observed before, had escaped the
emperor's searchers. These I took out and fastened as strongly as I
could upon my nose, and thus armed, went on boldly with my
work, in spite of the enemy's arrows, many of which struck
against the glasses of my spectacles, but without any other effect,.
further than a little to discompose them. I had now fastened all the
hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a
ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so
that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go
the cord, and leaving the looks fixed to the ships, I resolutely cut
with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving
about two hundred shots in my face and hands; then I took up the
knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with
great ease drew fifty of the enemy's largest men of war after me.
The Blefuscudians, who had not the least imagination of what I
intended, were at first confounded with astonishment. They had
seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the
ships run adrift or fall foul on each other: but when they perceived
the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end,
they set up such a scream of grief and despair as it is almost
impossible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of danger,
I stopped awhile to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and
face; and rubbed on some of the same ointment that was given me
at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off
my spectacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide was a little
fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived
safe at the royal port of Lilliput.
The emperor and his whole court stood on the shore, expecting the
issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in
a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my
breast in water. When I advanced to the middle of the channel,
they were yet more in pain, because I was under water to my neck..
The emperor concluded me to be drowned, and that the enemy's
fleet was approaching in a hostile manner: but he was soon eased
of his fears; for the channel growing shallower every step I made,
I came in a short time within hearing, and holding up the end of
the cable, by which the fleet was fastened, I cried in a loud voice,
"Long live the most puissant king of Lilliput!" This great prince
received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and
created me a NARDAC upon the spot, which is the highest title of
honour among them.
His majesty desired I would take some other opportunity of
bringing all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports. And so
unmeasureable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think
of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a
province, and governing it, by a viceroy; of destroying the Big-endian
exiles, and compelling that people to break the smaller end
of their eggs, by which he would remain the sole monarch of the
whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this design, by
many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as
justice; and I plainly protested, "that I would never be an
instrument of bringing a free and brave people into slavery." And,
when the matter was debated in council, the wisest part of the
ministry were of my opinion.
This open bold declaration of mine was so opposite to the
schemes and politics of his imperial majesty, that he could never
forgive me. He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council,
where I was told that some of the wisest appeared, at least by their
silence, to be of my opinion; but others, who were my secret.
enemies, could not forbear some expressions which, by a side-wind,
reflected on me. And from this time began an intrigue
between his majesty and a junto of ministers, maliciously bent
against me, which broke out in less than two months, and had like
to have ended in my utter destruction. Of so little weight are the
greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a
refusal to gratify their passions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn
embassy from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace, which was
soon concluded, upon conditions very advantageous to our
emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six
ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons, and their
entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their
master, and the importance of their business. When their treaty
was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit
I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies,
who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made
me a visit in form. They began with many compliments upon my
valour and generosity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor
their master's name, and desired me to show them some proofs of
my prodigious strength, of which they had heard so many
wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the
reader with the particulars.
When I had for some time entertained their excellencies, to their
infinite satisfaction and surprise, I desired they would do me the
honour to present my most humble respects to the emperor their
master, the renown of whose virtues had so justly filled the whole.
world with admiration, and whose royal person I resolved to
attend, before I returned to my own country. Accordingly, the
next time I had the honour to see our emperor, I desired his
general license to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he
was pleased to grant me, as I could perceive, in a very cold
manner; but could not guess the reason, till I had a whisper from a
certain person, "that Flimnap and Bolgolam had represented my
intercourse with those ambassadors as a mark of disaffection;"
from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the
first time I began to conceive some imperfect idea of courts and
ministers.
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke to me, by an
interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from
each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself
upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with
an avowed contempt for that of their neighbour; yet our emperor,
standing upon the advantage he had got by the seizure of their
fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials, and make their
speech, in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confessed, that
from the great intercourse of trade and commerce between both
realms, from the continual reception of exiles which is mutual
among them, and from the custom, in each empire, to send their
young nobility and richer gentry to the other, in order to polish
themselves by seeing the world, and understanding men and
manners; there are few persons of distinction, or merchants, or
seamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold
conversation in both tongues; as I found some weeks after, when I
went to pay my respects to the emperor of Blefuscu, which, in the.
midst of great misfortunes, through the malice of my enemies,
proved a very happy adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper
place.
