e advice of his council,
and that first I must swear a peace with him and his kingdom. However,
that I should be used with all kindness. And he advised me to acquire,
by my patience and discreet behavior, the good opinion of himself and
his subjects.

He desired I would not take it ill, if he gave orders to certain proper
officers to search me; for probably I might carry about me several
weapons, which must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk
of so prodigious a person. I said his majesty should be satisfied; for I
was ready to strip myself, and turn up my pockets before him. This, I
delivered part in words and part in signs.

He replied, that by the laws of the kingdom, I must be searched by two
of his officers; that he knew this could not be done without my consent
and assistance; that he had so good an opinion of my generosity and
justice as to trust their persons in my hands; that whatever they took
from me should be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the
rate which I would set upon them.

I took up the two officers in my hands, put them first into my coat
pockets, and then into every other pocket about me, except my two
fobs,[7] and another secret pocket I had no mind should be searched,
wherein I had some little necessaries that were of no consequence to any
but myself. In one of my fobs there was a silver watch, and in the other
a small quantity of gold in a purse.

[Footnote 7: In England this word means not the ribbon or guard which
hangs from a watch, but the small pocket in the waistband of the
trousers, in which the watch is carried.]

These gentlemen, having pen, ink, and paper about them, made an exact
inventory of everything they saw; and when they had done desired I would
set them down, that they might deliver it to the emperor. This inventory
I afterwards translated into English, and is word for word as follows:

"_Imprimis_[8] in the right coat pocket of the great man-mountain
(for so I interpret the words _quinbus flestrin), after the
strictest search, we found only one great piece of coarse cloth, large
enough to be a footcloth for your majesty's chief room of state.

[Footnote 8: _Imprimis_ is a word from the Latin, and means _in the
first place._]

"In the left pocket we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover of the same
metal, which we, the searchers, were not able to lift. We desired it
should be opened, and one of us, stepping into it, found himself up to
t