Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 12) (1877 11 23)
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Vol.I. _ Single, B BY DEAN SWIFT. A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. CHAPTER I. My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire. { was the third of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College in Cambridge, at fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me, although . [had a very scanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom I continued four years; and my father now and then sendin me small sums of money, I laic them cut in learning naviga- tion, and other parts of the mathematics, useful to those who intend to travel, as I al- ways believed it would be, some time or other, my fortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my father; where, by the assistance of him and my uncle John, and some other re- lations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirty pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden; there I studied physic two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful to me in long voyages. Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good master, Mr. Bates, to be surgeon to the Swallow, Cap tain Abraham Pannell, com- mander; with whom I continued three years and a half, making & voyage or two into the Levant, and some other parts. When if came back, I resolved to settle in London; to which Mr. Bates, my master, encouraged me and by him I was recommended to several patients. I took part of a small house in the Old Jewry; and being advised to alter my condition, I married Mrs. Mazy Burton, second daughter to Mr. Edmund Bur- ton, hosier, in Newgate street, with whom I received four hun- dred pounds for a portion. But my good master, Bates, dying in two years after, and I having few friends, my business began to fail; for my conscience would not suffer me to imitate the bad practice of too many among my brethren. Having, therefore, consulted with my wife and some of my acquain- tance, I determined to go again to sea. I was surgeon succes- sively in two ships, and made several voyages for six years, to the East and West Indies, by which I got some addition to my fortune. My hours of leis- ure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and disposition, of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I ha a great facility, by the strength of my memory. xy) = 1" a m hk ay ~» @* Copyrighted in 1877, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, EAD No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. ‘ 8 Deo pe lt to ta al fl a =< i ak LE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, \] , | Son x ~ \5 = x! SN | iit! (| | i ’. OBR Co OT Price, 5 Cents. | The last of these voyages not proving very fortu- | nate, I grew weary of the sea and intended to stay | the Old Jewry to Fetter Lane, and from thence to | Wapping, hoping to get business among the sailors, | but it would not turn to account. After three years’ | | at home with my wife and family; I removed from | | expectation that things would mend,I accepted an | | advantageous offer from Captain William Prichard, master of the Antelope, who was making a voyage to the South Sea. We set sail from Bristol, May 4, 1699, and our voyage at first was very prosperous. It would not be proper, for some reasons, to trouble the reader with the particulars of our adventures in driven by a violent storm to the north-west of Van Dieman’s Land. By an observation, we found our- selves in the latitude of 30 degrees 2 minutes south. Twelve of our crew were dead by immod- erate labor and ill food; the rest were in a ver weak condition. On the 5th of November, whic was the beginning of summer in those parts, the weather being very hazy, the seamen spied a rock within half a cable’s length of the ship; but the wind was s0 strong that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately split. Six of the crew, of | whom I was one, having let down the boat into the those seas; let it suffice to inform him, that in our | passage from thence to the East Indies, we were “ My little friend Grildrig, you have made a most admirable panegyric upon your country.” sea, made a shift to get clear of the ship and the rock. We rowed, by my computation, about three leagues, till we were able to work no longer, being al- ready spent with labor while we were in the ship. We therefore trusted ourselves to the mere of the waves, and in about half an hour the boat was overset by a sudden flurry from the north. What became of m companions in the boat, as we! as of those who escaped on the rock, or were left in the vessel, I cannot tell; but conclude th were all lost. For my own I swam as fortune directed me, and was pushed forward by wind and tide. I often let my legs dy and could feel no bottom; but when I was almost gone, and able to struggle no onger, I found myself within my depth, and by this time the storm was much abated. The declivity was so small, that I walked near a mile before I to the shore, which I co: tured was about eight o’c in the evening, I then advanced forward near half a mile, but could not discover any s' of houses or inhabitants; at I was in so weak a condition that I did not observe them. Ef was extremely tired, and with that, and the heat of the weath- er, and about half a pint of brandy that I had drank as I left the _ I found my- self — ine —s to sleep. I la own in the , w on very short and soft, where I slept sounder than ever I remembered to have done in my life, and as I reck about nine hours; for when awaked, it was just daylight. . l attempted to rise, but was not able to stir; for as I happened to lie on = back, I found my arms and legs were stron fastened on each side to ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the same manner. I like- wise felt several slender liga tures across my body, from my arm-pits to my thighs. IT conld only look upward, the sun be- gan to grow hot, and the offended my eyes. I h a -confused noise about me;but in the posture I lay, could’ see nothing except the sky. In a little time I felt something alive moving on my left leg, which advancing gently forward over my breast, came almost up to my chin; when, bending my eyes downward as mu as I could, I perceived it to be a human creature not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver at his back. In the meantime I felt at least forty more of the same ec
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eyes to the sun, as ca » 2 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. ‘ P. in a frigh’ ; and some of them, as. 4 ; doh seen were _ : alls the Vv rom,my sides upon ground. ‘owever, they oy Westond and one of them, who far as to get a full sight of my face, lift- ing yp his Rage an "eyes by way of admiration, ed out in a shrill but distinct voice, cate degul; hy peated the same words several times, then knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, as the reader may believe, in great_uneasi- ness; at length, struggling to get loose, I had the fortune to break » sti Ss, and wrench out the s that fastened my left arm to the grout for, —— it up tomy s, I discovered the methods taken to bind me, and, at the same time. i a violent pull, which gave me excessive pain, i a little Joosenéd the strings that tied down my hair on the left side, so that I was just able to turn my head about two inches. But the creatures ran off a second time before I could seize them; whereupon was a great shout in a very shrill accent, and er it Theard one of them cry aloud, Tolgo ; when in an instant I felt about a hundred arrows discharged on my left hand, which pricked me like so many needles; and, besides, they shot an- other flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe. whereof many, I suppose, fell on my body (thoug i felt, them not), and some on my face, which I imme- diately covered with my left hand. When this show- er of arrows was over, I fell a-groaning with grief and pain, and then striving again to get loose, they discharged another volley larger than the first, and gome of them attempted with spears to stick me in the sides; but by good luck I had on me a buff jer- kin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the 10st prudent method to lie still, and my design was _to continue so till night, when my left hand being already loose, I could easily free myself; and as for the inhabitants, I had reason to believe I might be a match for the greatest army they could bring against mie, if they were all of the same size with him that I saw. But fortune disposed otherwise for me. When the people observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows; but, by the noise if heard, I knew their numbers inc ; and about four yards from me, over against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an hour, like that of people at work; when turning my head that way, as well as the pegs and ee would admit mo, I saw a stage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of hold- ing four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it; from whence one of them, who seemed Eu ea> peteon of quality, made me a long speech whereof I understood not'one syllable. But I should have mentioned, that before the principal person be- gan his oration, he cried out three times, vangra de- san; (these words and the former were afterward repeated and explained to me), Whereupon, imme- Miately about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the strings that fastened the left side of my head, which gave me the liberty of turning it to the right, and of observing the person and gesture of him that was tospeak. He appeared to be of a middle age, and er than any of the other three who at- tended him, whereof one was a page that held his train, and seemed to be somewhat longer my middle finger; the other two stood one m each side to support him. He acted eve part of an orator, and I could observe many of threatenings, and others of promises, pity and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in the most submissive manner, lifting up my left hand and both him for a witness; and bein ost famished with hunger, having not eaten a morsel for some hours before I left the ship, I found the demands of nature so strong upon me, that I could not forbear showing my impatience ps against the strict rules of Leena a by put- my finger froquchtly to my mouth, alghity that I wanted food. The hurgo (for so they called a great lord, as I afterward learnt) understood me very well. He descended from the stage, and com- amanded that several ladders should be ae a tomy sides, on which above a hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked toward my mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had been provided and _ gent thither by the king’s orders, upon the first in- igence he received of me. I observed there was the flesh of several animals, but could not distinguish . them by the taste. There were shoulders, legs, and loins, shaped like those of mutton, and very well dressed, but smaller than the wings of a lark. I ate them by two or three ata mouthful, and took three | loaves at a time, about the bigness of musket bullets. They supplied me as fast as they could, showing a #housand marks of wonder and astonishment at m bulk and ee. I then made another sign, that 1 wanted . They found by my eating that a amall quantity would not suffice me; and being a most ingenious le, they slun uD, with great clr largest hogsheads, then rolled ry genta one of it toward my hand, and beat out the es: I drank it off ata draught, which I might well do, for it did not hold half a pint, and tasted like a small wine of Bur- gundy, but much more delicious. They brought me a nd. hogshead, which I drank in the same man- ner, and le signs for more; but they had none to give me. When I had performed these wonders, hey shouted for joy, and danced upon my breast i a, eile imes, as they did at first, Hekinah y made me a sign that I should throw _ down. wo h heads, but first ben dewa the peal below to stand out of the way, crying aloud, ach mevolah ; and when they saw the vessels in the air, there was a universal shout of Hekinah degul. T confess I was of tempted, while they were ing backward and forward on my body, to seize med er fifty of the first that came in my reach, and dash (as I conjectured) following the first. I was in | them against the ground. But the remembrance of aor eres pe and roared so loud ‘se what Thad felt, hich probably might not be the all ac 3 worst they could do, and the promise of honorI made them, for so I interpreted my submissive behavior, soon drove out these imaginations. Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the laws of hospi- tality, toa hipeie: who had treated mie with so much expense and magnificence. However, in my thoughts IT could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who durst venture to mount and walk upon my body, while one of my hands was at liberty, without trembling at the very sight of so prodigious a creature as I must appear to them,. After some time, when they observed that I made no more demands for meat, there appeared be- fore me a person of high rank from his imperial majesty. His excellency, having mounted on the small of ~ ht leg, advanced forward up to my face, with about a dozen of his retinue; and Les a ing his credentiais under the signet royal, which he applied close. to my eyes, spoke about ten minutes, without any si of anger, but with a kind of deter- minate resolution; often pointing forward, which, as I afterward found, was toward the capital city, about half a mile distant, whither it was agreed by his ma- jesty in council, that I must be conveyed. I answer- ed in few words, but to no purpose, and made a sign with my hand that was loose, putting it to the other, (but over his excellency’s head, for fear of hurting him or his train), and then to my own head and body to signify that I desired my li a It a peared that he understood me well enough, for he shook his head by way of disapprobation and held his hand in a posture to show that I must be carried as a pris- oner. However, he made other signs to let me un- derstand that I should have meat and drink enough, and very good treatment. Whereupon, I once more thought of attempting to break my bonds; but again, when I felt the smart of their arrows upon my face and hands, which were all in blisters, and many of the darts still sticking in them, and ines blr g likewise that the number of my enemies increased, I gave tokens to let them know that they might do with me what they pleased. Upon this, the hurgo and his train withdrew, with much civility and cheer- ful countenances. Soon after, I heard a general shout, with ohio peo repetitions of the words Peplom selan; and I felt great numbers of people on my left side relaxing the cords to such a degree, that I was able to turn upon my ga and to ease myself with making water, which I very plentifully did, to the reat astonishment of the people; who, conjecturing y my motion what I was going to do, immediately opened to the right and left on that side, to avoid the torrent which fell with such noise and violence from me. Butbefore this, they had daubed my face and both my hands with a sort of ointment, very pleasant to the smell, which, in a few minutes, removed all the smart of their arrows. These circumstances, add- ed to the refreshment I had received by their victuals and drink, which were very nourishing, disposed me to sleep. I slept about eight hours, as I was after- ward assured; andit was no wonder, for the physi- cians, by the emperor's orders, had mingled a sleepy potion inthe hogshead of wine. It seems, that upon the first moment I was dis- covered fe on the ground, after my landing, the emperor had early notice of it by an express, and de- termined in council that I should be tied in the man- ner I have related (which was done in the night while I slept); that plenty of meat and drink shoul be sent me, and a machine prepared to carry me to = A eee Sand h This resolution, perha may appear very bold and dangerous, and I axe confident would hee be imitated by any prince in Europe on the like occa- sion, However, in my opinion, it was extremely prudent, as well as generous; for, supposing these people had endeavored to kill me with their spears and arrows, while I was asleep, I should certainl have awaked with the first sense of smart, which might so far have aroused my rage and strength, as to have enabled me to break the strings where- with I was tied; after which, as they were notable to make resistance, so they could expect no mercy. These people are most excellent mathematicians, and arrived to a great perfection in mechanics by the countenance and encouragement of the emperor, who is a renowned patron of learni This prince has several machines fixed on wheels, for the car- riage of trees and other great weights. He often builds his largest men-of-war, whereof some are nine feet long, in the wo where the timber grows, and has them carried on these engines three or four hundreds yards to the sea, Five hundred carpen- ters and en cope 2 were immediately set at work to prepare the greatest engine they had. It was a frame of wood, raised three inches from the ground, about seven feet long, and four wide, moving upon twenty-two wheels. The shout I heard was upon the arrival of this engine, which, it seems, set out in four hours after my anding. It was brought par- allel to me, as I lay. But the rincipal difficulty was to raise and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles, each of one foot high, were erected for this pu , and very strong cords, of the bigness of ackthread, were fastened by hooks to many ban- ages, which the workmen had girt round my neck my hands, my body, and my legs. Nine hundred o the strongest men were employed to draw up these cords, by many pulleys fastened on the poles, and e thus, in less than three hours, Iwas raised and slung into the engine, and there tied fast. All this I was ld; for, while the operation was rforming, I ay in a profound sleep, by the force of that soporifer- ous intend infused en my liquor. Fifteen hun- dred of the emperor’s largest horses, each about four inches and a half high, were employed to draw me toward the metropolis which, as d, was half a mile distant. x About four hours after we began our journey, I awaked by a very ridiculous accident; for the ear- riage being stopped awhile to adjust something that was out of order, two or three of the young natives had the curiosity to see how I looked when I was asleep; they climbed up into the engine, and advanc- ing very softly to my face, one of them, an officer in the guards, put the sharp end of his half-pike a good way up into my left nostril, which tickled my nose like a straw, and made me sneeze viole ; where- upon, they stole off unperceived, three weeks before I knew the cause of my sud- denly. We made a Jong march the remaining of the day, and rested at night with five Fl oak rds on each side.of me, half with torches, and alf with bows and arrows, ready to shoot me if I should offer to stir. The-next mol at sun-rise we continued our march, and arrived within two hundred yards of the.city gates about noon. The emperor and all his court came out to meet us, but his great officers would by no means suffer his ma- esty to endanger his person by mounting on my AL the place where the carriage stop there stood an ancient temple, esteemed to be the largest in the whole kingdom; which, having been polluted some years before by an unnatural murder, was, according to the zeal of those people, looked upon as profane, and therefore.had been applied to common use, and all the ornanfents and furniture carried away. In this edifice it was determined I should lodge. The great gate fronting to the north was about four feet high, and almost two feet wide, through which I could easily creep. On each side ef the gate was a small window, not above six in- ches from the ground; into that on the left side, the king’s smith conveyed fourscore and eleven chains, like those that hang to a lady’s watch in ae and almost as large, which were locked to m eft leg with six- and-thirty padlocks. Over against this temple, on the other side of the great highway, at twenty feet distance, there was a turret at least five feet high. Here the emperor ascended, with many principal lords of his court, to have an opportunity of viewing me, as I was told, for I could not see them. It was reckoned that above a hundred thou- sand inhabitants came out of the town upon the same errand; and in spite of my guards, I believe there could not be fewer than ten thousand at seve-, ral times, who mounted my body by the help of lad- ders. But a proclamation was soon issued, to forbid it upon pain of death. When the workmen found it was impossible for me to break loose, they cut all the strings that bound me; whereupon, I rose up with as melancholy a disposition as ever I had in my life. But the noise and astonishment of the peo- ple, at race me rise and walk, are not to be ex- pressed. The chains that held my left leg were about two yards long, and gave me not only the lib- erty of walking backward and forward in a semicir- cle, but, being fixed within four inches of the gate, allowed me to creep in, and lie at my full length in, the temple, CHAPTER Ii. ‘Wuen I found myself on 4 féet, I looked about me, and must confess I never eheld a more enter- taining prospect. The country around appeared like a continued garden, and the inclo fields, which were generally forty feet square, resembled so many beds of flowers. ese fields were intermin- gled with woods of half a stong (a stangis a pole or perch—sixteen feet anda half); and the tallest trees, as I could judge, appeared to be seven feet high. I viewed the town on my left hand, which looked like the painted scene of a city ina theater. I then came back out of my house, having occasion for fresh air. The emperor was already descend- ed from the tower, and advancing on horseback toward me, which had like to have cost him dear; forthe beast, though very well trained, yet, wholly unused to such a sight, which appeared as if a moun- tain moved before him, reared up on his hinder feet; but that prince, who is an eaibalbenit horseman, ke his seat, till his attendants ranin, and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to dismount. When he alighted, he surveyed me round with great admira- tion; but kept beyond the length of my chain. He ordered his cooks and butlers, who were already pre- pared, to give me victuals and drink, which they pushed forward in a sort_of vehicles upon whee till I could reach them. I took these vehicles, an soon emptied them all. Twenty of them were filled with meat, and ten with liquor; each of the former afforded me two or three good mouthfuls; and I emptied the liquor of ten vessels, which was contain- ed h earthen vials, into one vehicle, drinking it off at a draught; and so I did with the rest. The empress, and young princes of the blood, of both sexes, at- tended by many ladies, sat at some distance in their chairs; but upon the accident that happened to the emperor’s horse, they alighted and came near his person, which I am now going to describe. He is taller by almost the breadth of my nail than aay of his court, which alone is enough to strike an awe nto the beholders. His features are strong and mascu- line, with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his com- — Olive, his countenance erect, his body and imbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic. He wes then past his prime, being twenty-eight years and three + Spb old, of which he had Di ep tia seven at felicity, and generally victorious. For the better convenience of beholding him, I lay on my side, so that my face was parallel to his, and he stood but three yards off; however, [have had him since man, times fh my hand, and therefore cannot be deceiv in the description. His dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the Asiatic and European; but he had on his head a light helmet of 7.
