第 三 章 · The author diverts the emperor, and his nobility of both sexes, in a

. The author diverts the emperor, and his nobility of both sexes, in a

very uncommon manner. The diversions of the court of Lilliput

described. The author has his liberty granted him upon certain

conditions.

My gentleness and good behaviour had gained so far on the emperor and

his court, and indeed upon the army and people in general, that I began

to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a short time. I took all

possible methods to cultivate this favourable disposition. The natives

came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive of any danger from me. I

would sometimes lie down, and let five or six of them dance on my hand;

and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at

hide-and-seek in my hair. I had now made a good progress in

understanding and speaking the language. The emperor had a mind one day

to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed

all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was

diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon

a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from

the ground. Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the reader’s

patience, to enlarge a little.

This diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates

for great employments, and high favour at court. They are trained in

this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or

liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by death or

disgrace (which often happens) five or six of those candidates

petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the court with a

dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest, without falling,

succeeds in the office. Very often the chief ministers themselves are

commanded to show their skill, and to convince the emperor that they

have not lost their faculty. Flimnap, the treasurer, is allowed to cut

a caper on the straight rope, at least an inch higher than any other

lord in the whole empire. I have seen him do the summerset several

times together, upon a trencher fixed on a rope which is no thicker

than a common packthread in England. My friend Reldresal, principal

secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial,

the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are much

upon a par.

These diversions are often attended with fatal accidents, whereof great

numbers are on record. I myself have seen two or three candidates break

a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the ministers themselves

are commanded to show their dexterity; for, by contending to excel

themselves and their fellows, they strain so far that there is hardly

one of them who has not received a fall, and some of them two or three.

I was assured that, a year or two before my arrival, Flimnap would

infallibly have broke his neck, if one of the king’s cushions, that

accidentally lay on the ground, had not weakened the force of his fall.

There is likewise another diversion, which is only shown before the

emperor and empress, and first minister, upon particular occasions. The

emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads of six inches long;

one is blue, the other red, and the third green. These threads are

proposed as prizes for those persons whom the emperor has a mind to

distinguish by a peculiar mark of his favour. The ceremony is performed

in his majesty’s great chamber of state, where the candidates are to

undergo a trial of dexterity very different from the former, and such

as I have not observed the least resemblance of in any other country of

the new or old world. The emperor holds a stick in his 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 his

first minister the other; sometimes the minister has it entirely to

himself. Whoever performs his part with most agility, and holds out the

longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue-coloured

silk; the red is given to the next, and the green to the third, which

they all wear girt twice round 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 royal stables, having been

daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my very

feet without starting. The riders would leap them over my hand, as I

held it on the ground; and one of the emperor’s huntsmen, upon a large

courser, took my foot, shoe and all; which was indeed a prodigious

leap. I had the good fortune to divert the emperor one day after a very

extraordinary manner. I desired he would order several sticks of two

feet high, and the thickness of an ordinary cane, to be brought 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

handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When I had finished my

work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of his best horses

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 feat, 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 I 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 waggoners arrived with it, but not

in a very good condition; they had bored two holes in the brim, within

an inch and 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, colours 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 decency with regard

to my person; 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 breeches were at that time in so ill a condition,

that they afforded some opportunities for laughter and admiration.

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 article 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 at

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

license 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 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 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 consent.

“5th, 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.

“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 favour. 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 honourable 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 honour to

be by at the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledgements 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 favours 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

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.