entertaining the court with this kind of feats, 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
edges 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 without motion;
and some of them had walked round it several times; that, by
mounting upon each other's shoulders, they had got to the top,
which was flat and even, and, stamping upon it, they found 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 this
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 came to land; the string, as
I conjecture, breaking by some accident which I never observed,
but thought my hat had been lost at sea. I intreated his Imperial
Majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as
possible, describing to him the use and the nature of it; and the
next day the wagoners 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 fastened two hooks in the holes; these
hooks were tied by a long cord to the harness, and thus my hat was
dragged along for above half an English mile; but, the ground in
that country being extremely smooth and level, it received less
damage than I expected.
Two days after this adventure, the emperor having ordered that
part of his army, which quarters in and about his metropolis, to
be in readiness, took a fancy of diverting 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 in a-breast, 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 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 complexion. However, he was at length persuaded to
comply; but prevailed 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-secretaries, and several
persons of distinction. After they were 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 articles upon which I recovered my liberty, I have
made a translation of the whole instrument, word for word, as near
as I was able, which I here offer to the public.
GOLBASTO MOMAREM EVLAME GURDILO SHEFIN MULLY ULLY GUE, most
mighty Emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the universe,
whose dominions extend five thousand _blustrugs_ (about
twelve miles in circumference), to the extremities of the globe;
monarch of all monarchs, taller than the sons 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 to 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.
2d. 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 their doors.
3d. 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 riot
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 dispatch, the Man-
Mountain shall be obliged to carry in his pocket the messenger and
horse a six days' journey once in every moon, and return the said
messenger back (if so required) safe to our imperial presence.
6th. He shall be our ally against our enemies in the Island of
Blefuscu, and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now
preparing to invade us.
7th. That the said Man-Mountain shall, at his times of leisure, be
aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain
great stones, towards covering the wall of the principal park, and
other our royal buildings.
8th. That the said Man-Mountain shall, in two moons' time, deliver
in 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 1724 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 cheerfulness
and content, although some of them were not so honorable as I
could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the malice of
Skyresh Bolgolam, the high admiral; whereupon 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 acknowledgments, 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 for the future.
The reader may please to observe, that, in the last article for
the recovery of my liberty, the emperor stipulates to allow me a
quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724
Lilliputians. Some time after, asking a friend at court how they
came to fix on that determinate 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, 1724 of theirs,
and, consequently, would require as much food as was necessary to
support that number of Lilliputians. By which, the reader may
conceive an idea of the ingenuity of that people, as well as the
prudent and exact economy of so great a prince.
GULLIVER CAPTURES FIFTY OF THE ENEMY'S SHIPS
By Jonathan Swift
The empire of Blefuscu is an island, situated to the northeast
side of Lilliput, from whence 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 harbor 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, who 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 northeast 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, binding the extremities into a hook. Having thus
fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the northeast
coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into
the sea, in my leathern jerkin, about 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 frighted 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 the hole at the prow of each, I
tied 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, besides the excessive smart, gave me
much disturbance in my work. My greatest apprehension was for mine
eyes, which I should have 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 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 discompose 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 above two hundred shots 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 imagination 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
ships run adrift, or fall foul on each other; but when they
perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at
the end, they set up such a scream of grief and despair that it is
almost impossible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of
danger, I stopped a while to pick out the arrows that stuck in my
hands and face; and rubbed on some of the same ointment that was
given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then
took off my spectacles, and, waiting about an hour till the tide
was a little fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and
arrived safe at the royal port of Lilliput.
The emperor and his whole court stood on the shore expecting the
issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in
a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my
breast 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 a hostile manner; but he was soon eased 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 Emperor of Lilliput!" This great
prince received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and
created me a _nardac_ upon the spot, which is the highest
title of honor among them.