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yer Gulliver’s Travels.) «. * three inehes long; enriched with diamonds. His voice was shrill, but very clear and articulate, and I could distinctly hear it when I stood up. The ladies. and courtiers were all most magnificently clad; so that the spot they stood upon seemed to reseuble a petticoat spread on the ground, embroidered with figures of gold and silver. His imperial majesty spoke often to me, and I returned answers, but neither of us could understand a syllable. There were several of his pee and lawyers present (as [conjectured by their bits), who were commanded to atkivess themselves to me; and I spoke to them in as many as Thad the least smattering of, which were High and Low Dutch, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, and Lingua Franca—but all to no purpose. After about two hours the court retired, and I was left with a strong guard, to prevent the impertinence’ and probably the malice of the rabble, who were very Impatient to crowd about me as near as they durst; and some of them had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me, as I sat on the ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly missed my left eye. But the colonel ordered six of the ringleaders to be seized, and thought no pun- ishment so i ad as to deliver them bound into my hands, which some of his soldiers accordingly did, pushing them forward with the butt-ends of their ikes into my reach. I took them all in my right d, put five of them into my coat-pocket, and as to the sixth, I made a countenance as if I would eat | him alive. The poor man squalled terribly, and the colonel and his officers were in much pain, especially when they saw me take out my penknife; but I soon put them out of fear, for, looking mildly, and immediately cutting the strings he was bound with I set him gently on the ground, and away he ran. i treated the rest in the same manner, taking them one by one out of my pocket; and I observed both the soldiers and people were highly delighted at this mark of my clemency, which was represented very much to my advantage at court. Toward night, I got with some difficulty into my house, where I lay on the ground, and continued to do so about a fortnight, during which time the em- ror gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. Six hundred beds of the common measure were brought in carriages, and worked up in my house; ahundred and fifty of their beds sewn together, made up the breadth and length, and these were four double, which, however, kept me but very in- differently from the hardness of the floor, that was of smooth stone. By the same computation, they rovided me with sheets, blankets, and coverlets, lerable enough for one who had been so long inured to hardship. : As the news of my arrival spread through the king- dom, it brought prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me, so that the villages were almost emptied; and great neglect of tillage and household affairs must have ensued, if his im- perial majesty bad not provided, by several pro- clamations and orders of state, against this incon- veniency. He directed that those who had already beheld me should return home, and not presume to come within fifty yards of my house, without license from the court, whereby the secretaries of state got eonsiderable fees. In the meantime, the emperor held frequent coun- to debate what course should be taken with me; and I was afterward assured, by a particular friend, @ person of great quality, who was as much in the secret as any, that the court was under great diffi- culties concerning me. They apprehended my break- loose, that my diet would be very expensive, and might cause a famine. Sometimes they determined to starve me, or at least to shoot me in the face and hands with poisoned arrows, which would soon dis- patch me; but again they considered, that the stench of so ret a carcase might produce a plague in the metropo 7 an probably — through the whole kingdom. In the midst of these consultations, sever- al officers of the army went to the door of the great council-chamber, and two of them being admitted, gave an account of my behavior to the six criminals above mentioned, which made so favorable an impres- sion on the breast of his majesty and the whole board | in my behalf, that an imperial commission was issued out, obliging all the villages,nine hundred yards round the city, to deliver in every morning six beeves, forty sheep, and other victuals for my sustenance; to- gether with a proportionable quantity of bread, and wine, and other jiquors, for the due payment of which his majesty gave assignments upon his trea- sury; for this prince lives chiefly upon his own demesnes, seldom, except upon great occasions, rais- ing any subsidies upen his subjects, who are bound to attend him in his wars at their own expenses. An establishment was also made of six hundred per- sons to be my domestics, who had board-wages al- lowed for their maintenance, and tents built for them very conveniently on each side of my door. It was likewise ordered, that three hundre country: that six of his majesty’s greatest scholars should be employed to instruct me in their language; and lastly, that the emperor’s horses, and those of the nobility and troops of yar ar should be fre- qaently exercised in my sight, to accustom them- selvesto me. All these orders were duly put in exe- cution; and in about three weeks I made a great progress in learning their language, during which time the emperor frequently honored me with his visits, and was pleased to assist my masters in teach- ing me. We began already to converse together in some sort; and the first words I learnt were to ex press my desire, that he would please to give me my : tailors should | + make mea suit of clothes, after the fashion of the | answer, as I could appre] it, was, t this must be a work of time, not to be thought on with- out the advice of his council, and that first I must lumos kelmin pesso desmar lon emposo; that is, swear a peace with him and his kingdom; however, that I should be used with all kindness. And he advised me to acquire, by m nc and discreet behavior, the good opinion of hi If and his subjects: He desired I would not take it ill, if he gave orders to certain proper officers to search me; for La apm I might carry about me several weapons, which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so ben a person. I said, his majesty should be satisfied, for I was ready to — myself, and turn up my pockets before . This I delivered, = in words, and ~ in si He replied, that, y the laws of the kingdom, I must be searched by two of his officers; that he knew this could not be done without my consent and assistance; and he had so good an opinion of my generosity and jus- tice, as to trust their persons in ‘my hands: that whatever they took from me should be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the rate which I would set upon them. took up the two officers in my hands, put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other pocket about me, except my two fobs, and another secret pocket, which I had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some lit- tle necessaries that were of no consequence to any but myself. In one of my fobs there was a silver watch, and in the other a small quantity of gold in apurse, These gentlemen, having pen, ink, and pa- r about them, made an exact inventory of every- hing they saw; and when they had done, desi I would set them down, that they might deliver it to the emperor. This inventory I afterward translated into English, and is word for word as follow s:— “ Imprimis ¢ In the tae coat-pocket of the great man-mountain (for so I interpret the words guindus | flestrin), after the strictest search, we found only one great nd of coarse cloth, e enough to be a foot-cloth for your majesty’s chie y In the left ket we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover of the same metal, which we, the searchers, were not able to lift. We desired it should be open- | ed, and one of us stepping into it, found him up to the mid-leg ina sort of dust, some part whereof flying up to our faces, set us both a-sneezing for several timestogether. In his right waistcoat-pocket we found a Bb pena ae bundle of white thin sub- stances folded one over another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a strong cable, and marked | with black figures, which we humbly conceive to ‘be writings, every letter almost as large as the palms of our hands. In the left there was a sort of engine, from the back of which were extended twenty long les, resembling the gegen before your ma- jesty’s court, wherewith we conjecture the man- mountain combs his head; for we did not always trouble him with questions, because we found it a reat difficulty to make him understand us. In the forge pocket, on the right side of his middle cover (so I translated the word ranfu-lo, by which they meant my breeches), we saw a hollow pillow 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 ae 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 pillarsirregularly shaped ; we could not, without difficulty, reach the top o | 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 appea a white round substance, about twice the bigness of our heads. Within each of these was inclosed a prodigious plate of steel, which, by our orders, we obliged him to show us, because we apprehend- ed they might be Se engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us, that in his own coun- ~~ g his practice was to shave his beard with one of these, and cut his meat with the other. There were two rohan 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 hunga great silver chain, with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. e directed him to draw out what- | ever was at the end of that chain, which. appeared to be a globe, half silver, and half of some trans- | Parent metal; for, on the transparent side, we saw | certain strange figures circularly drawn, and thought | we could touch them, till we found our fingers stop- | ped by that lucid substance. He put this engine | 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 ex- ’ ’ | | Fae day re on my knees. a wae himself very imperfectly,) that he seldom id anything without consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said it pointed out the time for every ac- tion 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 ner anes com- mands, diligently searched all his pockets, we ob- served a girdle about his waist made of the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left side, hung a sword of the | of five men; and on the right, a bag or pouch divided into two cells, each caicepablo of holding three of your majesty’s subjects. In one of these cells rare mavGaal globes _or balls, of a most ponderous metal, about the ie ness of our heads, and required a strong hand to them: \the, other cell contained a heap of certain black ins, but of no great bulk or weight, for we cone: old about fifty of them in the of our “This isan exact inventory of what we found about the body of the man-mourtein, who used us with great civility, and due merpecs va your ee Sip commission. Signed and sealed on the fourth a of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty’s auspi- | cious “ CLEFRIN FRELOCK, Mars FRELocK.” When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me, although in very “ne terms, to de- liver up the several pete, e first called for my cimeter, which I took out, scabbard and all, In the meantime, he ordered three thousand of the choicest troops (who then attended him) to surround me ata 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 cimeter, 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 sur- rise; for the sun shone clear, and the reflection dazzled their roo as I waved the cimeter to and fro in my hand. , His majesty, who isa most magnani- / wane eee 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 iron hollow pi b which he meant my pocket pistols. I drew it o | and at his desire, as well asI 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 pro- vide), 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 the cim- eter. Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck | dead; and even the emperor, although he stood his ; und, could not recover himself for some time. I elivered up both my pistols in the same manner as | I had done my cimeter, and then my pouch of pow- | der and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept from fire, for it would kindle with the small- est 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 En da do abarrel 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 re- mote, as the reader may well imagine without my repeating; although, indeed, I could not very a fectly understand them. I then — bs my 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 cimeter, pistols, and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his majesty’s stores, but the rest of ~ 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 forthe weakness of mine eyes), a pocket pe: ive, and some other little conveniences, which being of no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in honor to discover; and I apprehended they might be lost or spoiled, if 1 ventured them out of my on. CHAPTER Il. My gentleness and good behavior had Fee pee 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 libe in a short time. I took all possible methods to cultivate this fa- vorable disposition. The natives came by d to | be less apprehensive of any danger from me; I would sometimes lie down, and let five or six of them dance upon my head; and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in hair. Ihad now made a good progress in upder- } standing and speaking the language. The em had a mind, one day, to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceeded all na- tions I have known, both for dexterity and magnifi- cence. I was diverted with none s0 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 practiced by those | / | | persons | who are candidates for great employments, and high favor at court. They are trained in this art from their a and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is yacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens), five or of those candidates petition the mre mea to entertain his majesty and the court with a ce on the rope, and whoever jumps the highest, with- out 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 a higher than any other lord in the whole em- ire. I have seen him do the somersault several es ther, upon a trencher fixed on a w is 20 tilings thant @ oocimén packthread in England,
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4 friend Reldresal, princi secretary for private affairs Fontan’ ean “ig omagpen’ the seco! r the treasurer; the rest of great of- ficers are much upon a par. These diversions are often attended with fatal ac- cidents, 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 min- isters themselves are com ed to show their dex- terity; for, by contending to excel ves and their fellows, they strain so far that there is hardly one of them who 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 broken 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, an‘ first minister, upon particular occasions, The emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads of six inches iong; one is blue, the other red, and the third mn. These threads are proposed as prizes for ose persons whom the emperor has & to dis- tinguish by a peculiar mark of his favor. The cere- mony is performed in his majesty’s chamber of state, where the candidates are to undergo the 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, bpth ends par- alle] 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 min- ister has it entirely to himself. Whoever ‘orms his part with most agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue- colored silk; the red is “_ to the next, and the green to the third, which they all wear girt twice round about the middle; and you see few great per- sons 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 with- out starting. The riders would leap them over my hand, as I held it on the ground; and one of the em- ror’s huntsmen, upon a large courser, took my ‘oot, 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 de- sired he would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of an ordi cane, to be brought before me; whereupon, his majest, 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 8 arr 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 = sen as the top of adrum; and the four el sticks, rising about five inches higher than he handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When I had finished my work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of his best horse, twenty-four in num- ber, 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, rformed mock skirmishes,discharged blunt arrow: ew their swords, fled and pursued, attacked an retired, and, in short, discovered the best military discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their horses from —s over the stage; and the emperor was so much delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repea several days, and once was pleased to be lifted up, and _ the word of command; and, with great difficu ty ae even the empress herself to let me ho d er 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 ot the cap- tains, Lael J with his hoof, struck a hole in m handkerchief, and his foot slipping, he overthrew rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and pone the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the other, in the same manner asItook 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; how- ever, 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 these kind o' feats, there arrived an ex ress, 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 ground, very oddly shaped, extending its edges round, as wide as his majesty’s bedchamber, and rising up in the middle as high as aman; that it was no living creature, as they at first Seernenced, 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, the had got to the top, which was flat and even, ond. stamping come 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 po meant, and was glad at heart to receive this intelli- off after I came to land; the 8' , as I co breaking by some accident, whi ought hat had majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as possible, describing to him the use and nature of it; and the next day the wagoners arrived with it, but not ina oral ong: condition; they had bored two holes in the , within an inch and a 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 an mile; but the nd in that country being omens ged smooth and level, it received less Two days after this adventure, the emperor, hav- ing ordered that part of his army which quartered in and about his rastay A acer to bein readiness, took a fancy of diverting himself ina very singular manner. He desired I wou’d stand like a Colossus, with my legs as far asunder as Iconveniently 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, colors flying, and pikes advanced, This body con: of thousand foot, and a thousand horse. His majesty gave orders, on Dyes of death, that every soldier in his march ould 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 somany memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and then in a full coun- cil, where it was opposed b none, except Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provoca- tion, to be my mortal enemy. But it was carried st him by the whole board, and confirmed by the emperor. The minister was galvel, or admiral of the m, very much in his master’s confidence, and a person well versed_in affairs, but of morose and | sour complexion, However, he was at length per- suaded 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 him- self. These articles were brought to me by Skyresh Bolgolam in person, attended by two under-secreta- | After they | ries, and several persons of distinction. were read, I was demanded to swear to the perform- ance of them; first in the manner of my own coun- try, and afterward 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. be curious to have some idea of the style and man- ner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to know the articles upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a translation of the whole in- strument, word for word, as near as I was able, which I here offer to the public: ‘**Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefir Mully Ully Gue, most mighty emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the universe, whose dominions extend five thousand dlustrugs (about twelve miles in cir- cumference) to the extremities of the globe; mon- arch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men; whose feet press dowu to the center, and whose head strikes nst 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 pro- poses to the man-mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions, the following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to perform: “ist. The man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions without our license under our great sea. ‘*2d. He shall not presume to come into our metro- lis without our express order; at which time, the bitants 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. “Sth. If any express uires extraordinary dis- patch, the man-mountain shall be obliged to carry, n 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 prey aring to invade us. “7th. That the said man-mountain shall, at his time of leisure, be aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain great stones, toward cover- ing the wall of the principal park, and other of our royal buildings. 8th. That the said man-mountain shall, in two | moons’ time, deliver in an exact survey of the cir- cumference of our dominions, by a computation of his own s round the coast. “ Lastly. That upon this solemn oath to observe But because the reader may | Beadle’s_ Half-Dime Library. | in m have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1,724 of our subjects, with free ac- cess to our royal person, and other marks of our favor. Given at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the ninety-first moon of our ” swore and subscribed to these articles with t cheerfulness and content, although some of them were not so honon2ble as I could have wished, which es wholly from the malice of Skyresh Bolgo- , the high- ; whereupon, my chains were immediately unlocked, and I was at li . The emperor himself, in person, did me the honor to be by at the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledg- ments by prostrating myself at his majesty’s feet, but he commanded me to rise; and after many gra- cious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of van- ity, I shall not repeat, he added, that he hoped I should prove a enctul servant, and well deserve all the favors he had already conferred upon me, or might do for the future. @ 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 17a 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 hight of my body by the help of a quadrant, and find- ing 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 1,724 of theirs, and co’ ently would require as much food as was nec support that number of Lilliputians. By which the reader may conceive an idea of the in- genuity of the people, as well as the prudent and ex- act economy of so great a prince, CHAPTER IV. THE first ty I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that I might have license to see Milden- do, 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 no- tice, by A gern ngewe of my design to visit the town. The wall, which encompassed it, is two feet and & 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 dis- tance. I stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently and sidling through the two prin- cipal 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 circum- spection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets; althou h the orders were very strict, that all peo le shoul keep in their houses, at their own peril. e garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that Ithought in all my travels [had not seen a more po ulous place. The city isan exact square, each side of the wall nig, five hundred feet long. The two reat streets, which run across and divide it into our quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not enter, but only viewed 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 “— and markets well provided. e emperor's palace is in the center of the city, where the two t streets meet. It is inclosed 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 eve 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 build- ings 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 ° ace; but this Iwas not able to do till three ae after, which 1 spent in cutting down with my e some of the largest trees in the royal k, 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 bon gr The people hay- ing receiv notice a second time, I went again through the city_to the palace, with my two stools hands. en 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 gent- ly set it down on the space between the first and second court, which was eight feet wide, I then step 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 sto- ries, which were left open on purpose, and discovered the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw the empress and the young princess, 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 ress, containing a general description of this empire, rom its first erection, through a long series of prin- ces; with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning, and religion; their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and customs, all the above articles, the said man-mountain shall | with other matters very curious and useful; my
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“3 a a ac a it Gulliver’s Travels. 5 chief design at present being only to relate such events and transactions as happened to the public or = vee ad a residence of about nine months t em : One morning, about a ee “on after I had ob- tained my liberty, hic mr Sp cipal secretary (as they style a a private came to m: attended only by one servant. He ordered h to wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an hour’s 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 duri my solicitations at court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more conveniently reach my ear; bit he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand dur- ing 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 T might not have obtained it so soon. ‘For,’ said he, “as flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labor under two mighty evils; a violent faction at home, and the ge, Sd of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the first, you are to understand, that for above seventy moons past, there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of Ziramecksan and Sla- mecksan, 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 of only 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 imperi- al heels are lower at least by a drurr t any of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteerth part ofaninch). The animosities between these two Pe . ties runso high, that they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. Wecompute the 7rameck- san, or high heels, to exceed usin number, but the power is wholly on our side, We apprehend his im- rial highness, the heir to the crown, to have some ency toward the high heels; at least, we can lainl dicover that one of his heelsis 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 Ble- fuscu, which is the other great empire of the uni- verse, almost as large an werful 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 i upon the fol- lowing occasion: it is allowed on 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 gz, and breaking it aah to the ancient prac- tice, happened to cut one of his fingers; whereupon, the ADOT his father, published an edict, com- a house, coach manding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller ends of their eggs. e pao 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 fo- mented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that emp It is computed that eleven thousand rsons 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 Jaw of holding employ- ments. During the course of these troubles, the em- perors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their embassadors, accusing us of making a schism ainst a ig tog ayn Cg trine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourt chapter of the Elundoreral, which is their Alkoran. This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these—that all true be- lievers break their eggs at the convenient end; and which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble bow to be left to every man’s conscience, or, at least, in the power of the chief magistrate to de- termine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor Blefuscu’s court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from the 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 ter 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 prepar- ing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial maseety. lacing great confidence in your valor and creme FS in religion, by offending as commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you.” I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor, and let him know, that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to inter- fere with parties; but I was ready, with the hazard fod i pgs to defend his person and state against all v CHAPTER V. Tux empire of Blefuscu is an island situated to the north of Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of cight 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 en- emy’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 harbor, ready to sail with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plumb- ed; 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 toward the north-east coast, over against Blefuscu; where, lying down be- hind 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 o transports; I then came back to my house, and gave orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quan- tity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as Pekar. 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 ba s togeth- er, bene the extremities into a hook. Havi 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_jacket, 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 opera 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 thousan 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, besides the excessive smart, gave me much distur bance 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, tak- ing 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 enter- a remained. I therefore let go the cord, and eaving the hooks 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; I then 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 imagina- tion of what I intended, were at first confound- ed 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 de- prea or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I 0 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 spec- tacles, 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, is gg Pay 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. WhenI advanced to the middle of awhile to pick out the arrows that. stuck in | | the channel, they were yet more in pain, because I | was under water to my neck. The emperor con- cluded 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, 1 cried in a loud voice, “ Long live the most puissant king of Lilli- put!” This great prince received. me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and created me a nar- dac upon the spot, which is the highest title of honor among them, His majesty desired I would take some other op- portunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy’s ships into his ports. And so unmeasurable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think of pothing some tien OOS the whole empire of Blefuscu into a province, an Shige 5 it bya biaieg cds ss sare - in e -en exiles, and com i to break the smaller end of their ae th which he would remain the sole monarch of the whole world. But I endeavored to divert him from this d » by many arsumenis drawn from the topics of well as justice; I plainly pro never be an instrument of a free and brave people into slavery; and when the matter was de- bated in council, the wisest part of the ministry were of my opinion. This open bold declaration of mine was so opposite to the es and politics of his imperial ety, that he could never forgive me. He mentioned it in @ 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 expres- sions which by a side-wind reflected on me; and from this time began an intrigue between his ma- jesty 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 de- | struction. Of so little weight are the test ser- vices to princes, when put into the ce 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 condi- tions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I shali not trouble the reader. There were six am- bassadors, with a train of about five hundred per- sons; and their entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their master, and the importance of their business, When their treaty was finish wherein I did them several good offices by the ere I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies, who were privately told how — ‘eee seve wee friend, made oe —— orm, e an with many complimen nm my valor oma generosity, invited me to that aie, pe im the emperor their master’s name, and de me to show them some proofs of my prodigious 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 ex- cellencies, to their infinite satisfaction and I desired they would do me the honor 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 per- son I regolved to attend, before I returned tomy own country. Accordingly, the next time I had the honor to see our _ I desired his general li- cense to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he was pleased to grant me, as I could perceive, ina My! eold manner; but could not guess the reason, till [had a whisper from a certain person, that Flim- nap and Bolgolam had represented my with those embassadors as a mark of disaff from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to conceive some mypestes idea of courts and ministers, t is to be observed, that these embassadors spoke to me by ah interpreter, the | of both em- pires differing as much from other as any two in Europe, and each nation Lape 8 itself upon the antiquity, beauty, and were gf of their own tongue, with an avowed contempt of that of their neighbor; et, our Neg ear’ ney: 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 at intercourse of trade and com- merce between both realms, from the continual re- ception of exiles, which is mutual among them, and from the custom in each empire, to send their young nobility and richer gentry the other, in order to polish themselves by seeing the world, and under- standing men and manners—there are few of distinction, or merchants, or seamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold conversa- tion in both tongues; as I found some weeks after. when I went to pay my re ts to the r 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 e. P'The reader may remember, that when I signed those articles apon which I recovered my liberty. there were some which I disliked, upon account of their being too servile; neither could an but an extreme necessity have forced me t. But being now a nardac of the highest rank in that empire, such offices were lookod men as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do justice) never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not long before 1 had an opportunity of doing his ma- jesty, at least as I then thought, a most ser- vice. Iwas alarmed at midnight with the cries of; many hundred — at my door; by which suddenly awaked, I was in some k of terror. heard the word burglum repeated incessantly; sev- eral of the emperor's court making their way through the crowd, entreated me to come immediately to the palace, where her Poon coer majesty’s apartment was on fire, by the essness of a maid of honor, 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 fakewige 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 spartancnt, ond were well but the @ater was at some buckets were about the size of a | ple supplied me with them as fast as ; ut the was so violent that Os id little good. I might easily have stifled it my coat, which I left behind me for , and came away only in my leathern jacket. The case seemed w desperate and oc ag and this magnificent palace would have infallibly been burnt am 20 Shp omens presence of mind un- usual to mS hat not suddenly thought of an ex- pedient. I the evening before drank plentifully of a most delicious wine called glimigrim (the Ble- fuscudians eall it jlunec, but ours is esteemed the
