at length, struggling to get loose. I had the 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, and at the same time with a violent pull,
which gave me excessive pain, I a little 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 ceased I heard one of them cry aloud, "Tolgo
phonac;" when in an instant I felt above an hundred arrows discharged
on my left hand, which pricked me like so many needles; and besides,
they shot another flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe,
whereof many, I suppose, fell on my body (though I felt them not), and
some on my face, which I immediately covered with my left hand. When
this shower of arrows was over, I fell a-groaning with grief and pain,
and then striving again to get loose, they discharged another volley
larger than the first, and some of them attempted with spears to stick
me in the sides; but by good luck I had on me a buff jerkin, which
they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent method to lie
still, and my design was to continue so till night, when, my left hand
being already loose, I could easily free myself: and as for the
inhabitants, I had reason to believe I might be a match for the
greatest army they could bring against me, if they were all of the
same size with him that I saw. But fortune disposed otherwise of me.
When the people observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows;
but, by the noise I heard, I knew their numbers increased; and about
four yards from me, over against my right ear, I heard a knocking for
above an hour, like that of people at work; when turning my head that
way, as well as the pegs and strings would permit me, I saw a stage
erected about a foot and half from the ground, capable of holding four
of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it: from whence
one of them, who seemed to be a person of quality, made me a long
speech, whereof I understood not one syllable. But I should have
mentioned, that before the principal person began his oration, he
cried out three times, "Langro dehul san" (these words and the former
were afterwards repeated and explained to me). Whereupon, immediately
about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the strings that fastened
the left side of my head, which gave me the liberty of turning it to
the right, and of observing the person and gesture of him that was to
speak. He appeared to be of a middle age, and taller than any of the
other three who attended him, whereof one was a page that held up his
train, and seemed to be somewhat longer than my middle finger; the
other two stood one on each side to support him. He acted every part
of an orator, and I could observe many periods of threatenings, and
others of promises, pity, and kindness. I answered in a few words, but
in the most submissive manner, lifting up my left hand and both my
eyes to the sun, as calling him for a witness; and being almost
famished with hunger, having not eaten a morsel for some hours before
I left the ship, I found the demands of nature so strong upon me that
I could not forbear showing my impatience (perhaps against the strict
rules of decency) by putting my finger frequently to my mouth, to
signify that I wanted food. The _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 which above an hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and
walked towards my mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had
been provided and sent thither by the king's orders, upon the first
intelligence he received of me. I observed there was the flesh of
several animals, but could not distinguish them by the taste. There
were shoulders, legs, and loins shaped like those of mutton, and very
well dressed, but smaller than the wing of a lark. I eat them by two
or three at a mouthful, and took three loaves at a time, about the
bigness of musket bullets. They supplied me as they could, showing a
thousand marks of wonder and astonishment at my bulk and appetite.
I then made another sign that I wanted drink. They found by my eating
that a small quantity would not suffice me; and being a most ingenious
people, they slung up, with great dexterity, one of their largest
hogsheads, then rolled it towards my hand, and beat out the top; I
drank it off at a draught, which I might well do, for it did not hold
half a pint, and tasted like a small wine of Burgundy, but much more
delicious. They brought me a second hogshead, which I drank in the
same manner, and made signs for more; but they had none to give me.
When I had performed these wonders they shouted for joy, and danced
upon my breast, repeating several times as they did at first, "Hekinah
degul." They made me a sign that I should throw down the two
hogsheads, but first warning the people below to stand out of the way,
crying aloud, "Borach mevola;" and when they saw the vessels in the
air there was an 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 in 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
behavior--soon drove out these imaginations. Besides, I now considered
myself as bound by the laws of hospitality to a people who had treated
me with so much expense and magnificence. However, in my thoughts I
could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive
mortals, who durst venture to mount and walk upon my body while one of
my hands was at liberty, without trembling at the very sight of so
prodigious a creature as I must appear 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 from his imperial majesty. His
excellency, having mounted on the small of my right leg, advanced
forwards up 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; often pointing forwards,
which, as I afterwards found, was towards the capital city, about half
a mile distant, whither it was agreed by his majesty in council that I
must be conveyed. I answered in few words, but to no purpose, and made
a sign with my hand that was loose, putting it to the other (but over
his excellency's head for fear of hurting him or his train) and then
to my own head and body, to signify that I desired my liberty.
