The author, by an extraordinary stratagem1, prevents an invasion. A high title of honour is conferred upon him. Ambassadors arrive from the emperor of Blefuscu, and sue for peace. The empress’s apartment on fire by an accident; the author instrumental in saving the rest of the palace.
The empire of Blefuscu is an island situated2 to the north-east of Lilliput, from which it is parted only by a channel of eight hundred yards wide. I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of being discovered, by some of the enemy’s ships, who had received no intelligence of me; all intercourse3 between the two empires having been strictly4 forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo5 laid by our emperor upon all vessels6 whatsoever7. I communicated to his majesty8 a project I had formed of seizing the enemy’s whole fleet; which, as our scouts9 assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen10 upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed11; who told me, that in the middle, at high-water, it was seventy glumgluffs deep, which is about six feet of European measure; and the rest of it fifty glumgluffs at most. I walked towards the north-east coast, over against Blefuscu, where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my small perspective glass, and viewed the enemy’s fleet at anchor, consisting 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 packthread and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle. I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities12 into a hook. Having thus fixed13 fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the north-east coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into the sea, in my leathern jerkin, about half an hour before high water. I waded14 with what haste I could, and swam in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy was so frightened when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships, and swam 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 prow15 of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I was thus employed, the enemy discharged several thousand arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face, and, beside the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance16 in my work. My greatest apprehension17 was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly lost, if I had not suddenly thought of an expedient18. I kept, among other little necessaries, a pair of spectacles in a private pocket, which, as I observed before, had escaped the emperor’s searchers. These I took out and fastened as strongly as I could upon my nose, and thus armed, went on boldly with my work, in spite of the enemy’s arrows, many of which struck against the glasses of my spectacles, but without any other effect, further than a little to discompose them. I had now fastened all the hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull; but not a ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the looks fixed to the ships, I resolutely19 cut with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving about 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 ease drew fifty of the enemy’s largest men of war after me.
The Blefuscudians, who had not the least imagination of what I intended, were at first confounded with astonishment20. They had seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the ships run adrift or fall foul21 on each other: but when they perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end, they set up such a scream of grief and despair as it is almost impossible to describe or conceive. When I had got out of danger, I stopped awhile to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and face; and rubbed on some of the same ointment22 that was given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly23 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 cargo24, and arrived safe at the royal port of Lilliput.
The emperor and his whole court stood on the shore, expecting the issue of this great adventure. They saw the ships move forward in a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my breast 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 a hostile manner: but he was soon eased of his fears; for the channel growing shallower every step I made, I came in a short time within hearing, and holding up the end of the cable, by which the fleet was fastened, I cried in a loud voice, “Long live the most puissant25 king of Lilliput!” This great prince received me at my landing with all possible encomiums, and created me a nardac upon the spot, which is the highest title of honour among them.
His majesty desired I would take some other opportunity of bringing all the rest of his enemy’s ships into his ports. And so unmeasureable is the ambition of princes, that he seemed to think of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a province, and governing it, by a viceroy; of destroying the Big-endian exiles, and compelling that people to break the smaller end of their eggs, by which he would remain the sole monarch26 of the whole world. But I endeavoured to divert him from this design, by many arguments drawn27 from the topics of policy as well as justice; and I plainly protested, “that I would never be an instrument of bringing a free and brave people into slavery.” And, when the matter was debated in council, the wisest part of the ministry28 were of my opinion.
This open bold declaration of mine was so opposite to the schemes and politics of his imperial majesty, that he could never forgive me. He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that some of the wisest appeared, at least by their silence, to be of my opinion; but others, who were my secret enemies, could not forbear some expressions which, by a side-wind, reflected on me. And from this time began an intrigue29 between his majesty and a junto30 of ministers, maliciously31 bent32 against me, which broke out in less than two months, and had like to have ended in my utter destruction. Of so little weight are the greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their passions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a solemn embassy from Blefuscu, with humble33 offers of a peace, which was soon concluded, upon conditions very advantageous34 to our emperor, wherewith I shall not trouble the reader. There were six ambassadors, with a train of about five hundred persons, and their entry was very magnificent, suitable to the grandeur35 of their master, and the importance of their business. 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 privately36 told how much I had been their friend, made me a visit in form. They began with many compliments upon my valour and generosity37, invited me to that kingdom in the emperor their master’s name, and desired me to show them some proofs of my prodigious38 strength, of which they had heard so many wonders; wherein I readily obliged them, but shall not trouble the reader with the particulars.