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; iJ i H 6 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 very near the flames, and by laboring to quench them, made the wine begin to operate by urine; which I voided in such a quantity, and ap- plied so well to the proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly ex shed, and the rest of that noble pile, which cost so many es in erecting, preserved from destruction. twas now 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 might resent the manner by which I had performed it; for, by the fundamental laws of the realm, it is cap- italin a rson, of what quality soever, to make water within the precincts of the palace. ‘But I was alittle comforted by a message from his majesty, that he. would give orders to the grand justiciary for pees Sy pardon in form; which, however, I could not obtain; and I was privately assured, that the, empress, conceiving the greatest abhorrence of what I had done, removed to the most distant side of the court, firmly resolved that those buildings should never be repaired for her use; and, in the presence of her chief confidants, could not forbear vowing re- venge. CHAPTER VI. Avuruovaes intend to leave the description of this empire to a particular treatise, yet, in the mean- time, I am content to gratify the curious reader with some general ideas. As the common size of the natives is somewhat under six inches high, so there is an exact proportion in all other yee as well as plants and trees; for instance, the est horses and oxen are between four and five inches in hight, the sheep an inch and a half, more or less; their geese about the ng oe of a sparrow; and so the several ations downward, till you come to the smallest, which, to my sight, were almost in- visible; but nature has adapted the eyes of the Lilli- putians to all objects proper for their view; they see with great exactness, but at no great distance. And to show the sharpness of their sight toward objects that are near, I have been much pleased - observing a cook pulliné pe w paras not so large as a common fly; and a young gir an invisible needle with invisible fix Their est trees are about seven feet high—I mean some of those in the great royal park, the tops whereof I could but just reach with my fist clenched. The other vegetables are in the same proportion; but this I leave to the reader's im- on. shall say but little at hays of their learning, which, for many ages, has flourished in all its branches among them; but their manner of writing is very peculiar, being neither from the left to the tyke the Europeans; nor from the right to the le ke the Arabians; nor from up to down, like the Chinese; but aslant from one corner of the paper ta the other, like ladies in England. They b their dead with their heads directly downward, because they hold an opinion, that in eleven thousand moons they are all to rise again; in which period the earth (which they conceive to be flat, turn upside down, and by this means they shall, at their resurrection, be found ready standing on their feet. The learned among them eonfess the absurdity of this doctrine; but the practice still continues, in compliance to the ere are some laws and customs in this empire very peculiar; and if they were not so directly con- trary to those of my own dear country, I should be Seapted. to say a little in their justification. It is only to be wished they were as well executed. The first I shall mention relates to informers. All crimes the state are punished here with the utmost severity; but, the person accused makes his inno- sence plainly to appear upon his trial, the accuser is pare tely put an ignominious death; and out of his g¢ or lands the innocent person is quad- ruply recompensed for the loss of his time, for the danger he underwent, for the hardship of his im- prisonment, and for all the charges he has been at in making his defense; or, if that fund be deficient, it is largely supplied by the crown. The Supeeee also confers on some public mark of his favor, and Sep * tion is made of his innocence through the whole city. ‘They look upon fraud asa greater crime than theft, and therefore seldom fail to punish it with death; for they allege, that care and vigilance, with a very common understanding, may preserve a man’s from thieves, but honesty has no fence against superior cunning; and since it is necessary that there should be a peepetael intercourse of buying and polling: and dealing upon credit, where fraud is and connived at, or has no law to punish the honest dealer is always undone, and the knave Spee advantage. I remember, when I was once ter with the king for a criminal who had wronged his master of a great sum of money, which he had received by order, and ran away a a and happening to tell his majesty, by way of extenuation, that it was only a breach of trust, the emperor thor mt it mons’ — ee offer as a defense Few rea’ aggravation of the crime; and, truly, I tle dat in return, further than the common an- swer, that different nations had different customs, for, 1 confess, I was aeneny ashamed. Although we usually call reward and punishment the two hinges upon which all government turns, yet I could never observe this maxim to be put in practice by any nation, except that of Lilliput. oever can there bring sufficient proof that he has strictly ob- served the laws of his country for seventy- moons, has a claim to certain privileges, according to his quality or condition of lite, with a proportion- able some of money out of a fund appropriated for that use; he likewise acquires the title of sné/pall, or legal, which is added to his name, but does not de - scend to his posterity. And these people thought it a prodigious defect of aon among us, when I told them that our laws were enforced only by penalties, without any mention of reward. It is upon this ac- count that the image of justice, in their courts of judi- cature, is formed with six eyes, two before, as many behind, and on each side one, to signify cireumspec- tion; with a bag of gold open in her right hand, and a sword sheathed in her left, to show she is more dis to reward than to punish. n choosing persons for all employment, they have more regard to good abilities; for, since government is necessary to man- kind, they believe that the common size of human understanding is fitted to some station or other, and that Providence never intended to make the management of public affairs a mystery, to be comprehended only by a few persons of sublime genius, of which there seldom are three born in an age; but they suppose truth, justice, temperance, and the like, to be in every man’s power, the prac- tice of which virtues, assisted by experience and a good intention, would qualify any man for the ser- vice of his country, except where a course of study is required. But they thought the want of moral virtues was so far from being supplied by superior endowments of the mind, that employments could never be put into such dangerous hands as those of persons so page and, at least, that the mistakes committed by ignoranee, in a virtuous disposition, would never be of such fatal consequences to the morals than to great | public weal, as the practices of a man, whose incli- | nations led him to be corrupt, and who had great ee to manage, to multiply, and defend his cor- ruption. n like manner, the disbelief of a Divine Provi- dence renders a man incapable of holding any — station; for, since kings avow themselves to be the deputies of Providence, the Lilliputians think noth- ing can be more absurd than for a prince to Roce gtd such men as disown the authority under which he acts. In relating these and the following laws, I would only be understood to mean the original institutions, and not the most scandalous corruptions, into which these ge are fallen, by the degenerate nature of man. For,as to that infamous practice of acquiring eat employments by dancing on the ropes, or adges of favor and distinction by leaping over sticks and creeping under them, the reader is to ob- serve, that they were first introduced by the grand- father of the emperor now reigning, and w to the — hight by the gradual increase of party and action. Ingratitude is among them a capital crime, as we it to have been in some other countries; for they reason thus: that whoever makes ill returns to his benefactor, must needs be a common enemy to the rest of mankind, from whom he has received no = ga eg and therefore such a man is not fit to live. Their notions relating to the duties of parents and children differ extremely from ours. conjunction of male and female is founded upon the at law of nature, in order to panes and con- inue the species, the Lilliputians will needs have it, that men and women are Joined together, like other animals, by the motives of concupiscence, and that their tenderness toward their young proceeds from the like natural eer oy for which reason they will never allow that a child is under any obligation to his father for begetting him, or to his mother for bringing him into the world; which, considering the miseries of human life, was neither a benefit in itself, nor intended so by his parents, whose thoughts, in their love encounters, were otherwise employed. Upon these, and the like reasonings, their opinion is, that parents are the last of all others to be trust- ed with the education of their own children; and therefore they have in every town public nurseries, where all parents, except cottagers and laborers, are obliged to send their infants of both sexes to be reared:and educated, when they come to the age of twenty moons, at which time they are eet ee to have some rudiments of docility. These schools are of several kinds, suited to different qualities and both sexes. They have certain professors, well skill- ed in preparing children for such a condition of life as befits the rank of their parents, and their own capacities, as well as inclinations. I shall first say something of the male nurseries, and then of the | female. The nurseries for males of noble or eminent birth are provided with grave and learned professors, and their several deputies. The clothes and food of the children are plain and simple. They are bred up in the principles of honor, justice, courage, modesty, clemency, religion, and love of their country; they are always employed in some business, except in the times of eating and sleeping, which are very short, and two hours for diversions, ms of bodily exercises. They are dressed by men till four years of age, and then are obliged to dress them- selves, although their quality be ever so t; and the women attendants, who are aged proportionably to ours at fifty, perform only the most menial offices. They are never suffered to converse with servants, but go together in smaller or greater numbers to take their diversions, and always in the presence of a professor, or one of his deputies, whereby they avoid those early | impressions of folly and vice, to which our children are subject. Their parents or since the | | . always stands by on those occasions, will not suffer them to whisper, or use any fondling expressions, - bring any presents of toys, sweetmeats, and the e. The pension from each family for the education and entertainment of a child, upon failure of due payment, is levied by the emperor's officers. The nurseries for children of ordinary gentlemen merchants, traders, and handicrafts, are managed phd tho wa after the same manner; only those esigned for trades are put out apprentices at eleven years old; whereas those of persons of quality con- tinue in their exercises till fifteen, which answers to twenty-one with us; but the confinementis gradually lessened for the last three years. In the female nurseries, the young girls of quality are educated much like the males, only they are dressed by orderly servants of their own sex; but always in the presence of a professor or deputy, till they come to dress themselves, which is at five years old. And if it be found that these nurses ever pre- sume to entertain the pitts with frightful or foolish stories, or the common follies practiced by chamber- maids among us, they are F soggaee A whip thrice about the city, imprisoned for a year, and banished for life to the most desolate part of the country. Thus, the young ladies are as much ashamed of being called cowards as the men, and despise all personal ornaments, beyond decency and cleanli- ness; neither did I perceive any difference in their education made by their differences of sex, only that the exercises of the females were not altogether so robust; and that some rules were given them relat- ing to domestic life, and a smaller com of learn- ing was enjoined them; for their maxim is, that among ple of anenty a wife should be always a reasonable and agreea le companion, because she cannot always be young. When the girls are twelve years old, which among them is the marriageable age, their parents or guardians take them home, with great expressions of gratitude to the professors, and seldom without the tears of the young lady and her companions, In the nurseries of females of the meaner sort, the children are instructed in all kinds of works proper for their sex, and their several degrees; those in- tended for apprentices are dismissed at seven years old, the rest are kept to eleven. The meaner fam es, who have children at these nurseries, are obliged, besides their annual pensio’ which is as low as possible, to return to the stewa' of the nursery a small monthly share of their get- tings, to be a portion for the child; and therefore all arents are limited in their expenses by the law. ‘or the Lilliputians think nothing can be more un- just, than for ple, in subservience to their own arene to bring children into the world, and leave the burthen of supporting them on the publit. As to persons of quality, they give security to appropriate a certain sum for each child, suitable to their condi- tion; and these funds are always managed with g husbandry and the most exact justice. The cottagers and laborers keep their children at home, their business being only to till and cultivate the earth, and therefore their education is of little consequence to the public; but the old and di among them are supported by hospitals; for begging is a trade unknown in this empire. And here it may, perhaps, divert the curious read- er to give some account of my domestics, and my manner of living in this country during a residence of nine months and thirteen days. Having a head mechanically turned, and being likewise forced by necessity, [had made for myself a table and chairs, convenient enough, out of the seas real snd in the royal park. Two hundred seams were em- biog to make me shirts, and linen for my bed and able, all of the strongest and coarsest kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in several folds, for the thickest was some degrees finer than lawn. Their linen is usually three inches wide, and three feet make a piece. The seamstresses took my measure as I lay on the ground, ope standing at my neck, and another at my mid- leg, with a strong cord extended, that each held by the end, while a third measured the 1 of the cord with a rule of an inch long. Then t a? meas- ured my right thumb, and desired no more; for by a mathematical computation, that twice round the thumb is once round the wrist, and so on to the neck and the waist, and by the help of my old shirt, which I Nina es on the ground before them for a pattern, they fitted me exactly. Three hundred tailors were employed in the same manner to make me clothes; but they had another contrivance for taking my measure. I kneeled down, and they raised a ladder from the ground to a. neck; upon this ladder one of them mounted, and let fall a plumb-line from my collar to the floor, which just answered the length of my coat; but my waist and arms I meas my- self, When my clothes were finished, which was done in my house (for the largest of theirs would not have been able to hold them), they looked like the patchwork made by the ladies in England, only that mine were all of a color, I had three hundred cooks to dress my victuals, in little convenient huts built about my house, where they and their families lived, and prepared me two dishes a-piece. I took up twenty waiters in my hand, and placed them on the table; a hundred more at- tended below on the ground, some with dishes of meat, and some _ with barrels of wine and other liquors slung on their shoulders; all which the wait- ers above drew up, as I wanted, in a very ingenious manner, by certain cords, as we draw the bucket a well in Europe, A dish of their meat was a go mouthful, and a barrel of their liquor a reasonable are suffered to see them only twice a year; the visit | draught. Their mutton yields to ours, but their beef is to last but an hour; they are allowed to kiss the is excellent. I have had a sirloin so large, that I child at meeting and parting: but a professor, who | have been forced to make three bits of it; but this is - ——=
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Gulliver’s Travels. Pi raré. My servants were astonished to see me eat it, bones and all, as in our country we do the leg of a lark. Their geese and turkeys I usually ate at a mouthful, and I confess they far ex ours. Of their smaller fowl, I could take up twenty or thirty at the end of my knife. One day, his monaeet majesty, being informed of my way of living, desired that himself and his royal consort, with the young princes of the blood, of both sexes, might have the happiness, as he was pleased to call it, of dining with me. They came accordingly, and I placed them in chairs of state, upon my table, just over against me, with their guards about them. Flimnap, the lord high treasu- rer, attended there likewise with his white staff; and I observed he often looked on me with a sour coun- tenance, which I would not seem to regard, but ate more than usual, in honor to my dear country, as well as to fill the court with admiration. I have some private reasons to believe, that this visit from his majesty gave Flimnap an pppartunisy of doing me ill offices to his master, That minister had always been my secret enemy, though he outwardly caress- ed me more than was usual to the moroseness of his nature. He represented to the emperor, the low condition of his treasury; that he was forced to take up money at a great discount; that exchequer bills would not circulate under nine per cent. below par: that I had cost his majesty above a million anda half of sprugs (their greatest gold coin, about the bigness of a spangle); and, upon the whole, that it would be advisable in the emperor to take the first fair occasion of dismissing me. Lam here obliged to vindicate the reputation of an excellent lady, who was an innocent sufferer upon my account. The treasurer took a fancy to be jeal- ous of his wife, from the malice of some evil tongues, who informed him that her had taken a violent affection for my perenn and the court scan- dal ran for some time, that she once came privately to my lod . This I solemnly declare to be a most infamous falsehood, without apy , abe further than that her grace was pleased reat me with all innocent marks of f om and friendship. I own she came often to my house, but aarnes publicly, | nor ever without three more in the coach,who were usually her sister and young daughter, and some particular acquaintance, but this was common to many other ladies of the court: and I still appeal to my servants round, whether they at any time saw acoach at my door, without knowing what persons were in it. On those occasions, when a servant had grees me notice, my custom was to go immediately the door; and, after paying my respects, to take up the coach and two horses very carefully in m hands (for if there were six horses, the postillion al- ways unharnessed four), and place them on a table. where I had fixed a movable rim quite round, o five inches high, to prevent accidents; and I have often had four coaches and horses at once on my table, full of company, while I sat in my chair, leaning wd face toward them: and when I was en- one set, the coachmen would gently ed wit ar ve the others round my table. I have many an afternoon very agreeably in these conver- sations. But I defy the treasurer or his two inform- ers (I will name them, and let them make the best of it), Clustril and Drunlo, to prove that any person ever came to me incognito, except the secre } dresal, who was sent by express command of his imperial majesty, as I have before related. I should not have dwelt so long upon this particular, if it had not been a point wherein the reputation of a t lady is so weaey concerned, to say nothing of my own; though I then had the honor of being a nardac, which the treasurer himself is not; for all the world knows that he is only a glumglum, a title inferior by one degree, as that of a marquis is to a duke in Eng- land; yet tallow he pgp me in right of his post. These false informations, which I afterward came to the knowledge of by an accident not proper to mention, made the treasurer show his lady for some time an ill countenance, and me a worse; and al- though he was at last undeceived and reconciled to her, yet I lost all credit with him, and found my in- terest decline very fast with the emperor himself, who was, indeed, too much governed by that fa- vorite. CHAPTER VIL. Brrore I proceed to give an account of my leav- this kingdom, it may be proper to inform the reader of a private intrigue, which had been for two months forming against me. I had been hitherto, all my life, a stranger to courts, for which I was unqualified by the meanness of my condition. I had indeed heard and read enough of the dispositions of great L isters, but never ~ 4 Syne to have found such terri- ble effects of them, in so remote a te anay & govern- ed, as thought, by very different maxims from those in Europe. : When I was just Prettine to pay my attendance on the emperor of Blefuseu, a considerable person at court (to whom I had been very serviceable, at a time when he lay under the highest displeasure of his imperial majesty) came to my house very pri- vately at night, in a close chair, and, without ‘send ing his name, desired admittance. The chairmen were dismissed; I put the chair, with his lordship in it, into my coat-pocket; and, giv orders to a trusty servant, to say I was indispo: and gone to sleep, I fastened the door of my house, placed the chair on the table, according to my usual cus- tom, and sat down by it. After the common saluta- tions were Over, observing his lordship’s countenance full of concern, and inquiring into the reason, he de- sired I would hear him with patience, in a matter that highly concerned my honor and my life. His rinces and min- ) | Rel- | | and to destro speech was to the following effect, for I took notes of it as soon as he left me: *You are to know,” said he, “‘ that several com- mittees of council have been lately called, in the most private manner, on your account; and it is but two days since his majesty came to a full resolution. “You are very sensible that Skyresh Bolgolam (galvet, or high-admiral) has been your mortal ene- my, almost ever since your arrival. His original rea- sons I know not; but his hatred is increased since your great success against Blefuscu, by which his glory as admiral is much obscured. is lord, in conjunction with Flimnap, the high-treasurer, whose enmity against you is notorious, on account of his lad imtoc the general, Lalcon the chamberlain, an nuff the grand judiciary, have prepared ar- ticles of impeachment against you, for treason and other capital crimes.” This preface made me so impatient, being conscious of my own merits and innocence, that I was going to interrupt him; when he entreated me to be si- lent, and thus proceeded: ‘Out of gratitude for the favors you have done me, I procured information of the whole proceed- ings, and a copy of the articles, wherein I venture my head for your service. *** ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST QuUINBUS F'LES- TRIN, THE MAN-Mounrarn. “** Article [—Whereas, by a statute made in the reign of his imperial majesty Calin Deffar Plune, it is enacted, that, whoever shall make water within the precincts of the royal palace, shall be liable to the —_ and penalties of high treason; notwith- standing, the said nbus Fiestrin, in open breach of the said law, under color of extinguishing the fire kindled in the apartment of his majesty’s most dear imperial consort, did maliciously, traitorously, and peg = by discharge of his urine, put out the said fire kindled in the said apartment, lying and being within the precincts of the said He palace, against po statute in that case provided, etc., against the uty. ‘** Article 1[.—That the said Quinbus Flestrin, hav- ing brought the imperial fleet of Blefuscu into the royal port, and being afterward commanded by his imperial mpg | to seize all the other ships of the said empire of Blefuscu, and reduce that empire to a province, to be governed by a viceroy from hence, and put to death, not only all the | Big-endian exiles, but likewise all the people of that empire who would not immediately forsake the Big- , like a false trai- endian xt he, the said Flest tor against his most auspicious, serene, imperial majesty, did petition to be excused from the said service, upon pretense of unwi ess to force the consciences, or destroy the liberties and lives of an innocent people. *** Article 1/7.—That whereas, certain embassadors having arrived from the court of Blefuscu, to sue for e in his majesty’s court; he, the said Fles- trin, did, like a false traitor, aid, abet, comfort, and divert, the said embassadors, although he knew them to be servants to a prince who was lately an open oe ae | to his imperial majesty, and in an open war against his said majesty. “* Article 1V.—That the said Quinbus Flestrin, con- trary to the duty of a faithful subject, is now pre- to make a voyage to the court and empire of lefuscu, for which he has received only verbal li- cense from his imperial majesty; and under color of the said license, does falsely and traitorously in- tend to take the said voyage, and thereby to aid, comfort, and abet the emperor of Blefuscu, so late- ly an enemy, and in open war with his imperial majesty aforesaid.’ “There are some other articles, but these are the most important, of which I have read you an ab- stract. “In the several debates upon this impeachment, it must be confessed that his majesty gave many marks of his great lenity, often urging the services you had done him, and endeavoring to extenuate your crimes. The treasurer and adm insisted that you should be put to thie most painful and ignominious death, by setting fire to your house at night; and the gen- eral was to attend with twenty thousand men, armed with poisoned arrows, to shoot you on the face and hands, Some of your servants were to have private orders to strew a poisonous juice on your shirts and sheets, which would soon make you tear your own flesh and die in the utmost torture. The general came into the same opinion, so that for a long time there was amajority against you; but his majesty re- solving if possible, to spare your life, at last brought off the chamberlain. ““Upon this incident, Reldresal, principal secreta for private affairs, who always approved himse your true friend, was commanded by the emperor to deliver his o inion, which he accordingly did, and therein justified the good thoughts you have of him. He allowed your crimes to be great, but that still there was room for mercy, the most commendable virtue in a prince, and for which his ma rag 4 was so justly celebrated. He said, the friendship between you and him was so well known to the world, that pereeey the most honorable board might think him rtial; however, in obedience to the command he ad received, he would freely offer his sentiments. That if his majesty, in consideration of your servi and pursuant to his own merciful disposition, woul please to spare your life, and only give orders to put out both your eyes, he humbly conceived, that by this expedient justice might in some measure be sat- isfied, and all the world would applaud the lenity of the emperor, as well as the fair and generous pro- ceedings of those who have the honor to be his coun- selors, That the loss of your eyes would be no im- pediment to your bodily strength, by which you might still be useful to his majesty; that blindness is an addition to courage, by concealing dangers from us; that the fear you had for your eyes was the greatest difficulty in bringing over the enemy’s fleet; and it would be sufficient for you to see by the eyes of the ministers, since the greatest princes do ne more. “This proposal was received with the utmost dis- approbation by the whole board. Bolgolam, the ad- miral, could not-preserve his temper; but omg | up in fury, said, he wondered how the secretary durst presume to give his opinion for preserving the life of a traitor; that the services you had performed were by all true reasons of state, the great aggravation 0 your crime; that you, who was able to extinguish the fire by discharge of urine in her majesty’s apart- ment (which he mentioned with horror), might, at another time, raise an inundation by the same means. to drown the whole palace; and the same stre which enabled you to bring over the enemy’s might serve, upon the first discontent, to carry it back; that he had good reasons to think you were a Big-endian in your heart; and as treason begins in the heart, before it appears in overt acts, so he ac- cused you as a traitor on that account, and there- fore insisted you should be put to death. ‘The treasurer was of the same opinion; he show- ed to what straits his majesty’s revenue was redu by the charge for maintaining you, which wo soon grow insupportable; that the secretary's expe- dient of putting out your eyes was so far from being a remedy against this evil, that it would probably increase it, as is manifest from the common practice of blinding some kind of fowls, after which they feed the faster, and grow sooner fat; that his sacred majesty and the council, who are your judges, were, in their own consciences, fully convin of your guilt, which was a sufficient ment to condemm you to death, without the formal proofs required by the strict letter of the law. “ But his imperial majesty, fully determined against capital punishment, was graciously pleased to say, that since the council ae the loss of your eyes too easy a censure, some other way may be inflicted hereafter. And your friend,‘the secretary, hum desiring to be heard n, in answer to which the treasurer had objected, concerning the great charms his majesty was at in pe se you, said, that h excellency, who had the sole disposal of the em- peror’s revenue, might easily provide —— that evil, by gradually lessening your establishment; by which, for want of sufficient food, you would grow weak and faint, and lose your appetite, and consume in a few months; neither would the stench of your carcase be then so dangerous, when it should more than half diminished, and immediately upom your death, five or six thousand of his majesty’s sub- jects might, in two or three days, cut your flesh from your bones, take it away by cart-loads, and bury it in distant parts, to prevent infection, leaving the skeleton as a monument of admiration to posterity. “Thus, by the great friendship of the secre’ - the where —— was sect ot etavemae It ben — : enjoined, that the project of starving you by degrees should be kept a secret; but the sentence of putting out your eyes was entered on the books; none dis- senting except Bolgolam the admiral, who, be a creature of the empress, was perpetu ins by her majesty to insist upon your death, she ha borne et pears malice against you, on account that infamous and illegal method you took to extim- quish the fire in her apartment. “In three days your friend, the secretary, will be directed to come to your house, and read before you the articles of impeachment; and then to signify the great lenity and favor of his maj and council, whereby you are only condemned to the loss of your eyes, which his meee does not question you will gratefully and humbly submit to; and twenty of his majesty’s surgeons will attend, in order to see the operation well performed, by discharging very sha pointed arrows into the balls of your eyesas you on the ground. “T leave to your prudence what measures you will take; and, to avoid suspicion, I must immediately re- turn in as private a manner as I came.” His lordship did so; and I remained alone, under many doubts and perplexities of mind. It was a custom introduced by this prince and his ministry (very different, as I have been assured, from the practice of former times), that after the court had decreed any cruel execution, either to gratify the monarch’'s resentment, or the malice of a favorite, the emperor always made a speech to his whole council, expressing his great lenity and page ne qualities known and confessed by all the world. is speech was immediately published ben tw the kingdom; nor did anything terrify the people so much, as those encomiums on his majesty’s mercy, because it was observed, that the more these praises were ere om and insisted on, the more inhuman was the pun ment, and the ‘sufferer more innocent. Yet, as to myself, I must confess, having never been ——— for a courtier, either by my birth or education, I was so illa judge of things, that I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence, but conceived # (perbaps erroneously) rather to be rigorous than gentle. “I sometimes thought of standing my trial; or, although I could not deny the facts alleged in the several articles, yet I hoped they would admit of some extenuation. But, having in my life perused many state-trials, which I ever observed to termin- ate as the judge thought fit to direct, I durst not rely on so dangerous a decision, in so critical a juncture, and against such powerful enemies. nce, I was strongly bent upon resistance; for, while I had liber- ty, the whole strength of that empire could h subdue me, and I might easily with stones pelt the pre ghe 9, to pieces; but I soon rejected that ro- ject with horror, by remembering the oath I Trad made to the emperor, the favors I received from
