enough of the difpofitions of great princes and minifters; but never expected to have found fuch terrible ef fects of them in fo remote a country, governed, as I thought, by very different maxims from thofe in Europe. When I was just preparing to pay my attendance on the emperor of Blefufcu, a confiderable perfon at court (to whom I had been very ferviceable, at a time when he lay under the higheft difplea. fure of his imperial majefty) came to my houfe very privately at night in a clofe chair, and, without fending his name, defired admittance: the chairmen were difmiffed; I put the chair, with his lord hip in it, into my coatpocket; and, giving orders to a trully fervant to fay I was indifpofed and gone to fleep, I fastened the door of my house, placed the chair on the table according to my ufual cuftom, and fat down by it. After the common falutations were over, obferving his lordship's counte, nance full of concern, and enquiring into the reason, he defired I would hear him with patience in a matter that highly concerned my honour and my life. His fpeech was to the following effect, for I took notes of it as foon as he left me.

You are very fenfible that Skyrefh Bolgolam (galbet, or high-admiral) hath been your mortal enemy almoft ever fince your arrival: his original reafons I know not; but his hatred is increafed fince your great fuccefs against Blefufcu, by which his glory, as admiral, is much obfcured. This lord, in conjunction with Flimnap the hightreasurer, whofe enmity against you is notorious on account of his lady, Limtoc the general, Lalcon the chamberlain, and Balmuff the grand jufticiary, have prepared articles of impeachment against you for treafon, and other capital crimes.

This preface made me fo impatient, being confcious of my own merits and innocence, that I was going to inter

rupt: when he entreated me to be filent, and thus proceeded :

Out of gratitude for the favours you have done me, I procured information of the whole proceedings, and a copy of the articles; wherein I venture my head for your service.

Articles of impeachment against Quinbus Eleftrin, the Man-mountain.

ARTICLE I.

Whereas, by a ftatute made in the reign of his imperial majefty Calin Deffar Plune,it is enacted, that whoever shall make water within the precincts of the royal palace, fhall be liable to the pains and penalties of high-treafon: notwithftanding the faid Quinbus Fleftrin, in open breach of the faid law, under colour of extinguishing the fire kindled in the apartment of his majefty's moft dear imperial confort, did maliciously, traiterously, and devilishly, by discharge of his urine, put out the faid fire kindled in the faid apartment, lying and being within the precincts of the faid royal palace, against the ftatute in that cafe provided, &c. against the duty, &c.

ARTICLE II.

That the faid Quinbus Fleftrin having brought the imperial fleet of Bleterwards commanded by his imperial fufcu into the royal port, and being afmajefty to feize all the other fhips of the faid empire of Blefufcu, and reduce that empire to a province to be governed by a vice-roy from hence, and to destroy and put to death not only all the big-endian exiles, but likewife all the people of that empire, who would not immediately for fake the big-endian herefy: he the faid Fleftrin, like a falfe traitor against his moft aufpicious, ferene, imperial majefty, did petition to be excufed from the faid fervice, upon pretence of unwillingness to force the lives of an innocent people *. confciences, or destroy the liberties and

A lawyer thinks himself honeft if he does the best he can for his client, and a statesman if he promotes the intereft of his country; but the

dean here inculcates an higher notion of right and wrong, and obligations to a larger community.

ARTICLE

he had good reafons to think you were a Big-endian in your heart; and as treafon begins in the heart before it appears in overt-acts, fo he accufed you as a traitor on that account, and therefore infifted you should be put to death.

The treafurer was of the fame opinion he fhewed to what freights his majesty's revenue was reduced by the charge of maintaining you, which would foon grow infupportable: that the fecretary's expedient of putting out your eyes was fo far from being a remedy against this evil, that it would probably increase it, as is manifeft from the common practice of blinding fome kind of fowl, after which they fed the fafter, and grew fooner fat that his facred majefty and the council, who are your judges, were in their own confciences fully convinced of your guilt, which was a fufficient argument to condemn you to death, without the formal proofs required by the trict letter of the law *.