The reader may remember, that when I signed those articles upon
which I recovered my liberty, there were some which I disliked,
upon account of their being too servile; neither could anything but
an extreme necessity have forced me to submit. But being now a
NARDAC of the highest rank in that empire, such offices were
looked upon as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do him
justice), never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not
long before I had an opportunity of doing his majesty, at least as I
then thought, a most signal service. I was alarmed at midnight
with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which,
being suddenly awaked, I was in some kind of terror. I heard the
word BURGLUM repeated incessantly: several of the emperor's
court, making their way through the crowd, entreated me to come
immediately to the palace, where her imperial majesty's apartment
was on fire, by the carelessness of a maid of honour, who fell
asleep while she was reading a romance. I got up in an instant; and
orders being given to clear the way before me, and it being
likewise a moonshine night, I made a shift to get to the palace
without trampling on any of the people. I found they had already
applied ladders to the walls of the apartment, and were well
provided with buckets, but the water was at some distance. These
buckets were about the size of large thimbles, and the poor people
supplied me with them as fast as they could: but the flame was so
violent that they did little good. I might easily have stifled it with
my coat, which I unfortunately left behind me for haste, and came.
away only in my leathern jerkin. The case seemed wholly
desperate and deplorable; and this magnificent palace would have
infallibly been burnt down to the ground, if, by a presence of mind
unusual to me, I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I had,
the evening before, drunk plentifully of a most delicious wine
called GLIMIGRIM, (the Blefuscudians call it FLUNEC, but ours
is esteemed the better sort,) which is very diuretic. By the luckiest
chance in the world, I had not discharged myself of any part of it.
The heat I had contracted by coming very near the flames, and by
labouring to quench them, made the wine begin to operate by
urine; which I voided in such a quantity, and applied so well to the
proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly
extinguished, and the rest of that noble pile, which had cost so
many ages in erecting, preserved from destruction.
It was now day-light, and I returned to my house without waiting
to congratulate with the emperor: because, although I had done a
very eminent piece of service, yet I could not tell how his majesty
In the large pocket, on the right side of his middle cover" (so I
translate the word RANFULO, by which they meant my
breeches,) "we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the length of a
man, fastened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; and.
upon one side of the pillar, were huge pieces of iron sticking out,
cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make of. In
the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller
pocket on the right side, were several round flat pieces of white
and red metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed
to be silver, were so large and heavy, that my comrade and I could
hardly lift them. In the left pocket were two black pillars
irregularly shaped: we could not, without difficulty, reach the top
of them, as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them was
covered, and seemed all of a piece: but at the upper end of the
other there appeared a white round substance, about twice the
bigness of our heads. Within each of these was enclosed a
prodigious plate of steel; which, by our orders, we obliged him to
show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous
engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us, that in his
own country his practice was to shave his beard with one of these,
and cut his meat with the other. There were two pockets which we
could not enter: these he called his fobs; they were two large slits
cut into the top of his middle cover, but squeezed close by the
pressure of his belly. Out of the right fob hung a great silver chain,
with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. We directed him to
draw out whatever was at the end of that chain; which appeared to
be a globe, half silver, and half of some transparent metal; for, on
the transparent side, we saw certain strange figures circularly
drawn, and though we could touch them, till we found our fingers
stopped by the lucid substance. He put this engine into our ears,
which made an incessant noise, like that of a water-mill: and we
conjecture it is either some unknown animal, or the god that he
worships; but we are more inclined to the latter opinion, because.
he assured us, (if we understood him right, for he expressed
himself very imperfectly) that he seldom did any thing without
consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said, it pointed out the
time for every action of his life. From the left fob he took out a net
almost large enough for a fisherman, but contrived to open and
shut like a purse, and served him for the same use: we found
therein several massy pieces of yellow metal, which, if they be
real gold, must be of immense value.
"Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's commands,
diligently searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his
waist made of the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on
the left side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the
right, a bag or pouch divided into two cells, each cell capable of
holding three of your majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were
several globes, or balls, of a most ponderous metal, about the
bigness of our heads, and requiring a strong hand to lift them: the
other cell contained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great
bulk or weight, for we could hold above fifty of them in the palms
of our hands.
