had in my life. But the noife and aftonishment of the people at seeing me rife and walk are not to be expreffed. The chains, that held my left leg, were about two yards long, and gave me not only the liberty of walking backwards and forwards in a femicircle; but, being fixed within four inches of the gate, allowed me to creep in, and lie at my full length in the temple.

CHA P. II.

The emperor of Lilliput, attended by feveral of the nobility, comes to fee the author in his confinement. The emperor's perfon and habit defcribed. Learned men appointed to teach the author their language. He gains favour by his mild difpofition. His pockets are fearched, and his fword and piftols taken from him.

W

HEN I found myself on my feet, I

looked about me, and must confefs I never beheld a more entertaining profpect. The country around appeared like a continued garden, and the inclofed fields, which were generally forty feet fquare, refembled so many beds of flowers. These fields were intermingled with woods of half a ftang', and the tallest trees, as I could judge, appeared to be feven feet high. I viewed the town on my left hand, which looked like the painted scene of a city in a theatre.

A ftang is a pole or perch; fixteen feet and a half.

The

I had been for fome hours extremely preffed by the neceffities of nature; which was no wonder, it being almost two days, fince I had laft difburthened myself. I was under great difficulties between urgency and shame. best expedient I could think on, was to creep into my houfe, which house, which I accordingly did; and fhutting the gate after me, I went as far as the length of my chain would fuffer, and difcharged my body of that uneafy load. But this was the only time I was ever guilty of fo uncleanly an action; for which I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance, after he hath maturely and impartially confidered my cafe, and the diftrefs I was in. From this time my conftant practice was, as foon 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 offenfive matter fhould be carried off in wheelbarrows by two fervants appointed for that purpose. I would not have dwelt fo long upon a circumftance, that perhaps at first fight may appear not very momentous, if I had not thought it neceffary to juftify my character in point of cleanliness to the world; which I am told fome of my maligners have been pleafed, upon this and other occafions, to call in question.

When this adventure was at an end, I came back out of my house, having occafion for fresh air. The emperor was already defcended from the tower, and advancing on horseVOL. II. back

C

back towards me, which had like to have coft him dear; for the beaft, though very well trained, yet wholly unused to fuch a fight, which appeared as if a mountain moved before him, reared up on his hinder feet: but that prince, who is an excellent horfeman, kept his feat, till his attendants ran in, and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to dismount. When he alighted, he furveyed 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 fort of vehicles upon wheels, till I could reach them. I took thefe vehicles, and foon 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 veffels, which was contained in earthen vials, into one vehicle, drinking it off at a draught; and so I did with the reft. The emprefs, and young princes of the blood of both fexes, attended by many ladies, fat at fome distance in their chairs; but upon the accident that happened to the emperor's horfe, they alighted, and came near his perfon, which I am now going to defcribe. He is taller by almost the breadth of my hail, than any of his court, which alone is enough to strike an awe into the beholders. His features are ftrong and masculine, with an Auftrian lip and arched nofe, his complexion olive, his countenance

erect,

erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then paft his prime, being twenty-eight years and three quarters old, of which he had reigned about feven in great felicity, and generally victorious. For the better convenience of beholding him, I lay on my fide, so that my face was parallel to his, and he stood but three yards off: however, I have had him fince many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the defcription. His dress was very plain and fimple, and the fashion of it between the afatick and the european but he had on his head a light helmet of gold, adorned with jewels, and a plume on the creft. He held his fword drawn in his hand to defend himself, if I fhould happen to break loofe; it was almost three inches long; the hilt and scabbard were gold enriched with diamonds. His voice was fhrill, but very clear and articulate, and I could diftinctly hear it, when I ftood up. The ladies and courtiers were all most magnificently clad, fo that the spot they stood upon feemed to resemble a petticoat fpread on the ground, embroidered with figures of gold and filver. His imperial majesty spoke often to me, and I returned anfwers; but nei

The mafculine ftrength of features, which Gulliver could not fee, till he laid his face upon the ground; and the awful fuperiority of ftature in a being, whom he held in his hand; the helmet, the plume, and the fword, are a fine reproof of huC

man pride; the objects of which are trifling diftinctions whether of perfon or rank; the ridicu lous parade and oftentation of a pigmy; which derive not only their origin but their use from the folly, weakness, and imper--fection of ourselves and others.

2

ther

ther 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 addrefs themselves to me, and I fpoke to them in as many languages as I had the leaft fmattering 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 croud about me as near as they durft, and fome of them had the impudence to fhoot their arrows at me, as I fat on the ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly miffed left eye. my But the colonel ordered fix of the ring-leaders to be feized, and thought no punishment fo proper as to deliver them bound into my hands; which fome of his foldiers accordingly did, pushing them forwards with the but-ends of their pikes into my reach: I took them all in my right hand, put five of them into my coatpocket, and as to the fixth, I made a countenance, as if I would cat him alive. The poor man fqualled terribly, and the colonel and his officers were in much pain; efpecially when they faw me take out my penknife: but I foon put them out of fear; for, looking mildly and immediately cutting the ftrings he was bound with, I fet him gently on the ground, and away he ran. I treated the reft in the fame manner, taking them one by one out of

my