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 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, she put me on her own bed, and covered me with a clean white handkerchief, but larger and coarser than the mainfail 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 vaft 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 houfhold-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 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 myself. 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 mischief. He fell down at my feet, and the other, feeing the fate of his comrade, made his escape, but not without one good wound on the back, which I gave him as he fled, and made the VOL. V. B blood 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 have infallibly 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 strong flash cross the neck, I thoroughly difpatched it. Soon after my mistress 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 he 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 he 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 underftand, that I defired to be fet down on the floor; which, after the had done, my bafhfulness would not fuffer me to exprefs myfelf farther, than by pointing to the door, and bowing feveral times. The good woman, with much difficulty, at last perceived what I would be at, and taking me up a gain 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 lock or to follow me, I hid myself between two leaves of forrel, and there difcharged the neceffities of na ture. I hope the gentle reader will excufe me for dwelling on thefe and the like particulars, which, how ever infignificant they may appear to groveling 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 scene 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 defcription of the farmer's daughter. The author carried to a market-town, and then to the metropolis.. The particulars of his journey. M Y miftrefs 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 fhe contrived to fit up the baby's cradle for me against night: the cradle was put into a small drawer of a cabinet, and the drawer placed upon a hanging shelf for fear of the rats. This was my 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 hardy, that, after I had once or twice pulled off my cloaths be B. 2 fore. fore her, fhe was able to drefs and undress 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 fackcloth; and thefe the conftantly washed for me with her own hands. She was likewife my fchoolmistrefs to teach me the language: when I pointed to any thing, the 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 goodnatured, 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 nannuculus, the Italians homunceletino, and the Englith 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 thould 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, inftead of being the innocent, but unhappy inftrument of her dif grace, as I have too much reason to fear. It now began to be known and talked of in the neighbourhood, that my master had found a strange animal in the field, about the bignefs of a placknuck, but exactly shaped 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, went erect upon two legs, was tame and gentle, would come when it was called, do whatever it was bid, had the fineft 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 а particular friend of my mafter, came on a vifit on purpose purpose 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 delerved it, by the curfed advice he gave my master, 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 house. I gueffed there was fome mischief 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 nurse, told me the whole matter, which the 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 mischief would happen to me from rudè 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 exposed for money as a public spectacle to the meaneft of the people. She faid, her papa and mama had promifed that Grildrig fhould be hers, but now fhe found they meant to ferve her as they did last year, when they pre B 3 tended |