But his imperial majefty, fully determined against capital punishment, was graciously pleafed to fay, that fince the council thought the lofs of your eyes too eafy a cenfure, fome other may be inflicted hereafter. And your friend the fecretary, humbly defiring to be heard again, in anfwer to what the treasurer had objected concerning the great charge his majefty was at in maintaining you, faid, that his excellency, who had the fole difpofal of the emperor's revenue, might eafily provide against that evil, by gradually leffening your establishment; by which, for want of fufficient food, you would grow weak and faint, and fofe your appetite, and confume in a few months; neither would the stench of your carcase be then

There is fomething fo odious in whatever is wrong, that even those whom it does not fubject to punishment endeavour to colour it with an appearance of right; but the attempt is always unfuccessful, and only betrays a confcioufnefs of deformity by fhewing a defire to hide it. Thus the Lilliputian cou.t pretended a right to difpenfe with the ftri&t letter of the law to put Gulliver to death, thoug: by the ft ict letter of the law only he could be convicted of a crime; the intention

of the ftatute not being to fuffer the palace rather to be burnt than piffed upon,

fo dangerous, when it fhould become more than half diminished; and immediately upon your death five or fix thousand of his majesty's fubjects might in two or three days cut your flesh from your bones, take it away by cart-loads, and bury it in diftant parts to prevent infection, leaving the skeleton as a monument of admiration to pofterity.

Thus by the great friendship of the fecretary the whole affair was compromifed. It was ftrictly enjoined, that the project of starving you by degrees fhould be kept a fecret, but the fentenee of putting out your eyes was entered on the books; none diffenting except Bolgolam the admiral, who, being a creature of the emprefs's, was perpetually inftigated by her majesty to infift upon your death, fhe having borne perpetual malice against you on account of that infamous and illegal method you took to extinguish the fire in her apartment.

In three days, your friend the fecretary will be directed to come to your houfe, and read before you the articles of impeachment; and then to fignify the great lenity and favour of his majefty and council, whereby you are only condemned to the lofs of your eyes, which his majesty doth not queftion you will gratefully and humbly fubmit to; and twenty of his majefty's furgeons will attend in order to fee the operation well performed, by discharging very fharp-pointed arrows into the balls of your eyes, as you lie on the ground.

I leave to your prudence what meafures you will take; and, to avoid fufpicion, I muft immediately return in as private a manner as I came.

His lordship did fo, and I remained alone under many doubts and perplexities of mind.

It was a cuftom introduced by this prince and his miniftry (very different, as I have been affured, from the prac tices of former times) that after the court had decreed any cruel execution, either to gratify the monarch's refentment, or the malice of a favourite, his whole council, expreffing his great the emperor always made a fpeech to lenity and tenderness, as qualities known and confeffed by all the world.

This

This fpeech was immediately published through the kingdom; nor did any thing terrify the people fo much as thofe encomiums on his majesty's mercy; because it was obferved, that, the more these praises were enlarged and infifted on, the more inhuman was the punishment, and the fufferer more innocent. Yet as to myself, I must confefs, having never been defigned for a courtier, either by my birth or education, I was fo ill a judge of things, that I could not difcover the lenity and favour of this fentence, but conceived it (perhaps erroneously) rather to be rigorous than gentle. I fometimes thought of standing my trial; for, although I could not deny the facts alledged in the feveral articles, yet I hoped they would admit of fome extenuation. But hav. ing in my life perufed many ftate-trials, which I ever obferved to terminate as the judges thought fit to direct, I durft not rely on fo dangerous a decifion, in fo critical a juncture, and against fuch powerful enemies. Once I was ftrongÎy bent upon refiftance, for, while I had liberty, the whole ftrength of that empire could hardly fubdue me, and I might eafily with ftones pelt the metro polis to pieces; but I foon rejected that project with horror, by remembering the oath I had made to the emperor, the favours I had received from him, and the high title of nardac he conferred upon me. Neither had I fo foon learned the gratitude of courtiers, to perfuade myself, that his majefty's prefent feverities acquitted me of all paft obligations.

At laft I fixed upon a refolution, for which it is probable I may incur fome cenfure, and not unjustly; for I confefs I owe the preferving mine eyes, and confequently my liberty, to my own great rashness, and want of experience; becaufe, if I had then known the nature of princes and minifters, which I have fince obferved in many other courts, and their methods of treating criminals lefs obnoxious than myfelf, I fhould with great alacrity and readinefs have fubmitted to fo eafy a punishment. But hurried on by the precipitancy of youth, and having his imperial majefty's licence to pay my at

