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work, which is now almost ready for the prefs, containing a general defcription of this empire, from its first erec. tion, 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 transactions, as happened to the public or to myfelf, 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 diftance, 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 how ever 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 invasion by a moft potent enemy from abroad. As to the first, you are to understand, that for above feventy moons paft there have been two ftruggling parties in this empire, under the names of Trameckfan and Slameckfan*, from the high and low heels of their fhoes, by which they diftinguish themfelves. It is alledged indeed, that the high heels are most

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agreeable to our ancient conftitution; but, however this be, his majesty 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 observe; and particularly, that his majesty's imperial heels are lower at least by drurr than any of his court (drurr is a meafure about the fourteenth part of an inch.) The animofities between these two parties run fo high, that they will neither eat nor drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the Trameckfan, 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 least, 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 invafion from the island of Blefufcu, which is the other great empire of the univerfe, 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 yourfelf, 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: befides, our 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 moft obftinate war for fix and thirty moons paft. It began upon the following occafion; it is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger 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

to break the fmaller end of their eggs. The people fo highly refented this law, that our hitories 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 smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controverfy; but the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of 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 doc. trine of our great prophet Luftrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran.) This however is thought to be a mere ftrain upon the text; for the words are these : That all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end." And which is the convenient end, feems in my humble opinion to be left to every man's confcience, or at least in the power of the chief magiftrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have found fo much credit in the emperor of Blefufcu's court, and fo much private affiftance 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 hips, and a much greater number of fmaller veffels, to gether with thirty thoufand 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 majefty, placing a great confidence in your valour and ftrength, hath commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you.

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

CHA P. V.

The author, by an extraordinary firatagem, prevents an invafion. A high title. of honour is conferred upon him. Ambajadors 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 rest of the palace.

The empire of Blefufcu is an island. fituated to the north-eaft fide of Lilliput, from 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 difcovered by fome of the enemy's fhips, 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 whatfo ever. I communicated to his majesty a project I formed of feizing the enemy's whole flect: which, our fcouts affured us, lay at anchor in the harbour ready to fail with the firft 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 glumgluffs deep, which is about fix feet of European meafure; and the reft of it fifty glumgluffs at most. I walked towards the north-east coast, over against Blefufcu; where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my fmall perfpective-glafs, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, confifting of about fifty men of war, and a great number of tranfports: I then came

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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 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-eaft coast, and putting off my coat, fhoes, and flockings, walked into the fea in my leathern jerkin, about half an hour before highwater. I waded with what hafte 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 fo frighted, when they faw me, that they leaped out of their fhips, and fwam to fhore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand fouls: I then took my tackling, and, fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I was thus employed, the enemy difcharged feveral thousand arrows, many of which ftuck in my hands and face; and, befides the exceffive fmart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My greatest apprehenfion was for mine eyes, which I fhould have infallibly loft, if I had not fuddenly thought of an expedient. I kept, among other little neceffaries, a pair of fpectacles in a private pocket, which, as I obferved before, had efcaped the emperor's fearchers. These I took out and faftened as ftrongly as I could upon my nofe, and thus armed went on boldly with my work, in fpite of the enemy's arrows, many of which ftruck against the glaffes of my fpectacles, but without any other effect, farther than a little to difcompose them. I had now faftened all the hooks, and taking the knot in my hand began to pull; but not a fhip would ftir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, fo that the boldest part of my enterprize remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the hooks fixed to the fhips, I refolutely cut with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving above two hundred fhots in my face

and hands; then I took up the knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with great eafe drew fifty of the enemy's largest men of war after me.

The Blefufcudians, who had not the leaft imagination of what I intended, were at first confounded with aftonifhment. They had feen me cut the cables, and thought my defign was only to let the hips run a-drift, or fall foul on each other: but when they perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and faw me pulling at the end, they fet up fuch a fcream of grief and despair, as it is almoft impoffible to defcribe or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I ftopt a while to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and face; and rubbed on fome of the fame ointment, that was given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off my fpectacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide was a little fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived fafe at the royal port of Lilliput.

The emperor and his whole court ftood on the fhore expecting the iffue of this great adventure. They faw the fhips move forward in a large halfmoon, but could not difcern me, who was up to my breaft in water. When I advanced to the middle of the channel, they were yet in more 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 an hoftile manner: but he was foon eafed of his fears, for the channel growing fhallower every ftep I made, I came in a fhort time within hearing, and holding up the end of the cable, by which the fleet was faftened, I cried in a loud voice, " Long live the most puiffant emperor of Lilliput!" This great prince received me at my landing with all poffible encomiums, and created, me a nardac upon the fpot, which is the highest title of honour among them.

His majefty defired I would take fome other opportunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy's fhips into his ports. And fo unmeasurable is the ambition of princes, that he feemed to think on nothing less than reducing the

whole

whole empire of Blefufcu into a province, and governing it by a viceroy; of deftroying the Big-endian exiles, and compelling that people to break the fmaller end of their eggs, by which he would remain the fole monarch of the whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this defign, by many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as juftice: and I plainly protefted, that I would never be an intrument of bringing a free and brave people into flavery. And, when the matter was debated in council, the wifeft part of the miniftry were of my opi

nion.

