a piece of a small straw, about the fize of a walking-ftaff, and therewith lifted. up the lappets of my coat; which it feems he thought to be fome kind of covering that nature had given me. He blew my hairs afide to take a better view of my face. He called his hinds about him, and afked them (as I afterwards learned) whether they had ever feen in the fields any little creature that refembled me: he then placed me foftly on the ground upon all four, but I got immediately up, and walked flowly backwards and forwards to let thofe people fee I had no intent to run away. They all fat down in a circle about me, the better to obferve my motions. I pulled off my hat, and made a low bow towards the farmer. I fell on my knees, and lifted up my hands and eyes, and fpoke feveral words as loud as I could: I took a purfe of gold out of my pocket, and humbly prefented it to him. He received it on the palm of his hand, then applied it clofe to his eye to fee what it was, and afterwards turned it feveral times with the point of a pin (which he took out of his fleeve) but could make nothing of it. Whereupon I made a fign that he should place his hand on the ground. I then took the purfe, and opening it, poured all the gold into his palm. There were fix Spanish pieces of four piftoles each, befides twenty or thirty fmaller coins. I faw him wet the tip of his little finger upon his tongue, and take up one of my largest pieces, and then another, bus he feemed to be wholly ignorant what they were. He made me a fign to put them again into my purfe, and the purfe again into my pocket, which, after offering it to him feveral times, I thought it best to do.

The farmer by this time was convinced I must be a rational creature. He spoke often to me, but the found of his voice pierced my ears like that of a water-mill, yet his words were articulate enough. I anfwered as loud as I could in feveral languages, and he often laid his ear within two yards of me, but all in vain, for we were wholly unintelligible to each other. He then fent his fervants to their work, and, taking his handkerchief out of his pocket, he doubled and fpread it +

on his left hand, which he placed flat on the ground, with the palm upwards, making me a fign to step into it, as I could eafily 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 house. There he called his wife, and fhewed me to her; but fhe fcreamed and ran back, as women in England do at the fight of a toad or a fpider. However, when fhe 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. and a

It was about twelve at noon, fervant brought in dinner. It was only one fubftantial dish of meat (fit for the plain condition of an husbandman) in a difh 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 falling. 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 mistress fent her maid for a small dramcup, which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink; I took up the veffel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank to her lady fhip'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 excufe, I happened to ftumble against a cruit, and fell flat on my face, but received no

hurt.

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 mifter (as I fhall 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 horfe 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 fparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and pup. py-dogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to the boy, made my master to understand, as well as I could, that I de fired 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 ftroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my miftrefs'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 feemed 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 ftroking her. The fierceness of this creature's countenance altogether difcompofed 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 purfue 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 she drew herfelf back, as if the 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 houfes; one of which was a maftiff equal in bulk to four elephants, and a greyhound fomewhat tailer than the maftiff, but not fo large.

When dinner was almoít done, the nurfe came in with a child of a year old in her arms, who immediately spied me, and began a fquall that you might have heard from London-bridge to Chelsea, 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 fhould infallibly have broke my neck, if the mother had not held her apron under me. The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a rattle, which was a kind of hollow veffel filled with great ftones, and faftened by a cable to the child's waist: but all in vain, fo that he was forced to apply the last remedy, by giving it fuck. I must confefs no object ever difgufted me fo much as the fight of her monftrous 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 less than fix teen in circumference. The nipple was about half the bignefs of my head, and the hue both of that and the dug fo varied with fpots, pimples, and freckles, that nothing could appear more naufecus: for I had a near fight of her, fhe fitting down the more conveniently to give fuck, and I standing on the table. This made me reflect upon the fair skins of our English la dies, 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 fmoothest зі

and

and whiteft skins look rough and coarfe, and ill-coloured.

I remember, when I was at Lilliput, the complexions of thofe diminutive people appeared to me the fairest in the world; and talking upon this fubject with a person 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 clofe, which he confeffed was at firft a very fhocking fight. He faid he could difcover great holes in my fkin; that the flumps 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 must beg leave to fay for myself, that I am as fair as moft 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 ufed to tell me one had freckles, another too wide a mouth, a third too large a nofe, nothing of which I was able to diftinguifh. I confefs this reflection was obvious enough; which, however I could not forbear, left the reader might think those vaft creatures were actually deformed; for I must do them juftice 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 mafter went out to his labourers, and, as I could difcover by his voice and gesture, gave his wife a ftrict charge to take care of me. I was very much tired, and difpofed to fleep; which my miftrefs perceiving, he 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 myfelf alone in a vaft room, between two and three hundred feet wide, and above two hun. dred 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 diftance as from the room where I lay to the kitchen where the family kept. While I was under these 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 myfelf. Thefe horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both fides, and one of them held his fore-feet at my collar; but I had the good fortune to rip up his belly, before he could do me any mifchief. 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 spirits. 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 devoured. I measured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long, wanting an inch; but it went against my ftomach to drag the carcafe off the bed, where it lay ftill bleeding; I obferved it had yet fome life, but, with a ftrong flash cross the neck, I thoroughly difpatched it.

