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ridiculous enough to every body but myfelf. Some of the people threw up ftones, hoping to drive the monkey down; but this was ftrictly forbidden, or else very probably my brains had been dashed out.

The ladders were now applied, and mounted by feveral men, which the monkey observing, and finding himself almost encompassed; not being able to make fpeed enough with his three legs, let me drop on a ridge tyle, and made his escape. Here I fat for fome time, five hundred yards from the ground, expecting every moment to be blown down by the wind, or to fall by my own giddinefs, and come tumbling over and over from the ridge to the eves: but an honeft lad, one of my nurfe's footmen, climbed up, and putting me into his breeches-pocket brought me down fafe.

I was almost choaked with the filthy ftuff the monkey had crammed down my throat; but my dear little nurfe picked it out of my mouth with a fmall needle, and then I fell a vomiting, which gave me great relief. Yet I was fo weak, and bruifed in the fides with the fqueezes given me

by this odious animal, that I was forced to keep my bed a fortnight. The king, queen, and all the court, fent every day to enquire after my health, and her majesty made me several vifits during my fickness. The monkey was killed, and an order made that no fuch animal fhould be kept about the palace.

When I attended the king after my recovery to return him thanks for his favours, he was pleased to rally me a good deal upon this adventure. He asked me, what my thoughts and fpeculations were while I lay in the monkey's paw; how I liked the victuals he gave me; his manner of feeding; and whether the fresh air on the roof had sharpened my stomach. He defired to know, what I would have done upon fuch an occafion in my own country. I told his majefty, that in Europe we had no monkies, except fuch as were brought for curiofities from other places, and fo fmall, that I could deal with a dozen of them together, if they prefumed to attack me. And as for that monftrous animal with whom I was fo lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant) if

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my fears had fuffered me to think fo far as to make use of my hanger (looking fiercely, and clapping my hand upon the hilt, as I fpoke) when he poked his paw into my chamber, perhaps I fhould have given him fuch a wound, as would have made him glad to withdraw it with more hafte than he put it in. This I delivered in a firm tone, like a perfon who was jealous left his courage fhould be called in queftion. However, my fpeech produced nothing else besides a loud laughter, which all the respect due to his majesty from those about him could not make them contain. This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavour to do himself honour among thofe, who are out of all degree of equality or comparifon with him. And yet I have seen the moral of my own behaviour very frequent in England fince my return, where a little contemptible varlet, without the least title to birth, perfon, wit, or common sense, fhall prefume to look with importance, and put himself upon a foot with the greateft perfons of the kingdom.

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I was every day furnishing the court with fome ridiculous ftory; and Glumdalclitch, although fhe loved me to excess, yet was arch enough to inform the queen, whenever I committed any folly that she thought would be diverting to her majesty. The girl, who had been out of order, was carried by her governess to take the air about an hour's distance, or thirty miles from town. They alighted out of the coach near a small foot-path in a field, and Glumdalclitch fetting down my travellingbox, I went out of it to walk. There was a cow-dung in the path, and I must need try my activity by attempting to leap over it. I took a run, but unfortunately jumped short, and found myself just in the middle up to my knees. I waded through with fome difficulty, and one of the footmen wiped me as clean as he could with his handkerchief; for I was filthily bemired, and my nurse confined me to my box, till we returned home; where the queen was foon informed of what had paffed, and the footmen fpread it about the court; fo that all the mirth for fome days was at my expence. CHAP.

CHAP. VI*.

Several contrivances of the author to please the king and queen. He fhews his skill in mufic. The king enquires into the ftate of England, which the author relates to him. The king's obfervations thereon.

I

Used to attend the king's levee once or twice a week, and had often feen him under the barber's hand, which indeed was at first very terrible to behold: for the razor was almost twice as long as an ordinary scythe. His majesty, according to the custom of the country, was only shaved twice a week. I once prevailed on the barber to give me fome of the fuds or lather, out of which I picked forty or fifty of the strongest stumps of hair. I then took a piece of fine wood, and cut it like the back of a comb, making feveral holes

* In this chapter he gives an account of the political state of Europe. ORRERY.

This is a mistake of the noble commentator, for Gulliver has here given a political account of no country but England: it is however a mistake to which any commentator

would have been liable, who had read little more than the titles or contents of the chapters, into which this work is divided; for the word Europe has in fome English, and all the Irish, editions been printed in the title of this chapter inftead of England,

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