fhe knew my understanding of the language reached, and I answered them as loud as I could. I turned about fe veral times-to the company, paid my humble refpects, faid they were wel come, and used fome other fpeeches I had been taught. I took up a thimble filled with liquor, which Glumdalclitch had given me for a cup, and drank their health. I drew out my hanger, and flourished with it after the manner of fencers in England. My nurfe gave me part of a ftraw, which I exercited as a pike, having learned the 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 mafter, for his own interest, would not fuffer any one to touch me except my nurfe; 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 hazelnut 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 final 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 fo tired with my first journey, and with entertaining company for eight hours together, that I could hardly ftand upon my legs, or speak a word. It was at least three days before I recovered my ftrength; and that I might have no reit at home, all the neighbouring gentlemen from an hundred miles round, hearing of my fame, came to fee me at my master's own houfe. There could not be fewer than thirty perfons with their wives and children (for the country is very populous ;) and my maiter demanded the rate of a full room whenever he fhewed 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 king. dom. Having therefore provided himfelf 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 August 1703, about two months after my arrival, we fet out for the metropolis, fituated near the middle of that empire, and about three thousand miles distance from our houfe: my mafter made his daughter Glumdalclitch ride behind him. She carried me on her lap in a box tied about her wait. The girl had lined it on all fides with the fofteft cloth he 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 the could. We had no other company but a boy of the houfe, who rode after us with the luggage. My matter's defign was to fhew re 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 qua. lity's houfe, where he might expect cuftom. We made eafy journies of not above feven or eight fcore miles a day: for Glumdalclitch, on purpofe 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 falt by a leadingftring. We paffed over five or fix ri vers 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 25th day of October, we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language Lorbrulgrud, or Pride of the Univerje. My matter took a lodging 31 3 in in the principal street of the city, not far from the royal palace, and put up bills in the ufual form, containing an exact defcription of my perfon 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 palifadoed 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 underflood every word that was fpoken to me. Befides, I had learned their alphabet, and could make a shift to explain a fentence here and there; for Glumdalclitch 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 treatise for the ufe of young girls, giving a fhort account of their religion; out of this fhe taught me my letters, and interpreted the words.. CHA P. III. The author fent for to court. The queen buys him of his mafter the farmer, and prefents him to the king. He difputes with his majesty's great fcholars. An apartment at court provided for the author. He is in high favour with the queen. He ftands up for the honour of bis own country. His quarrels with the queen's dwarf. The frequent labours I underwent every day, made in a few weeks a very confiderable change in my health: the more my mafter got by me, the more infatiable he grew. I had quite loft my Romach, and was almoft reduced to a fkeleton. The farmer obferved it, and, concluding I muft foon die, refolved to make as good a hand of me as he could, While he was thus reafoning and refolving with himself, a fardral, or gentleman-ufher, came from court, commanding my mafter to carry me immediately thither for the diverfion of the queen and her ladies. Some of the latter had already been to fee me, and reported frange things of my beauty, behaviour, and good fenfe. Her más jefty, and those who attended her, were beyond measure delighted with my demeanour. I fell on my knees, and begged the honour of kiffing her imperial foot; but this gracious princess held out her little finger towards me (after I was fet on a table) which I embraced in both my arms, and put the tip of it with the utmost respect to my lip. She made me fome general queftions about my country, and my travels, which I aufwered as diftinctly, and in as few words as I could. She afked, whether I would be content to live at court. I bowed down to the board of the table, and humbly anfwered that I was my master's flave; but if I were at my own difpofal, I fhould be proud to devote my life to her majelty's fervice. She then asked my mafter, whether he were willing to fell me at a good price. He, who apprehended I could not live a month, was ready enough to part with me, and demanded a thousand pieces of gold, which were ordered him on the spot, each piece being about the bigness of eight hundred moidores; but allowing for the proportion of all things between that country and Europe, and the high price of gold among them, was hardly fo great a fum as a thoufand guineas would be in England. I then faid to the queen, fince I was now her majes ty's moft humble creature and vaffal, I muft beg the favour that Glumdalclitch, who had always tended me with fo much care and kindness, and understood to do it fo well, might be admitted into her fervice, and continue to be my nurfe and inftructor. Her majefty agreed to my petition, and easily got the farmer's confent, who was glad enough to have his daughter preferred at court, and the poor girl herself was not able to hide her joy: my late mafter withdrew, bidding me farewell, and faying he had left me in a good fervice; to which I replied not a word, only making him a flight bow. The queen obferved my coldness, and, when the farmer was gone out of the apartment, asked me the reafon. I made bold to tell her majefty, that I owed no other obligation to my late mafter, mafter, than his not dahing out the brains of a poor harmless creature found by chance in his field; which obligation was amply