I have seen a great lord with his mouth so crammed, that he was not able to speak a word. - Page 253 · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: I have seen a great lord with his mouth so crammed, that he was not able to speak a word. - Page 253
Period: 1850-1900;
Geographic: Luggnagg; England
Description: Here we see the custom of licking the floor in front of the throne at the court of Luggnagg. This was understood to be a sign of respect. If the person performing this ritual were not in the king’s favour, then extra dust might be thrown on the floor. The person performing the ritual would not be allowed to spit out the dust so their mouth could become so dry they could not actually speak to the king.
Image Creator: T. Morten (Engraver)
Type: StillImage; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:22086
Language: eng
Source Name: Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Regions of the World
Parent Collection: 1865 London Morten; 1865 London Morten
Image: mta_22086_OBJ.png
Collection: Gulliver's Travels
Subject: Manners and Customs; Rituals; Dust; Fictional Works; Fictitious Characters; Imaginary Places; Imaginary Creatures