Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 12 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ipa —_——— My friend Reldresal, princi secretary for private affairs in my opinion, if I am not the seco r the treasurer; the rest of great of- ficers are much upon a par. These diversions are often attended with fatal ac- cidents, whereof great numbers are on record. I m have seen two or three candidates break a4 limb. But the danger is much greater, when the min- isters themselves are com ed to show their dex- terity; for, by contending to excel es and their fellows, they strain so far that there is hardly one of them who not received a fall, and some of them two or three. I was assured that, a year or two before my arrival, Flimnap would infallibly have broken 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 diversion, which is only shown before the emperor and empress, ant minister, upon particular occasions, The emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads of six inches iong; one is blue, the other red, and the third n. These threads are proposed as prizes for ose persons whom the emperor has a to dis- tinguish by a peculiar mark of his favor. The cere- mony is performed in his majesty's chamber of state, where the candidates are to undergo the trial of dexterity, very different from the former, and such as I have not observed the least resemblance of in any other country of the new or old world. The emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends par- alle) to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one, sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it, backward and forward several times, according as the stick is advanced or depressed. Sometimes the emperor holds one end of the stick, and his first minister the other; sometimes the min- ister has it entirely to himself. Whoever orms his part with most ty, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue- colored silk; the red is ie to the next, and the en to the third, which they all wear girt twice round about the middle; and you see few great per- sons about this court who are not adorned with one of these girdles. The horses of the army, and those of the royal stables, having been daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my very feet with- out starting. The riders would leap them over my hand, asI held it on the ground; and one of the em- ror’s huntsmen, upon a large courser, took my oot, shoe and all, which was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good fortune to divert the emperor, one day, after a very extraordinary manner. I de- sired he would order several sticks of two feet high, and the thickness of an ordi cane, to be brought before me; whereupon, his majesty commanded the master of his woods to give directions accordingly ; and the next morning, six woodmen arrived with as many carriages, drawn by eight horses to each. I took nine of these sticks, and fixing them firmly in the ground in a quadrangular figure, two feet and a half square, I took four other sticks, and tied them parallel at each corner, about two feet from the ground; then I fastened my handkerchief to the nine sticks that stood erect, and extended it on all sides, till it was sight as thetop of adrum; and the four el sticks, rising about five inches higher than he handkerchief, served as ledges on each side. When I had finished my work, I desired the emperor to let a troop of his best horse, twenty-four in num- ber, 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, rformed mock skirmishes, discharged blunt arrows w their swords, fled and pursued, attacked anc retired, and, in short, discovered the best military discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks secured them and their horses from ae over the stage; and the emperor was so much delighted, that he ordered this entertainment to be repea several days, and once was pleased to be lifted up, and give the word of command; and, with great difficu 7 —a even the empress herself to let me ho d er 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 ot the cap- tains, pany with his hoof, struck a hole in m handkerchief, and his foot slipping, he overthrew 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 asiltookthem 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; how- ever, 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 these kind o feats, there arrived an ex ress, to inform his majesty that some of his subjects, riding near the place where [ 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 ence”, 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, the had got to the top, which was flat and even, on 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 pac: meant, and was glad at heart to receive this intelli- gence. It seems, upon my first the shore after our shipwreck, | was in such co n, 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 8 , as I conjecture, breaking by some accident which I never observed, but thought Tay hat had been lost at sea. I entreated his impe majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as possible, describing to him the use and nature of it; Beadle’s | Half-Dime Library. | | have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1,724 of our subjects, with free ac- cess to our royal person, and other marks of our favor. Given at our palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth day of the ninety-first moon of our ve swore and subscribed to these articles with t cheerfulness and content, although some of them were not so honoiable as I could have wished, which eusees wholly from the malice of Bolgo- , the high-admiral: whereupon, re. chains were immediately unlocked, and I was at liberty. The and the next day the wagoners arrived with it, but | emperor himself, in person, did me the honor to be not in a —T holes in 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 along for above half an mile; but the und in that country being pane gina smooth and level, it received less expected. Two days after this adventure, the emperor, hav- ing ordered that part of his army which quartered in and about his metropolis, to bein readiness, took a fancy of diverting himself in a very singular manner. He desired I wou’d stand like a Colossus, with my legs as far asunder as Iconveniently 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, colors flying, and pikes advanced, This body con of three thousand foot, and a thousand horse. His majesty gave orders, ie of death, that every soldier in his march ould 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 somany memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and then in a full coun- cil, where it was opposed none, except Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provoca- tion, to be my mo enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole board, and confirmed by the emperor. The minister was galvel, or admiral of the m, very much in his master’s confidence, and a person well