recompenfed by the gain he had made by me in fhewing me through half the kingdom, and the price he had now fold me for. That the life I had fince led, was laborious enough to kill an animal of ten times my strength. That my health was much impaired by the continual drudgery of entertaining the rabble every hour of the day; and that, if my mafter had not thought my life in danger, her majesty would not have got fo cheap a bargain. But as I was out of all fear of being ill-treated under the protection of fo great and good an emprefs, the ornament of nature, the darling of the world, the delight of her fubjects, the phoenix of the creation; fo I hoped my late mafter's apprehenfions would appear to be groundless, for I already found my fpirits to revive by the influence of her most august prefence. This was the fum of my fpeech, delivered with great improprieties and hefitation; the latter part was altoge ther framed in the flyle peculiar to that people, whereof I learned fome phrafes from Glumdalclitch, while fhe was carrying me to court. The queen, giving great allowance for my defectivenefs in fpeaking, was however furprised at fo much wit and good fenfe in fo diminutive an animal. She took me in her own hand, and carried me to the king, who was then retired to his cabinet. His majesty, a prince of much gravity and auftere countenance, not well obferving my fhape at first view, asked the queen after a cold manner, how long it was fince fhe grew fond of a placknuck? for fuch it feems he took me to be, as I lay upon my breaft in her majefty's right hand. But this princefs, who hath an infinite deal of wit and humour, fet me gently on my feet upon the fcrutore, and commanded me to give his majesty an account of myself, which I did in a very few words; and Glumdalclitch, who attended at the cabinet door, and could not endure I should be out of her fight, being admitted, confirmed all that had paffed from my arrival at her father's houfe. ; The king, although he be as learned a perfon as any in his dominions, had been educated in the ftudy of philofophy, and particularly mathematics yet when he obferved my shape exactly, and faw me walk erect, before I began to speak, conceived I might be a piece of clock-work (which is in that country arrived to a very great perfection) contrived by fome ingenious artist. But when he heard my voice, and found what I delivered to be regular and rational, he could not conceal his aftonifhment. He was by no means fatiffied with the relation I gave him of the manner I came into his kingdom, but thought it a ftory concerted between Glumdalclitch and her father, who had taught me a fet of words to make me fell at a better price. Upon this imagination he put feveral other questions to me, and ftill received rational anfwers, no otherwife defective than by a foreign accent, and an imperfect knowledge in the language, with some ruftic phrafes which I had learned at the farmer's houfe, and did not fuit the polite ftyle of a court. His majefty fent for three great scholars, who were then in their weekly waiting according to the cuftom in that country. Thefe gentlemen, after they had a while examined my fhape with much nicety, were of different opinions concerning me. They all agreed, that I could not be produced according to the regular laws of nature, because I was not framed with a capacity of preferving my life either by fwiftness, or climbing of trees, or digging holes in the earth. They obferved by my teeth, which they viewed with great exactnefs, that I was a carnivorous animal; yet moft quadrupeds being an over-match for me, and field mice with fome others too nimble, they could not imagine how I fhould be able to fupport myself, unless I fed upon fnails and other infects, which they offered, by many learned arguments, to evince that I could not poffibly do *. One of thefe virtuofi By this reafoning the author probably in tended to ridicule the pride of thofe philofophers, 314 who virtuofi feemed to think that I might be an embryo, or abortive birth. But this opinion was rejected by the other two, who obferved my limbs to be perfect and finished, and that I had lived feveral years, as it was manifeft from my beard, the stumps whereof they plainly difcovered through a magnifying glafs. They would not allow me to be a dwarf, because my littleness was beyond all degrees of comparifon; for the queen's favourite dwarf, the smallest ever known in that kingdom, was near thirty feet high. After much debate they concluded unanimously, that I was only relplum fcalcath, which is interpreted literally lufus nature; a determination exactly agreeable to the modern philofophy of Europe, whofe profeffors, difdaining the old evafion of occult caufes, whereby the followers of Ariftotle en. deavoured in vain to difguífe their ignorance, have invented this wonderful folution of all difficulties, to the unfpeakable advancement of human knowledge. I After this decifive conclufion I intreated to be heard a word or two. applied myfelf to the king, and affured his majesty that I came from a country, which abounded with feveral millions of both fexes, and of my own ftature; where the animals, trees, and houfes were all in proportion, and where by confequence I might be as able to defend myself, and to find fuftenance, as any of his majefty's fubjects could do here; which I took for a full answer to thofe gentlemen's arguments. To this they only replied with a fmile of contempt, faying that the farmer had inftructed me very well in my leffon. The king, who had a much better understanding, difmiffing his learned men, fent for the farmer, who by good fortune was not yet gone out of town: having therefore firft examined him privately, and then confronted him with me and the young girl, his majefty began to think that what we told him might poffibly be true. He defired the queen to order that particular care fhould be taken of me, and was of opinion that Glumdalclitch fhould ftill continue in her office of tending me, because he obferved we had a great affection for each other. A convenient apartment was provided for her at court; fhe had a fort of governefs appointed to take care of her education, a maid to drefs her, and two other fervants for menial offices; but the care of me was wholly appropriated to herself. The queen commanded her own cabinet-maker to