my handkerchief to the nine flicks that flood erect; and extended it on all fides, till it was tight as the top of a drum; and the four parallel ticks, riting about five inches higher than the handkerchiefs, ferved as ledges on each fide. When I had finished my work, I defired the emperor to let a troop of his beft horfe, twenty-four in number, come and exercite upon this plain. His majefty approved of the propofal, and I took them up one by one in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the proper officers to exercife them. As foon as they got into order, they divided into two parties, performed mock fkirmishes, di'charged blant arrows, drew their fwords, fled and purfued, attacked and retired, and in short discovered the bell military difcipline I ever beheld. The parallel fticks fecured them and their horfes from falling over the flage; and the emperor was fo much delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated feveral days, and once was pleafed to be lifted up, and give the word of command; and, with great difficulty, perfuaded even the empress herfelf to let me hold her in her clofe chair within two yards of the stage, from whence the was able to take a full view of the whole performance. It was my good fortune, that no ill accident happened in thefe entertainments, only once a fiery horfe, that belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, ftruck a hole in my handkerchief, and his foot flipping he overthrew his rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and covering the hole with one hand, I fet down the troop with the other, in the fime manner as I took them up. The horfe that fell was ftrained in the left shoulder, but the rider got no hurt, and I repaired my handkerchief as well as I could; however, I would not trust to the ftrength of it any more in fuch dangerous enterprizes.

About two or three days before I was fet at liberty, as I was entertaining the court with this kind of feats, there arrived an exprefs to inform his majesty, that fome of his fubjects, riding near the place where I was first taken up, had feen a great black fubftance lying on the ground, very odly thaped, extending it edges round as wide as his majefty's bedchamber, and rifing up in the middle as high as a man; that it was no living creature, as they at firit apprehended, for it lay on the grafs without motion; and fome of them had walked round it feveral times; that, by mounting up on each other's fhoulders, they had get to the top, which was flat and even, and ftamping upon it, they found it was hollow within; that they

humbly conceived it might be fomething belonging to the Man-mountain; and if his majetty pleafed, they would undertake to bring it with only five horfes. I prefly knew what they meant, and was glad at heart to receive this intelligence. It feems, upon my firit reaching the fhore after cur thipwreck, I was in fuch confusion, that, before I came to the place where I went to fleep, my hat, which I had faflened with a ftring to my head while I was rowing, and had tuck on all the time I was fwimming. fell off after I came to land; the fring, as I conjecture, breaking by fome accident, which I never obferved, but thought my hat had been loft at fea. I entreated his imperial mijelty to give orders it might be brought to me as foon as poffible, defcribing to him the ufe and the nature of it: and the next day the waggoners arrived with it, but not in a very good condition: they had bored two holes in the brim within an inch and a half of the edge, and faftened two hooks in the holes; thefe hooks were tied by a long cord to the harness, and thus my hat was dragged along for above half an English mile; but the ground in that county being extremely fmooth and level, it received lefs damage than I expected.

Two days after this adventure, the emperor having ordered that part of his army, which quarters in and about his metropolis, to be in readincts, took a fancy of diverting himself in a very fingular manner. He defired I would ftand like a colofus, with my legs as far alunder 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 in a breaft, and the horfe by fixteen, with drums beating, colours flying, and pikes advanced. This body confifted of three thousand foot and a thousand horfe. His majesty gave orders, upon pain of death, that every foldier in his march fhould obferve the strictest decency with regard to my perfon; which however could not prevent fome of the younger officers from turning up their eyes, as they paffed under me: and, to confefs the truth, my breeches were at that time in fo ill a condition, that they afforded fome opportunities for laughter and admiration.

I had fent fo many memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his majesty at length mentioned the matter first in the ca binct, and then in a full council; where it was oppofed by none, except Skyresh Bol

golar

golam, who was pleafed, without any provocation, to be my mortal enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole board, and confirmed by the emperor. That minifter was gallet, or admiral of the realm, very much in his mafler's confidence, and a perfon well verfed in affairs, but of a morofe and four complexion. However, he was at length perfuaded to comply; but prevailed that the articles and conditions upon which I fhould be fet free, and to which I muft fwear, fhould be drawn up by himself. Thefe articles were brought to me by Skyrefh Bolgolam in perfon, attended by two under fecretaries, and feveral perfons of diftinction. After they were read, I was determined to fwear to the performance of them; firft in the manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method prefcribed 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 fome idea of the ftyle and manner of expreflion peculiar to that people, as well as to know the articles upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a tranflation of the whole inflrument word for word, as near as I was able, which I here offer to the public,

