life, and, as I reckoned, about nine hours; for when I awaked, it was juft day-light. I attempted to rife, but was not able to ftir; for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were ftrongly faftened on each fide to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the fame manner. I likewife felt feveral flender ligatures acrofs my body, from my arm-pits to my thighs. I could only look upwards, the fun began to grow hot, and the light offended my eyes. I heard a confufed noife about me; but, in the pofture I lay, could fee nothing except the sky. In a little time I felt fomething alive moving on my left leg, which advancing gently forward over my breaft, came almoft up to my chin; when bending my eyes downward as much as I could, 1 perceived it to be a human creature not fix inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver at his back. In the mean time, I felt at least forty more of the fame kind (as I conjectured) following the first. I was in the utmost aftonishment, and roared fo loud, that they all ran back in a fright; and fome of them, as I was afterwards told, were hurt with the falls they got by leaping from my fides upon the ground. However, they foon returned, and one of them, who ventured fo far as to get a full fight of my face, lifting up his hands and eyes by way of admiration, cried out in a fhrill but distinct voice, hekinah degul: the others repeated the fame words feveral times, but I then knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, as the reader may believe, in great uneafinefs; at length, ftruggling to get loofe, I had the fortune to break the ftrings, and wrench out the pegs that faftened my left arm to the ground; for, by lifting it up to my face, I difcovered the methods they had taken to bind me, and at the fame time with a violent pull, which gave me exceffive pain, I a little loofened the ftrings that tied down my hair on the left fide, fo that I was just able to turn my head about two inches. But the creatures ran off a fecond time, before I could feize them; whereupon there was a great fhout in a very fhrill accent, and after it ceafed, I heard one of them cry aloud, tolge phonac; when in an inftant I felt above an hundred arrows difcharged on my left hand, which pricked me like fo many needles; and befides, they shot another flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe, whereof many, I fuppofe, fell on my body, (though I felt them not) and

fome on my face, which I immediately covered with my left hand. When this fhower of arrows was over, I fell a groaning with grief aud pain, and then striving again to get loofe, they difcharged another volley larger than the firft, and fome of them attempted with fpears to flick me in the fides; but by good luck I had on me a buff jerkin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the moft prudent method to lie ftill, and my defign was to continue fo till night, when, my left hand being already loofe, I could eafily free myself: and as for the inhabitants, I had reafon to believe I might be a match for the greatest army they could bring against me, if they were all of the fame fize with him that I faw, But fortune difpofed otherways of me. When the people obferved I was quiet, they difcharged no more arrows: but, by the noife I heard, I knew their numbers increafed and about four yards from me, over-against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an hour, like that of people at work; when turning my head that way as well as the pegs and ftrings would permit me, 1 faw a flage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of holding four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it: from whence one of them, who feemed to be a perfon of quality, made me a long speech, whereof 1 understood not one fyllable. But I fhould have mentioned, that before the principal person began his oration, he cried out three times, langro dekul fan; (thefe words and the former were afterwards repeated and explained to me.) Whereupon immediately about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the ftrings that faftened the left fide of my head, which gave me the liberty of turning it to the right, and of cbferving the perfon and gefture of him that was to fpeak. He appeared to be of a middle age, and taller than any of the other three who attended him, whereof one was a page that held up his train, and feemed to be fomewhat longer than my middle finger; the other two ftood one on each fide to fupport him. He acted every part of an orator, and I could obferve many periods of threatenings, and others of promifes, pity, and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in the most fubmiffive manner, lifting up my left hand and both my eyes to the fun, as calling him for a witnefs; and being almoft famifhed with hunger, having not eaten a morfel for fome hours before I left the ship, I found the

