left hand, which he placed flat on the ground with the palm upwards, making me a fign to ftep into it, as I could easily do, for it was not above a foot in thicknefs. I thought it my part to obey, and for fear of falling, laid myfelf at full length upon the handkerchief, with the remainder of which he lapped me up to the head for farther fecurity, and in this manner carried me home to his houfe. There he called his wife, and fhewed me to her; but he fcreamed and ran back, as women in England do at the fight of a toad or a fpider. However, when he had a while feen my behaviour, and how well I obferved the figns her husband made, fhe was foon reconciled, and by degrees grew extremely tender of me. It was about twelve at noon, and a fervant brought in dinner. It was only one fubftantial dish of meat (fit for the plain condition of an husbandman) in a dish of about four-and-twenty feet diameter. The company were the farmer and his wife, three children, and an old grandmother: when they were fat down, the farmer placed me at fome distance from him on the table, which was thirty feet high from the floor; I was in a terrible fright, and kept as far as I could from the edge for fear of fall ing. The wife minced a bit of meat, then crumbled fome bread on a trencher, and placed it before me. I made her a low bow, took out my knife and fork, and fell to eat, which gave them exceeding delight. The miftrefs fent her maid for a fmall dram cup, which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink; I took up the veffel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a moft refpectful manner drank to her ladyship's health, expreffing the words as loud as I could in English, which made the company laugh fo heartily, that I was almost deafened with the noife. This liquor tafted like a fmall cyder, and was not unpleasant. Then the mafter made me a fign to come to his trencher-fide; but as I walked on the table, being in great furprize all the time, as the indulgent reader will eafily conceive and excule, I happened to ftumble against a cruft, and fell flat on my face, but received no hurt. I got up immediately, and obferving the good people to be in much concern, I took my hat (which I held under my arm out of good manners) and, waving it over my head, made three huzzas to fhew I had got no mifchief by my fall. But advancing forwards toward my mafter (as I shall henceforth call him) his youngest fon, who fat next him, an arch boy of about ten years old, took me up by the legs, and held me fo high in the air, that I trembled every limb; but his father fnatched me from him, and at the fame time gave him fuch a box on the left ear, as would have felled an European troop of horse to the earth, ordering him to be taken from the table. But being afraid the boy might owe me a fpite, and well remembering how mischievous all children among us naturally are to sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppydogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to the boy, made my master to understand, as well as I could, that I defired his fon might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his feat again; whereupon I went to him and kiffed his hand, which my mafter took, and made him stroke me gently with it. In the midst of dinner, my mistress's favourite cat leaped into her lap. I heard a noife behind me like that of a dozen ftocking-weavers at work; and, turning my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of that animal, who seemed to be three times larger than an ox, as I computed by the view of her head, and one of her paws, while her mistress was feeding and stroking her. The fierceness of this creature's countenance altogether discompofed me, though I ftood at the further end of the table, above fifty feet off, and although my miftrefs held her faft, for fear the might give a fpring, and feize me in her talons. But it happened there was no danger; for the cat took not the leaft notice of me, when my mafter placed me within three yards of her. And as I have been always told, and found true by experience in my travels, that flying or difcovering fear before a fierce animal is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, fo I refolved in this dangerous juncture to fhew no manner of concern. I walked with intrepidity five or fix times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; whereupon the drew herself back, as if he were more afraid of me. I had lefs apprehenfion concerning the dogs, whereof three or four came into the room, as it is ufual in farmers houses; one of which was a maffiff equal in bulk to four elephants, and a greyhound fomewhat taller than the maftiff, but not fo large. When dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year old in her arms, arms, who immediately spied me, and began a fquall that you might have heard from London bridge to Chelfea, after the ufual oratory of infants, to get me for a play-thing. The mother out of pure indulgence took me up, and put me towards the child, who prefently feized me by the middle, and got my head into his mouth, where I roared fo loud that the urchin was frighted, and let me drop; and I should infallibly have broke my neck, if the mother had not held her apron under me. The nurfe, to quiet her babe, made ufe of a rattle, which was a kind of hollow veffel filled with great ftones, and faftened by a cable to the child's waift: butall in vain, so that she was forced to apply the last remedy, by giving it fuck. I muft confefs no object ever difgufted me fo much as the fight of her monstrous breaft, which I cannot tell what to compare with, fo as to give the curious reader an idea of its bulk, fhape, and colour. It flood prominent fix feet, and could not be lefs than fixteen in circumference. The nipple was about half the bignefs of my head, and the hue both of that and the dug fo varied with