CHAPTER II.

THE EMPEROR OF LILLIPUT, ATTENDED BY SEVERAL OF THE NOBILITY, COMES

TO SEE THE AUTHOR IN HIS CONFINEMENT. THE EMPEROR'S PERSON AND

HABIT DESCRIBED. LEARNED MEN APPOINTED TO TEACH THE AUTHOR THEIR

LANGUAGE. HE GAINS FAVOR BY HIS MILD DISPOSITION. HIS POCKETS ARE

SEARCHED, AND HIS SWORD AND PISTOLS TAKEN FROM HIM.

When I found myself on my feet, I looked about me, and must confess I

never beheld a more entertaining prospect. The country around, appeared

like a continued garden, and the enclosed fields, which were generally

forty feet square, resembled so many beds of flowers. These fields were

intermingled with woods of half a stang,[12] and the tallest trees, as I

could judge, appeared to be seven feet high. I viewed the town on my

left hand, which looked like the painted scene of a city in a theatre.

The emperor was already descended from the tower, and advancing on

horseback towards me, which had like to have cost him dear; for the

beast, though very well trained, yet wholly unused to such a sight,

which appeared as if a mountain moved before him, reared up on his hind

feet. But that prince, who is an excellent horseman, kept his seat, till

his attendants ran in and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to

dismount.

When he alighted, he surveyed me round with great admiration, but kept

without the length of my chain. He ordered his cooks and butlers, who

were already prepared, to give me victuals and drink, which they pushed

forward in a sort of vehicles upon wheels, till I could reach them. I

took these vehicles, and soon emptied them all; twenty of them were

filled with meat; each afforded me two or three good mouthfuls. The

empress and young princes of the blood of both sexes, attended by many

ladies, sat at some distance in their chairs;[13] but upon the accident

that happened to the emperor's horse, they alighted, and came near his

person, which I am now going to describe. He is taller, by almost the

breadth of my nail, than any of his court, which alone is enough to

strike an awe into the beholders. His features are strong and masculine,

with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his complexion olive, his

countenance erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, all his motions

graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then past his prime, being

twenty-eight years and three-quarters old, of which he had reigned about

seven in great felicity, and generally victorious. For the better

convenience of beholding him, I lay on my side, so that my face was

parallel to his, and he stood but three yards off. However, I have had

him since many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the

description.

[Illustration]

His dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the

Asiatic and the European; but he had on his head a light helmet of gold,

adorned with jewels, and a plume an the crest.[14] He held his sword

drawn in his hand, to defend himself, if I should happen to break loose;

it was almost three inches long; the hilt and scabbard were gold,

enriched with diamonds. His voice was shrill, but very clear and

articulate, and I could distinctly hear it, when I stood up.

The ladies and courtiers were all most magnificently clad; so that the

spot they stood upon seemed to resemble a petticoat spread on the

ground, embroidered with figures of gold and silver. His imperial

majesty spoke often to me, and I returned answers, but neither of us

could understand a syllable. There were several of his priests and

lawyers present (as I conjectured by their habits), who were commanded

to address themselves to me; and I spoke to them in as many languages as

I had the least smattering of, which were, High and Low Dutch, Latin,

French, Spanish, Italian, and Lingua Franca;[15] but all to no purpose.

After about two hours the court retired, and I was left with a strong

guard, to prevent the impertinence, and probably the malice of the

rabble, who were very impatient to crowd about me as near as they durst;

and some of them had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me, as I sat

on the ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly missed

my left eye. But the colonel ordered six of the ring-leaders to be

seized, and thought no punishment so proper as to deliver them bound

into my hands; which some of his soldiers accordingly did, pushing them

forwards with the butt-ends of their pikes into my reach. I took them

all on my right hand, put five of them into my coat-pocket; and as to

the sixth, I made a countenance as if I would eat him alive. The poor

man squalled terribly, and the colonel and his officers were in much

pain, especially when they saw me take out my penknife; but I soon put

them out of fear, for, looking mildly, and immediately cutting the

strings he was bound with, I set him gently on the ground, and away he

ran. I treated the rest in the same manner, taking them one by one out

of my pocket; and I observed both the soldiers and people were highly

delighted at this mark of my clemency, which was represented very much

to my advantage at court.

[Illustration]

Towards night, I got with some difficulty into my house, where I lay on

the ground, and continued to do so about a fortnight, during which time

the emperor gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. Six hundred beds,

of the common measure, were brought in carriages and worked up in my

house; an hundred and fifty of their beds, sewn together, made up the

breadth and length; and these were four double, which, however, kept me

but very indifferently from the hardness of the floor, which was of

smooth stone. By the same computation, they provided me with sheets,

blankets, and coverlets, which were tolerable enough for one who had

been so long inured to hardships as I.

