nefs would not fuffer me to express my self farther than by pointing to the Door, and bowing feveral 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 the fet me down. I went on one Side about two hundred Yards; and beckoning to her not to look or to follow me, I hid my felf between two Leaves of Sorrel, and there difcharged the Neceffities of Nature.

I HOPE, the gentle Reader will excufe me for dwelling on these 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 publick 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 Style. 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 firft Copy, for fear of being cenfured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps, not without Justice, accused.

CHAP.

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 Mistress had a Daughter of nine Years old, a Child of towardly Parts for her Age, very dextrous at her Needle, and skilful in dreffing her Baby. Her Mother and the 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, although made more convenient 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 Cloaths before her, fhe was able to drefs and undrefs me, although I never gave her that Trouble when fhe would let me do either my felf. She made me feven Shirts, and some other Linnen of as fine Cloth as could be got, which indeed was coarfer than Sackcloth ; and thefe fhe conftantly washed for me with her own Hands. She was likewife my School-Mistress to

teach

teach me the Language: When I pointed to any Thing, fhe 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 Foot high, being little of 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 Nanunculus, the Italians Homunceletino, and the English Mannikin. To her I chiefly owe my Preservation in that Country: We never parted while I was there; I called her my Glumdalclitch, or little Nurfe: And I fhould be guilty of great Ingratitude, if I omitted this honourable Mention of her Care and Affection towards me, which I heartily wifh it lay in my Power to requite as fhe deferves, instead of being the innocent, but unhappy Inftrument of her Difgrace, as I have too much Reason to fear.

Ir 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 Spalcknuck, but exactly shaped in every Part like a human Creature; which it likewife imitated in all its Actions; seemed 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 a particular Friend of my Mafter, came on a Vifit, on Purpose, to enquire into the Truth of this Story. I was immediately produced, and placed upon a Table, where I walked as I was commanded, drew my Hanger, put it up again,

made

made my Reverence to my Mafter's Gueft, afked him in his own Language how he did, and told him he was welcome; juft as my little Nurse had inftructed me. This Man, who was old and dimfighted, put on his Spectacles 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 discovered the Cause 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 deserved it, by the curfed Advice he gave my Master to fhew me as a Sight 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 Mischief contriving, when I obferved my Master 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 she had cunningly picked out from her Mother. The poor Girl laid me on her Bofom, and fell a weeping with Shame and Grief. She apprehended fome Mischief 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, to be exposed for Money as a publick Spectacle to the meanest of the People. She faid her Papa and Mamma had promised that Gildrig fhould be hers; but now the found they meant to ferve her as they did last Year,

when

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 Nurse. 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 my felf to be a perfect Stranger 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 Distress.

My Mafter, purfuant 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 Nurse, upon a Pillion behind me. The Box was clofe on every Side, 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 to put the Quilt of her Baby's Bed into it, for me to lye down on. However, I was terribly fhaken and discompofed in this Journey, although it were but of half an Hour. For the Horse went about forty Foot at every Step; and trotted fo high, that the Agitation was equal to the rifing and falling of a Ship in a great Storm, but much more frequent: Our Journey was fomewhat further than from London to St. Albans. My Master 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 Cryer, to give Notice through the Town, of a ftrange Creature, to be feen at the Sign of the Green Eagle, not fo big as a Splacnuck, (an Animal in that Country very finely fhaped, about fix Foot long) and in every Part of the Body refem