Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World
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.
CHAPTER IV.
Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the
emperor’s palace. A conversation between the author and a principal
secretary, concerning the affairs of that empire. The author’s offers
to serve the emperor in his wars.
The first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that I
might have license to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the emperor
easily granted 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 sidling,
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