Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 12 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— _s — i chief denies at present being only to relate such events and transactions as happened to the public or to myself during a residence of about nine months in that empire. One morning, about a fortnight after I had ob- tained my liberty, Reldresal principal secretary (as they style him) for private affairs, came to m house, attended only by one servant. He ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an hour’s audience; which I readily consented to, on account of his quality and personal merits, as well as of the many good offices he had done me during my solicitations at court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more conveniently reach my ear; bit he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand dur- ing our conversation, He began with compliments on my liberty; said he might pretend to some merit in it; but, however, added, that if it had not been for the present situation of things at court, Mei I might not have obtained it so soon. “For,” said he, “as flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labor under two mighty evils; a violent faction at home, and the danger of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the first, you are to understand, that for above seventy moons past, there have been two struggling ies in this empire, under the names of 7yamecksan and Sla- mecksan, trom the high and low heels of their shoes, by which they peg oe we themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most able to our ancient constitution; but, however be, his vos ae has determined to make use of only low heels in the administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that his wag. tee se ged al heels are lower at least by a d@rurr t any of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteerth part ofaninch). The animosities between these two - ties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor . nor talk with each other. Wecompute the 7rameck- san, or high heels, to exceed usin number, but the power is wholly on our side, We apprehend his im- enor highness, the heir to the crown, to have some ndency toward the high heels; at least, we can lainly over that one of his heelsis higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his gait. Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of Ble- fuscu, which is the other Brees empire of the uni- verse, almost as large an werful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world, inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars, because it is certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty’s dominions; besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of eo! other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty moons past. It or upon the fol- lowing occasion: it is allowed on hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an g, and breaking it ag! js 3 to the ancient prac- tice, happened to cut one of his fingers; whereupon, the emperor, his father, publish an edict, com- manding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller ends of their eggs. e people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on that account, wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fo- mented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were ig the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thousand rsons have at several times suffered death, rather han submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy; but the books of the Big- endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employ- ments. During the course of these troubles, the em- perors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their embassadors, accusing us of making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental doc- trine of our great prophet ustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundercral, which is their Alkoran. This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these—that all true be- lievers break their i Ate at the convenient end; and which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble aaa to be left to every man’s conscience, or, at least, in the power of the chief magistrate to de- termine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor Blefuscu's court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from the party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for six-and- thirty moons, with various success; during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much ter number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. Owever, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just prepar- mes to make a descent upon us; and his Smperial ma, , placing great confidence in your valor an stre Qh eumanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you.” I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor, and let him know, that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to inter- fere with parties; but I was ready, with the hazard fod life, to defend his person and state against all vaders, Gulliver’s Travels. CHAPTER V. THE empire of Blefuscu is an island situated to the north of Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of eight hundred yards wide. I had not yet seen it; and upon this notice of an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of being discovered by some of the en- emy’s ships, who had received no intelligence of me; all intercourse between the two empires having been strictly forbidden duri the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our mp ged upon all vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his majesty a project I had formed, of seizing the enemy's whole fieet, which, as our scouts assured us, lay at anchor in the harbor, ready to sail with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plumb- ed; who told me, that in the middle, at high-water, it was seventy glumgluffs deep, which is about six feet of European measure; and the rest of it fifty glumgluffs at most. I walked toward the north-east coast, over against Blefuscu; where, lying down be- hind a hillock, I took out my small perspective glass, and viewed the enemy’s fleet at anchor, consisting of about ay, men-of-war, and a great number o transports; I then came back to my house, and gave orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quan- tity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as k-thread, and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle. I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted three of the iron ba s togeth- er, bending the extremities into a hook. Ha thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the north-east coast, and a | off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into the sea, in my leathern_ jacket, about half an hour before high- water. I waded with what haste I could, and swam in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour, The enemy was so ie when they saw me, that they lea out of their ships, and swam to shore where there could not be fewer than thirty thousan souls; I then took my tackling, and fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I was thus employed, the enemy discharged several thousand arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face; and, besides the excessive smart, gave me much distur- ce in my work. My greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly lost, if I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I kept, among other little necessaries, a pair of amped es in a private pocket, which, as I observed before, had escaped the emperor's searchers. These I took out, and fastened as strongly as I could upon my nose, and thus armed, went on boldly with my work, in spite of the enemy's arrows, many of which struck against the glasses of my spectacles, but without any other effect, further than a little to discompose them. I had now fastened all the hooks, and, tak- ing the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a p would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so that the boldest part of my enter- rise remained. I therefore let go the cord, and eaving the hooks fixed to the ships, I resolutely cut my knife the cables that fastened the pen, Ba