Путешествие Гулливера

Chapter 3

           MyfriendReldresal,principalsecretaryforprivateaffairs,is,inmyopinion,ifIamnotpartial,thesecondafterthetreasurer;therestofthegreatofficersaremuchuponapar.

           Thesediversionsareoftenattendedwithfatalaccidents,whereofgreatnumbersareonrecord.Imyselfhaveseentwoorthreecandidatesbreakalimb.Butthedangerismuchgreater,whentheministersthemselvesarecommandedtoshowtheirdexterity;for,bycontendingtoexcelthemselvesandtheirfellows,theystrainsofarthatthereishardlyoneofthemwhohasnotreceivedafall,andsomeofthemtwoorthree.Iwasassuredthat,ayearortwobeforemyarrival,Flimnapwouldinfalliblyhavebrokehisneck,ifoneoftheking’scushions,thataccidentallylayontheground,hadnotweakenedtheforceofhisfall.

           Thereislikewiseanotherdiversion,whichisonlyshownbeforetheemperorandempress,andfirstminister,uponparticularoccasions.Theemperorlaysonthetablethreefinesilkenthreadsofsixincheslong;oneisblue,theotherred,andthethirdgreen.Thesethreadsareproposedasprizesforthosepersonswhomtheemperorhasamindtodistinguishbyapeculiarmarkofhisfavour.Theceremonyisperformedinhismajesty’sgreatchamberofstate,wherethecandidatesaretoundergoatrialofdexterityverydifferentfromtheformer,andsuchasIhavenotobservedtheleastresemblanceofinanyothercountryoftheneworoldworld.Theemperorholdsastickinhishands,bothendsparalleltothehorizon,whilethecandidatesadvancing,onebyone,sometimesleapoverthestick,sometimescreepunderit,backwardandforward,severaltimes,accordingasthestickisadvancedordepressed.Sometimestheemperorholdsoneendofthestick,andhisfirstministertheother;sometimestheministerhasitentirelytohimself.

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