You are very fenfible that Skyresh Bolgolam (galbet, or high-admiral) hath been your mortal enemy almost 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 treason, and other capital crimes.

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

tor against his moft aufpicious, ferene, imperial majefty, did petition to be excufe from the faid fervice, upon pretence of unwillingness to force the confciences, or destroy the liberties and lives of an innocent people *.

ARTICLE III..

That, whereas certain ambaladors arrived from the court of Blefuicu to fue for peace in his majefty's court: he the faid Fleftrin did, like a falfe traitor, aid, abet, comfort, and divert the faid ambaffadors, although he knew them to be fervants to a prince who was lately an open enemy to his imperial majesty, and in open war against his faid majesty.

ARTICLE IV.

That the faid Quinbus Flefrin, contrary to the duty of a faithful fubject, is now preparing to make a voyage to the court and empire of Blefufcu, for which he hath received only verbal licence from his imperial majefty; and under colour of the

trin, 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 fhall make water within the precincts of the royal palace, fhall be liable to the pains and penalties of high treafon: notwithstanding the faid Quinbus Fleftrin, in open breach of the faid law, under colour of extinguifhing the fire kindled in the apartment of his majefty's most dear imperial confort, did malicioufly, traiterously, and devilishly, by difcharge of his urine, put out the faid fire kindled in the faid apartment, lying and being within the precincts of the faid royal palace, againft the ftatute in that cafe provided, &c. against the duty, &c.

ARTICLE II.

That the faid Quinbus Fleftrin having brought the imperial fleet of Blefufcu into the royal port, and being afterwards commanded by his imperial majefty to feize all the other hips of the faid empire of Blefufcu, and reduce that empire to a province to be governed by a vice-roy from herce, and to deftroy and put to death not only all the big-endian exiles, but likewife all the people of that empire, who would not immediately forfake the big-endian herefy he the faid Fleftrin, like a falfe trai

intend to take the faid voyage, and thereby to aid, comfort, and abet the emperor of Blefufcu, fo late an enemy, and in open war with his imperial majesty aforefaid.

There are fome other articles, but these are the most important, of which I have read you an abstract.

In the feveral debates upon this impeachment it must be confeiled that his majefty gave many marks of his great lenity, often urging the fervices you had done him, and endeavouring to extenuate your crimes. The treafurer and admiral infifted that you should be put to the most painful and ignominious death, by fetting fire on your houfe at night, and the general was to attend with twenty thousand men armed with poifoned arrows to fhoot you on the face and hands. Some of your fervants were to have private orders to itrew a poisonous juice on your thirts and sheets, which would foon make you tear your own flesh, and die in the utmoft torture. The general came into the fame opinion; fo that for a long time there was a majority against you: but his majefty refolving, if poffible,"

the beft 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.

A lawyer thinks himself honeft if he does

to fpare your life, at laft brought off the chamberlain.

Upon this incident Reldrefal, principal fecretary for private affairs, who always approved himself your true friend, was commanded by the emperor to deliver his opinion, which he accordingly did: and therein juftified the good thoughts you have of him. He allowed your crimes to be great, but that ftill there was room for mercy, the most commendable virtue in a prince, and for which his majesty was fo justly celebrated. He faid, the friendship between you and him was fo well known to the world, that perhaps the most honourable board might think him partial: however, in obedience to the command he had received, he would freely offer his fentiments. That if his majefty, in confideration of your services, and pursuant to his own merciful difpofition, would please to fpare your life, and only give order to put out both your eyes, he humbly conceived, that by this expedient justice might in fome measure be justified, and all the world would applaud the lenity of the emperor, as well as the fair and generous proceedings of thofe who have the honour to be his counfellors. That the lofs of your eyes would be no impediment to your bodily ftrength, by which you might ftill be useful to his majefty that blindness is an addition to courage, by concealing dangers from us; that the fear you had for your eyes, was the greatest difficulty in bringing over the enemy's fleet; and it would be fufficient for you to fee by the eyes of the minifters, fince the greatest princes do no more.

