cuftom. We made eafy journies of not above feven or eight fcore miles a-day: For Glundalclitch, on purpose to spare me, complained the 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 fhew 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 day of October, we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language Lorbrulgurd, or Pride, of the Univerfe. My master 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 person 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 speak the language tolerably well, and perfectly understood every word that was spoken to me. Besides, I had learned their alphabet, and could make a fhift to explain a fentence here and there; for Glumdalclitch had been my instructor while we were at home,

and

and at leifure hours during out journey. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much larger than a Sanfon's Atlas; it was a common treatise for the ufe of young girls, giving a fhort account of their religion; out of this she taught me my letters, and interpreted the words.

CHA P. III.

The author fent for to court. The Queen buys him of his mafter the farmer, and presents him to the King. He difputes with his Majefty's great fcholars. An 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.

HE frequent labours I underwent every

TH

I had

day, made in a few weeks a very confiderable change in my health: The more my mafter got by me, the more infatiable he grew. quite loft my ftomach, and was almoft reduced to a skeleton. The farmer obferved it, and, concluding I must foon die, refolved to make as good a hand of me as he could. While he was thus reasoning and refolving with himself, a fardral, or gentleman-ufher, 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 meafure 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 respect to my lip. She made me fome general questions about my country, and my travels, which I anfwered 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 of the table, and humbly answered, that I was my mafter's flave; but if I were at my own difpofal, I fhould be proud to devote my life to her Majefty's fervice. She then asked my master, whether he were willing to fell me at a good price? He, who apprehended I could not live a month, was ready enough to part with me, and demanded a thousand pieces of gold, which were ordered him on the spot, each piece being about the bigness of eight hundred moidores; but, allowing for the proportion of all things between that country and Europe, and the high price of gold among them, was hardly fo great a fum as a thoufand guineas would be in England. I then faid to the Queen, fince I was now her Majesty's most humble creature and vaffal, I must beg the favour, that Glumdalclitch, who had always tended me with fo much care and kindness, and unVOL. V. derstood

M

derftood to do it fo well, might be admitted into her fervice, and continue to be my nurfe and inftructor. Her Majefty agreed to my petition, and eafily got the farmer's confent, who was glad enough to have his daughter preferred at court; and the poor girl herself was not able to hide her joy: My late mafter withdrew, bidding me farewell, and faying he had left me in a good fervice; to which I replied not a word, only making him a flight bow.

The Queen obferved my coldnefs, and, when the farmer was gone out of the apartment, afked me the reafon. I made bold to tell her Majefty, that I owed no other obligation to my late mafter, than his not dafhing out the brains of a poor harmless creature found by chance in his field ; which obligation was amply recompenfed by the gain he had made in fhewing me through half the kingdom, and the price he had now fold me for. That the life I had fince led, was laborious enough to kill an animal of ten times my strength. That my health was much impaired by the continual drudgery of entertaining the rabble every hour of the day, and that, if my mafter had not thought my life in danger, her Majesty would not have got fo cheap a bargain. But as I was out of all fear of being ill treated under the protection of fo great and good an Emprefs, the ornament of nature, the darling of the world, the delight of her fubjects, the phoenix of the creation; fo I hoped my late mafter's apprehenfions would appear to be groundlefs, for I already

found

found my fpirits to revive by the influence of her moft august presence.

This was the fum of my fpeech, delivered with great improprieties and hesitation; the latter part was altogether framed in the ftyle peculiar to that people, whereof I learned fome phrafes from Glumdalclitch, while fhe was carrying

me to court.

The Queen, giving great allowance for my defectiveness in speaking, was however surprised at fo much wit and good fenfe in fo diminutive an animal. She took me in her own hand, and carried me to the King, who was then retired to his cabinet. His Majefty, a prince of much gravity and auftere countenance, not well obferving my shape at first view, asked the Queen after a cold manner, how long it was fince fhe grew fond of a fplacknuck; for fuch it seems he took me to be, as I lay upon my breaft in her Majesty's right hand. But this princefs, who hath an infinite deal of wit and humour, fet me gently on my feet upon the scrutore, and commanded me to give his Majesty an account of myself, which I did in a very few words; and Glumdalclitch, who attended at the cabinet-door, and could not endure I should be out of her fight, being admitted, confirmed all that had paffed from my arrival at her father's house.

The King, although he be as learned a perfon as any in his dominions, had been educated in the study of philofophy, and particularly mathematics; yet when he obferved my fhape exactly,