versed _in affairs, but of morose and sour complexion, However, he was at length per- suaded 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 him- self. These articles were brought to me by Skyresh Bolgolam in persof, attended by two under-secreta- ries, and several peracne of distinction. After they were read, I was ance of them; first in the manner of my own coun- try, and afterward 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 rightear. But because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the — and man- ner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to know the articles upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a translation of the whole in- strument, word for word, as near as I was able, which I here offer to the public: ‘*Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefir Mully Ully Gue, most mighty emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the universe, whose dominions extend five thousand dlustrugs (about twelve miles in cir- cumference) to the extremities of the globe; mon- arch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men; whose feet press down to the center, and whose head strikes nst 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 pro- poses to the man-mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions, the following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to perform: ‘ist. The man-mountain shall not depart from or ag gone tae without our license under our great sea ‘*2d. He shall not presume to come into our metro- lis without our express order; at which time, the bitants 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, emanded to swear to the perform- | | nor | take any of our subjects into his hands, without their | own consent. “Sth. If any express uires extraordinary dis- patch, the man-mountain shall be obliged to carry, n 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 prey aring to invade us. “7th. That the said man-mountain shall, at his time of leisure, be aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain great stones, toward cover- ing the wall of the principal park, and other of our royal buildings. ‘Sth. That the said man-mountain shall, in two moons’ time, deliver in an exact survey of the cir- cumference of our dominions, by a computation of his own es round the coast. * Lastly. That upon this solemn oath to observe all the above articles, the said man-mountain shall —— ee ee condition; they had bored two | by at the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledg- , within an inch and a half of the | ments by prostrating myself at his majesty’s feet, but he commanded me to rise; and after many gra- cious expressions, which, to avoid the censure of van- ity, I shall not repeat, he added, that he hoped J should prove a wactul servant, and well deserve all the favors he had already conferred upon me, or | might do for the future. e reader may please to observe, that in the last article of the recovery of my liberty, the em r 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 hight of my body by the help of a quadrant, and find- ing 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 1,724 of theirs, and co ently would require as much food as was nec support that number of Lilliputians. By which the reader may conceive an idea of the in- genuity of the people, as well as the prudent and ex- act economy of so great a prince, CHAPTER IV. Tue first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was, that I might have license to see Milden- do, 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 no- tice, by J gece of my design to visit the town. The wall, which encompassed it, is two feet and @ 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 dis- tance, I stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently and ee through the two prin- cipal 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 circum- spection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets; although the orders were very strict, that all peo le should keep in their houses, at their own peril. e garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that Ithought in all my travels [had not seena more pop. ulous place. The city is an exact square, each side of the wall ng five hundred feet lo The two reat streets, which run across and divide it into our quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not enter, but only viewed them as I passed, are from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding five hundred thousand souls; the houses are from three to five stories; the “ae and markets well provided. e emperor's palace is in the center of the city, where the two t streets meet. It is inclosed by a wall of two feet high, and twenty feet distance from the buildings. I had his majesty's permission to step over this wall; and the space being so wide between that and the palace, I could easily view it on eve side, The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other courts; in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches high, and seven inches wide. Now, the build- ings of the outer court were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the same time, the emperor had a great desire that I should see the magnificence of his - ace; but this Iwas not able to do till three aa after, which 1 spent in cutting down with my e some of the largest trees in the royal k, about a hundred yards distant from the city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three feet high, and strong enough to bear my weigh, The people hay- ing received notice a second time, [ went again through the city to the palace, with my two stools in my hands. en I came to the side of the outer court, I stood upon one stool, and took the other in my hand; this I lifted over the roof, and gent- ly set it down on the space between the first and second court, which was eight feet wide. I then stepped over the building very conveniently from one stool to the other, and drew up the first after me with a hooked stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost court; and, lying down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows of the middle sto- ries, which were left open on purpose, and discovered the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw the empress and the young, princess, in their several lodgings, with their chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was pleased to smile very graciously upon me, and gave me out of the window her hand to kiss. But I shall not anticipate the reader with further descriptions of this kind, because I reserve them for a greater work, which is_now almost ready for the ress, containing a general description of this empire, rom its first erection, through a long series of prin- ces; with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning, and religion; their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and cus 8, with other matters very curious and useful; my JOO eom (E cS (E(0)