Soon after my miftrefs came into the room, who feeing 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 maid 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 scabbard. I was preffed to do more than one thing, which another could not do

for

for me, and therefore endeavoured to make my mistress understand that I defired to be fet down on the floor; which after he had done, my bafhfulness would not fuffer me to exprefs myself farther, than by pointing to the door and bowing several times. The 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 he 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 my felf between two leaves of forrel, and there dif. charged the neceffities of nature.

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 defign 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 ftyle. But the whole fcene of this voy. age 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 circumftance: however, upon a ftrict 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, ac cufed.

CHA P. II.

A defcription of the farmer's daughter. The author carried to a market-town, and then to the metropolis. The particukurs his journey.

My mistress had a daughter of nine years old, a child of towardly parts for her age, very dexterous at her needle, and fkilful in dreffing her baby. Her mother and the contrived to fit up the baby's cradle for me againft 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. This was my bed all the time I ftayed with thofe people, though made more con-" venient 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 clothes before her, she was able to drefs and undrefs me, though I never gave her that trouble when the would let me do either myself. She made me feven fhirts, and fome other linen, of as fine cloth as could be got, which indeed was coarfer than fackcloth; and these fhe conftantly washed for me with her own hands. She was likewife my school-miftrefs to teach me the language: when I pointed to any thing, he 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 wha the Latins call nanunculus, the Italians homunceletino, 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 Glumdalclitch, or little nurfe; and fhould be guilty of great ingratitude, if I emitted this honourable mention of her care and affection towards me, which I hear tily with it lay in my power to requite as the deferves, inflead of being the innocent, but unhappy inftrument of her difgrace, as I have too much reason to fear.

It now began to be known and talked of in the neighbourhood, that my mafter had found a ftrange animal in the field, about the bigness of a placknuck, but exactly shaped in every part like a human creature; which it likewife imitated in all its actions; feemed to fpeak in a little language of its own, had already learned feveral words of 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'. daughter of three years old. Another 312

farmer

farmer who lived hard by, and was a particular friend of my mafter, came on a vifit on purpofe to enquire into the truth of this ftory. 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 mafter's gueft, afked him in his own language how he did, and told him he was welcome, just as my little nurfe 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 windows. Our people, who difcovered 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 deferved 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 mif. chief contriving, when I obferved my mafter and his friend whispering long together, fometimes pointing at me; and my fears made me fancy that I overheard and understood fome 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. The poor girl laid me on her bofom, and fell a weeping with fhame and grief. She apprehended fome mifchief would happen to me from rude vulgar folks, who might fqueeze me to death, or break one of my limbs by taking me in their hands. She had alfo obferved how modeft I was in my nature, how nicely I regarded my honour, and what an indignity I fhould conceive it to be expofed for money as a public fpectacle to the meaneft of the people. She faid, her papa and mamma had promifed that Grildrig fhould be hers, but now the found they meant to ferve her as they did last year, when they pretended to give her a lamb, and yet, as foon as it was fat, fold it to a butcher. For

my own part, I may truly affirm, that I was lefs concerned than my nurfe. I had a ftrong hope, which never left me, that I fhould one day recover my liberty; and as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monster, I confidered myself to be a perfect ftranger 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 him felf, in my condition, muft 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 nurfe, upon a pillion behind him. The box was clofe 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 pus 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 horfe went about forty feet at every ftep, and trotted fo high, that the agitation was equal to the rifing and falling of a fhip in a great ftorm, but much more frequent. Our journey was fomewhat farther than from London to St. Alban's. My mafter a lighted 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 ftrange 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.

I was placed upon a table in the largeft room of the inn, which might be near three hundred feet fquare. My little nurfe ftood on a low flool clofe to the table to take care of me, and direct what I fhould do. My mafter, to avoid a crowd, would fuffer only thirty people at a time to fee me. I walked about on the table as the girl commanded; the afked nie quellions, as far as