[Illustration: PRODUCING HIS CREDENTIALS UNDER THE SIGNET ROYAL]
It appeared that he understood me well enough, for he shook his head
by way of disapprobation, and held his hand in a posture to show that
I must be carried as a prisoner. However, he made other signs, to let
me understand that I should have meat and drink enough, and very good
treatment. Whereupon I once more thought of attempting to break my
bonds; but again, when I felt the smart of their arrows upon my face
and hands, which were all in blisters, and many of the darts still
sticking in them, and observing likewise that the number of my enemies
increased, I gave tokens to let them know that they might do with me
what they pleased. Upon this the _hurgo_ and his train withdrew, with
much civility and cheerful countenances. Soon after I heard a general
shout, with frequent repetitions of the words, "Peplom selan;" and I
felt great numbers of people on my left side relaxing the cords to
such a degree that I was able to turn upon my right. But, before this,
they had daubed my face and both my hands with a sort of ointment,
very pleasant to the smell, which in a few minutes removed all the
smart of their arrows. These circumstances, added to the refreshment I
had received by their victuals and drink, which were very nourishing,
disposed me to sleep. I slept about eight hours, as I was afterwards
assured; and it was no wonder, for the physicians, by the emperor's
order, had mingled a sleepy potion in the hogsheads of wine.
It seems that upon the first moment I was discovered sleeping on the
ground, after my landing, the emperors had early notice of it by an
express, and determined in council that I should be tied in the manner
I have related (which was done in the night, while I slept), that
plenty of meat and drink should be sent to 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 endeavored to kill me with their spears and arrows, while I
was asleep, I should certainly have awaked with the first sense of
smart, which might so far have roused 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 arrived to a great
perfection in mechanics by the countenance and encouragement of the
emperor, who is a renowned patron of learning. This prince hath
several machines fixed on wheels, for the carriage of trees and other
great weights. He often builds his largest men-of-war, whereof some
are nine feet long, in the woods where the timber grows, and has them
carried on these engines three or four hundred yards to the sea. Five
hundred carpenters and engineers were immediately set at work to
prepare the greatest 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. The shout I heard was upon the arrival
of this engine, which, it seems, set out in four hours after my
landing. It was brought parallel to me, as I lay. But the principal
difficulty was to raise and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles,
each of one foot high, were erected for this purpose, and very strong
cords, of the bigness of pack-thread, were fastened by hooks to many
bandages, which the workmen had girt round my neck, my hands, my body,
and my legs. Nine hundred of the strongest men were employed to draw
up these cords, by many pulleys fastened on the poles; and thus, in
less than three hours, I was raised and slung into the engine, and
there tied fast. All this I was told; for, while the whole operation
was performing, I lay in a profound sleep, by the force of that
soporiferous medicine infused into my liquor. Fifteen hundred of the
emperor's largest horses, each about four inches and a half high, were
employed to draw me towards the metropolis, which, as I said, was half
a mile distant.
About four hours after we began our journey, I awaked by a very
ridiculous accident; for the carriage being stopped awhile, 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 advancing 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 unperceived, and it was
three weeks before I knew the cause of my waking so suddenly. We made
a long march the remaining part of that day, and rested at night with
five hundred guards on each side of me, half with torches, and half
with bows and arrows, ready to shoot me if I should offer to stir. The
next morning at sunrise we continued our march, and arrived within two
hundred yards of the city gates about noon. The emperor and all his
court, came out to meet us, but his great officers would by no means
suffer his majesty to endanger his person by mounting on my body.
At the place where the carriage stopped there stood an ancient temple,
esteemed to be 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 on 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 great
gate, fronting to the north, was about four feet high and almost 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 fourscore 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 of the great
highway, at twenty feet distance, there was a turret at least five
feet high. Here the emperor ascended, with many principal lords of his
court, to have an opportunity of viewing me, as I was told, for I
could not see them. It was reckoned that above an hundred thousand
inhabitants came out of the town upon the same errand; and in spite of
my guards, I believe there could not be fewer than ten thousand, at
several times, who mounted my body by the help of ladders. But a
proclamation was soon issued, to forbid it upon pain of death. When
the workmen found it was impossible for me to break loose they cut all
the strings that bound me; whereupon I rose up, with as melancholy a
disposition as ever I had in my life. But the noise and astonishment
of the people, at seeing me rise and walk, are not to be expressed.