contrive a box, that might ferve me for a bed-chamber, after the model that Glumdalclitch and I fhould agree upon. This man was a moft ingenious artift, and according to my directions in three weeks finished for me a wooden chamber of fixteen feet fquare, and twelve high, with fath-windows, a door, and two clofets, like a London bed-chamber. The board that made the ceiling was to be lifted up and down by two hinges to put in a bed ready furnished by her majefy's upholsterer, which Glumdalclitch took out every day to air, made it with her own hands, and letting it down at night, locked up the roof over me. A nice workman, who was famous for little curiofities, undertook to make me two chairs, with backs and frames, of a fubftance not unlike ivory, and two tables, with a cabinet to put my things in. The room was quilted on all fides, as well as the floor and the ceiling, to prevent any accident from the careleffnefs of those who carried me, and to break the force of a jolt when I went in a coach. I defired a lock for my door, to prevent rats and feveral attempts, made the fmalleft that mice from coming in: the fmith, after ever was feen among them, for I have known a larger at the gate of a gentleman's houfe in England. I made a shift to keep the key in a pocket of my own, fearing Glumdalclitch might lose it. The queen likewife ordered the thinnest filks that could be gotten to make me clothes, not much thicker than an who have thought fit to arraign the wifdom of providence in the creation and government of the world whofe cavils are fpecious, like thofe of the Brobdingnagian fages, only in proportion to the ignorance of thofe to whom they are propofed. * This fatire is levelled against all, who reject those facts for which they cannot perfectly account, notwithstanding the abfurdity of rejecting the teftimony by which they are fupported. English blanket, very cumbersome till I was accustomed to them. They were after the fashion of the kingdom, partly refembling the Perfian, and partly the Chinese, and are a very grave and decent habit. The queen became fo fond of my company, that she could not dine with out me. I had a table placed upon the fame at which her majefty eat, just at her left elbow, and a chair to fit on. Glumdalclitch stood on a tool on the floor near my table, to affift and take care of me. I had an entire set of filver dishes and plates, and other neceffaries, which, in proportion to thofe of the queen, were not much bigger than what I have feen in a London toy-shop, for the furniture of a baby-houfe: thefe my little nurfe kept in her pocket in a filver box, and gave me at meals as I wanted them, always cleaning them herfelf. No perfon dined with the queen but the two princeffes royal, the elder fixteen years old, and the younger at that time thirteen and a month. Her majefty used to put a bit of meat upon one of my dishes, out of which I carved for myfelf; and her diverfion was to fee me eat in miniature. For the queen (who had indeed but a weak ftomach) took up, at one mouthful, as much as a dozen English farmers could eat at a meal, which to me was for fome time a very naufeous fight*. She would craunch the wing of a lark, bones and all, between her teeth, although it were nine times as large as that of a full grown turkey; and put a bit of bread in her mouth, as big as two twelve-penny loaves. She drank out of a golden cup, above a hogfhead Among other dreadful and difgufting images which cuftom has rendered familiar are thofe which arife from eating animal food: he who has ever turned with abhorrence from the skeleton of a beaft which has been picked whole by birds or vermin, must confefs that habit only could have enabled him to endure the fight of the mangled bones and flesh of a dead carcafs which every day cover his table: and he who reflects on the number of lives that have been facrificed to fuftain his own, fhould enquire by what the account has been balanced, and whether his life is be. come proportionably of more value by the exercife of virtue and piety, by the fuperior happi nefs which he has communicated to reafonable beings, and by the glory which his intellect has afcribed to God. at a draught. Her knives were twice as long as a fcythe, fet ftrait upon the handle. The fpoons, forks, and other inftruments, were all in the fame proportion. I remember, when Glumdalclitch carried me out of curiofity to fee fome of the tables at court, where ten or a dozen of these enormous knives and forks were lifted up together, I thought I had never till then beheld fo terrible a fight. It is the custom, that every Wednefday (which, as I have before observed, is their fabbath) the king and queen, with the royal iffue of both sexes, dine together in the apartment of his majelly, to whom I was now become a great favourite; and at thefe times my little chair and table were placed at his left hand before one of the falt-cellars. This prince took a pleasure in converfing with me, enquiring into the manners, religion, laws, government, and learning of Europe; wherein I gave him the best account I was able. His apprehenfion was fo clear, and his judgment fo exact, that he made very wife reflections and obfervations upon all [ faid. But I confefs, that after I had been a little too copious in talking of my own beloved country, of our trade, and wars by fea and land, of our fchifms in religion, and parties in the state; the prejudices of his education prevailed fo far, that he could not forbear taking me up in his right hand, and ftroking me gently with the other, after an hearty fit of laughing, afked me, whether I was a whig or tory? Then turn ing to his firft minifter, who waited behind him with a white ftaff near as tall as the main-maft of the Royal Sovereign, he obferved how contemptible a thing was human grandeur, which could be mimicked by fuch diminutive infects as I: and yet, fays he, I dare engage, thefe creatures have their titles and diftinétions of honour; they contrive little nefts and burrows, that they call houses and cities; they make a figure in drefs and equipage; they love, they fight, they difpute, they cheat, they betray. And thus he continued on, while my colour came and went feveral times with indignation to hear our noble country, the miftrefs of arts and arms, the scourge of France, the arbitress of Europe, the feat |