Путешествие Гулливера

Chapter 7

           Inhopestoingratiatemyselffurtherintohismajesty’sfavour,Itoldhimof"aninvention,discoveredbetweenthreeandfourhundredyearsago,tomakeacertainpowder,intoaheapofwhich,thesmallestsparkoffirefalling,wouldkindlethewholeinamoment,althoughitwereasbigasamountain,andmakeitallflyupintheairtogether,withanoiseandagitationgreaterthanthunder.Thataproperquantityofthispowderrammedintoahollowtubeofbrassoriron,accordingtoitsbigness,woulddriveaballofironorlead,withsuchviolenceandspeed,asnothingwasabletosustainitsforce.Thatthelargestballsthusdischarged,wouldnotonlydestroywholeranksofanarmyatonce,butbatterthestrongestwallstotheground,sinkdownships,withathousandmenineach,tothebottomofthesea,andwhenlinkedtogetherbyachain,wouldcutthroughmastsandrigging,dividehundredsofbodiesinthemiddle,andlayallwastebeforethem.Thatweoftenputthispowderintolargehollowballsofiron,anddischargedthembyanengineintosomecitywewerebesieging,whichwouldripupthepavements,tearthehousestopieces,burstandthrowsplintersoneveryside,dashingoutthebrainsofallwhocamenear.ThatIknewtheingredientsverywell,whichwerecheapandcommon;Iunderstoodthemannerofcompoundingthem,andcoulddirecthisworkmenhowtomakethosetubes,ofasizeproportionabletoallotherthingsinhismajesty’skingdom,andthelargestneednotbeaboveahundredfeetlong;twentyorthirtyofwhichtubes,chargedwiththeproperquantityofpowderandballs,wouldbatterdownthewallsofthestrongesttowninhisdominionsinafewhours,ordestroythewholemetropolis,ifeveritshouldpretendtodisputehisabsolutecommands."ThisIhumblyofferedtohismajesty,asasmalltributeofacknowledgment,inturnforsomanymarksthatIhadreceived,ofhisroyalfavourandprotection.

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