fubftance, about twice the bigness of our heads. Within
each of thefe was inclofed a prodigious plate of steel;
which, by our orders, we obliged him to fhew us, be-
caufe we apprehended they might be dangerous engines.
He took them out of their cafes, and told us, that in his
own country his practice was to have his beard with one
of these, and to cut his meat with the other. There were
two pockets, which we could not enter: these he called
his fobs; they were two large flits cut into the top of
his middle cover, but fqueezed clofe by the preffure of
his belly. Out of the right fob hung a great filver
chain, with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom.
We directed him to draw out whatever was at the end of
that chain; which appeared to be a globe, half filver,
and half of fome transparent metal: for on the trans-
parent fide we faw certain ftrange figures circularly
drawn, and thought we could touch them, till we found
our fingers ftopt by that lucid substance. He put this
engine to our ears, which made an inceffant noife like
that of a water-mill: and we conjecture it is either fome
unknown animal, or the god that he worships; but we
are more inclined to the latter opinion, because he affu-
red us (if we understood him right, for he expreffed
himfelf very imperfectly) that he feldom did any thing
without confulting it. He called it his oracle; and faid
it pointed out the time for every action of his life *.
From the left fob he took out a net almost large enough
for a fisherman, but contrived to open and shut like a
purfe, and ferved him for the fame ufe:
we found
therein several maffy pieces of yellow metal, which, if
they be real gold, must be of immense value.

HAVING thus, in obedience to your Majesty's commands, diligently fearched all his pockets, we obferved a girdle about his waift, made of the hide of fome prodigious animal, from which on the left fide hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the right a bag or pouch divided into two cells, each cell capable of holding three of your Majefty's fubjects. In one of thefe cells

were

Perhaps the author intended to expofe the probable fallacy of opinions derived from the relations of travellers, by fhewing, how little truth need to be mifunderstood to make falsehood fpecious. Hawkef

were feveral globes or balls of a moft ponderous metal, about the bignefs of our heads, and required a ftrong hand to lift them: the other cell contained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold above fifty of them in the palms of our hands.

THIS is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of the man-mountain, who used us with great civility, and due refpect to your Majefty's commiffion. Signed and fealed, on the fourth day of the eighty ninth moon of your Majefty's aufpicious reign.

Glefrin Freloc, Marfi Freloc. WHEN this inventory was read over to the Emperor, he directed me, altho' in very gentle terms, to deliver up the feveral particulars. He firft called for my fcymiter, which I took out, fcabbard and all. In the mean time he ordered three thousand of his choiceft troops (who then attended him) to furround me at a distance, with their bows and arrows juft ready to difcharge: but I did not obferve it, for mine eyes were wholly fixed upon his Majefty. He then defired me to draw my fcymiter; which, altho' it had got fome ruft by the feawater, was in moft parts exceeding bright. I did fo, and immediately all the troops gave a fhout between terror and furprize; for the fun fhone clear, and the reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the fcymiter to and fro in my hand. His Majefty, who is a moft magnanimous prince †, was lefs daunted than I could expect; he ordered me to return it into the fcabbard, and caft it on the ground as gently as I could, about fix feet from the end of my chain. The next thing he demanded, was one of the hollow iron pillars; by which he meant my pocket-piftols. I drew it out, and at his defire, as well as I could, expreffed to him the use of it; and charging it only with powder, which by the closenefs of my pouch happened to escape wetting in the

Cz

fea

He who does not find himself difpofed to honour this magnanimity fhould reflect, that a right to judge of moral and intellectual excellence is, with great abfurdity and injuftice, arrogated by him who admires, in a being fix feet high, any qualities that he defpifes in one whofe ftature does not exceed fix inches.

