Two Days after this Adventure, the Emperor having ordered that Part of his Army, which quarters in and about his Metropolis, to be in a Readinefs, took a Fancy of diverting himself in a very fingular Manner. He defired I would stand like a Coloffus, with my Legs as far afunder as I conveniently 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 imarch them under me; the Foot by twenty-four in a Breast, and the Horse by fixteen, with Drums beating, Colours flying, and Pikes advanced. This Body confifted of three thousand Foot, and a thoufand Horfe. His Majesty gave Orders, upon Pain of Death, that every Soldier in his March fhould obferve the ftri&teft Decency, with regard to my Perfon; which, however, could not prevent fome of the younger Officers from turning up their Eyes as they paffed under me. And, to confefs the Truth, my Breeches were at that Time in fo ill a Condition, that they afforded fome Opportunities for Laughter and Admiration.

I had fent fo many Memorials and Petitions for my Liberty, that his Majefty at length mentioned the Matter first in the Cabinet, and then in a full Council; where it was oppofed by none, except Skyref Bolgolam, who was pleafed, without any Provocation, to be my mortal Enemy. But it was carried againft him by the whole Board, and confirmed by the Emperor. That Minifter was Galbet, or Admiral of the Realm, very much in his Mafter's Confidence, and a Perfon well versed in Affairs, but of a morofe and four Complexion. However he was at length perfuaded to comply but prevailed that the Articles and Conditions upon which I fhould be fet free, and to which I must fwear,

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Iwear, fhould be drawn up by himself. These Articles were brought to me by Skyreh Bolgolam in Perfon, attended by two Under-Secretaries, and feveral Perfons of Diftinction. After they were read, I was demanded to fwear to the Performance of them; firft in the Manner of my own Country, and afterwards 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 right Ear. But because the Reader may be curious to have fome Idea of the Style and Manner of Expreffion 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 Inftrument Word for Word, as near as I was able, which I here offer to the Public:

GOLBASTO MOMAREN EVLAME GURDILO SHEFIN MULLY ULLY GUE, Moft Mighty Emperor of Lilliput, Delight and Terror of the Univerfe, whofe Dominions extend five Thousand Bluftrugs (about twelve Miles in Circumference) to the Extremities of the Globe; Monarch of all Monarchs, taller than the Sons of Men; whose Feet prefs down to the Center, and whofe Head ftrikes against the Sun: At whofe Nod the Princes of the Earth fhake their Knees; pleafant as the Spring, comfortable as the Summer, fruitful as Autumn, dreadful as Winter. His moft fublime Majefty propofeth to the Man-Mountain, lately arrived to our Celestial Dominions, the following Articles which by a folemn Oath he shall be obliged to perform :

Ift, The Man-Mountain shall not depart from our Dominions without our Licence under our great Seal

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2d,

zd, He shall not prefume to come into our Metropolis, without our exprefs Order; at which Time the Inhabitants shall have two Hours Warning to keep within their Doors.

3d, The faid Man-Mountain fhall 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 faid Roads, he fhall take the utmost Care not to trample upon the Bōdies of any of our loving Subjects, their Horfes, or Carriages, nor take any of our Subjects into his Hands, without their own Confent.

5th, If an Express requires extraordinary Difpatch, the Man-Mountain fhall be obliged to carry in his Pocket the Meffenger and Horfe a fix Days Journey once in every Moon, and return the faid Meffenger back (if fo required) fafe to our Imperial Prefence.

6th, He fhall be our Ally against our Enemies in the Ifland of Blefufcu, and do his utmost to deftroy their Fleet, which is now preparing to invade us.

7th, That the faid Man-Mountain fhall, at his Times of Leifure, be aiding and affifting to our Workmen, in helping to raife certain great Stones, towards covering the Wall of the principal Park and other cur Royal Buildings.

8th, That the faid Man-Mountain fhall, in two Moons Time, deliver in an exact Survey of the Circumference of our Dominions by a Computation of his own Paces round the Coaft.

Laftly, That, upon his folemn Oath to obferve all the above Articles, the faid Man-Mountain fhall have a daily Allowance of Meat and Drink 'fufficient for the Support of 1724 of our Subjects, with free Accefs to our Royal Perfon, and other

Marks

Marks of our Favour. Given at our Palace at Belfaborac, the twelfth Day of the ninety-first Moon of our Reign.

I fwore and fubfcribed to thefe Articles with great Chearfulness and Content, although fome of them were not fo honourable as I could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the Malice of Skyresh Bolgolam, the High Admiral; whereupon my Chains were immediately unlocked, and I was at full Liberty; the Emperor himself in Perfon did me the Honour to be by at the whole Ceremony. I made my Acknowledgments by proftrating myself at his Majesty's Feet: But he commanded me to rife; and after many gracious Expreffions, which, to avoid the Cenfure of Vanity, I fhall not repeat, he added, that he hoped I should prove a useful Servant, and well deferve all the Favours he had already conferred upon me, or might do for the future.

The Reader may please to obferve, that, in the laft Article for the Recovery of my Liberty, the Emperor ftipulates to allow me a Quantity of Meat and Drink fufficient for the Support of 1724 Lil liputians. Some Time after, afking a Friend at Court, how they came to fix on that determinate Number; he told me, that his Majefty's Mathematicians, having taken the Height of my Body by the Help of a Quadrant, and finding 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, 1724 of theirs, and confequently would require as much Food as was neceffary to fupport that Number of Lilliputians. By which the Reader may conceive an Idea of the Ingenuity of that People, as well as the prudent and exact Economy of fo great a Prince.

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СНАР.

CHA P. IV.

Mildendo, the Metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the Emperor's Palace. A Converfation between the Author and a principal Secretary concerning the Affairs of that Empire. The Author's Offers to Jerve the Emperor in his Wars.

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HE first Request I made, after I had obtained my Liberty, was, that I might have Licence to fee Mildendo, the Metropolis; which the Emperor eafily granted me, but with a special Charge to do no Hurt, either to the Inhabitants or their Houses. The People had Notice by Proclamation of my Defign to vifit the Town. The Wall, which encompaffed it, is two Feet and a half high, and at least eleven Inches broad, fo that a Coach and Horfes may be driven. very fafely round it; and it is flanked with strong Towers at ten Feet Distance. I ftept over the great Weftern Gate, and paffed very gently, and fideling, through the two principal Streets, only in my fhort Waift-coat, for Fear of damaging the Roofs and Eves of the Houses with the Skirts of my Coat. I walked with the utmoft Circumfpection, to avoid treading on any Stragglers, that might remain in the Streets, although the Orders were ftrict, that all People fhould keep in their Houses, at their own Peril. The Garret-windows and Tops of Houfes were fo crouded with Spectators, that I thought in all my Travels I had not seen a more populous Place. The City is an exact Square, each Side of the Wall being five hundred Feet long. The two great Streets, which run crofs and divide it into four Quarters, are five Feet wide.

The Lanes