This propofal was received with the utmost difapprobation by the whole board. Bolgolam the admiral could not preferve his temper; but rifing up in fury faid, he wondered how the fecretary durft prefume to give his opinion for preferving the life of a traitor that the fervices you had performed were, by all true reasons of ftate, the great aggravation of your crimes; that you, who was able to extinguish the fire by discharge of urine in her majesty's apartment (which he mentioned with horror) might at another time raife an inundation by the fame means to drown the whole palace; and the fame ftrength, which enabled you to bring over the enemy's fleet, might ferve upon the firft difcontent to carry them back: that he had good reafons to think you were a Big-endian in your heart; and as treafon begins in the heart before it appear in overt acts, fo he

accufed you as a traitor on that account, and therefore infifted you should be put to death.

The treasurer 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 secretary's expedient of putting out your eyes was fo far from being a remedy againit 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, with out the formal proofs required by the strict letter of the law *.

But his imperial majefty, fully deter mined against capital punishment, was graciously pleafed to fay, that fiuce the council thought the lofs of your eyes too easy a cenfure, fome other may be inflicted hereafter. And your friend the fecretary, humbly defiring to be heard again, in anfwer to what the treafurer had objected concerning the great charge his majesty was at in maintaining you, faid, that his excellency, who had the fole difpofal of the emperor's revenue, might easily provide against that evil, by gradually leffening your establishment; by which, for want of fufficient food, you would grow weak and faint, and lofe your appetite, and confume in a few months; neither would the stench of your carcafe be then fo dangerous, when it thould become more than half diminished; and immediately upon your death five or fix thoufand of his majesty's fubjects might in two or three days cut your fein from your bones, take it away by cartloads, 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 fe

* There is fomething fo odious in whatever is wrong, that even thofe whom it does not subject to

punishment endeavour to colour it with an appearance of right; but the attempt is always fuccefsful, and only betrays a confciouiners of deformity by thewing a defire to hide it. Thus the with the ftrict letter of the law to put Gelliver Lilliputian court pretended a right to dipente to death, though by the ftrict letter of the law only he could be convicted of a crime; the intention of the ftatute not being to fui ue palace rather to be burnt than pilled upon.

cretary

cretary the whole affair was compromifed. It was strictly enjoined, that the project of ftarving you by degrees fhould be kept a fecret, but the fentence 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 majefty to infift upon your death, the having borne perpetual malice against you on account of that infamous and illegal method you took to extinguifh 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 majefty doth not queftion you will gratefully and humbly fubmit to; and twenty of his majesty'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 measures 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 custom introduced by this prince and his ministry (very different, as I have been affured, from the practices 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, the emperor always made a fpeech to his whole council, expreffing his great lenity and tenderness, as qualities known and confeffed by all the world. 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 observed, that, the more thefe praifes were enlarged and insisted on, the more inhuman was the punishment, and the fufferer more innocent. Yet as to myfelf, I muft 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 erroneoufly) rather to be rigorous than gentle. I fometimes thought of ftanding 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 having in my life perufed many statetrials, 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 strongly bent upon refiftance, for, while I had liberty, the whole ftrength of that empire could hardly fubdue me, and I might eafily with stones pelt the metropolis 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 myfelf, that his majesty'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 confess I owe the preferving mine eyes, and confequently my liberty, to my own great rafhness, and want of experience; because, 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 myself, I fhould with great alacrity and readiness have submitted to fo eafy a punishment. But harried on by the precipitancy of youth, and having his imperial majefty's licence to pay my attendance upon the emperor of Blefufcu, I took this opportunity, before the three days were elafped, 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 an chors, I ftript myfelf, put my cloaths (together with my coverlet, which I carried under my arm) into the veffei, 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 fecretaries, and let him know, I there waited his majesty's command. I had an anfwer in about an hour, that his majesty, attended 3L 2

