back, as Women in England do at the Sight of a Toad or a Spider. However, when fhe had a while feen my Behaviour, and how well I obferved the Signs her Husband made, she was soon reconciled, and by Degrees grew extremely tender of me.

It was about twelve at Noon, and a Servant brought in Dinner. It was only one fubftantial Difh 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 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 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 Ladyfhip's Health, expreffing the Words as loud as I could in Englife, 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 Sign to come to his Trencher-fide; but as I walked on the Table, being in great Surprize all the Time, as the indulgent Reader will eafily conceive and excufe, 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 Huzza's, to fhew I had got no Mischief by my Fall. But advancing forwards toward my Maiter (as I fhall henceforth call him) his youngest Son 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 Spight, and well remembering how mifchievous all Children among us naturally are to Sparrows, Rabbits, young Kittens, and Puppy-dogs, I fell on my Knees, and, pointing to the Boy, made my Mafter to understand, as well as I could, that I defired his Son might be pardoned. The Father complied, and the Lad took his Seat again; whereupon I went to him and kiffed his Hand, which my Mafter took, and made him ftroak me gently with it.

In the midst of Dinner, my Mistress's favourite Cat leapt into her Lap. I heard a Noise behind me like that of a dozen Stocking weavers at Work; and, turning my Head, I found it pro`ceeded 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 Miftrefs was feeding and ftroaking her. The Fierceness of this Creature's Countenance altogether difcompofed me; tho' I ftood at the further End of the Table, above

fifty Feet off; and altho' my Mistress held her faft, for fear fhe might give a Spring, 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 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 Maftiff, equal in Bulk to four Ele phants, and a Greyhound fomewhat taller than the Maftiff, but not fo large.

When Dinner was almost done, the Nurfe came in with a Child of a Year old in her Arms, who immediately fpied me, and began a Squall 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 fhould infallibly have broke my Neck if the Mother had not held her Apron under me. Nurfe to quiet her Babe made use of a Rattle, which was a kind of hollow Veffel filled with great Stones, and fastened by a Cable to the Child's Wafte: But all in vain, fo that she was forced to apply the laft

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Remedy by giving it Suck. I must confefs no Object ever difgufted me fo much as the Sight of her monftrous Breaft, which I cannot tell what to compare with, fo as to give the curious Reader an Idea of its Bulk, Shape, and Colour. It flood prominent fix Feet, and could not be less than fixteen in Circumference. The Nipple was about half the Bignefs of my Head, and the Hue both of that and the Dug fo varified with Spots, Pimples, and Freckles, that nothing could appear more naufeous: For I had a near Sight of her, the fitting down the more conveniently to give Suck, and I standing on the Table. This made me reflect upon the fair Skins of our English Ladies, who appear fo beautiful to us, only because they are of our own Size, and their Defects not to be feen but through a Magnifying-glafs, where we find by Experiment, that the smootheft 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 Subject with a Perfon of Learning there, who was an intimate Friend of mine, he faid that my Face appeared much fairer and smoother 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 Sight. He faid he could difcover great Holes in my Skin; 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: Altho' I must beg Leave to fay for myself, that I am as fair as molt of my Sex and Country, and very little Sun-burnt by Travels. On the other Side, 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 distinguish. 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 Mafter's Countenance, altho' 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 Gesture, 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 Sorrows when I awaked, and found myfelf alone in a vast 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 Houthold 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

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