tendance upon the emperor of Blefufcu, I took this opportunity, before the three days were elapfed, to fend a letter to my friend the fecretary, fignifying my refolution of fetting out that morning for Blefufcu, pursuant to the leave I had got; and, without waiting for an answer, I went to that fide of the island where our fleet lay. I feized a large man of war, tied a cable to the prow, and, lifting up the anchors, I ftript myfelf, put my cloaths (together with my coverlet, which I carried under my arm) into the veffel, and drawing it after me, between wading and fwimming arrived at the royal port of Blefufcu, where the people had long expected me; they lent me two guides to direct me to the capital city, which is of the fame name, I held them in my hands, till I came within two hundred yards of the gate, and defired them to fignify my arrival to one of the secretaries, and let him know, I there waited his majefty's command. I had an anfwer 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 horfes, the emprefs and ladies from their coaches, and I did not perceive they were in any fright or concern. I lay on the ground to kifs his majesty's and the emprefs's hand. I told his majefty that I was come according to my promife, and with the licence of the emperor my mafter, to have the honour of feeing fo mighty a monarch, and to offer him. any fervice in my power confiftent with my duty to my own prince; not mentioning a word of my difgrace, becaufe I had hitherto no regular information of it, and might fuppofe myfelf wholly ignorant of any fuch defign; neither could I reafonably conceive that the emperor would difcover the fecret, while I was out of his power; wherein however it foon appeared I was deceived.

I fhall not trouble the reader with the particular account of my reception at this court, which was fuitable to the generofity of fo great a prince; nor of the difficulties I was in for want of a

houfe

house and bed, being forced to lie on the ground, wrapt up in my' coverlet.

CHAP. VIII.

The author, by a lucky accident, finds means to leave Blefufcu; and, after fome difficulties, returns fafe to his native country.

Three days after my arrival, walking out of curiofity to the north-eaft coaft of the island, I obferved about half a league off, in the fea, fomewhat that looked like a boat overturned. I pulled off my fhoes and ftockings, and, wading two or three hundred yards, I found the object to approach nearer by force of the tide and then plainly faw it to be a real boat, which I fuppofed might by fome tempeft have been driven from a fhip: whereupon I returned immediately towards the city, and defired his imperial majefty to lend me twenty of the tallest veffels he had left after the lofs of his fleet, and three thoufand feamen, under the command of his vice-admiral. This fleet failed round, while I went back the fhorteft way to the coaft, where I firft difcovered the boat; I found the tide had driven it ftill nearer. The feamen were all provided with cordage, which I had beforehand twifted to a fufficient ftrength. When the fhips came up, I ftript my. felf, and waded till I came within a hundred yards of the boat, after which I was forced to fwim till I got up to it. The feamen threw me the end of the cord, which I faftened to a hole in the fore-part of the boat, and the other end to a man of war: but I found all my labour to little purpofe; for, being out of my depth, I was not able to work. In this neceffity, I was forced to fwim behind, and push the boat forwards as often as I could, with one of my hands; and the tide favouring me I advanced fo far, that I could just hold up my chin and feel the ground. I refted two or three minutes, and then gave the boat another fhove, and fo on till the fea was no higher than my armpits; and now, the moft laborious part being over, I took out my other cables, which were ftowed in one of the fhips, and faftened them firft to the boat, and

then to nine of the veffels which attended me; the wind being favourable, the feamen towed, and I hoved till we arrived within forty yards of the shore, and, waiting till the tide was out, I got of two thousand men, with ropes and dry to the boat, and by the affittance engines, I made a fhift to turn it on its bottom, and found it was but little damaged.

I fhall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under by the help of certain paddles, which coft me ten days making, to get my boat to the royal port of Blefufcu, where a mighty concourfe of people appeared upon my arrival, full of wonder at the fight of fo prodigious a veffel. I told the emperor, that my good fortune had thrown this boat in my way to carry me to fome place, from whence I might return into my native country, and begged his majefty's orders for getting materials to fit it up, together with his licence to depart, which, after fome kind expoftutions, he was pleafed to grant.

I did very much wonder, in all this time, not to have heard of any exprefs relating to me from our emperor to the court of Blefufcu. But I was afterwards given privately to understand, that his imperial majefty, never imagining I had the leaft notice of his defigns, believed I was gone to Blefufcu in performance of my promife, according to the licence 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 laft in pain at my long abfence; and, after confulting with the treasurer and the reft of that cabal, a perfon of quality was difpatched with the copy of the articles against me. This envoy had inftructions to reprefent to the monarch of Blefufcu the great lenity of his mafter, who was content to punish me no farther than with the lofs of mine eyes; that I had fled from juftice, and, if I did not return in two hours, I fhould 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 mafter expected, that his brother of Blefufcu would give or