-
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
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. Grammatical constructions which are too involved and difficult will be simplified; modern words and idioms will be substituted
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.
CHAPTER HI.
CHAPTER VIIL
LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS.
1 The captain was very well satisfied with this plain narration 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 extraordinary; 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 consideration.—p. 180.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS.
PAET I.
A VOYAGE TO LILLTPUT.
CHAPTEK I.
The Author gives some Account of Himself and Family: his first Inducements 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
learning navigation, and other branches of the mathematics, 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 recommended 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, encouraged 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 practices of too many of my brethren. Having,' therefore,
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 passage to the East Indies, we were driven by a violent storm to the north-west of Van Diemen's Land. By an
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 immediately 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 ourselves 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.
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 perceived 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 creatures of the same kind, as I conjectured, following the
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,
Langro dehul san.
hurgo (for so they call a great lord, as I afterwards learnt) understood 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
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
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. However, 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 producing his credentials under the signet royal, which he applied close to my eyes, spoke about ten minutes without any signs of anger, but with a kind of determinate resolution. He often pointed forwards, which, as I afterwards found, was towards the capital city, about half a mile distant, whither it was agreed by his majesty in
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.
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 renowned 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
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
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 therefore 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
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 described—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 continuous 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.)
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
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 understand 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.
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 immediately cutting the strings he was bound with, I set him gently on the ground, and away he ran. I treated the rest in the same manner, taking them one by one out of my pocket; and I observed both the soldiers and people were highly delighted at this mark of my clemency, which was represented very much to my advantage at court.
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
As the news of my arrival spread through the kingdom, it brought prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me; so that the villages were almost emptied; and great neglect of tillage and household affairs must have ensued, if his 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
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
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
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 questions, 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, fastened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; and upon one side of the pillar were huge pieces of iron sticking out, cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make of. In the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller pocket, on the right side, were several round flat pieces of white and red metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed to be silver, were so large and heavy, that my comrade and I could hardly lift them. In the left
pocket were two black pillars irregularly shaped : we could not, without difficulty, reach the top of them, as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them 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 inclined to the latter opinion, because he assured us.(if
' Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's commands, diligently searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his waist, made of the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the right, a bag, or pouch divided into two cells, each cell capable of holding three of your majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were several globes or balls, of a most ponderous metal, about the bigness of our heads, and which required a strong hand to lift them: the other cell contained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold above fifty of them in. the palms of our hands.
' This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of the man-mountain, who used us with great civility, and due respect to your majesty's commission. Signed and sealed on the fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious reign.
' CLEFEIN FEELOOK — MA.BSI FBKLOCK.'
When this inventory was read over to the emperor, lie directed me, although in very gentle terms, to deliver 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 discharge. 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 inconvenience against which all prudent mariners take special care to provide), I first cautioned the emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in the air. The astonishment at the report was much greater than at the
I had, as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their search, wherein there was a pair
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 possible 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 magnificence. I was diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from the ground. Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.
This diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high 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 accidents, of which great numbers are on record; I myself have seen two or three candidates break a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the ministers themselves are commanded to show their dexterity ; for, by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they strain so far that there is hardly one of them who
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 extraordinary manner. I desired he would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of an ordinary cane, to be brought me; whereupon his majesty commanded the master of his woods to give directions accordingly ; and the next morning six woodmen arrived, with as many carriages, 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,
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 proposal, and I took them up, one by one, in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got into order, they divided into two parties, performed mock skirmishes, discharged blunt arrows, drew their swords, fled and pursued, attacked and retired, and, in short, 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 entertainments ; only, once a fiery horse, that belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, struck a hole in my handkerchief, and, his foot slipping, he overthrew his rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and covering the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the other, in the same manner as I took them up. The horse that fell was strained in the
D
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 dangerous enterprises.
About two or three days before I was set at liberty, as I was entertaining the court with this kind of feat, there arrived an express to inform his majesty that some of his subjects, riding near the place where I was first taken up, had seen a great black substance lying on the 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 living 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
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
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 Skyresh 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 performance of them; first, in the manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method prescribed by their laws : which was, to hold my right foot in my left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear. But, because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the style and manner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to know the 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
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 metropolis, without our express order; at which time the inhabitants 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,
' 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 circumference of our dominions, by a computation of his own paces round the coast.
