Chapter: CHAPTER II.

     THE EMPEROR OF LILLIPUT, ATTENDED BY SEVERAL OF THE NOBILITY, COMES
     TO SEE THE AUTHOR IN HIS CONFINEMENT. THE EMPEROR'S PERSON AND
     HABIT DESCRIBED. LEARNED MEN APPOINTED TO TEACH THE AUTHOR THEIR
     LANGUAGE. HE GAINS FAVOR BY HIS MILD DISPOSITION. HIS POCKETS ARE
     SEARCHED, AND HIS SWORD AND PISTOLS TAKEN FROM HIM.


When I found myself on my feet, I looked about me, and must confess I
never beheld a more entertaining prospect. The country around, appeared
like a continued garden, and the enclosed fields, which were generally
forty feet square, resembled so many beds of flowers. These fields were
intermingled with woods of half a stang,[12] and the tallest trees, as I
could judge, appeared to be seven feet high. I viewed the town on my
left hand, which looked like the painted scene of a city in a theatre.

The emperor was already descended from the tower, and advancing on
horseback towards me, which had like to have cost him dear; for the
beast, though very well trained, yet wholly unused to such a sight,
which appeared as if a mountain moved before him, reared up on his hind
feet. But that prince, who is an excellent horseman, kept his seat, till
his attendants ran in and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to
dismount.

When he alighted, he surveyed me round with great admiration, but kept
without the length of my chain. He ordered his cooks and butlers, who
were already prepared, to give me victuals and drink, which they pushed
forward in a sort of vehicles upon wheels, till I could reach them. I
took these vehicles, and soon emptied them all; twenty of them were
filled with meat; each afforded me two or three good mouthfuls. The
empress and young princes of the blood of both sexes, attended by many
ladies, sat at some distance in their chairs;[13] but upon the accident
that happened to the emperor's horse, they alighted, and came near his
person, which I am now going to describe. He is taller, by almost the
breadth of my nail, than any of his court, which alone is enough to
strike an awe into the beholders. His features are strong and masculine,
with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his complexion olive, his
countenance erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, all his motions
graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then past his prime, being
twenty-eight years and three-quarters old, of which he had reigned about
seven in great felicity, and generally victorious. For the better
convenience of beholding him, I lay on my side, so that my face was
parallel to his, and he stood but three yards off. However, I have had
him since many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the
description.

[Illustration]

His dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the
Asiatic and the European; but he had on his head a light helmet of gold,
adorned with jewels, and a plume an the crest.[14] He held his sword
drawn in his hand, to defend himself, if I should happen to break loose;
it was almost three inches long; the hilt and scabbard were gold,
enriched with diamonds. His voice was shrill, but very clear and
articulate, and I could distinctly hear it, when I stood up.

The ladies and courtiers were all most magnificently clad; so that the
spot they stood upon seemed to resemble a petticoat spread on the
ground, embroidered with figures of gold and silver. His imperial
majesty spoke often to me, and I returned answers, but neither of us
could understand a syllable. There were several of his priests and
lawyers present (as I conjectured by their habits), who were commanded
to address themselves to me; and I spoke to them in as many languages as
I had the least smattering of, which were, High and Low Dutch, Latin,
French, Spanish, Italian, and Lingua Franca;[15] but all to no purpose.

After about two hours the court retired, and I was left with a strong
guard, to prevent the impertinence, and probably the malice of the
rabble, who were very impatient to crowd about me as near as they durst;
and some of them had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me, as I sat
on the ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly missed
my left eye. But the colonel ordered six of the ring-leaders to be
seized, and thought no punishment so proper as to deliver them bound
into my hands; which some of his soldiers accordingly did, pushing them
forwards with the butt-ends of their pikes into my reach. I took them
all on my right hand, put five of them into my coat-pocket; and as to
the sixth, I made a countenance as if I would eat him alive. The poor
man squalled terribly, and the colonel and his officers were in much
pain, especially when they saw me take out my penknife; but I soon put
them out of fear, for, looking mildly, and immediately cutting the
strings he was bound with, I set him gently on the ground, and away he
ran. I treated the rest in the same manner, taking them one by one out
of my pocket; and I observed both the soldiers and people were highly
delighted at this mark of my clemency, which was represented very much
to my advantage at court.

[Illustration]

Towards night, I got with some difficulty into my house, where I lay on
the ground, and continued to do so about a fortnight, during which time
the emperor gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. Six hundred beds,
of the common measure, were brought in carriages and worked up in my
house; an hundred and fifty of their beds, sewn together, made up the
breadth and length; and these were four double, which, however, kept me
but very indifferently from the hardness of the floor, which was of
smooth stone. By the same computation, they provided me with sheets,
blankets, and coverlets, which were tolerable enough for one who had
been so long inured to hardships as I.