recei about two hundred shots in my face and hands; I then took up the knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with great ease drew fifty of the enemy’s largest men-of-war after me. The Blefuscudians, who had not the least imagina- tion of what I intended, were at first confound- ed with astonishment. ey had seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the ships run adrift, or fall foul on each other; but when they perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end, they set up such a scream of grief and despair, as it is ost impossible to de- scribe or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I stoo awhile to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and face, and rubbed on some of the same ointment that was given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned, I then took off my tacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide was a little fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived safe at the royal port of Lilliput. eé emperor and his whole court stood on the shore, expecting the issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in a large half- moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my breast in water. WhenI advanced to the middle of the channel, they were yet more in pain, use I was under water to my neck. The emperor con- cluded me to be drowned, and that the enemy’s fleet was approaching in a hostile manner; but he was soon eased of his fears; for the channel growing shallower every step I made, I came in a short time within hearing, and holding up the end of the cable by, which the fleet was fastened, 1 cried in a loud voice, “ Long live the most puissant king of Lilli- put!” This gras prince received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and created me a nar- dac upon the spot, which is the highest title of honor among them, His maj desired I would take some other op- ortunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy’s ships nto his ports. And so unmeasurable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a province, an governing it by a viceroy; of destroy- ing the Big-endian exiles, and compelling that peonte to break the smaller end of their fe which he would remain the sole monarch of the whole world. But I endeavored to divert him from this d ,» by many areumenis Cee from the topics of cy as well as justice ;“and I plainly protested, that I would never be an instrument of b ng a free and brave people into slavery; and when the matter was de- sss ees <A LL ttt LL ee Se oe | | 5 bated in council, the wisest part of the ministry were of my opinion. This open bold declaration of mine was so opposite to the se es and politics of his imperial majesty, that he could never forgive me. He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that some of the wisest appeared at least, by their silence, to be of my opinion; but others, who were my secret enemies, could not forbear some expres- sions which by a side-wind reflected on me; and from this time began an intrigue between his ma- jesty and a junto of ministers maliciously bent against me, which broke out in less than two months, and had like to have ended in my utter de- | struction. Of so little weight are the atest ser- vices to princes, when put into the ce with a refusal to gratify their passions, About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn embassy from Blefuscu, with humble offers of a peace; which was soon concluded, upon condi- tions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six am- ors, with a train of about five hundred per- sons; and their entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur of their master, and the importance of their business, When their treaty was finish wherein I did them several good offices by the credi I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies, who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made me a visit in form. They began with many compliments upon my valor and generosity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their master’s name, and desired me to show them some proofs of my prodigious strength, of which they had heard so many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the reader with the particulars. When I had for some time entertained their ex- cellencies, to their infinite satisfaction and I desired they would do me the honor to present my most humble respects to the emperor their master, the renown of whose virtues had so justly filled the whole world with admiration, and whose royal per- son I regolved to attend, before I returned tomy own country. Accordingly, the next time I had the honor to see our emperor, I desired his general li- cense to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he was pleased to grant me, as I could perceive, in a a cold manner; but could not guess the reason, till [had a whisper from a certain person, that Flim- mp ane Bolgolam had represented my intercourse with those embassadors as a mark of disaffection, from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to conceive some imperfect idea of courts and ministers. t is to be observed, that these embassadors spoke to me by af interpreter, the | of both em- ires differing as much from onan char as any two in Europe, and each nation Lager we 8 itself upon the antiquity, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with an avowed contempt of that of their neighbor; ote our emperor, standing upon the advan he ad got by the seizure of their fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials and make their speech in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confessed, that from the gross intercourse of trade and com- merce between both realms, from the continual re- ception of exiles, which is mutual among them, and from the custom in each empire, to send their young nobility and richer geniry to the other, in order to polish themselves by seeing the world, and under- standing men and manners—there are few persons of distinction, or merchants, or seamen, who dwell in the maritime parts, but what can hold conversa- tion in both tongues; as I found some weeks after when I went to pay my respects to the emperor o u, which, in the midst of great misfortunes through the malice of my enemies, proves a very happy adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper place. The reader may remember, that when I signed those articles apon which I recovered my liberty there were some which I disliked, upon account of their being too servile; neither could an but an extreme necessity have forced me dubmit. But being now a nardac of the highest rank in that empire, such offices were lookod upon as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do him justice) never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not long before I had an opportunity of doing his ma- jesty, at least as I then thought, a most ser- vice. Iwas alarmed at midnight with the cries of ney hundred people at my door; by which being sud awaked, | was in some Kind of terror. heard the word burglum repeated incessantly; sey- eral of the emperor’s court making their oe dh rough the crowd, entreated me to come immediately to the palace, where her imperial majesty’s apartment was on fire, by the essness of a maid of honor, who fell asleep while she was reading a romance, I got yo in an instant; and orders ene given to clear the way before me, and it being likewise a moonshine night, I made a shift to get to the without trampling on any of the people. I found they had already applied ladders to the walls of the apartment, and were well provided with buckets, but the @ater was at some distance. These buckets were about the size of a large thimble, and the poor ple su me with them as fast as they could; om: the ey was so violent that th did little e good. I might easily have stifled it with: mn coat which I unf - left behind me for haste, and The case came away only in my leathern jacket. seemed w desperate and deplorable; and this magnificent palace would have infallibly been burnt Cowrn fo the gross by a presence of mind un- usual to had not suddenly thought of an ex- pedient. I the evening before drank plentifully of a most delicious wine called glimigrim (the Ble fuscudians eall it jlunec, but ours is esteemed the IJOO Gomic CS) co