Golbafto Momaren Evlame Gurcilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue, most mighty emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the univerfe, whofe dominions extend five thoufand blaftrugs, (about twelve miles in circumference) to the extremities of the globe; monarch of all monarchs, taller than the fons of men; whofe feet prefs down to the centre, and whofe head strikes against the fun; at whofe nod the princes of the earth thake their knees; pleafant as the fpring, comfortable as the fummer, fruitful as autumn, dreadful as winter. His moft fublime majefty propofeth to the Man-mountain, lately arrived at our celeftial dominions, the following articles, which by a folemn oath he fhall be obliged to perform,

If. The Man-mountain fhall not depart from our dominions without cur licence under our great feal.

24. He shall not prefume to come into our metropolis without our exprefs crder; at which time the inhabitants fhall have two hours warning to keep within doors.

3d. The faid Man-mountain thall 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 faid roads, he fall take the utmost care not to trample upon the bodies of any of our loving fubjeâs. their horfes or carriages, nor take any of our fubjects into his hands without their own confent.

5th. If an exprefs requires extraordinary dispatch, the Man-mountain fhall be ob liged to carry in his pocket the meilenger and horfe a fix-days journey once in eve ry moon, and return the faid mesenger back (if required) fafe to our imperial prefence.

6th. He fhall be our ally against oer enemies in the island of Blefafcu, and do his utmost to defroy their fleet, which is now preparing to invade us.

7th. That the faid Man-mountain fhall, at his times of leifure, be aiding and affiting to our workmen, in helping to raife certain great ftones, towards covering the wall of the principal park and other our royal buildings.

8th. That the faid Man-mountain fhall, in two moons time, deliver in an exact furvey of the circumference of our dominions, by a computation of his own paces round the coast.

Laftly, That, upon his folemn oath to obferve all the above articles, the faid Manmountain thall have a daily allowance of meat and drink fuflicient for the fupport of 1724 of our fubjects, with free access to our royal perfon, and other marks of our favour. Given at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the ninety-first moon of our reign.

I fwore and fubfcribed to thefe articles with great chearfulness and content, although fome of them were not fo honourable as I could have withed; which proceeded wholly from the malice of Skyreth Belgolam, the high-admiral: whereupon my chairs were immediately unlocked, and I was at feil liberty. The emperor himself in peiton did me the honour to be by at the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledg ments by proftrating myfelf at his majesty's fect, but he commanded me to rife; and after many gracious expreffions, which, to avoid the cenfure of vanity, I fhall not repeat, be added, that he hoped I should prove a ufeful fervant, and well deferve all the favours he had already conferred upon me, or might do for the future.

In his defcriptionLilliput he feems to have hid England more immediately in view. In his delcription of Blefofcu, he feems to intend the reple and kingdom of France. ORRENT.

The

But I fhall not anticipate the reader with further defcriptions of this kind, becaufe I referve them for a greater work, which is now almost ready for the prefs, containing a general defcription of this empire, from its first erection, through a long feries of princes, with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning, and religion, their plants and animals, their peculiar manners and cuftoms, with other matters very curious and ufeful; my chief defign at prefent being only to relate fuch events and tranfactions, as happened to the public or to myf If, during a refidence of about nine months in that empire.

One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Reldrefal, principal fecretary of state (as they ftyle him) for private affairs, came to my houfe attended only by one fervant. He ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and defired I would give him an hour's audience; which I readily confented to, on account of his quality and perfonal merits, as well as of the many good offices he had done me during my folicitations at court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more conveniently reach my ear; but he chofe rather to let me hold him in my hand during our converfation. He began with compliments on my liberty; faid, he might pretend to fome merit in it: but however added, that, if it had not been for the prefent fituation of things at court, perhaps I might not have obtained it fo foon. For, faid he, as flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labour under two mighty evils; a violent faction at home, and the danger of an invafion by a molt potent enemy from abroad. As to the first, you are to underftand, that for above feventy moons paft there have been two ftruggling parties in this empire, under the names of Trameckjan and Slameckjan, from the high and low heels of their fhoes, by which they diftinguish themfelves. It is alledged indeed, that the high heels are moft agreeable to our ancient conititution; but, however this be, his majefty is determined to make ufe only of low heels in the adminiftration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the crown, as you cannot but obferve; and particularly, that his majefty's imperial High-church and Low church, or Whig and

Tory. As every accidental difference between man and man in perfon and circumftances is by this work rendered extremely contemptible; fo fpeculative differences are shown to be equally ridiculous, when the zeal with which they are oppofed and defended too much exceeds their import

ance.