' Lastly, That, upon his solemn oath to observe all the above articles, the said man-mountain shall have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 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.
cheerfulness and content, although some of them were not so honorable as I could have wished (to be attributed 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 commanded me to rise: and after many gracious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of vanity, I shall not repeat, he added,' that he hoped I should prove a useful servant, and well deserve all the favors he had already conferred 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.
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.
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.
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 buildings. I had his majesty's permission to step over this wall; and the space being so wide between that and the palace, I could easily view it on every side. The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other courts: in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches high, and seven inches wide. Now, the buildings of the outer court were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the same time, the emperor had
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Eeldresel, principal secretary (as they style
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.'
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
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 middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was so frightened when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships and swam to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand souls: I then took my tackling, and fastening a hook to 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
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 fastened all the hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the hooks fixed to the ships, I resolutely 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 astonishment 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
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 manner ; 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
His majesty desired I would take some other opportunity 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 intrigue 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
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn embassy, from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace; which was soon concluded, upon conditions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons: and their entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their master, and the importance of their business. When their treaty was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies, who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made me a visit in form. They began with many compliments upon my valor and generosity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their master's name, and desired me to show them some proofs of my prodigious strength, of which they had heard so many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the reader with the particulars.
When I had for some time entertained their excellencies, to their infinite satisfaction and surprise, I desired they would do me the honor to present my most humble respects to the emperor their master, the renown of whose virtues had so justly filled the whole
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke to me by an interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with an avowed contempt 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 themselves by seeing the world and understanding men and manners, there are few persons of distinction, or mer
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 between 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
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 intercourse 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
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.
courts of law, is formed with six eyes, two before, as many behind, and on each side one, to signify circumspection ; 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 consequence 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.
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 creeping 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
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 earnings, 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 sempstresses took my measure as I lay on the ground, one standing at my neck, and another at my knee, with a
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-
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 consort, with the young princes of the blood of both sexes, might have the happiness,' as he was pleased to call it, ' of dining with me.' They came accordingly, and I placed them in chairs of state, upon my table, just over against me, with their guards about them. Flimnap, the lord high 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
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 carefully 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 agreeably in these conversations.
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:
and, giving orders to a trusty servant, to say I was indisposed 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 common 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 impeachment against you, for treason and other capital crimes.'
This preface made me so impatient, being conscious of my own merits and innocence, that I was going to
' 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 service, 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
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
' 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 justified the good thoughts you have of him. He allowed your crimes to be great, but that still there was room for mercy, the most commendable virtue in a prince, and for which his 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 generous proceedings of those who have the honor to be his
' This proposal was received with the utmost disapprobation 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
'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 maintaining 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 establishment ; 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.
'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
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 juncture, 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,
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 resolution 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,
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
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 ; whereupon 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
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 appeared upon my arrival, full of wonder at the sight of BO prodigious a vessel. I told the emperor ' that my
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 represent 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
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 confidence in princes or ministers, where I could possibly avoid it; and therefore, with all due acknowledgments for his favorable intentions, I humbly begged to be excused. I told him, that ' since fortune, whether good or evil, had thrown a vessel in my way, I was resolved to venture myself on the ocean, rather than be an occasion of difference between two such mighty monarchs.'
These considerations moved me to hasten my departure somewhat sooner than I intended; to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very readily contributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to make two sails to my boat according to my 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 incredible 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
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 propagate 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 subjects, 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 northward, the wind being at south-east, at six in the evening, 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 uninhabited. 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
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
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
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
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
as she would lie.
During this storm, which was followed by a strong wind, west-south-west, we were earned, by my computation, 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 northwest part of Great Tartary, and into the Frozen Sea.
On June 16, 1703, a boy on the top-mast
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 astonishment, and ran to hide myself in the corn, whence
Scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with these reflections, when one of the reapers
The farmer having, as I suppose by their talk, received 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
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 pistoles each, besides twenty or thirty smaller coins. I saw him wet the tip of his little finger upon his tongue, and take up one of my largest pieces, and then another; but he seemed to be wholly ignorant 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
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
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
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
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 sorrows 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
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, returned it to the scabbard.
The whole scene of this voyage made so strong an impression 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 review, 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.
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 constantly washed for me with her own hands. She was likewise my school-mistress, in teaching me the language ; when I pointed to anything, she told me the
Grildrig, which the family took up, and afterwards the whole kingdom. 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
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 contriving, 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 morning 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
My master, pursuant to the advice of his friend, earned me in a box the next market day to the neighbouring 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
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 frequent; and after consulting awhile with the innkeeper, and making some necessary preparations, he hired the grultrud, or crier, to give notice through the town of a 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,
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 flourished 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 anyone 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. However, 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
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 arrival, 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
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 journeys, 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 metropolis, 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,
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 reported 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,
•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 service.' She then asked my master, ' whether he was willing to sell me at a good price ? ' He, who apprehended 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 instructor.'
