Page 140 - Child's own book

pay my respects to the Emperor of Blefuscu, a considerable
person at court came to my house very privately at night, in a
close chair, and, without sending his name, desired admittance.
After the common salutations were over, ohserving his lord­
ship's countenance full of concern* and inquiring into the
reason, he desired I would hear him with patience in a matter
lhat HtgHly concerned mv honour and my life. ** You must
know," Biiid he, “ that Flint nap, the Lord High Treasurer,
has an excessive hatred against you, for having been creatcd a
vardnr, when he is only a suhjrum ; and lie has represented to
his Majesty, that your desire of going to Itlvfimca is a mark, of
your disaffection to our monarch. He has also represented
to the council, that (lie expense of )'f)ur support hns already
drained the royal treasury, and will impoverish the whole
kingdom ; and a meeting of all the members of the royal
council is appointed to take place in three days, to consider in
what manner it will be hcst to make away with you. I leave
to your prudence what measures to pursue for your safety;
and, to avoid the danger I should incur, were this visit known,
I must leave you as privately as I came/' His lordship did so,
and I soon came to the resolution of setting out the next
morning for Ulefuscu, J went to that side of the island where
our fleet Jav. i seized a large man-of-war, lied a cable to the
prow, and lifting up the anchors, 1 stripped myself, put my
clothes (together with my coverlet, winch f carried under my
ana) into the vessel, and drawing it after me, between wading
and swimming, arrived at the port of Blefuscu, where the
people had long expected me : they lent me two guides to
direct me to the capital city, which is of the same name. I
held them in my hands, till 1 came within two hundred yards
of the gate, and desired them to signify my arrival to one of
the secretaries, und let him know 1 there waited his Majesty1 b