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him, and the high title of nardac he conferred upon me. Neither had I so soon learned the itude of courtiers, to myself that his majesty’s pres- ent sev acquitted me of all past obligations. At last, I fixed upon a resolution, for which it is bable I may incur some censure, and not unjust- Oe tor I confess I owe the preserving of mine eyes, and consequently my liberty, to my own t rash- ness and want of experience; because, if I had then knewn the nature of princes and ministers, which I have since observed in many other courts, and their methods of treatin i than myself, I should, with great alacrity and readi- ness, have submitted to so easy a punishment. But hurried on by the ty nang of youth, and having his ial maj *s license to pay my attendance upon took this opportu- © em r of Blefuscu, nity, before the three days were elapsed, to send a letter to my friend the se gr wen si ifying my reso- lution of setting out that morning for Blefuscu, pur- suant to the leave I had got; and, without a for an answer, I went to that side of the islan where our fleet lay. I seized a large man-of-war, pe a ae ed ry ews ond, Etting n.tne emgners, eee m ut my clothes (together with my coverlet, which bebe? under my arm) into the vessel, and, drawing it after me, between wading and swimming, arrived at the royal port of Blefuscu, where the people had long ex me two es to direct me to the capital city, which is of the same name, I held them in my hands, till Icame within two hundred yards of the gate, and desired them to signify my arrival to one of the sec- retaries, and let him know, I there waited his majes- "scommand. I had an answer in about an hour, his majesty, attended by the royal family and great officers of the court, was com out to re- ceive me. I advanced a hundred yards. The em- peror and his train alighted from their horses, the empress and ladies from their coaches, and I did not perceive they were in any fright or concern. I lay on the ground to kiss his eee ey ’s and the empress’s hands. I told his majesty, that I was come, accord- ing to my promise, and with the license of the em- peror my master, to have the honor of seeing so mighty a mo , and to offer him any service in my power, consistent with my duty to my own Pp ; not mentioning a word of my be cause and might suppose myself wholly ignorant of any guch design; neither could I reasonably conceive that the emperor would discover the secret, while I was out of his power; wherein, however, it soon ap- peared I was deceived. ted me; they lent | had hitherto no regular information of it, Beadle’s HalfDime Library. nals, less obnoxious | | was content to punish me no further than with the | orders to have me sent back to Lilliput, bound hand I shall not trouble the reader with the particular | account of my reception at this court, which was suitable to the genesaaity of so great a prince, nor of the difficulties I was in for want of a house and bed, being forced to lie on the ground, wrapped up in my coveriet. CHAPTER VIII. Turee days after my arrival, walking, out of curi- osity, to the north-east coast of the island, I ob- served, about half a league off in the sea, somewhat that looked like a boat overturned. I pulled off my shoes and stoc and, wading two or three hun- dred yards, I found the object to approach nearer by force of the tide; and then plainly saw it to be a real boat, which I supposed might by some tempest have been driven from a anes whereupon, I return- ed immediately toward the city, and desired his im- \ majesty to lend me twenty of the tallest ves- els he had left, after the loss of his fleet, and three thousand seamen, under the command of his vice- admiral, This fleet sailed round, while I went back the shortest way to the coast, where I first discov- -ered the boat. I found the tide had driven it still nearer. The seamen were all provided with cordage, which I had beforehand twisted to a sufficient stre: When the ships came up, I stripped my- ont and waded till I came within a hundred yards of e t, after which I was forced to swim till I got | yto it. The seamen threw me the end of the cord, which I fastened to a hole in the fore-part of the boat, and the other end toa man-of-war; but I found ali my iabor to little purpose, for. being out of my depth, {was not abie to work. in this necessity, « was forced to swim benind, ana push the boat for- ward, as often as I could, with one of my hands; and the tide favoring me, I advanced so far that I could | | pockets, his majesty engaged my honor not to carry just hold up my chin and feel the ground. I rested two or three minutes, and then gave the boat anoth- er shove, and so on, till the sea was no higher than my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part be- ing over, I took out my other cables, which were stowed in one of the ships, and fastened them first to the boat, and then to nine of the vessels which at- tended me; the wind being favorable, the seamen towed, and I shoved, until we arrived within fort iphing of the shore; and waiting till the tide was out, got dry to the boat, and by the assistance of two thousand men, with ropes and engines, I made a shift to turn it over on its bottom, and found it was but very little ‘ I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under, by the help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days’ making, to get my boat to the royal port of Blefuscu, where a mighty concourse of Feople appeared upon my atrival, full of wonder at ; sigh of so prodigious a vessel. I told the em- peror that my good fortune had thrown this boat in bat to carry me to some place whence I might to my native country; and ed his ma- jesty’s orders for getting materials to fit it up, to- goer with his license to depart; which, after some | —_ | . Tirta weaken Bai ts not to very m’ wonder, 0! navetheast of any” ' to me from our semperor to:the court of Blefuscu. But I was after- | linen toge ward given privately to understand, that his imperial ma, , never im: Thad the least notice of his d believed I was only gone to Blefuscu in per- formance of my promise, acco to the license he had given me, which was well known at our court, and would return in a few days, when the ceremony was ended, But he was at last in at my long absence; and after consulting with the treasurer and the rest of that cabal, a person of quality was dispatched with the copy of the articles against me. This envoy had instructions to represent to the mon- arch of Blefuscu the great lenity of his master, who loss of mine eyes; that I had fled from justice; and if I did not return in two hours, I should be deprived | | me a good character to the captain. This gentleman of my title of nardac, and declared a traitor. The envoy further added, that in order to maintain the peace and amity between both empires, his master | expected that his brother of Blefuseu would give and foot, to be punished as a traitor. The emperor of Blefuscu, having taken three days to consult, returned an answer consisting of many civilities and excuses. He said, that, as for sending me bound, his brother knew it was impossible; that although I had deprived him of his fleet, yet he owed at obligations to me for many good offices I had one him in making the peace. That, however, both their majesties would soon be made easy; for T had found a prodigious vessel on the shore, able to carry me on the sea, which he had given orders to fit up with my own assistance and direction; and he hoped | ina few weeks both empires would be freed from so | a er an incumbrance. j it. / this answer the envoy returned to Lilliput; and the monarch of Blefuscu related to me all that | had passed, offering me, at the same time (but under the strictest confidence), his gracious protection, if I would continue in his service; wherein, although I believed him sincere, yet I resolved never more to put any confidence in princes or ministers, where I could possibly avoid it; and therefore, with all due acknowledgments for his favorable intentions, I humbly begged to be excused. I told him, that since fortune, whether good or evil, had thrown a vessel | in my way, I was resolved to venture myself on the ocean, rather than be an occasion of difference be- | tween two such mighty monarchs. Neither did I s find the emperor at pleased; and I discovered, by a certain accident, that he was very glad of my resolution, and so were most of his ministers. These considerations moved me to hasten my de- parture somewhat sooner than I intended, to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very readily contributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to make two sails to my boat, according to my direc- | tions, by —t thirteen folds of their strongest ther. I was atthe pains of making ropes and cables, by twisting ten, twenty, or thirty of the thickest and peer an of theirs. A great stone that I happened to find, after a long search, by the sea- shore, served me for an anchor. I had the tallow of three hundred cows, for greasing my boat, and other | uses, Iwas at incredible pains in cutting down some of the largest timber-trees, for oars and masts, | wherein I was, however, much assisted by his ma- | jesty’s ship-carpenters, who hel = me in smoothing them, after I had done the rough work. In about a month, when all was prepared, I sent to receive his majesty’s commands, and to take my leave. The emperor and royal family came out of the palace; I lay down on my face to kiss his hand, which he very graciously gave me; so did the em- press and young princes of the blood. His majesty presented me with fifty purses, of two hundred sprugs apiece, together with his picture at full length, which I put immediately into one of my | gloves, to keep it from being hurt. The ceremonies | at my de rture were too many to trouble the reader with at this time. I stored the boat with the carcases of a hundred oxen and three hundred sheep, with bread and drink roportionable, and as much meat ready dressed as our hundred cooks could provide. I took with me six cows and two bulls alive, with as many ewes and rams, intending to carry them into my own country, and propagate the breed; and to feed them on board ~ awd 2 good bundle of hay, and a bag of corn. woul eladiy huve taken a dozen of the natives, but this was « thing the emperor would by no means permit; and, besides a diligent search into my away any of his subjects, although with their own consent and desire. Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I set sail on the twenty-fourth day of rv aes gone | ber, 1701, at six in the morning; and when I ha about four leagues to the northward, the wind bein at south-east, at six in the evening I descried a sma island, about half a league to the north-west. I advanced forward, and cast anchor on the lee-side of the island, which seemed to be uninhabited. I then | took some refreshment, and went to my rest. I slept well, and, as I conjecture, at least six hours, for I found the day broke in two hours after I awoke. It was a clear night. I ate my breakfast before the sun was up; and heaving anchor, the wind being favor- able, I steered the same course that I had done the day before, wherein I was directed by my pocket compass, My intention was to reach, if ber one of those islands which I had reason to believe lay to the north-east of Van Dieman’s Land. I discovered nothing all that day; but upon the next, about three in the afternoon, when I had, by my computation made twenty-four leagues from Blefuscu, T descried a sail steering to the south-east; my course was due [hailed her, but could get no answer; yet I | found I gained upon her, for the wind slackened. I made ali the sail I could, and in half an hour she spied me, then hung out her ancient, and ch a gun. It is not easy to express the joy I was in, upon the un hope of once more see- ing my beloved country, and the dear pledges I left in it, The ship slackened her sails, and I came up with her between five or six in. the eve , Septem- Ld = = my — — Aes oal = see her nglish colors. 'y cows and sheep into m sdat-pocket, and & on board with all my little cargo of provisions. e vessel was an Eng merchant- man, returning from —- by the North and South Seas; the captain, Mr. John Biddel, of Deptford, a very civil man, and an excellent sailor. e@ were now in the latitude of thirty degrees south; there were about fifty men in the ship; and here I met an old comrade of mine, one Peter Williams, who gave treated me with kindness, and desired I would let him know what place I came from last, and whither I was bound; which I did in a few words, but he thought I was raving, and that the dangers I had undergone had disturbed my head; whereupon, I took my black cattle and sheep out of my pocket. which, after great astonishment, clearly convine him of my veracity. I then showed the gold rote me by the emperor of Blefuscu, together with is majesty’s picture at full length, and some other rarities of that country. I gave him two purses of | two hundred ae 8 each, and promised, when we an arrived in Eng d, to make him a present of a cow and a sheep big with oung. I shall not trouble the reader with a particular ac- count of this voyage, which was very prosperous for the most part. e arrived in the Downs on the 13th of April, 1702. I had only one misfortune, that the rats on board carried away one of my sheep; I found her bones in a hole, picked clean from the flesh. The rest of my cattle i got safe ashore, and set them a ing in a bowling-green at Greenwich, where the neness of the grass made them feed very heartily, though I had always feared the contrary; neither could I possibly have preserved them in so long & voyage, if the captain had not allowed me some of his best biscuit, which, rubbed to a powder and mingled with water, was their constant food. The short time I continued in England, I made a consider- able profit by showing my cattle to many persons of quality and others; and before I began my second voyage, I sold them for six hundred pounds. Since my last return, I find the breed is considerably in- creased, especially the ae which I hope will prove much to the advantage of the woollen manufacture, by the fineness of the fleeces. I stayed but two months with my wife and family, for my insatiable desire of seeing wi 5 countries would suffer me to remain no longer. I left fifteen hundred pounds with my wife, and fixed her in a good house at Redriff. y remaining stock I carried with me, part in money and part in goods, in hopes to improve my fortunes. My eldest uncle John had left me an estate in land, near Ppping, of about Ln A eee a@ year; and Lhada long lease of the Blac ull, in Fetter Lane, which yielded me as much more; so that I was not in any danger of leav- ing my family upon the parish. My son Johnny, named s0 after his uncle, was at the grammar-school, and a towardly child. My daughter Betty (who is now well married, and has children) was then at her needle-work. I took leave of my wife, and boy and girl, with tears on both sides, and went on board a merchant-ship. But my account of this et must be referred to the second part of my travels. ——_—_—_=9 6.—————— A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. CHAPTER IL Havine been condemned, by nature and fortune, to active and restless life, in two months after m return, I again left my native country, and too chipping in the Downs, on the 20th day of June, 1702, in the Adventure, Captain John Nicholas, a Cornish man, commander, bound for Surat. We had a very prosperous gale, till we arrived at the Cape of Good ope, where we landed for fresh water; but discov- ering a leak, we unshipped our goods, and wintered there; for the captain eT sick of an ague, we could not leave the Cape till the end of March. We then set sail, and hada good voyage till we passed the Straits of Madagascar; but having got north- ward of that island, and to about five degrees south latitude, the winds, which in those seas are observed to blow a constant equal gale between the north and west, from the beginning of December to the begin- ning of May, on the 19th of April began to blow with much greater violence, and more westerly than usual, continuing so for twenty wk together; dur- ing which time we were driven a little to the east of the Molueca Islands, and about three degrees north- ward of the line, as our captain found by an observa- tion he took the 2d of May, at which time the wind ceased, and it was a panos calm, whereat I was not a little rejoiced. But he, being a man well experi- enced in the navigation of those seas, bid us all pre- Le against a storm, which accordingly ae ee he day following; for the southern wind, ed the southern monsoon, began to set in. Finding it was likely to overblow, we took in our sprit-sail, and stood by to hand the fore-sail: but, aie | foul weather, we looked that the guns were all fast, and handed the mizzen. ‘The ship lay very broad off, so we thought it better spooning before the sea than trying or hulling. We reefed the fore-sail and set him, and hauled aft the fore-sheet; the helm was hard a-weather. The ‘cay Pater \G bravely, We belay- ed the fore down-haul; but the sail was split, and we hauled down the Rigs and got the sail into the ship, and unbound the clear of it. It was dis- | a very flerce storm; the sea broke strong and dan-
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Gulliver’s Travels. 9 gerous. We hauled o wale and help eould not get down our top-mast, but let all stand because she scudded before the sea very well, and we knew that the top-mast being aloft, the om 4 was the wholesomer, and made better way through the sea, seeing we had sea-room, When the storm was over, we set fore-sail and main-sail, and brought the ship to. Then we set the mizzen, main-top-sail, and the fore-top-sail. Our course was east-north-east; the wind was at south-west. We got the starboard tacks aboard; we cast off our weather-braces and lifts; we set in the lee braces, and hauled forward by the weather-bowlings, and hauled them tight, and belayed them, and hauled over the mizzen tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near as she would lie. During this storm, which was followed by a strong wind west-south-west, we were carried, by my com- putation, above five hundred leagues to the east, so that the oldest sailor on board could not tell in what part of the world we were. Our provisions held out well, ourship was staunch, and our crew all in good health; but we lay in the utmost distress for water. We thought it best to hold on the same course, rather than to turn more northerly, which might have brought us to the north-west part of Great Tartary, and into the Frozen Sea. On the 16th day of June, 1703, a boy on the top-mast discovered land, On the 17th, we came in full view of a great island, or continent (for we knew not which), on the south side whereof was asmall neck of land jutting out into the sea, and a creek too shallow to hold a ship of above one hundred tons. We cast anchor within a league of this creek and our captain sent a dozen of hismen well arm in the long-boat with vessels for water, if any could be found. I desired his leave to go with them, that I might see the country and make what discov- eries I could. When we came to land we saw no river or spring, nor any sign of inhabitants. Our men, therefore, wandered on the shore to find out some fresh water near the sea, and I walked alone about a mile on the other side, where I observed the country all barren and rocky. I now began to be weary, and seeing nothing to entertain my curiosity IT returned ey down toward the creek; and the sea being full in my view, Isaw our men already got into the boat, and rowing for life to the ~~. was oing to halloa after them, although it had been to ittle purpose, when I observed a huge creature walking after them in the sea as fast as he could; he waded not much deeper than his knees, and took gate strides; but our men had the start of im half a league, and the sea thereabouts being full of sharp-pointed rocks, the monster was not able to overtake the boat. This I was afterward told, for Idurst not stay to see the issue of the adventure but ran as fast as I could the way I first went, an then climbed up a steep hill, which gave me some fy ect of the country. I found it fully cultivated: ut that which first surprised me was the length of the grass, which, in those grounds that seemed to be kept for hay, was about twenty feet +> I fell into a h road, for sol took it to though it served to the inhabitants only as a footpath through a field of —T Here I walked on for some time, but could see little on either side, it be- ing now near harvest, and the corn rising at least forty feet. I was an hour walking to the end of this field, which was fenced in with a hedge of at least one hundred and twenty feet high, and the trees so lofty that I could make no computation of their altitude. There was a stile to pass from this field into the next. It had four steps, and a stone to cress over when you came to the uppermost. It was impossi- ble for me to climb this stile, because every step was six feet high, and the upper stone about twenty. I was endeavoring to find some ga in the hedge, when I discovered one of the inhabitants in the next field advancing toward thé stile, of the same size with him whom I saw in the sea pursuing our boat, He appeared as tall as an ordinary spire steeple, and took about ten yards at every stride, as near as ITeould guess. I was struck with the utmost fear and astonishment, and ran to hide myself in the corn, whence I saw him at the top of the stile, look- ing back into the next field on the right hand, and heard him callin a voice many degrees louder than a speaking-trumpet; but the noise was so bigh in the air, that, at first, I certainly thought it was thunder. Whereupon, seven monsters, like himself, came toward him with reaping-hooks in their hands, each hook about the largeness of six scythes. These people were not so well clad as the first, whose servants or laborers they seemed to be; for, upon some words he spoke, they went to reap the corn in the field where I lay. I kept from them at as great a distance as I could, but was fo to move with extreme difficulty, for the stalks of the corn were sometimes not above a foot distant, so that I could hardly squeeze my body betwixt them. However. I made a shift to go forward till I came toa of the field where the corn had been laid by the rain and wind. Here it was impossible forme to ad- vance a step; for the stalks were so interwoven that I could not creep through, and the beards of the fallen ears so strong and pointed, that they pierced through my clothes into my flesh. At the same tina heard the reapers not above a hundred yards behind me. Being quite dispirited with toil, and wholly overcome by grief and despair, la; down between two ridges, and heartily wished might there end my days. I bemoaned hoe | desolate widow and fatherless children; I lamented my own folly and willfulness in attempting a second voyage inst the advice of all my friends and relations. In this terrible agitation of mind I could not forbear of Lilliput, whose inhabitants looked upon prodigy that ever ap in thinki me as the grea the world; where I was able to draw an imperial fleet in my hand, and perform those other actio which will | be recorded forever in the chronicles o that empire, while posterity shall hardly believe them, although attested by millions. I reflected what a mortification it must prove to me, to appeal as inconsiderable in this nation, as one single - putian would be among us. But this I conceived was to be the least of my misfortunes; for, as hu- man creatures are observed to be more savage and cruel in —— to their bulk, what could I ex- pect but to be a morsel in the mouth of the first among these enormous barbarians that should hap- pen to seize me? Undoubtedly philosophers are in the right, when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison. It might have pleased fortune to have let the Lilliputians find some nation where the ple were as diminutive with respect to them as they were to me, And who knows but that even this p ious raceof mortals might be equally overmatched in some distant part of the world whereof we have yet no discovery? Scared and confounded as I was, I could not for- bear going on with these reflections, when one of the reapers, approaching within ten yards of the ridge where I lay, made me apprehend that with the next step I should be squashed to death under his foot, or cut in two with his reaping-hook. And therefore, when he was in about to move I screamed as loud as fear could make me; whereupon the huge creature trod short, and, looking round about under him for some time, at last espied me as Ilay onthe ground. He considered awhile, with the caution of one who endeavors to lay hold on a small, dangerous animal in such a manner that it shall not be able either to scratch or bite him, as I myself have sometimes done with a weasel in Eng- land. At length, he ventured to take me behind, by the middle, between his forefinger and thumb, and brought me within three yards of his eyes, that he might behold my shape more perfectly. I guessed his meaning, and my good fortune gave me so much presence of mind, that I resolved not to strug- le in the least, as he held me in the air above sixty eet from the ground, although he grievously inched my sides, for fear I should slip through his gers. All I ventured was, to raise mine eyes to- ward the sun, and place my hands together in a sup- pioesing posture, and to k some words in a umble melancholy tone, suitable to the condition I then was in; for I apprehended every moment that he would dash me against the ground, as we usually do any little hateful animal which we have a mind to destroy. But my good star would have it, that he appeared pleased with my voice and gestures, and to look upon me as a curiosity, much wonde to hear me pronounce articulate words, although he could not understand them. In the meantime I was not able to forbear aning and shedding tears, and turning my _ h toward my sides; letting him know, as well as I could, how cruelly I was hurt es the pressure of his thumb and oe. He seemed to apprehend my meaning, for lifting up the lappet of his coat, he put me gently into it, and immediately ran along with me to his master, who was a substantial farmer, and the same gna ph had =a . asi field. ietieane ) e farmer having (as I su e eir talk) re- ceived such an account of we os his servant could give him, took a piece of a small straw, about the size of a walking-staff, and therewith lifted up the lappets of my coat, which, it seems, he thought to be some kind of covering that nature had given me. He blew my hairs aside, to take a better view of my face. He called his hinds about him, and asked them, as I afterward learned, “ Whether they had ever seen in the fields any little creature that resem- bledgme?”’ He then placed me softly upon the ground poe all-fours, but Ds immediately up, and walked owly backward and forward, to let those people see I had no intent to run away. They all sat down in a circle about me, the better to observe my mo- tions, I pulled off my hat, and made a low bow to- ward the farmer. I fell on my knees, and lifted up my hands and eyes, and spoke several words as loud as I could: I took a purse of Boag out of my pocket, and humbly Ae it to . He received it on the palm of his hand, then applied it close to his eye to see what it was, and afterward turned it several times with the point of a pin (which he took out of his sleeve), but could make nothing of it. Where- upon, I made a sign that he should place his hand on the ground; I then took the purse, and, opening it, oured all the gold into his palm, There were six panish pieces of four pistoles each, besides twenty or thirty smaller coins. I saw him wet the tip of his little finger upon his tongue, and take up one of my largest pieces, and then another; but he seemed to be wholly ignorant what they were. He made me a sign to put them again into my purse, and the purse again into my pocket, which, r offering it to him several times, I thought it best to do. The farmer, by this time, was convinced that I must bea rational creature. He spoke often tome, but the sound of his voice pierced my ears like that of a wa- ter-mill; yet his words were articulate enough. I an- swered as loud as I could in several languages, and he often laid his ear within two yards of me; but all in vain, for we were wholly unintelligible to each other. He then sent his servants to their work, and taking his handkerchief out of his pocket, he doubled and spread it on his left hand, which he placed flat on the ground with the palm upward, making me a sign to step into it, as I could easily do, for it was not above a foot in thickness. I thought it my part to obey, and, for fear of falling, laid myself at full length upon the handkerchief, with the remainder of which he lapped me up to the head for further secu- rity, and_in this manner carried me home to his house, There he called his wife, and showed me to her; but she screamed and ran back, as women in England do atthe sight of a toad or a spider. How- ever, when she had awhile seen my behavior, and how well I observed the signs her husband made, she was soon reconciled, and by degrees grew ex- tremely tender of me. It was about twelve at noon, and a servant brought in dinner. It was only one substantial dish of meat (fit for the plain condition of a husbandman), in a dish of about four-and-twenty feet diameter. The . were, the farmer and his wife, three children, and anold grandmother. When they were sat down, the farmer placed me at some distance from him on the table, which was thirty feet high from the floor. I was in a terrible fright, and kept as far as I could from the edge, for fear of falling. The wife minced a bit of meat, then crumbled some bread on a trencher, and placed it before me. Imade her a low bow, took out my knife and fork, and fell to eat, which gave them exceeding delight. The mistress sent her maid for a small dram cup, which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink: I took up the vessel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank to her ladyship’s health, expressing the words as loud as I could in English, which made the compan laugh so heartily, that I was almost deafened wit: the noise. This liquor tasted like a small cider, and was not unpleasant. Then the master made mea sign to come to his trencher side; but_as I w*lked on the table, being in great surprise all the time, as the indulgent reader will easily conceive and excuse, I os to stumble against a crust, and .ell flat on my face, but received no hurt. got up immediate- ly, and observing the ae oe le to be in much con- cern, I took my hat (which I held under my arm, out of good manners), and waving it over my bene, made three huzzas, to showI had got no mischief by my fall. Butadvancing forward toward my master (as I shall henceforth call him), his youngest son, who sat next to him, an arch boy of about ten years old, took me up by the legs, and held me so high in the air, that I trembled in every limb: but his father snatched me from him, and at the same time gave him such a box on the left ear, as would have felled a Euro troop of horse to the earth, orderin him to taken from the table. But being afraid that the boy might owe me a spite, and well remem- bering how mischievous all children among us natu- rally are, to Peters, rabbits, young kittens, and uppy dogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to the oy, made my master to understand, as well asI could, that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father pong: rere and the lad took his seat again; whereup- on, I went to him, and kissed his hand, which m bv took, and made him stroke me gently wi In the midst of dinner, my mistress’s favorite cat leaped into her lap. I heard a noise behind me, like that of a dozen stocking-weavers at work, and turn- ing my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of that animal, who seemed to be three times larger than an ox, as I computed by the view of her head and one of her paws, while her mistress was feedi and stroking her. e fierceness of this creature’s countenance altogether discomposed me, though I stood at the further end of the table, above fifty feet off, and though my mistress held her fast, for fear she might give a épring, and seize me in her talons. But it happened there was no danger, for the cat took not the least notice of me, when my master laced me within three yards of her, And as I have en always told and found true by experience in my travels, that flying or discovering fear before a fierce animal, is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, so I resolved, in this dangerous juncture, toshow no manner of concern. 1 walked with in- trepidity five or six times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; where- upon she drew herself back, as if she were more raid of me. I had less apprehension concerning the dogs, whereof three or four came ‘nto the room, as it is usual in farmers’ houses; one of which was a mastiff, equal in bulk te four ele- phants, and a greyhound, somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not so large. When dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year old in her arms, who im- mediately spied me, and an a squall that you might have heard from London Bridge to Chelsea, after the usual oratory of infants, to get me for a | eee eer The mother, out of pe indulgence, me up, and put me toward the child, who preseaty. seized me by the middle, and got my ead into his mouth, where I roared go loud that the urchin was frighted, and let me drop: and I should infallibly have broken my neck if the mother had not held her apron under me. The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a rattle, which was a kind of hollow vessel filled with great stones, and fastened by a cable to the child’s waist—but all in vain; so that she was forced to apply to the last remedy, by giving it suck. I must confess no object ever die me so much as the sight of her mon- strous breast, which I cannot tell what to com with, so as to give the curious reader an idea of its bulk, shape, and color. It stood prominent six feet, and could not be less than sixteen in circumference. The nipple was about half the bigness of my head, and the hue both of that and the dug so varied with spots, pimples, and freckles, that not could ap- pear more nauseous; for I had a near sight of her, she sitting down, the more conveniently to give suck, and I stan on the table. This made me reflect upon the fair skins of our English ladies, who appear so beautiful to us, only because they are = our aie size, and their defects not to be seen but roug poy ay ood ing- ; where we find by ex- periment that the smoothest and whitest akine look rough, and coarse, and ill-colored.
