gluffs at moft. I walked towards the northeaft coaft, overagainst Blefufcu; where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my fmall perfpective-glafs, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, confifting of about fifty men of war, and a great number of transports: I then came back to my house, and gave orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as pack-thread, and the bars of the length and fize of a knitting-needle. I trebled the cable to make it ftronger, and for the fame reason I twifted three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities into a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the north-eaft coaft, and putting off my coat, fhoes, and ftockings, walked into the fea in my leathern jerkin about half an hour before high-water. I waded with what hafte I could, and fwam in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground I arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was fo frighted, when they faw me, that they leaped out of their fhips, and fwam to fhore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand fouls: 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 difcharged feveral thoufand arrows, many of which ftuck in of which stuck in my hands and face; and, befides the exceffive fmart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My E 2 greatest greatest apprehenfion was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly loft, if I had not fuddenly thought of an expedient. I kept among other little neceffaries a pair of spectacles in a private pocket, which, as I obferved before, had escaped the emperor's fearchers. These I took out and fastened as ftrongly as I could upon my nofe, and thus armed went on boldly with my work in fpight of the enemy's arrows, many of which ftruck against the glaffes of my fpectacles, but without any other effect, farther than a little to difcompofe them. I had now fastened all the hooks, and taking the knot in my hand began to pull; but not a fhip would ftir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, fo that the boldeft part of my enterprize remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the hooks fixed to the thips, I refolutely cut with my knife the cables that faftened the anchors, receiving above two hundred fhots in my face and hands; then I 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 Blefufcudians, who had not the leaft imagination of what I intended, were at first confounded with aftonishment. They had feen me cut the cables, and thought my defign was only to let the fhips run a-drift, or fall foul on each other: but when they perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and faw me pulling at the end, they fet up fuch a feream of grief and 5 defpair, despair, as it is almost impoffible to defcribe or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I stopt a while to pick out the arrows, that stuck in my hands and face; and rubbed on fome of the fame ointment, that was given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off my fpectacles, and waiting about an hour, till the tide was a little fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived fafe at the royal port of Lilliput. The emperor and his whole court ftood on the shore expecting the iffue of this great adventure. They faw the fhips move forward in a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my breaft in water. When I advanced to the middle of the channel, they were yet more in pain, because I was under water to my neck. The emperor concluded me to be drowned, and that the enemy's fleet was approaching in an hoftile manner: but he was foon eafed of his fears, for the channel growing shallower every step I made, I came in a fhort time within hearing, and holding up the end of the cable, by which the fleet was faftened, I cried in a loud voice, long live the most puillant emperor of Lilliput! This great prince received me at my landing with all poffible encomiums, and created me a Nardac upon the fpot, which is the highest title of honour among them. His majefty defired, I would take fome other opportunity of bringing all the reft of his enemy's fhips into his ports. And fo unmeasur E 3 able able is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefufcu into a province, and governing it by a vice-roy; of deftroying the Big-endian exiles, and compelling that people to break the fmaller end of their eggs, by which he would remain the fole monarch of the whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this defign by many arguments drawn from the topics of policy as well as juftice: and I plainly protefted, that I would never be an inftrument of bringing a free and brave people into flavery. And, when the matter was debated in council, the wifeft part of the miniftry were of my opinion. This open bold declaration of mine was fo oppofite to the schemes and politicks of his imperial majefty, that he could never forgive me; he mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that fome of the wifeft appeared at least by their filence to be of my opinion; but others, who were my fecret enemies, could not forbear fome expreffions, which by a fide-wind reflected on me. And from this time began an intrigue between his majefty, and a junto of minifters maliciously bent against me, which broke out in lefs than two months, and had like to have ended in my utter deftruction. Of fo little weight are the greateft fervices to princes, when put into the ballance with a refufal to gratify their paffions. About About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a folemn ambafly from Blefufcu with humble offers of a peace; which was foon concluded upon conditions very advantageous to our emperor, wherewith I fhall not trouble the reader. There were fix ambaffadors, with a train of about five hundred perfons; and their entry was very magnificent, fuitable to the grandeur of their master, and the importance of their bufinefs. When their treaty was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit 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 vifit in form. They began with many compliments upon my valour and generofity, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their master's name, and defired me to fhew them fome proofs of my prodigious ftrength, of which they had heard fo many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the reader with the particulars. When I had for fome time entertained their excellencies to their infinite fatisfaction. and furprize, I defired they would do me the honour to present my moft humble refpects to the emperor their mafter, the renown of whofe virtues had fo juftly filled the whole world with admiration, and whofe royal perfon I refolved to attend before I returned to my own country accordingly, the next time I had the honour to see our emperor, I defired his general E 4 |