spots, pimples, and freckles, that nothing could appear more naufeous: for I had a near fight of her, the fitting down the more conveniently to give fuck, and I standing on the table. This made me reflect upon the fair kins of our English ladies, who appear fo beautiful to us, only because they are of our own fize, and their defects not to be feen but through a magnifying-glafs, where we find by experiment, that the finootheft and whiteft fkins look rough and courfe, and ill-coloured. I remember, when I was at Lilliput, the complexion of thofe diminutive people appeared to me the faircft in the world; and talking upon this fubject with a perfon of learning there, who was an intimate friend of mine, he faid that my face appeared much fairer and fmoother when he looked on me from the ground, than it did upon a nearer view, when I took him up in my hand and brought him close, which he confeffed was at firft a very fhocking fight. He faid he could difcover great holes in my fkin; that the stumps of my beard were ten times ftronger than the briftles of a boar, and my complexion made up of feveral colours altogether difagreeable; although I muft beg leave to fay for myself, that I am as fair as most of my fex and country, and very little fun-burnt by all my travels. On the other fide, difcourfing of the ladies in that emperor's court, he used to tell me one had freckles, another too wide a mouth, a third too large a nofe, nothing of which I was able to diftinguish. I confefs this reflection was obvious enough; which, however, I could not forbear, left the reader might think thofe vaft creatures were actually deformed; for I must do them justice to fay, they are a comely race of people; and particularly the features of my master's countenance, although he were but a farmer, when I beheld him from the height of fixty feet, appeared very well proportioned. When dinner was done, my master went out to his labourers, and, as I could difcover by his voice and gefture, gave his wife a ftrict charge to take care of me. I was very much tired, and difpofed to fleep; which my mistress perceiving, fhe put me on her own bed, and covered me with a clean white handkerchief, but larger and coarfer than the main-fail of a man of war. I flept about two hours, and dreamed I was at home with my wife and children., which aggravated my forrows, when I awaked, and found myself alone in a valt room, between two and three hundred feet wide, and above two hundred high, lying in a bed twenty yards wide. My miftrefs was gone about her household affairs, and had locked me in. The bed was eight yards from the floor. Some natural neceffities required me to get down: I durft not prefume to call, and, if I had, it would have been in vain with fuch a voice as mine, at fo great a distance as from the room where I lay to the kitchen where the family kept. While I was under thefe circumftances, two rats crept up the curtains, and ran fmelling backwards and forwards on the bed. One of them came up almoft to my face, whereupon I rofe in a fright, and drew out my hanger to defend myself. Thefe horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both fides, and one of them held his forefeet at my collar; but I had the good fortune to rip up his belly, before he could do me any mischief. He fell down at my feet, and the other feeing the fate of his comrade made his efcape, but not without one good wound on the back, which I gave him as he fled, and made the blood run trickling from him. After this exploit I walked gently to and fro on the bed to recover my breath, and lofs of fpirits. Thefe creatures were of the fize of a large maftiff, but infinitely more nimble and fierce, fo that, if I had taken off my belt before I went to fleep, I must infallibly have been torn to pieces and de voured. Soon after my miftrefs came into the room, who fecing me all bloody, ran and took me up in her hand. I pointed to the dead rat, fmiling, and making other figns to fhew I was not hurt, whereat fhe was extremely rejoiced, calling the mid to take up the dead rat with a pair of tongs, and throw it out of the window. Then the fet me on a table, where I fhewed her my hanger all bloody, and, wiping it on the lappet of my coat, returned it to the fcabbard. I was preffed to do more than one thing, which another could not do for me, and therefore endeavoured to make my miftrefs understand that I defired to be fet down on the floor: which after she had done, my bashfulness would not fuffer me to exprefs myself farther, than by pointing to the door and bowing feveral times. good woman, with much difficulty, at laft perceived what I would be at, and taking me up again in her hand, walked into the garden, where the fet me down. I went on one fide about two hundred yards, and beckoning to her not to look or to follow me, I hid myself between two leaves of forrel, and there discharged the neceflities of nature. The I hope the gentle reader will excufe me for dwelling on thefe and the like particulars, which, however infignificant they may appear to grovelling vulgar minds, yet will certainly help a philofopher to enlarge his thoughts and imagination, and apply them to the benefit of public as well as private life, which was my fole design in prefenting this and other accounts of my travels to the world; wherein I have been chiefly ftudious of truth, without affecting any ornaments of learning or of style. But the whole fcene of this voyage made fo ftrong an impreffion on my mind, and is fo deeply fixed in my memory, that in committing it to paper I did not omit one material circumstance: however, upon a strict review, I blotted out feveral paffages of lefs moment which were in my first copy, for fear of being cenfured as tedious and trifling, whereof travellers are often, perhaps not without juftice, accufed. CHA P. II. A description of the farmer's daughter. The author