-
THE
SHILLING ENTERTAINING LIBRAEY.
EDITED BY J. S. LAURIE.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS.
'It will stand in need of a commentary to make it
'Not at all,' replied Sampson; 'for it is so plain, that there is no difficulty in it : children thumb it, boys read it, men understand it, and old folks commend it.'
DON QUIXOTE.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
A YOYAGE TO LILLIPUT AND BROBDINGNAG.
BY
JONATHAN SWIFT.
LONDON:
LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, ROBERTS, & GREEN. 1803.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES.
THB object of the ' EuTEBTAiNiira I/IBBABY" is to provide the young and, generally speaking, the less educated portion of the community with books which they will find readable.
Many similar projects have been started, and have failed. The Proprietors of the present 'LlBBABY1 believe that those failures are to be ascribed to a fundamental deficiency which, with proper attention and care, may be fully supplied.
In undertakings of this kind too little allowance has been made for what may almost be termed the repulsiveness of a book to the untutored mind. Children freed from irksome tasks, and working men wearied with a hard day's toil, cannot possibly be induced to read' until they find out what a wealth of entertainment is concealed under the hard, ungraceful forms of typography. Nothing appears more certain than that they will not read at all, unless materials are placed before them
VI INTRODUCTION.
which are calculated to arouse their interest and enchain their attention.
The practical problem, therefore, to be solved is, to furnish a selection of works which will appeal to that dominant prin- .ciple in the human breast, the love of pleasure. The aim of the Editor of the ' ENTERTAINING LIBRARY" is to provide an ample and varied repast for the gratification of this instinct. Tho concentration of his efforts upon this single point will give the present series of books its distinctive character.
A glance at the sources upon which he has already drawn will,-it is believed, convince those who are acquainted with English literature, that such volumes as the ' ENTERTAINING LIBRARY ' promises to contain will necessarily tend to enlarge the intellectual views, and to direct and strengthen the moral sentiments of every reader. But the prime end kept in view will be to afford, in a wide and liberal sense, pleasure and amusement; and to this end whatever bears more directly upon the practical utilities of life will invariably be held subordinate.
It is proper to state that the Editor assumes the right of adapting the original texts so as to suit his purpose. Gram-matical constructions which are too involved and difficult will be simplified; modern words and idioms will be substituted
INTRODUCTION. Til
for such as have become obsolete or nearly obsolete; and in all cases passages which are unsuitable to the young will be expunged.
Each of the volumes will be embellished with a series of full- page illustrations drawn by Mr. Sandercock, Mr. Shields, and other artists of acknowledged merit.
Special attention will be paid to the binding of the volumes. They will be prepared for being well thumbed. The type, also, in which they will be printed will be of the clearest and dis- tinctest kind that can be procured.
GTJLLIYER'S TEAVELS.
CONTENTS.
Xll CONTENTS.
CONTENTS. Xlll
CHAPTER HI.
XIV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIIL
LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS.
1 The captain was very well satisfied with this plain nar-ration I had given him, and said, 'he hoped I would oblige the world by putting it on paper, and making it public.' My answer was, ' that I thought we were overstocked with books of travels; that nothing could now pass which was not ex-traordinary; and that my story could contain little except common events' .... However I thanked him for his good opinion, and^ promised to take the matter into my consider-ation.—p. 180.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS.
PAET I.
A VOYAGE TO LILLTPUT.
CHAPTEK I.
The Author gives some Account of Himself and Family: his first Induce-ments to travel — He is shipwrecked and swims for his Life; gets safe on Shore in the Country of Lilliput — He is made Prisoner, and carried up the Country.
MY father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College, Cambridge, at fourteen years of age. There I resided three years, and applied myself closely to my studies. Although I had a very scanty allowance, the charge of maintaining me was too great for a narrow fortune: I was therefore bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom I continued four years. During that period my father sent me small sums of money, which I laid out in B
2 ' GULLIVERS TRAVELS:
learning navigation, and other branches of the mathe-matics, useful to those who intend to travel, for this, I always 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 his assistance, and that of my uncle John, and some other relations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirty pounds a-year to maintain me at Leyden. There I studied medicine two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful to me in long voyages.
Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recom-mended by my good master, Mr. Bates, as surgeon to the Swallow, Captain Abraham Pannell, commander. With him I continued three years and a half, making a voyage or two to the Levant, and some other places. When I came back, I resolved to settle in London : a project in which Mr. Bates, my master, en-couraged me. By him I was recommended to several patients. I took part of a small house in Old Jewry; and, being advised to alter my condition, I married Miss Maiy Burton, second daughter to Mr, Edmund Burton, hosier, in Newgate Street, with whom I received four hundred pounds as a dowry.
My good master Bates died two years after, and, having few friends, my business began to fail; for my conscience would not suffer me to imitate the bad prac-tices of too many of my brethren. Having,' therefore,
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 8
consulted with my wife and some of my acquaintances, I determined to go again to sea. I was surgeon suc-cessively 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 leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a goodly number of books ; and when I was ashore, I occupied myself with observ-ing the manners and dispositions of the people, and with learning their language. In the latter object I was greatly aided by the strength of my memory.
The last of these voyages not proving very fortunate, I grew weary of the sea, and intended to stay at home with my wife and family. I removed from Old Jewry to Fetter Lane, and thence to Wapping, hoping to get business among the sailors, but my success was small. After three years' expectation that things would mend, I accepted an advantageous offer from Captain William Prichard, master of the Antelope, who was about to make 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 various reasons, to trouble the reader with the particulars of our adventures in those seas ; let it suffice to inform him, that in our pas-sage to the East Indies, we were driven by a violent storm to the north-west of Van Diemen's Land. By an
u2
4 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
observation, we found ourselves in the latitude of 30 degrees 2 minutes south. Twelve of our crew died from immoderate labor and bad food; the rest were in a very weak condition- On the 5th of November, which was the beginning of summer in those parts, during hazy weather^ the seamen spied a rock within half a cable's length of the ship; but the wind was so strong, that the vessel drifted directly upon it, and im-mediately split. Six of the crew, of whom I was one, having let down the boat into the sea, made a shift to get clear of the ship and the rock. We rowed, according to my reckoning, about three leagues, till we were able to work no longer, being already spent with the exertions we had made to save the ship. We, therefore, trusted our-selves to the mercy of the waves, and in about half an hour the boat was upset by a sudden squall from the north. What became of my companions in the boat, as well as of those who escaped to the rock, or were left in the vessel, I cannot tell; but I conclude they were all lost. For my own part, I swam as fortune directed me, and was pushed forward by wind and tide. I often let my legs drop, and could feel no bottom ; but when I was almost exhausted, and able to struggle no longer, I found myself within my depth; and by this time the storm had greatly abated. The coast was so flat, that I walked nearly a mile before I got to the shore, and this, I conjectured, was about eight o'clock in the evening.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 0
I then advanced onwards nearly half a mile, but I could not discover any signs of houses or inhabitants : at least, I was in so weak a condition, that I did not observe them. I was extremely tired, and the heat of the weather, together with the effects of about half a pint of brandy that I drank on leaving the ship, disposed me to sleep. I lay down on the grass, which was very short and soft, where I slept sounder than I ever remember to have done in my life, and, as I reckoned, about nine hours; for, when I awaked, it was just day-light. I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir ; for having happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the same manner. I likewise felt several slender cords across my body, from my arm-pits to my thighs. I could only look upwards ; the sun began to grow hot, and the light offended my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me; but in the posture in which I lay, I 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. On bending my eyes downward as much as I could, I per-ceived it to be a human creature not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver at hia back. In the meantime, I felt at least forty other crea-tures of the same kind, as I conjectured, following the
0 GULLIVERS TRAVELS:
first. I was in the utmost astonishment, and roared so loud, that they all ran back in a fright; and some of them, as I was afterwards told, were hurt by the falls they got by leaping from my sides upon the ground. However, they soon returned, and one of them, who ventured so far as to get a full view of my face, lifting up his hands and eyes in surprise, crying out in a shrill but distinct voice, Hekinah degul: the others repeated the same words several times, but I then knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, as the reader may believe, in great uneasiness; at length, struggling to get loose, I had the good fortune to break the strings, and wrench out the pegs that fastened my left arm to the ground ; for, by lifting it up to my face, I discovered the methods they had taken to bind me. At the same time, with a violent pull, which gave me excessive pain,
1 slightly loosened 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 there was a great shout in a very shrill accent, and after it had ceased I heard one of them cry aloud, Tolgophonac. In an instant I felt above a hundred arrows discharged on my left hand, which pricked me like so many needles; and besides, they shot another volley into the air, as we do bombs in Europe. Many of them, I suppose, fell on my body, though I felt them not, and some on my face,
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 7
•which I immediately covered with my left hand. When this shower of arrows was over, I began to groan •with grief and pain, and strove again to get loose. They then discharged another volley larger than the first, and some attempted with spears to stick me in the eides; but by good luck I had on me a leather jerkin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent method to lie still, and my design was to con-tinue so till night, when, my left hand being already loose, I could easily free myself; and as for the inhab-itants, I had reason to believe I might be a match for the greatest army they could bring against me, if they were all of the same size as those I saw. But fortune ordered otherwise. When the people observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows ; but, from the noise I heard, I knew their numbers had increased. About four yards from me, over against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an hour, like that of people at work ; and, on turning my head that way, as well as the pegs and strings would permit me, I saw a stage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of holding four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it: whence one of them, who seemed to be a person of rank, made me a long speech, of which I understood not one syllable. But I should have mentioned, that before the principal person began his oration, he cried out three times, Langro dehul san.
8 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
[These words and the former were afterwards repeated and explained to me.] Whereupon, about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the strings that fastened the left side of my head, which gave me the power of turn-ing it to the right, and of observing the person and gesture of him that was to speak. He appeared to be of middle age, and taller than any of the other three who attended him, of whom the one that held up his train was a page, seemingly somewhat longer than my middle finger; the other two stood one on each side to support him. He acted every part of an orator, and I could observe many periods of threatenings, and others of promises, pity and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in the most submissive manner, lifting Tip my left hand and both my eyes to the sun, as call-ing that luminary for a witness; and being almost famished with hunger, not having 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 by putting my finger frequently to my mouth, to signify that I wanted food. The hurgo (for so they call a great lord, as I afterwards learnt) un-derstood me very well. He descended from the stage, and commanded that several ladders should be applied to my sides. On the former above a hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked towards my mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had been pro-
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 9
vided and sent thither by the king's orders, as soon as he received intelligence of me. I observed there was the flesh of animals of several sorts, but could not dis-tinguish 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 two or three at a mouthful, and took three loaves at a time, which were about the size of musket bullets. They supplied me as fast as" they could, showing a thousand marks of wonder and astonishment at my bulk and appetite. I then made another sign, that I wanted to drink. They found by my eating that a small quantity would not be enough for me; and, being a most ingenious people, they slung up, with great dexterity, one of their largest hogsheads, then rolled it towards my hand, and beat out the top. I drank it off at a draught, which I could well do, for it did not hold half a pint. It tasted like Burgundy, but much more delicious. They brought me a second hogshead, which I drank in the same manner, and made signs for more; but they had none to give me. When I had performed these wonders, they shouted for joy, and danced upon my breast, repeating several times as they did at first, Hekinah degul. They made me signs that I should throw down the two hogsheads, but first warning the people below to stand out of the way, crying aloud, Borach mevolah; and when they saw the vessels in the
10 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
air, there was a universal shout of Hekinah degul. I confess I was often tempted, while they were passing backwards and forwards on my body, to seize forty or fifty of the first that came within my reach, and dash them against the ground; but the remembrance of what I had felt, which probably might not be the worst they could do, and the promise of honor I made them — for so I interpreted my submissive behaviour— Boon forbade my doing so. Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the laws of hospitality, to a people who had treated me with so much magnificence. How-ever, in my thoughts I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who ventured to mount and walk upon my body, without trembling at thevery sight of so prodigious a creature as I must have appeared to them. After some time, when they observed that I made no more demands for meat, there appeared before me a person of high rank, a messenger from his imperial majesty. His excellency, having mounted on the small of my right leg, advanced upwards to my face, with about a dozen of his retinue, and pro-ducing his credentials under the signet royal, which he applied close to my eyes, spoke about ten minutes with-out any signs of anger, but with a kind of determinate resolution. He often pointed forwards, which, as I after-wards found, was towards the capital city, about half a mile distant, whither it was agreed by his majesty in
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 11
council that I must be conveyed. I answered in a few- words, to him of course unintelligible, 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 liberty. It appeared that he understood me well enough, for he shook his head by way of disapprobation, and held his hand in a manner that showed I must be carried as a prisoner. However, he made other signs to let me understand 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, with many of the darts still sticking in them, and observing likewise that the number of my enemies increased, I made signs to let them know that they might do with ine what they pleased. Upon this, the hurgo and his train withdrew, with much civility and cheerful countenances.
It seems, that upon the first moment I was discovered sleeping on the ground, after my landing, the emperor had early notice of it by an express, and determined in council, that I should be tied in the manner I have related; that plenty of meat and drink should be sent me, and a machine prepared to carry me to the capital city.
12 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
This resolution, perhaps, may appear very bold and dangerous, and I am confident would not be imitated by any prince in Europe on the like occasion. However, in my opinion, it was extremely prudent, as well as generous ; for, supposing these people had endeavoured to kill me with their spears and arrows, while I was asleep, I should certainly have awaked with the first sense of smart, and this might so far have aroused my rage and strength, as to have enabled me to break the strings wherewith I was tied; after which, as they were not able to make resistance, so they could expect no mercy.
These people are most excellent mathematicians, and have attained a great perfection in mechanics by the favor and encouragement of the emperor, who is a re-nowned patron of learning. This prince has several machines fixed on wheels, for the carriage of trees and other great weights. He often builds Ms largest men of war, of which some are nine feet long, in the woods where the timber grpws, and has them carried on these engines three or four hundred yards to the sea. Five hundred carpenters and engineers were immediately set to work to prepare the largest 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. A loud shout was raised on the arrival of this engine, which, it seems, set out four hours
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 13
after my landing. It -was brought parallel to me, as I lay. But the principal difficulty was to raise and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles, each of one foot high, •were erected for this purpose, and very strong cords, of the size of packthread, were fastened by hooks to many bandages, which the workmen had girt round my neck, my hands, my body, and my legs. Nine hundred of the strongest men were employed to draw up these cords, by many pulleys fastened on the poles; and thus, in less than three hours, I was raised and slung into the engine, and there tied fast. All this I was afterwards told; for, while the operation was being performed, I lay in a profound sleep, by the force of a soporiferous medicine infused into my liquor. Fifteen hundred of the emperor's largest horses, each about four inches and a half high, were employed to draw me towards the metropolis, which, as I said, was half a mile distant.
About four hours after we began our journey, I awoke by a very ridiculous accident; for the carriage being stopped a while, 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 advanced 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 violently; whereupon they stole off
14 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS : -
tmperceived, and it was three weeks before I knew the cause of my waking so suddenly. We made a long inarch the remaining part of the day, and rested at night with five hundred guards on each side of me, half with torches, and half with bows and arrows, ready to shoot me if I should offer to stir. The next morning, 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 the chief officers would by no means suffer his majesty to endanger his person by mounting on my body.
At the place where the carriage stopped, there stood an ancient temple, noted as 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 there-fore had been applied to common use, and all the ornaments and furniture carried away. In this edifice it was determined I should lodge. The gate fronting the north was about four feet high and two feet wide, through which I could easily creep. On each side of the gate was a small window, not above six inches from the ground: into that, on the left side, the king's smith conveyed four score and eleven chains, like those that hang to a lady's watch in Europe, and almost as large, which were locked to my left leg with six and thirty padlocks. Over against this temple, on the other side
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 15
of the great highway, twenty feet distant, 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 thousand 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 several times, who mounted my body by the help of ladders. But a proclamation was soon issued, to forbid it upon pain of death. When the workmen found it was impos-sible for me to break loose, they cut all the strings that bound me; whereupon, I rose up, in as melancholy a state as I ever had been in. The noise and astonish-ment of the people, at seeing me rise and walk, are indescribable. The chains that held my left leg were about two yards long, and gave me not only the liberty of walking backwards and forwards in a semicircle, but, being fixed within four inches of the gate, allowed me to creep into and lie at full length in the temple.
16 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
CHAPTER II.
The Emperor ot Lilliput, attended by several of the Nobility, comes to see the Author in his Confinement—The Emperor's Person and Dress de-scribed—Learned Men appointed to teach the Author their Language- He gains Favor by his mild Disposition — TT'g Pockets are searched, and his Sword and Pistols taken from hi™,
WHEN I found myself on my feet, I must confess that, on looking about me, I never beheld a more charming prospect. The country around appeared like a con-tinuous garden, and the enclosed fields, which were generally about forty feet square, resembled so many beds of flowers. These fields were intermingled with woods of half a stang,* and the tallest trees, as far 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 in a theatre.
The emperor presently descended from the tower, and advanced on horseback towards me. This was on the point of costing him dear; for the beast, though very well trained, yet wholly unused to such a sight, which appeared as if a mountain moved before him, reared up on his hinder-feet. The prince, however, who is an excellent horseman, kept his seat, till his attendants ran
* A stang is a pole = 5J yards, or 16J ft. (long measure.)
