登陆注册
15754300000015

第15章

And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu's court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success;during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much a greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great confidence in your valour and strength, has commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you."I desired the secretary to present 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 person and state against all invaders."CHAPTER V.

[The author, by an extraordinary stratagem, 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 situated 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 intercourse between the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our emperor upon all vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his majesty a project I had formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet; which, as our scouts assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed; 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 extremities into a hook. Having thus fixed 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 waded 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. Ithen 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 Iwas 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 disturbance in my work. My greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly lost, if I had not suddenly thought of an expedient. 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. Itherefore let go the cord, and leaving the looks fixed to the ships, I resolutely 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 Iintended, were at first confounded with astonishment. They had seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the ships run adrift or fall foul 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 ointment that was given me at my first arrival, as I have formerly mentioned. Ithen 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 safe at the royal port of Lilliput.

同类推荐
  • 太上护国祈雨消魔经

    太上护国祈雨消魔经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 归庐谭往录

    归庐谭往录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 无门关

    无门关

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 迦叶仙人说医女人经

    迦叶仙人说医女人经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 战略辑佚

    战略辑佚

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 西湖八百年

    西湖八百年

    曾有一个人,爱我如生命。“小白,你把许仙丢哪了?”……我希望有个如你一般的人,如山间清爽的风,如古城温暖的光。在江南蒙蒙的烟雨中,手撑一把簪花纸伞,为我挡住瀚海波涛。八百年西湖美景,水枯泪干,情不断。
  • 虐恋成疯

    虐恋成疯

    一个女子本是平凡,却因相貌虐恋人生。当连行压在白绘肖身上时,在她耳边说“她欠我的,你必须换上。”如此她便失了身。当连恒压在白绘肖身上时,在她耳边说“我不在乎你的过去,我只要你的现在和未来。”那般坚定的话语,是誓言。“我的过去脏得很。”白绘肖强调。
  • 剑燎天下

    剑燎天下

    “相信好书总会有人看,我不会做一辈子的扑街狗!”
  • 绝世神灵师

    绝世神灵师

    这天道已变,强者为王弱者为寇,而这天才少年又如何改写这个不公平的世界呢?
  • 朕在校园

    朕在校园

    在这校园里,处处有危机。总有刁民想害朕。最后都会发现这都是一个误会
  • 遗忘了夏天的季节第二续

    遗忘了夏天的季节第二续

    如果哪一天你忘了全世界,也不能忘记在那个地方还有个傻瓜任然在原地等你……
  • 窃明物语

    窃明物语

    赵峰,一觉醒来,发现自己身处异处,身体也已不是自己的身体,没想到昨天只是同学聚会,喝多了酒,睡的晚了点,结果自己今天一觉醒来就到了大明,真是无语......看林空凡如何在这大明朝成就大业,叱咤大明!成为那最能撼动大明的一人!
  • 三生神魔决

    三生神魔决

    万万年前,魔神上天趁天道轮回新生之际,乘虚而入,欲挟天道以长生,造成“大黑暗时代”。仙帝沧海建立天庭联合众至强成为抗天者,神魔大战之后,沧海将上天封印三界圣山之上,自此大黑暗时代过去,天帝成为历史……而那仙山下被仙子救下的凡童归来,是否能成就那十圣归一,重建新天!凡能胜仙?地球神话时代,竟是修仙的末日?九命在这里公布一下三生的书友群:532386340,欢迎大家进群聊天互动!
  • 一花开放为一季

    一花开放为一季

    。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。