When I had for some time entertained their excellencies, to their infinite satisfaction and surprise, I desired they would do me the honour to present my most humble respects to the emperor their master, the renown39 of whose virtues40 had so justly filled the whole world with admiration41, and whose royal person I resolved to attend, before I returned to my own country. Accordingly, the next time I had the honour to see our emperor, I desired his general license42 to wait on the Blefuscudian monarch, which he was pleased to grant me, as I could perceive, in a very cold manner; but could not guess the reason, till I had a whisper from a certain person, “that Flimnap and Bolgolam had represented my intercourse with those ambassadors as a mark of disaffection;” from which I am sure my heart was wholly free. And this was the first time I began to conceive some imperfect idea of courts and ministers.
It is to be observed, that these ambassadors spoke43 to me, by an interpreter, the languages of both empires differing as much from each other as any two in Europe, and each nation priding itself upon the antiquity44, beauty, and energy of their own tongue, with an avowed45 contempt for that of their neighbour; yet our emperor, standing46 upon the advantage he had got by the seizure47 of their fleet, obliged them to deliver their credentials48, and make their speech, in the Lilliputian tongue. And it must be confessed, that from the great intercourse of trade and commerce between both realms, from the continual reception of exiles which is mutual49 among them, and from the custom, in each empire, to send their young nobility and richer gentry50 to the other, in order to polish themselves by seeing the world, and understanding men and manners; there are few persons of distinction, or merchants, or seamen, who dwell in the maritime51 parts, but what can hold conversation in both tongues; as I found some weeks after, when I went to pay my respects to the emperor of Blefuscu, which, in the midst of great misfortunes, through the malice52 of my enemies, proved a very happy adventure to me, as I shall relate in its proper place.
The reader may remember, that when I signed those articles upon which I recovered my liberty, there were some which I disliked, upon account of their being too servile; neither could anything but an extreme necessity have forced me to submit. But being now a nardac of the highest rank in that empire, such offices were looked upon as below my dignity, and the emperor (to do him justice), never once mentioned them to me. However, it was not long before I had an opportunity of doing his majesty, at least as I then thought, a most signal service. I was alarmed at midnight with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which, being suddenly awaked, I was in some kind of terror. I heard the word Burglum repeated incessantly53: several of the emperor’s court, making their way through the crowd, entreated54 me to come immediately to the palace, where her imperial majesty’s apartment was on fire, by the carelessness of a maid of honour, who fell asleep while she was reading a romance. I got up in an instant; and orders being given to clear the way before me, and it being likewise a moonshine night, I made a shift to get to the palace without trampling55 on any of the people. I found they had already applied56 ladders to the walls of the apartment, and were well provided with buckets, but the water was at some distance. These buckets were about the size of large thimbles, and the poor people supplied me with them as fast as they could: but the flame was so violent that they did little good. I might easily have stifled57 it with my coat, which I unfortunately left behind me for haste, and came away only in my leathern jerkin. The case seemed wholly desperate and deplorable; and this magnificent palace would have infallibly been burnt down to the ground, if, by a presence of mind unusual to me, I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. I had, the evening before, drunk plentifully58 of a most delicious wine called glimigrim, (the Blefuscudians call it flunec, but ours is esteemed59 the better sort,) which is very diuretic. By the luckiest chance in the world, I had not discharged myself of any part of it. The heat I had contracted by coming very near the flames, and by labouring to quench60 them, made the wine begin to operate by urine; which I voided in such a quantity, and applied so well to the proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly extinguished, and the rest of that noble pile, which had cost so many ages in erecting61, preserved from destruction.
It was now day-light, and I returned to my house without waiting to congratulate with the emperor: because, although I had done a very eminent62 piece of service, yet I could not tell how his majesty might resent the manner by which I had performed it: for, by the fundamental laws of the realm, it is capital in any person, of what quality soever, to make water within the precincts of the palace. But I was a little comforted by a message from his majesty, “that he would give orders to the grand justiciary for passing my pardon in form:” which, however, I could not obtain; and I was privately assured, “that the empress, conceiving the greatest abhorrence63 of what I had done, removed to the most distant side of the court, firmly resolved that those buildings should never be repaired for her use: and, in the presence of her chief confidents could not forbear vowing64 revenge.”
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1
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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embargo
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| n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商） | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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plumbed
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| v.经历( plumb的过去式和过去分词 )；探究；用铅垂线校正；用铅锤测量 | |
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extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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puissant
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| adj.强有力的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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junto
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| n.秘密结社；私党 | |
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maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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maritime
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| adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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