His Majesty desired I would take some other opportunity of
bringing all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports. And so
unmeasurable 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 Bigendian
exiles and compelling that people to break the smaller end
of their eggs, by which he would remain the sole monarch of the
whole world. But I endeavored to divert him from his design, by
many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as justice;
and I plainly protested, that I would never be an instrument of
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. And 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 had like to have
ended in my utter destruction. Of so little weight are the
greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a
refusal to gratify their passions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn
embassy from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace; which was
soon concluded upon conditions very advantageous to our emperor,
wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six
ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons, and their
entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their
master, and the importance of their business. When their treaty
was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the
credit I now had, or at least 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
world with admiration, and whose royal person I resolved to attend
before I returned to my own country; accordingly the next time I
had the honor to see our emperor, I desired his general licence to
wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he was pleased to grant
me, as I could plainly perceive, in a very cold manner; but could
not guess the reason, till I had a whisper from a certain person,
that Flimnap and Bolgolam had represented my intercourse with
these ambassadors as a mark of disaffection, from which I am sure
my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to
conceive some imperfect idea of courts and ministers.
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke to me by an
interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from
each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself
upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongues, with
an avowed contempt for that of their neighbor; 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, from the continual reception of exiles, which is mutual
among them, and from the custom in each empire to send 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 merchants, or seamen, who
dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold conversation in
both tongues; as I found some weeks after, when I went to pay my
respects to the Emperor of Blefuscu, which, in the midst of great
misfortunes through the malice of my enemies, proved a very happy
adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper place.
The reader may remember, that, when I signed those articles upon
which I recovered my liberty, there were some which I disliked
upon account of their being too servile, neither could anything
but an extreme necessity have forced me to submit. But, being now
a _nardac_ of the highest rank in that empire, such offices
were looked down upon as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do
him justice) never once mentioned them to me.
GULLIVER LEAVES LILLIPUT
By Jonathan Swift
Three days after my arrival, walking out of curiosity to the
northeast 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 the 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 an hundred yards of the boat, after
which I was forced to swim till I got up to it. The seamen threw
me the end of the cord, which I fastened to a hole in the fore-
part of the boat, and the other end to a man-of-war. But I found
all my labor to little purpose; for, being out of my depth, I was
not able to work. In this necessity, I was forced to swim behind,
and push the boat forwards as often as I could, with one of my
hands; and, the tide favoring me, I advanced so far, that I could
just hold up my chin and feel the ground. I rested two or three
minutes, and then gave the boat another shove, and so on, till the
sea was no higher than my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious
part being over, I took out my other cables, which were stowed in
one of the ships, and fastened them first to the boat, and then to
nine of the vessels which attended me; the wind being favorable,
the seamen towed, and I shoved till we arrived within forty yards
of the shore, and, waiting till the tide was out, I got dry to
the boat, and by the assistance of two thousand men, with ropes,
and engines, I made a shift to turn it on its bottom, and found it
was but little damaged.
I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under,
by the help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days making, to
get 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 so prodigious a vessel. I told the emperor that my
good fortune had thrown this boat in my way, to carry me to some
place from whence I might return into my native country, and
begged his Majesty's orders for getting materials to fit it up,
together with his licence to depart, which, after some kind
expostulations, he was pleased to grant.
I did very much wonder, in all this time, not to have 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 was only gone to Blefuscu, in performance of
my promise, 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 last in pain at my long absence;
and, after consulting with the treasurer and the rest of the
cabal, a person of quality was dispatched with the 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 my 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 give orders to have me
sent back to Lilliput, bound hand and foot, to be punished as a
traitor.
The Emperor of Blefuscu, having taken three days to consult,
returned an answer, consisting of many civilities and excuses. He
said that as for sending me bound, his brother knew it was
impossible; that although I had deprived him of his fleet, yet he
owed great obligations to me for many good offices I had done him
in making the peace; that, however, both their Majesties would
soon be made easy; for I had found a prodigious vessel on the
shore, able to carry me on the sea, which he had given orders to
fit up with my own assistance and direction; and he hoped, in a
few weeks, both empires would be freed from so insupportable an
encumbrance.
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. Neither
did I find the emperor at all displeased, and I discovered, by a
certain accident, that he was very glad of my resolution, and so
were most of his ministers. These considerations moved me to
hasten my 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_ apiece, together with his
picture at full length, which I put immediately into one of my
gloves, to keep it from being hurt. The ceremonies at my
departure were too many to trouble the reader with at this time.
I stored the boat with the carcases of an 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 a diligent search into my pockets, his Majesty engaged my
honor not to carry away any of his subjects, although with their
own consent and desire.