heels are lower at least by a drar than any of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteenth part of an inch.) The animoties between thefe two parties run fo high, that they will neither eat nor drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the Tramechfan, or high-heels, to exceed us in number; but the power is wholly on our fide. We apprehend his imperial highnefs, the heir to the crown, to have fome tendency towards the high-heels; at leaft, we can plainly difcover, that one of his heels is higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his gait. Now, in the midst of thefe inteftine difquiets we are threatened with an invalion from the island of Biefuicu, which is the other great empire of the uni verfe, almoft as large and powerful as this of his majefty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and ftates in the world, inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philofophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the ftars; because it is certain, that an hundred mortals of your bulk would, in a fhort time, deftroy all the fruits and cattle of his majefty's dominions: be fides, cur hiftories of fix thousand moons make no mention of any other regions, than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefufcu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a moll obftinate war for fix-and-thirty moons paft. It began upon the following occafion: it is allowed on all hands, that the pri mitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the largeft end; but his prefent majesty's grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor, his father, published an edict, commanding all his fubjects, upon great penalties, to break the fmaller end of their eggs. The people fo highly refented this law, that our hillories tell us, there have been fix rebellions raifed on that account: wherein one emperor loft his life, and another his crown. Thefe civil commotions were conftantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefufcu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thoufand perfons

have at feveral times fuffered death, rather than fubmit to break their eggs at the fmaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been publifhed upon this controverfy: but the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party ren

dered

dered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of thefe troubles, the emperors of Blefufcu did frequently expoftulate by their ambaffadors, accufing us of making a fchifm in religion by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great prophet Luttrog, in the fiftyfourth chapter of the Blundecial (which is their Alcoran.) This however is thought to be a mere frain upon the text; for the words are thefe; "That all true believers "break their eggs at the convenient end." And which is the convenient end, thould in my humble opinion be left to every man's confcience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have found fo much credit in the emperor of Blefufcu's court, and fo much private affittance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war hath been carried on between the two empires for fix-and-thirty moons, with various fuccefs; during which time we have loft forty capital thips, and a much greater number of fmaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our beft feamen and foldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be fomewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a defcent upon us; and his imperial májesty, placing a great confidence in your valour and strength, hath commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you.

I defired the fecretary to prefent my humble duty to the emperor, and to let him know, that I thought it would not be come me, who was a foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready with the hazard of my life to defend his perfon and ftate against all invaders *.

CHA P. V.

The author, by an extraordinary stratagem, prevents an invafion. A high title of honour is eonferred upon him. Ambafadors arrive from the emperor of Blefufcu, and fue for peace. The empress's apartment on fire by an accident; the author inftrumental in faving the reft of the palace.

The empire of Blefufcu is an ifland, fituated to the north-eaft fide of Lilliput, from

Gulliver, without examining the fubject of difpute, readily engaged to defend the emperor against invafion; becaufe he knew that no fuch monarch had a right to invade the dominions of

another, for the propagation of truth.

whence it is parted only by a channel of eight hundred yards wide. I had not yet feen it, and upon this notice of an intended invafion I avoided appearing on that fide of the coaft, for fear of being discovered by fome of the enemy's thips, who had received no intelligence of me, all intercourfe between the two empires having been ftrictly forbidden during the war upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our emperor upon all veffels whatfoever. I com municated to his majetty a project I formed of feizing the enemy's whole fleet: which, our icouts affured us, lay at anchor in the harbour ready to fail with the first fair wind. I confulted the most experienced feamen upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plummed; who told me, that in the middle at high-water it was feventy glamgluffs deep, which is about fix feet of European measure; and the reft of it fifty glumgluffs at most. I walked towards the north-eaft coast, over againft Blefufcu; where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my (mall perfpective-glafs, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, confifting of about fifty men of war, and a great number of tranfports: 1 then came back to my houfe, and gave orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as packthread, and the bars of the length and fize of a knitting-needle. I trebled the cable to make it ftronger, and for the fame reafon I twifted 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-caft coaft, and putting off my coat, fhoes, and stockings, walked into the fea in my leathern jerkin, about half an hour before high-water. I waded with what hafte I could, and fwam in the middle

about thirty yards, till I felt ground; I arrived at the fleet in lefs than half an hour. The enemy was fo frighted, when they faw me, that they leaped out of their hips, and fwam to fhore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thoufand fouls: I then

took my tackling, and, faftening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end, While I was thus employed, the enemy difcharged feveral thoufand arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face; and, befides the exceflive fmart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My greatest apprehenfion was for mine eyes, which I should have

infallibly