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servants appointed for that purpose. I would not have dwelt so `
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long upon a circumstance that, perhaps, at first sight, may appear `
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not very momentous, if I had not thought it necessary to justify my `
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character, in point of cleanliness, to the world; which, I am told, `
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some of my maligners have been pleased, upon this and other `
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occasions, to call in question. `
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When this adventure was at an end, I came back out of my house, `
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having occasion for fresh air. The emperor was already descended `
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from the tower, and advancing on horseback towards me, which had `
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like to have cost him dear; for the beast, though very well `
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trained, yet wholly unused to such a sight, which appeared as if a `
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mountain moved before him, reared up on its hinder feet: but that `
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prince, who is an excellent horseman, kept his seat, till his `
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attendants ran in, and held the bridle, while his majesty had time `
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to dismount. When he alighted, he surveyed me round with great `
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admiration; but kept beyond the length of my chain. He ordered his `
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cooks and butlers, who were already prepared, to give me victuals `
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and drink, which they pushed forward in a sort of vehicles upon `
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wheels, till I could reach them. I took these vehicles and soon `
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emptied them all; twenty of them were filled with meat, and ten `
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with liquor; each of the former afforded me two or three good `
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mouthfuls; and I emptied the liquor of ten vessels, which was `
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contained in earthen vials, into one vehicle, drinking it off at a `
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draught; and so I did with the rest. The empress, and young `
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princes of the blood of both sexes, attended by many ladies, sat at `
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some distance in their chairs; but upon the accident that happened `
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to the emperor's horse, they alighted, and came near his person, `
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which I am now going to describe. He is taller by almost the `
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breadth of my nail, than any of his court; which alone is enough to `
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strike an awe into the beholders. His features are strong and `
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masculine, with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his complexion `
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olive, his countenance erect, his body and limbs well proportioned, `
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all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then `
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past his prime, being twenty-eight years and three quarters old, of `
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which he had reigned about seven in great felicity, and generally `
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victorious. For the better convenience of beholding him, I lay on `
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my side, so that my face was parallel to his, and he stood but `
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three yards off: however, I have had him since many times in my `
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hand, and therefore cannot be deceived in the description. His `
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dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the `
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Asiatic and the European; but he had on his head a light helmet of `
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gold, adorned with jewels, and a plume on the crest. He held his `
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sword drawn in his hand to defend himself, if I should happen to `
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break loose; it was almost three inches long; the hilt and scabbard `
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were gold enriched with diamonds. His voice was shrill, but very `
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clear and articulate; and I could distinctly hear it when I stood `
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up. The ladies and courtiers were all most magnificently clad; so `
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that the spot they stood upon seemed to resemble a petticoat spread `
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upon the ground, embroidered with figures of gold and silver. His `
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imperial majesty spoke often to me, and I returned answers: but `
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neither of us could understand a syllable. There were several of `
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his priests and lawyers present (as I conjectured by their habits), `
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who were commanded to address themselves to me; and I spoke to them `
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in as many languages as I had the least smattering of, which were `
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High and Low Dutch, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, and Lingua `
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Franca, but all to no purpose. After about two hours the court `
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retired, and I was left with a strong guard, to prevent the `
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impertinence, and probably the malice of the rabble, who were very `
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impatient to crowd about me as near as they durst; and some of them `
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had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me, as I sat on the `
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ground by the door of my house, whereof one very narrowly missed my `
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left eye. But the colonel ordered six of the ringleaders to be `
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seized, and thought no punishment so proper as to deliver them `
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bound into my hands; which some of his soldiers accordingly did, `
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pushing them forward with the butt-ends of their pikes into my `
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reach. I took them all in my right hand, put five of them into my `
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coat-pocket; and as to the sixth, I made a countenance as if I `
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would eat him alive. The poor man squalled terribly, and the `
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colonel and his officers were in much pain, especially when they `
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saw me take out my penknife: but I soon put them out of fear; for, `
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looking mildly, and immediately cutting the strings he was bound `
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with, I set him gently on the ground, and away he ran. I treated `
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the rest in the same manner, taking them one by one out of my `
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pocket; and I observed both the soldiers and people were highly `
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delighted at this mark of my clemency, which was represented very `
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much to my advantage at court. `
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Towards night I got with some difficulty into my house, where I lay `
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on the ground, and continued to do so about a fortnight; during `
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which time, the emperor gave orders to have a bed prepared for me. `
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Six hundred beds of the common measure were brought in carriages, `
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and worked up in my house; a hundred and fifty of their beds, sewn `
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together, made up the breadth and length; and these were four `
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double: which, however, kept me but very indifferently from the `
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hardness of the floor, that was of smooth stone. By the same `
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computation, they provided me with sheets, blankets, and coverlets, `
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tolerable enough for one who had been so long inured to hardships. `
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As the news of my arrival spread through the kingdom, it brought `
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prodigious numbers of rich, idle, and curious people to see me; so `
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that the villages were almost emptied; and great neglect of tillage `
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and household affairs must have ensued, if his imperial majesty had `
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not provided, by several proclamations and orders of state, against `
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this inconveniency. He directed that those who had already beheld `
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me should return home, and not presume to come within fifty yards `
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of my house, without license from the court; whereby the `
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secretaries of state got considerable fees. `
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In the mean time the emperor held frequent councils, to debate what `
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course should be taken with me; and I was afterwards assured by a `
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particular friend, a person of great quality, who was as much in `
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the secret as any, that the court was under many difficulties `