A VOYAGE TO LILL1PDT. 17
in, and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to dismount. When he alighted, he surveyed me round with great admiration; but kept beyond the length of my chain. He ordered his cooks and butlers, who were already prepared to give me victuals and drink, which they pushed forward in a sort of vehicle upon wheels, till I could reach them. I took these vehicles, and 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, which was contained in earthen vials, into one vehicle, and drank it all off at a draught. The empress, and young princes and princesses, attended by many ladies, Bat at some distance in their chairs; but, seeing 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 any of his court; which alone is enough to strike awe into the beholders. His features are strong and masculine, with an Austrian lip, and arched nose; his complexion olive, his countenance erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then past his prime, being twenty-eight years, of which he had reigned about seven in great happiness and prosperity. In order to have a convenient view of hia majesty, I lay on my side, so that my face was parallel c
18 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
to his, and he stood but three yards off: however, I have since had him many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the description. His dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the Asiatic and the European: but he had on his head a light helmet of gold, adorned with jewels, and a plume on the crest. He held his sword drawn in his hand to defend himself, if I should happen to break loose: it was almost three inches long; the hilt and scabbard were gold, enriched with diamonds. His voice was shrill, but so very clear and articulate that I could distinctly hear it, even when I stood up. The ladies arid courtiers were all most magnificently clad; so that the spot they stood upon seemed to resemble a petticoat spread on the ground, embroidered with figures of gold and silver. His imperial majesty often spoke to me, and I returned answers: but neither of us could under-stand a syllable. There were present several of his priests and lawyers (as I conjectured by their costumes), who were commanded to address themselves to me; and I spoke to them in as many languages as I had the least smattering of, which were High and Low Dutch, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian, 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.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 19
Some of them had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me, as I sat on the ground by the door of my house, and one very narrowly missed my left eye. But the colonel ordered six of the ringleaders to be seized, and thought no punishment so proper as to deliver them bound into my hands; which some of his soldiers accordingly did, pushing them forwards with the butt- ends of their pikes within my reach. I took them all in my right hand, put five of them into my coat pocket, and, as to the sixth, I made a pretence 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 eaw me take out my penknife : but I soon put them out of fear; for, looking mildly, and imme-diately 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.
Towards 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 emperor gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. Six hundred beds of the common measure were brought in carriages, and set tip in my house; a hundred and fifty
c2
20 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
of their beds, sewn together, made up the breadth and length; and these were four double; which, however, kept me but very indifferently from the hardness of the floor, that was of smooth stone. By the same compu-tation, they provided me with sheets, blankets and coverlets, tolerable enough for one who had been so long inured to hardships.
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 house-hold affairs must have ensued, if his imperial majesty had not provided, by several proclamations and orders of state, against this inconvenience. He directed, that those who had already beheld me should return home, and not presume to come within fifty yards of my house, without licence from the court: whereby the secretaries of state got considerable fees.
In the mean time the emperor held frequent councils, to debate what should be done with me; and I was afterwards assured, by a particular friend, a person of great quality, who was as much in the secret as any, that the court was under many difficulties concerning me. They apprehended my breaking 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
A VOYAGE TO LILL1PUT. 21
arrows, which would soon despatch me; but again they considered that the stench of so large a carcass might produce a plague in the metropolis, and probably spread through the whole kingdom. In the midst of these consultations, "several officers of the army went to the door of the great council-chamber, and two of them being admitted, gave an account of my behaviour to the six criminals above-mentioned; which made so favorable an impression in the breast of his majesty, and the whole board, in my behalf, that an imperial commission was issued, obliging all the villages, nine hundred yards round the city, to deliver every morning six beeves, forty sheep, and other victuals for my sustenance; together with a proportionable quantity of bread, and •wine, and other liquors; for the due payment of which, Iris majesty gave assignments upon his treasury:—for this prince lives chiefly upon his own landed property; never, except upon great occasions, raising any subsidies upon his subjects, who are bound to attend him in his wars at their own expense. An establishment was also made of six hundred persons to be my domestics, who had board-wages allowed for their maintenance, and tents built for them very conveniently on each side of my door. It was likewise ordered that three hundred tailors should make me a suit of clothes, after the fashion of the country; that six of his majesty's greatest scholars should be employed to instruct me in their
22 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
language: and lastly, that the emperor's horses, and those of the nobility and troops of guards, should be frequently exercised in my sight, to accustom themselves to me. All these orders were duly put in execution; and in about three weeks I made 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 teaching me. We already began to converse together in a certain fashion; and the first words I learnt, were to express my desire ' that his majesty would be pleased to give me my liberty;' which I every day repeated on my knees. His answer, as I could understand it, was, ' that this must be a work of time, not to be thought of without the advice of his council, and that first I must lumos kelmin pesso desmar Ion emposo;' that is, swear a peace with him and hia kingdom; however, that I should be used with all kindness; and he advised me 'to acquire by my patience and discreet behaviour, the good opinion of himself and his subjects.' He desired ' I would not take it ill, if he gave orders to certain proper officers to search me; for probably I might carry about me several weapons, which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person.' I said, ' Sis majesty should be satisfied; for I was ready to strip, and empty my pockets before him.' This I delivered, part in words, and part in signs. He replied, 'that, by the
A VOTAGE TO LILLIPUT. 23
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 justice, 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.' I 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, in which
I had some little 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 a
purse. These gentlemen, having pen, ink, and paper
about them, made an exact inventory of everything they
saw; and, when they had done, desired I would set
them down, that they might deliver it to the emperor.
This inventory I afterwards translated into English, and
is word for word as follows: —
' Imprimis, In the right coat-pocket of the great man- mountain [for so I interpret the words quinbus flestrin], after the strictest search, we found only one great piece of coarse cloth, large enough to be a, foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In the left pocket 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 opened, and one of us stepping into
24 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
it, found himself up to the knees in a sort of dust, some part whereof flying up to our faces, set us sneezing for several times together. In his right waistcoat-pocket we found a prodigious bundle of white thin substances, 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 half as large as the palm of our hands. In the left there was a sort of engine, from the back of. which were extending twenty long poles, resembling the palings before your majesty's court: wherewith we conjecture the man-mountain combs his head; for we did not always trouble him with ques-tions, because we found it a great difficulty to make him understand us. In the large pocket, on the right; side of his middle cover [so I translate the word ran- fulo, by which they meant my breeches], we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the length of a man, fas-tened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; and upon one side of the pillar were huge pieces of iron sticking out, cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make of. In the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller pocket, on the right side, were several round flat pieces of white and red metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed to be silver, were so large and heavy, that my comrade and I could hardly lift them. In the left
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 25
pocket were two black pillars irregularly shaped : we could not, without difficulty, reach the top of them, as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them waa covered and seemed all of a piece ; but at the upper end of the other there appeared a white round substance, about twice the bigness of our heads. Within each of these was enclosed a prodigious plate of steel; which, by our orders, we obliged him to show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us, that in his own country his practice was to shave his beard with one of these, and cut his meat with the other. There were two pockets which we could not enter: these he called his fobs; they were two large slits cut into the top of his middle cover, but squeezed close by the pressure of hia belly. Out of the right fob hung a great silver chain, with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. "We directed him to draw out whatever was at the end of that chain, which appeared to be a globe, half silver, and half of some transparent metal; for, on the transparent side, we saw certain strange figures circularly drawn, and thought we could touch them, till we found our fingers stopped by that lucid substance. He put this engine to 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 in-clined to the latter opinion, because he assured us.(if
2(> GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
we understood him right, for he expressed himself very imperfectly) that he seldom did anything without con-sulting it. He called it his oracle, and said it pointed out the time for every action of his life. From the left fob he took out a net large enough for a fisherman, but contrived to open and shut like a purse, and which served him for the same use.: we found therein several massive pieces of yellow metal, which, if they be real gold, must be of immense value.
' Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's com-mands, diligently searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his waist, made of the hide of some pro-digious animal, from which, on the left side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the right, a bag, or pouch divided into two cells, each cell capable of holding three of your majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were several globes or balls, of a most pon-derous metal, about the bigness of our heads, and which required a strong hand to lift them: the other cell con-tained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold above fifty of them in. the palms of our hands.
' This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of the man-mountain, who used us with great civility, and due respect to your majesty's commission. Signed and sealed on the fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious reign.
' CLEFEIN FEELOOK — MA.BSI FBKLOCK.'
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 27
When this inventory was read over to the emperor, lie directed me, although in very gentle terms, to de-liver up the several artieles. He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, scabbard and all. In the mean time he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops, who then attended him, to surround me at a distance, with their bows and arrows just ready to dis-charge. He then desired me to withdraw my scimitar, which, although it had got some rust by the sea-water, was, in most parts, exceedingly bright. I did so, and immediately all the troops gave a shout between terror and surprise ; for the sun shone clear, and the reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my hand. His majesty, who is a most magnanimous prince, was less daunted than I could expect: he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and cast it on the ground as gently as I could, about six feet from the end of my chain. The next thing he demanded was one of the hollow iron pillars; by which he meant my pocket pistols. I drew it out, and at his desire, as well as I could, expressed to him the use of it; and charging it only with powder, which, by the closeness of my pouch, happened to escape wetting in the sea (an in-convenience against which all prudent mariners take special care to provide), I first cautioned the emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in the air. The as-tonishment at the report was much greater than at the
28 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
sight of the scimitar. Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck dead ; and even the emperor, although he stood his ground, could not recover himself for some time. I delivered up both my pistols, in the same manner as I had done my scimitar, and then my pouch of powder and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept from fire, for it would kindle with the smallest spark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air. I likewise delivered up my watch, which the emperor was very curious to see, and he commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guards to bear it on a pole upon their shoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of ale. He was amazed at the continual noise it made, and the motion of the minute-hand, which he could easily discern, for their sight is much more acute than ours ; he asked the opinions of his learned men about it, which were various and wide of the mark, as the reader may well imagine, although, indeed, I could not very perfectly understand them. I then gave up my silver and copper money, my purse with nine large pieces of gold, and some smaller ones; my knife and razor, iny comb and silver snuff-box, my handkerchief and journal book. My scimitar, pistols, and pouch, were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the rest of my goods were returned me.
I had, as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their search, wherein there was a pair
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 29
of spectacles (which I sometimes use for weakness of sight), a pocket perspective, and some other little con-veniences. These articles, being of no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in honor to dis-play, and I apprehended they might be lost or spoiled, if I trusted them out of my possession.
80 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
CHAPTER III.
The Author diverts the -Emperor, and Ms Nobility of both Sexes, in a very uncommon Manner— The Diversions of the Court of Lilliput described— The Author has his Liberty granted him upon certain Conditions.
Mr gentleness and good behaviour had gained so far on the emperor and his court, and, indeed, upon the army and people in general, that I began to entertain hopes of getting my liberty in a short time. I took all possi-ble methods to cultivate this favorable disposition. The natives came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive of any danger from me. I would sometimes lie down, and let five or six of them dance on my hand : and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide- and-seek in my hair. I had now made good progress in understanding and speaking the language. The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they excelled all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magni-ficence. I was diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from the ground. Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.
A VOTAGE TO LILLIPUT. 81
This diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favor at court. They are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens), five or six of those candidates petition the emperor to entertain 'his majesty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest without falling, succeeds in the office. Very often the chief ministers themselves are commanded to show their skill, and to convince the emperor they have not lost their faculty. Flimnap, tlie treasurer, is able to cut a caper on the straight rope at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole empire. I have seen him do the summerset several times together, upon a trencher fixed on a rope, which is no thicker than a common packthread in England. My friend Eeldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial, the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are much upon a par.
These diversions are often attended with fatal ac-cidents, of which great numbers are on record; I my-self have seen two or three candidates break a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the ministers themselves are commanded to show their dexterity ; for, by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they strain so far that there is hardly one of them who
32 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
has not received a fall, and some of them two or three. I was assured that, a year or two before my arrival, Flimnap would infallibly have broken his neck, if one of the king's cushions, that accidentally lay on the ground, had not weakened the force of his fall.
The horses of the army and those of the royal stables, having been daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my very feet without starting. The riders would leap them over my hand, as I held it on the ground: and one of the emperor's huntsmen, upon a large courser, sprang over my foot, shoe and all; which was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune to divert the emperor one day in a very extra-ordinary manner. I desired he would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of an ordinary cane, to be brought me; whereupon his majesty com-manded the master of his woods to give directions ac-cordingly ; and the next morning six woodmen arrived, with as many carriages, each drawn by eight horses. I took nine of these sticks, and fixing them firmly in the ground in a quadrangular figure, two feet and a half square, I took four other sticks, and tied them parallel at each corner, about two feet from the ground. Then I fastened my handkerchief to the nine sticks that stood erect, and extended it on all sides, till it was tight as the top of a drum; while the four parallel sticks, rising about five inches higher than the handkerchief,
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 33
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 number, come and exercise upon this plain. His majesty approved of the pro-posal, and I took them up, one by one, in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got into order, they divided into two parties, performed mock skirmishes, discharged blunt arrows, drew their swords, fled and pursued, attacked and retired, and, in short, displayed the best military discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their horses from falling over the stage; and the emperor was so much delighted that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated several days, and once was pleased to be lifted up, and give the word of command; and he persuaded even the empress herself to let me hold her in her close chair within two yards of the stage, whence she was able to take a full view of the whole performance. It was my good fortune, that no ill accident happened at these enter-tainments ; only, once a fiery horse, that belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, struck a hole in my handkerchief, and, his foot slipping, he over-threw his rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and covering the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the other, in the same manner as I took them up. The horse that fell was strained in the
D
34 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
left shoulder, but the rider escaped unhurt. I repaired my handkerchief as well as I could : however, I would not trust to the strength of it any more, in such danger-ous enterprises.
About two or three days before I was set at liberty, as I was entertaining the court with this kind of feat, there arrived an express to inform his majesty that some of his subjects, riding near the place where I was first taken up, had seen a great black substance lying on the ground, very oddly shaped, extending its edgea round, as wide as his majesty's bed-chamber, and rising up in the middle as high as a man ; that it was no liv-ing creature, as they at first apprehended, for it lay on the grass motionless; that, by mounting upon each other's shoulders, they had got to the top, and found it flat and even, and, stamping upon it, they found that it was hollow within, that they humbly conceived it might be something belonging to the man-mountain; and if his majesty pleased, they would undertake to bring it with only five horses. I presently knew what they meant, and was glad at heart to receive the intelligence. It seems, upon my first reaching the shore after our shipwreck, I was in such confusion, that before I came to the place where I went to sleep, my hat, which I had fastened with a string to my head while I was rowing, and had stuck on all the time I was swimming, fell off after I reached land ; the string, as I conjecture, breaking
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 35
by some accident. I entreated his imperial majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as possi-ble, describing to him the use and the nature of it: and the next day the wagoners arrived with it, though not in a very good condition : they had bored two holes in the brim, 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 half an English mile ; but, the ground in that country being extremely smooth and level, it received less damage than I expected.
Two days after this adventure, the emperor, having ordered that part of his army which quarters in and about his metropolis, to be in readiness, took a fancy to divert himself in a very singular manner. He desired I would stand like a colossus, with my legs as far asunder as I conveniently could. He then commanded his general, who was an old experienced leader, and a great patron of mine, to draw up the troops in close order, and march them under me; the foot by twenty-four abreast, and the horse by sixteen, with drums beating, colors flying, and pikes advanced. This body consisted of three thousand foot, and a thousand horse.
I had sent so many memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and then in a full council; where it D 2
36 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
was opposed by none, except Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provocation, to be my mortal enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole board, and confirmed by the emperor. That minister was galbet, or admiral of the realm, very much in his master's confidence, and a person well versed in affairs, but of a morose and sour disposition. However, he was at length persuaded to comply; with the reservation that the articles and conditions upon which I should be set free, and to which I must swear, should be drawn up by himself. These articles were brought to me by Sky-resh Bolgolam in person, attended by two under-secre- taries, and several persons of distinction. After they had been read, I was demanded to swear to the per-formance of them; first, in the manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method prescribed by their laws : which was, to hold my right foot in my left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear. But, because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the style and manner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to know the grounds upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a translation of the whole instrument, word for word, which I here offer to the public: —
' Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue, most mighty emperor of Lilliput, delight and
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 37
terror of the universe, whose dominions extend five thousand llustrugs [about twelve miles in circumference] to the extremities of the globe; monarch of all mo- narchs, taller than the sona of men ; whose feet press down to the centre, and whose head strikes against the sun ; at whose nod the princes of the earth shake their knees; pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer, fruitful as autumn, dreadful as winter. His most sublime majesty proposes to the man-mountain, lately arrived in our celestial dominions, the following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to perform.
' 1st. The man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions, without our licence under our great seal.
' 2nd. He shall not presume to come into our metro-polis, without our express order; at which time the in-habitants shall have two hours' warning to keep within doors.
' 3rd. The said man-mountain shall confine his walks to our principal high roads, and not offer to walk or lie down in a meadow or field of corn.
' 4th. As he walks the said roads, he shall take the utmost care not to trample upon the bodies of any of our loving subjects, their horses, or carriages, nor take any of our subjects into his hands without their own consent.
'5th. If an express requires extraordinary despatch,
..!« GULLIVER S TRAVELS !
the man-mountain shall be obliged to cany, in his pocket, the messenger and a horse a six days' journey, once in every moon, and return the said messenger back, if so required, safe to our imperial presence.
' 6th. He shall be our ally against our enemies in the island of Blefuscu,* and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now preparing to invade us.
' 7th. That the said man-mountain shall, at His time of leisure, aid and assist our workmen, in helping to raise certain great stones, towards covering the wall of the principal park, and our other royal buildings.
' 8th. That the said man-mountain shall in two moons' time deliver an exact survey of the circum-ference of our dominions, by a computation of his own paces round the coast.
' Lastly, That, upon his solemn oath to observe all the above articles, the said man-mountain shall have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1,724 of our subjects, with free access 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 reign.'
I swore and subscribed to these articles with great
* In his description -of Lillipitt, the author seems to have had England more immediately in view. In his description of Me.fusm, he seems to intend the people and kingdom of France. —Orrery.
