CHAP. IV.

Mildendo, the Metropolis of LILLIPUT defcribed, together with the Emperor's Palace, a Conver fation between the Author and a principal Secretary, concerning the Affairs of that Empire: The > Author's Offers to ferve the Emperor in bis Wars.

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 an 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 ftrong Towers at ten Feet Distance. I ftept over the great Western Gate, and paffed very gently, and fideling through the two principal Streets, only in my fhort Waistcoat, for fear of damaging the Roofs and Eves of the Houses with the Skirts of my Coat. I walked with the utmost Circumfpection, to avoid treading on any Stragglers,

Stragglers, who might remain in the Streets, although the Orders were very strict, that all People fhould keep in their Houfes, at their own Peril. The Garret Windows, and Tops of Houfes were fo crowded with Spectators, that I thought in all my Travels I had not feen a more populous Place. The City is an exact Square, each Side of the Wall being five hundred Foot long. The two great

Streets which run cross and divide it into four Quarters, are five Foot Wide. The Lanes and Alleys which I could not enter, but only viewed them as I paffed, are from twelve to eighteen Inches. The Town is capable of holding five hundred thousand Souls. The Houses are from three to five Stories. The Shops and Markets well provided.

THE Emperor's Palace is in the Centre of the City, where the two great Streets meet. It is inclofed by a Wall of two Foot high, and twenty Foot diftant from the Buildings. I had his Majefty's Permiffion to ftep over this Wall; and the Space being fo wide between that and the Palace, I could easily view it on every Side. The outward Court is a Square of forty Foot, and includes two other Courts: In the inmoft are the Royal Apartments, which I was very defirous to fee, but found it extremely difficult; for the great Gates, from one Square into another, were but eighteen Inches high, and seven Inches wide. Now the Buildings of the outer Court were at least five Foot high; and it was impoffible for me to ftride over them, without infinite Damage to the Pile, although the Walls were strongly built of hewn Stone, and four Inches thick. At the fame Time, the Emperor had a great Defire that I fhould fee the Magnificence of his Palace: But this I was not able to do until three

three Days after, which I fpent in cutting down with my Knife fome of the largest Trees in the Royal Park, about an hundred Yards diftant from the City. Of these Trees I made two Stools, each about three Foot high, and strong enough to bear my Weight. The People having received Notice a fecond Time, I went again through the City to the Palace, with my two Stools in my Hands, When I came to the Side of the outer Court, I ftood upon one Stool, and took the other in my Hand: This I lifted over the Roof, and gently fet it down on the Space between the firft and fecond Court, which was eight Foot wide. I then ftept over the Buildings very conveniently from one Stool to the other, and drew up the firft after me with a hooked Stick. By this Contrivance I got into the innermoft Court; and lying down upon my Side, I applied my Face to the Windows of the middle Stories, which were left open on Purpose, and difcovered the moft fplendid Apartments, that can be imagined. There I faw the Empress, and the young Princes in their feveral Lodgings, with their chief Attendants about them. Her Imperial Majefty was pleased to smile very graciously upon me, and gavė me out of the Window her Hand to kifs.

BUT I fhall not anticipate the Reader with farther Descriptions of this Kind, because I referve them for a greater Work, which is now almost ready for the Prefs; containing a general Defcription of this Empire, from its first Erection, through a long Series of Princes, with a particular Account of their Wars and Politicks, Laws, Learning, and Religion; their Plants and Animals, their peculiar Manners and Customs, with other Matters very curious and useful; my chief Defign at prefent being only to relate fuch Events

and

and Tranfactions as happened to the Publick, or to my felf, during a Refidence of about nine Months in that Empire.

ONE Morning, about a Fortnight after I had obtained my Iiberty; Reldrefal, Principal Secretary (as they ftile him) of private Affairs, came to my Houfe, attended only by one Servant. He ordered his Coach to wait at a Distance, and defired I would give him an Hour's Audience; which I readily confented to, on Account of his Quality, and Perfonal Merits, as well as of the many good Offices he had done me during my Sollicitations at Court. I offered to lie down, that he might the more conveniently reach my Ear; but he chose rather to let me hold him in my Hand during our Converfation. He began with Compliments on my Liberty; faid, he might pretend to fome Merit in it, but, however, added, that if it had not been for the present Situation of Things at Court, perhaps I might not have obtained it fo foon. For, faid he, as flourishing a Condition as we appear to be in to Foreigners, we labour under two mighty Evils; a violent Faction at home, and the Danger of an Invafion by a moft potent Enemy from abroad. As to the firft, you are to understand, that for above feventy Moons paft, there have been two ftruggling Parties in this Empire, under the Names of Trameckfan, and Slameckfan, from the high and low Heels on their Shoes, by which they distinguish themselves.

IT is alledged indeed, that the high Heels are moft agreeable to our ancient Conftitution: But however this be, his Majesty hath determined to make use of only low Heels in the Administration of the Government, and all Offices in the Gift of the Crown; as you cannot but obferve; and parti

cularly,

4

cularly, that his Majefty's Imperial Heels are lower at least by a Drurr than any of his Court; (Drurr is a Measure about the fourteenth Part of an Inch.) The Animofities between these two Parties run fo high, that they will neither eat nor drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the Trameckfan, or High-Heels, to exceed us in Number; but the Power is wholly on our Side.

We

apprehend his Imperial Highness, the Heir to the Crown, to have fome Tendency towards the HighHeels; at least we can plainly discover one of his Heels higher than the other; which gives him a Hobble in his Gait. Now, in the Midst of these inteftine Difquiets, we are threatened with an Invafion from the Island of Blefufcu, which is the other great Empire of the Univerfe, almoft as large and powerful as this of his Majefty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other Kingdoms and States in the World, inhabited by human Creatures as large as your felf, our Philofophers are in much Doubt; and would rather conjecture, that you dropt from the Moon, or one of the Stars; because it is certain, that an hundred Mortals of your Bulk, would, in a fhort Time, destroy all the Fruits and Cattle of his Majesty's Dominions. Befides, our Hiftories of fix thousand Moons make no mention of any other Regions, than the two great Empires of Lilliput and Blefufcu. Which two mighty Powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a moft obftinate War for fix and thirty Moons paft. It began upon the following Occafion. It is allowed on all Hands, that the primitive Way of breaking Eggs before we eat them, was upon the larger End: But his present Majefty's Grand-father, while he was a Boy, going to eat an Egg, and breaking it according to the ancient