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25 - Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift · Adventure Books Collection

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  Chapter nine, the author returns to Maladonnada sails to the kingdom of Lugnak.
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  The author confined, he is sent for to court. The manner of his
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  admittance the King's great leniity to his subjects. The day of our departure being
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  come, I took leave of his highness the governor of Club dub Drib,
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  and returned with my two companions to Maladonada, where after a fortnight's waiting,
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  a ship was ready to sail for Lugnak. The two gentlemen and some others
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  were so generous and kind as to furnish me with provisions and see me on
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  board. I was a month in this voyage. We had one violent storm
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  and were under a necessity of steering westward to get into the trade wind,
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  which holds for above sixty leagues. On the twenty first of April seventeen o
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  eight, we sailed into the river of Clemignick, which is a seaport town
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  at the south east point of Lucknek. We cast anchor within a league of
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  the town and made a signal for a pilot. Two of them came on
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  board in less than half an hour, by whom we were guided between certain
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  shoals and rocks, which are very dangerous in the passage to a large basin
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  where a fleet may ride in safety within a cable's length of the town wall.
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  Some of our sailors, whether out of treachery or inadvertence, had informed
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  the pilots that I was a stranger and great traveler, whereof these gave notice
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  to a custom house officer by whom I was examined very strictly. Upon my
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  landing. This officer spoke to me in the language about a barbie, which,
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  by the force of much commerce, is generally understood in that town,
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  especially by seamen and those employed in the customs. I gave him a short
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  account of some particulars, and made my story as plausible and consistent as I
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  could. But I thought it necessary to disguise my country and call myself a
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  Hollander, because my intentions were for Japan, and I knew the Dutch were
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  the only Europeans permitted to enter into that kingdom. I therefore told the officer
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  that, having been shipwrecked on the coast of Bounabarbie and cast on a rock,
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  I was received into Laputa, or the Flying Island of which he had
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  often heard, and was now endeavoring to get to Japan. Whence I might
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  find a convenience of returning to my own country. The officer said I must
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  be confined till he could receive orders from court, for which he would write
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  immediately and hope to receive an answer in a fortnight. I was carried to
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  a convenient lodging with a sentry placed at the door. However, I had
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  the liberty of a large garden and was treated with humanity enough, being maintained
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  all the time at the King's charge. I was invited by several persons,
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  chiefly out of curiosity, because it was reported that I came from countries very
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  remote of which they had never heard. I hired a young man who came
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  in the same ship to be an interpreter. He was a native of Lugnak,
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  but had lived some years at Meldonada, and was a perfect master of
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  both languages. By his assistance, I was able to hold a conversation with
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  those who came to visit me, but this consisted only of their questions and
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  my answers. The dispatch came from court about the time we expected. It
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  contained a warrant for conducting me and my retinue to trial drag dub or trill
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  drog drib, for it is pronounced both ways, as near as I can
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  remember, by a party of ten horse. All my retinue was that poor
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  lad for an interpreter, whom I persuaded into my service, and at my
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  humble request, we had each of us a meal to ride on a messengers
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  dispatched half a day's journey before us. To give the King notice of my
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  approach, and to desire that his Majesty would please to appoint a day and
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  hour when it would, by his gracious pleasure, that I might have the
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  honor to lick the dust before his footstool. This is the court style,
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  and I found it to be more than matter or form, For upon my
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  admittance two days after my arrival, I was commanded to crawl upon my belly
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  and lick the floor as I advanced, but on account of my being a
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  stranger, care was taken to have it made so clean that the dust was
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  not offensive. However, this was a peculiar grace, not allowed to any
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  but persons of the highest rank when they desire an admittance, Nay, sometimes
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  the floor is strewed with dust on purpose when the person to be admitted happens
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  to have powerful enemies at court. And I have seen a great lord with
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  his mouth so crammed that when he had crept to the proper distance from the
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  throne, he was not able to speak a word. Neither is there any
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  remedy, because it is capital for those who receive an audience to spit or
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  wipe their mouths in His Majesty's presence. There is indeed another custom which I
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  cannot altogether approve of. When the King has a mind put any of his
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  nobles to death in a gentle, indulgent manner, he commands the floor to
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  be strewed with a certain brown powder of a deadly composition, which, being
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  looked up infallibly kills him in twenty four hours. But in justice to this
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  Prince's great clemency and the care he has of his subject's lives, wherein it
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  were much to be wished that the monarchs of Europe would imitate him, it
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  must be mentioned for his honor that strict orders are given to have the infected
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  parts of the floor well after every such execution, which, if his domestics
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  neglect they are in danger of incurring his royal displeasure. I myself heard him
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  give directions that one of his pages should be whipped, whose turn it was
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  to give notice about washing the floor after an execution, but maliciously had omitted
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  it, by which neglect, a young lord of great hopes coming to an
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  audience was unfortunately poisoned. Although the King at the time had no design against
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  his life. But this good prince was so gracious as to forgive the poor
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  page his whipping, upon promise that he would do so no more without special
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  orders. To return from this digression. When I had crept within four yards
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  of the throne, I raised myself gently upon my knee, and then,
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  striking my forehead seven times against the ground, I pronounced the following word words
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  as they had been taught me the night before ink plane glofft throb squat,
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  cerembly hop m laschnault as wynn snod balkafum to nudbalkoff slenop had gridlop ashed.
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  This is the compliment established by the laws of the land for all persons admitted
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  to the King's presence. It may be rendered into English. Thus may your
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  celestial Majesty outlive the sun eleven moons and a half. To this, the
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  King returned some answer which, although I could not understand yet, I replied,
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  as I had been directed, fluff drin yalaric dweldham prastadmrpush, which properly
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  signifies my tongue is in the mouth of my friend. And by this expression
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  was meant that I desired leave to bring my interpreter. Whereupon the young man
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  already mentioned was accordingly introduced, by whose intervention I answered as many questions as
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  his Majesty could put in above an hour. I spoke in the bownla Barbian
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  tongue, and my interpreter delivered my meaning in that of Lugnak. The King
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  was much delighted in my company, and ordered his bliff mark Club or high
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  Chamberlain, to appoint a lodging in the court for me and my interpreter,
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  with a daily allowance for my table and a large purse of gold for my
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  common expenses. I stayed three months in this country out of perfect obedience to
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  His Majesty, who was pleased highly to favor me and made me very honorable
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  offers. But I thought it more consistent with prudence and justice to pass the
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  remainder of my days with my wife and family, and apart three Chapter nine,