Gulliver's Travels

he 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 favour 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, [301] 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.

I had been for some hours extremely pressed by the necessities of
nature; which was no wonder, it being almost two days since I had last
disburdened myself. I was under great difficulties between urgency and
shame. The best expedient I could think of, was to creep into my house,
which I accordingly did; and shutting the gate after me, I went as far
as the length of my chain would suffer, and discharged my body of that
uneasy load. But this was the only time I was ever guilty of so
uncleanly an action; for which I cannot but hope the candid reader will
give some allowance, after he has maturely and impartially considered
my case, and the distress I was in. From this time my constant practice
was, as soon as I rose, to perform that business in open air, at the
full extent of my chain; and due care was taken every morning before
company came, that the offensive matter should be carried off in
wheel-barrows, by two servants appointed for that purpose. I would not
have dwelt so long upon a circumstance that, perhaps, at first sight,
may appear not very momentous, if I had not thought it necessary to
justify my character, in point of cleanliness, to the world; which, I
am told, some of my maligners have been pleased, upon this and other
occasions, to call in question.

When this adventure was at an end, I came back out of my house, having
occasion for fresh air. 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 its hinder 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 beyond 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, and
ten with liquor; each of the former afforded me two or three good
mouthfuls; and I emptied the liquor of ten vessels, which was contained
in earthen vials, into one vehicle, drinking it off at a draught; and
so I did with the rest. The empress, and young princes of the blood of
both sexes, attended by many ladies, sat at some distance in their
chairs; 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.
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 on the crest. 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 upon 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, 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 ringleaders 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 forward with the
butt-ends of their pikes into my reach. I took them all in 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.

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; a 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, that was of smooth stone. By the same computation, they provided
me with sheets, blankets, and coverlets, tolerable enough for one who
had been so long inured to hardships.

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
inconveniency. 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 the court; whereby the secretaries of state got
considerable fees.

In the mean time 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 carcass 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 behaviour to the six criminals above-mentioned; which
made so favourable 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 honoured 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 comprehend 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 behaviour,
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; and 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 would 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. These
gentlemen, having pen, ink, and paper, about them, made an exact
inventory of every thing 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: 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 bundle 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 pallisados 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 ranfulo, 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 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 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 cut his meat with the other. There were two pockets which we
could not enter: these he called his fobs; they were two large slits
cut into the top of his middle cover, but squeezed close by the
pressure of his belly. 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 the
lucid substance. He put this engine into 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 any thing 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
requiring 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 above 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 Frelock, Marsi Frelock.”

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 mean time 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 my 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, exceeding 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 I 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
for 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. I
likewise delivered up my watch, which the emperor was very curious to
see, and commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guards 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 snuff-box, 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 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 my eyes,) a pocket perspective, and some other
little conveniences; which, being of no consequence to the emperor, I
did not think myself bound in honour to discover, and I apprehended
they might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.