A VOTAOE TO LILLIPUT. 39
cheerfulness and content, although some of them were not so honorable as I could have wished (to be attri-buted wholly to the malice of Skyresh Bolgolam the high-admiral). On taking the oath, my chains were immediately unlocked, and I was at full liberty. The emperor himself, in person, did me the honor to be by at the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledgements by prostrating myself at his majesty's feet: but he com-manded me to rise: and after many gracious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of vanity, I shall not repeat, he added,' that he hoped I should prove a useful servant, and well deserve all the favors he had already con-ferred upon me, or might do in future.'
The reader may please to observe, that in the last article of the recovery of my liberty, the emperor sti-. pulates to allow me a quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1,724 Lilliputians. Some time after, asking a friend at court how they came to fix on that particular number, he told me that his majesty's mathematicians, having taken the height of my body by the help of a quadrant,* and finding it to exceed theirs in the proportion of twelve to one, they concluded, from the similarity of their bodies, that mine must contain at least 1,724 of theirs, and consequently would require
* Quadrant, an instrument used for taking the sun's altitude.
40 GUXLIVER'S TRAVELS :
as much food as was necessary to support that number of Lilliputians. By this the reader may conceive an idea of the ingenuity of the people, as well as of the prudent and exact economy of so great a prince.
A VOYAGE TO LIELIPUT. 41
CHAPTER IV.
Mildendo, the Metropolis of Lilliput, together with the Emperor's Palace, described—A Conversation between the Author and a principal Secretary, concerning the Affairs of that Empire — The Author offers to serve tlio Emperor in his Wars.
THE first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that I might have permission to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the emperor readily granted me, but with a special charge to do no harm either to the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall, which encompassed it, is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently sideways through the two principal streets only, in my short waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses with the skirts of my coat. I walked with the utmost circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets; although the orders were very strict, that all people should keep in their houses at their own peril.
42 OULLIVEU'S TRAVELS:
The garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more populous place. The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across and divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not enter, but only viewed 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 high; the shops and markets well provided.
The emperor's palace is in the centre of the city, where the two great sfcreets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two feet high, and twenty feet distance from the build-ings. I had his majesty's permission to step over this wall; and the space being so wide between that and the palace, I could easily view it on every side. The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other courts: in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches high, and seven inches wide. Now, the buildings of the outer court were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the same time, the emperor had
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 43
a great desire that I should see the magnificence of his palace; but this I was not able to do till three days after, •which I spent in cutting down with my knife some of the largest trees in the royal parks, about a hundred yards' distance from the city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three feet high, and strong enough to bear my weight. The people having received notice a second time, I went again through the city to the palace with my two stools in my hands. When I came to the side of the outer court, I stood upon one stool, and took the other in my hand; this I lifted over the roof, and gently set it down on the space between the first and second court, which was eight feet wide. I then stepped over the building very conveniently from one stool to the other, and drew up the first after me with a hooked stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost court; and, lying down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows of the middle stories, which were left open on purpose, and discovered the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw the empress and the young princes, in their several apartments, with their chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was pleased to smile very gra-ciously upon me, and gave me out of the window her hand to kiss.
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Eeldresel, principal secretary (as they style
44 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
him) for private affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant. He ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an 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 during my solicitations at court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more conveniently reach my ear; but he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand during our conversation: He began with compliments on my liberty; said 'he might lay claim to some merit in it;' but, however, added, ' that if it had not been for the present situation of things at court, perhaps I might not have obtained it so soon. For,' said he, 'however flourishing a condition we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labor under the fear of invasion by the emperor of Blefuscu. For you must know 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 greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great confidence in your valor and
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 45
strength, has commanded me to lay this account of hia affairs before you.'
I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor; and to let him know, 'that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to interfere •with party strifes; but I was ready with the hazard of my life to defend his person and state against all invaders.'
46 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
CHAPTER V.
The Author, by an extraordinary Stratagem, prevents an Invasion. — A high Title of Honor is conferred npon Kim. — Ambassadors arrive from the Emperor of Blefuscu, and sue for Peace.
THE empire of Blefuscu is an island situated to the north-east of Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of eight hundred yards wide. I had not yet seen it, and, upon this notice of an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of being discovered by some of the enemy's ships, who had received no intelligence of me : all intercourse between the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our emperor upon all vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his majesty a project I had formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet; which, as our scouts assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed; and they 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
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 47
glumgluffs at most. I walked towards the north-east coast, over against Blefuscu; where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my small perspective glass, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, consisting of about fifty men-of-war, and a great number of transports: I then came back to my house, and gave order (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as packthread, and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle. I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities into a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the north-east coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked, in my leathern jerkin, into the sea, about half an hour before high water. I waded with what haste I could, and swam in the mid-dle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was so frightened when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships and swam to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand souls: I then took my tack-ling, and fastening a hook to a hole at the prow of each, tying 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 which, beside paining me excessively, gave me much
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disturbance in my work. My greatest apprehension was for my eyes, which I should hare 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 have 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 remove them. I had now fas-tened all the hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the hooks fixed to the ships, I reso-lutely cut with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving about two hundred arrows in my face and hands; then I took up the knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with great ease drew fifty of the enemy's largest men of war after me.
The Blefuscudians, who had not the least notion of what I intended, were at first confounded with asto-nishment They had seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the vessels run adrift, or fall foul of each other; but when they perceived the whole
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 49
fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end, they set up such a scream of grief and despair, as it is almost impossible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I stopped awhile to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and face; and rubbed on some of the same ointment that was given me on my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off my spectacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide had 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, awaiting the issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in a large half moon, but could not discern me, being up to my breast in water. When I advanced in the middle of the channel, they were yet more in pain, because I was under water to my neck. The emperor concluded me to be drowned, and that the enemy's fleet was approaching in a hostile man-ner ; but he was soon relieved of his fears: for the channel growing shallower every step I made, I came in a short time within hearing, and holding up the end of the cable, by which the fleet was fastened, I cried, in a loud voice, ' Long live the most puissant king of Lil- liptit 1 ' This great prince received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and created me a nardac
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upon the spot, which is the highest title of honor among them.
His majesty desired I would take some other oppor-tunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports. And so immeasurable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a province, and governing it by a viceroy ; of destroying the Big- endian exiles, by which he would remain the sole monarch of the whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this design, by many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as justice ; and I plainly protested, ' that I would never be instrumental in bringing a free and brave people into slavery,' and, when the matter was debated in council, the wisest part of the ministry were of my opinion.
This open, bold declaration of mine, was so opposite to the schemes and politics of his imperial majesty, that he could never forgive me. He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that some of the wisest appeared, at least by their silence, to be of my opinion ; but others, who were my secret enemies, could not forbear some expressions which by a side wind reflected on me. From this time began an in-trigue between his majesty, and a junto of ministers, maliciously bent against me, which broke out in less than two months, and nearly ended in my utter de-
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 51
struction. Of so little weight are the greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their passions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn embassy, from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace; which was soon concluded, upon conditions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons: and their entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their master, and the importance of their business. When their treaty was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit I now had, or at least ap-peared to have, at court, their excellencies, who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made me a visit in form. They began with many compli-ments upon my valor and generosity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their master's name, and de-sired me to show them some proofs of my prodigious strength, of which they had heard so many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the reader with the particulars.
When I had for some time entertained their excel-lencies, to their infinite satisfaction and surprise, I de-sired they would do me the honor to present my most humble respects to the emperor their master, the re-nown of whose virtues had so justly filled the whole
152
52 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
world with admiration, and whose royal person I re-solved to attend, before I returned to my own country. Accordingly, the next time I had the honor to see our emperor, I desired his general liberty to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he was pleased to granl me, as I could perceive, in a very cold manner, but could not guess the reason, till I had a whisper from a certain person, ' that Flimnap and Bolgolam had repre-sented my intercourse with those ambassadors as a mark of disaffection;' from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to conceive some imperfect idea of courts and ministers.
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke to me by an interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with an avowed con-tempt of that of their neighbour : yet our emperor, standing upon the advantage he had got by the seizure of their fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials, and make their speech in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confessed, that from the great intercourse of trade and commerce between both realms, and from the custom, in each empire, of sending their young nobility and richer gentry to the other, in order to polish them-selves by seeing the world and understanding men and manners, there are few persons of distinction, or mer-
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT 58
chants, or seamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold conversation in both tongues. This I found some weeks after, when I went to pay my respects to the emperor of Blefuscu, which, in the midst of great misfortunes through the malice of my enemies, proved a very happy adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper place.
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CHAPTER VI.
Of the Inhabitants of I .illijral ; their Learning, Laws, and Customs; the Manner of Educating their Children—The Author's Way of Living in that Country.
ALTHOUGH I 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 animals, as well as plants and trees : for instance, the tallest horses and oxen are be-tween four and five inches in height, the sheep an inch and a half, more or less; their geese about the bigness of a sparrow, and so the several gradations downwards, till you come to the smallest, which, to my sight, were almost invisible: but nature has adapted the eyes of the Lilliputians 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 towards objects that are near, I have been much pleased with observing a cook pulling a lark, which was not so large as a common fly; and a young girl threading an invisible needle with invisible silk. Their tallest trees are about
seven feet high; I mean, some of those in the great royal park, the tops I could just reach with my fist clenched. The other vegetables are in the same pro-portion ; but this I leave to the reader's imagination.
I shall say but little at present 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 right, like the Europeans; nor from the right to the left, like the Arabians; nor from up to down, like the Chinese; but aslant, from one corner of the paper to the other, like that of ladies in England.
There are some laws and customs in this empire very peculiar ; and, if they were not so directly contrary to those of my own dear country, I should be tempted to say a little in their justification.
They look upon fraud as a 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 goods from thieves, but honesty has no fence against superior cunning; and since it is necessary that there should be a perpetual in-tercourse of buy ing and selling, and dealing upon credit; where fraud is permitted and connived at, or has no law to punish it, the honest dealer is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage. I remember, when I was once interceding with the king for a criminal who
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had wronged his master of a great sum of money, which he had received by order, and ran away with ; and happening to tell his majesty, by way of extenuation, that it was only a breach of trust, the emperor thought it monstrous in me to offer as a defence the greatest aggravation of the crime. And truly, I had little to say in return, further than the common answer, that differ-ent nations had different customs ; for, I confess, I was heartily ashamed.*
Although we visually 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. Whoever can there bring sufficient proof, that he has strictly observed the laws of his country for seventy-three moons, has a claim to certain privileges, according to his quality or condition of life, with a proportionable sum of money out of a fund appropriated for that use: he likewise acquires the title of snilpall, or legal, which is added to his name, but which does not descend to his posterity. And these people thought it a prodigious defect of policy among us, when I told them that our laws were enforced only by penalties, without any mention of reward. It is upon this account that the image of Justice, in their .
* An act of parliament has now been passed in this country, by which some breaches of trust are regarded more seriously than formerly.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT, 57
courts of law, is formed with six eyes, two before, as many behind, and on each side one, to signify circum-spection ; with a bag of gold open in her right hand, and a sword sheathed in her left, to show she is more disposed to reward than to punish.
In choosing persons for all employments, they have more regard to good morals than to great abilities; for, since government is necessary to mankind, 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 are seldom three born in an age: but they suppose truth, justice, temperance, and the like, to be in every man's power; the practice of which virtues, assisted by experience and a good intention, would qualify any man for the service 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 qualified; and at least, that the mistakes committed by ignorance, in a virtuous disposition, would never be of such fatal con-sequence to the public weal, as the practices of a man whose inclinations led him to be corrupt, aiid who had great abilities to manage, to multiply, and defend his corruptions.
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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 people have fallen by the degenerate nature of man. For, as to that infamous practice of acquiring great employments by dancing on the ropes, or badges of favor and distinction, by leaping over sticks and creep-ing under them, the reader is to observe that they were first introduced by the grandfather of the emperor now reigning, and grew to the present height by the gradual increase of party and faction.
Ingratitude is among them a capital crime, for they reason thus; that whoever makes evil returns to his benefactor, must needs be a common enemy to the rest of mankind, from whom he has received no obligation, and therefore such a man is not fit to live.
Their notions relating to the duties of parents and children differ extremely from ours.
Their opinion is that parents are the last of all others to be trusted 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 supposed to have some rudiments of docility. These schools are of several kinds, suited to different ranks, and both sexes. They
A VOYAGE TO L1LLIPUT. 59
have certain professors well skilled in preparing children for such a condition of life as befits the rank of their parents, and their own capacities, as well as inclinations.
The poorer families who have children are obliged, beside their annual fee for schooling, which is as low as possible, to lay by a small monthly share of their earn-ings, to be a portion for the child; and therefore all parents are limited in their expenses by the law. For the Lilliputians think nothing can be more unjust than for people, in subservience to their own appetites, to bring children into the world, and then leave the burden of supporting them on the public.
Here it may, perhaps, divert the curious reader, 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 mechanical turn, and being likewise forced by necessity, I had made for myself a table and chair convenient enough, out of the largest trees in the royal park. Two hundred sempstresses were employed to make me shirts and linen for my bed and table, 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 semp-stresses took my measure as I lay on the ground, one standing at my neck, and another at my knee, with a
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strong cord extended, that each held by the end, while a third measured the length of the cord with the rule of an inch long. Then they measured my right thumb, and desired no more; for by a mathematical computa-tion, 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 displayed 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 my 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 measured myself. 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 attended below on the ground, some with dishes of meat and some with barrels of wine and other liquors slung on their shoul-
A VOYAGE TO L1LLIPUT. 61
ders,-all which the waiters above drew up, as I wanted, in a very ingenious manner, by certain cords, as we draw the bucket up a well in Europe. A dish of their meat was a good mouthful, and a barrel of their liquor a reasonable draught. Their mutton yields to ours, but their beef is excellent. I have had a sirloin so large, that I have been forced to make three bits of it; but "this is rare. 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 are far superior to ours. Of their smaller fowl I could take up twenty or thirty at the end of my fork.
One day his imperial majesty, being informed of my •way of living, desired ' that himself and his royal con-sort, 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 treasurer, attended there likewise with his white staff; and I observed he often looked on me with a sour countenance, which I appeared to take no notice of, but ate more than usual, in honor of my dear country, as well as to fill the court with admiration. I have some private reasons to believe, that this visit from Ha majesty gave Flimnap an opportunity of doing me ill
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offices to his master. That minister had always been my secret enemy, though he outwardly caressed me more than was usual, considering 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 circu-late under nine per cent, below par ; that I had cost his majesty above a million and a half of sprugs (their greatest gold coin, about the size of a spangle) ; and, upon the whole, that it would be advisable in the emperor to take the first fair occasion of dismissing me. Every day I received similar visits of respect from different members of the nobility. On those occasions, when a servant had given me notice, my custom was to go immediately to the door; and, after paying my respects, to take up the coach and two horses very care-fully in my hands (for, if there were six horses, the postillion always unharnessed four). I then placed them on a table, where I had fixed a movable rim quite round, of 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 my face towards them. When I was engaged with one set, the coachman would gently drive the others round my table. I have passed many an afternoon very agree-ably in these conversations.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPOT. 63
CHAPTER VII.
The Author being informed of a Design to accuse him of High Treason, makes his Escape to' Blefuscu — His Reception there.
BEFORE I proceed to give an account of my leaving 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 my low rank and birth.' I had indeed heard and read enough of the dispositions of great princes and ministers, but never expected to have found such terrible effects of them in so remote a country, governed, as I thought, by very different maxims from those in Europe.
When I was just preparing to pay my respects to the emperor of Blefuscu, 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 privately at night, in a close chair, and, without sending in his name, desired admittance. The chairmen were dismissed; I put the chair, with his lordship in it, into my coat pocket:
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and, giving orders to a trusty servant, to say I was in-disposed and had gone to sleep, I fastened the door of my house, placed the chair on the table, according to my usual custom, and sat down by it. After the com-mon salutations were over, observing his lordship's countenance full of concern, and inquiring into the reason, he desired 'I would hear him with patience, in a matter that highly concerned my honor and my life.' His 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 committees of council have been lately called, in the most private mariner, on your account: and it is but two days since his majesty came to a full resolution.
' You are very sensible that Skyresh Eolgolam (galbet, or high-admiral) has been your mortal enemy, almost ever since your arrival. His original reasons I know not; but his hatred is increased since your great success against Blefuscu, by which his glory as admiral is much obscured. This lord, in conjunction with Flimnap, the high-treasurer, whose enmity against you is notorious, Limtoc the general, Lalcon the chamberlain, and Bal- muff the grand justiciary, have prepared articles of im-peachment 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
A VOYAGE TO LILLJPUT. 65
interrupt Mm ; when he entreated me to be silent, and thus proceeded:—
' Out of gratitude for the favors you have done me., I procured information of the whole proceedings, and a copy of the articles; and in doing this I ventured my head for your service.
"ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST QUINBUS FLESTRIN, THE MAN-MOUNTAIN.
" ARTICLE I.
" That the said Quinbus Flestrin, having brought the imperial fleet of Blefuscu into the royal port, and being afterwards commanded by his imperial majesty 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 here; he, the said Flestrin, like a false traitor against his most auspicious, serene, imperial majesty, did petition to be excused from the said ser-vice, upon pretence of unwillingness to destroy the liberties and lives of an innocent people.
" ARTICLE II.
" That, whereas certain ambassadors arrived from the court of Blefuscu, to sue for peace in his majesty's court; he, the said Flestrin, did, like a false traitor
F
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aid, abet, comfort, and divert the said ambassadors, although he knew them to be servants to a prince who was lately an open enemy to his imperial majesty, and in an open war against his said majesty.
" ARTICLE III.
" That the said Quinbus Flestrin, contrary to the duty of a faithful subject, is now preparing to make a voyage to the court and empire of Blefuscu, for which he has received only verbal license from his imperial majesty, and, under color of the said license, does falsely and traitorously intend to take the said voyage, and thereby to aid, comfort, and abet the emperor of Blefuscu, so lately an enemy, and in open war with his imperial majesty aforesaid."