carried to a market-town, and then to the metropolis. The particulars of bis journey. This was my My miftrefs had a daughter of nine years old, a child of towardly parts for her age, very dexterous at her needle, and skilful in dreffing her baby. Her mother and the contrived to fit up the baby's cradle for me against night; the cradle was put into a fmall drawer of a cabinet, and the drawer placed upon a hanging fhelf, for fear of the rats. bed all the time I ftayed with those people, though made more convenient by degrees, as I began to learn their language, and make my wants known. This young girl was fo handy, that, after I had once or twice pulled off my cloaths before her, she was able to drefs and undrefs me, though I never gave her that trouble when the would let me do either myfelf. She made me seven fhirts, and fome other linen, of as fine cloth as could be got, which indeed was coarfer than fack-cloth; and these she constantly wathed for me with her own hands. She was likewife my school-mistress to teach me the language: when I pointed to any thing, she told me the name of it in her own tongue, fo that in a few days I was able to call for whatever I had a mind to. She was very good-natured, and not above forty feet high, being little for her age. She gave me the name of Grildrig, which the family took up, and afterwards the whole kingdom. The word imports what the Latins call nanunculus, the Italians homunceleting, and the English mannikin. To her I chiefly owe my prefervation in that country: we never parted while I was there: I called her my Glumdaiclitch, or little nurfe; and fhould be guilty of great ingratitude, if I omitted this honourable mention of her care and affection towards me, which I heartily with it lay in my power to requite as the deferves, instead of being the innocent, but unhappy inftrument of her difgrace, as I have too much reafon to fear. It now began to be known and talked of in the neighbourhood, that my master had found a ftrange animal in the field, about the bignefs of a placknuck, but exactly fhaped in every part like a human creature; which it likewife imitated in all its actions; feemed to speak in a little language of its own, had already learned feveral words of theirs, my liberty; and as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monster, I confidered myself to be a perfect stranger in the country, and that fuch a misfortune could never be charged upon me as a reproach, if ever I should return to England, fince the king of Great Britain himself, in my condition, must have undergone the fame diftrefs. My mafter, pursuant to the advice of his friend, carried me in a box the next day to the neighbouring town, and took along with him his little daughter, my nurse, upon a pillion behind him. The box was close on every fide, with a little door for me to go in and out, and a few gimlet-holes to let in air. The girl had been fo careful as to put the quilt of her baby's bed into it for me to lie down on. However, I was terribly fhaken and difcompofed in this journey, though it were but of half an hour. For the horse went about forty feet at every step, and trotted fo high, that the agitation was equal to the rifing and falling of a ship in a great florm, but much more frequent. Our journey was fomewhat farther than from London to St. Alban's. My mafter alighted at an inn which he used to frequent; and after confulting a while with the inn-keeper, and making fome neceffary preparations, he hired the grultrud or crier to give notice through the town, of a strange creature to be feen at the fign of the Green Eagle, not fo big as a placknuck (an animal in that country very finely fhaped, about fix feet long) and in every part of the body refembling an human creature, could fpeak feveral words, and perform an hundred diverting tricks. theirs, went erect upon two legs, was tame and gentle, would come when it was called, do whatever it was bid, had the finest limbs in the world, and a complexion fairer than a nobleman's daughter of three years old. Another farmer who lived hard by, and was a particular friend of my master, came on a vifit on purpose to enquire into the truth of this story. I was immediately produced, and placed upon a table, where I walked as I was commanded, drew my hanger, put it up again, made my reverence to my maf ter's gueft, afked him in his own language how he did, and told him he was welcome, just as my little nurse had inftructed me. This man, who was old and dim-fighted, put on his fpectacles to behold me better, at which I could not forbear laughing very heartily, for his eyes appeared like the full moon fhining into a chamber at two win dows. Our people, who discovered the caufe of my mirth, bore me company in laughing, at which the old fellow was fool enough to be angry and out of countenance. He had the character of a great mifer, and to my misfortune, he well deserved it, by the curfed advice he gave my matter, to fhew me as a fight upon a market-day in the next town, which was half an hour's riding, about two-and-twenty miles from our houfe. I gueffed there was fome mifchief contriving, when I obferved my mafter and his friend whifpering long together, fometimes pointing at me; and my fears made me fancy that I overheard and understood some of their words. But the next morning Glumdalclitch,my little nurfe, told me the whole matter, which he had cunningly picked out from her mother. I was placed upon a table in the largest The poor girl laid me on her bofom, and room of the inn, which might be near three fell a weeping with fhame and grief. She hundred feet fquare. My little nurse stood apprehended fome mifchief would happen on a low ftool clofe to the table to take care to me from rude vulgar folks, who might of me, and direct what I fhould do. My fqueeze me to death, or break one of mafter, to avoid a crowd, would fuffer