The chains that held my left leg were about two yards long, and gave
me not only the liberty of walking backwards and forwards in a
semicircle, but, being fixed within four inches of the gate, allowed
me to creep in, and lie at my full length in the temple.
GULLIVER SEIZES THE ENEMY'S FLEET
_By Jonathan Swift_
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty,
Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) of private affairs,
came to my house attended only by one servant. He ordered his coach to
wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an hour's audience;
which I readily consented to, on account of his quality and personal
merits, as well as the many good offices he had done me during my
solicitations at court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more
conveniently reach my ear; but he chose rather to let me hold him in
my hand during our conversation. He began with compliments on my
liberty; said he might pretend to some merit in it; but, however,
added, that if it had not been for the present situation of things at
court, perhaps I might not have obtained it so soon. "For," said he,
"as flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners,
we labor under two mighty evils: a violent faction at home, and the
danger of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the
first, you are to understand that for above seventy moons past there
have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of
_Tramecksan_ and _Slamecksan_, from the high and low heels of their
shoes, by which they distinguish themselves. It is alleged, indeed,
that the high heels are most agreeable to our ancient constitution;
but, however this may be, his majesty hath determined to make use of
only low heels in the administration 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 a _drurr_ than
any of his court [_drurr_ is a measure about the fourteenth part of an
inch]. The animosities between these two parties run so high, that
they will neither eat nor drink nor talk with each other. We compute
the _Tramecksan_, or high heels, to exceed us in number; but the power
is wholly on our side. We apprehend his imperial highness, the heir to
the crown, to have some tendency towards the high heels; at least, we
can plainly discover that one of his heels is higher than the other,
which gives him a hobble in his gait. Now, in the midst of these
intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the
island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe,
almost as large and powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we
heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the
world inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our
philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you
dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is certain that
an hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the
fruits and cattle of his majesty's dominions; besides, our histories
of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the
two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers
have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war
for six-and-thirty moons past. It began upon the following occasion:
it is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs,
before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present 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 subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their
eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell
us there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one
emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions
were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they
were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is
computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered
death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many
hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: 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 these troubles, the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently
expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in
religion by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great
prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral, which
is their Alcoran. This, however, is thought to be a mere strain 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 seems, in
my humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience, or at least
in the power of the chief magistrate to determine.
"Now, the Big-Endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor
of Blefuscu's court, and so much private assistance and encouragement
from their party here at home, that a bloody war hath been carried on
between the two empires for thirty-six moons, with various success;
during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much greater
number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best
seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned
to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a
numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a descent upon us; and
his imperial majesty, placing great confidence in your valor and
strength, hath commanded me to lay this account of his 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 parties; but I was ready, with the hazard
of my life, to defend his person and state against all invaders.
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
pack-thread, 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 to 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 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 searches. 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, farther
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 it. When I had got out of danger, I stopped awhile 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 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 Big-Endian 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.
A LILLIPUTIAN ODE TO THE MAN-MOUNTAIN
_By Jonathan Swift_
In amaze,
Lost, I gaze!
Can our eyes
Reach thy size?
May my lays
Swell with praise!
Worthy thee!
Worthy me!
Muse, inspire
All thy fire.
Bards of old
Of him told,
When they said
Atlas' head
Propt the skies:
See, and believe your eyes.
See him stride
Valleys wide:
Over woods,
Over floods,
When he treads,
Mountains' heads
Groan and shake;
Armies quake,
Lest his spurn
Overturn
Man and steed:
Troops take heed!
Left and right,
Speed your flight!
Lest an host
Beneath his foot be lost.
Turn'd aside
From his hide,
Safe from wound
Darts rebound;
From his nose
Clouds he blows;
When he speaks,
Thunder breaks!
When he eats,
Famine threats;
When he drinks,
Neptune shrinks!
Nigh thy ear,
In mid air,
On thy hand
Let me stand;
So shall I,
Lofty poet, touch the sky.
AMONG THE BROBDINGNAGIAN GIANTS
_By Jonathan Swift_