As the news of my arrival spread through the kingdom, it brought

prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me; so that

the villages were almost emptied; and great neglect of tillage and

household affairs must have ensued, if his imperial majesty had not

provided, by several proclamations and orders of state, against this

inconvenience. He directed that those who had already beheld me should

return home, and not presume to come within fifty yards of my house

without license from court; whereby the secretaries of state got

considerable fees.

In the meantime, the emperor held frequent councils, to debate what

course should be taken with me; and I was afterwards assured by a

particular friend, a person of great quality, who was as much in the

secret as any, that the court was under many difficulties concerning me.

They apprehended my breaking loose; that my diet would be very

expensive, and might cause a famine. Sometimes they determined to starve

me, or at least to shoot me in the face and hands with poisoned arrows,

which would soon despatch me: but again they considered that the stench

of so large a carcase might produce a plague in the metropolis, and

probably spread through the whole kingdom.

In the midst of these consultations, several officers of the army went

to the door of the great council-chamber, and two of them being

admitted, gave an account of my behavior to the six criminals

above-mentioned, which made so favorable an impression in the breast of

his majesty, and the whole board, in my behalf, that an imperial

commission was issued out, obliging all the villages nine hundred yards

round the city to deliver in, every morning, six beeves, forty sheep,

and other victuals, for my sustenance; together with a proportionable

quantity of bread and wine, and other liquors; for the due payment of

which his majesty gave assignments upon his treasury. For this prince

lives chiefly upon his own demesnes, seldom, except upon great

occasions, raising any subsidies upon his subjects, who are bound to

attend him in his wars at their own expense. An establishment was also

made of six hundred persons, to be my domestics, who had board-wages

allowed for their maintenance, and tents built for them very

conveniently on each side of my door.

It was likewise ordered that three hundred tailors should make me a suit

of clothes, after the fashion of the country; that six of his majesty's

greatest scholars should be employed to instruct me in their language;

and lastly, that the emperor's horses, and those of the nobility and

troops of guards, should be frequently exercised in my sight, to

accustom themselves to me.

All these orders were duly put in execution, and in about three weeks I

made a great progress in learning their language; during which time the

emperor frequently honored me with his visits, and was pleased to assist

my masters in teaching me. We began already to converse together in some

sort; and the first words I learnt were to express my desire that he

would please give me my liberty, which I every day repeated on my

knees. His answer, as I could apprehend it, was, that this must be a

work of time, not to be thought on without the advice of his council,

and that first I must _lumos kelmin pesso desmar lon emposo_; that is,

swear a peace with him and his kingdom. However, that I should be used

with all kindness; and he advised me to acquire, by my patience and

discreet behavior, the good opinion of himself and his subjects.

He desired I would not take it ill, if he gave orders to certain proper

officers to search me; for probably I might carry about me several

weapons which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk

of so prodigious a person. I said his majesty should be satisfied, for I

was ready to strip myself and turn up my pockets before him. This I

delivered, part in words, and part in signs.

He replied, that by the laws of the kingdom, I must be searched by two

of his officers; that he knew this could not be done without my consent

and assistance; that he had so good an opinion of my generosity and

justice, as to trust their persons in my hands; that whatever they took

from me should be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the

rate which I should set upon them. I took up the two officers in my

hands, put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other

pocket about me, except my two fobs and another secret pocket, which I

had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some little necessaries

that were of no consequence to any but myself. In one of my fobs there

was a silver watch, and in the other a small quantity of gold in a

purse.

[Illustration: "THESE GENTLEMEN MADE AN EXACT INVENTORY OF EVERYTHING

THEY SAW" P. 30.]

These gentlemen having pen, ink, and paper about them, made an exact

inventory of everything they saw; and, when they had done, desired I

would set them down, that they might deliver it to the emperor. This

inventory I afterwards translated into English, and is word for word as

follows:--

_Imprimis_,[16] In the right coat-pocket of the great man-mountain (for

so I interpret the words _quinbus flestrin_), after the strictest

search, we found only one great piece of coarse cloth, large enough to

be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In the left

pocket, we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover of the same metal,

which we the searchers were not able to lift. We desired it should be

opened, and one of us stepping into it, found himself up to the mid-leg

in a sort of dust, some part whereof flying up to our faces, set us both

a sneezing for several times together. In his right waistcoat pocket we

found a prodigious number of white thin substances folded one over

another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a strong cable, and

marked with black figures; which we humbly conceive to be writings,

every letter almost half as large as the palm of our hands. In the left,

there was a sort of engine, from the back of which were extended twenty

long poles, resembling the palisadoes before your majesty's court;

