For
as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other Kingdoms and States
in the World inhabited by human Creatures as large as yourself, our Philosophers
are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropt from the Moon,
or one of the Stars; because it is certain, that a hundred Mortals of your
Bulk would, in a short time, destroy all the Fruits and Cattle of his Majesty's
Dominions. Besides, our Histories of six thousand Moons make no mention of
any other Regions, than the two great Empires of Lilliput
and Blefuscu. Which two mighty Powers have, as I was going to tell you,
been engaged in a most obstinate War for six and thirty Moons past. It began
upon the following Occasion. It is allowed on all Hands, that the primitive
way of breaking Eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger End: But his
present Majesty's Grand-father, while he was a Boy, going to eat an Egg, and
breaking it according to the ancient Practice, happened to cut one of his
Fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his Father published an Edict, commanding all
his Subjects, upon great Penaltys, to break the smaller End of their Eggs.
The People so highly resented this Law, that our Histories tell us there have
been six Rebellions raised on that account; wherein one Emperor lost his Life,
and another his Crown. These civil Commotions were constantly fomented by
the Monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the Exiles always fled
for Refuge to that Empire. It is computed, that eleven thousand Persons have,
at several times, suffered Death, rather than submit to break their Eggs at
the smaller End. Many hundred large Volumes have been published upon this
Controversy: But the books of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden, and
the whole Party rendered incapable by Law of holding Employments.