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about two hundred ya . mini ha will certainly pet of my coat return 10 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. el I remember, when I was at Lilliput, the complex- ions of those diminutive peo le appeared to me the fairest in the world; an talking upon this subject with a person of learning there, who was an intimate friend of mine, he said, that my face appeared much fairer and smoother when he looked on me from the und, than it did upon a nearer view, when I took him up in my hand, and brought him close, which he confessed was at first a very shocking si ht, He said he could discover great holes in my skin; that the stumps of my beard were ten times stronger than the bristles of a boar, and my complexion made up of several colors altogether disagreeable; al- though I must beg leave to say for myseif, that I am as fair as most of my sex and country, and very little sun-burnt by my travels. On the other side, discoursing of the ladies in that emperor’s court, he used to tell me one had freckles, another too large a mouth, a third too large a nose; nothing of which I was able to distinguish. I confess, this reflection. was obvious enough, which, however, I could not forbear, lest the reader might think those vast creatures were act deformed; for I must do them the justice to say they are a comely race of ple; and, particularly, the features of my mas- *s countenance, although he was but a farmer, when I beheld en aoe ., e in of sixty feet, ap- peared very well pro oned, When inter wis over, ny master went out to his laborers, and, as I could discover by his voice and gesture, gave his wife a strict charge to take care of me. f was very much tired, and disposed to sleep, which my mistress perceiving she put me on her own bed, and covered me with a clean white handkerchief, but larger and coarser than the main- sail of a man of war. Islept about two hours, and dreamt I was at home with my wife and children, which vated my sorrow when I awoke, and found m alone in a vast room, between two and three hundred feet wide, and above two_hundred high, lying in a bed twenty yards wide. My mistress was gone about her household affairs, and had locked mein. The bed was eight yards from the floor. Some natural neces- sities required me to get down; I durst not presume to eall, and if I had, it would have been in vain, with such a voice as mine, at so great a distance as from the room where I lay to the kitchen where the fami- ly kept. While I was under these circumstances, two rats crept up the curtains, and ran smelling backward and forward on the bed. One of them came up almost to my face, whereupon I rose in a fright, and drew out my hanger to defend myself. These horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both sides, and one of them held his fore-feet at my collar; but I had the good fortune to eo pn Ae as fore he could do me any mischief. He fell down at my feet, and the other, the fate of his comrade, e his escape, but not without one good wound on the back, which I gave him as he fled, and made the blood run trickling from him. After this exploit, I walked gently to and fro on the bed, to recover my breath and loss of spirits, These creatures were of the size of a large mastiff, but in- finitely more nimble and fierce; so that, if I had taken off my belt before I went to sleep, I must have infallibly been torn to pieces and devoured. I mea- sured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long, wanting an inch; but it went against my stomach ges the carcase off the bed, where it lay still bleeding. 1 observed it had yet some life, but with a strong slash across the neck, I thoroughly — it. m after, my mistress came into the room, who seeing me all bloody, ran and took me up in her hand. I pointed to the dead rat, smiling, and making other ‘to show I was not hurt; whereat she was extremely rejoiced, calling the maid to take up the dead rat with a pair of tongs and throw it out of the window, Then s ae a on ‘ enn et I a her my hanger an on the lap- ~ “j ed it to the soa “ee ag I Ard pressed do more than one thing which another could not do for me, and therefore endeavored to make my mistress understand that I desired to be set down on the floor; which after she had done, m bashfulness would not suffer me to express myse further, than by pointing to the door and eget d several times. e good woman with much - culty at last perceived what I would be at, and tak- ing me up again into her hand, walked into the gar- den, where she set me down. I went on one side and ae . — to look or to follow me, I hid myse tween two leaves of sorrel, and there discharged the necessities of I hoy the gentle reader will excuse me for dwell- ing on and the like negra: which, mgt ae insignificant they may a r roveling vulgar re: “s 4 Teip a philosopher to en- ae 2 thoughts and imagination, and apply them to the benefit of public as well as private tite which was sole design in presenting this, and other accounts of my travels, to the world; wherein I have been chiefly studious of truth, without affecting any ornaments of learning or of style. But the whole scene of this voyage made so strong an impression on my mind, and is so deeply fixed on my memory, that committing it to paper I did not omit one material circumstance; however, upon a strict re- ‘view, I blotted out several es of less moment which were in my first copy, for fear of being cen- sured as tedious and trifling, whereof travelers are . often, perhaps not without justice, accused. CHAPTER II. My mistress had a daughter of nine years old, a child of Whee 2 for her very dexterous at her needle, an Aste in arensine her baby. Her mother and she contrived to fit up the baby’s cradle for me against night; and the cradle was put into a small drawer of a cabinet, and the drawer — upon a hanging shelf, for fear of the rats. This was my bed all the time I iam i with those poomies ry 5 made more convenient by de; S, as oe learn their language, and make my wants known. This young girl was so handy, that after I had once or twice pulled off my clothes before her, she was able to dress and undress me, though I never gave her that trouble when she would let me do either myself. She made me seven shirts, and some other linen, of as fine cloth as could be got, which, indeed, was coarser than sackcloth; an these she constantly washed for me with her own hands. She was like- wise my schoolmistress, to teach me the language; when_I pointed to anything, she told me the name o it in her own tongue, so hat in a few days I was able to call for whatever I had a mind to, She was very good-natured, and not above forty feet high, be- ing little for her age. She gave me the name of Grildrig, which the family took up, and afterward the whole kingdom. The word imports what the Latins call nonunculus, the Italians, homunceletion, and the English, mannikin. To her I chiefly owe my preservation in that country; we never ed while I was there; I called her my Glumdalelitch, or little nurse, and should be guilty of great ingrati- tude, if I omitted this honorable mention of her care and affection toward me, which I heartily wish it lay in my power to requite as she deserves, instead of being the innocent but unhappy instrument of her disgrace, as I have too much reason to fear. It now began to be known and talked of in the neighborhood, that my master had found a strange animal in the field, about the bigness of a splacknuck, but exactly shaped in every part like a human crea- ture, which it likewise imitated in all its actions; it seemed to speak a little lan, e of its own, had al- ready learned several words of theirs, went erect up- on two legs, was tame and — would come when it was called, do whatever it was bid, had the finest limbs in the world, and a complexion fairer than a nobleman’s daughter of three years old. Another farmer, who lived hard by, and was a particular friend of my master, came on a visit on purpose to inquire into the truth of this story. I was immedi- ate y produced, and placed upon a table, where I walked as I was commanded, drew my hanger, put it u ae made my reverence to css master’s guest, ed him in his own language how he did, and told him he was welcome, just as my little nurse had instructed me, This man, who was old and dim- sighted, put on his spectacles to behold me better; at which I could not forbear laughing very heartily, for his eyes appeared like the full moon shining into a chamber at two windows. Our people, who dis- covered the cause of my mirth, bore me company in laughing, at which the old fellow was fool enough to be angry and out of countenance. He had the character of a A pg miser; and, to my misfortune, he well deserved it, by the cursed advice he gave my master, to show me as a sight upon a market-day in the next town, which was half an hour’s ride, about two-and-twenty miles from our house. I guessed there was some mischief contriving,fwhen I observed my master and his friend whispering long together, sometimes pnts at me: and my fears made me fancy that I overheard and understood some of their words. But the next ripe eo Glumdalclitch, my little nurse, told me the whole matter, which she had cunningly picked out from her mother. The poor girl laid me on her bosom, and fell a weeping with shame and grief. She apprehended some mis- chief would happen to me from rude vulgar folks who might squeeze me to death, or break one of my limbs by taking me in their hands. She had also ob- served how modest I was in my nature, how nicely I regarded my honor, and what an indignity I should conceive it, to be exposed for money as a public spectacle to the meanest of the people. She said her that Grildrig should oy and mamma had promi ers; but now she found they meant to serve her as they did last year, when they pretended to give her a lamb, and yet, as soon as it was fat, sold it toa butcher. For my own part, I may truly affirm, that I was less concerned than my nurse. I had a strong hope, which never left me, that I should one rae é recover my liberty; and as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monster, I considered my- self to be a perfect stranger in the country, and such a misfortune could never be ch upon me asa reproach, if ever I should return England; since the king of Great Britain himself, in my condition, must have undergone the same distress. My master, pursuant to the advice of his friend, carried me in a box, the next market-day, to the neighboring town, and took along with him his little daughter, my nurse, upon a pillion behind him. The box was close on every side, with a little door for me to go in and out, and a few gimlet holes to let inair. The girl had been so careful as to put the a of her bady’s bed into it, for me to lie down on. owever, I was terribly shaken and discomposed in this journey, though it was but of half an hour; for the horse went about forty feet at every step, and trotted so high, that the agitation was equal to the rising and falling of a ship in a great storm, but much more frequent. Our journey was somewhat further than from London to St. Alban’s. My mas- ter alighted at an inn which he used to frequent; and after consulting awhile with the innkeeper, and making some necessary preparations, he hired the grultrud, or crier, to give notice through the town of a stra creature to be seen, at the sign of the Green le, not so big as a splacknuck (an animal in that country very finely shaped, about six feet long), and in every of the body resembling a hu- man creature, coul ences several words, and per- form a hundred diverting tricks, i oe I was placed upon a table in the largest room of the inn, which might be near three hundred feet square. My little nurse stood on a low stool close to the table, to take care of me, and direct what I should do. My master, to avoid a crowd, would suf- fer only thirty people at a time to see me. I walked about on the table as the girl commanded; she ask- ed me questions, as far as she knew my understand- ing of the language reached, and I answered them as loud as I could. I turned about several times to the company, paid my humble respects, said were welcome, and us some other speeches I ney been taught. I took up a thimble filled with liquor, which Glumdalclitch had given me for a cup, an drank their health. I drew out my hanger, and flour- ished with it after the manner of fencers in England. My nurse gave me a part of a straw, which I exer- cised as a ey having Jearnt the art in my youth, I was that day shown to twelve sets of company, and as often forced to act over again the same fop- peries, till I was half dead with weariness and vexa- tion; for those who had seen me made such wonder- ful reports, that the people were — to break down the doors to come in. My master, for his own interest, would not suffer any one to touch me, ex- cept my nurse; and to prevent danger, benches were set round the table at such a distance as to put me out of everybody’s reach. However, an ia open § schoolboy aimed a hazel nut directly at my he which very narrowly missed me; otherwise, it came with so much violence, that it would have infallibly knocked out my brains, for it was almest as large as a small pumpion; but i had the satisfaction to see the young rogue well beaten, and turned out of the room, My master gave public notice that he would show me again the next market-day; and in the meantime he pre ed a more convenient vehicle for me, which he reason enough to do, for I was so tired with my first journey, and with entertaining company for eight hours together, that I could hardly stand upon my legs or speak a word. It was at least three days before I recovered my strength; and, that I might have no rest at hcme, all the neighboring en- tlemen from a hundred miles around, hearing of my fame, came to see me at my master’s own house. There could not be fewer than thirty persons, with their wives and children (for the country is Meat popu- lous); and my master demanded the rate o A hall room whenever he showed me at home although it were only to a single family; so that for some time I had but little ease every day of the week (except Wednesday, which is their sabbath), although I were not carried to the town. My master, finding how profitable I was likely:to be, resolved to carry me to the most considerable cities of the kingdom. Having, therefore, provided himself with all things necessary for a long journey, and settled his affairs at home, he took leave of wife, and upon the 17th of Avgust, 1703, about two months after my arrival, we set out for the metropo- lis, situate near the middle of that empire, and about three thousand miles’ distance from our house. My master made his daughter Glumdalclitch ride behind him; she carried me on her lap, ina box tied about her waist. The girl bad lined it on all sides with the softest cloth she could get, well quilted underneath, furnished it with her baby’s bed, poe it with linen and other necessaries, and made everything as convenient as she could. We had no other company rae a boy of the house, who rode after us with the uggage. epee design was to show me in all the towns by the way, and to step out of the road, for fifty or a hundred miles, to bah village or person of quality’s ag where he might expect custom. e made easy journeys, of not above seven or eight score miles a day; for Glumdalclitch, on oer ee to s me, complained she was tired with the trotting of the horse. She often took me out of my box, at my own desire, to give me air, and show me the coun- try, but always held me fast by a leading-string. We passed over five or six rivers, many degrees broader and deeper than the Nile or the Ganges; and there was hardly a rivulet so small as the Thames at Lon- con Bridge. We were ten weeks in our journey, and I was shown in eighteen large towns, besides many villages and private families. : On the 26th day of October we arrived at the me- rape called, in their language, Lorbrulgrud, or Pride of the Universe. My master took a lodging in the principal street of the city, not far from the royal palace, and put out bills in the usual form, contein- ing an exact description of my person and parts. He hired a large room between three and four hundred feet wide. He provided a table sixty feet in diame- ter, upon which I was to act my part, and palisadoed it round three feet from the edge, and as many high, to prevent my falling over. I was shown ten times & day, to the wonder and satisfaction of all peor. I could now speak the language tolerably we d perfectly understood every word that was spoken to me; besides, I had Jearnt their alphabet, and could make a shift to explain a sentence here and there; for Glumdalclitch had been my instructor while we were at home, and at leisure hours during our jour- ney. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much og than a Sanson’s Atlas; it was acommon treatise, for the use of young girls, giving a short ac- count of their religion; ‘out of this she taught me my letters, and interpreted the words. . CHAPTER II. ,_ THE frequent labors I underwent every day, made, ina few weeks, a very considerable change in my health: the more my master got by me, the more insatiable he grew: I had quite lost my stomach, and was almost reduced to a skeleton. The farmer ob- served it, and concluding I must soon die, resolved to ¢. nae nee <_ eli I ates
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ae eri NT Na oe a make as good a hand of me as he could. While he was thus reasoning and resol with himself, a sardral, or gentleman usher, came from court, com- man my master to carry me immediately thither for the diversion of the queen and her ladies. Some of the latter had already been to see me, and report- ed sti e things of my beauty, behavior, and good sense. er majesty, and those who attended her, were beyond measure delighted with my demeanor. I fell on my knees, and begged the honor of kissin her imperial foot; but this gracious princess helc out her little finger toward me, after Iwas set on the table, which I embraced in both my arms, and ew the tip of it, with the utmost respect, to my lips. She made me some general questions about my country and my travels, which I answered as distinctly and in as few words as I could. She asked, whether I would be content to live at court. I bowed down to the board of the table, and humbly. answered, that I was my master’s slave; but if I were at my own dis- sal, I should be proud to devote my life to her ma- esty’s service. She then asked my master whether e was willing to sell me at a good price. He, who apprehended I could not live a month, was ready pieces of gold, which were ordered him on the << each piece being about the bigness of eight hun red moidores; but allowing for the proportion of all things between that country and Europe, and the high price of gold among them, was hardly so great a sum as a thousand guineas would be in England. I then said to the queen, since I was now her majesty’s most humble creature and vassal, I must beg the fa- So. Glumdalclitch, who had always tended me t how to do it so well, might be admitted into her ser- vice, and continue to be my nurse and instructor. Her majesty agreed to my petition, and easily got the farmer’s consent; who was glad enough to have his daughter preferred at court, and the poor girl herself was not able to hide her joy. My late master withdrew, bidding me farewell, and saying he had left me in a good service; to which I replied not a word, only making him a slight bow. The queen observed my coldness; and, when the farmer was pes out of the apartment, asked me the reason. I made bold to tell her majesty, that I owed no other obligation to my late master, than his not sc py hire the brains of a poor harmless creature found by chance in his fields; which obligation was amply recompensed by the gain he had made in showing me through half the kingdom, and the price he had now sold me for; that the life I had since led was laborious enough to kill an animal of ten times my yes that my health was much a b the continual drudgery of entertaining the rabble every hour of the day; and that, if my master had not thought my life in danger, her majesty would not have got socheap a bargain. But as 1 was out of all fear of being ill-treated, under the protection of so great and good an empress, the ornament of na- ture, the darling of the world, the delight of her sub- jects, the phoenix of the creation, so I hoped my late master’s apprehensions would appear to be ground- less; for I already found my spirits revive, by the in- fluence of her most august presence. This was the sum of my s h, delivered with great improprieties and hesitation. The latter part was altogether framed in the style peculiar to that ople, whereof I had learned some phrases from lumdalclitch, while she was carrying me to court. The queen, giving great allowance for my defec- tiveness in s cing, was, however, surprised at so much wit and good sense in so diminutive an animal. She took me in her own hand, and carried me to the king, who was then retired to his cabinet. His majesty, a prince of much gravity and austere countenance, not well observing my shape at first view, asked the queen, after a cold manner, how long it was since she w fond of a splacknuck ; for such, it seems, he k me to be, as I fe right hand. But this princess, who has an in- te deal of wit and humor, set me gently on my feet upon the scrutoire, and commanded me to his majesty an account of m very few words; and Glum the cabinet door, and could not endure I should be out of her sight, being admitted, confirmed all that had ed from my arrival at her father’s house. The king, although he be as learned a person as any in his dominions, and had been educated in the study of philosophy, and particularly mathematics, yet, when he observed my shape Gynt & and saw me walk erect before I began to speak, conceived I might be a piece of clockwork (which is, in that coun- try, arrived to a very great perfection), contrived by some ingenious artist. But when he heard my voice, and found what I delivered to be regular and ra- tional, he could not conceal his astonishment. He ve Gulliver’s Travels. | which they viewed with great exactness, that I was | & carnivorous animal; yet more peds being | an overmatch for me, and field mice, with some , Others, too nimble, they could not imagine how I | Should be able to support myself, unless I fed upon snails and other insects, which they offered, by Lane’ learned arguments, to evince that I could not possi- bly do. One of these virtuosi seemed to think that I might be an embryo, or abortive birth. But this | opinion was rejected by the other two, who observed my limbs to be perfect and finished; and that I had lived several years, as was manifest from my beard, the stumps whereo a! plainly discovered through a ma frying Blas. hey would not alow me to be a dwarf, because my littleness was beyond all degrees of comparison; for the queen’s favorite dwarf, the smallest ever known in that kingdom, was near thirty feet high. After much debate, they concluded unanimously, thatI was only reiplum scalcath, which is interpreted literally lusus nature ; a determination exactly agreeable the modern philosophy of Europe, whose professors, disdaini the old evasion of occult causes, whereby the fol- | lowers of Aristotle endeavored in vain to disguise enough to part’ with me, and demanded a thousand. | their phcxinss, have invented this wonderful solu- tion of all difficulties, to the unspeakable advance- ment of human knowledge. | _ After this decisive conclusion, I entreated to be | heard a word or two. I a. myself to the king, and assured his majesty, that Icame from a country | which abounded with several millions of both sexes, so much care and kindness, and understood | lay upon my breast in her ma- | self, which I did in a | clitch, who attended at | was by no means satisfied with the relation I gave | him of the manner I came into his kingdom, but thought it a Story scnecesed between Glumdalclitch and Ber father, w make me sell at a better price. Upon this imagina- tion,he put several other questions to me, and still re- ceived rational answers, no otherwise defective than by a foreign accent, and an imperfect knowledge in the language, with some rustic phrases which learned at the farmer’s house, and did not suit the polite style of a court. is majesty , were then in the weekly waiting, according to the custom in that country. These gentlemen, after they had awhile examined my shape with much o had taught me a set of words to | | every day to air, made it with h letting it down at night, locked up the roof over me. | ness 0) | e iw and of my own stature; where the animals, trees, and houses, were all in proportion; and whereby, in | consequence, I might be as able to defend myself, and to find sustenance, as any of his majesty’s sub- jects could do here; which I took fer a full answer to those gentlemen's arguments. To this they only replied with a smile of contempt, saying, that the farmer had instructed me very well in my lesson. The king, who had a much better understanding, | dismissing his learned men, sent for the farmer, who, by good fortune, was not yet gone out of town. Hay- ing, therefore, first examined him privately, and then confronted him with me and the young pr, his ma- jesty —— to think that what we told him might possibly be true. He desired the queen to order that a particular care should be taken of me; and was of opinion that Glumdalclitch should still continue in | her office of tending me, because he observed we had a great affection for each other. A conveni- | ent apartment was provided for her at court; she | had a sort of governess appointed to take care of her education, a maid to dress her, and two other servants for menial offices; but the care of me was wholly appropriated to herself. The queen com- manded her own cabinet-maker to contrive a box, that ht serve me for a bedchamber, after the model that Glumdalclitch and I should agree upon. | This man was a most ingenious artist, and, accord- ing to my direction, in three weeks finished for me a wooden chamber of sixteen feet square, and twelve high, with sash windows, a door, and two closets, like a London bedchamber. The board, that made the ceiling, was to be lifted up and down by two hinges, to pot in a bed ready furnished by her ma- jesty’s upholsterer, which Glumdalclitch took out own hands, and A nice workman, who was famous for little curiosi- ties, undertook to make me two chairs, with backs | and frames, of a substance not unlike gt and two tables, with a cabinet to put my thingsin. The room was quilted on all sides, as well as the floor and the ceiling, to prevent any accident from the careless- f those who carried me, and to break the force of a jolt, when I went in a coach. I desired a lock for my door, to prevent rats and mice from coming in. e smith, after several attempts, made the smallest that ever was seen among them, for I have known a larger at the gate of a gentleman’s house in England. I made a shift to keep the key ina ' ) pocket of my own, fearing Glumdalclitch might lose | it. The queen likewise ordered the thinnest silks that could be got, to make me clothes, not much thicker than an English blanket, very cumbersome till I was accustomed to them. They were after the fashion of the kingdom, partly resembling the Per- sian, and gett the Chinese, and are a very grave and decent habit. The queen became so fond of my company, that she could not dine without me. I had a table placed upon the same at which her majesty ate, just at her and a chair to sit on. Glumdalclitch stood on a stool on the floor near my table, to assist and take ; care of me. I had an entire set of silver dishes and plates, and other necessaries, which, in proportion to those of the queen, were not much bigger than what I have seen in a London toy-shop, for the furni- ture ofa baby-house; these my little nurse kept in her pocket, in a silver box, and gave me at meals as I wanted them, always cleaning them herself. No person dined with the queen but the two princesses royal, the eldest sixteen years old, and the younger, | at that time, thirteen and a month. Her’ majesty | used to put a bit of meat u had | sent for three great scholars, who | nicety, were of different —— concerning me, | They all agreed that I could not be produced ac- cording to the regular laws of nature, bec not framed with a capacity of preserving my life, either by swiftness, or climbing of trees, or ing holes in the earth. They observed by my teeth, use I was | | upon the handle; the i n one of my dishes, out of which I carved for myself, and her diversion was, to see me eat in miniature; for the queen (who had, indeed, but a weak stomach) took up at one mouth- ful as much as a dozen English farmers could eat at a meal, which, to me, was for some time a very nauseous