CHA P. VII.

The author being informed of a defign to accuse him of high-treafon, maketh his escape to Blefufcu. His reception there.

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EFORE I proceed to give an account of my leaving this kingdom, it may be proper to inform the reader, of a private intrigue which had been for two months forming against me.

I had been hitherto all my life a stranger to courts, for which I was unqualified by the meannefs of my condition. I had indeed heard and read enough of the difpofitions of great princes and minifters; but never expected to have found fuch terrible effects of them in fo remote a country, governed, as I thought, by very different maxims from thofe in Europe.

When I was just preparing to pay my attendance on the Emperor of Blefufcu, a confiderable perfon at court (to whom I had been very ferviceable, at a time when he lay under the highest difpleasure of his Imperial Majefty) came to my house very privately at night in a clofe chair, and, without fending his name, defired admittance: The chairmen were difmiffed; I put the chair, with his Lordship in it, into my coat-pocket; and, giving orders to a trusty servant to fay I was indifpofed and gone to fleep, 1 faftened the door of my houfe, placed the chair on the table acVOL. V. cording

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cording to my ufual cuftom, and fat down by it. After the common falutations were over, obferving his Lordthip's countenance full of concern, and enquiring into the reason, he defired I would hear him with patience, in a matter that highly concerned my honour and my life. His fpeech was to the following effect, for I took notes of it as foon as he left me.

You are to know, faid he, that several committees of council have been lately called, in the moft private manner, on your account; and it is but two days fince his Majefty came to a full refolution.

You are very fenfible that Skyris Bolgolam (galbet, or high-admiral) hath been your mortal enemy almost ever fince your arrival: His original reafons I know not; but his hatred is increafed fince your great fuccefs against Blefufcu, by which his glory, as admiral, is much obfcured. This Lord, in conjunction with Flimnap the high-treasurer, whofe enmity against you is notorious on account of his lady, Limtoc the general, Lalcon the chamberlain, and Blamuff the grand jufticiary, have prepared articles of impeachment against you, for treafon, and other capital crimes.

This preface made me fo impatient, being confcious of my own merits and innocence, that I was going to interrupt; when he entreated me to be filent, and thus proceeded.

Out of gratitude for the favours you have done me, I procured information of the whole proceedings,

proceedings, and a copy of the articles; wherein I venture my head for your fervice.

Articles of impeachment against Quinbus Fleftrin the

man-mountain.

ARTICLE

I.

Whereas, by a ftatute made in the reign of his Imperial Majefty Calin Deffar Plume, it is enacted, That whoever thall make water within the precincts of the royal palace, fhall be liable to the pains and penalties of high treafon : Notwithstanding the faid Quinbus Fleftrin, in open breach of the faid law, under colour of extinguishing the fire kindled in the apartment of his Majefty's moft dear Imperial confort, did malicioufly, traiterously, and devilifhly, by difcharge of his urine, put out the faid fire kindled in the faid apartment, lying and being within the precincts of the faid royal palace, against the ftatute in that cafe provided, etc. against the duty, etc.

ARTICLE II.

That the faid Quinbus Fleftrin having brought the imperial fleet of Blefuscu into the royal port, and being afterwards commanded by his Imperial Majefty to feize all the other fhips of the faid empire of Blefufcu, and reduce that empire to a province, to be governed by a viceroy from hence, and to deftroy and put to death not only all the Big-endian exiles, but likewife all the people of

that empire, who would not immediately forfake the Big-endian herefy: He the faid Flestrin, like a falfe traitor against his moft aufpicious, ferene, Imperial Majefty, did petition to be excufed from the faid fervice, upon pretence of unwillingness to force the confciences, or deftroy the liberties and lives of an innocent people ".

That whereas certain ambaffadors arrived from the court of Blefufcu to fue for peace in his Majesty's court, he the faid Flestrin did, like a falfe traitor, aid, abet, comfort, and divert the faid ambaffadors, although he knew them to be fervants to a prince, who was lately an open enemy to his Imperial Majefty, and in open war against his faid Majesty.

That the faid Quinbus Fleftrin, contrary to the duty of a faithful fubject, is now preparing to make a voyage to the court and empire of Blefufcu, for which he hath received only verbal licence from his Imperial Majefty; and under colour of the faid licence, doth falfly and traiterously intend to take the said voyage, and there

by

* A lawyer thinks himself honeft if he does the best he can for his client; and a statesman, if he promotes the intereft of his country: But the Dean here inculcates an higher notion of right and wrong, and obligations to a large community. Hawkes.

by to aid, comfort, and abet the Emperor of Blefufcu, fo late an enemy and in open war with. his Imperial Majefty aforefaid.

There are fome other articles, but these are the most important, of which I have read you an abstract.

In the feveral debates upon this impeachment, it must be confeffed that his Majefty gave many marks of his great lenity, often urging the fervices you had done him, and endeavouring to extenuate your crimes. The treasurer and admiral infifted, that you should be put to the most painful and ignominious death by fetting fire to your houfe at night, and the general was to attend with twenty thoufand men armed with poifoned arrows to shoot you on the face and hands.. Some of your fervants were to have private orders to ftrew a poifonous juice on your fhirts and fheets, which would foon make you tear your own flesh, and die in the utmost torture. The general came into the fame opinion; fo that for a long time there was a majority against you: But his Majefty refolving, if poffible, to fpare your life, at laft brought off the chamberlain.

Upon this incident Reldrefal principal fecretary for private affairs, who always approved himself your true friend, was commanded by the Emperor to deliver his opinion, which he accordingly did; and therein juftified the good thoughts you have of him. He allowed your crimes to be great, but that ftill there was room for mercy, the

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