could expect; he ordered me to return it into the fcabbard, and caft it on the ground as gently as I could, about fix feet from the end of my chain. 'The next thing he demanded, was one of the iron hollow pillars; by which he meant my pocket-piftols. I drew it out, and at his defire, as well as I could, expreffed to him the ufe of it, and charging it only with powder, which by the closeness of my pouch happened to escape wetting in the fea (an inconvenience against which all prudent mariners take fpecial care to provide) I first cautioned the Emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in the air. The aftonishment here was much greater than at the fight of my fcymiter. Hundreds fell down, as if they had been Amick dead; and even the Emperor, although he ftood his ground, could not recover himfelf in fome time. I delivered up both my piftols in the fame manner as I had done my fcymiter, 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 fpark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air. I likewise delivered up my watch, which the Emperor was very curious to fee, and commanded two of his talleft yeomen of the guards, to bear it on a pole upon their fhoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of ale. He was amazed at the continual noife it made, and the motion of the minute-hand, which he could eafily difcern; for their fight is much more acute than ours: He asked the opinions of his learned men

about

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 filver and copper money, my purfe with nine large pieces of gold, and fome fmaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and filver fnuff-box, my handkerchief and journal-book. My fcymiter, pistols, and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his Majefty's ftores; but the rest of my goods were returned me.

I had, as I before obferved, one private pocket which escaped their fearch, wherein there was a pair of fpectacles (which I fometimes ufe for the weakness of mine eyes) a pocket perspective, and fome other little conveniencies; which being of no consequence to the Emperor, I did not think myself bound in honour to discover; and I apprehended they might be loft or spoiled, if I ventured them out of my poffeffion.

С Н А Р. III.

The author diverts the Emperor and his nobility of both fexes in a very uncommon manner. The diverfions of the court of Lilliput defcribed. The author hath his liberty granted him upon certain conditions.

M

Y gentleness and good behaviour had gained fo far upon 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 fhort time. I took all poffible methods to cultivate this favourable difpofition. The natives came by degrees to be lefs apprehenfive of any danger from me. I would fometimes lie down, and let five or fix of them dance on my hand: And at laft 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 their 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 fo much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a flender white thread, extended about two feet and ten inches from the ground. Upon which I fhall defire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.

This diverfion is only practifed by thofe perfons, 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 difgrace (which often happens) five or fix of those candidates petition the Emperor to entertain his Majefty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the higheft without falling, fucceeds in the office. Very often the chief minifters themfelves are commanded to fhew their skill, and to convince the Emperor that they have not loft their faculty. Flimmap, the treafurer, is allowed to

cut

cut a caper on the ftrait rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole empire. I have feen him do the fummerfet* feveral times together upon a trencher, fixed on a rope, which is no thicker than a common pack-thread in England. My friend Reldrefal, principal secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial, the second after the treasurer; the reft of the great officers are much upon a par.

Thefe diverfions 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 minifters themselves are commanded to fhew their dexterity; for, by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they ftrain fo far, that there is hardly one of them, who hath not received a fall, and fome of them two or three. I was affured, that, a year or two before my arrival, Flimnap would have infallibly 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 diverfion, which is only fhewn before the Emperor and Empress, and firft minifter, upon particular occafions. The Emperor lays on the table three fine filken threads of fix inches long; one is blue, the other red, and the third green. These threads are propo

fed

Summerfet, or fummerfault, a gambol of a tumbler, in which he fprings up, turns heels over head in the air, and somes down upon his feet. Hawkef

fed as prizes for thofe perfons, whom the Emperor hath a mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of his favour. The ceremony is performed in his Majefty's great chamber of ftate, where the candidates are to undergo a trial of dexterity very different from the former, and fuch as I have not obferved the least resemblance of in any other country of the old or new world. The Emperor holds a ftick in his hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one, fometimes leap over the ftick, fometimes creep under it backward and forward feveral times, according as the ftick is advanced or depreffed. Sometimes the Emperor holds one end of the stick, and his firft minifter the other; fometimes the minifter has it entirely to himself. Whoever performs his part with moft agility, and holds out the longeft in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue-coloured filk: 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 fee few great perfons about this court, who are not adorned with one of thefe girdles.

The horses of the army, and those of the royal ftables, having been daily led before me, were no longer fhy, but would come up to my very feet without ftarting. 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 courfer took my foot, fhoe and all; which was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune

to