*

demands

demands of nature fo ftrong upon me, that I could not forbear fhewing my impatience (perhaps against the strict rules of decency) by putting my finger frequently to my mouth, to fignify that I wanted food. The burgo (for to they call a great lord, as I afterwards learnt) understood me very well. He descended from the stage, and commanded that feveral ladders should be applied to my fides, on which above an hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked towards my mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had been provided and fent thither by the king's orders, upon the first intelligence he received of me. I obferved there was the flesh of feveral animals, but could not diftinguish them by the tafte. There were fhoulders, legs, and loins, fhaped like thofe of mutton, and very well dreffed, but smaller than the wings of a lark. I eat them by two or three at a mouthful, and took three loaves at a time, about the bignefs of mufket-bullets. They fupplied me as faft as they could, fhewing a thousand marks of wonder and aftonishment at my bulk and appetite. I then made another fign that I wanted drink. They found by my eating, that a fmall quantity would not fuffice me, and being a most ingenious people, they flung up with great dexterity one of their largeft hogfheads, then rolled it towards my hand, and beat out the top; I drank it off at a draught, which I might well do, for it did not hold half a pint, and tasted like a fmall wine of Burgundy, but much more delicious. They brought me a fecond hogfhead, which I drank in the fame manner, and made figns for more; but they had none to give me. When I had performed thefe wonders, they fhouted for joy, and danced upon my breaft, repeating feveral times as they did at firft, hekinah degul. They made me a fign that I fhould throw down the two hogsheads, but firft warning the people below to ftand out of the way, crying aloud, borach mevola, and when they faw the veffels in the air, there was an universal shout of hekinah degul. I confefs, I was often tempted, while they were paffing backwards and forwards on my body to feize forty or fifty of the first that came in my reach, and dash them against the ground. But the remembrance of what I had felt, which probably might not be the worft they could do, and the promife of honour I made them, for fo I interpreted my fubmiffive behaviour, foon drove out thefe imaginations. Befides, I now

confidered myself as bound by the laws of hofpitality to a people, who had treated me with fo much expence and magnificence. However, in my thoughts I could not fufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who durft venture to mount and walk upon my body, while one of my hands was at liberty, without trembling at the very fight of fo prodigious a creature, as I must appear to them. After fome time, when they observed that I made no more demands for meat, there appeared before me a perfon of high rank from his imperial majetty. His excellency, having mounted on the fmall of my right leg, advanced forwards up to my face, with about a dozen of his retinue. And producing his credentials under the fignet royal, which he applied clofe to my eyes, fpoke about ten minutes without any figns of anger, but with a kind of determinate refolution; often pointing forwards, which, as I afterwards found, was towards the capital city, about half a mile diflant, whither it was agreed by his majesty in council that I must be conveyed. I answered in few words, but to no purpose, and made a fign with my hand that was loose, putting it to the other (but over his excellency's head, for fear of hurting him or his train) and then to my own head and body, to fignify that I defired my liberty. It appeared that he understood me well enough, for he fhook his head by way of difapprobation, and held his hand in a pofture to fhew, that I must be carried as a prifoner. However, he made other figns to let me understand that I fhould have meat and drink enough, and very good treatment. Whereupon I once more thought of attempting to break my bonds, but again, when I felt the fmart of their arrows upon my face and hands, which were all in blifters, and many of the darts ftill sticking in them, and obferving likewife that the number of my enemies increased, I gave tokens to let them know, that they might do with me what they pleafed. Upon this the burgo and his train withdrew with much civility and chearful countenances. Soon after I heard a general fhout, with frequent repetitions of the words, peplom felan, and I felt great numbers of people on my left fide relaxing the cords to fuch a degree that I was able to turn upon my right, and to ease myself with making water; which I very plenti fully did, to the great aftonishment of the people, who conjecturing by my motion what I was going to do, immediately open

ed to the right and left on that fide, to avoid the torrent which fell with fuch noife and violence from me. But before this, they had daubed my face and both my hands with a fort of ointment very pleafant to the fmell, which in a few minutes removed all the fmart of their arrows. Thefe circumstances, added to the refreshment I had received by their victuals and drink, which were very nourishing, difpofed me to fleep. I lept about eight hours, as I was afterwards affured; and it was no wonder, for the phyficians, by the emperor's order, had mingled a fleepy potion in the hogfhead of wine.

It seems that, upon the first moment I was difcovered fleeping on the ground after my landing, the emperor had early notice of it by an exprefs; and determined in council that I fhould be tied in the manner I have related, (which was done in the night while 1 flept) that plenty of meat and drink fhould be fent to me, and a machine prepared to carry me to the capital city.

This refolution perhaps may appear very bold and dangerous, and I am confident would not be imitated by any prince in Europe on the like occafion; however, in my opinion, it was extremely prudent, as well as generous: for fuppofing these people had endeavoured to kill me with their fpears and arrows while I was afleep, I fhould certainly have awaked with the first fenfe of finart, which might fo far have rouzed my rage and ftrength, as to have enabled me to break the firings wherewith I was tied; after which, as they were not able to make refiftance, so they could expect no mercy.

