It now began to be known and talked of in the neighbourhood, that my master had found a strange animal in the field, about the bigness of a splacnuck, but exactly shaped in every part like a human creature; which it likewise imitated in all its actions; seemed to speak in a little language of its own, had already learnt several 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 finest 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 master, came on a visit on purpose to inquire 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 my reverence to my master's guest, asked him in his own language how he did, and told him he was welcome, just as my little nurse had instructed me. This man, who was old and dim-sighted, 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 shining 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 miser: and, to my misfortune, he well deserved it, by the bad advice he gave my master, to show 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 house. I guessed there was some mischief abroad contriving, when I observed my master and his friend whispering long together, sometimes pointing at me; and my fears made me fancy that I overheard and understood some of their words. But the next morning Glumdalclitch, my little nurse, told me the whole matter, which she had cunningly picked out from her mother. The poor girl laid me on her bosom, and fell weeping with shame and grief. She apprehended some mischief would happen to me from rude, vulgar folks, who might squeeze me to death, or break one of my limbs by taking me in their hands. She had also observed how modest I was in my nature, how nicely I regarded my honour, and what an indignity I should conceive it to be exposed for money, as a public spectacle, to the meanest of the people. She said her papa and mamma had promised that Grildrig should be hers; but now she found they meant to serve her as they did last year, when they pretended to give her a lamb, and yet, as soon as it was fat, sold it to a butcher. For my own part, I may truly affirm, that I was less concerned than my nurse. I had a strong hope, which never left me,

• The comparison of the dim-sighted giant, looking through his spectacles, to the full moon shining into a chamber at two windows, is very lively and ridiculous; and the idea of his being offended at the conduct of a pigmy is as absurd as what we often see in real life— but not more so-grown men irritated by the jokes of children, and wise men put out of countenance by the jests of fools.

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that I should one day recover my liberty and as to the ignominy of being carried about for a monster, I considered myself to be a perfect stranger in the country, and that such a misfortune could never be charged upon me as a reproach, if ever I should return to England ; since the king of Great Britain himself, in my condition, must have undergone the same distress.

My master, pursuant 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 him. The box was close 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 so careful as to put the quilt of her baby's bed into it, for me to lie down on. However, I was terribly shaken and discomposed in this journey, though it were but of half an hour; for the horse went about forty feet at every step, and trotted so high, that the agitation was equal to the rising and falling of a ship in a great storm, but much more frequent. Our journey was somewhat farther than from London to St. Alban's. My master alighted at an inn which he used to frequent; and after consulting awhile with the innkeeper, and making some necessary preparations, he hired the grultred, or crier, to give notice through the town of a strange creature to be seen at the sign of the Green Eagle, not so big as a splacnuck (an animal in that country very finely shaped), about six feet long, and in every part of the body resembling a human creature, which could speak several words, and perform a hundred diverting tricks.

I was placed upon a table in the largest room of the inn, which might be near three hundred feet square. My little nurse stood on a low stool close to the table, to take care of me, and direct what I should do. My master, to avoid a crowd, would suffer only thirty people at a time to see me. I walked about on the table as the girl commanded: she asked me questions, as far as she knew my understanding of the language reached, and I answered them as loud as I could. I turned about several times to the company, paid my humble respects, said they were welcome, and used some other speeches I had been taught. I took up a thimble filled with liquor, which Glumdalclitch had given me for a cup, and drank their health. I drew out my hanger, and flourished with it after the manner of fencers in England. My nurse gave me a part of a straw, which I exercised as a pike, having learnt the art in my youth. I was that day shown to twelve.

sets of company, and as often forced to act over again the same fopperies, till I was half dead with weariness and vexation; for those who had seen me made such wonderful reports, that the people were ready to break down the doors to come in.* My master, for his own interest, would not suffer any one to touch me except my nurse; and to prevent danger, benches were set round the table at such a distance as put me out of everybody's reach. However, an unlucky school-boy aimed a hazel-nut at my head, which very narrowly missed me; otherwise it came with so much violence, that it would have infallibly knocked out my brains, for it was almost as large as a small pumpkin; but I had the satisfaction to see the young rogue well beaten, and turned out of the room.

My master gave public notice that he would show me again the next market-day; and in the meantime he prepared a more convenient vehicle for me, which he had reason enough to do; for I was so tired with my first journey, and with entertaining company for eight

Swift's description of the exhibition of Gulliver to the Brobdingnagian rustics, and the anxiety of the crowds to see him, is a correct representation of the passion for sight-seeing that prevailed in England in his day. Indeed, at no period was the desire stronger, or the deceits practised on the credulity of the people greater, than in the reign of George the First. Punch was in all his glory-then, as now, an institution of the country. Monsters of all sorts were exhibited at May Fair, till it was broken up, when, as Addison humorously tells us, “A tiger will sell almost as cheap as an ox, and, I am credibly informed, a man may purchase a cat with three legs for very nearly the value of one with four." "Immense crowds assembled to see a man creep into a quart bottle," says Dr. Taylor; "and when they discovered that they had been deceived, were near destroying the house in their rage." Three dwarfs—a little man, a woman equally diminutive, and a horse proportionably so-were exhibited in London at the close of Queen Anne's reign, and were carried about, as Gulliver narrates of himself, in a box upon the exhibitor's back. Addison, in the "Spectator," gives a very pleasant account of them, in a letter from the showman :-"The little man is a bully in his nature, but when he grows choleric, I confine him in his box until his wrath is over, by which means I have hitherto prevented him from doing much mischief. His horse is likewise very vicious, for which reason I am forced to tie him close to his manger with a packthread. The woman is a coquette. She struts as much as is possible for a lady of two feet high, and would ruin me in silks were not the quantity that goes to a large pin-cushion sufficient to make her a gown and petticoat.' Swift constantly alludes to those exhibitions, and the placards in which they were puffed off. He celebrates Powell and Stretch, two puppet showmen of his day, whose performances vied with those of the theatres. Goldsmith, in his “Citizen of the World," does not fail to take a hit at this national foible :-" From the highest to the lowest the people seem fond of sights and monsters. I am told of a person here who gets a very comfortable livelihood by making wonders, and then selling or showing them to the people for money. He learned the art of pasting up mummies; was never at a loss for a lusus naturæ; nay, it has been reported that he sold seven petrified lobsters of his own manufacture to a noted antiquarian. A cat with four legs is disregarded, though never so useful; but if it has but two, and is consequently incapable of catching mice, it is reckoned invaluable, and every man of taste is ready to raise the auction."