spite of my Guards, I believe there could not be fewer than ten thousand, at 
several Times, who mounted upon my Body by the Help of Ladders. But a 
Proclamation was soon issued to forbid it upon Pain of Death. When the 
Workmen found it was impossible for me to break loose, they cut all the 
Strings that bound me; whereupon I rose up with as melancholy a 
Disposition as ever I had in my Life. But the Noise and Astonishment of 
the People at seeing me rise and walk, are not to be expressed. The Chains 
that held my left Leg were about two Yards long, and gave me not only the 
Liberty of walking backwards and forwards in a Semicircle; but, being 
fixed within four Inches of the Gate, allowed me to creep in, and lie at my 
full Length in the Temple.

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 describ'd. 
Learned Men appointed to teach the Author their Language. He gains 
Favour 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 round appeared 
like a continued Garden, and the inclosed Fields, which were generally 
Forty Foot square, resembled so many Beds of Flowers. These Fields were 
intermingled with Woods of half a Stang, and the tallest Trees, as I could 
judge, appeared to be seven Foot high. I viewed the Town on my left Hand, 
which looked like the painted Scene of a City in a Theatre.

I had been for some Hours extremely pressed by the Necessities of Nature; 
which was no Wonder, it being almost two Days since I had last 
disburthened myself. I was under great Difficulties between Urgency and 
Shame. The best Expedient I could think on, was to creep into my House, 
which I accordingly did; and shutting the Gate after me, I went as far as the 
Length of my Chain would suffer, and discharged my Body of that uneasy 
Load. But this was the only Time I was ever guilty of so uncleanly an 
Action; for which I cannot but hope the candid Reader will give some 
Allowance, after he has maturely and impartially considered my Case, and 
the Distress I was in. From this Time my constant Practice was, as soon as 
I rose, to perform that Business in open Air, at the full Extent of my 
Chain, and due Care was taken every Morning before Company came, that 
the offensive Matter should be carried off in Wheel-barrows, by two 
Servants appointed for that Purpose. I would not have dwelt so long upon a 
Circumstance, that perhaps at first sight may appear not very momentous, 
if I had not thought it necessary to justify my Character in point of 
Cleanliness to the world; which I am told some of my Maligners have been 
pleased, upon this and other Occasions, to call in question.

When this Adventure was at an end, I came back out of my House, having 
occasion for fresh Air. The Emperor was already descended from the 
Tower, and advancing on Horse-back 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, he 
reared up on his hinder Feet: But that Prince, who is an excellent Horse-
man, 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, and ten with Liquor; each 
of the former afforded me two or three good Mouthfuls, and I emptied the 
Liquor of ten Vessels, which was contained in earthen Vials, into one 
Vehicle, drinking it off at a Draught; and so I did with the rest. The 
Empress, and young Princes of the Blood, of both Sexes, attended by many 
Ladies, sat at some distance in their Chairs; 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. His Dress was very plain and simple, 
and the Fashion of it between the Asiatick and the European; but he had on 
his Head a light Helmet of Gold, adorned with Jewels, and a Plume on the 
Crest. 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 ; 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 croud 
about me as near as they durst, and some of them had the impudence to 
shoot their Arrows at me as I sate on the Ground by the Door of my 
House, whereof one very narrowly missed my left Eye. But the Colonel 
ordered six of the Ringleaders 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 But-Ends of their Pikes