perfecutors having fooner difcovered, was the cause of their flight. The horfe ftarted a little when he came near me, but, foon recovering himself, looked full in my face with manifeft tokens of wonder he viewed my hands and feet, walking round me feveral times. I would have pursued my journey, but he placed himself directly in the way, yet looking with a very mild afpect, never offering the leaft violence. We stood gazing at each other for fome time; at last I took the boldness to reach my hand towards his neck with a defign to ftroak it, ufing the common style and whistle of Jockies, when they are going to handle a ftrange horfe. But this animal feemed to receive my civilities with difdain, fhook his head, and bent his brows, foftly raifing up his right fore-foot to remove my hand. Then he neighed three or four times, but in fo different a cadence, that I almoft began to think he was fpeaking to himself in fome language of his own.

While he and I were thus employed, another horfe came up; who applying himfelf to the first in a very formal manner, they gently ftruck each other's right hoof before, neighing feveral times by turns, and varying the found, which feemed to be almost articulare. They went fome paces off, as if i were to confer together, walking fide by fide, backward and forward, like perfons deliberating upon fome affair of weight, but often turning their eyes towards me, as it were to watch that I might not escape. I was amazed to fee fuch actions and behaviour in brute beasts; and concluded with myfelf, that if the inhabitants of this country were endued with a proportionable degree of reafon, they must needs be the wifeft people upon earth. This thought gave me fo much comfort, that I refolved to go forward, until I could difcover fome houfe or village, or meet with any of the natives, leaving the two horfes to difcourfe together as they pleafed. But the firft, who was a dapple-grey, obferving

ferving me to steal off, neighed after me in fo expreffive a tone, that I fancied myself to understand what he meant; whereupon I turned back, and came near him to expect his farther commands, but concealing my fear as much as I could; for I began to be in fome pain, how this adventure might terminate; and the reader will eafily believe, I did not much like my present situation.

The two horfes came up clofe to me, looking with great earnestnefs upon my face and hands. The grey fteed rubbed my hat all round with his right fore-hoof, and difcompofed it fo much, that I was forced to adjuft it better, by taking it off and fettling it again; whereat both he and his companion (who was brown-bay,) appeared to be much furprised; the latter felt the lappet of my coat, and finding it to hang loose about me, they both looked with new figns of wonder. He ftroaked my right hand, feeming to admire the foftnefs and colour; but he fqeezed it fo hard between his hoof and his paftern, that I was forced to roar; after which they both touched me with all poffible tenderness. They were under great perplexity about my fhoes and ftockings, which they felt very often, neighing to each other, and ufing various geftures, not unlike thofe of a philofopher, when he would attempt to folve fome new and difficult phænomenon.

Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was fo orderly and rational, fo acute and judicious, that I at lait concluded they were two magicians, who had thus metamorphofed themfelves upon fome defign, and, feeing a stranger in the way, refolved to divert themfelves with him; or perhaps were really amazed at the fight of a man so very different in habit, feature, and complexion, from those who might probably live in fo remote a climate. Upon the ftrength of this reafoning, I ventured to addrefs them in the following manner: Gentlemen, if you bè conjurers, as I have good caufe to believe, you

can

can understand any language; therefore I make bold to let your worships know, that I am a poor diftreffed Englishman, driven by his misfortunes upon your coaft, and I intreat one of you to let me ride upon his back, as if he were a real horse, to fome houfe or village, where I can be relieved. In return of which favour I will make you a prefent of this knife and bracelet, (taking them out of my pocket) The two creatures ftood filent while I fpoke, feeming to liften with great attention; and when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if they were engaged in ferious converfation. I plainly obferved, that their language expreffed the paffions very well, and the words might with little pains be refolved into an alphabet more easily than the Chinese.

I could frequently diftinguish the word Yahoo, which was repeated by each of them feveral times; and although it was impoffible for me to conjecture what it meant, yet, while the two horfes were busy in converfation, I endeavoured to practite this word upon my tongue; and as foon as they were filent, I boldly pronounced Yahoo in a loud voice, imitating at the fame time, as near as I could, the neighing of a horfe; at which they were both vifibly furprised, and the grey repeated the fame word twice, as if he meant to teach me the right accent, wherein I spoke after him as well as I could, and found myself perceivably to improve every time, though very far from any degree of perfection. Then the bay tried me with a fecond word much harder to be pronounced; but, reducing it to the English orthography, may be fpelt thus, Houyhnhum. I did not fucceed in this fo well as the former; but after two or three farther trials, I had better fortune; and they both appeared amazed at my capacity.

After fome farther difcourfe, which I then conjectured might relate to me, the two friends took

their leaves with the fame compliment of striking each other's hoof; and the grey made me figns that I fhould walk before him; wherein I thought it prudent to comply, til! I could find a better director. When I offered to flacken my pace, he would cry hhuun, hhuun; I gueffed his meaning, and gave him to understand, as well as I could, that I was weary, and not able to walk fafter; upon which he would stand a while to let me reft.

С НА Р. II.

The author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his houfe. The houfe defcribed. The author's reception. The food of the Houyhnhnms. The author in diftrefs for want of meat, is at last relieved. His manner of feeding in that country.

HA

AVING travelled about three miles, we came to a long kind of building, made of timber ftuck in the ground, and wattled a-crofs; the roof was low, and covered with ftraw. I now began to be a little comforted; and took out fome tops, which travellers ufually carry for prefents to the favage Indians of America and other parts, in hopes the people of the houfe would be thereby encouraged to receive me kindly. The horfe made me a fign to go in firft; it was a large room with a fmooth clay-floor, and a rack and manger, extending the whole length on one fide. There were three nags, and two mares, not eating, but fome of them fitting down upon their hams, which I very much wondered at; but wondered more to fee the rest employed in domeftic business; these feemed but ordinary cattle: however this confirmed my firft opinion, that a people, who could fo far civilize brute animals,

animals, muft needs excel in wifdom all the nations of the world. The grey came in juft after, and thereby prevented any ill treatment which the others might have given me. He neighed to them several times in a stile of authority, and received answers.

Beyond this room there were three others reaching the length of the houfe, to which you paffed through three doors, oppofite to each other, in the manner of a vifta; we went through the fecond room towards the third; here the grey walked in firft, beckoning me to attend. I waited in the fecond room, and got ready my presents for the mafter and mistrefs of the houfe: they were two knives, three bracelets of falfe pearl, a small looking glafs, and a bead-necklace. The horfe neighed three or four times, and I waited to hear fome anfwers in a human voice, but I heard no other returns than in the fame dialect, only one or two a little fhriller than his. I began to think, that this house mult belong to fome perfon of great note among them, because there appeared fo much ceremony before I gould gain admittance. But, that a man of quality fhould be ferved all by horfes, was beyond my comprehenfion. I feared my brain was difturbed by my fufferings and misfortunes: I roufed myself, and looked about me in the room, whereI was left alone; this was furnished like the first, only after a more elegant manner. I rubbed my eyes often, but the fame objects ftill occurred. I pinched my arms and fides to awake myself, hoping I might be in a dream. I then abfolutely concluded, that all these appearances could be nothing elfe but necromancy and magic. But I had no time to purfue thefe reflections; for the grey horfe came to the door, and made me a fign to follow him into the third room; where I faw a very comely mare, together with a colt and fole, fitting on their haunches upon matts of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean.

The