only my limbs by taking me in their hands. thirty people at a time to fee me. I walked She had alfo obferved how modest I was in about on the table as the girl commanded: my nature, how nicely I regarded my ho- fhe asked me queftions, as far as the knew nour, and what an indignity I should con- my understanding of the language reached, ceive it to be expofed for money as a pub- and I anfwered them as loud as I could. I lic fpectacle to the meanest of the people. turned about feveral times to the company, She faid, her papa and mamma had pro- paid my humble refpects, faid they were mifed that Grildrig fhould be hers, but now welcome, and ufed fome other speeches The found they meant to ferve her as they I had been taught. I took up a thimble did last year, when they pretended to give filled with liquor, which Glumdalclitch had her a lamh, and yet, as foon as it was fat, given me for a cup, and drank their health. fold it to a butcher. For my own part, II drew out my hanger, and flourished with may truly affirm, that I was lefs concerned it after the manner of fencers in England. than my nurfe. I had a ftrong hope, which My nurfe gave me part of a straw, which never left me, that I should one day recover I exercised as a pike, having learned the 3 S art art in my youth. I was that day fhewn to twelve fets of company, and as often forced to act over again the fame fopperies, till I was half dead with wearinefs and vexation. For those who had feen me made fuch wonderful reports, that the people were ready to break down the doors to come in.. My mater, for his own intereft, would not fuffer any one to touch me except my nurse; and to prevent danger, benches were fet round the table at fuch a diftance as to put me out of every body's reach. However, an unlucky fchool-boy aimed a hazel-nut directly at my head, which very narrowly miffed me; otherwife, it came with fo much violence, that it would have infallibly knocked out my brains, for it was almost as large as a fmall pumpion: but I had the fatisfaction to fee the young rogue well beaten, and turned out of the room. My mafter gave public notice, that he would fhew me again the next market-day, and in the mean time he prepared a more convenient vehicle for me, which he had reafon enough to do; for I was so tired with my first journey, and with entertaining company for eight hours together, that I could hardly ftand upon my legs, or fpeak a word. It was at least three days before I recovered my ftrength; and that I might have no reft at home, all the neighbouring gentlemen from an hundred miles round, hearing of my fame, came to fee me at my mafter's own houfe. There could not be fewer than thirty perfons with their wives and children (for the country is very populous;) and my mafter demanded the rate of a full room whenever he thewed me at home, although it were only to a fingle family fo that for fome time I had but little eafe every day of the week (except Wednesday, which is their fabbath) although I were not carried to the town. My mafter, finding how profitable I was like to be, refolved to carry me to the most confiderable cities of the kingdom. Hav. ing therefore provided himself with all things neceffary for a long journey, and fettled his affairs at home, he took leave of his wife, and upon the 17th of Auguft 1703, about two months after my arrival, we let out for the metropolis, fituated near the middle of that empire, and about three thousand miles diftance from our houfe: my mafter made his daughter Glumdal clitch ride behind him. She carried me on her lap in a box tied about her waist. The girl had lined it on all files with the fofteft cloth fhe could get, well quilted underneath, furnished it with her baby's bed, provided me with linen and other neceffaries, and made every thing as convenient as he could. We had no other company but a boy of the houfe, who rode after us with the luggage. My mafter's defign was to fhew me in all the towns by the way, and to step out of the road for fifty or an hundred miles, to any village, or perfon_of_quality's houfe, where he might expect custom. We made eafy journies of not above seven or eight score miles a day: for Glumdalclitch, on purpose to fpare me, complained the was tired with the trotting of the horse. She often took me out of my box at my own defire to give me air, and fhew me the country, but always held me fast by a leading-ftring. We paffed over five or fix rivers many degrees broader and deeper than the Nile or the Ganges; and there was hardly a rivulet fo fmall as the Thames at London-bridge. We were ten weeks in our journey, and I was fhewn in eighteen large towns, befides many villages and private families. On the 26th day of October, we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language Lorbrulgrud, or Pride of the Universe. My mafter took a lodging in the principal street of the city, not far from the royal palace, and put up bills in the ufual form, containing an exact description of my person and parts. He hired a large room between three and four hundred feet wide. He provided a table fixty feet in diameter, upon which I was to act my part, and pallifadoed it round three feet from the edge, and as many high, to prevent my falling over. I was fhewn ten times a day, to the wonder and fatisfaction of all people. I could now fpeak the language tolerably well, and perfectly understood every word that was fpoken to me. Befides, I had learned their alphabet, and could make a fhift to explain a fentence here and there; for Glumdal clitch had been my inftructor while we were at home, and at leifure hours during our journey. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much larger than a Sanfon's Atlas; it was a common treatife for the use of young girls, giving a short account of their religion; out of this she taught me my letters, and interpreted the words. CHAP. |