"This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of
the man-mountain, who used us with great civility, and due
respect to your majesty's commission. Signed and sealed on the
fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious
reign.
CLEFRIN FRELOCK, MARSI FRELOCK.".
When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me,
although in very gentle terms, to deliver up the several particulars.
He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, scabbard and all.
In the mean time he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops
(who then attended him) to surround me at a distance, with their
bows and arrows just ready to discharge; but I did not observe it,
for mine eyes were wholly fixed upon his majesty. He then
desired me to draw my scimitar, which, although it had got some
rust by the sea water, was, in most parts, exceeding bright. I did
so, and immediately all the troops gave a shout between terror and
surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the reflection dazzled their
eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my hand. His majesty,
who is a most magnanimous prince, was less daunted than I could
expect: he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and cast it on
the ground as gently as I could, about six feet from the end of my
chain. The next thing he demanded was one of the hollow iron
pillars; by which he meant my pocket pistols. I drew it out, and at
his desire, as well as I could, expressed to him the use of it; and
charging it only with powder, which, by the closeness of my
pouch, happened to escape wetting in the sea (an inconvenience
against which all prudent mariners take special care to provide,) I
first cautioned the emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in
the air. The astonishment here was much greater than at the sight
of my scimitar. Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck
dead; and even the emperor, although he stood his ground, could
not recover himself for some time. I delivered up both my pistols
in the same manner as I had done my scimitar, and then my pouch
of powder and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept
from fire, for it would kindle with the smallest spark, and blow up.
his imperial palace into the air. I likewise delivered up my watch,
which the emperor was very curious to see, and commanded two
of his tallest yeomen of the guards to bear it on a pole upon their
shoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of ale. He was
amazed at the continual noise it made, and the motion of the
minute-hand, which he could easily discern; for their sight is
much more acute than ours: he asked the opinions of his learned
men about it, which were various and remote, as the reader may
well imagine without my repeating; although indeed I could not
very perfectly understand them. I then gave up my silver and
copper money, my purse, with nine large pieces of gold, and some
smaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and silver snuff-box,
my handkerchief and journal-book. My scimitar, pistols, and
pouch, were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the
rest of my goods were returned me.
I had as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped
their search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I
sometimes use for the weakness of mine eyes,) a pocket
perspective, and some other little conveniences; which, being of
no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in
honour to discover, and I apprehended they might be lost or
spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession..
[The author diverts the emperor, and his nobility of both sexes, in
a very uncommon manner. The diversions of the court of Lilliput
described. The author has his liberty granted him upon certain
conditions.]
My gentleness and good behaviour had gained so far on the
emperor and his court, and indeed upon the army and people in
general, that I began to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a
short time. I took all possible methods to cultivate this favourable
disposition. The natives came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive
of any danger from me. I would sometimes lie down, and let five
or six of them dance on my hand; and at last the boys and girls
would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in my hair. I had
now made a good progress in understanding and speaking the
language. The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with
several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I
have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted
with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a
slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches
from the ground. Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the
reader's patience, to enlarge a little..
This diversion is only practised by those persons who are
candidates for great employments, and high favour at court. They
are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble
birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by
death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those
candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the
court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest,
without falling, succeeds in the office. Very often the chief
ministers themselves are commanded to show their skill, and to
convince the emperor that they have not lost their faculty.
Flimnap, the treasurer, is allowed to cut a caper on the straight
rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole
empire. I have seen him do the summerset several times together,
upon a trencher fixed on a rope which is no thicker than a
common pack-thread in England. My friend Reldresal, principal
secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial,
the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are
much upon a par.
These diversions are often attended with fatal accidents, whereof
great numbers are on record. I myself have seen two or three
candidates break a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the
ministers themselves are commanded to show their dexterity; for,
by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they strain so
far that there is hardly one of them who has not received a fall,
and some of them two or three. I was assured that, a year or two
before my arrival, Flimnap would infallibly have broke his neck,
if one of the king's cushions, that accidentally lay on the ground,
had not weakened the force of his fall..
There is likewise another diversion, which is only shown before
the emperor and empress, and first minister, upon particular
occasions. The emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads
of six inches long; one is blue, the other red, and the third green.