As the news of my arrival spread through the kingdom, it brought
prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me; so that
the villages were almost emptied; and great neglect of tillage and
household affairs must have ensued, if his imperial majesty had not
provided, by several proclamations and orders of state, against this
inconvenience. He directed that those who had already beheld me should
return home, and not presume to come within fifty yards of my house
without license from court; whereby the secretaries of state got
considerable fees.

In the meantime, the emperor held frequent councils, to debate what
course should be taken with me; and I was afterwards assured by a
particular friend, a person of great quality, who was as much in the
secret as any, that the court was under many difficulties concerning me.
They apprehended my breaking loose; that my diet would be very
expensive, and might cause a famine. Sometimes they determined to starve
me, or at least to shoot me in the face and hands with poisoned arrows,
which would soon despatch me: but again they considered that the stench
of so large a carcase might produce a plague in the metropolis, and
probably spread through the whole kingdom.

In the midst of these consultations, several officers of the army went
to the door of the great council-chamber, and two of them being
admitted, gave an account of my behavior to the six criminals
above-mentioned, which made so favorable an impression in the breast of
his majesty, and the whole board, in my behalf, that an imperial
commission was issued out, obliging all the villages nine hundred yards
round the city to deliver in, every morning, six beeves, forty sheep,
and other victuals, for my sustenance; together with a proportionable
quantity of bread and wine, and other liquors; for the due payment of
which his majesty gave assignments upon his treasury. For this prince
lives chiefly upon his own demesnes, seldom, except upon great
occasions, raising any subsidies upon his subjects, who are bound to
attend him in his wars at their own expense. An establishment was also
made of six hundred persons, to be my domestics, who had board-wages
allowed for their maintenance, and tents built for them very
conveniently on each side of my door.

It was likewise ordered that three hundred tailors should make me a suit
of clothes, after the fashion of the country; that six of his majesty's
greatest scholars should be employed to instruct me in their language;
and lastly, that the emperor's horses, and those of the nobility and
troops of guards, should be frequently exercised in my sight, to
accustom themselves to me.

All these orders were duly put in execution, and in about three weeks I
made a great progress in learning their language; during which time the
emperor frequently honored me with his visits, and was pleased to assist
my masters in teaching me. We began already to converse together in some
sort; and the first words I learnt were to express my desire that he
would please give me my liberty, which I every day repeated on my
knees. His answer, as I could apprehend it, was, that this must be a
work of time, not to be thought on without the advice of his council,
and that first I must _lumos kelmin pesso desmar lon emposo_; that is,
swear a peace with him and his kingdom. However, that I should be used
with all kindness; and he advised me to acquire, by my patience and
discreet behavior, the good opinion of himself and his subjects.

He desired I would not take it ill, if he gave orders to certain proper
officers to search me; for probably I might carry about me several
weapons which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk
of so prodigious a person. I said his majesty should be satisfied, for I
was ready to strip myself and turn up my pockets before him. This I
delivered, part in words, and part in signs.

He replied, that by the laws of the kingdom, I must be searched by two
of his officers; that he knew this could not be done without my consent
and assistance; that he had so good an opinion of my generosity and
justice, as to trust their persons in my hands; that whatever they took
from me should be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the
rate which I should set upon them. I took up the two officers in my
hands, put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other
pocket about me, except my two fobs and another secret pocket, which I
had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some little necessaries
that were of no consequence to any but myself. In one of my fobs there
was a silver watch, and in the other a small quantity of gold in a
purse.

[Illustration: "THESE GENTLEMEN MADE AN EXACT INVENTORY OF EVERYTHING
THEY SAW" P. 30.]

These gentlemen having pen, ink, and paper about them, made an exact
inventory of everything they saw; and, when they had done, desired I
would set them down, that they might deliver it to the emperor. This
inventory I afterwards translated into English, and is word for word as
follows:--