' There are some other articles,' continued my noble friend; ' but these are the most important.
' 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 endeavouring to extenuate your crimes. The treasurer and admiral insisted that you should be put to the most painful and ignominious death, by setting fire to your house at night; and the general was to attend with twenty thousand men, armed with poisoned arrows, to shoot you on the face and hands. Some of your
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 67
servants were to have private orders to strew a poison-ous juice on your shirts and sheets, which would soon, make you tear your own flesh, and die in the utmost torture. The general was of the same opinion; so that for a long time there was a majority against you; but his majesty resolving, if possible, to spare your life, at last brought off the chamberlain.
' Upon this incident, Reldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, who always approved himself your true friend, was commanded by the emperor to deliver his opinion, which he accordingly did; and therein jus-tified 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 majesty was so justly celebrated. Ha said, the friendship between you and him was so well known to the world, that perhaps the most honorable board might think him partial; however, in obedience to the command he had received, he would freely offer his sentiments. That if his majesty, in consideration of your services, and pursuant to his own merciful disposition, would 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 satisfied, and all the world would applaud the lenity of the emperor, as well as the fair and gene-rous proceedings of those who have the honor to be his
F 2
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counsellors. That the loss of your eyes would be no impediment 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 no more.
' This proposal was received with the utmost disap-probation by the whole board. Bolgolam, the admiral, could not preserve his temper; but, rising up in a 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 of your crimes; that the same strength, which enabled you to bring over the enemy's fleet, might serve, upon the first discontent, to carry it back : and as treason begins in the heart before it appears in overt acts, so he accused you as a traitor on that account, and therefore insisted you should be put to death.
' The treasurer was of the same opinion: he showed to what straits his majesty's revenue was reduced by the charge of maintaining you, which would soon grow insupportable: that the secretary's expedient of putting out your eyes, was so far from being a remedy against this evil, that it would probaby increase it, as is mani-
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. C9
fest from the common practice of blinding some kind of fowls, after which they fed the fester and grew sooner fat; that his sacred majesty and the council, who are your judges, were, in their own consciences, fully con-vinced of your guilt, which was a sufficient argument to condemn 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 thought the loss of your eyes too easy a censure, some other way may be inflicted hereafter. And your friend the secretary, humbly desiring to be heard again, in answer to what the treasurer had objected, concerning the great charge his majesty was at in main-taining you, said, that his excellency, who had the sole disposal of the emperor's revenue, might easily provide against that evil, by gradually lessening your establish-ment ; by which, for want of sufficient food, you will grow weak and faint, and lose your appetite, and waste away in a few months; neither would the stench of your carcass be then so dangerous, when it should become more than half diminished; and immediately upon your death five or six thousand of his majesty's subjects 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.
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'Thus, by the great friendship of the secretary, the whole affair was compromised. It was strictly 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 dissenting, except Bolgolam the admiral, who, unable to forgive you the capture of the enemy's fleet, insisted upon nothing short of your death.
' 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 majesty and council, whereby you are only condemned to the loss of your eyes, which his majesty does not question you will gratefully and humbly submit to. Twenty of his majesty's surgeons will attend, in order to see the operation well performed, by discharging very sharp-pointed arrows into the balls of your eyes as you lie on the ground.
' I leave to your prudence what measures you will take; and, to avoid suspicion, I must immediately return 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
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 71
monarch's resentment or the malice of a favorite, the emperor always made a speech to his whole council, expressing his great lenity and tenderness, as qualities known and confessed by all the world. This speecli was immediately published throughout 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 enlarged and insisted on, the more inhuman was the punishment, and the sufferer more innocent. Yet, as to myself, I must confess, having never been designed for a courtier, either by my birth or education, I was so ill a judge of things, that I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence, but conceived it, perhaps erroneously, rather to be rigorous than gentle. I sometimes thought of standing my trial; for, 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 terminate as the judges thought fit to direct, I durst not rely on so dangerous a decision, in so critical a junc-ture, and against such powerful enemies. Once, I was strongly bent upon resistance: for, while I had liberty, the whole strength of that empire could hardly subdue me, and I might easily with stones pelt the metropolis to pieces; but I soon rejected that project with horror, on remembering the oath I had made to the emperor,
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the ihvors I received from him, and the high title of nardac he had conferred upon me. Neither had I BO soon learned the gratitude of courtiers to persuade myself that his majesty's present severities acquitted me of all past obligations.
At last, I fixed upon a resolution, for which it is probable I may incur some censure, and not unjustly; for I confess I owe the preserving of my eyes, and consequently my liberty, to my own great rashness and want of experience; because, if I had- then known the nature of princes and ministers, which I have since observed in many other courts, and their methods of treating criminals less obnoxious than myself, I should, with great alacrity and readiness, have submitted to so easy a punishment. But hurried on by the precipitancy of youth, and having his imperial majesty's licence to pay my attendance to the emperor of Blefuscu, I took this opportunity, before the three days elapsed, to send a letter to my friend the secretary, signifying my reso-lution of setting out that morning for Blefuscu, pursuant to the leave I had got; and, without waiting for an answer, I went to that side of the island where our fleet lay. I seized a large man of war, tied a cable to the prow, and, lifting up the anchors, I stripped myself, put my clothes (together with my coverlet, which I carried under my arm) into the vessel, and, drawing it after me,
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 78
between wading and swimming, arrived at the royal port of Blefuscu, where the people had long expected me: they lent me two guides to direct me to the capital city, which is of the same name. I held them in my hands, till I came within two hundred yards of the gate, and desired them ' to signify my arrival to one of the secretaries, and let him know I there waited his majesty's command.' I had an answer in about an hour, ' that his majesty, attended by the royal family, and great officers of the court, was coming out to receive me.' I advanced a hundred yards. The emperor 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 majesty's and empress's hands. I told his majesty, ' that I had come according to my promise, and with the licence of the emperor my master, to have the honor of seeing so mighty a monarch, and to offer him any service in my power, consistent with my duty to my own prince;' not mentioning a word of my disgrace, because I had hitherto no regular information of it, neither could I reasonably conceive that the emperor of Lilliput would betray the secret, while I was out of his power; wherein, however, it soon appeared I was deceived.
I shall not trouble the reader with the particular
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account of my reception at this court, which was suitable to the generosity 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 coverlet.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 76
CHAPTER VIH.
The Author, by a Incky Accident, finds means to leave Blefescn ; and, after Borne Difficulties, returns safe to his native Country.
THREE days after my arrival, walking out of curiosity to the north-east coast of the island, I observed, about half a league off in the sea, somewhat that looked like a boat overturned. I pulled off my shoes and stockings, and, wading two or three hundred 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 ship ; where-upon I returned immediately towards the city, and desired his imperial majesty to lend me twenty of the tallest vessels 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 discovered 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 strength. When the ships came up, I stripped myself, and waded till I came within a hundred yards of the boat, after which I waa
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forced to swim till I got up to 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 to a man-of- war ; but I found all my labor to little purpose : for, being out of my depth, I was not able to work. In this necessity I was forced to swim behind, and push the boat forward, so often as I could with one of my hands ; and the tide favoring me, I advanced so far that I could just hold up my chin and feel the ground. I rested two or three minutes, and then gave the boat another shove, and so on, till the sea was no higher than my arm-pits; and now the most laborious part being 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 forty yards of the shore, and waiting till the tide was out, I got dry to the boat, and by the assistance of two thou-sand men, with ropes and engines, I made shift to turn it on its bottom, and found it was but little damaged.
I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under, by the help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days to make, in getting my boat to the royal port of Blefuscu, where a mighty concourse of people ap-peared upon my arrival, full of wonder at the sight of BO prodigious a vessel. I told the emperor ' that my
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 77
good fortune had thrown this boat in my way, to carry me to some place whence I might return to my native country; and begged his majesty's orders for getting materials to fit it up : together with his license to de-part ; ' which, after some kind expostulations, he was pleased to grant.
All this time I very much wondered at not having heard of any express relating to me from our emperor to the court of Blefuscu. But I was afterwards given privately to understand, that his imperial majesty, never imagining I had the least notice of his designs, believed I had only gone to Blefuscu, in performance of my promise, according 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 pain at my long absence; and after consulting with the treasurer and the rest of that cabal, a person of quality was despatched with a copy of the articles against me. This envoy had instructions to re-present to the monarch of Blefuscu, ' the great lenity of his master, who was content to punish me no further than with the loss of mine eyes; that I had fled from justice; and if I did not return in two hours, I should be deprived 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 Blefuscu would
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give orders to have me sent back to Lilliput, bound hand 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 great obligations to me for many good offices I had done him in making the peace. That, however, both their majesties would soon be made easy; for I 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 in a few weeks, both empires would be freed from so insupportable an incumbrance.'
With 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 con-fidence 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 occa-sion of difference between two such mighty monarchs.'
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 79
At this I did not find the emperor at all displeased; 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 con-tributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to make two sails to my boat according to my directions, by quilting thirteen folds of their strongest linen together. I was at the pains of making ropes and cables, by twisting ten, twenty, or thirty, of the thickest and strongest 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. I was at incre-dible pains in cutting down some of the largest timber trees for oars and masts, wherein I was, however, much assisted by his majesty's ship-carpenters, who helped 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 empress and young princes of the blood. His majesty presented me with fifty purses of two hundred sprugs each, together with
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his picture at full length, which I put immediately into one of my gloves to keep it from being damaged. The ceremonies at my departure were too many to trouble the reader with at this time.
I stored the boat with the carcasses of a hundred oxen and three hundred sheep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat ready-dressed as four 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 pro-pagate the breed; and to feed them on board, I had a good bundle of hay and a bag of corn. I would gladly have taken a dozen of the natives, but this was a thing the emperor would by no means permit: and besides making a diligent search in my pockets, his majesty engaged my honor ' not to carry away any of his sub-jects, even with their own consent and desire.'
Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I set sail on September 24,1701, at six in the morning ; and when I had gone about four leagues to the north-ward, the wind being at south-east, at six in the even-ing, I descried a small 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 unin-habited. I then took some refreshment, and went to rest. I slept well, and as I conjecture at least six hours, for the day broke two hours after I awaked. It was a
A VOYAGE TO LILLTPUT. 81
clear night. I ate my breakfast before the sun was up; and heaving anchor, the wind being favorable, I steered the same course that I had done the day before, where-in I was directed by my pocket compass. My intention was to reach, if possible, one of those islands which I had reason to believe lay to the north-east of Van Diemen'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, I descried a sail steering to the south-east; my course was due east. I hailed her but could get no answer; yet I found I gained upon her, for the wind slackened. I made all the sail I could, and in half an hour she spied me, then hung out her ensign and dis-charged a gun. It is not easy to express the joy I was in, upon the unexpected hope of once more seeing my beloved country, and the dear pledges I had left in it. The ship slackened her sails, and I came up with her between five and six in the evening, September 26; and my heart leaped within me to see her English colors. I put my cows and sheep into my coat pocket, and got on board with all my little cargo of provisions. The vessel was an English merchantman, returning from Japan by the North and South seas; the captain, Mr. John Biddle of Deptford, a very civil man and an ex-cellent sailor. "We were now in the latitude of 30 G
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degrees south ; there were about fifty men in the ship ; and here I met an old comrade of mine, one Peter Willams, who gave me a good character to the captain. This gentleman 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 convinced him of my veracity. I then showed him the gold given me by the emperor of Blefuscu, together with his majesty's picture at full length, and some other rarities of that country. I gave him two purses of two hundred sprugs each, and promised, when we arrived in England, to make him a present of a cow and a sheep.
I shall not trouble the reader with a particular account of this voyage, which was very prosperous for the most part. We arrived in the Downs on April 13, 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 grazing on a bowling- green at Greenwich, where the fineness of the grass made them feed very heartily, though I had always feared the contrary ; neither could I have possibly preserved them
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. 83
in so long a voyage, if the captain had not allowed me some of his best biscuit, which, rubbed to powder, and mingled with water, was their constant food. The short time I continued in England, I made a considerable profit by showing my cattle to many persona of quality and others: and before I had begun my second voyage I sold them for 600Z. Since my last return I find the breed is con-siderably increased, especially the sheep, which I hope will prove advantageous to the woollen manufacture, on account of the fineness of the fleeces.
I stayed but two months with my wife and family, for my insatiable desire of seeing foreign countries would suffer me to continue no longer. I left 1,500Z. with my wife, and fixed her in a good house at Redriff. My 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 an estate in land near Epping, of about 301. a year, and I had a long lease of the Black Bull in Fetter Lane, which yielded me aa much more; so that I was not in any danger of leaving my family upon the parish. My son Johnny, named so after his uncle, was at the grammar-school, and a clever 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 the Adventure, a
a 2
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merchant ship of 300 tons, bound for Surat, Captain John Nicholas of Liverpool, commander. But my account of this voyage must be referred to in the second part of my travels.
A VOYAGE TO BUOBDINGNAG. 85
PAET II.
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. CHAPTER I.
A great Storm described ; the Long Boat sent to fetch Water ; the Author goes with it to discover the Country — He is left on Shore, is seized by one of the Natives, and carried to a Farmer's House — His Reception, with several Accidents that happened there — A Description of the Inhabitants.
HAVING been condemned, by nature and fortune, to an active and restless life, in two months after my return I again left my native country, and took ship in the Downs, on June 20, 1702, in the Adventure, Captain John Nicholas, a Cornishman, commander, bound for Surat. We had a very prosperous gale, till we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where we landed for fresh water ; but discovering a leak, we unshipped our goods, and wintered there; for the captain falling ill of an ague, we could not leave the Cape till the end of March. We then set sail, and had a good voyage, till we passed the Straits of Madagascar; but having got
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northward 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 beginning ot May, on April 19, began to blow with much greater violence, and more westerly than usual, continuing so for twenty days in succession. During this time we were driven a little to the east of the Molucca Islands, and about three degrees northward of the line, as our captain found by an observation he took on May 2. At this time the wind ceased, and it was a perfect calm, whereat I was not a little rejoiced. But he being a man well experienced in the navigation of those seas, bid us all prepare for a storm, which accordingly came on the day following; for the southern wind, called 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, making foul weather, we made the guns all fast, and handed the mizen. 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 it, and hauled aft the fore-sheet; the helm was hard-a-weather. The ship •wore bravely. We belayed the fore down-haul; but the sail was split, and we hauled down the yard, and got the sail into the ship, and unbound all the things clear of it. It was a very fierce storm; the sea broke strange
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 87
and dangerous. We hauled off upon the laniard of the whip-staff, and helped the man at the helm. We would not get down our topmast, but let all stand, because she scudded before the sea very well, and we knew that the topmast being aloft, the ship 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 mizen, main-topsail, and the fore-topsail. 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 mizen 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 earned, by my compu-tation, about 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, our ship was staunch, and our crew all in good health; but we were in the utmost distress for water. We thought it best to hold on the same course, rather than turn more northerly, which might have brought us to the north-west part of Great Tartary, and into the Frozen Sea.
On June 16, 1703, a boy on the top-mast
88 GULLIVEU'S TRAVELS '.
discovered land. On the 17th, we came in full view of a great island, or continent (for we knew not which it was), on the south side whereof was a small 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 cap-tain sent a dozen of his men well armed in the long-boat with vessels for water. I desired his leave to go with them that I might see the country, and make what discoveries I could. When we came to land, we saw neither river, 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 was all barren and rocky. I now began to be weary, and, seeing nothing to. entertain my curiosity, I returned gently down towards the creek ; and the sea being full in my view, I saw our men already in the boat, and rowing for life to the ship. I was going to holloa after them, although it would have been to little 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 pro-digious strides : but our men had the start of him 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 afterwards told ; for I durst not
A VOYAGE TO BROBDJNGNAG. 89
stay to see the result of the adventure, but ran as last as I could the way I first went, and then climbed up a steep hill, which gave me some prospect of the country. I found it fully cultivated ; but that which first surprised me was the length of the grass, which, in those grounds that seemed to be kept for hay, was about 20ft. high.
I came upon a high road, for so I took it to be, though it served to the inhabitants only as a footpath through a field of barley. Here I walked on for some time, but could see little on either side, it boing 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 were so lofty that I could make no computation of their height. There was a stile to pass from this field into the next. It had four steps, and a • stone to cross over when you came to the uppermost. It was impossible for me to climb this stile, because every step was six feet high, and the upper stone about twenty. I was endeavouring to find some gap in the hedge, when I discovered one of the inhabitants in the next field, advancing towards the stile. He was of the same size as he 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 I could guess. I was struck with the utmost fear and as-tonishment, and ran to hide myself in the corn, whence
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I saw him at the top of the stile looking back into the next field on the right hand, and heard him call in a voice many degrees louder than a speaking-trum-pet ; but the noise was so high in the air, that at first I certainly thought it was thunder. Whereupon seven monsters, like himself, came towards him with reaping- hooks in their hands, each hook about the size 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 Hay. I kept from them at as great a distance as I could, but was forced 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 shift to go for-ward, till I came to part of the field where the corn had been laid by the rain and wind. Here it was impossible for me to advance a step ; for the stalks were so inter-woven, 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 time, I heard the reapers not above a hundred yards behind me. Being quite dispirited with toil, and wholly overcome by grief and despair, I lay down between two ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my days. I bemoaned my desolate widow and fatherless children. I lamented my own folly and wilfulness, in
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 91
attempting a second voyage, against the advice of all my friends and relations. In this terrible agitation of mind, I could not forbear thinking of Lilliput, whose inhab-itants looked upon me as the greatest prodigy that ever appeared in the world ; where I was able to draw an imperial fleet in my hand, and perform those other ac-tions, which will be recorded for ever in the chronicles of that empire, while posterity shall hardly believe them, although attested by millions. I reflected what a mortification it must prove to me to appear as incon-siderable in this nation as one single Lilliputian would be among us. But this I conceived was to be the least of my misfortunes; for, as human creatures are ob-served to be more savage and cruel in proportion to their bulk, what could I expect but to be a morsel in the mouth of the first among those enormous barba-rians that should happen to seize me ? Undoubtedly philosophers are in the right when they tell us nothing is great or little, otherwise than by comparison. It might have pleased fortune to have let the Lilliputian find some nation, where the people were as diminutive with respect to them as they were to me. And who knows but that even this prodigious race of mortals might be equally overmatched in some distant part of the world, of which we have, as yet, no knowledge ?
Scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with these reflections, when one of the reapers
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approaching within ten yards of the ridge where I lay, made me fear 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 again 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 I lay on the ground. Pie considered awhile, with the caution of one who endeavours 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 England. 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 straggle in the least, as he held me in the air above sixty feet from the ground, although he grievously pinched my sides, for fear I should slip through his fingers. All I ventured was to raise my eyes towards the sun, and place my hands together in a supplicating pos-ture, and to speak some words in a humble melan-choly tone, suitable to the condition I then was in; for I feared eveiy moment that he would dash me against the ground, as we usually do any little hateful animal N which we have a mind to destroy. But my good star
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 93
would have it, that he appeared pleased with my voice and gestures, and began to look upon me as a curio-sity, much wondering to hear me pronounce articulate words, although he could not understand them. In the mean time I was not able to forbear groaning and shedding tears, and turning my head towards my sides; letting him know, as well as I could, how cruelly I was hurt by the pressure of his thumb and finger. He seemed to apprehend my meaning; for, lifting up the lappet of his coat, he put me gently into it, and im-mediately ran along with me to his master, who was a substantial farmer, and the same person I had first seen in the field.
The farmer having, as I suppose by their talk, re-ceived such an account of me as the servant could give him, took a piece of 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 hair aside to take a better view of my face. - He called his hinds about him, and asked them, as I afterwards learned, 'Whether they had ever seen in the fields any little creature that resembled me ? ' He then placed me softly on the ground upon all fours, but I got immediately up, and walked slowly baciward and forward, to let those people see I had no intention of running away. They all sat down in a circle about me, the better to observe
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my motions. I pulled off my hat and made a low bow towards 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 gold out of my pocket, and humbly presented it to him. He received it on the palm of his hand, then applied it close to his eye to see what it was, and afterwards turned it several times with the point of a pin, which he took out of his sleeve, but he could make nothing of it. Whereupon I made a sign that he should place his hand on the ground. I then took the purse, and opening it, poured all the gold into his palm. There were six Spanish pieces of four pis-toles 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 of what they were. He made me a sign to put them again into my purse, and the purse again into my pocket, which, after offering it to him several times, I thought it best to do.
The farmer, by this time, was convinced I must be a rational creature. He spoke often to me; but the sound of his voice pierced my ears like that of a water- mill, yet his words were articulate enough. I answered 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
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGKAG. 95
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 handker-chief, with the remainder of which he wrapped me up to the head for further security, 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 at the sight of a toad or a spider. However, when she had awhile seen my behaviour, and how well I observed the signs her husband made, she was soon reconciled, and by degrees grew extremely fond of me.
It was about twelve at noon, when 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 in diameter. The company were, the farmer and his wife, three children, and an old grandmother. When they had Bat 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 felling. The wife minced a bit of meat, then crumbled some bread on a trencher, and placed it before roe. I made her a low bow, took out
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my knife and fork, and began 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 company laugh so heartily, that I was almost deafened with the noise. This liquor tasted like a small cider, and was not un-pleasant. Then the master made me a sign to come to his trencher side; but as I walked on the table, being at great surprise all the time, as the indulgent reader will easily conceive and excuse, I happened to stumble against a crust, and fell flat on my face, but received no hurt. I got up immediately, and observing the good people to be in much concern, I took my hat, which I held under my arm as a mark of good manners, and waving it over my head, gave three huzzas, to show I had got no mis-chief by my fall. But advancing forward towards my master, as I shall henceforth call him, his youngest son, who sat next 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 European troop of horse to the earth, ordering him to be taken from the table. But being afraid the boy might owe
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 97
me a spite, and well remembering how mischievous all children among us naturally are to sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy dogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to the boy, made my master to understand as well as I could, that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his seat again, whereupon I went to my master, and kissed his hand. He then took mine in his, and stroked me gently.
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 turning 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 feeding and stroking her. The fierceness of this creature's countenance altogether discomposed me; though I stood at the farther end of the table, above fifty feet off", and though my mistress held her fast, for fear she might give a spring, 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 placed me within three yards of her. And as I have been always told, and found true by experience in my travels, that fleeing from, or showing fear before, a fierce animal, is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, so I resolved, in this dangerous juncture, to betray no concern. I walked with intrepidity five or
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six times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; whereupon she drew herself back, as if she were the rather afraid of me. I had less apprehension concerning the dogs, of which three or four came into the room, as it is usual in farmers' houses; one was a mastiff, equal in bulk to four ele-phants, and a greyhound somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not so bulky.
When dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year old in her arms, who immediately spied me, and began a squall that you might have heard from London Bridge to Chelsea, after the usual oratory of infants, to get me for a plaything. The mother, out of pure indulgence, took me up, and put me towards the child, who presently seized me by the middle, and got my head into his mouth, where I roared so loud that the urchin was frightened, 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 the last remedy by giving it suck.
After dinner, my 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. I was very much tired, and disposed to sleep, which my mistress
A VOYAGE TO BIIOBDINGNAG. 99
perceiving, she put me on her own bed, and covered me •with a clean white handkerchief, but larger and coarser than the mainsail of a man of war.
I slept about two hours, and dreamt I was at home with my wife and children, which aggravated my sor-rows when I awoke and found myself alone in a vast room, between two and three hundred feet wide and about two hundred high, lying in a bed twenty yards wide. My mistress had gone about her household affairs, and had locked me in. The bed was eight yards from the floor. I was not long in bed before I observed two rats creeping up the curtains, and they then ran smelling backwards and forwards. One of them came up almost to my face, whereupon I rose in a fright, and drew out my sword to defend myself. These horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both sides, and one of them held his fore feet on my collar; but I had the good fortune to rip up his belly before he could do me any mischief. He fell down at my feet; and the other, seeing, the fate of his comrade, made his escape, but not without one good wound on the back, which I gave him as he fled, making 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 infinitely more nimble and fierce; so that if I had taken off my belt before 1 went to sleep, I
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must have infallibly been torn in pieces and devoured. I measured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long, all but an inch. But it went against my stomach to draw the carcass off the bed, where it lay still bleeding; and, observing it had yet some life, with a strong slash across the neck, I thoroughly de-spatched it.
Soon 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 signs 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 she set me on a table, where I showed her my sword all bloody, and wiping it on the lappet of my coat, re-turned it to the scabbard.
The whole scene of this voyage made so strong an im-pression on my mind, and is so deeply fixed in memory, that, in committing the details to paper, I did not omit one material circumstance : however, upon a strict re-view, I blotted out several passages of less moment, which were in my first copy, for fear of being censured as tedious and trifling, whereof travellers are often, perhaps not without justice, accused.
A VOYAGE' TO BROBDINGNAG. 101
CHAPTER H.
A Description of the Farmer's Daughter — The Author carried to a Market- Town, and then to the Metropolis — The Particulars of his Journey.
MY mistress had a daughter of nine years old, a forward child for her age, very dexterous at her needle, and skilful in dressing her doll. Her mother and she contrived to fit up the doll's cradle for me against night: the cradle was put into a small drawer of a cabinet ; and the drawer placed upon a hanging shelf for fear of the rats. This was my bed all the time I stayed with those people, though made more convenient by degrees, as I began to 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 sackloth; and these ehe con-stantly washed for me with her own hands. She was likewise my school-mistress, in teaching me the lan-guage ; when I pointed to anything, she told me the
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name of it in her own tongue, so that in a few days I was able to call for whatever I wished. She was very good- natured, and not above forty feet high, being little of her age. She gave me the name of Grildrig, which the family took up, and afterwards the whole king-dom. The word imports what the Latins call homun- culus, and the English mannilcin. To her I chiefly owe my preservation in that country; we never parted while I was there. I called her my Glumdalclitch, or little nurse; and should be guilty of great ingratitude if I omitted this honorable mention of her care and affection towards 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 neighbourhood, that my master had found a strange animal in the field, about the size of a splacnuck, but exactly shaped in every part like a human creature, which it likewise imitated in all its actions; seemed to speak in a little language of its own, had already learned several words of theirs, went erect upon two legs, was tame and gentle, 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
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on a visit on purpose to inquire into the truth of this story. I was immediately produced, and placed upon the table, where I walked as I was commanded, drew my sword, put it up again, made my reverence to my master's guest, asked 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 discovered 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 great 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 riding, about two and twenty miles from our house. I guessed there was some mischief con-triving, when I observed my master and his friend whispering long together, sometimes pointing at me; and my fears made me fancy that I overheard and understood some of their words. But the next morn-ing 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
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mischief 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 observed 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 papa and mamma had promised that Grildrig should be hers; but now she found that 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 to a 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 day or another recover my liberty : and as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monster, I considered myself to be a perfect stranger in the country, and that such a misfortune could never be charged upon me as a reproach, if ever I should return to 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, earned me in a box the next market day to the neigh-bouring 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 in air. The girl had been so careful as to put the quilt of her doll's
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 105
bed into it, for me to lie down on. However, I was terribly shaken and discomposed in this journey, though it was but 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 farther than from London to St. Alban's. My master alighted at an inn which he used to fre-quent; 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 strange creature to be seen at the sign of the Green Eagle — not so big as a splacnuck (an animal in that country very finely shaped, about six feet long), and in every part of the body resembling a human creature ; could speak several words, and perform a hundred diverting tricks.
I was placed upon a table in the largest room of the inn, which might be nearly 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 suffer only thirty people at a time to see me. I walked about on the table as the girl commanded : she asked me questions as far as she knew my understanding 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,
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said they were welcome, and used some other speeches I had been taught. I took up a thimble filled with liquor, which Glumdalclitch had given me for a cup, and drank their health. I drew out my sword, and flour-ished it after the manner of fencers in England. My nurse gave me a part of a straw, which I exercised with as a pike, having learnt 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 fopperies, till I was half dead with weariness and vexation ; for those who had seen me made such wonderful reports, that the people were ready to break down the doors to come in. My master, for his own interest, would not suffer any-one to touch me except 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. How-ever, an unlucky schoolboy aimed a hazel-nut directly at my head, which very narrowly missed me. It came with so much violence, that it would have infallibly knocked out my brains, for it was almost as large as a small pumpkin; but I had the satisfaction of seeing 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 mean time he prepared a more convenient vehicle for me, which he had reason enough to do; for I was so tired with
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 107
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 home, all the neighbouring gen-tlemen, from a hundred miles round, 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 very populous) ; and my master demanded the price of a full 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 any day of the week, except Wednesday, which is their Sabbath, although I was 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 his wife, and upon the 17th of August, 1703, about two months after my ar-rival, we set out for the metropolis, situated near the middle of the 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, in a box tied about her waist. The girl had lined it on all sides with the softest cloth she could get, well qtiilted underneath, furnished it with her doll's
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bed, provided me with linen and other necessaries, and made everything as convenient as she could. We had no other company but a boy of the house, who rode after us with the luggage.
My master's 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 any village or nobleman's house, where he might expect custom. "We made easy jour-neys, of not above seven or eight score miles a-day; for Glumdalclitch, on purpose to spare ine, complained she was tired with the trotting of the horse. She often took me out of my box, at my desire, to give me air and show me the country, but always held me fast by a leading-string. We passed over five or six rivers, many degrees broader and deeper than the Ganges; and there was hardly a rivulet so small as the Thames at London- bridge. We were ten weeks in our journey, and I was shown in eighteen large towns, besides many villages and private iamilies.
On the 26th day of October we arrived at the me-tropolis, 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, containing an exact description of my person and qualifications. He hired a large room between three and four hundred feet wide. He provided a table sixty feet in diameter,
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 109
upon which I was to act my parf, and pallisadoed it round three feet from the edge, and as many high, to prevent my falling over. I was shown ten times a-day to the wonder and satisfaction of all people. I could now speak the language tolerably well, and perfectly understood every word that was spoken tome. Besides, I had learnt their alphabet, and could make 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 journey. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much larger than an Atlas ; it was a common treatise for the use of young girls, giving a short account of their religion : out of this she taught me my letters, and explained the words.
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CHAPTER III.
The Author sent for to Court—The Queen buys him of his Master tha Fanner, and presents him to the King — He disputes with his Majesty's great Scholars—ATI Apartment at Court provided for the Author—He is in high Favor with tlio Queen—He stands up for the Honor of his own Country—He quarrels with the Queen's Dwarf.
THE frequent labors I underwent every day made in a 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 appetite, and was almost reduced to a skeleton. The farmer observed it, and concluding I must soon die, resolved to make the most of me. While he was thus reasoning and resolving with himself, a sardral, or gentleman-usher, came from court, commanding my master to carry me immediately thither for the diversion of the queen and her ladies. Some of the hitter had already been to see me, and re-ported strange things of my beauty, behaviour, and good sense. Her majesty, and those who attended her, were beyond measure delighted with my demeanour. I fell on my knees, and begged the honor of kissing her imperial foot; but this gracious princess held out her little finger towards me, after I was set on the table,
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. Ill
•which I embraced in both my arms, and put the tip of it with the utmost respect to my lip. She asked 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 disposal, I should be proud to devote my life to her majesty's ser-vice.' She then asked my master, ' whether he was willing to sell me at a good price ? ' He, who appre-hended I could not live a month, was ready enough to part with me, and demanded a thousand pieces of gold, which were ordered him on the spot, each piece being about the size of eight hundred 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 favor that Glumdalclitch, who had always tended me with so much care and kindness, and understood that duty so well, might be admitted into the service, and continue to be my nurse and in-structor.'
Her majesty agreed to my petition, and easily got the farmer's consent, who was glad enough to have his
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daughter preferred at court, while 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 had gone 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 dashing out 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 show-ing me through half the kingdom, and the price he had now sold me for ; that the life I had led since my cap-ture was laborious enough to kill an animal of ten times my strength; that my health was much impaired by 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 so cheap a bargain. But as I was out of all fear of being ill treated, under the protection of so great and good an empress, the ornament of nature, the darling of the world, the delight of her subjects, the phoenix of the creation; so, I hoped my late master's apprehen-sions would appear to be groundless; for I already found my spirits revive, by the influence of her most august presence.'
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This was the sum of my speech, delivered with great improprieties and hesitation. The latter part was alto-gether framed in the style peculiar to that people, whereof I learned some phrases from Grlumdalclitch, while she was carrying me to court.
The queen, making large allowance for my defective- ness in speaking, 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 had 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, in a cold manner, 'how long it was since she grew fond of a splacnuck 1' for such it seems he took me to be, as I lay upon my breast in her majesty's right hand. But this princess, who has an infinite deal of wit and humor, set me gently on my feet upon the scrutoire, and commanded me to give his majesty an account of myself, which I did in a very few words. Glumdal- clitch, who attended at the cabinet door, and could not endure I should be out of her sight, being admitted, confirmed all that had passed from my arrival at her father's house.
The king, although he is as learned a person as any
in his dominions, educated in the study of philosophy
and mathematics; yet when he observed my shape
exactly, and saw me walk erect, before-1 began to speak,
I
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conceived I might be a piece of clock-work (which has in that country reached a very great perfection) con-trived by some ingenious artist. But when he heard my voice, and found what I articulated to be regular and rational, he could not conceal his astonishment. He was by no means satisfied with the relation I gave him of the manner I had come into his kingdom, but thought it a story concerted between Glumdalclitch and her father, who had taught me a set of words to make me sell at a better price. Under this belief, he put several other questions to me, and still received rational answers; not otherwise defective than by a foreign accent, and an imperfect knowledge of the language, with some rustic phrases which I had learned at the farmer's house, scarcely suited to the polite style of a court.
His majesty sent for three great scholars, who were during that week in, waiting, according to the custom of the country. These gentlemen, after they had awhile examined my shape with much nicety, were of different opinions concerning me. They all agreed that I could not be produced according to the regular laws of nature, because I was not framed with a capacity for preserv-ing my life, either by swiftness, or climbing of trees, or digging holes in the earth. They observed by my teeth, which they viewed with great minuteness, that I was a carnivorous animal; yet most quadrupeds being an overmatch for me, and field mice, with some others
A VOYAGE TO BROBMNGNAG. 115
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 many learned arguments, to prove I could not possibly do. One of these virtuosi seemed to think 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 whereof they plainly discovered through a magnifying-glass. They would not allow me to be a dwarf, because my littleness waa beyond all degrees of comparison; for the queen's favorite dwarf, the smallest ever known in that kingdom, was nearly thirty feet high. After much debate they concluded unanimously, that I was only a relplum scal- cath, which is literally lusus naturce : * a determination exactly agreeable to the modern philosophy of Europe, whose professors, disdaining the old evasion of occult causes,have invented this wonderful solution of all difficul-ties, to the unspeakable advancement ofhuman knowledge. After this decisive conclusion, I entreated to be heard a word or two. I addressed myself to the king, and assured his majesty ' that I came from a country which abounded with several millions of both sexes, and of my own stature ; where the animals, trees, and houses,
* Lusus naturae, freak of Nature.
i2
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were all in proportion, and where consequently I might be as able to defend myself, and to find sustenance, as any of his majesty's subjects could do here; which I took for a full answer to those gentlemen's arguments.' To this they only replied with a smile of contempt, say-ing, ' that the farmer had instructed me very well in my lesson.'* The king, who had a much better understand-ing, dismissing his learned men, sent for the farmer, who by good fortune had not yet gone out of town. Having, therefore, first examined him privately, and then con-fronted him with me and the young girl, his majesty began to think that what we told him might possibly be true. He desired the queen to order that particular care should be taken of me ; and was of opinion that Glumdalclitch should still continue in her office of tend-ing me, because he observed we had a great affection for each other. A convenient 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 commanded her own cabinet-maker to contrive a box, that might serve me for a bed-chamber, after the model that Glumdalclitch and I should agree upon. This
* This satire is levelled against all who reject those facts for •which they cannot perfectly account, notwithstanding the absur-dity of rejecting the testimony by which they are supported.