These threads are proposed as prizes for those persons whom the
emperor has a mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of his
favour. The ceremony is performed in his majesty's great chamber
of state, where the candidates are to undergo a trial of dexterity
very different from the former, and such as I have not observed
the least resemblance of in any other country of the new or old
world. The emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends parallel
to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one,
sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it,
backward and forward, several times, according as the stick is
advanced or depressed. Sometimes the emperor holds one end of
the stick, and his first minister the other; sometimes the minister
has it entirely to himself. Whoever performs his part with most
agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is
rewarded with the blue-coloured silk; the red is given to the next,
and the green to the third, which they all wear girt twice round
about the middle; and you see few great persons about this court
who are not adorned with one of these girdles.
The horses of the army, and those of the royal stables, having been
daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my
very feet without starting. The riders would leap them over my
hand, as I held it on the ground; and one of the emperor's
huntsmen, upon a large courser, took my foot, shoe and all; which.
was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune to divert the
emperor one day after a very extraordinary manner. I desired he
would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of
an ordinary cane, to be brought me; whereupon his majesty
commanded the master of his woods to give directions
accordingly; and the next morning six woodmen arrived with as
many carriages, drawn by eight horses to each. I took nine of
these sticks, and fixing them firmly in the ground in a
quadrangular figure, two feet and a half square, I took four other
sticks, and tied them parallel at each corner, about two feet from
the ground; then I fastened my handkerchief to the nine sticks that
stood erect; and extended it on all sides, till it was tight as the top
of a drum; and the four parallel sticks, rising about five inches
higher than the handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When
I had finished my work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of his
best horses twenty-four in number, come and exercise upon this
plain. His majesty approved of the proposal, and I took them up,
one by one, in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the
proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got into order
they divided into two parties, performed mock skirmishes,
discharged blunt arrows, drew their swords, fled and pursued,
attacked and retired, and in short discovered the best military
discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their
horses from falling over the stage; and the emperor was so much
delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated several
days, and once was pleased to be lifted up and give the word of
command; and with great difficulty persuaded even the empress
herself to let me hold her in her close chair within two yards of the
stage, when she was able to take a full view of the whole.
performance. It was my good fortune, that no ill accident
happened in these entertainments; only once a fiery horse, that
belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, struck a
hole in my handkerchief, and his foot slipping, he overthrew his
rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and
covering the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the
other, in the same manner as I took them up. The horse that fell
was strained in the left shoulder, but the rider got no hurt; and I
repaired my handkerchief as well as I could: however, I would not
trust to the strength of it any more, in such dangerous enterprises.
About two or three days before I was set at liberty, as I was
entertaining the court with this kind of feat, there arrived an
express to inform his majesty, that some of his subjects, riding
near the place where I was first taken up, had seen a great black
substance lying on the around, very oddly shaped, extending its
edges round, as wide as his majesty's bedchamber, and rising up in
the middle as high as a man; that it was no living creature, as they
at first apprehended, for it lay on the grass without motion; and
some of them had walked round it several times; that, by
mounting upon each other's shoulders, they had got to the top,
which was flat and even, and, stamping upon it, they found that it
was hollow within; that they humbly conceived it might be
something belonging to the man-mountain; and if his majesty
pleased, they would undertake to bring it with only five horses. I
presently knew what they meant, and was glad at heart to receive
this intelligence. It seems, upon my first reaching the shore after
our shipwreck, I was in such confusion, that before I came to the
place where I went to sleep, my hat, which I had fastened with a.
string to my head while I was rowing, and had stuck on all the
time I was swimming, fell off after I came to land; the string, as I
conjecture, breaking by some accident, which I never observed,
but thought my hat had been lost at sea. I entreated his imperial
majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as
possible, describing to him the use and the nature of it: and the
next day the waggoners arrived with it, but not in a very good
condition; they had bored two holes in the brim, within an inch
and half of the edge, and fastened two hooks in the holes; these
hooks were tied by a long cord to the harness, and thus my hat was
dragged along for above half an English mile; but, the ground in
that country being extremely smooth and level, it received less
damage than I expected.