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concerning me. They apprehended my breaking loose; that my diet `
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would be very expensive, and might cause a famine. Sometimes they `
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determined to starve me; or at least to shoot me in the face and `
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hands with poisoned arrows, which would soon despatch me; but again `
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they considered, that the stench of so large a carcass might `
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produce a plague in the metropolis, and probably spread through the `
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whole kingdom. In the midst of these consultations, several `
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officers of the army went to the door of the great council-chamber, `
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and two of them being admitted, gave an account of my behaviour to `
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the six criminals above-mentioned; which made so favourable an `
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impression in the breast of his majesty and the whole board, in my `
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behalf, that an imperial commission was issued out, obliging all `
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the villages, nine hundred yards round the city, to deliver in `
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every morning six beeves, forty sheep, and other victuals for my `
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sustenance; together with a proportionable quantity of bread, and `
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wine, and other liquors; for the due payment of which, his majesty `
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gave assignments upon his treasury:- for this prince lives chiefly `
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upon his own demesnes; seldom, except upon great occasions, raising `
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any subsidies upon his subjects, who are bound to attend him in his `
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wars at their own expense. An establishment was also made of six `
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hundred persons to be my domestics, who had board-wages allowed for `
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their maintenance, and tents built for them very conveniently on `
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each side of my door. It was likewise ordered, that three hundred `
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tailors should make me a suit of clothes, after the fashion of the `
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country; that six of his majesty's greatest scholars should be `
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employed to instruct me in their language; and lastly, that the `
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emperor's horses, and those of the nobility and troops of guards, `
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should be frequently exercised in my sight, to accustom themselves `
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to me. All these orders were duly put in execution; and in about `
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three weeks I made a great progress in learning their language; `
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during which time the emperor frequently honoured me with his `
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visits, and was pleased to assist my masters in teaching me. We `
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began already to converse together in some sort; and the first `
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words I learnt, were to express my desire "that he would please `
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give me my liberty;" which I every day repeated on my knees. His `
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answer, as I could comprehend it, was, "that this must be a work of `
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time, not to be thought on without the advice of his council, and `
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that first I must lumos kelmin pesso desmar lon emposo;" that is, `
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swear a peace with him and his kingdom. However, that I should be `
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used with all kindness. And he advised me to "acquire, by my `
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patience and discreet behaviour, the good opinion of himself and `
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his subjects." He desired "I would not take it ill, if he gave `
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orders to certain proper officers to search me; for probably I `
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might carry about me several weapons, which must needs be dangerous `
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things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person." I `
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said, "His majesty should be satisfied; for I was ready to strip `
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myself, and turn up my pockets before him." This I delivered part `
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in words, and part in signs. He replied, "that, by the laws of the `
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kingdom, I must be searched by two of his officers; that he knew `
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this could not be done without my consent and assistance; and he `
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had so good an opinion of my generosity and justice, as to trust `
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their persons in my hands; that whatever they took from me, should `
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be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the rate which `
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I would set upon them." I took up the two officers in my hands, `
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put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other `
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pocket about me, except my two fobs, and another secret pocket, `
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which I had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some little `
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necessaries that were of no consequence to any but myself. In one `
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of my fobs there was a silver watch, and in the other a small `
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quantity of gold in a purse. These gentlemen, having pen, ink, and `
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paper, about them, made an exact inventory of every thing they saw; `
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and when they had done, desired I would set them down, that they `
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might deliver it to the emperor. This inventory I afterwards `
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translated into English, and is, word for word, as follows: `
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"Imprimis: In the right coat-pocket of the great man-mountain" `
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(for so I interpret the words quinbus flestrin,) "after the `
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strictest search, we found only one great piece of coarse-cloth, `
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large enough to be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of `
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state. In the left pocket we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover `
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of the same metal, which we, the searchers, were not able to lift. `
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We desired it should be opened, and one of us stepping into it, `
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found himself up to the mid leg in a sort of dust, some part `
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whereof flying up to our faces set us both a sneezing for several `
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times together. In his right waistcoat-pocket we found a `
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prodigious bundle of white thin substances, folded one over `
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another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a strong cable, `
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and marked with black figures; which we humbly conceive to be `
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writings, every letter almost half as large as the palm of our `
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hands. In the left there was a sort of engine, from the back of `
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which were extended twenty long poles, resembling the pallisados `
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before your majesty's court: wherewith we conjecture the man- `
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mountain combs his head; for we did not always trouble him with `
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questions, because we found it a great difficulty to make him `
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understand us. In the large pocket, on the right side of his `
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middle cover" (so I translate the word ranfulo, by which they meant `
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my breeches,) "we saw a hollow pillar of iron, about the length of `
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a man, fastened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; `
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and upon one side of the pillar, were huge pieces of iron sticking `
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out, cut into strange figures, which we know not what to make of. `
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In the left pocket, another engine of the same kind. In the `
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smaller pocket on the right side, were several round flat pieces of `
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white and red metal, of different bulk; some of the white, which `
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seemed to be silver, were so large and heavy, that my comrade and I `
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could hardly lift them. In the left pocket were two black pillars `
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irregularly shaped: we could not, without difficulty, reach the `
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top of them, as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them `
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was covered, and seemed all of a piece: but at the upper end of `
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