sight. She would craunch the wing of a lark, bones and all, between her teeth, although it were nine times as large as that of a full-grown turkey; and put a bit of bread in her mouth, as big as two twelvepenny loaves. She drank out of a olden cup, above a hogshead at a draught. Her iatvcs were twice as long asa scythe, se ‘ht ns, forks, and other in- struments, were all in same proportion. I re- member, when Glumdalclitch carried me, out of 11 curiosity, to see some of the tables at court, where ten or a dozen of those enormous knives and forks were lifted up together, I thought I had never till then beheld so terrible a sight. ; It is the custom, that every Wednesday (which, as I have observed, is their sabbath) the king and with the royal issue of both sexes, dine toge in the apartment of his evan to whom I was now become a great favorite; and at these times yy ee chair and table were placed at his left hand, before one of the saltcellars. This prince took a pleasure in conversing with me, inquiring into the manners, religion, laws, government, and learning of 4 wherein I gave him the best account I was able. apprehension was so clear, and his judgment so ex- act, that he made very wise reflections and observa- tions upon all I said. But I confess, that after I had been. a little too copious in talking of my own be- loved country, of our trade and wars by sea and land, of our schisms in religion, and parties in the state, the prejudices of his education prevailed so far, that he could not forbear taking me up in his right hand, and stroking me gently with the other, ter a hearty fit of laughing, asked me whether I was a Whig or Tory. en, turning to his first minister, who waited behind him with a white staff, near as tall as the mainmast of the Royal Si inhi he observed how contemptible a thing was h grape. which could be mimicked by such diminu- ive insects as I. ‘And yet,” says he, “I dare en- Fage, these creatures have their titles and distinc- ions of honor; they contrive little nests and bur- Pal we they —_ ouses ag | fad Mer’ a Ns gure ress and equipage; they lov 'y they dispute, they Shank, Chey beta Ana tes he ‘continued on, while my color came and went several times with indignation, to hear our noble country, the mistress of arts and arms, the scourge of France, the arbitress of Europe, the seat of virtue, Hie honor, and truth, the pride and envy of the wor d, so contemptuously treated. But as I was not in a condition to resent injuries, so, upon mature mongnte I began to doubt whether I was injured or no For, after ha been ac- customed several months to the sight and converse of this people, and observed every object upon which I cast mine To to be of proportionable magnitude, the horror I had at first conceived from their bulk and aspect was so far worn off, that if I had then be- held a company of English lords and ladies, in their finery and birthday clothes, acting their several arts in the most courtly manner of stru , and owing, and prating, %4 say the truth, I should have been ngly tempted to h as much at them, as the king his dees did at me. Neither, in- deed, could I forbear smiling at myself, when the queen used to place me upon her hand toward a looking-glass, by which both our persons ap before me in view together; and there could be nothing more ridiculous than the comparison, so that I really began to imagine myself dwindled many degrees below my usual size. othi ——— and mortified me so much ag the ueen’s dwarf; who, being of the lowest stature that was ever in that country (for I ve think he was not full thirty feet high), became so lent at see a creature so much beneath eg age he would always affect to swagger and look c he passed by me in the queen's antechamber, while I was standing on some table talking with the lords or ladies of the court; and he seldom failed of a smart word or two upon my littleness, against which I could only reve myself by him brother, challenging him to wrestle, and such re as are usually in the mouths of court pages. One day, at dinner, this malicious little cub was so n with something I had said to him, that, raising him- self upon the frame of her majesty’s chair, he took me up by the middle, as I was sitting think soundly whipped, and, as a further pe yg forced to phen sin the bowl of cream into which had thrown me: neither was he ever restored to favor; for soon after the queen bestowed him on a lady of high quality, so that I saw him no more, to Lik great satisfaction; for I could not to what extremity such a malicious urchin might have carried his resentment. He had before served me a scurvy trick, which set the queen a-laughing, although, at the same time, she was heartily vexed, and would have immediately cashiered him, if I had not been so generous a6 to intercede. Her majesty had taken a marrow upon her plate, and, after knocking out the marrow. aced the bone in the dish erect, as it stood fore; the dwarf, watching his o rtunity, while board, mounted The dwarf, at my entreaty, had no other ent than a sound whtoping af I was frequently rallied by the queen on account
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12 of my fearfulness; and she used to ask me whether the people of my country were as t cowards as myself. The occasion was this: the kingdom is much pestered with flies in summer; and these odious in- sete, each of them as big as a Dunstable lark, y gave me any rest while I sat at dinner, with their continual humming and buzzing about mine ears. They would sometimes alight upon my vict- uals, and leave theirloathsome excrement or spawn behind, which to me was very visible, though not to the natives of that country, whose large optics were not so acute as mine in viewing smaller objects. Sometimes they would fix upon my nose or forehead, where they stung me to the quick, smelling very of- fensively; and I could easily trace that viscous mat- | ter, which, our naturalists tell us, enable those crea- tures to walk with their feet upward upon a ceiling. I had much ado to defend myself against these de- testable animals, and could not forbear starting when they came on my face. It was the common ractice of the dwarf, to catch a number of these nsects in his hand, as schoolboys do among us, and let them out suddenly under my nose, on age to frighten me and divert the queen. My rem was, to cut them in pieces with my knife as they flew in the air, wherein my dexterity was much admired, I remember, one morning, when Glumdalclitch had set me in a box upon a window, as she usually did in fair days, to give me air (for i durst not ven- ture to let the box be hung on a nail out of the win- dow, as we do with cages in England), after I had lifted up one of my sashes, and sat down at my table to eat a piece of sweet cake for my breakfast, about twenty ing: tr allured by the smell, came flying into the room, humming louder than the drones of as man Lie Jy he Some of them seized my cake, and ed it piecemeal away; others flew about my head and face, confounding me with the noise, and putting me in the utmost terror of their stings. How- ever, I had the courage to rise and draw my hanger, and attack them in the air. I dispatched four of them, but the rest got away, andI presently shut my | artridges; | window. These insects were as large as I took out their stings, found them an inch anda half a and as sharp as needles. I carefully pre- served them all; and having since shown them, with some other curiosities, in several parts of Europe, upon my return to England I gave three of them to resham College, and kept the fourth for myself. CHAPTER IV. I now intend to give the reader a short description of this country, as far asI traveled in it, which was not above two thousand miles round Lorbrulgrud, the metropolis. For the queen, whom I always at- tended, never went further when she accompanied the king in his progresses, and there stayed till his majesty returned from viewing his frontiers. The whole extent of this prince’s dominions reaches about six thousand miles in length, and from three to five in breadth; whence I cannot but conclude, that our geographers of Europe are in a great error, by supposing nothing but sea between Japan an ornia; for it was ever my opinion, that there must be a balance of earth to counterpoise the Ld continent of Tartary; and, therefore, they ought to correct their maps and charts, by joining this vast tract of land to the north-west parts of America; wherein I shall be ready to lend them my assistance. The kingdom is a peninsula, terminated to the north-east by a ridge of mountains thirty miles high, which are altogether impassable, by reason of the voleanes upon the tops; neither do the most learned know what sort of mortals inhabit beyond these mountains, or whether they be inhabited at all. On the three other sidesit is bounded by the ocean. There is not one seaport in the whole kingdom; and those parts of the coasts into which the rivers is- sue, are so full of ger rocks, and the sea gene- rally so rough, that there is no venturing with the smallest of their boats; so that these ae le are wholly excluded from any commerce with the rest of the world. But the large rivers are full of vessels and abound with excellent fish; for they seldom get any from the sea, because the sea-fish are of the same size with those in Europe, and co uently not worth catching; whereby it is manifest, that na- ture, in the production of plants and animals of so extraordinary a bulk, is wholly confined to this con- tinent, of which I leave the reasons to be determined by philosophers. However, now and then they take a whale that happens to be dashed against the rocks, which the common people feed on heartily. These whales I have known so large, that a man could hard- ly carry one upon his shoulders; and sometimes, for curiosi ‘ag they are brought in hampers to Lorbrul- gine. saw one of them in a dish at the king’s ble, which passed fora rarity; but I did not ob- serve he was fond of it, for I think, indeed, the big- ness disgusted him, although I have seen one some- what larger in Greenland. The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty- one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a £ number of villages. To satisfy my curious reader, it may be sufficient to describe Lorb rud. This city stands upon almost two equal , on each side the river that passes through. It contains above eighty thousand houses, and about six hundred thou- sand inhabitants. Itis in lengt two and a half in breadth; as I measured it myself in the royal map made by the king’s order, which was laid on the und on purpose for me, and ex- tended a hund feet; I paced the diameter and circumference several times barefoot, and comput- by the scale, measured it pretty exactly. king’s palace is no edifice, but a heap of building, about seveh miles round; the chief rooms are generally two hundred and forty feet high, and broad and long in proportion. A coach h three glomglungs | (which make about fifty-four English tallest), and | | through a microsco | The or among the s , carried in m own desire, would 0: her hand, that I ht more imei oy houses and the people, as we passed along the streets. I reckoned our coach to be about a square of West- minster Hall, but not altogether so high; however, I cannot be very exact. One day, the governess or- dered our coachman to stop at several shops, where the beggars, watching their opportunity, crowded to the sides of the coach, and gave me the most hor- rible spectacle that ever a European eye beheld. There was a woman with a cancer in her breast, swelled to a monstrous size, full of holes, in two or three of which I could have ay, crept, and covered my whole body. There was a fellow with a wen in his neck, nat gl than five wool-packs; and another with a oe e of wooden legs, each about twenty feet high. But the most hateful sight of all was the lice crawling on their clothes. I could see old mein view the | distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eye, much better than those of a European louse , and their snouts, with which they rooted like swine. They were the first I had ever beheld, and I should have been curious enough to dissect one of them, if had had the proper instru- ments, which I unluckily left behind me in the ship; although, indeed, the sight was so nauseous, that it perfectly turned my stomach, Besides the large box in which I was usually car- ried, the queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me, of about twelve feet square, and ten high, for the convenience of traveling; because the other was somewhat too large for umdalclitch’s lap, and cumbersomein the coach; it was made by the same artist, whom I directed in the whole contrivance. This traveling closet was an exact square, with a window in the middle of three of the squares, and each window was latticed with iron wire on the out- side, to prevent accidents in long journeys. On the fourth side, which had no window, two strong sta- ples were fixed, through which the person that car- ried me, when t had a mind to be on horseback, put a leathern belt, and buckled it about his waist, is was always the office of some grave trusty servant, in whom I could confide, whether I attended the king and queen in their progresses, or were disposed to see the gardens, or pay a visit to some great lad or minister of state in the court, when Glumdal- clitch happened to be out of order; for I soon began to be known and esteemed among the test offi- cers, I suppose more on account of their majesties’ favor, than any merit of my own. In journeys, when I was weary of the coach, a servant on horse- 1, at my | | saw back would buckle on my box, and place it upon a | cushion before him; and there I had a full prospect of the country on three sides, from my three win- dows. I had,in this closet, a field-bed and a ham- mock hung from the ceiling, two chairs and a table. neatly screwed to the floor, to prevent being tosse bout by the agitation of the horse or the coach. And ha been long used to be wae be, bars those mo- tions, although sometimes very violent, did not much discompose me. Whenever I had a mind to see the town, it was always in my traveling-closet; which Glumdalclitch held in her lap in a kind of open sedan, after the fashion of the country, borne by four men, and at- tended by two others in the queen’s livery. The people, who had often heard of me, were very curi- ous to crowd about the sedan, and the girl was com- plaisant enough to make the bearers stop, and to pe me in her hand, that I might be more convient- y seen, I was very desirous to see the chief temple, and | particularly the tower belonging to it, which is reck- oned the highest in the kingdom, Accordingly, one day my nurse carried me thither, but I may truly say I came back disappointed; for the hight is not above three thousand feet, reckonin ig to the highest pinnacle top; which allowing or the difference between the size of those people and us in Europe, is no great matter for admiration, rom the | | not at all equal in proportion (if I rightly remember) | to Salisbury steeple. But, not to detract from a na- tion to which, duri = | life, I shall acknowledge myself extremely obliged, it must be allowed, that whatever this famous tower wants in hight is amp- ly made up in beauty and strength; for the walls are near a hundred feet thick, built of hewn stone whereof each is about forty feet square, and adorn on all sides with statues of gods and emperors, cut in marble, larger than the life, placed in their several niches. I measured a little finger which had fallen down from one these statues, and lay unperceived among some rubbish, and found it exactly four feet and an inch in length. Glumdalclitch Wyn 9 it up | | in her handkerchief, and carried it home in er k- et, to keep among other trinkets, of which the girl was very fond, as children at her age usually are. The king’s kitchen is, ind a noble building, vaulted at top, and about six hundred feet hi fh eat oven is not so wide, by ten paces, as the cupola of St. Paui’s; for I measured the latter on pe after my return. But if I should describe he kitchen grate, the prodigious pots and kettles, the joints of meat taraing, on the spits, with many other particulars, perhaps I should be hardly believ- | ed; at least, a severe critic would be apt to think I | ; | | / enlarged a little, as travelers are often suspected to do; to avoid which censure, I fear I have run too much into the other extreme; and that if this trea- tise should happen to be translated into the lan: e of Bro (which is the general name of that kingdom), and transmitted thither, the king and his ple would have reason to complain that I had one them an injury, by a false and diminutive re- presentation, | tance. another occasion to speak. CHAPTER V. I sHovtp have lived happy enough in that country, if my littleness had not exposed me to several rid’. culous and troublesome accidents; some of which I shall venture to relate. Glumdalclitch often carried me into the gardens of the court in my smaller box, and would sometimes take me out of it, and hold me in her hand, or set me down to walk. I remember, before the dwarf left the queen, he followed us one day into those gardens, and my nurse having set me down, he and I being close together near some dwarf apple-trees, I must needs show my wit by a silly al- lusion between him and the trees, which ep pens to hold in their language as it does in ours. ereup- on, the malicious rogue, watching his opportunity, when Iwas walking under one of them, shook it | directly over my head, by which a dozen apples, each of them near as large as a Bristol barrel, came tumbling about my ears; one of them hit me on the back as I chanced to stoop, and knocked me down flat on my face; but I received no other hurt, and the dwarf was pardoned at my desire, because ihad given the provocation. Another day, Glumdalclitch left me on a smooth grass-plot to divert myself, while she walked at some distance with her governess. In the meantime, there suddenly fell such a violent shower of hail, that Iwas immediately, by the force of it, struck to the ground; and when I was down, the hailstones gare me such cruel bangs all over the body, as if I been pelted with tennis-balls; however, I made | a shift to creep on all-fours, and shelter myself, by lying flat on my face, on the lee-side of a border of lemon thyme; but so bruised from head to foot, that Icould not go abroad for ten days. Neither is this at all to be wondered at; beeause nature, in that country, observing the same proportion through all her operations, a hailstone is near eighteen hundred times as large as one in Europe; which I can assert upon experience, having been so curious as to weigh and measure them, But a more dangerous accident happened to me in the same garden, when my little nurse, believing she had put me in a secure place (which I often entreat- ed her to do, that I might enjoy my own thoughts,) and having left my box at home, to avoid the trou- ble of carrying it, went to another part of the garden with her governess and some ladies of her acquain- While she was absent and out of evel a small white spaniel that belonged to one of the ¢ lef ardeners, having got by eccident into the garden, appened to range near the place where I lay; the dog, following the scent, came directly up, and tak- ing me in his mouth, ran straight to his master, wag- ging his tail, and set me gently on the ground, By good-fortune, he had been so well taught, that I was carried between his teeth without the least hurt, or even tearing my clothes. But the poor gardener, who knew me well, and had a great kindness for me, was in a terrible fright; he gently took me upin both his hands, and asked me how I did; but I was so amazed and out of breath that Icould not speak aword. In afew minutes 1 came to myself, and he carried me safe to my little nurse, who, by this time, had returned to the place where she left me, and was in cruel agonies whenI did not appear, nor answer when she called. She severely reprimanded the gercener on account of his dog; but the thing was ushed up, and never known at court, for the girl was afraid of the queen’s anger: and truly, as to my- self, I thought it would not be for my reputation that such a story should go about. This accident absolutely determined Glumdalclitch never to trust me abroad, for the future, out of her sight. Ihad been long afraid of this resolution, and therefore concealed from her some little unlucky ad- ventures that happened in those times when 1 was left by myself. nce, a kite, hovering over the gar- den, made a stoop at me; and if I had not resolutely drawn my hanger, and run under a thick espalier, he would have certainly carried me away in his tal- ons, Another time, walking to the top of a fresh molehill, I fell to my neck in the hole through which that animal had cast up the earth, and coined some lie, not worth remembering, to excuse myself for spoiling my clothes. I likewise broke my right shin against the shell of a snail, which I happened to stumble over, as 1 was walking alone, and thinking on poor England. T cannot tell whether I were more pleased or mor- tified to observe, in those solitary walks, that the smaller birds did not appear to be at all afraid of me, but would hop about within a yard’s distance, look- ing for worms and other food, with as much indiffer- ence and security as if no creature at all was near them. Iremember, a thrush had the confidence to snatch out of my hand, with his bill, a piece of cake that Glumdalclitch had just given me for my break- fast. When IJ attempted to catch any of these birds, they would boldly turn against me, endeavoring to eck my fingers, which I durst not venture within their reach; and then they would hop back uncon- cerned, to hunt for worms and snails, as they did before. But one day, I took a thick cudgel, and threw it with all my might so luckily at a linnet, that Iknocked him down, and seizing him by the neck with both my hands, ran with him in triumph to my nurse. However, Tae i toome aad only been ate ned, recoveri meelf, € sO man xes with his wi “ym both sides of my head — body though I held him at arm’s length, and was out of
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Gulliver's Travels. the reach of his cla ing tolet him go. Bu’ our servants, who I was soon relieved by one of off the bird’s neck; and I had him next day for dinner, by the queen’s com- mand. linnet, as near as I can remember, seem- ed to be somewhat larger than an English swan. The maids of honor often invited Glumdalclitch to their apartments, and desired she would bring me along with her, on purpose to have the pleasure of seeing and touc me. They would often strip me naked from top to and lay me at full length in their bosoms; wherewith I was much disgusted, be- cause, to say the truth, a very offensive smell came from their , which I do not mention, or intend, to the disadvantage of those excellent ladies, for whom I have all manner of respect; but I conceive that my sense was more acute, In proportion to my littleness, and that those illustrious persons were no more Lene ope yrved to their lovers, or to each other, than people of the same quality are with us in Eng- land. And, after all, I found their natural smell was much more sup rtable than when they used per- fumes, under which I immediately swooned away. I cannot forget, that an intimate friend of mine Lilliput took the freedom, in a warm day, when I had used a good deal of exercise, to complain of a strong smell ‘about me, although I am as little fault, that way as most of my sex; but I be pe ye faculty of smelling was as nice in regard to me, as mine was to that of this people. Upon this point, I cannot forbear doing justice to the queen my mis- tress, and Glumdalclitch my nurse, whose eee were as sweet as those of any lady in Englan That which gave me most uneasiness among these maids of honor (when my nurse carried me them), was, to see them use me without any manner of ceremony, like a creature who had no sort of con- cupiscence; for they would strip themselves to the oe 9 and put their smocks on in my presence, while I was placed on their toilet, directly before their naked es; which, I am sure, to me was very far from being a tempting sight, or from giving me an other emotions than those of horror and disgust; their skins ap so coarse and uneven, so vari- ously colored, when I saw them near, with a mole here and there as broad as a trencher, and hairs hanging from it thicker than pack-threads. One day, a young gentleman, who was nephew to my nurse’s governess, came and pressed them both to see an execution. It was of a man who had mur- dered one of that gentleman’s intimate acquaintance, Glumdalclitch was prevailed on to be of the com- pany, very much against her inclination, for she was ag ped tender-hearted; and as for myself, al- though I abhorred such kind of s tacles, yet my curiosity tempted me to see something that I thought thust be extraordi The malefactor was fixed in a chair upona ‘old erected for that purpose, visit | that I was twenty times think- was held by the middle in the air, till Glumdalelitch ran to my relief. Another time, one of the servants, whose office it was to fill my trough every third day with fresh water, aa'no capeices as to let a huge frog (not percei it) slip out of his pail. The frog lay concealed till was put into my boat, but then, seeing a resting- place, climbed up, and made it lean so much on one side, that I was forced to balance it with all my eens on the other, to prevent overturning. When the frog was got in, it hopped at once half the length of the , and then over head, backward and forward, daubing my face and clothes with its odious and his head cut off at one blow, with a sword about | forty feet long. such a prodigious quantity of blood, and so high in the air, that the great jet d'eau at Versailles was not ual, for the time it lasted; and the head, when it fell on the scaffold floor, gave such a bounce as made me start, although I was at least half an English mile distant. The queen, who often used to hear me talk of my sea-voyages, and took all occasions to divert me when I was melancholy, asked me whether I under- The veins and arteries spouted up | | squeezed out of the stood how to handle a sail or an oar, and whether | a little exercise of rowing might not be convenient for my health. I answered, that I understood both very well; for, although my proper employment had been to be surgeon or doctor to the ship, yet often, upon a pinch, mariner. done in their country, where the smallest wherry was oma to a first-rate man-of-war among us; and such a tas I could manage would never live in any of their rivers, boat, her own joiner should make it, and she would rovide a place for me to sailin. The fellow wasan enious workman, and, by my instructions, in ten days finished a pleasure-boat, with all its tackling, able conveniently to hold eight Europeans. When it was finished, the queen was so delighted that she | ran with it in her lap to the king, who ordered it to be put in a cistern full of water, with me init, by way | , OF | of trial; where I could not manage my two sc little oars, for want of room. But the queen had be- fore contrived another project. She ordered the eae to make a wooden trough, of three hundred eet long, fifty broad, and eight deep; which, being | well pitched, to prevent leaking, was placed on the floor, along the wall, in an outer room of the palace. It had a cock near the bottom, to let out the water when it began to grow stale; and two servants could easily fill it in half an hour. row for my own diversion, as well as that of the queen and her ladies, who thought themselves well entertained with my skill and agility, Sometimes I would put up my sail, and then my business was only to steer, while the ladies gave me a gale with their fans; and, when they were weary, some of their es would blow my sail forward with their breath, while I showed my art by steering starboard or lar- board as I pleased. en I had done, Glumdal- clitch always carried back my boat into‘her closet, and hung it on a nail to dry. In this exercise I once met an accident, which had like to have cost me my life; for, one of the pages having put my boat into the trough, the governess who attended Glumdalclitch very officiously lifted me bi to place me in the boat; but I ha sli rough her fingers, and should inf ly have fallen down forty feet, upon the floor, if, by the luck- jest chance in the world, I had not been stopped by a corking-pin that stuck in the stomacher; the head of the pin shirt and the waistband of my slime. e largeness of its features made it appear the most deformed animal that can be conceived. However, I desired Glumdalclitch to let me deal with italone. I banged it a good while with one of my sculls, and at last forced it to leap out of the boat. But the greatest danger I ever underwent in that