Two days after this adventure, the emperor, having ordered that
part of his army which quarters in and about his metropolis, to be
in readiness, took a fancy of diverting himself in a very singular
manner. He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my legs as
far asunder as I conveniently could. He then commanded his
general (who was an old experienced leader, and a great patron of
mine) to draw up the troops in close order, and march them under
me; the foot by twenty-four abreast, and the horse by sixteen, with
drums beating, colours flying, and pikes advanced. This body
consisted of three thousand foot, and a thousand horse. His
majesty gave orders, upon pain of death, that every soldier in his
march should observe the strictest decency with regard to my
person; which however could not prevent some of the younger
officers from turning up their eyes as they passed under me: and,.
to confess the truth, my breeches were at that time in so ill a
condition, that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and
admiration.
I had sent so many memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his
majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and
then in a full council; where it was opposed by none, except
Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provocation, to
be my mortal enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole
board, and confirmed by the emperor. That minister was
GALBET, or admiral of the realm, very much in his master's
confidence, and a person well versed in affairs, but of a morose
and sour complexion. However, he was at length persuaded to
comply; but prevailed that the articles and conditions upon which
I should be set free, and to which I must swear, should be drawn
up by himself. These articles were brought to me by Skyresh
Bolgolam in person attended by two under-secretaries, and
several persons of distinction. After they were read, I was
demanded to swear to the performance of them; first in the
manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method
prescribed by their laws; which was, to hold my right foot in my
left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the
crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear. But
because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the style
and manner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to
know the article upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a
translation of the whole instrument, word for word, as near as I
was able, which I here offer to the public..
"Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue,
most mighty Emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the
universe, whose dominions extend five thousand BLUSTRUGS
(about twelve miles in circumference) to the extremities of the
globe; monarch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men;
whose feet press down to the centre, and whose head strikes
against the sun; at whose nod the princes of the earth shake their
knees; pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer, fruitful
as autumn, dreadful as winter: his most sublime majesty proposes
to the man-mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions, the
following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to
perform:--"
1st, The man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions,
without our license under our great seal.
"2d, He shall not presume to come into our metropolis, without
our express order; at which time, the inhabitants shall have two
hours warning to keep within doors.
"3d, The said man-mountain shall confine his walks to our
principal high roads, and not offer to walk, or lie down, in a
meadow or field of corn.
"4th, As he walks the said roads, he shall take the utmost care not
to trample upon the bodies of any of our loving subjects, their
horses, or carriages, nor take any of our subjects into his hands
without their own consent..
"5th, If an express requires extraordinary despatch, the man-mountain
shall be obliged to carry, in his pocket, the messenger
and horse a six days journey, once in every moon, and return the
said messenger back (if so required) safe to our imperial presence.
"6th, He shall be our ally against our enemies in the island of
Blefuscu, and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now
preparing to invade us.
"7th, That the said man-mountain shall, at his times of leisure, be
aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain
great stones, towards covering the wall of the principal park, and
other our royal buildings.
"8th, That the said man-mountain shall, in two moons' time,
deliver in an exact survey of the circumference of our dominions,
by a computation of his own paces round the coast.
"Lastly, That, upon his solemn oath to observe all the above
articles, the said man-mountain shall have a daily allowance of
meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724 of our subjects,
with free access to our royal person, and other marks of our
favour. Given at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the
ninety-first moon of our reign."
I swore and subscribed to these articles with great cheerfulness
and content, although some of them were not so honourable as I
could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the malice of
Skyresh Bolgolam, the high-admiral: whereupon my chains were.
immediately unlocked, and I was at full liberty. The emperor
himself, in person, did me the honour to be by at the whole
ceremony. I made my acknowledgements by prostrating myself at
his majesty's feet: but he commanded me to rise; and after many
gracious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of vanity, I shall
not repeat, he added, "that he hoped I should prove a useful
servant, and well deserve all the favours he had already conferred
upon me, or might do for the future."
The reader may please to observe, that, in the last article of the
recovery of my liberty, the emperor stipulates to allow me a
quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724
Lilliputians. Some time after, asking a friend at court how they
came to fix on that determinate number, he told me that his
majesty's mathematicians, having taken the height of my body by
the help of a quadrant, and finding it to exceed theirs in the
proportion of twelve to one, they concluded from the similarity of
their bodies, that mine must contain at least 1724 of theirs, and
consequently would require as much food as was necessary to
support that number of Lilliputians. By which the reader may
conceive an idea of the ingenuity of that people, as well as the
prudent and exact economy of so great a prince..
[Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the
emperor's palace. A conversation between the author and a
principal secretary, concerning the affairs of that empire. The
author's offers to serve the emperor in his wars.]
The first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that
I might have license to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the
emperor easily granted me, but with a special charge to do no hurt
either to the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by
proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall which
encompassed it is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven
inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely
round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I
stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently, and
sidling, through the two principal streets, only in my short
waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses
with the skirts of my coat. I walked with the utmost
circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might
remain in the streets, although the orders were very strict, that all
people should keep in their houses, at their own peril. The garret
windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that
I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more populous place.
The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five.
hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across and
divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and
alleys, which I could not enter, but only view them as I passed, are
from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding
five hundred thousand souls: the houses are from three to five
stories: the shops and markets well provided.
The emperor's palace is in the centre of the city where the two
great streets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two feet high, and
twenty feet distance from the buildings. I had his majesty's
permission to step over this wall; and, the space being so wide
between that and the palace, I could easily view it on every side.
The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other
courts: in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very
desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great
gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches
high, and seven inches wide. Now the buildings of the outer court
were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride
over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls
were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the
same time the emperor had a great desire that I should see the
magnificence of his palace; but this I was not able to do till three
days after, which I spent in cutting down with my knife some of
the largest trees in the royal park, about a hundred yards distant
from the city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three
feet high, and strong enough to bear my weight. The people
having received notice a second time, I went again through the
city to the palace with my two stools in my hands. When I came to
the side of the outer court, I stood upon one stool, and took the.
other in my hand; this I lifted over the roof, and gently set it down
on the space between the first and second court, which was eight
feet wide. I then stept over the building very conveniently from
one stool to the other, and drew up the first after me with a hooked
stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost court; and, lying
down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows of the
middle stories, which were left open on purpose, and discovered
the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw
the empress and the young princes, in their several lodgings, with
their chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was
pleased to smile very graciously upon me, and gave me out of the
window her hand to kiss.
But I shall not anticipate the reader with further descriptions of
this kind, because I reserve them for a greater work, which is now
almost ready for the press; containing a general description of this
empire, from its first erection, through along series of princes;
with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning,
and religion; their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and
customs, with other matters very curious and useful; my chief
design at present being only to relate such events and transactions
as happened to the public or to myself during a residence of about
nine months in that empire.
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty,
Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) for private
affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant. He
ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired I would give
him an hours audience; which I readily consented to, on account.
of his quality and personal merits, as well as of the many good
offices he had done me during my solicitations at court. I offered
to lie down that he might the more conveniently reach my ear, but
he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand during our
conversation. He began with compliments on my liberty; said "he
might pretend to some merit in it;" but, however, added, "that if it
had not been for the present situation of things at court, perhaps I
might not have obtained it so soon. For," said he, "as flourishing a
condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labour
under two mighty evils: a violent faction at home, and the danger
of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the
first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past
there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the
names of TRAMECKSAN and SLAMECKSAN, from the high
and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish
themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most
agreeable to our ancient constitution; but, however this be, his
majesty has determined to make use only of low heels in the
administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the
crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that his
majesty's imperial heels are lower at least by a DRURR than any
of his court (DRURR is a measure about the fourteenth part of an
inch). The animosities between these two parties run so high, that
they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. We
compute the TRAMECKSAN, or high heels, to exceed us in
number; but the power is wholly on our side. We apprehend his
imperial highness, the heir to the crown, to have some tendency
towards the high heels; at least we can plainly discover that one of
his heels is higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his.
gait. Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are
threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is
the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and
powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you
affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world
inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our
philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that
you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is
certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time
destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty's dominions:
besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of
any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and
Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell
you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty
moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on
all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat
them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty's
grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking
it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his
fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict,
commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the
smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law,
that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on
that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his
crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the
monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles
always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven
thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than
submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large.
volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the
books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole
party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During
the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefusca did
frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of
making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental
doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of
the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought
to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: 'that all
true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.'