wherewith we conjecture the man-mountain combs his head, for we did not

always trouble him with questions, because we found it a great

difficulty to make him understand us. In the large pocket on the right

side of his middle cover (so I translate the word _ranfu-lo_, by which

they meant my breeches), we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the

length of a man, fastened to a strong piece of timber, larger than the

pillar; and upon one side of the pillar were huge pieces of iron

sticking out, cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make

of. In the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller

pocket on the right side were several round flat pieces of white and red

metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed to be silver,

were so large and so heavy, that my comrade and I could hardly lift

them. In the left pocket, were two black pillars irregularly shaped; we

could not without difficulty reach the top of them, as we stood at the

bottom of his pocket. One of them was covered, and seemed all of a

piece; but at the upper end of the other, there appeared a white and

round substance, about twice the bigness of our heads. Within each of

these was enclosed a prodigious plate of steel, which, by our orders, we

obliged him to show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous

engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us that in his own

country his practice was to shave his beard with one of these, and to

cut his meat with the other. There were two pockets which we could not

enter: these he called his fobs. Out of the right fob hung a great

silver chain, with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. We directed

him to draw out whatever was at the end of that chain, which appeared to

be a globe, half silver, and half of some transparent metal; for on the

transparent side we saw certain strange figures, circularly drawn, and

thought we could touch them till we found our fingers stopped by that

lucid substance.[17] He put this engine to our ears, which made an

incessant noise, like that of a water-mill; and we conjecture it is

either some unknown animal, or the god that he worships; but we are more

inclined to the latter opinion, because he assured us (if we understood

him right, for he expressed himself very imperfectly), that he seldom

did anything without consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said it

pointed out the time for every action of his life. From the left fob he

took out a net almost large enough for a fisherman, but contrived to

open and shut like a purse, and served him for the same use; we found

therein several massy pieces of yellow metal, which, if they be real

gold, must be of immense value.

Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's commands, diligently

searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his waist, made of

the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left side, hung a

sword of the length of five men; and on the right, a bag or pouch,

divided into two cells, each cell capable of holding three of your

majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were several globes, or balls,

of a most ponderous metal, about the bigness of our heads, and required

a strong hand to lift them; the other cell contained a heap of certain

black grains, but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold about

fifty of them in the palms of our hands.

This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of the

man-mountain, who used us with great civility and due respect to your

majesty's commission. Signed and sealed, on the fourth day of the

eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious reign.

CLEFRIN FRELOC.

MARSI FRELOC.

When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me,

although in very gentle terms, to deliver up the several particulars.

He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, scabbard and all. In

the meantime, he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops (who then

attended him) to surround me at a distance, with their bows and arrows

just ready to discharge; but I did not observe it, for mine eyes were

wholly fixed upon his majesty. He then desired me to draw my scimitar,

which, although it had got some rust by the sea-water, was in most parts

exceedingly bright. I did so, and immediately all the troops gave a

shout between terror and surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the

reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my

hand. His majesty, who is a most magnanimous prince, was less daunted

than I could expect; he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and

cast it on the ground as gently as I could, about six feet from the end

of my chain.

The next thing he demanded was one of the hollow iron pillars, by which

he meant my pocket-pistols. I drew it out, and at his desire, as well as

I could, expressed to him the use of it; and charging it only with

powder, which, by the closeness of my pouch, happened to escape wetting

in the sea (an inconvenience against which all prudent mariners take

special care to provide), I first cautioned the emperor not to be

afraid, and then let it off in the air.

The astonishment here was much greater than at the sight of my scimitar.

Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck dead; and even the

emperor, although he stood his ground, could not recover himself in some

time I delivered up both my pistols, in the same manner as I had done

my scimitar, and then my pouch of powder and bullets, begging him that

the former might be kept from fire, for it would kindle with the

smallest spark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air.

[Illustration]

I likewise delivered up my watch, which the emperor was very curious to

see, and commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guards[18] to bear

it on a pole upon their shoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of

ale. He was amazed at the continual noise it made and the motion of the

minute-hand, which he could easily discern; for their sight is much more

acute than ours. He asked the opinions of his learned men about it,

which were various and remote, as the reader may well imagine without my

repeating; although, indeed, I could not very perfectly understand them.

I then gave up my silver and copper money, my purse, with nine large

pieces of gold, and some smaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and

silver snuffbox, my handkerchief and journal-book. My scimitar, pistols,

and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the

rest of my goods were returned to me.

I had, as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their

search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I sometimes use

for the weakness of mine eyes), a pocket perspective,[19] and some other

little conveniences; which, being of no consequence to the emperor, I

did not think myself bound in honor to discover; and I apprehended they

might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.

[Illustration]