This open bold declaration of mine was fo oppofite to the fchemes and politics of his imperial majefty, that he could never forgive me; he mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that fome of the wifeft appeared at least by their filence to be of my opinion; but others, who were my fecret enemies, could not forbear fome expreffions, which by a fide-wind reflected on me. And from this time began an intrigue between his majefty and a junto of minifters maliciously bent against me, which broke out in lefs than two months, and had like to have ended in my utter deftruction. Of fo little weight are the greateft fervices to princes, when put into the balance with a refufal to gratify their paffions.

About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a folemn embaffy from Blefufcu, with humble offers of a peace; which was foon concluded upon conditions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I fhall not trouble the reader. There were fix ambaffadors, with a train of about five hundred perfons; and their entry was very magnificent, fuitable to the grandeur of their mafter, and the importance of their bufinefs. When their treaty was finished, wherein I did them feveral good offices by the credit I now had, or at leaft appeared to have at court, their exceliencies, who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made me a vifit in form. They began with many compliments upon my valour and generofity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their mafter's name, and

defired me to fhew them fome proofs of my prodigious ftrength, of which they had heard fo many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but fhall not trouble the reader with the particulars.

When I had for fome time entertained their excellencies to their infinite fatisfaction and furprife, 1 defired they would do me the honour to prefent my most humble refpects to the emperor their maiter, the renown of whofe virtues had fo juftly filled the whole world with admiration, and whofe royal perfon I refolved to attend before I returned to my own country: accordingly the next time I had the honour to fee our emperor, I defired his general licence to wait on the Blefufcudian monarch, which he was pleafed to grant me, as I could plainly perceive, in a very cold manner; but could not guess the reafon, till I had a whifper from a certain perfon, that Flimnap and Bolgolam had reprefented my intercourfe with thofe ambafiadors as a mark of dif affection, from which I am fure my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to conceive fome imperfect idea of courts and minifters.

It is to be obferved, that these ambaffadors fpoke 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 tongues, with an avowed contempt for that of their neighbour; yet our emperor, ftanding upon the advantage he had got by the feizure of their fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials, and make their speech in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confeiled, that from the great inter. courfe of trade and commerce between both realms, from the continual reception of exiles, which is mutual among them, and from the cullom in each empire to fend their young nobility and richer gentry to the other in order to polish themselves by feeing the world, and understanding men and manners; there are few perfons of diftinction, or merchants, or feamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold con verfation in both tongues; as I found

fome

fome weeks after, when I went to pay my refpects to the emperor of Blefufcu, which in the midft of great misfortunes, through the malice of my enemies, proved a very happy adventure to me, as I fhall relate in its proper place.

The reader may remember, that when I figned thofe articles upon which I recovered my liberty, there were fome which I difliked upon account of their being too fervile, neither could any thing but an extreme neceffity have forced me to fubmit. But being now a nardac of the highest rank in that empire, fuch offices were looked upon as befow my dignity, and the emperor (to do him justice) never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not long before I had an opportunity of doing his majefty, at least, as I then thought, a moft fignal fervice. I was alarmed at midnight with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which being fuddenly awaked, I was in fome kind of terror. I heard the word burglum repeated inceffantly feveral of the emperor's court making their way through the crowd, intreated me to come immediately to the palace, where her imperial majefty's apartment was on fire by the careleffness of a maid of honour, who fell asleep while fhe was reading a romance. I got up in an inftant; and orders being given to clear the way before me, and it being likewise a moonfhine night, I made a fhift to get to the palace without trampling on any of the people. I found they had already applied ladders to the walls of the apart ment, and were well provided with buckets, but the water was at fome diftance. Thefe buckets were about the fize of a large thimble, and the poor people fupplied me with them as fast as they could; but the flame was fo violent that they did little good. I might eafily have ftifled it with my coat, which I unfortunately left behind me for hatte, and came away only in my leathern jerkin. The cafe feemed wholly def perate and deplorable, and this magnificent palace would have infallibly been burnt down to the ground, if by a prefence of mind unufual to me I had not fuddenly thought of an expedient. I had the evening before drank plenti

fully of a most delicious wine, called glimigrim (the Blefufcu dians call it flunec, but ours is esteemed the better fort) which is very diuretic. By the luckieft chance in the world I had not difcharged myself of any part of it. The heat I had contracted by coming very near the flames, and by my labouring to quench them, made the wine begin to operate by urine; which I voided in fuch a quantity, and applied fo well to the proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly extinguished, and the rest of that noble pile, which had coft fo many ages in erecting, preferved from deftruétion.

It was now daylight, and I returned to my houfe without waiting to congratulate with the emperor; becaufe, although I had done a very eminent piece of fervice, yet I could not tell how his majefty might refent the manner by which I had performed it: for, by the fundamental laws of the realm, it is capital in any perfon, of what quality foever, to make water within the precincts of the palace. But I was a little comforted by a meffage from his majesty, that he would give orders to the grand jufticiary for paffing my pardon in form; which, however, I could not obtain. And I was privately affured, that the emprefs, conceiving the greatest abhorrence of what I had done, removed to the most diftant fide of the court, firmly refolved that thofe buildings fhould never be repaired for her ufe; and, in the prefence of her chief confidents, could not forbear vowing revenge.

СНАР. VI.

Of the inhabitants of Lilliput; their learning, laws, and cuftoms; the manner of educating their children. The author's away of living in that country. His indication of a great lady.

Although I intend to leave the defeription of this empire to a particular treatise, yet in the mean time I am content to gratify the curicus reader with fome general ideas. As the common fize of the natives is fomewhat under fix inches high, fo there is an exact proportion in all other animals, as well as plants and trees: for inftance, the tallest horfes and oxen are between four and

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