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man was a most ingenious artist, and, according 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 bed-chamber. The board, that made the ceiling, was to be lifted up and down by two hinges, to put in a bed ready furnished by her majesty's upholsterer, which Glumdalclitch took out every day to air, made it with her own hands, and letting it down at night, locked up the roof over me. A skilful workman, who was famous for little curiosities, undertook to make me two chairs, with backs and frames, of a substance not unlike ivory, and two tables with a cabinet to put my things in. The room was quilted on all sides, as well as the floor and the ceiling, to prevent any accident from the carelessness of those who carried me, and to break the force of a jolt, when I should be driving in a carriage. I desired a lock for my door to prevent rats and mice from coming in. The smith, after several attempts, made the smallest that was ever seen amongst them, but it was larger than that at the gate of a gentle-man's house in England. I made shift to keep the key in a pocket of my own, fearing Glumdalclitch might lose it. The queen likewise ordered the thinnest silks that could be procured, to make me clothes, not much thicker than an English blanket, very cumbersome till I was accustomed to them. They were after the fashion
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of the country, partly like the Persian, and partly the Chinese, and they make a very grave and decent dress.
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 elbow, 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 furniture of a 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 upon 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 in-deed but a weak stomach) took up, at one mouthful, 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 crunch 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 twelve-penny loaves. She
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drank out of a golden cup, above a hogshead at a draught. Her knives were twice as long as a scythe, set straight upon the handle. The spoons, forks, and other instruments, were all in the same proportion. I re-member, when Glumdalclitch carried me, out of curio-sity, 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 queen, with the royal family of both sexes, dine together in the apartment of his majesty, of whom I had now become a great favorite; and at these times my little chair and table were placed at his left hand, before one of the salt-cellars. This prince took a pleasure in conversing with me, inquiring into the manners, religion, laws, govern-ment, and learning of Europe, of which I gave him the best account I was able. His apprehension was so clear, and his judgement so exact, that he made very wise reflections and observations upon all I said. But I confess, that after I had been a little too copious in talking of my own beloved 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 pre-vailed so far, that he could not forbear taking me up in his right hand. Then, stroking me gently with the other,
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after a hearty fit of laughing, he asked me, whether I was a Whig or Tory ? Then, turning to his first minister, who waited behind him with a white staff, nearly as tall as the mainmast of a man-of-war, he observed, ' how contemptible a thing was human grandeur, which could be mimicked by such diminutive insects as.I; and yet,' says he, ' I dare assert these creatures have their titles and distinctions of honor; they contrive little nests and burrows, that they call houses and cities ; they make a display in equipage ; they love, they fight, they dispute, they cheat, they betray.' And thus he continued while my color came and went several times, with indigna-tion, to hear our noble country, the mistress of arts and arms, the scourge of France, the arbitress of Europe, the seat of virtue, piety, honor, and truth, the pride and envy of the world, so contemptuously treated.
But as I was not in a condition to resent injuries, so upon mature thoughts I began to doubt whether I was injured or not. For after having been accustomed several months to the sight and conversation of this people, and having observed every obj ect upon which I cast my eyes to be of proportionable magnitude, the horror I had at first conceived at their bulk and aspect had so far worn off, that, if I had then beheld a company of English lords and ladies in their finery and birth-day clothes, acting their several parts in the most courtly manner of strutting, and bowing, and pratiftg—to say
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the truth—I should have been strongly tempted to laugh as much at them as the king and his grandees did at me. Neither, indeed, could I forbear smiling at myself, when the queen used to place me upon her hand towards a looking-glass, by which both our persons appeared before me in full view together : there could be nothing more ridiculous than the comparison ; so that I really began to imagine I had dwindled many degrees below my usual size. •
Nothing angered and mortified me so much as the queen's dwarf, who being of the lowest stature that was ever in that country, he being not quite thirty feet high, became so insolent at seeing a creature so much beneath him, that he would always affect to swagger and look big as he passed by me in the queen's ante-chamber, while I was standing on some table talking with the lords or ladies of the court, and he seldom failed saying a smart word or two about my littleness; against which I could only revenge myself by calling him brother, challenging him to wrestle, and such re-partees as are usually in the mouths of court pages. One day at dinner, this malicious little cub was so net-tled 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 down, not thinking any harm, and let me drop into a large silver bowl of cream, and then ran away as fast as he could. I sank
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over head and ears, and, if I had not been a good swimmer, it might have gone very hard with me ; for Glumdalclitch at that instant happened to be at the other end of the room, and the queen was in such a fright, that she wanted presence of mind to assist me. But my little nurse ran to my relief, and took me out, after I had swallowed above a quart of cream. I was put to bed : however, I received no other damage than the loss of a suit of clothes, which were utterly spoiled. The dwarf was soundly whipped, and as a further punish-ment, forced to drink up the bowl of cream, into which he had thrown me: neither was he ever restored to favor. Soon after the queen bestowed him on a lady of high quality, so that I saw him no more, to my very great satisfaction : for indeed I could not tell to what extremes such a malicious urchin might have carried his resentment.
He had before served me a scurvy trick, which set the queen laughing, although at the same time she was heartily vexed, and would have immediately cashiered him, if I had not been so generous as to intercede. Her majesty had taken a marrow-bone upon her plate, and, after knocking out the marrow, placed the bone again, on the dish erect, as it stood before: the dwarf, watch-ing his opportunity, while Glumdalclitch had gone to the sideboard, mounted the stool that she stood on to" take care of me at meals, took me up in both hands, and,
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squeezing my legs together, wedged them into the marrow-bone above my waist, where I stuck for some time, making a very ridiculous figure. I believe it was nearly a minute before anyone knew what had become of me; for I thought it beneath me to cry out. But, as princes seldom get their meat hot, my legs were not scalded, only my stockings and breeches were in a Bad condition. The dwarf, at my entreaty, had no other punishment than a sound whipping.
I was frequently rallied by the queen upon account of my timidity; and she used to ask me whether the people of my country were as great cowards as myself, Here is an example : — the kingdom is much pestered with flies in summer; and these odious insects, each of them as big as a Dunstable lark, hardly gave me any rest while I sat at dinner, with their continual humming and buzzing about my ears. They would sometimes alight upon my victuals, and fix upon my nose or forehead, where they stung me to the quick, leaving behind traces of that sticky matter, which, our natural-ists tell us, enables those creatures to walk with their feet upwards upon a ceiling, though this disgusting mat-ter was not visible to the natives of the country, whose large optics were not So acute as mine in viewing small objects. I had much to do to defend myself against these - detestable animals, and could not forbear starting when they came on my face. It was the common practice of
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the dwarf to catch a number of these insects in his hand, as schoolboys do among us, and let them out suddenly under my nose, on purpose to frighten me, and divert the queen. My remedy 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 an airing (for I durst not venture to let the box be hung on a nail out of the window, 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, above twenty wasps, allured by the smell, came flying into the room, humming louder than the drones of as many bagpipes. Some of them seized my cake, and carried 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. However, I had the courage to rise and draw my sword, and attack them in the air. I de-spatched four of them, but the rest got away, and I presently shut my window. These insects were as large as partridges: I took out their stings, found them an inch and a half long, and as sharp as needles. I care-fully preserved them all; and have since shown them, with some other curiosities, in several parts of Europe. Upon my return to England I gave three of them to Gresham College, and kept the fourth for myself.
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CHAPTER IV.
The Country described — A Proposal for correcting modern Maps—The King's Palace, and some Account of the Metropolis — The Author's "Way of Travelling—The chief Temple described.
I NOW intend to give the reader a short description of this country, as far as I travelled in it, which was not above two thousand miles round Lorbrulgrud, the metropolis. For the queen, whom I always attended, never went farther when she accompanied the king in his progresses, and stayed at that point 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 and California. For it was ever my opinion, that there must be a balance of earth to coun-terpoise the great 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-
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east by a ridge of mountains thirty miles high, which is altogether impassable by reason of the volcanoes upon the tops : neither do the most learned know what sort of mortals inhabit beyond those mountains, or whether they be inhabited at all. On the three other sides, it is bounded by the ocean. There is not one seaport in the whole kingdom ; and those parts of the ocean into which the rivers fall, are so full of pointed rocks, and the sea is generally so rough, that it is dangerous to venture on it with their boats ; so that these people are wholly ex-cluded from any commerce with the rest of the world.
But the large rivers are full of vessels, and abound with excellent fish : but they seldom get any from the sea, because the sea-fish are of the same size as those in Europe, and, consequently, not worth catching: whereby it is manifest that nature, in the production of plants and animals of so extraordinary a bulk, is wholly confined to this continent, of which I leave the reasons to be determined by philosophers.
The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty- one cities, nearly a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages. ' To satisfy my curious reader, it may be sufficient to describe Lorbrulgrud. This city stands upon almost two equal parts, on each side of the river that passes through it. It contains above eighty thousand houses, and about six hundred thousand inhabitants. It is, in length, three glomglunga
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(which make about fifty-four English miles), and 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 ground on purpose for me. It extended a hundred feet, and I paced the diameter and circum-ference several times barefoot, and computing by the scale, measured it pretty exactly.
The king's palace is not a regular edifice, but a heap of buildings, about seven miles round : the chief rooms are generally two hundred and forty feet high, and broad and long in proportion. A coach was allowed to Glumdalclitch and me, in which her governess fre-quently took her out to see the town, or go among the shops ; and I was always of the party, carried in my box ; although the girl, at my own desire, would often take me out, and hold me in her hand, that 1 might more conveniently view the houses and the people, as we passed along the streets. I reckoned our coach to be about a square of Westminster Hall, but not quite so high : however, I cannot be very exact. One day the governess ordered the coachman to stop at several shops, where the beggars, watching their opportunity, crowded to the sides of the coach, and presented me with the most horrible spectacle that ever a European eye beheld. There was a fellow with a wen in his neck, larger than five wool-packs; and another with a couple of wooden legs, each about twenty feet high. But the
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most hateful sight of all was the lice crawling on their clothes. I could see distinctly the limbs of these ver-min with my naked eye, much better than those of a European louse through a microscope, and also 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 I had had proper in-struments, but these I had 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 carried, the queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me, of about twelve feet square, and ten high, for the con-venience of travelling; because the other was somewhat too large for Glumdalclitch's lap, and cumbersome in the carriage : it was made by the same artist, whom I directed in the whole design. This travelling 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 outside, to prevent accidents in long journeys. On the fourth side, which had no window, two strong staples were fixed, through which the person that carried me, when I had a mind to be on horseback, put a leathern belt, and buckled it about his waist. This 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
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the gardens, or pay a visit to some great lady or minister of state in the court, for I soon began to be known and esteemed among the greatest officers— I suppose more upon the account of their majesties' favor than any merit of my own. In journeys, when I was weary of driving, a servant on horseback would buckle on my box, and place it on a cushion before him; and there I had a full prospect of the country on three sides, from my three windows. I had, in this closet, a field- bed and a hammock hung from the ceiling, two chairs, and a table, neatly screwed to the floor, to prevent being tossed about by the agitation of the horse or the coach. And having been long used to sea voyages, these motions, although sometimes very violent, did not much discompose me.
Whenever I had a mind to see the town, it was always in my travelling closet; which Glumdalclitch held in her lap in a kind of open sedan, after the fashion of the country, borne by four men, and attended by two others in the queen's livery. The people, who had often heard of me, were very curious to crowd about the sedan, and the girl was complaisant enough to make the bearers stop, and to take me in her hand, that I might be more conveniently seen.
I was very desirous to see the chief temple, and par-ticularly the tower belonging to it, which is reckoned the highest in the kingdom. Accordingly, one day my
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nurse carried me thither, but I may truly say I came back disappointed ; for the height is not above three thousand feet, reckoning from the ground to the highest pinnacle top ; which, allowing for the difference between the size of those people and us in Europe, is no great matter for admiration, nor at all equal in proportion, if I rightly remember, to Salisbury steeple. But not to detract from the greatness of a nation, to which, during my life, I shall acknowledge myself extremely obliged, it must be allowed, that whatever this famous tower wants in height, is amply made up in beauty and strength ; for the walls are nearly a hundred feet thick, built of hewn stone, each of which is about forty feet square, and adorned on all sides with statues of gods and emperors, cut in marble larger than life, placed in their several niches. I measured a little finger which had fallen down from one of these statues, and lay tin- perceived among some rubbish, and found it exactly four feet and an inch in length. Glumdalclitch wrapped it up in her handkerchief, and carried it home in her pocket, to keep among other trinkets, of which the girl was very fond, as children at her age usually are.
The king'skitchen is, indeed, a noble building, vaulted at top, and about six hundred feet high. The great oven is not so wide, by ten paces, as the cupola at St. Paul's; for I measured the latter on purpose after my return. But if I should describe the kitchen grate, the prodigious
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pots and kettles, the joints of meat turning on the spits, with many other particulars, perhaps I should be hardly believed; at least a severe critic would be apt to think I enlarged a little, as travellers are often suspected to do. To avoid which censure, I fear I have run too much into the other extreme, and that if this treatise should happen to be translated into the language of Brobdingnag (which is the general name of that kingdom), and transmitted thither, the king and his people would have reason to complain that I had done them an injury, by a false and diminutive representation.
His majesty seldom keeps above six hundred horses in his stables; and they are generally from fifty-four to sixty feet high. But, when he goes abroad in state on solemn days, he is attended by a military guard of five hundred horse, which, indeed, I thought was the most splendid sight I had ever seen, till I saw part of his army in battalia, whereof I shall find another opportunity of speaking.
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CHAPTER V.
Several Adventures that happened to the Author -- Carried off by a Monkey—The Author shows hia Skill in Navigation.
I SHOULD have lived happy enough in that country, if my littleness had not exposed me to several ridiculous and troublesome accidents; some of which I shall venture to relate. Glumdalclitch often carried me into the gar-dens of the court in my smaller box, and would some-times 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 took it into my head to show my wit, by a silly comparison between him and the trees, which happens to hold in their language as it does in ours. Whereupon, the malicious rogue, watching his opportunity, when I was 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
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the dwarf was pardoned at my desire, because I had 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 mean time, there suddenly fell such a violent shower of hail, that I was immediately, by the force of it, struck to the ground : and when I was down, the hailstones gave me such cruel bangs all over the body, as if I had been pelted with tennis-balls : however I made 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 I could not go abroad for ten days. This is not at all to be wondered at, because nature, in that country, ob-serving the same proportion through all her operations, a hailstone is nearly eighteen hundred times as large as one in Europe; the truth of which I can vouch from 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 entreated her to do, that I might enjoy my own thoughts), and having left my box at home, to avoid the trouble of carrying it, went to another part of the garden with her governess and some ladies of her acquaintance. While she was absent, and out of hearing, a small white spaniel
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that belonged to one of tlie chief gardeners, having got by accident into the garden, happened to range near the place where I lay : the dog, following the scent, came directly up, and taking me in his mouth, ran straight to his master wagging 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 damage to 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 up in both his hands, and asked me how I did; but I was so amazed and out of breath, that I could not speak a word. In a few minutes I came to myself, and he car-ried me safe to my little nurse, who, by this time, had returned to the place where she left me, and was in a terrible agony that I did not appear, nor answer when she called. She severely reprimanded the gardener on account of his dog. But the thing was hushed up, and never known at court, for the girl was afraid of the queen's anger; and truly, as to myself, I thought it would not be to my credit that such a story should go about.
This accident absolutely determined Glumdal'clitch, never to trust me abroad for the future out of her sight. I had been long afraid of this resolution, and therefore concealed from her some little unlucky adventures, that happened in those times when I was left by myself.
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Once a- kite, hovering over the garden, made a stoop at me, and if I had not resolutely drawn my sword, and run under a thick espalier, he would have certainly carried me away in his talons. 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 I was walking alone and thinking on poor England.
I cannot tell whether I was more pleased or mortified 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, looking for worms and other food, with as much indifference and sense of security as if no creature at all were near them. I re-member, 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 breakfast. When I attempted to catch any of these birds, they would boldly turn against me, endeavouring to peck my fingers, which I durst not venture within their reach; and then they would hop back unconcerned, to hunt for worms or snails, as they did before. But one day, I took a thick cudgel, and threw it with all my strength so luckily, at a linnet, that I knocked him down, and seizing him by
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the neck with both my hands, ran with him in triumph to my nurse. However, the bird, who had only been stunned, recovering himself, gave me so many boxes with his wings, on both sides of my head and body, though I held him at arm's-length, and was out of the reach of his claws, that I was twenty times on the point of letting him go. But I was soon relieved by one of our servants, who wrung off the bird's neck, and I had him the next day for dinner, by the queen's command. This linnet, as nearly as I can remember, seemed to be somewhat larger than an English swan.