by

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 empress 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 matter, 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, because I had hitherto no regular information of it, and might fuppofe myfelf wholly ignorant of any fuch defign; neither could I reasonably 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 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 viceadmiral. This fleet failed round, while I went back the shortest way to the coaft, where I first discovered the boat; I found the tide had driven it ftill nearer. The feamen were all provided with cordage, which I had beforehand twisted to a fuffi

cient ftrength. When the fhips came up, I ftript myfelf, 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 purpose; for, being out of my depth, I was not able to work. In this neceflity, 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 juft hold up my chin and feel the ground. I refted two or three minutes, and then gave the boat another thove, and fo on till the fea was no higher than my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part being over, I took out my other cables, which were flowed in one of the fhips, and faftened them first to the boat, and then to nine of the veffels which attended me; the wind being favourable, the feamen towed, and I fhoved, 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 affiftance of two thoufand men, with ropes and 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 vefiel. 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 expoftulations, he was pleased 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 underftand, 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 rest of

that

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 orders to have me fent back to Lilliput, bound hand and foot, to be punished as a traitor.

The emperor of Blefufcu, having taken three days to confult, returned an answer confifting of many civilities and excufes. He faid, that, as for fending me bound, his brother knew it was impoffible; 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 majefties would foon be made easy; for I had found a prodigious veffel on the fhore, able to carry me on the fea, which he had given order to fit up with my own affiftance and direction; and he hoped in a few weeks both empires would be freed from fo infupportable an incumbrance.

With this anfwer the envoy returned to Lilliput, and the monarch of Blefufcu related to me all that had paffed; offering me at the fame time (but under the ftricteft confidence) his gracious protection, if I would continue in his fervice; wherein although I believed him fincere, yet I refolved never more to put any confidence in princes or minifters, where I could poffibly avoid it; and therefore, with all due acknowledgments for his favourable intentions, I humbly begged to be excufed. I told him, that fince fortune, whether good or evil, had thrown a veffel in my way, I was refolved to venture myfelf in the ocean, rather than be an occafion of difference between two fuch mighty monarchs. Neither did I find the emperor at all difpleafed; and I discovered by a certain accident, that he was very glad of my refolution, and fo were moft of his minifters.

Thefe confiderations moved me to haften my departure fomewhat fooner than I intended; to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very readily contributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to

make two fails to my boat, according to my directions, by quilting thirteen fold of their flrongeft linen together. I was at the pains of making ropes and cables, by twifting ten, twenty, or thirty of the thickeft and strongest of theirs. A great ftone that I happened to find, after a long fearch, by the fea-fhore, ferved me for an anchor. I had the tallow of three hundred cows for greafing my boat, and other ufes. I was at incredible pains in cutting down some of the largest timber-trees for oars and mafts, wherein I was however much affifted by his majefty's fhip-carpenters, who helped me in fmoothing them after I had done the rough work.

In about a month, when all was prepared, I fent to receive his majesty's commands, and to take iny leave. The emperor and royal family came out of the palace; I lay down on my face to kifs his hand, which he very graciously gave me ; fo did the emprefs, and young princes of the blood. His majesty prefented me with fifty purfes of two hundred prugs a-piece, 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 ftored the boat with the carcafes of an

hundred oxen, and three hundred sheep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat ready dreffed as four hundred cooks could provide. I took with me fix 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, befides a diligent fearch into my pockets, his majesty engaged my honour not to carry away any of his fubjects, although with their own confent and defire.

Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I fet fail on the 24th day of September 1701 at fix in the morning; and when I had gone about four leagues to the northward, the wind being at foutheaft, at fix in the evening I defcried a fmall island about half a league to the north-weft. I advanced forward, and caft anchor on the lee-fide of the island, which feemed to be uninhabited. I then took fome refreshment, and went to my reft.

3L3

I flept