my life, a stranger to courts, for which I was
unqualified by the meanness of my condition. I had indeed heard and read
enough of the dispositions of great princes and ministers, but never
expected to have found such terrible effects of them, in so remote a
country, governed, as I thought, by very different maxims from those in
Europe.

When I was just preparing to pay my attendance on the emperor of
Blefuscu, a considerable person at court (to whom I had been very
serviceable, at a time when he lay under the highest displeasure of his
imperial majesty) came to my house very privately at night, in a close
chair, and, without sending his name, desired admittance. The chairmen
were dismissed; I put the chair, with his lordship in it, into my
coat-pocket: and, giving orders to a trusty servant, to say I was
indisposed and gone to sleep, I fastened the door of my house, placed the
chair on the table, according to my usual custom, and sat down by it.
After the common salutations were over, observing his lordship's
countenance full of concern, and inquiring into the reason, he desired "I
would hear him with patience, in a matter that highly concerned my honour
and my life." His speech was to the following effect, for I took notes
of it as soon as he left me:--

"You are to know," said he, "that several committees of council have been
lately called, in the most private manner, on your account; and it is but
two days since his majesty came to a full resolution.

"You are very sensible that Skyresh Bolgolam" (_galbet_, or high-admiral)
"has been your mortal enemy, almost ever since your arrival. His
original reasons I know not; but his hatred is increased since your great
success against Blefuscu, by which his glory as admiral is much obscured.
This lord, in conjunction with Flimnap the high-treasurer, whose enmity
against you is notorious on account of his lady, Limtoc the general,
Lalcon the chamberlain, and Balmuff the grand justiciary, have prepared
articles of impeachment against you, for treason and other capital
crimes."

This preface made me so impatient, being conscious of my own merits and
innocence, that I was going to interrupt him; when he entreated 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_ QUINB