ingdom was from a monkey, who belonged to one of the clerks of the kitchen, Glumdalclitch had lock- ed me up in her closet, while she went somewhere upon business, or a visit. The weather being very warm, the closet-window was left open, as well as the windows and the door of my bigger box, in which I usually lived, because of its ence. I sat quietly medita‘ ng at my table, I heard something bounce in at the closet-window, and skip about from one side to the other; whereat, al- though I was much alarmed, yet I ventured to look out, but not sti from my seat; and then I saw this frolicsome al frisking and lea: ing UP and Coy, pe he = va to my box, which e rn to view with great pleasure and curiosity, peep: in at the door and every window. I qeireaten te the further corner of my room, or box; but the monkey, looking in at every side, put me into such a fright that I wanted presence of mind to conceal m self mess and conveni- under the bed, as I might easily have done. ter some time spent in ping, grinning, and chatter- ing, he at last espied me; and reaching one of his paws in at the door, as a cat does when she plays with a mouse, although I often shifted place to avoid him, he at length seized the begs of my coat (which, being made of that country was very thick and strong), and dragged me out. e took me up in his right fore-foot, and held me as a nurse does a child she is going to suckle, just as I have seen the same sort of creature do with a kitten in Europe; and when I offered to struggle, he squeezed me so hard that I thought it more prudent to submit. I have good reason to believe that he took me for a young one of his own species, by his often epeing my face very gently with his other paw. In these diversions he was interrupted by a noise at the closet -door, as if cam rece were Ce pan, it; Nhs rng ‘ig he sud- denly leaped up to the window at which he had come in, and thence upon the leads and a, walking upon three legs, and holding me in the fourth, till he clambered up to a roof that was next to ours. I heard Glumdalclitch give a shriek at the moment he was carrying me out, The poor girl was almost distracted; that quarter of the epg was all in an uproar; the servants ran for ladders, The monkey wasseen by hundreds in the court, sitting upon the ridge of a building, holding me like a baby in one of his fore-paws, and feeding me with the other, by cramming into my mouth some victuals he had pa one side of his chaps, and tting me when I would not eat; whereat many of he rabble below could not forbear laughing, neither do I think they justly ought to be blamed, for, without | question, the sight was ridiculous enough to every- | body but myself, was forced to work like a common | But I could not see how this could be | was strictly Her majesty said, if I would contrive a | Here I often used to | good gentlewoman’s passed between my | reeches, and thus I | Some of the people threw - to drive the monkey down; but t rbidden, or else, very probably, my brains had been dashed out. The ladders were now sppued, and mounted b several men; which the monkey observing, and find- ing himself almost encompassed, not being able to make speed enough with his three | let me drop on a ridge-tile, and made his escape. Here I sat for some time, five hundred yards from the ground, ex every moment to be blown down by the wind, or to fall by my own giddiness, and come tumbling over and over from the ridge to the eaves; but an honest lad, one of a footmen, climbed up, and put- ting me into his breeches-pocket, brought me down e. I was almost choked with the filth key had crammed down my throat; but my dear lit- tle nurse picked it out of my mouth with a small needle, and then I fell a-vomiting, which gave me great relief. Yet I was so weak and bruised in the sides with the squeezes given by this odious animal, that Iwas for to keep my bed a fortnight. The , queen, and all the court, sent every day to in- quire after my health, and her majesty made me several visits during my sickness. e monkey was killed, and an order made that no such animal should be kept about the palace. When I attended the king after my recovery, to | return him thanks for his favors, he was pleased to rally me a good deal upon this adventure. He asked me what my thoughts and speculations were while I lay in the monkey's paw; how I liked the victuals he gave me, and his manner of feeding; and whether the fresh air on the roof had sharpened my stomach. He desired to know what I would have done upon such an occasion in my own country. I told his majesty, that in Europe we had no mon- keys except such as were brought for curiosities from other places, and so small, that I could deal with a dozen of them os, erinad if they presumed to attack me. And as for that monstrous animal, with whom I was so lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant), if my fears had suffered me to think so far as to make use of my hanger (looking fiercely, and clapping my hand upon the hilt as I spoke) when he poked his paw into my chamber, perhaps | stones, ho ing 0 stuff the mon- should have given him such a wound as would have made him to withdraw it, with more haste than he put it in. This I delivered in a firm tone, likea person who was jealous lest his courage should called in question. However, speech nothing else beside a loud boghter, w due to his majesty from those about could not make them contain. This made me flect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of pa oa of equality or comparison with him. ye I have seen the moral of my own behavior very uent in England, since my return; where a little contemptible varlet, without the least title to person, wit, or common sense, shall presume to look with importance, and put himself upon a foot with the greatest persons of the kingdom. I was every day furnishing the court with some ridiculous story; and Glumdalclitch, although she loved me to excess, yet was arch enough to ‘orm. the queen, whenever I committed any folly that she thought would be diverting to her majesty. The girl, who had been out of order, was carried by her governess to take the air about an hour's distance, or thirty miles from town. They ‘hted out of the coach near a small footpath in a field, and Glumdal- clitch aeeving, Same my traveling box, I went out of it to walk. ere was a cow-dung in the , and I must needs try my activity by attemp' to over it, I took a run, but unfortunately jum short, and found myself just in the middle, up to my knees. I waded through with some diticulty, and one of the footmen wi me as clean as he could with his handkerchief, for I was filthily bemired; and my nurse confined me to my box till we re- turned home, where the queen was soon informed of what had passed, and the footmen spread it about the court; so that all the mirth for some days was at my expense. CHAPTER VL I usep to attend the king’s levee once or twice a week,and had often seen him under the barber's hand, which, indeed, was at first very terrible to behold, for the razor was almost twice as long as an ordinary scythe, His majesty, according to the custom of the country, was only shaved twice a week. I once pre- vailed on the barber to give me some of the suds or lather, out of which I picked forty or fifty of the strongest stumps of hair. I then took a piece of fine wood, and cut it like the back of a comb, making several holes in it at equal distances, with as small a needle as I could get from Glumdalclitch. I fixed in the stumps so art aay. scraping and sloping them with m e toward the points, that I made a very tolerable comb; which was a seasonable sup’ ly, my own being so much broken in the teeth that it was almost useless; neither did I know any artist in that country, so nice and exact, as would undertake to make me another. And this puts me in mind of an amusement, wherein I spent many of my leisure hours. I de- sired the queen’s woman to save for me the comb- ings of her majesty’s hair, whereof in time I got a uantity; and consulting with my friend ' the ‘ood Shine -maker, who had received general orders to do little jobs for me, I directed to make two chair frames, no larger than those I had in my box, and to bore little holes with a fine awl round those ape where I designed the backs and seats; through ese holes I wove the strongest hairs I could pick out, just after the manner of cane chairs in England, When they were finished, I made a present of them to her majesty, who kept them in her cabinet, and used to show them for curiosities, as, indeed, they were the wonder of every one that beheld them. The queen would have had me sit upon one of these chairs, but I absolutely refused to obey her, protesting I would rather die a thousand deaths than place a onorable part of my body on those pre- cious hairs, that once adorned Se maj *s head. Of these hairs (as I had always a mechanical genius) I likewise made a neat little purse, about five feet long, with her majesty'’s name deciphered in gold letters, which I gave to Glumdalclitch, by the queen's consent, To say the truth, it was more for show than use, being not of strength to bear the ht of the larger coins, and therefore she kept no’ in it but some little toys that girls are fond of. The king who delighted in music, had frequent con- certs at court, to which I was sometimes carried, and set in my beter by yes ud rd bee but the noise was so cou a distinguish the tunes. { am confident that all the drut and trum- ts of a royal army, ko grom 4 and sounding together 0) ust at your ears, could n ual it. practice was, to have my box removed from the where the performers sat, as far as I could, then to shut the doors and windows of it, and draw the window ae after which I found their music not dis- e. had learned in ne ro to play a little upon the spinet; Glumdalclitch kept one in her chamber, and a master attended twice a week to teach her. I call- ed it a spinet, because it somewhat resembled that instrument, and was moved upon in the same man- ner, A fancy came into my head, that I would en- tertain the king and queen with an English tune ee this instrument. But this appeared extremely 4 cult; for the spinet was near sixty feet long, each key neg almost a foot wide, so that with my arms extended I could not reach to above five keys, and to press them down uired a good smart stroke with my fist, which would be too great a labor, and to no purpose. The method I contrived was : I pre- pared two round sticks, about the bigness of common cudgels; they were thicker at one end than the other, and I covered the thicker ends with pieces of a mouse’s skin, that by rapping on them I might neither damage the tops of the keys nor interrupt
Page 14
14 the sound. Before the spinet a bench was about four feet below the keys, and I was put | in the laws of their country, a as thebench. Iran noe ee we it, that way and fast as I could, ban e proper keys with my two sticks, and made a shift to play a jig, to the great satisfaction of both their majesties. But it was the most violent exercise I ever underwent; and yet L could not strike above sixteen keys, nor conse- quently play the bass and treble t her, as other artists do, which was a great vantage to my performance. The king, who, as I before observed, was a prince of excellent understanding, would uently order ht in my box, and set upon the table in his closet; he would then command me to eng ote of my chairs out of the box, and sit down wi three yards’ distance upon the top of the cabinet, which brought me almost to a level with his face. In this manner I had several conversations with him; I one day took the freedom to tell his majesty, that the contempt he discovered toward Europe, and the rest of the world, did not seem an- swerable to those excellent qualities of mind that he was master of; that reason did not extend itself with the bulk of the body; on the contrary, we observed in our country, that the tallest persons were usually the least provided with it; that among other animals, bees and ants had the reputation of more industry. art and sagacity, than many of the larger kinds; an that, as inconsiderable as he took me to be, I ho I ‘ht live to do his majesty some signal service. The heard me with attention, and began to con- ceive a much better opinion of me than he had ever before. He desired I would give him as exact an account of the government of England asI sibly could; because, as fond as princes commonly are of their own customs (for so he conjectured of other monarchs by my former discourses), he should be st to hear of anything that might deserve imita- nD. Imagine with thyself, courteous reader, how often I then wished for the tongue of Demosthenes or Cicero, that might have enabled me to celebrate the praise of my own dear native country, in a style to its merits and felicity. ‘ I began my discourse by os pte J his majest that our do: ons consisted of two islands, whic com three mighty kingd besides aan antations in erica. I dwelt long upon the ferti ty of our soil, ee the tempera- ture of our climate. I then spoke at large upon the constitution of an English parliament; partly made up of an illustrious body, called the House of Peers, persons of the noblest blood and of the most ancient and ag patrimonies. I described, that extraordi- care was always taken of their education in arts and arms, to qualify them for being counselors both to the king and kingdom; to have a share in the ] ture; to be members of the highest court of cature, whence there can be no appeal; and to champions always ready for the defense of their rince and country, by their valor, conduct, and elity. That these were the ornament and bulwark of the kingdom, worthy followers of their most re- nowned ancestors, whose honor had been the reward of their virtue from which their posterity were never once known to degenerate. To these were Sm several holy persons, as part of that assem- , under the title of bishops, whose peculiar busi- ness is to take care of religion, and of those who in- struct the people therein. These were searched and ht out through the whole nation, by the prince 's wisest counselors, among such of the priest- hood as were most deservedly nguished by the sanctity of their life, and the depth of their erudi- tion; who were, indeed, the spiritual fathers of the 7 and the people. ; tt the other a of the parliament consisted of an assembly, called the House of Commons, who were all principal gentlemen, oy. picked and culled out by the people themselves, for their great abilities and love of their country, to represent the wisdom of the whole nation. And that these two bodies made up the most august assembly in Europe; to whom, in conjunction with the prince, the whole ture is commited. then descended to the courts of justice, over which the sadges, those venerable sages and inter- preters of the law, presided, for determini rag ‘hts and properties of men, as we the p ment of vice and protection of innocence. I mentioned the prudent management of our treas- ury; the valor and achievements of our forces by sea ‘and by land. I computed the number of our people by reckoning how many millions there might be of each religious sect or political party among us. I did not omit even our sports and pastimes, or any other ular which I thought ht redound to the honor of my country. And I finished all with a brief histori account of affairs and events in ’ England for about a hundred years past. conversation was not ended under five audi- ences, each of several hours; and the agin, Ge) the whole with great attention, frequently taking notes of what I spoke, as well as memorandums of what ms he intended to ask me. When I had put an end to these long discourses, his majesty, in a sixth audience, consulting his notes, proposed many doubts, goers and objections, upon every article. He asked, what methods were used Pons the first and teachable part of their lives? ever oms, under oné sov- | Beadle’s HalfDime Library. 5 sama’ What share of acm em these lords had n oO ww they came by it so as to enable them to decide the properties of their fellow-subjects, in the last resort? Whether they were always so free from avarice, ities, ‘or want, that a bribe, or some other sinister view, could have no place among them? Whether those holy lords I spoke of were always promoted to that rank upon account of their knowledge in religious matters, and the sanctity of their lives; had never been compliers with the times while they were com- mon priests; or slavish prostitute chaplains to some nobleman, whose opinions they continued servilely to follow, after they were admitted into that assem- bly? ite then desired to know what arts were practiced in electing those whom I called commoners; whether a stranger, with a strong purse, might not influence the vulgar voters to choose him before their own landlord, or the most considerable gentleman in the neighborhood? How it came to pass that people were so violently bent upon getting into this assem- bly, which I allowed to bea great trouble and ex- pense, often to the ruin of their families, without any salary or pension? because this eS ration such an exalted strain of virtue and public spirit, that his majesty seemed to doubt it might possibly not be always sincere. And he desired to know, whether such zealous gentlemen could have any views of re- funding themselves for the char; and trouble they were at, by sacrificing the public good to. the designs of a weak and vicious prince, in conjunction with a corrupted ministry? He multiplied his. ques- tions, and sifted me thoroughly on every part of this head, proposing numberless inquiries and objections, which I think it not prudent or convenient to repeat. Upon what I said in relation to our courts of jus- tice, his majesty desired to be satisfied in several ints; and this I was the better able to do, having n formerly almost ruined by a long suit in chan- cery, which was decreed for me, with costs. He asked, what time was usually spent in determining between right and wrong, and what degree of expense? 1ether advocates and orators had liberty to plead in causes be gg nae A known to be eo be fe vexatious or oppressive? Whether party, in religion or politics. were observed to be of any weight in the scale o justice? Whether those pleading orators were per- sons educated in the general knowledge of Ne ty, or only in provincial, national, and other local cus- toms? Whether they or their judges had any part in penning those laws, which they assumed the lib- erty of interpreting, and glossing upon at their leasure? Whether they at different times, on or and against the same cause, and cited prece- dents to prove contrary opinions? Whether they were a rich or a poor corporation? Whether they received any pecuniary reward for pleading, or de- livering their opinions? And particularly, whether they were ever admitted as members in the lower senate He fell next upon the management of our treas- ury; and said he thought my memory had failed me, because I computed our taxes at about five or six millions a year, and when I came to mention the issues, he found they sometimes amounted to more than double; for the notes he had taken were very particular in this point, because he hoped, as he told me, that the knowledge of our conduct might be useful to him, and he could not be deceived in his calculations. But, if what I told him were true, he was still at a loss how a kingdom could run out of its estate, like a private person. He asked me, who were our creditors; and where we found money to pay them? He wondered to hear me talk of such chargeable and expensive wars; that certainly we must be a quarrelsome poor or live among Near bad neighbors; and that our generals must needs be richer than our kings. He asked, what business we had out of our own islands, unless upon the score of trade, or treaty, or to defend the coasts with our fleet? Above all, he was amazed tu hear me talk of @ mercenary standing army, in the midst of peace, and among a free people. He said, if we were gov- erned by our consent, in the persons of our repre- sentatives, he could not imagine of whom we were afraid, or against whom we were to fight; and would hear my opinion, whether a private man’s house might not be better defended by himself, his children, and family, than by half a dozen_rascals, picked a at a venture in the streets for small wages, who mig t geta hundred times more by cutting their throats ‘ He laughed at my odd kind of arithmetic, as he was pleased to call it, in reckoning the numbers of our people by a computation drawn from the several sects among us, in religion and politics. He said, he knew no reason why those who entertain opinions prejudicial to the public should be obliged to change, or should not be obliged to conceal them. And as it was tyranny in any government to require the first, so it was weakness not to enforce the second; fora man may be allowed to keep poisons in his closet, but not to vend them about for cordials. He observed, that among the diversions of our no- bility and gentry, I had mentioned gaming; he de- sired to know at what age this entertainment was usually taken up, and when it was laid down; how much of their time it employed; whether it ever went so high as to affect their fortunes; whether mean, vicious people, by their dexterity in that art, might not arrive at great riches, and sometimes keep our very nobles in dependence, as well as habituate them to vile companions; wholly take them from the {m- rovement of their minds, and force them, by, the Siosad they received, to learn and practice that in- famous dexterity upon others, He was perfectly astonished with the historical ac- count I gave him of our affairs d the last cen- tury; protesting it was only a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, m. revolutions, banish- ments, the very worst effects Mint. wwaitice? faction, hypocrisy, perfidiousness, cruelty, rage, madness, ha- tred, envy, lust, malice and ambition, could produce. His majesty, in another audience, was at the pains to recapitulate the sum of all T had spoken; compar- ed the questions he made with the answers I Nad given; then taking me into his hands, and strokin me gently, delivered himself in these words, which shall never forget, nor the manner he epoke them in: “My little friend Grildrig, you have madea most ad- mirable panegyric upon your country; you have clearly proved that ignorance, idleness, and vice, are the proper ingredients for qualifying a be owe ti that laws are best explained, interpreted, and applied by those whose interest and abilities lie in pervert- ing, iat and eluding them. I observe among you some ines of an institution, which, in its original, might have been tolerable, but these half erased, and the rest wholly blurred and blotted by corruption. It does not appear, from all you have said, how any one perfection is required toward the 5s esige , igee of any one station among you; much ess, that men are ennobled on account of their vir- tue; that priests are advanced for their piety or learning; soldiers, for their conduct or valor; judges, for their integrity; senators, for the love of their country; or counselors for their wisdom. As for yourself,’’ continued thé king, ‘who have spent the greatest part of your life in traveling, I am well dis- posed to hope you eo hitherto have escaped many vices of your countr athered from your own re the answers I ave with much pains wringed and extorted from ou, I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives © be the most pernicious rece of little odicus vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth,” tie CHAPTER VI. Notre but an extreme love of truth could have hindered me from concealing this part of my story. It was in vain to discover my resentments, which were always turned into ridicule; and I was forced to rest with patience, while my noble and beloved country was so injuriously treated. Iam as heartily sorry as any of my readers can gag on be, that such an occasion was given; but this prince hap- pened to be so curious and inquisitive upon eve particular, that it could not consist either with gratitude or good manners, to refuse giving him what satisfaction I was able. Yet thus much I m be allowed to say in my own vindication, that I a fully eluded many of his questions, and gave to every yee a more favorable turn, by many Toarese: than he strictness of truth would allow. For I have al- ways borne that laudable pereaty to my own coun- try, which Dionysius Halicarnassensis, with so much pecs. recommends to an historian: I would hide the frailties and deformities of my political mother, and place her virtues and beauties in the most advantageous light. This was my sincere en- deavor in those many discourses I had with. that monarch, although it unfortunately failed of suc- cess. But great allowances ghould be given to a kin who lives wholly secluded from the rest of the world, and must therefore be altogether unacquainted with the manners and customs that most prevail in other nations; the want of which knowledge will ever pro- duce many prejudices, and a certain narrowness of thinking, from which we, and the politer countries of Europe, are wholly exempted. And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince’s notions of virtue and vice were to be offered asa standard for all ar ne ene Natt ‘o confirm what I have now said, and further to show the miserable effects of a confined education, I shall here insert a passage, which will hardly obtain belief. In hopes to ingratiate myself further into his majesty’s favor, I told him of an invention, discover- ed between three and four hundred years ago, to make a certain powder, into a heap of which, the smallest spark of fire falling, would Kindle the whole in a moment, although it were as big as a mountain, and make it all fly up in the air together, with a noise and be hea greater than thunder. Thata roper quantity of this powder, rammed into a hol- ow tube of brass or iron, according to its bigness, would drive a ball of iron or lead with such violence and speed, as nothing was able to sustain its force. That the largest. balls thus discharged, would not only destroy whole ranks of an army at once, but batter the strongest walls to the ground; sink down ships, with a thousand men in each, to the bottom of the sea; and when linked together by a chain, would cut through masts and rigging, divide hundreds of bodies in the middle, and lay all waste before them. That we often put this powder into large hol- low balls of iron, and discharged them by an engine into some distant city we wer. besieging, which would rip up the pavements, tear the houses to pieces, burst and throw splinters on every side, dashing out the brains of all who came near. © That I knew the ingre- dients very well, which were cheap and common; I understood the manner of compounding them, and could direct his workmen how to make those tubes, of asize proportionable to all other thi in his majesty’s kingdom, and tHe largest. need not be above a hundred feet long; twenty or thirty of which tubes, charged with the proper quantity of powder and balls, would batter down the walls of the strong- est town in his dominions in a few hours, or destroy the whole metropolis, if ever it should pretend to dispute his absolute commands. This I Reale of- fered to his majesty, as a small tribute of acknowl- edgment, in return for so many marks that [had received of his royal favor and protection, - The king was struck with horror at the description I had given of those terrible engines, and the pro- y. But, iM what I have , tion, an —
