Reading Help Gulliver's Travels. Part I

me to be silent, and thus proceeded:- `
` `
` "Out of gratitude for the favours you have done me, I procured `
` information of the whole proceedings, and a copy of the articles; `
` wherein I venture my head for your service. `
` `
` `
` "'Articles of Impeachment against QUINBUS FLESTRIN, (the Man- `
` Mountain.) `
` `
` ARTICLE I. `
` `
` "'Whereas, by a statute made in the reign of his imperial majesty `
` Calin Deffar Plune, it is enacted, that, whoever shall make water `
` within the precincts of the royal palace, shall be liable to the `
` pains and penalties of high-treason; notwithstanding, the said `
` Quinbus Flestrin, in open breach of the said law, under colour of `
` extinguishing the fire kindled in the apartment of his majesty's `
` most dear imperial consort, did maliciously, traitorously, and `
` devilishly, by discharge of his urine, put out the said fire `
` kindled in the said apartment, lying and being within the precincts `
` of the said royal palace, against the statute in that case `
` provided, etc. against the duty, etc. `
` `
` ARTICLE II. `
` `
` "'That the said Quinbus Flestrin, having brought the imperial fleet `
` of Blefuscu into the royal port, and being afterwards commanded by `
` his imperial majesty to seize all the other ships of the said `
` empire of Blefuscu, and reduce that empire to a province, to be `
` governed by a viceroy from hence, and to destroy and put to death, `
` not only all the Big-endian exiles, but likewise all the people of `
` that empire who would not immediately forsake the Big-endian `
` heresy, he, the said Flestrin, like a false traitor against his `
` most auspicious, serene, imperial majesty, did petition to be `
` excused from the said service, upon pretence of unwillingness to `
` force the consciences, or destroy the liberties and lives of an `
` innocent people. `
` `
` ARTICLE III. `
` `
` "'That, whereas certain ambassadors arrived from the Court of `
` Blefuscu, to sue for peace in his majesty's court, he, the said `
` Flestrin, did, like a false traitor, aid, abet, comfort, and `
` divert, the said ambassadors, although he knew them to be servants `
` to a prince who was lately an open enemy to his imperial majesty, `
` and in an open war against his said majesty. `
` `
` ARTICLE IV. `
` `
` "'That the said Quinbus Flestrin, contrary to the duty of a `
` faithful subject, is now preparing to make a voyage to the court `
` and empire of Blefuscu, for which he has received only verbal `
` license from his imperial majesty; and, under colour of the said `
` license, does falsely and traitorously intend to take the said `
` voyage, and thereby to aid, comfort, and abet the emperor of `
` Blefuscu, so lately an enemy, and in open war with his imperial `
` majesty aforesaid.' `
` `
` `
` "There are some other articles; but these are the most important, `
` of which I have read you an abstract. `
` `
` "In the several debates upon this impeachment, it must be confessed `
` that his majesty gave many marks of his great lenity; often urging `
` the services you had done him, and endeavouring to extenuate your `
` crimes. The treasurer and admiral insisted that you should be put `
` to the most painful and ignominious death, by setting fire to your `
` house at night, and the general was to attend with twenty thousand `
` men, armed with poisoned arrows, to shoot you on the face and `
` hands. Some of your servants were to have private orders to strew `
` a poisonous juice on your shirts and sheets, which would soon make `
` you tear your own flesh, and die in the utmost torture. The `
` general came into the same opinion; so that for a long time there `
` was a majority against you; but his majesty resolving, if possible, `
` to spare your life, at last brought off the chamberlain. `
` `
` "Upon this incident, Reldresal, principal secretary for private `
` affairs, who always approved himself your true friend, was `
` commanded by the emperor to deliver his opinion, which he `
` accordingly did; and therein justified the good thoughts you have `
` of him. He allowed your crimes to be great, but that still there `
` was room for mercy, the most commendable virtue in a prince, and `
` for which his majesty was so justly celebrated. He said, the `
` friendship between you and him was so well known to the world, that `
` perhaps the most honourable board might think him partial; however, `
` in obedience to the command he had received, he would freely offer `
` his sentiments. That if his majesty, in consideration of your `
` services, and pursuant to his own merciful disposition, would `
` please to spare your life, and only give orders to put out both `
` your eyes, he humbly conceived, that by this expedient justice `
` might in some measure be satisfied, and all the world would applaud `
` the lenity of the emperor, as well as the fair and generous `
` proceedings of those who have the honour to be his counsellors. `
` That the loss of your eyes would be no impediment to your bodily `
` strength, by which you might still be useful to his majesty; that `
` blindness is an addition to courage, by concealing dangers from us; `
` that the fear you had for your eyes, was the greatest difficulty in `
` bringing over the enemy's fleet, and it would be sufficient for you `
` to see by the eyes of the ministers, since the greatest princes do `
` no more. `
` `
` "This proposal was received with the utmost disapprobation by the `
` whole board. Bolgolam, the admiral, could not preserve his temper, `
` but, rising up in fury, said, he wondered how the secretary durst `
` presume to give his opinion for preserving the life of a traitor; `
` that the services you had performed were, by all true reasons of `