_Imprimis_,[16] In the right coat-pocket of the great man-mountain (for
so I interpret the words _quinbus flestrin_), after the strictest
search, we found only one great piece of coarse cloth, large enough to
be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In the left
pocket, we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover of the same metal,
which we the searchers were not able to lift. We desired it should be
opened, and one of us stepping into it, found himself up to the mid-leg
in a sort of dust, some part whereof flying up to our faces, set us both
a sneezing for several times together. In his right waistcoat pocket we
found a prodigious number of white thin substances folded one over
another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a strong cable, and
marked with black figures; which we humbly conceive to be writings,
every letter almost half as large as the palm of our hands. In the left,
there was a sort of engine, from the back of which were extended twenty
long poles, resembling the palisadoes before your majesty's court;
wherewith we conjecture the man-mountain combs his head, for we did not
always trouble him with questions, because we found it a great
difficulty to make him understand us. In the large pocket on the right
side of his middle cover (so I translate the word _ranfu-lo_, by which
they meant my breeches), we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the
length of a man, fastened to a strong piece of timber, larger than the
pillar; and upon one side of the pillar were huge pieces of iron
sticking out, cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make
of. In the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the smaller
pocket on the right side were several round flat pieces of white and red
metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which seemed to be silver,
were so large and so heavy, that my comrade and I could hardly lift
them. In the left pocket, were two black pillars irregularly shaped; we
could not without difficulty reach the top of them, as we stood at the
bottom of his pocket. One of them was covered, and seemed all of a
piece; but at the upper end of the other, there appeared a white and
round substance, about twice the bigness of our heads. Within each of
these was enclosed a prodigious plate of steel, which, by our orders, we
obliged him to show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous
engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us that in his own
country his practice was to shave 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. Out of the right fob hung a great
silver 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 silver, and half of some transparent metal; for on the
transparent side we saw certain strange figures, circularly drawn, and
thought we could touch them till we found our fingers stopped by that
lucid substance.[17] He put this engine to our ears, which made an
incessant noise, like that of a water-mill; and we conjecture it is
either some unknown animal, or the god that he worships; but we are more
inclined to the latter opinion, because he assured us (if we understood
him right, for he expressed himself very imperfectly), that he seldom
did anything without consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said 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 purse, and served him for the same use; we found
therein several massy 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
searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his waist, made of
the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left side, 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
majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were several globes, or balls,
of a most ponderous metal, about the bigness of our heads, and required
a strong 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 about
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 respect to your
majesty's commission. Signed and sealed, on the fourth day of the
eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious reign.

                                        CLEFRIN FRELOC.
                                        MARSI FRELOC.

When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me,
although in very gentle terms, to deliver up the several particulars.

He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, scabbard and all. In
the meantime, he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops (who then
attended him) to surround me at a distance, with their bows and arrows
just ready to discharge; but I did not observe it, for mine eyes were
wholly fixed upon his majesty. He then desired me to draw my scimitar,
which, although it had got some rust by the sea-water, was in most parts
exceedingly bright. I did so, and immediately all the troops gave a
shout between terror and surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the
reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my
hand. His majesty, who is a most magnanimous prince, was less daunted
than I could expect; he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and
cast it on the ground as gently as I could, about six 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-pistols. I drew it out, and at his desire, as well as
I could, expressed to him the use of it; and charging it only with
powder, which, by the closeness of my pouch, happened to escape wetting
in the sea (an inconvenience against which all prudent mariners take
special care to provide), I first cautioned the emperor not to be
afraid, and then let it off in the air.

The astonishment here was much greater than at the sight of my scimitar.
Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck dead; and even the
emperor, although he stood his ground, could not recover himself in some
time I delivered up both my pistols, in the same manner as I had done
my scimitar, and then my pouch of powder and bullets, begging him that
the former might be kept from fire, for it would kindle with the
smallest spark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air.

[Illustration]

I likewise delivered up my watch, which the emperor was very curious to
see, and commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guards[18] to bear
it on a pole upon their shoulders, as draymen 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 easily discern; for their sight 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; although, indeed, I could not very perfectly understand them.

I then gave up my silver and copper money, my purse, with nine large
pieces of gold, and some smaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and
silver snuffbox, my handkerchief and journal-book. My scimitar, pistols,
and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the
rest of my goods were returned to me.

I had, as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their
search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I sometimes use
for the weakness of mine eyes), a pocket perspective,[19] and some other
little conveniences; which, being of no consequence to the emperor, I
did not think myself bound in honor to discover; and I apprehended they
might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.

[Illustration]

 In this chapter, the Imperial Majesty and Gulliver carry on a conversation as best they can. After the Emperor's visit, six Lilliputians shoot arrows at Gulliver. Gulliver retaliates by pretending to eat the little archers and then releases them. This clemency, and Gulliver's cooperation, so impress the Imperial Council that they debate whether or not to free Gulliver. An officer takes inventory of Gulliver's possessions, which will be held until Gulliver's fate is settled upon.