And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to
be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the
chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have
found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu's court, and so
much private assistance and encouragement from their party here
at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two
empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during
which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much a greater
number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our
best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy
is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have
now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a
descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great
confidence in your valour and strength, has commanded me to lay
this account of his affairs before you.".
I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor;
and to let him know, "that I thought it would not become me, who
was a foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready, with the
hazard of my life, to defend his person and state against all
invaders.".
[The author, by an extraordinary stratagem, prevents an invasion.
A high title of honour is conferred upon him. Ambassadors arrive
from the emperor of Blefuscu, and sue for peace. The empress's
apartment on fire by an accident; the author instrumental in saving
the rest of the palace.]
The empire of Blefuscu is an island situated to the north-east of
Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of eight
hundred yards wide. I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of
an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the
coast, for fear of being discovered, by some of the enemy's ships,
who had received no intelligence of me; all intercourse between
the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war,
upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our emperor upon all
vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his majesty a project I had
formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet; which, as our scouts
assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail with the first
fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the
depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed; who told me,
that in the middle, at high-water, it was seventy GLUMGLUFFS
deep, which is about six feet of European measure; and the rest of
it fifty GLUMGLUFFS at most. I walked towards the north-east
coast, over against Blefuscu, where, lying down behind a hillock,.
I took out my small perspective glass, and viewed the enemy's
fleet at anchor, consisting of about fifty men of war, and a great
number of transports: I then came back to my house, and gave
orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the
strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as
packthread and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle.
I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I
twisted three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities into
a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went
back to the north-east coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and
stockings, walked into the sea, in my leathern jerkin, about half an
hour before high water. I waded with what haste I could, and
swam in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived
at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was so frightened
when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships, and swam
to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand
souls. I then took my tackling, and, fastening a hook to the hole at
the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I
was thus employed, the enemy discharged several thousand
arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face, and, beside
the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My
greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have
infallibly lost, if I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I
kept, among other little necessaries, a pair of spectacles in a
private pocket, which, as I observed before, had escaped the
emperor's searchers. These I took out and fastened as strongly as I
could upon my nose, and thus armed, went on boldly with my
work, in spite of the enemy's arrows, many of which struck
against the glasses of my spectacles, but without any other effect,.
further than a little to discompose them. I had now fastened all the
hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a
ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so
that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go
the cord, and leaving the looks fixed to the ships, I resolutely cut
with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving
about two hundred shots in my face and hands; then I took up the
knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with
great ease drew fifty of the enemy's largest men of war after me.
The Blefuscudians, who had not the least imagination of what I
intended, were at first confounded with astonishment. They had
seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the
ships run adrift or fall foul on each other: but when they perceived
the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end,
they set up such a scream of grief and despair as it is almost
impossible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of danger,
I stopped awhile to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and
face; and rubbed on some of the same ointment that was given me
at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off
my spectacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide was a little
fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived
safe at the royal port of Lilliput.
The emperor and his whole court stood on the shore, expecting the
issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in
a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my
breast in water. When I advanced to the middle of the channel,
they were yet more in pain, because I was under water to my neck..
The emperor concluded me to be drowned, and that the enemy's
fleet was approaching in a hostile manner: but he was soon eased
of his fears; for the channel growing shallower every step I made,
I came in a short time within hearing, and holding up the end of
the cable, by which the fleet was fastened, I cried in a loud voice,
"Long live the most puissant king of Lilliput!" This great prince
received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and
created me a NARDAC upon the spot, which is the highest title of
honour among them.
His majesty desired I would take some other opportunity of
bringing all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports. And so
unmeasureable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think
of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a
province, and governing it, by a viceroy; of destroying the Big-endian
exiles, and compelling that people to break the smaller end
of their eggs, by which he would remain the sole monarch of the
whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this design, by
many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as
justice; and I plainly protested, "that I would never be an
instrument of bringing a free and brave people into slavery." And,
when the matter was debated in council, the wisest part of the
ministry were of my opinion.
