tended 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 strong hope, which never left me, that I fhould one day recover my liberty; and, as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monfter, I confidered myfelf 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 fhould return to England; fince the King of Great Britain himself in my condition, must have undergone the fame diftrefs.

My mafter, parfuant to the advice of his friend, carried me in a box the next market-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 gimletholes 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 horfe went about forty feet at every step, 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 somewhat farther than from London to St. Alban's. My mafter alighted at an inn which he ufed 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 fplacnuck (an animal in that country very finely fhaped, about fix feet long,) and in every part of the body refembling an human creature, could speak feveral words, and perform an hundred diverting tricks.

I was placed upon a table in the largest room of the

the inn, which might be near three hundred feet fquare. My little nurse ftood on a low ftool close to the table, to take care of me, and direct what I fhould do. My mafter, to avoid a croud, would fuffer only thirty people at a time to fee me. I walked about on the table as the girl commanded: the asked me queftions, as far as the knew my understanding of the language reached, and I answered them as loud as I could. I turned about feveral times to the company, paid my humble refpects, faid they were welcome, and ufed fome other speeches 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 exercifed 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 master, for his own intereft, would not suffer any one to touch me, except my nurse; and, to prevent danger, benches were fet round the table at fuch a distance, 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 pompion 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 thew 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

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 reft 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 mafter 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 Sabbath,) 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. Having 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 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 diftance from our house my mafter made his daughter Glumdalclitch ride behind him. She carried me on her lap in a box tied about her waift. The girl had lined it on all fides 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 she 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 ftep out of the road for fifty or an hundred miles, to any village, or perfon of quality's houfe, where he might expect cuftom. We made eafy journies of not above feven or eight fcore miles a day: for Glumdalclitch, on purpose

to

to fpare me, complained fhe was tired with the trotting of the horfe. She often took me out of my box at my own defire, to give me air, and shew me the country, but always held me faft 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 of October, we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language Lorbrulgrud, or Pride of the Univerfe. My mafter took a lodging in the principal street of the city, not far from the royal palace, and put out bills in the ufual form, containing an exact description 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 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 spoken to me. Befides, I had learned their alphabet, and could make a fhift 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 Samfon's Atlas; it was a common treatife 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.

CHAP.

**********************

CHAP. III.

An

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 scholars. apartment at court provided for the author. He is in high favour with the Queen. He ftands up for the honour of his own country. His quarrels with the Queen's dwarf.

THE

HE frequent labours I underwent every day, made in 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 ftomach, and was almoft reduced to a skeleton. 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-ulher, 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 ftrange things of my beauty, behaviour, and good fenfe. Her Majefty, 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 princefs 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 refpect to my lip. She made me fome general questions about my country, and my travels, which I answered as diftinctly, and in as few words as I could. She asked, whether I would be content to live at court. I bowed down to the board