The queen, who often used to hear me talk of my sea-voyages, and took every occasion to divert me when I was melancholy, asked me whether I understood how to handle a sail or an oar, and whether a little exercise of rowing might not be conducive to 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, I was forced to work like a common mariner. But I could not see how this could be done in their country, where the smallest wherry was equal to a first-rate man of war among us ; and such a boat as I could manage would never live in any of their rivers. Her majesty said, ' If I would contrive a boat, her own joiner should make it, and she would provide a place for me to sail in.' The fellow was an ingenious workman, and by my instruc-
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tions, 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 into a cistern full of water, with me in it, by way of trial; where I could not manage my two sculls, or little oars, for want of room. But the queen had before contrived another project. She ordered the joiner to make a wooden trough of three hundred feet 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 tap 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. Here I often used to row for my own diversion, as well as that of the queen and her ladies, who were entertained with my skill and agility. Some-times 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 pages would blow my sail forward with their breath, while I showed my art by steering starboard or larboard as I pleased. When I had done, Glumdalclitch 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 nearly cost me my life; for, one of the pages having put my
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boat into the trough, the governess who attended Glum- dalclitch, very officiously lifted me up, to place me in the boat; but I happened to slip through her fingers, and should infallibly have fallen down forty feet, upon the floor, if, by the luckiest chance in the world, I had not been stopped by a pin that stuck in the good gentle-woman's stomacher: the head of the pin passed between my shirt and the waistband of my breeches, and thus I was held by the middle in the air, till Glumdalclitch ran to my relief.
Another time, one of the servants, whose office it was to fill my trough every third day with fresh water, was so careless as to let a huge frog accidentally slip out of his pail. The frog lay concealed till I 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 weight on the other to prevent its overturning. When the frog had got in, it hopped at once half the length of the boat, and then over my head, backwards and forwards, daubing my face and clothes with its odious slime. The largeness of its features made it appear the most deformed animal that can be .conceived. However, I desired Glumdalclitch to let me deal with it alone. 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
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kingdom was from a monkey, who belonged to one of the clerks of the kitchen. Glumdalclitch had locked me up in her closet, while she went somewhere upon busi-ness, or a visit. The weather being very warm, the closet window was left open, as well as the windows and the door of my larger box, in which I usually lived because of its size and convenience. As I sat quietly meditating at my table, I heard something bounce in at my closet-window, and skip about from one side to the other; although I was much alarmed, yet I ventured to look out, but without stirring from my seat; and then I saw this frolicsome animal frisking and leaping up and down, till at last he came to my box, which he seemed to view with great pleasure and curiosity, peep-ing in at the door and at every window. I retreated to the farther corner of my room, or box; but the mon-key looking in at every side, put me into such a fright, that I wanted presence of mind to conceal myself under the bed, as I might easily have done. After some time spent in peeping, grinning, and chattering, 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 places to avoid him, he at length seized the lappets of my coat, and dragged me out. He took me up in his right fore hand, 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
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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 stroking my face very gently with his other paw. In these diversions he was interrupted by a noise at the closet-door, as if somebody were opening it: whereupon he suddenly leaped up to the window, at which he had come in, and thence upon the leads and gutters, walking upon three hands, and holding me in the fourth, till he clambered up a roof next to ours. I heard Glumdalclitch give a shriek the moment he was carrying me out. The poor girl was almost dis-tracted : that quarter of the palace was all in an uproar : the servants ran for ladders : the monkey was seen by hundreds in the court, sitting upon the ridge of a build-ing, 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 squeezed out of the bag on one side of his chaps, and patting me when I would not eat, at which many of the rabble below could not forbear laughing. I think it would be unfair to blame them, for, without question, the sight was ridiculous enough to everybody but myself. Some of the people threw up stones, hoping to drive the monkey down; but this was strictly forbidden, otherwise, very pro-bably, my brains would have been dashed out.
The ladders were now applied, and mounted by
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several men; which the monkey observing, and finding himself almost encompassed, not being able to make speed enough with his three legs, let me drop on a ridge tile, and made his escape. Here I sat for some time, five hundred yards from the ground, expecting 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 my nurse's footmen, climbed up, and putting me into his breeches-pocket, brought me down safe.
I was almost choked with the filthy stuff the monkey had crammed down my throat: but my dear little 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 me by this odious animal, that I was forced to keep my bed a fortnight. The king, queen, and all the court sent every day to inquire after my health; and her majesty paid me several visits during my sickness. The 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 re-turn 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
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me ? his manner of feeding ? and whether the fresh air on the roof had sharpened my stomach.' He desired to know ' what I should have done upon such an occasion in my own country ?' I told his majesty, ' that in Europe we had no monkeys except such as were brought for curiosities from other places, and so small that I could deal with a dozen of them together, if they pre-sumed 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 sword (look-ing fiercely, and clapping my hand upon the hilt, as I spoke), when he poked his paw into my chamber, perhaps I should have given him such a wound, as would have made him glad to withdraw it, with more haste than that with which he had put it in.' This I delivered in a firm tone, like a person who was jealous lest his courage should be called in question. However, my speech produced nothing else but a loud laugh, which all the respect due to his majesty from those about him could not make them contain. This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavour to do himself honor among those who are above all degrees of equality or comparison with him. And yet I have seen the moral of my own behaviour very frequently in England since my return ; where a little contemptible
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varlet, without the least title to birth, person, wit, or common sense, shall presume to look with importance, and put himself on a footing, with the greatest persona of the kingdom.
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CHAPTER VI.
Several Contrivances of the Author to please the King and Queen — Ha shows his Skill in Music — The King inquires into the State of England which the Author describes to him — The King's Observations thereon.
I USED 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 prevailed 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 Glnmdalclitch. I fixed in the stumps so nicely, scraping and sloping them with my knife towards the points, that I made a very tolerable comb.
And this puts me in mind of an amusement, in which I spent many of my leisure hours. I desired the queen's maid to save for me the combings of her majesty's hair, and in time I collected a good quantity; and consult-ing with my friend the cabinet-maker, who had re-
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ceived general orders to do little jobs for me, I directed him 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 parts where I designed the backs and seats; through these holes I wove the strongest hairs I could pick out, just after the manner of cane chairs in Eng-land. When they were finished, I made a present of them to her majesty, who kept them in her cabinet, and used to show them as 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 put to so base a purpose those precious hairs, that once adorned her majesty's head. Of these hairs, as I had a good mechanical genius, I likewise made a neat little purse, about five feet long, with her majesty's name worked 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 strong enough to bear the weight of the larger coins, and therefore she kept nothing 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 box on the table to hear them; but the noise was so great that I could hardly distinguish the tunes. I am confident that all the drums and trumpets of a
L
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royal army, beating and sounding together just at one's ears, could not equal it. My practice was to have my box removed from the place where the performers sat, as far as I could, then to shut the doors and windows of it, and draw the window curtains; after which I found their music not disagreeable.
I had learned in my youth to play a little upon the piano. Glumdalclitch kept one in her chamber, and a master attended twice a week to teach her: I called it a piano, because it somewhat resembled that instrument, and was played upon in the same manner. A fancy came into my head that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument. But this appeared extremely difficult; for the piano was nearly sixty feet long, each key being almost a foot wide, so that with my arms extended I could not reach to above five keys, and to press them down required a good smart stroke with my fist, which would be too great a labor, and to no purpose. The method I con-trived was this: I prepared two round sticks, about the size 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, in order that by rapping on them I might neither damage the tops of the keys nor interrupt the sound. Before the piano a bench was placed, about four feet below the keys, and I was put upon the bench. I ran sideways upon it, this way and
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that, as fast as I could, banging the proper keys with my two sticks. I made 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 I could not strike above sixteen keys, nor, consequently, play the bass and treble together, as other artists do; which was a great disadvantage to my performance.
The king, who, as I before observed, was a prince of excellent understanding, would frequently order that I should be brought in my box, and set upon the table in his study : he would then command me to bring one of my chairs out of the box, and sit down within three yard's' distance upon the top of the cabinet, which brought me almost on 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 con-tempt he discovered towards Europe and the rest of the world did not seem answerable 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; and that, inconsiderable as he took me to be, I hoped I might live to do his majesty some signal service.' The king heard me with attention, and
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began to conceive a much better opinion of me than he had ever before entertained. He desired ' I would give him as exact an account of the government of England as I possibly could ; because, fond as princes commonly are of their own customs (for so he conjectured of other monarchs by my former observations), he should be glad to hear of anything that might deserve imitation.'
Picture to thyself, courteous reader, how often I then wished for the tongue of Demosthenes or Cicero, that might have enabled me to celebrate the praises of my own dear native country, in a style equal to its merits and felicity 1
I began my discourse by informing his majesty, that our-dominions consisted of two islands, which composed three mighty kingdoms, under one sovereign, besides our possessions in America. I dwelt long upon the fertility of our soil, and the temperature 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 ample patrimonies. I de-scribed that extraordinary care always taken of their education in arts and arms, to qualify them for being counsellors both to the king and kingdom; to have a share in the legislature; to be members of the highest court of judicature, whence there can be no appeal; and to be champions always ready for the defence of
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their prince and country, by their valor, conduct, and fidelity. That these were the ornament and bulwark of the kingdom, worthy followers of their most renowned ancestors, whose honor had been the reward of their virtue, from which their posterity were never once known to degenerate. To these were joined several holy persons, as part of that assembly, under the title of bishops, whose peculiar business it is to take care of religion, and of those who instruct the people therein. These were searched and sought out through the whole nation, by the prince and his wisest counsellors, among such of the priesthood as were most deservedly dis-tinguished by the sanctity of their life, and the depth of their erudition; who were indeed the spiritual fathers of the clergy and the people.
That the other part of the parliament consisted of an assembly, called the House of Commons, who were all principal gentlemen, freely 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 legislature is committed.
I then descended to the Courts of Justice; over which the judges, those venerable sages and interpreters of the law, presided, for determining the disputed rights and propertiea of men, as well as for the punishment of vice
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and protection of innocence. I mentioned the prudent management of our treasury; the valor and achieve-ments of our forces, by sea and land. I computed the number of our people, by reckoning how many Trillions there might be of each religious sect, or political party among us. I did not omit even our sports and pas-times, or any other particular which I thought might redound to the honor of my country. And I finished all with a brief historical account of affairs and events in England for about a hundred years past.
This conversation was not ended under five audiences, each of several hours; and the king heard the whole with great attention, frequently taking notes of what 1 said, as well as memorandums of what questions he intended to ask me.
When I had made an end of these long discourses, his majesty, in a sixth audience, consulting his notes, pro-posed many doubts, queries, and objections, upon every article. He asked, ' what measures were used to cul-tivate the minds and bodies of our young nobility, and in what kind of business they commonly spent the first and teachable part of their lives? "What course was taken to supply that assembly, when any noble family became extinct ? What qualifications were necessary in those who are to be created new lords; whether the humor of the prince, a bribe, or a design of strengthening a party opposed to the public interest,
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ever happened to be the motives in those advance-ments ? What share of knowledge these lords had in the laws of their country, and how 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, partialities, 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 compilers with the times, while they were common priests ; or slavish chaplains to some nobleman, whose opinions they continued servilely to follow, after they were admitted into that assembly ? ' He then desired to know, ' what arts were practised 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 neighbour-hood? How it came to pass, that people were so violently bent upon getting into this assembly, which I allowed to be a great trouble and expense, often to the ruin of their families, without any salary or pension; because this appeared such an exalted strain of virtue and public spirit, that h^s majesty seemed to fancy it might possibly not be always sincere?' And he desired to know, ' whether such zealous gentlemen could have
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any views of refunding themselves for the charges 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 upon every part of this subject, proposing numberless queries and objections, which I think it not prudent and convenient to repeat.
Upon what I said in relation to our courts of justice, his majesty desired to be satisfied in several points: and this I was the better able to do, having been formerly almost ruined by a long suit in chancery, which was de-creed for me with costs. He asked, ' what time was usually spent in determining between right and wrong, and what was the degree of expense ? Whether advo-cates and orators had liberty to plead in causes manifestly known to be unjust, vexatious, or oppressive ? Whether party, in religion or politics, were observed to be of any weight in the scale of justice? Whether those pleading orators were persons educated in the general knowledge of equity, or only in provincial, national, and other local customs ? Whether they or their judges had any part in penning those laws, which they assumed the liberty of interpreting, and glossing upon at their plea-sure ? Whether they had ever, at different times, pleaded for and against the same cause, and cited precedents to prove contrary opinions ? Whether they were a rich or a poor corporation ? Whether they received any pecu-
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niary reward for pleading, or delivering their opinions ? And particularly, whether they were ever admitted as members in the Lower House ? '
He next came to the management of our treasury; 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 expensive wars; ' that certainly we must be a quarrelsome people, or live among very bad neighbours, and that our generals must need 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 to hear me talk of a mercenary standing army, in the midst of peace, and among a free people. He said, ' if we were governed by our own consent, in the persons of our representatives, he could not imagine of whom we were afraid, or against whom we were to
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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 up at hazard in the streets for small wages, who might get a hundred times more by cutting their throats ?'
lie 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. As it was tyranny in any government to require the first, so it was weakness not to enforce the second : for a man may be allowed to keep poisons in his closet, but not to vend them for cordials.'
He observed, ' that among the diversions of our nobility and gentry, I had mentioned gaming ; he desired 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 acquire great riches, and sometimes keep our very nobles in depen-dence, as well as habituate them to vile companions ; wholly take them from the improvement of their mind,
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and force them, by the losses they incurred, to learn and practise that infamous dexterity upon others.'
He was perfectly astonished with the historical account I gave him of our affairs during the last century; pro-testing it was only a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions, banishments—the very worst effects that avarice, faction, hypocrisy, perfidious- ness, cruelty, rage, madness, hatred,, envy, luat, malice, and ambition could produce.
His majesty, in another audience, was at the pains to recapitulate the sum of all I had spoken; compared the questions he had made with the answers I had given; then taking me into his hands, and stroking me gently, delivered himself in these words, in a manner I shall never forget: ' My little friend Grildrig, you have made a most admirable paaegyrie upon your country; you have clearly proved that ignorance, idleness, and vice, are die proper ingredients for qualifying a man to be a legislator; that laws are best explained, interpreted, and applied, by those whose interest and abilities lie in perverting, confounding, and eluding them. I observe among you some lines 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 for procuring any one station among you; much less that men are ennobled on account of their
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virtue ; 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 counsellors, for their wisdom. As for your-self,' continued the king, ' who have spent the greater part of your life in travelling, I am well disposed to hope you may hitherto have escaped many vices of your country; but by what I have gathered from your own relation, and the answers I have with much pains wrung and extorted from you, I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.'
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CHAPTER VII.
The Author's Love of his Country—He makes a Proposal of much Advan-tage to the King, which is rejected —The King's great Ignorance in Politics—The Learning of that Country very imperfect and confined — The Laws, and military Affairs, and Parties in the State.
NOTHING but an extreme love of truth could have hindered me from concealing this part of my story. It was in vain to disclose my resentment, -which was always turned into ridicule; and I was forced to rest with patience, while my noble and beloved country was so injuriously treated. I am as heartily sorry as any of my readers can possibly,be that such an occasion was given; but this prince happened to be so curious and inquisitive upon every particular, that it was not con-sistent, either with gratitude or good manners, to refuse giving him what satisfaction I was able. Yet thus much I may be allowed to say in my own vindication, that I artfully eluded many of his questions, and gave to every point a more favorable turn, by many degrees, than the strictness of truth would allow. For I have always borne that laudable partiality to my own country, which Dionysius Halicarnassensis, with so much justice, recommends to a historian: I would hide the frailties
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and deformities of my political mother, and place her virtues and beauties in the most advantageous light. This was my sincere endeavour in those many in-terviews I had with that monarch, although it un-fortunately failed of success.
But great allowances should be made for a king, 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 produce 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 as a standard for all mankind.
To 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, discovered 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 large as a mountain, and make it all fly up in the air together, with a noise and agitation greater than thunder. That a proper quantity of this powder rammed into a hollow tube of brass or iron, according to its size,
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would drive a ball of iron or lead, with such violence and speed, that nothing was able to resist 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 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 hollow balls of iron, and discharged them by an engine into some city we were 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 ingredients 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 a size proportionable to all other things 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 strongest 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 humbly offered to his majesty, as a small tribute of acknowledgment, in return
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for so many marks that I 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 proposal I had made. ' He was amazed, how so impotent and gro-velling an insect as I' (these were his expressions) ' could entertain such inhuman ideas, and in so familiar a manner, as to appear wholly unmoved 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 to mankind, must have been the first contriver. As for himself, he protested, that although few things- delighted him so much as new discoveries in art or in nature, yet he would rather lose half his kingdom than be privy to such a secret; which he commanded me, as I valued my life, never to divulge to any one.'
A strange effect of narrow principles and views 1 that a prince possessed of every quality which procures vene-ration, love, and esteem; of strong parts, great wisdom, and profound learning, endowed with admirable talents, and almost adored by his subjects, should, from a nice unnecessary scruple, of which, in Europe, we can have no conception, let slip an opportunity put into his hands that would have made him absolute master of the lives, the liberties, and the.fortunes of his people. Neither do I say this, with the least intention to detract from
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the many virtues of that excellent king, whose charac-ter, I am sensible, will, on this account, be very much lessened in the opinion of an English reader; but I take this defect among this people to have risen from their ignorance—not having hitherto reduced politics into a science, as the more acute wits of Europe have done. For, I remember very well, in a conversation one day with the king, when I happened to say ' there were several thousand books among us written upon the art of government,' it gave him, directly contrary to my intention, a very mean opinion of our understandings. He professed both to abominate and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a prince or a minister. He could not tell what I meant by secrets of state, where an enemy, or some rival nation, were not in the case. He confined the knowledge of governing within very narrow bounds, to common sense and reason, to justice and lenity, to the speedy determination of civil and criminal causes; with some other obvious topics, which are not worth considering. And he gave it as his opinion, ' that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground, where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.' The learning of this people is very defective; con- eisting only of morality, history, poetry, and mathematics,
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wherein they must be allowed to excel. But the last of these is wholly applied to what may be useful in life, to the improvement of agriculture, and all mechanical arts; so that among us, it would be little esteemed. And as to ideas, entities, abstractions, and transcen- dentals, I could never drive the least conception of them into their heads.