Hawkef

fea (an inconvenience against which all prudent marinerstake special care to provide) I firft cautioned the Emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it off in the air. The aftonishment here was much greater than at the fight of my fcymiter. Hundreds fell down, as if they had been ftruck dead; and even the Emperor, altho he ftood his ground, could not recover himself in some time. I delivered up both my piftols in the fame manner as I had done my fcymiter, and then my pouch of powder and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept from fire, for it would kindle with the fmalleft spark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air. I likewife delivered up my watch, which the Emperor was very curious to fee, and commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guards, to bear it on a pole upon their shoulders, as dray-men in England do a barrel of ale. He was amazed at the continual noise it made, and the motion of the minute-hand, which he could eafily difcern; for their fight is much more acute than ours: he asked the opinions of his learned men about it, which were various and remote, as the reader may well imagine without my repeating; altho' indeed I could not very perfectly understand them. I then gave up my filver and copper money, my purfe with nine large pieces of gold, and fome fmaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and filver fnuff-box, my handkerchief and journal-book. My fcymiter, piftols, and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his Majesty's. tores; but the rest of my goods were returned me.

I had, as I before obferved, one private pocket, which efcaped their fearch, wherein there was a pair of fpectacles (which I fometimes ufe for the weakness of mine eyes) a pocket perspective, and some other little conveniencies; which being of no confequence to the Emperor, I did not think myfelf bound in honour to discover, and I apprehended they might be loft or fpoiled, if I ventured them out of my poffeffion.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

The author diverts the Emperor and his nobility of both Sexes in a very uncommon manner. The diverfions of the court of Lilliput defcribed. The author hath his liberty granted him upon certain conditions.

MY

Y gentleness and good behaviour had gained fo far on the Emperor and his court, and indeed upon the army, and people in general, that I began to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a fhort time. I took all poffible methods to cultivate this favourable difpofition. The natives came by degrees to be lefs apprehenfive of any danger from me. I would fometimes lie down, and let five or fix of them dance on my hand: and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide and seek in my hair. I had now made a good progrefs in understanding and fpeaking their language. The Emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with feveral of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted with none fo much as that the rope-dancers, performed upon a flender white thread, extended about two foot and twelve inches from the ground. Upon which I fhall defire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.

THIS diverfion is only practifed by thofe perfons, who are candidates for great employments, and high favour at court. They are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant either by death or difgrace (which often happens) five or fix of thofe candidates petition the Emperor to entertain his Majefty and the court with a dance on the rope, and whoever jumps the highest without falling, fucceeds in the office. Very often the chief minifters themselves are commanded to fhew their skill, and to convince the Emperor, that they have not loft their faculty. Flimnap, the treafurer, is allowed to cut a caper on the ftrait rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole empire. I have feen him

do the fummerfet * feveral times together upon a trencher, fixed on a rope, which is no thicker than a common packthread in England. My friend Reldrefal, principal fecretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial, the fecond after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are much upon a par.

THESE diverfions are often attended with fatal accidents, whereof great numbers are on record. I myself have feen two or three candidates break a limb. But the danger is much greater, when the minifters themselves are commanded to fhew their dexterity; for, by contending to excel themselves and their fellows, they strain so far, that there is hardly one of them, who hath not received a fall, and fome of them two or three. I was affured, that a year or two before my arrival, Flimnap would have infallibly broke his neck, if one of the King's cufhions, that accidentally lay on the ground, had not weakened the force of his fall.

THERE is likewife another diverfion, which is only fhewn before the Emperor and Emprefs, and first minifter upon particular occafions. The Emperor lays on the table three fine filken threads of fix inches long; one is blue, the other red, and the third green. These threads are propofed as prizes for thofe perfons, whom the Emperor hath a mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of his favour. The ceremony is performed in his Majefty's great chamber of ftate, where the candidates are to undergo a trial of dexterity very different from the former, and fuch as I have not obferved the least resemblance of in any other country of the old or new world. The Emperor holds a flick in his hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one, fometimes leap over the stick, fometimes creep under it backwards and forwards several times, according as the ftick is advanced or depreffed. Sometimes the Emperor holds one end of the stick, and his first minifter the other; fometimes the minister has it entirely to himself. Whoever performs his part with moft agility, and holds out the

Summerfet, or fummerfault; a gambol of a tumbler, in which he fprings up, turns heels over head in the air, and comes down upon his feet. Hawkef.