Her majesty agreed to my petition, and easily got the farmer's consent, who was glad enough to have his
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 showing me through half the kingdom, and the price he had now sold me for ; that the life I had led since my capture 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 apprehensions would appear to be groundless; for I already found my spirits revive, by the influence of her most august presence.'
This was the sum of my speech, delivered with great improprieties and hesitation. The latter part was altogether 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
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 preserving 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
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 difficulties, 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.
* This satire is levelled against all who reject those facts for •which they cannot perfectly account, notwithstanding the absurdity of rejecting the testimony by which they are supported.
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 gentleman'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
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 indeed 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
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 saltcellars. This prince took a pleasure in conversing with me, inquiring into the manners, religion, laws, government, 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 prevailed so far, that he could not forbear taking me up in his right hand. Then, stroking me gently with the other,
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
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 antechamber, 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 repartees as are usually in the mouths of court pages. One day at dinner, this malicious little cub was so nettled with something I had said to him, that, raising himself 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
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, watching 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,
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 naturalists tell us, enables those creatures to walk with their feet upwards upon a ceiling, though this disgusting matter 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
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 despatched 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 carefully 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.
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 counterpoise 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-
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 excluded 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
(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 circumference 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 frequently 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
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 instruments, 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 convenience 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
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 particularly the tower belonging to it, which is reckoned the highest in the kingdom. Accordingly, one day my
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
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.
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 gardens of the court in my smaller box, and would sometimes take me out of it, and hold me in her hand, or set me down to walk. I remember, before the dwarf left the queen, he followed us one day into those gardens, and my nurse having set me down, he and I being close together, near some dwarf apple-trees, I 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
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, observing 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
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 carried 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.
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 remember, 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
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
In this exercise I once met an accident, which nearly cost me my life; for, one of the pages having put my
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
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 distracted : 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 building, holding me like a baby in one of his fore paws, and feeding me with the other, by cramming into my mouth some victuals he had 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 probably, my brains would have been dashed out.
The ladders were now applied, and mounted by
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 return him thanks for his favors, he was pleased to rally me a good deal upon this adventure. He asked me, ' what my thoughts and speculations were while I lay in the monkey's paw ? how I liked the victuals he gave
me ? 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 presumed to attack me. And as for that monstrous animal, with whom I was so lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant), if my fears had suffered me to think so far, as to make use of my sword (looking 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
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 consulting with my friend the cabinet-maker, who had re
The king, who delighted in music, had frequent concerts 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
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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 contrived 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
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 contempt 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
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 described 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
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
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, proposed many doubts, queries, and objections, upon every article. He asked, ' what measures were used to cultivate 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,
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 neighbourhood? 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
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 decreed 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 advocates 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 pleasure ? 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
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
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 dependence, as well as habituate them to vile companions ; wholly take them from the improvement of their mind,
He was perfectly astonished with the historical account I gave him of our affairs during the last century; protesting 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
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 yourself,' 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.'
CHAPTER VII.
The Author's Love of his Country—He makes a Proposal of much Advantage 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 consistent, 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
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 interviews I had with that monarch, although it unfortunately 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,
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 grovelling 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 veneration, 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
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 proceedings 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
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
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 commanders 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 landlord, 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 impossible 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
..
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 mankind 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.
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
I had now been two years in this country; and about the beginning of the third, Glumdalclitch and I attended the king and queen, in a progress to the south coast of the kingdom. I was carried, as usual, in my travelling-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 seaside. 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
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
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DEPASTURE FROM BHOBDINGNAO
water. I did then and do now suppose, that the eagle which flew away with my box was pursued by two or three others, and forced to let me drop, while he defended himself against the rest, who 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 difficulty out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the slip-board on the roof already mentioned, 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
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
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
I slept some hours, but perpetually disturbed with
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 commanded 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
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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 behaviour 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 entreated him to give order that my cabinet should be brought, of which I had the key in my pocket; for he had already informed me how the seamen disposed of my closet. I opened it in his own presence, and showed him the small collection of rarities I 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,
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 deserve. 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
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
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
The captain having been at Tonquin, was, on his return 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-southwest, 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 provisions 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 payment 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.
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
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