No law of that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their alphabet, which consists only of two-and-twenty. But indeed few of them extend even to that length. They 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. As to the decision of civil causes, or proceed-ings against criminals, their precedents are so few, that they have little reason to boast of any extraordinary skill in either.
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 reckoned the largest, does not amount to above a thousand volumes, placed in a 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 steps were
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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 tip leaning against the wall: I first mounted to the upper step of the ladder, and turning my face towards the book, began at the top of the page, and so walking to the right and left, about eight or ten paces, according to the length of the lines, till I had got a little below the level of mine eyes, and then descending 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 as stiff as pasteboard, and in the largest folios not above eighteen or twenty feet long.
Their style is clear, masculine, and smooth, but not florid ; for they- avoid nothing more than multiplying unnecessary words, or using various expressions. I have perused many of their books, especially those in history and morality. Among the rest, I was much diverted with a little old treatise, which always lay in Glumdal- clitch's bedchamber, and belonged to her governess, a grave elderly gentlewoman, who dealt in writings of morality and devotion. The book treats of the weakness of human kind, and is in little esteem, except among the women and the vulgar. However, I was curious to see what an author of that country could say upon such
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a subject. This writer went through all the usual to-pics of European moralists, showing ' how diminutive, contemptible, and helpless an animal was man in his own nature; how unable to defend himself from in-clemencies of the air, or the fury of wild beasts ; how much he was excelled by one creature in strength, by another in speed, by a third in foresight, by a fourth in industry.' He added, ' that nature was degenerated in these latter declining ages of the world, and could now produce only pigmies, in comparison with those in ancient times.' He said, it was very reasonable to think, not only that the species of men were originally much larger, but also that there must have been giants in former ages: which, as it is asserted by history and tradition, so it has been confirmed by huge bones and skulls, casually dug up in several parts of the kingdom, far exceeding the common dwindled race of men in our days.' He argued, ' that the very laws of nature abso-lutely required we should have been made, in the be-ginning, of a size more large and robust; not so liable to destruction from every little accident, as that of a tile falling from a house, or a stone cast from the hand of a boy, or being drowned in a little brook.' From this way of reasoning, the author drew several moral appli-cations, useful in the conduct of life, but needless here to repeat. For my own part, I could not avoid reflect-ing how universally this talent was spread, of drawing
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lectures in morality, or indeed rather matter of dis-content and repining, from the quarrels we raise with nature. And I believe, upon a strict inquiry, those quarrels might be shown as ill-grounded among us as they are among that people.
As to their military affairs, they boast that the king's army consists of a hundred and seventy-six thousand foot, and thirty-two thousand horse : if that may be called an army which is made up of tradesmen in the several cities, and farmers in the country, whose com-manders are only the nobility and gentry, without pay or reward. They are indeed perfect enough in their exercises, and under very good discipline, wherein I saw no great merit; for how should it be otherwise, where every farmer is under the command of his own land-lord, and every citizen under that of the principal men in his own city, chosen, after the manner of Venice, by baUot?
I have often seen the militia of Lorbrulgrud drawn out to exercise, in a great field near the city of twenty miles square. They were in all not about twenty-five thousand foot, and six thousand horse; but it was im-possible for me to compute their number, considering the space of ground they took up. A cavalier mounted on a large steed might be about ninety feet high. I have seen this whole body of horse, upon a word of command, draw their swords at once, and brandish them
..
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in the air. Imagination can figure nothing BO grand, so surprising and so astonishing! it looked as if ten thousand flashes of lightning were darting at the same time from every quarter of the sky.
I 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 practice of military discipline. But I was soon informed, both by conversation and reading their histories; for, in the course of many ages, they have been troubled with the same disease to which the whole race of man-kind is subject; the nobility often contending for power, the people for liberty, and the king for absolute dominion. All which, however happily tempered by the laws of that kingdom, have been sometimes violated by each of the three parties, and have more than once occasioned civil wars. The last of these was happily put an end to by this prince's grandfather, in a general composition, and the militia, then pacified, has been ever since kept in the strictest duty.
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CHAPTER VIII.
The King and Queen make a Progress to the Frontiers—The Author attends them —The Manner in which he leaves the Country particularly related—He returns to England.
I HAD always a strong conviction that I should some time recover my liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means, or to form any project with the least hope of succeeding. The ship in which I sailed was the first ever known to have been driven within sight of that coast, and the king had given strict orders, 'that if at any time another appeared, it should be taken ashore, and with all its crew and passengers brought in a tumbril to Lorbrulgrud.'
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 footing as ill became the dignity of human-kind. I could never forget those domestic pledges I had left behind me. I wanted to be among people, with whom I could converse upon even terms, and walk about the streets and fields without being afraid of being trod to death like a frog or a young puppy. But my deliverance came sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very usual: the
1(58 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
•whole story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully relate.
I had now been two years in this country; and about the beginning of the third, Glumdalclitch and I atten-ded the king and queen, in a progress to the south coast of the kingdom. I was carried, as usual, in my travel-ling-box, which, as I have already described, 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 him 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 directly over the middle of the hammock, I ordered the joiner to cut 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 backwards and forwards 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 Flan- flasnic, a city within eighteen English miles of the sea-side. Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued: I had caught 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
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 1G9
with a page, whom I was very fond of, and who had sometimes been trusted with me. I shall never forget with what unwillingness 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 had some foreboding of what was to happen. The boy took me out in my box, about half an hour's walk from the palace, towards 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 towards the sea. I found myself not very well, and told the page that I had a mind to take a nap in my hammock, which I hoped 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 conjecture is, that while I slept, the page, thinking no danger 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 this as it may, I found myself suddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the ring, which was fastened at the top of my box, for the convenience of carriage. I felt my box raised very high in the air, and then borne forward with prodigious speed. The first jolt all but shook me out of my ham-mock, but afterwards 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 towards my
170 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
windows, and could see nothing but the clouds and sky. I heard a noise just over my head, like the clap-ping of wings, and then began to realise 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 prey at a great dis-tance, though better concealed than I could be within a two-inch board.
In a little time, I observed the noise and nutter of wings to increase very fast, and my box was tossed up and down, like a sign-board in a windy day. I heard several bangs or buffets, as I thought, given to the eagle (for such I am certain it must have been that held the ring of my box in his beak), and then, all on a sudden, fult myself falling perpendicularly 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 I was quite in the dark for another minute, and then my box began to rise so high, that I could see lights from the tops of the windows. I now perceived I had fallen into the sea. My box, by the weight of my body, the goods that were in, and the broad plate of iron fixed for strength at the four corners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet deep in
f
DEPASTURE FROM BHOBDINGNAO
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 171
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 de-fended himself against the rest, who hoped to share in the prey. The plates of iron fastened at the bottom of the box, for those were the strongest, preserved tha balance while it fell, and hindered it from being broken on the surface of the water. Every 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 diffi-culty out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the slip-board on the roof already men-tioned, contrived on purpose to let in air, for want of which I found myself almost stifled.
How often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalclitch, from whom one single hour had so far divided me ? And I may say with truth, that in the midst of my own misfortunes I could not forbear lamenting the loss of my poor nurse, the grief she would suffer, the displeasure of the queen, and the ruin of her fortune. Perhaps many travellers have nut been under greater difficulties and distress than I was at this juncture, expecting every moment 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
17:2 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
anything have preserved the windows, but the lattice wires on the outside, constructed against accidents in travelling. I saw the water ooze in at several crannies, although the leaks were not considerable, and I endea-voured to stop them as well as I could. I was not able to lift up the roof of my closet, which otherwise I cer-tainly should have done and sat on the top of it; where I might at least preserve myself some hours longer, than by being shut up in the hold, as I may call it. Or if I escaped these dangers for a day or two, what could I expect but a miserable death from cold and hunger ? I was four hours under these circumstances, expecting, and indeed wishing, every moment to be my last.
I have already told the reader that there were two strong staples fixed upon the side of my box which 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 disconsolate state, I heard, or at least thought I heard, some kind of grating noise on that side of my box where the staples were fixed ; and soon after I began to fancy that the box was pulled or towed along the sea ; for I now and then felt a sort of tugging, which made the waves rise near the tops of my windows, leaving me almost in the dark.
This gave me some faint hopes of relief, although I was not able to imagine how it could be brought about. I ventured to unscrew one of my chairs, which were
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINONAG. 173
always fastened to the floor; and having made a hard shift to screw it down again, directly under the slip- ping-board that I had lately opened, I mounted on the chair, and putting my mouth as near as I could to the hole, I called for help in a loud voice, and in all the languages I understood. I then fastened my handker-chief to a stick I usually carried, and, thrusting it up the hole, waved it several times in the air, BO that if any boat or ship were near, the seamen might con-jecture some unhappy mortal to be shut up in the box. I found no result from all I could do, but plainly perceived my closet to be moved along; and in the space of an hour, or longer, that side of the box where the staples were, and had no windows, struck against something that was hard. I apprehended 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 found myself hoisted up, by degrees, at least three feet higher than I was before. Whereupon 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 times, giving me such transports of joy as are not to be conceived but by those who feel them. I now heard a trampling over my head, and somebody calling through the hole with a loud voice, in the English tongue, ' If there be anybody
174 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
below, let them speak.' I answered, 'I was an English-man drawn by ill fortune into the greatest calamity that ever any creature underwent, and begged, by all that was human, to be delivered out of the dungeon I was in.' The voice replied, ' I was safe, for my box was fastened to their ship ; and the carpenter should imme-diately come and saw a hole in 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 captain's cabin.' Some of them, upon hearing me talk so wildly, thought I was mad; others laughed ; for indeed it never occurred to me that I had now got among people of my own stature and strength. The carpenter came, and in a few minutes sawed a pas-sage 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 inclination to answer. I was equally confounded at the sight of so many pigmies, for such I took them to be after my eyes had been so long accustomed to the monstrous objects I had left. But the captain, Mr. Thomas Wil- cocks, an honest worthy Shropshire man, observing I was ready to faint, took me into his cabin, gave me a
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 175
cordial to comfort me, and made 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 un-derstand that I had some valuable furniture in my box, too good to be lost: a fine hammock, a handsome field- bed, two chairs, a table, and a cabinet; that my closet was hung on all sides, or rather quilted with silk and cotton; that if he would let one of the crew bring my closet into his cabin, I would open it there before him, and show him my goods. The captain, hearing me utter these absurdities, concluded I was raving; however, I suppose to pacify me, he promised to give orders as I desired, and going upon deck sent some of his men down into my closet, whence, as I afterwards found, they drew up all my goods and stripped off the quilting; but the chairs, cabinet, and bedstead being screwed to the floor, were much damaged 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, let the hull drop into the sea, which, by reason of many breaches made in the bottom and sides, sank outright. 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 bringing former scenes into my mind which I would rather have forgot.
I slept some hours, but perpetually disturbed with
176 GULLIVEIl's TRAVELS.
dreams of the place I had left, and the dangers I had escaped. However, upon waking, I found myself much recovered. It was now about eight o'clock at night, and the captain ordered supper immediately, thinking I had already lasted too long. He entertained me with great kindness, observing me not to look wildly, or talk inconsistently; and when we were left alone, desired I would give him a relation of my travels, and by what accident I came to be set adrift in that monstrous wooden chest. He said, ' that about twelve o'clock at noon, as he was looking through his glass, he espied it at a distance, and thought it was a sail, which he had a mind to make, being not much out of his course, in hopes of buying some biscuit, his own beginning to fall short. That upon coming nearer, and finding his error, he sent out his long-boat, to discover what it was; that his men came back in a fright, averring they had seen a swimming house. That he laughed at their folly, and went himself in the boat, ordering his men to take a strong cable along with them. That the weather being calm, he rowed round me several times, observed my windows and wire lattices that defended them. That he discovered two staples upon one side, which was all of boards, without any passage for light. He then com-manded his men to row up to that side, and fastening a cable to one of the staples, ordered them to tow my chest, as they called it, towards the ship. When it was
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 177
there, he gave directions to fasten another cable to the ring fixed in the cover, and to raise up my chest with pulleyS, which all the sailors were not able to do above two or three feet. He said they saw my stick and handkerchief thrust out of the hole, and concluded that some unhappy man must be shut up inside.' I asked, ' whether he or the crew had seen any prodigious birds in the air, about the time he first discovered me ? ' To which he answered, ' that talking over this matter with the sailors while I was asleep, one of them said, he had observed three eagles flying towards the north, but did not remark their being larger than the usual size : ' which I suppose must be imputed to the great height they were at; and he could not guess the reason of my question. I then asked the captain, ' how far he reckoned we might be from land ? ' He said, ' by the best computation he could make, we were at least a hundred leagues.' I assured him he must be mistaken by almost half, for I had not left the country whence I came above two hours before I dropped into the sea. Whereupon he began to think my brain was disturbed, of which he gave me a hint, and advised me to go to bed in a cabin he had provided. I assured him, ' I was well refreshed with his 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
N
178 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
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 provisions; for although he should be sorry to have taken so ill a man into his ship, 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 increased by some very absurd speeches I had delivered at first to his sailors, and afterwards to himself, in relation to my closet or chest, as well as by my odd looks and be-haviour while I was at supper.'
I begged his patience to let me tell my story, which I faithfully did, from the last time I left England, 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 tincture of learning, and very good sense, was immediately convinced of my candor and veracity. But, further to confirm all I had said, I en-treated 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 had 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,
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINONAO. 179
but fixed into a paring of her majesty's thumb-nail, which served for the back. There was a collection of needles and pins, from a foot to half a yard long; four wasps' stings, like joiner's tacks; some combings 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 size of a Kentish pippin, and grown so hard, that when I returned to England, I got it hollowed into a cup, and set in silver. Lastly, I desired him to see the breeches I had then on, which were made of mouse's skin.
I could force nothing on him but a footman's tooth, which I observed him to examine with great curiosity, and found he had a fancy for it. He received it with abundance of thanks, more than such a trifle could de-serve. It was drawn by an unskilful surgeon, in a mistake, from one of Glumdalclitch's men, who was afflicted with the tooth-ache, but it was as sound as any in his head. I got it cleaned, and put it into my cabinet. It was about a foot long, and four inches in diameter.
The captain was very well satisfied with this plain
180 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS:
relation I had given him, and said, ' he hoped, when we returned to England, I would oblige the world by put-ting it on paper, and making it public.' My answer was, ' 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 except common events, without the usual ornamental descriptions of strange plants, trees, birds, and other animals; or of the barbarous customs and idolatry of savage people, in descriptions of which most writers abound. However, I thanked him for his good opinion, and promised to take the matter into my con-sideration.'
He said, ' he wondered at one thing very much, which was to hear me speak so loud;' asking me, ' whether the king and queen of that country were dull of hearing ?' I told him, ' it was what I had been used to for above two years past, and that I wondered as much at his voice and that of his men, who seemed to me only to whisper, and yet I could hear them well enough. But, when I spoke in that country, it was like a man talking in the streets, to another looking out from the top of a steeple, unless when I was placed on a table, or held in any person's hand.' I told him,' I had likewise observed another thing, that when I first got into the ship and
A VOrAGK TO BROBDINGNAG. 181
the sailors stood all about me, I thought they were the most contemptible little creatures I had ever beheld.' For, indeed, while I was in that prince's country, I could never endure to look in a glass after my eyes had been accustomed to such prodigious objects, because the comparison gave me so despicable an opinion of myself. The 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 im-puted it to some disorder in my brain.' I answered, ' it was very true; and I wondered how I could forbear, when I saw his dishes of the size of a silver threepence, a leg of pork hardly a mouthful, a cup not so big as a nutshell;' and so I went on, describing the rest of his household-stuff and provisions, after the same manner. For, although the queen had ordered a little equipage of all things necessary for me, while I was in her ser-vice, yet my ideas were wholly taken up with what I saw on every side of me, and I winked at my own littleness as people do at their own faults. The captain understood my raillery very well, and merrily replied, with the old English proverb, that he doubted my eyes ivere bigger than my belly, for he did not observe my appetite was good, although I had fasted all day; and, continuing in his mirth, protested, ' he would have gladly given a hundred pounds to have seen my chest
182 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS :
in the eagle's bill, and afterwards in its fall from so great a height into the sea; which would certainly have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have the de-scription of it transmitted to future ages:' and the comparison of Phaeton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it, although I did not much ad-mire the conceit.
The captain having been at Tonquin, was, on his re-turn to England, driven north-eastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and longitude of 143°. But meeting a trade-wind two days after I came on board him, we sailed southward a long time, and coasting New Holland, kept our course west-south-west, and then south-south-west, till we doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one or two ports, and sent in his long-boat for pro-visions and fresh water; but I never went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on the 3rd day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I offered to leave my goods in security for pay-ment of my freight, but the captain protested he would not receive one farthing. We took a kind leave of each other, and I made him 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 captain.
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. 183
As 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. I was afraid of trampling on every traveller I met, and often called aloud to them to stand out of the way, so that I waa nearly getting one or two broken heads for my impertinence.
When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to inquire, one of the servants opening the door, I bent down to go in, like a goose under a gate, for fear of striking 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 daughter kneeled to ask my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, having been so long used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet; and then I went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked down upon the servants, and one or two friends who were in the house, as if they had been pigmies, and I a giant. I told my wife, ' she had been too thrifty, for I found she had starved herself and her daughter to nothing.' In short, I behaved myself so unaccountably, that tney 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 great power of habit and prejudice.
In a little time I and my family and friends came to
184 GULLIVER S TRAVELS.
a right understanding; but my wife protested I should never go to sea any more : although my evil destiny so ordered, that she had not power to hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter. In the mean time, I here conclude the second part of my unfortunate voyages.
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