Majefty, placing great Confidence in your Valour and Strength, hath commanded me to lay this Account of his Affairs before you.

I defired the Secretary to prefent my humble Duty to the Emperor, and to let him know, that I thought it would not become me, who was a Foreigner, to interfere with Parties; but I was ready, with the Hazard of my Life, to defend his Perfon and State against all Invaders.

CHA P. V.

The Author, by an extraordinary Stratagem, prevents an Invafion. A high Title of Honour is conferred upon him. Ambassadors arrive from the Emperor of Blefufcu, and fue for Peace, The Emprefs's Apartment on Fire by an Accident; the Author inftrumental in faving the reft of the Palace.

T

HE Empire of Blefufcu is an Ifland, fituated to the North-East Side of Lilliput, from whence it is parted only by a Channel of eight hundred Yards wide. I had not yet feen it, and, upon this Notice of an intended Invafion, I avoided appearing on that Side of the Coaft, for Fear of being difcovered by fome of the Enemy's Ships, who had received no Intelligence of me, all Intercourse between the two Empires having been ftrictly forbidden during the War, upon Pain of Death, and an Embargo laid by our Emperor upon all Veffels whatfoever. I communicated to his Majesty a Project I had formed of feizing the Enemy's whole Fleet: Which, as our Scouts affured us, lay at Anchor in the Harbour ready to fail with

the

the first fair Wind. I confulted the most experienced Sea-men, upon the Depth of the Channel, which they had often plummed, who told me, that in the Middle, at Highwater, it was feventy Glumgluffs deep, which is about fix Feet of European Measure; and the reft of it fifty Glumgluffs at molt. I walked towards the North-East Coaft, overa gainft 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 Order (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 Packthread, and the Bars of the Length and Size of a Knitting-needle. I trebled the Cable to make it ftronger, and, for the fame Reason, I twisted three of the iron Bars together, binding the Extremities into a Hook. Having thus fixed fifty Hooks to as many Cables, I went back to the North-Eaft Coast, and putting off my Coat, Shoes, and Stockings, walked into the Sea, in my leathern Jerkin, about an Hour before High-water. I waded with what Hafte I could, and swam in the Middle about thirty Yards, till I felt Ground; I arrived to the Fleet in less than half an Hour. The Enemy was fo frighted when they faw me, that they leaped out of their Ships, and fwam to Shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand 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 difcharged feveral thoufand Arrows, many of which ftuck in my Hands and Face; and, befides the exceffive Smart, gave me much Diftur

bance

bance in my Work. My greatest Apprehenfion was for mine Eyes, which I fhould 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'ob: ferved before, had efcaped the Emperor's Searchers. Thefe I took out and fastened as ftrongly as I could upon my Nofe, and, thus armed, went on boldly with my Work in Spight of the Enemy's Arrows, many of which ftruck against the Glaffes of my Spectacles, 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 Ship would ftir, for they were all too faft held by their Anchors, fo that the boldest Part of my Enterprize remained. I therefore let go the Cord, and leaving the Hooks fixed to the Ships, I refolutely cut with my Knife the Cables that fastened the Anchors, receiving above two hundred Shots in my Face and Hands; then I took up the knotted End of the Cables to which my Hooks were tied, and with great Eafe drew fifty of the Enemy's largest Men of War after me.

The Blefufcudians, who had not the least Imagination of what I intended, were at firft confounded with Astonishment. They had feen me cut the Cables, and thought my Defign was only to let the Ships 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 Scream of Grief and Defpair, that it is almoft impoffible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of Danger, I ftopt a while to pick out the Arrows that stuck in my Hands and Face; and rubbed on some of the fame Ointment

ment that was given me at my first Arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. I then took off my Spectacles, 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 stood on the Shore expecting the Iffue of this great Adventure. They faw the Ships move forward in a large HalfMoon, but could not difcern me, who was up to my Breast in Water. When I advanced to the middle of the Channel, they were yet in more 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 a hoftile Manner: But he was foon eafed of his Fears, for the Channel growing fhallower 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 puiffant Emperor of Lilliput! This great Prince received me at my Landing with all poffible Encomiums, and created me a Nardac upon the Spot, which is the higheft Title of Honour among them.

His Majefty defired I would take fome other Opportunity of bringing all the rest of his Enemy's Ships into his Ports. And fo unmeasurable 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 endeavour'd to divert him from his Defign, by many Arguments drawn from the Topics of Policy

as

as well as Juftice: And I plainly protested, that T would never be an Inftrument of bringing a free and brave People into Slavery. And, when the Matter was debated in Council, the wifeft Part of the Ministry were of my Opinion.

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This open bold Declaration of mine was fo oppofite to the Schemes and Politics 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 Silence, to be of my Opinión; but others, who were my fecret Enemies, could not forbear fome Expreffions, which by a Side-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 less than two Months, and had like to have ended in my utter Destruction: Of fo little Weight are the greatest Services to Princes, when put into the Ballance with a Refufal to gratify their Paffions.

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 Mafter, and the Importance of their Bufinefs. When their Treaty was finished, wherein I did them feveral good Offices by the Credit I now had, or at leaft 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