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~ > Gralliver’s Travels... - 16 I : . He bebe yp u wan srypo tent and oveling an insect yobs se were azn, and in so familiar a manner, as to appear wholly un- moved at all the scenes of blood and desolation, which I had painted as the common effects of those destructive machines; whereof, he said, some evil genius, enemy tomankind, must.haye been the first contriver, As for himself, he protested, that al- few things delighted him so much as new liscoveries in art or in nature, yet he would rather ose half his kingdom, than be jai to such a secret ; which he commanded me, as I valued my life, never to mention any more. : IT remember very well, in a discourse one day with the king, when T happened to say, there were seve- ral thousand books among us written upon the art of government, it gave him (directly contrary to my in- tention) a very mean opinion of our understandings. He confined the knowledge of government within very narrow bounds—to common sense and reason jistice and lenity; to the speedy determination of civil and criminal causes; with some other Obvious topies, which are not worth considering. And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of und where only one grew before, would eserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of poli- ticians put together. 2 The learning of this people is wholly applied to what may be useful in life, so that among us it would be little esteemed. No law of that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their = ed bet, which consists only of Cg ip hank hey are expressed in the most plain and simple terms, wherein those people are not mercurial enough to discover above one interpretation; and to write a comment upon any law, is a capital crime. They have had the art of printing, as well as the Chinese, time out of mind; but their libraries are not very large; for that of the king, which is reck- oned the largest, does not amount to above a thou- sand volumes, placed ina gallery of twelve hundred feet long, whence I had liberty to borrow what books I pleased. The queen's joiner had contrived, in one of Glumdalclitch’s rooms, a kind of wooden machine, five-and-twenty feet high, formed like a standing ladder; the ae were each fifty feet long; it was, indeed, a movable pair of stairs, the lowest end placed at ten feet distance from the wall of the chamber. The book I had a mind to read was put up leaning against the wall; I first mounted to the up- ner step of the ladder, and turning my face toward he book, an at the top of the page, and so walk- ing to the right and left about eight or ten eS, AC- cording to the lenzth of the lines, till I got a lit- tle below the level of mine eyes, and then descend- ing gradually till I came to the bottom; after which, I mounted again, and began the other page in the same manner, and so turned over the leaf, which I could easily do with both my hands, for it was as thick and stiff as pasteboard, and in the largest foli- 0s not above eighteen or twenty feet long. As to their military affairs, they boast that the king’s ge consists of a hundred and seventy-six thousand foot, and thirty-two thousand horse; if that may.me called an army, which is made up of tradesmen in the several cities, and farmers in the country, whose commanders are only the nobility and gentr , without or reward. They areindeed perfect enough in their exercises, and under very ood discipline, wherein I saw no great merit; for ow should it be otherwise, where every farmer is under the command of his own landlord, and every citizen under that of the principal men in his own ce chosen, after the manner of Venice, by ballot? was curious to know how this prince, to whose dominions there is no access from any other country, came to think of armies, or to teach his people the ractice of military discipline. But I was soon in- ormed, both by conversation and reading their his- tories; for, in the course of many ages, they have been troubled with the same disease to which the whole race of mankind is subject; the nobility often contending for power, the people for liberty, and the king for absolute dominion, CHAPTER VII. Iuap always a strong impulse that I should some time recover my liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means, or to form any project with the Teast | hope of succeeding. The ship in which I sailed was the ever known to be driven within sight of that coast, and the king had given strict or- ders, that if at any time another appeared, it should be taken ashore, and, with all its crew and passen- gers, brought in a tumbril to Lorbrulgrud. He was aioe ig | bent to get me a woman my own size, by whom I might propagate the breed; but I think I should rather have died, than undergone the dis- ace of leaving a rity to be kept in cages, like ame canary-birds, and perhaps, in time, sold about the kingdom, to persons of quality, for curiosities. I was indeed treated with much kindness; I was the favorite of a great king and queen, and the delight of the whole court; but it was upon such a foot as ill became the dignity of human-kind, I could never forget those domestic pledges I had left behind me. IT wanted to be among people with whom I could con- verse os even terms, and walk about the streets and fields without being trod to death like a frog or a young puppy. But my deliverance came sooner borg ; and in a manner not very common: e whole story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully relate. I had now been tw in this country; and about the ing of the third, Giumdalelttch and I attended the king and queen, in a progress to the south coast of the kingdom. Iwas carried, as usu- al, in my traveling-box, which, as I have already de- was a very convenient closet, of twelve feet wide; and I had ordered a hammock to be fixed, by silken ropes, from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts, when a servant. carried me before on horseback, as I sometimes desired; and would often sleep in my hammock, while we were upon the road. On the roof of my closet, not di- rectly over the middle of the hammock, I ordered the joiner to cut out a hole of a foot square, to give me air in hot weather, as I slept; which hole I shut at pleasure, with a board that drew backward and forward through a groove, When we came to our journey’s end, the king thought proper to pass a few days at a palace he has near Fanflasnic, a city within eighteen English miles of the sea-side. Glumdalclitch and I were much fa- tigued; I had got a small cold, but the poor girl was so ill as to be confined to her chamber, I longed to see the ocean, which must be the only scene of my escape, if ever it should happen. I pretended to be worse than I really was, and desired leave to take the fresh air of the sea, with a page, whom I was we fond of, and who had sometimes been trusted with me. Ishall never forget with what unwilling- ness Glumdalclitch consented, nor the strict charge she gave the page to be careful of me, bursting, at the same time, into a flood of tears, as if she some foreboding of what was to happen. The i took me out in my box, about half an hour’s w from the e, toward the rocks on the sea-shore. I ordered him to set me down, and lifting up one of my sashes, cast many a wistful, melancholy look toward the sea. Ifound myself not very well, and told the e that I had a d to take a ~ in my hammock, which I gi ae would do me good. I got in, and the boy shut the window close down, to keep out the cold. I soon fell asleep, and all I can conjec- ture is, while I slept, the page, thinking no er could happen, went among the rocks to look for birds’ eggs, having before observed him from my window searching about, and picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that as it will, I found myself sud- denly awaked with a violent pull upon the ring, whick was fastened at the top of my box, for the convenience of carriage. Ifelt my box raised very high in the air, and then borne forward with pro- digious speed. The first jolt had like to have shaken me out of my hammock, but afterward the motion was easy enough, I called out several times, as loud as I could raise my voice, but all to no purpose, I looked toward my windows, and could see nothing but the clouds and . I heard a noise just over my head, like the clapping of wings, and then began to perceive the woeful condition I was in—that some eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with an intent to let it fall on a rock, like a tortoise in a shell, and then pick out my body, and devour it; for the sagacity and smell of this bird enable him to discover his quarry at a great distance, though bet- ter concealed than I could be within a two-inch board. In a little time, I observed the noise and flutter of wings to increase very fast, and my box was tossed up and down, like a sign ina windy day. I heard several bangs or buffets, as I thought, given to the le (for such Iam certain it must have been that held the ring of my box in his beak), and then, all on a sudden, felt myself ge beer down, for above a minute, but with such incredible swiftness, that I almost lost my breath. My fall was stopped by a terrible squash, that sounded louder to my ears than the cataract of Niagara; after which was quite in the dark for another minute, and then my box began to rise so high that I could see light from the tops of the win- dows. I now perceived I was fallen into the sea. My box, by the weight of my body, the goods that were in it, and the broad plates of iron fixed | for strength at the four corners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet deep in water. I did then, and do now suppose, that the eagle which flew away with my box was pursued by two or three others, and forced to let me drop, while he defended himself against the rest, who ho to share in the prey. e plates of iron fastened at the bottom of the box (for those were the strongest) reserved the balance while it fell, and hindered it | rom being broken on the surface of the water. Eve- ry joint of it was well grooved; and the door did not move on hinges, but up and down, like a sash, which kept my closet so tight, that very little water came in. I got, with much difficulty, out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the slip-board on the roof, already mentioned, contrived on pu to letin air, for want of which I found myself al- most stifled. How often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalelitch, from whom one single hour bad so far divided me! And I may say, with truth, that in the midst of my own misfortunes I could not for- bear lamenting my poor nurse, the grief she would suffer from > f loss, the displeasure of the queen, and the ruin of her fortune. Ag many travel- ers have not been under greater difficulties and dis- tress than I was at this juncture, expecting every mo- ment to see my box dashed to pieces, or at least overset by the first violent blast or rising wave. A breach in one single pane of glass would have been immediate death; nor could anything have preserved the windows, but the strong lattice-wires d on the outside ageing accidents in traveling. I saw the water ooze in at several crannies, although the leaks were not considerable, and I endeavored to stop them as wellasI could. I was not able to lift » e roof of my closet, which otherwise I pean ould have done, and sat on the top of it; where might at least preserve myself some hours longer than by being shut up (as I may call it) in the to unscrew one of my c¢ Or, if I esca; dangers for a day or two, what could I ex ped jeeee ganmers for a of cold a ours hunger? I was four “under these - es e ng, and in wishing, every moment to ™ I have told the reader that there were two strong staples fixed upon that side of my box w had no window, and into which the servant, who used to carry me on horseback, would put a leathern belt, and buckle it about his waist, Being in this discon- solate state, I heard, or at least thought I heard, some kind of grating noise on that side ef my box where the staples were fixed; and soon after, I be- gant to fancy that the box was pulled or tow e sea; for I now and then felt a sort of a which made the waves rise near the tops of my win- dows, leaving me almost in the dark. This gave me some faint hopes of relief, enone I was not able to imagine how it could be brought about. I ventured which were alw fastened to the floor; and ha made a hard to screw down again, directly under the slipping- board I had lately pened. I mounted on the ¢ . and putting my mouth as near as I could to the hole, I called for help in a loud voice, and in all the lan- guages I understood. I then fastened my handker- chief to a stick I usually carried, and, t ag. up the hole, waved it several times in the air, that any boat or ship were near, the seamen might con- ecture some unhappy mortal to be shut up in the Ox, I found no effect from all I could do, but plainly perceived my closet to be moved along; and in the space of an hour, or better, that side of the box where the staples were, and had no windows, struck against something that was hard. I appre- hended it to be a rock, and found myself tossed more than ever, I plainly heard a noise upon the cover of my closet, like that of a cable, and the grating of it as it passed through the ring. I then ound niyself hoisted up, by cegeees. at least three feet higher than I was before. hereupon I again thrust up my stick and handkerchief, calling for help till I was almost hoarse. In return to which I heard a great shout, repeated three antes, Sys me such transports of joy as are not to con- ceived but by those who feel them. I now heard a trampling over my. head, and somebody cal through the hole with a loud voice, in the En tongue, “If there be anybody below, let them speak."’ I answered I was an Englishman, drawn by ill fortune into the greatest calamity that ever any creature underwent; and begged, ‘by all that, was moving, to be delivered of the dungeon 1 was in. The voice replied I was safe, for my box was fastened to their ship; and the enter slaould immediately come and saw a hole the cover, large enough to pull me out. I answered that was needless, and would take up too much time; for there was no more to be done, but let one of the crew put his finger into the ring, and take the box out of the sea into the ship, and so into the ca) tain’s cabin. Some of them, upon a \ 80 wildly, thought I was mad—others laughed; for, indeed, it never came into my head that I was now got among people of my Own stature and strength. The carpenter came, and in a few min- utes sawed a passage about four feet square, then let down a small ladder, upon which I. mounted, and thence was taken into the ship, in a very weak condition. The sailors were all in amazement, and asked me a thousand questions, which I had no inclina- tion to answer. was equally confounded at the sight of so many eg tony for such I took them to be, after having so long accustomed mine eyes to the monstrous objects I had left. But the captain, Mr. Thomas Wilcocks, an honest, worthy Shropshire man, observing I was ready to faint, took me into his cabin, gave me a cordial to comfort me, and meade me turn in upon his own_ bed, advising me to take a little rest, of which I had great need. Before I went to sleep, I gave him to understand that I had some valuable furniture in. my box, too good to be lost—a fine hammock, a handsome ee — a ieee and a Kpenged ey m oset was hung on sides, or rather ogee with silk and cotton: that. if he would let Gas of the crew bring my closet into his cabin, I would open it there before him, and show him my goods. é captain, hearing me utter these absurdities, concluded I was raving; however (I suppose to pacify me), he promised to give order as I de- sired, and going upon deck, sent come of his men os) a vd closet, Whenes (as I Weranes oun ey drew up all my goods, and strip off the quilting; but the opalen cabinet, and ae stead, being screwed to the floor, were much dam- aged by the ignorance of the seamen, who tore them up by force. Then they knocked off some of the boards for the use of the ship, and when they had got all they had a mind for, jet the hull drop into the sea, which, by reason of many breaches made in the bottom and sides, sunk to rights. And, indeed, I was glad not to have been a spectator of the havoc they made, because I am confident it would have sensibly touched me, by brin former passages into mind, which I would rather have forsot. se + I slept some hours, but perpeti disturbed with dreams of the place I had eft, and the Thad esca’ However, upon w: found m much recovered. It was now about eight o’clock at ht, and the captain ordered supper immediately, thinking I had fasted too long. He enter- tained me with great kindness, observing me not to look ble gf talk inco when we of ty fave tad by wont acodcar cates Meat o Vv y, nt lt came adrift, in that monstsous wooden chest He said : e "
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16 that about twelve o’clock at noon, as he was | ee ate asl ed it at a distance, th t it was a sail, which he had a mind to make, not much out of his course, in hopes of some biscuit, his own ing to fall short. upon coming nearer, and fin his error, he sent out his long-boat, to discover what it was; that his men came back in a ht, sweari they had seen & house. t he laughed at their ogg hag went in the boat, ordering his men to strong cable along with them. t the weather being calm, he rowed round me several times, observed Reg ryt and wire lattices that defended them. t he discovered two staples upon one side, which was all of without any pas- sage for light. He then commanded his men to row p hed that side, and fastening a cable to one of the les, ordered them to tow my chest, as they called it, toward the ship. When it was there, he gave di- rections to fasten another cable to the ring fixed in the cover, and raise up my chest with pulleys, which all the sailors were not able to do, above two orthree feet. He past, ey saw my stick and handkerchief thrust out of the hole, and concluded some pone man must be shut up in the cavity. I asked, whether he or the crew had seen any P ous birds in the air, about the time he first discovered me? to which he answe that discoursing this matter with the sailors while I was asleep, one of them said, he had observed three eagles flying toward the north, but remarked nothing of their being larger than the usual size—which I Lge gn to be imputed to the great a they were at; and he could not guess the reason of my question, I then asked the oF how far he reckoned we might be from land? He said, by the best computation he could make, we were at least a hundred | es. LIassured him that he must be mistaken by almost half, for I had not left the coun- whence I came above two hours before I ae into the sea. Whereupon, he began again to think that my brain was disturbed, of which he gave me a hint, and advised me to go to bed in a cabin he had caiheee I assured him I was well refreshed with good entertainment and company, and as much in my senses as ever I was in my life. He then grew serious, and desired to ask me freely, whether I were not troubled in my mind by the consciousness of some enormous crime, for which I was punished, at the command of some prince, by exposing me in that chest, as great criminals, in other countries, have been forced to sea in a leaky vessel, without provi- sions; for although he should be sorry to have taken so ill a man into his skip, yet he would engage his word to set me safe ashore in the first port where we arrived. He added, that his suspicions were much iucreased by some very absurd speeches I had de- livered, at first to his sailors, and afterward to him- self, in relation to my closet or chest, as well as by my odd looks and behavior while I was at supper. if begged his patience to hear me tell my story, which ¥ faithfully did, from the last time I left Eng- land to the moment he first discovered me. And as truth always forces its way into rational minds, so this honest worthy gentleman, who had some tine- ture of learning and very good sense, was immedi- ately convinced of my candor and veracity, But, further to confirm all I had said, I entreated him to give order that my cabinet should be brought, of which I had the key in my pocket; for he had already informed me how the seamen disposed of my closet. I opened it in his own presence, and showed him the small collection of rarities I made in the country from which I had been so strangely delivered. There was the comb I had contrived out of the stumps of the king’s beard, and another of the same materials, but fixed into a paring of her majesty’s thumb nail which served for the back. There was a collection o needles and pins, from a foot to half a yard long; four wasp stings, like a joiner’s tacks; some comb- ings of the queen’s hair; a gold ring, which one day she made me a present of, in a most obliging manner, taking it from her little finger, and throwing it over my head like a collar. I desired the captain would please to accept this ring in return for his civilities, which he absolutely refused. I showed him a corn that I had cut off, with my own hand, from a maid of honor's toe; it was about the bigness of a Kentish ippin, and grown so hard, that when I returned to Fagian I got it hollowed into a cup, and set in silver. fy, I desired him to see the breeches I had then on, which were made of a mouse’s skin. T could force nothing on him but a footman’s tooth, which I observed him to examine with great curios- ity, and found he had a fancy for it. He received it with abundance of thanks, more than such a trifle could deserve. It was drawn = an unskillful sur- geon, in a mistake, from one of Glumdalclitch’s men, who was afflicted with the toothache, but it was as sound as any in his head. I got it cleaned, and put itinto my cabinet. It was about a foot long, and four inches in diameter. The captain was ‘ty J well satisfied with this plain relation Thad iven him, and said, he hoped, when we returned to England, I would oblige the world by putting it on paper, and making it public. My an- swer that I thought we were overstocked with books of travels; that nothing could now pass which was not extraordinary; wherein, I doubted, some authors less consulted truth than their own vanity or interest, or the diversion of ignorant readers; that my story could contain little beside common events, thout those ornamental descriptions of strange lants, trees, birds, and other animals, or of the bar- ferous customs and idolatry of savage people, with which most writers abound. However, I thanked him for his good opinion, and promised to take the matter into my thoughts. ; He said, he wondered at one thing very much, which was, to hear me speak so loud; asking me whether the king or queen of that country were thick of hearing? I told him, it was what I had been used to for above two years past, and that I wonder- ed as much at the voices of him and his men, who seemed to me only to whisper, and yet I could hear them well ene. But, w spoke in that country, it was like a man in the streets, to another looking out from the of a steeple, unless when I was on a table, or held. in eyes to such p ious objects, because the com n gave me so despicable a conceit of myself. captain said, that while we were at supper, he ob- served me to look at everything with a sort of wonder, and that I often seemed hardly able to contain my laughter, which he knew not well how to take, but imputed it to some disorder in my brain. f answered, it was very true, and I won- dered how I could forbear, when I saw his dishes of the size of a silver threepence, a leg of Wont hardly a mouthful, a pa not so big as a nu ell; and so I went on, describing the rest of his house- hold stuff and provisions r the same manner, For, although the queen had ordered a little equi- page of all things n for me, while I was er service, yet my ideas were wholly taken up with what I saw on every side of me, and I nked at my own littleness, as people do at their own faults. The captain understood my raille very well, and merrily replied with the old En lish poe that he doubted mine eyes were bigger aan Rc iad fate a dng a Soa so ou, as ay; and, continu- ing in his mirth, ven a hundred pounds to have seen = e eagle’s bill, and afterward in its fall from so Phan hight into the sea; which would: certainly ave been a most peg eae ame | object re] , worthy to have the description of it transmi the comparison of Phaeton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it, although I did not much admire the conceit. The a, having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to England, driven north-eastward to the lati- tude of 44 degrees, and longitude of 143. But meet- ing a trade wind two days after I came on board him, we sailed southward a long time, and coasti New Holland, kept our course west-south-west, an then south-south-west, till we doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the reader wit The captain called in at one or two ports, and sent protested he would have gladly | chest in | ted to future ages; and | a journal of it. | in his. long-boat for provisions and fresh water; but I | never went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on the third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I offered to leave my goods in security for se feocemv of my freight; but the captain protested he would not re- ceive one farthing. We took a kind leave of each other, and I made promise he would come to see me at my house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five shillings, which I borrowed of the oe Mer : s I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses, the trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in Lilliput. trampling on every traveler I met, and often called aloud to have them stand out of the way, so that I had liked to have got one or two broken heads for my impertinence. en I came to my own house, for which I was forced to inquire, one of the servants opening the door, I bent down to in (like a goose under a gate), for fear of st my head. My wife ran out to embrace me, but I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she could otherwise never be able to reach my mouth. My oe kneeled to ask my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, havin been so long used to stand with my head take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked down upon the servants, and one or two friends that | were in the house, as if they had_been pigmies, and Iagiant, I told my wife she had been too thrifty, for I found she had starved herself and her daugh- ter to no . In short, I behaved myself so un- accountably, that they were all of the captain's opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had lost my wits. This I mention as an instance of the reat power of habit and prejudice. In a little time, I and my family and friends came I was afraid of | and | eyes erect to above sixty feet; and then I went to | | of any author in the | of the day Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. Announcement Extraordinary! A GRAND povB NUMEp, SATURDAY JOURNAL ~AND— | - Extra charé® of The Saturday Journal O ) issue Monday, December 3d, will ” warrant us in announcing it as the greatest combination ever presented by a popular wow story paper, for quality, quanthy and novelty! In No. 405 of the SATURDAY JoURNAL, we will com- mence one of the best stories of boys’ adventures in and around New York, by the prince of story tellers, Mr. Cuas. Morris, author of “ Picayune Pete,” “ The Gamin Detective,” etc., etc., entitled The Boss Boy; The Mystery of the Stronghow. This story is not written, as most of the ape so stories are, by pcm Msc raed and they, as if ashamed of their vile productions, credit the author- ship to some ‘dance man’ or played-out variety ac- tor, who must think that such ¢rash will add to his name and fame! This story will compare favorably with the very best eld of stories of the better class of boys’ literature. The Boss Boy should be read b ver boy, as it will prove both a | great pleasure and profi to a right understanding: but my wife protested I | should never go to sea any more. THE END. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. 1—DEADWOOD DICK. By Edward L. Wheeler. 2— YELLOWSTONE JACK. By Jos. E. Badger. 3—KANSAS KING. By Wm. I. Cody. 4—THE WILD-HORSE HUNTERS. By Capt. Mayne Reid and Frederick Whittaker. 5e. 5—VAGABOND JOE. By Oll Comes. Donte 5 number) a 6—BILL BIDDON, TRAPPER. By Ed. 8. Ellis. 5c. 7—THE FLYING YANKEE. By Col. Prentiss 8—S i THONTS By Edward 8. Elli Be. ET Ss. y Edward 8. Ss. ; 9-THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUN- “ CHAUSEN. : The HALF-DIME aL A aor! is sold by “yp ve dealers; or is sent, post-paid, on receipt © ea five cents per number. Address BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 WiLL1AM STREET, New YORE. 5e. 5e. 5c. | NUMBER |. of the Boss Boy; or, No. 405 of the Saturpay JournaL, in addition to its usual serials, sketches, and miscellaneous matter, will have a full length portrait of the universal fa- vorite of all boys m et eighty! the great , story-teller, traveler and g CAPT. MAYNE REID! whose fame is only bounded by ee world itself! His scenes are drawn, not from the experience of others, but from his own remarkable life and adven- tures. Capt. Mayne Reid has no equal, living, that has commanded so wide a reading work! The Helpless Hand, Capt. Mayne Reid’s very best ‘boys’ novel,’ we will give complete in Number 405 of the Saturday Journal, for quality and quentity, THE Granp DovsLx the most satisfactory copy of a popular paper ever published! “* Library " and a weekly paper par excellence for only the price of the es six Ad Ever ce the acquaintance of the him in his oy should ma ‘*¢ BOSS BOY,” and after followin hairbreadth adventures, in the ‘ins and outs’ of his making, | strange life, they will pron ce him the ‘ Boss Boy ' 8 re y pronoun in the dest sense of that much-abused p' No. 405, THEeG UBLE Number with the opening chapters aes the Mystery of the Soong Ww: ne Reid, and his splen- it rtrait of Capt. Ma. Shy y. The Helpless did story of boy-hunters’ life: complete. PRICE BUT SIX CENTS.