Thele people are most excellent mathematicians, and arrived to a great perfection in mechanics by the countenance and encouragement of the emperor, who is a renowned patron of learning. This prince hath feveral machines fixed on wheels for the carriage of trees and other great weights. He often builds his largest men of war, whereof fome are nine feet long, in the woods where the timber grows, and has them carried on thefe engines three or four hundred yards to the fea. Five hundred carpenters and engineers were immediately fet at work to prepare the greatest engine they had. It was a frame of wood railed three inches from the ground, about feven feet long and four wide, moving upon twenty-two wheels. The fhout I heard was upon the arrival of this engine, which

it feems fet out in four hours after my land. ing. It was brought parallel to me as f lay. But the principal difficulty was to raife and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles, each of one foot high, were erected for this purpofe, and very strong cords, of the bignels of packthread, were fastened by hooks to many bandages, which the workmen had girt round my neck, my hands, my body, and my legs. Nine hundred of the ftrongest men were employed to draw up thefe cords by many pullies faftened on the poles, and thus, in less than three hours, I was raifed and flung into the engine, and there tied faft. All this I was told, for, while the whole operation was performing, I lay in a profound fleep by the force of that foporiferous medicine infufed into my liquor. Fifteen hundred of the emperor's largest horses, each about four inches and an half high, were employed to draw me towards the metropolis, which, as I faid, was half a mile diftant.

About four hours after we began our journey, I awaked by a very ridiculous accident; for the carriage being stopt awhile. to adjuft fomething that was out of order, two or three of the young natives had the curiofity to fee how I looked when I was afleep; they climbed up into the engine, and advancing very foftly to my face, one of them, an officer in the guards, put the fharp end of his half-pike a good way up into my left noftril, which tickled my nofe like a itraw, and made me fneeze violently: whereupon they stole off unperceived, and it was three weeks before I knew the caufe of my awaking fo fuddenly. We made a long march the remaining part of the day, and rested at night with five hun dred guards on each fide of me, half with torches, and half with bows and arrows, ready to fhoot me, if I fhould offer to slir. The next morning at fun- rife we continued our march, and arrived within two hundred yards of the city-gates about noon. The emperor, and all his court, came out to

It has been remarked, that courage in whatever caute, though it fometimes excites indignation, is never the object of contempt; but this ap pears to be true, only becaufe courage is fuppofed to imply fuperiority: for this officer in the guards becomes extremely ridiculous and contemptible by an act of the most daring curiofity, which fets him in comparison with Gulliver; to whom he was fo much inferior, that a biaft of the Man-mountain's noftrils would have endangered his life; and if he roifm itfelf is not proof against ridicule, thofe fuely are Lilliputians in philofophy, who confider ridicule as the tet of truth.

meet

is an excellent horfeman, kept his feat till his attendants ran in and held his bridle, while his majefty had time to difmount. 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 these 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 fo I did the reft. The emprefs, and young princes of the blood of both fexes, attended by many ladies, fat at some diftance 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 almoft the breadth of my nail, than any of his court, which alone is enough to ftrike an awe into the beholders. His features are ftrong and mafculine, with an Auftrian lip and arched nofe, his complex ion olive, his countenance erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majeftic. He was then pait his prime, being twentyeight 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, fo that my face was parallel to his, and he flood but three yards off: however, I have had him fince many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the defcription. His drefs was very plain and fimple, and the fashion of it between the Afiatic 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 thould happen to break loofe; it was almost three inches long; the hilt and fcabbard were gold en

The mafculine ftrength of features, which Gulliver conld 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 human pride; the objects of which are trifling diftinctions, whether of perfon or rank; the ridiculous parade and oftentation of a pigmy; which derive not only their origin but their ufe from the folly, weakness, and imperfection of ourselves and others.

riched 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 moft magnificently clad, fo that the spot they flood upon feemed to refemble 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 neither of us could understand a fyllable. There were feveral of his priests and lawyers prefent (as I conjectured by their ha bits) who were commanded to addrefs themfelves to me, and I spoke 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 crowd about me as near as they durft, and fome of them had the impudence to fhoot their ar rows at me, as I fat on the ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly miffed my left eye. But the colonel ordered fix of the ringleaders to be feized, and thought no punishment fo proper as to deliver them bound into my hands; which fome of his foldiers accordingly did, pufhing 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 coat pocket, and as to the fixth, I made a countenance as if I would eat him alive. The poor man fqualled terribly, and the colonel and his officers were in much pain, especially when they faw me take out my penknife: but I foon put them out of fear; for, looking mildly, and immediately cutting the strings 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 pocket; and I observed both the foldiers 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 fome difficulty into my house, where I lay on the ground, and continued to do fo about a fortnight; during which time the emperor gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. Six hundred bedst of the common measure were