` state, the great aggravation of your crimes; that you, who were `
` able to extinguish the fire by discharge of urine in her majesty's `
` apartment (which he mentioned with horror), might, at another time, `
` raise an inundation by the same means, to drown the whole palace; `
` and the same strength which enabled you to bring over the enemy's `
` fleet, might serve, upon the first discontent, to carry it back; `
` that he had good reasons to think you were a Big-endian in your `
` heart; and, as treason begins in the heart, before it appears in `
` overt-acts, so he accused you as a traitor on that account, and `
` therefore insisted you should be put to death. `
` `
` "The treasurer was of the same opinion: he showed to what straits `
` his majesty's revenue was reduced, by the charge of maintaining `
` you, which would soon grow insupportable; that the secretary's `
` expedient of putting out your eyes, was so far from being a remedy `
` against this evil, that it would probably increase it, as is `
` manifest from the common practice of blinding some kind of fowls, `
` after which they fed the faster, and grew sooner fat; that his `
` sacred majesty and the council, who are your judges, were, in their `
` own consciences, fully convinced of your guilt, which was a `
` sufficient argument to condemn you to death, without the formal `
` proofs required by the strict letter of the law. `
` `
` "But his imperial majesty, fully determined against capital `
` punishment, was graciously pleased to say, that since the council `
` thought the loss of your eyes too easy a censure, some other way `
` may be inflicted hereafter. And your friend the secretary, humbly `
` desiring to be heard again, in answer to what the treasurer had `
` objected, concerning the great charge his majesty was at in `
` maintaining you, said, that his excellency, who had the sole `
` disposal of the emperor's revenue, might easily provide against `
` that evil, by gradually lessening your establishment; by which, for `
` want of sufficient for you would grow weak and faint, and lose your `
` appetite, and consequently, decay, and consume in a few months; `
` neither would the stench of your carcass be then so dangerous, when `
` it should become more than half diminished; and immediately upon `
` your death five or six thousand of his majesty's subjects might, in `
` two or three days, cut your flesh from your bones, take it away by `
` cart-loads, and bury it in distant parts, to prevent infection, `
` leaving the skeleton as a monument of admiration to posterity. `
` `
` "Thus, by the great friendship of the secretary, the whole affair `
` was compromised. It was strictly enjoined, that the project of `
` starving you by degrees should be kept a secret; but the sentence `
` of putting out your eyes was entered on the books; none dissenting, `
` except Bolgolam the admiral, who, being a creature of the empress, `
` was perpetually instigated by her majesty to insist upon your `
` death, she having borne perpetual malice against you, on account of `
` that infamous and illegal method you took to extinguish the fire in `
` her apartment. `
` `
` "In three days your friend the secretary will be directed to come `
` to your house, and read before you the articles of impeachment; and `
` then to signify the great lenity and favour of his majesty and `
` council, whereby you are only condemned to the loss of your eyes, `
` which his majesty does not question you will gratefully and humbly `
` submit to; and twenty of his majesty's surgeons will attend, in `
` order to see the operation well performed, by discharging very `
` sharp-pointed arrows into the balls of your eyes, as you lie on the `
` ground. `
` `
` "I leave to your prudence what measures you will take; and to avoid `
` suspicion, I must immediately return in as private a manner as I `
` came." `
` `
` His lordship did so; and I remained alone, under many doubts and `
` perplexities of mind. `
` `
` It was a custom introduced by this prince and his ministry (very `
` different, as I have been assured, from the practice of former `
` times,) that after the court had decreed any cruel execution, `
` either to gratify the monarch's resentment, or the malice of a `
` favourite, the emperor always made a speech to his whole council, `
` expressing his great lenity and tenderness, as qualities known and `
` confessed by all the world. This speech was immediately published `
` throughout the kingdom; nor did any thing terrify the people so `
` much as those encomiums on his majesty's mercy; because it was `
` observed, that the more these praises were enlarged and insisted `
` on, the more inhuman was the punishment, and the sufferer more `
` innocent. Yet, as to myself, I must confess, having never been `
` designed for a courtier, either by my birth or education, I was so `
` ill a judge of things, that I could not discover the lenity and `
` favour of this sentence, but conceived it (perhaps erroneously) `
` rather to be rigorous than gentle. I sometimes thought of standing `
` my trial, for, although I could not deny the facts alleged in the `
` several articles, yet I hoped they would admit of some extenuation. `
` But having in my life perused many state-trials, which I ever `
` observed to terminate as the judges thought fit to direct, I durst `
` not rely on so dangerous a decision, in so critical a juncture, and `
` against such powerful enemies. Once I was strongly bent upon `
` resistance, for, while I had liberty the whole strength of that `
` empire could hardly subdue me, and I might easily with stones pelt `
` the metropolis to pieces; but I soon rejected that project with `
` horror, by remembering the oath I had made to the emperor, the `
`