0 dresal, principal secretary for private affairs, | World. The emperor holds a stick in his is in my opinion, if I am not partial, the These diversions are often attended with hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates, advancing one by one, sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it, backward and forward, several times, according as the stick is advanced or depressed. Sometimes the emperor holds one end of the stick and the first minister the other; sometimes the minister has it entirely to himself. Whoever performs his part with the most agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue-colored silk; the red is given to the next, and the green to the third, which they all wear girt twice around about the middle; and you see few great persons about this court who are not adorned with one of these girdles.* The horses of the army and those of the There is likewise another diversion, which royal stables, having been daily led before is only shown before the emperor and em- me, were no longer shy, but would come up press and the first minister, upon particular to my very feet without starting. The riders occasions. The emperor lays on the table would leap them over my hand, as I held it three fine silken threads of six inches long; on the ground; and one of the emperor's one is blue, the other red, and the third huntsmen, upon a large courser, took my green. These threads are proposed as prizes foot, shoe and all, which was indeed a for those persons whom the emperor has a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune to mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of divert the emperor one day after a very his favor. The ceremony is performed in extraordinary manner. I desired he would his majesty's great chamber of state, where order several sticks of two feet high, and the the candidates are to undergo a trial of dex-thickness of an ordinary cane, to be brought terity very different from the former, and such as I have not observed the least resemblance of in any country of the New or Old And such was then the temper of the times; * Mr. Secretary Stanhope was most probably in + Walpole was compelled to resign his office of state through the intrigues of Lord Sunderland and Mr. Secretary Stanhope, who, following the king to Hanover, sought and found a favorable opportunity of supplanting Walpole and Townshend in the royal favor. After an exclusion of four years, which seemed, politically, "to have broken his neck," he was restored by his interest with the Duchess of Kendal, the favorite mistress of George I.; and this was "the king's cushion that lay accidentally on the ground, and weakened the force of the fall." me; whereupon his majesty commanded the master of his woods to give directions accordingly; and the next morning six woodmen arrived, with as many carriages, drawn by eight horses to each. I took nine of these sticks, and fixing them firmly in the ground in a quadrangular figure, two feet and a half square, I took four other sticks and tied them parallel at each corner, about two feet from the ground; then I fastened my handkerchief to the nine sticks that stood erect, and extended it on all sides, till it was tight as the top of a drum; and the four. parallel sticks, rising about five inches higher than * The revival of the Order of the Bath by Sir Robert Walpole in 1726, as a cheap means of gratifying his political adherents, was fair game to a satirist like Swift. Walpole was distinguished, not only by the Order of the Bath, but by that of the Garter, which was conferred on him in 1726. Coxe's Life of Walpole. It is scarcely necessary to mention that blue is the cognizance of the Garter, red of the Bath, and green of the Thistle. the handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When I had finished my work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of the best horse, twenty-four in number, come and exercise upon this plain. His majesty approved of the proposal, and I took them up, one by one, in my hands, ready mounted and armed, with the proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got into order, they divided into two parties, performed mock skirmishes, discharged blunt arrows, drew their swords, fled and pursued, attacked and retired, and, in short, discovered the best military discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their horses from falling over the stage; and the emperor was so much delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated several days, and once was pleased to be lifted up, and give the word of command, and with great difficulty persuaded even the empress herself to let me hold her in her close chair within two yards of the stage, when she was able to take a full view of the whole performance. It was my good fortune that no ill accident happened in these entertainments; only once a fiery horse, that belonged to one of the captains, pawing with his hoof, struck a hole in my handkerchief, and his foot slipping, he overthrew his rider and himself; but I immediately relieved them both, and, covering the hole with one hand, I set down the troop with the other, in the same manner as I took them up. The horse that fell was strained 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 strength of it any more in such dangerous enterprises. About two or three days before I was set at liberty, as I was 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 bedchamber, 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 that 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 never observed, but thought my hat had been lost at sea. I entreated 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 abreast, and the horse by sixteen, with drums beating, colors flying, and pikes advanced. This body consisted of three thousand foot and a thousand horse. His majesty gave orders, upon pain of death, that every soldier in his march should observe the strictest politeness as to my ap pearance; which, however, could not prevent some of the younger officers from turning up their eyes, as they passed under me; and, to confess the truth, my clothes were at that time in so ill a condition that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and admira- | to that people, as well as to know the articles tion.* 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 afterward 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 * The author probably intends to ridicule the partiality of George I. for reviews and military pageantry. Hogarth's celebrated picture of the "March of the Guards to Finchly" belongs to a much later period, but its satiric touches would probably have been as applicable in the reign of the first as of the second George. + Skyresh Bolgolam is most probably the Duke of Argyle, who was greatly incensed at Swift's attacks on the Scottish nation, in his "Public Spirit of the Whigs." In an unfinished poem on himself, the Dean alludes to the proclamation offering three hundred pounds for the discovery of the author of this pamphlet, which was issued at the demand rather than the request of the Duke of Argyle; he conducted all the Scotch lords in a body to demand an audience of the queen and seek reparation. "The queen incensed, his services forgot, Leaves him a victim to the vengeful Scot; Now through the realm a proclamation spread To fix a price on his devoted head, While, innocent, he scorns ignoble flight; His watchful friends preserve him by a sleight." See also the character given of Argyle in Swift's notes on Macky, Appendix to Lilliput I. 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.* CGOLBASTO 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 at our celestial dominions, the following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to perform : I. The Man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions without our license un der our great seal. II. 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 doors. III. 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. IV. As he walks the said roads he shall take the utmost care not 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 con sent. V. If an express requires extraordinary despatch, 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. * In his description of Lilliput, in the following Articles, Gulliver seems to have had England more immediately in view. In his description of Blefuscu, he seems to intend the people and kingdom of France. Orrery. It is perhaps in order to qualify this parallel that Swift has changed the relative description of the two countries, and made Lilliput the continent, Blefuscu the island. — Sir Walter Scott. VI. He shall be our ally against our ene- | the similarity of their bodies, that mine must mies in the island of Blefuscu, and do his contain at least 1724 of theirs, and conseutmost to destroy their fleet, which is now preparing to invade us. quently 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 VII. That the said Man-mountain shall, at his time of leisure, be aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain great stones towards covering the wall of so great a prince. the principal park, and other our royal buildings. LIB OF THE R UNIVERSITY CHAPTER Iy. VIII. That the said Man-mountain shall in two moons' time, deliver in an exact survey of the circumference of our dominions, MILDENDO, THE METROPOLI by a computation of his own paces round the coast. Lastly, That upon his solemn oath to observe all the above articles, the said Manmountain 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 faGiven at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the ninety-first moon of our reign. vor. 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 of 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 determined 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 OF LLIPUT, DESCRIBED, TOGETHER WITH THE EMPEROR'S PALACE. - A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND A PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, CONCERNING THE AFFAIRS OF THAT EMPIRE. -THE AUTHOR OFFERS TO SERVE THE EMPEROR IN HIS WARS. LIBERTY having been granted me, my first request was for permission to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the emperor readily allowed me, but with a special charge to do no hurt either to the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall which encompassed it is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently and sidelong through the two principal streets only in my short waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses with the skirts of my coat. I walked with the utmost circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets; although the orders were very strict, that all people should keep in their houses at their own peril. The garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more populous place. The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across and divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not enter, but only viewed them as I passed, are from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding five hundred thousand souls; the houses are from three to five stories; the shops and markets well provided. 2 |