This open bold declaration of mine was so opposite to the
schemes and politics of his imperial majesty, that he could never
forgive me. He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council,
where I was told that some of the wisest appeared, at least by their
silence, to be of my opinion; but others, who were my secret.
enemies, could not forbear some expressions which, by a side-wind,
reflected on me. And from this time began an intrigue
between his majesty and a junto of ministers, maliciously bent
against me, which broke out in less than two months, and had like
to have ended in my utter destruction. Of so little weight are the
greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a
refusal to gratify their passions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn
embassy from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace, which was
soon concluded, upon conditions very advantageous to our
emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six
ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons, and their
entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their
master, and the importance of their business. When their treaty
was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit
I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies,
who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made
me a visit in form. They began with many compliments upon my
valour and generosity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor
their master's name, and desired me to show them some proofs of
my prodigious strength, of which they had heard so many
wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the
reader with the particulars.
When I had for some time entertained their excellencies, to their
infinite satisfaction and surprise, I desired they would do me the
honour to present my most humble respects to the emperor their
master, the renown of whose virtues had so justly filled the whole.
world with admiration, and whose royal person I resolved to
attend, before I returned to my own country. Accordingly, the
next time I had the honour to see our emperor, I desired his
general license to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he
was pleased to grant me, as I could perceive, in a very cold
manner; but could not guess the reason, till I had a whisper from a
certain person, "that Flimnap and Bolgolam had represented my
intercourse with those ambassadors as a mark of disaffection;"
from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the
first time I began to conceive some imperfect idea of courts and
ministers.
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke to me, by an
interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from
each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself
upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with
an avowed contempt for that of their neighbour; yet our emperor,
standing upon the advantage he had got by the seizure of their
fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials, and make their
speech, in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confessed, that
from the great intercourse of trade and commerce between both
realms, from the continual reception of exiles which is mutual
among them, and from the custom, in each empire, to send their
young nobility and richer gentry to the other, in order to polish
themselves by seeing the world, and understanding men and
manners; there are few persons of distinction, or merchants, or
seamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold
conversation in both tongues; as I found some weeks after, when I
went to pay my respects to the emperor of Blefuscu, which, in the.
midst of great misfortunes, through the malice of my enemies,
proved a very happy adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper
place.
The reader may remember, that when I signed those articles upon
which I recovered my liberty, there were some which I disliked,
upon account of their being too servile; neither could anything but
an extreme necessity have forced me to submit. But being now a
NARDAC of the highest rank in that empire, such offices were
looked upon as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do him
justice), never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not
long before I had an opportunity of doing his majesty, at least as I
then thought, a most signal service. I was alarmed at midnight
with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which,
being suddenly awaked, I was in some kind of terror. I heard the
word BURGLUM repeated incessantly: several of the emperor's
court, making their way through the crowd, entreated me to come
immediately to the palace, where her imperial majesty's apartment
was on fire, by the carelessness of a maid of honour, who fell
asleep while she was reading a romance. I got up in an instant; and
orders being given to clear the way before me, and it being
likewise a moonshine night, I made a shift to get to the palace
without trampling on any of the people. I found they had already
applied ladders to the walls of the apartment, and were well
provided with buckets, but the water was at some distance. These
buckets were about the size of large thimbles, and the poor people
supplied me with them as fast as they could: but the flame was so
violent that they did little good. I might easily have stifled it with
my coat, which I unfortunately left behind me for haste, and came.
away only in my leathern jerkin. The case seemed wholly
desperate and deplorable; and this magnificent palace would have
infallibly been burnt down to the ground, if, by a presence of mind
unusual to me, I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I had,
the evening before, drunk plentifully of a most delicious wine
called GLIMIGRIM, (the Blefuscudians call it FLUNEC, but ours
is esteemed the better sort,) which is very diuretic. By the luckiest
chance in the world, I had not discharged myself of any part of it.
The heat I had contracted by coming very near the flames, and by
labouring to quench them, made the wine begin to operate by
urine; which I voided in such a quantity, and applied so well to the
proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly
extinguished, and the rest of that noble pile, which had cost so
many ages in erecting, preserved from destruction.
It was now day-light, and I returned to my house without waiting
to congratulate with the emperor: because, although I had done a
very eminent piece of service, yet I could not tell how his majesty