Gulliver in Brobdingnag.

CHAPTER II.

HE farmer having received such an account of me as his servant could give, took a piece of a small straw, about the size of a walking-staff, and therewith lifted up the lappets of my coat, which it seems he thought to be some kind of covering which nature had given me. He blew my hair aside, to take a better view of my face. He called his servants about him, and asked them, as I afterwards learned, "Whether they had ever seen any little creature in the fields that resembled me?" He then placed me softly on the ground upon allfours, but I got immediately up, and walked slowly backward and forward, to let them see I had no intention to run away. They all sat down in a circle about me, the better to observe my motions. I pulled off my hat, and made a low bow towards the farmer. I fell on my knees, and lifted up my hands and eyes, and spoke several words as loud as I could. I took a purse of gold out of my pocket, and humbly presented it to him. He received it on the palm of his hand, then brought it close to his eye to see what it was, and afterwards turned it several times with the point of a pin, but could make nothing of it. I made a sign that he should place his hand upon the ground. I then took the purse, and, opening it, poured all the gold into his palm. I saw him wet the tip of his little finger upon his tongue, and take up one of my largest pieces, and then another; but he seemed to be wholly ignorant what they were. He made me a sign to put them again into my purse, and the purse again into my pocket, which, after offering it to him several times, I thought it best to do.

The farmer, by this time, was convinced I must be a rational creature. He spoke often to me, but the sound of his voice pierced my ears like that of a water-mill, yet his words were articulate enough. I answered as loud as I could in several languages, and he often laid his ear within two yards of me; but all in vain, for we were wholly unintelligible to each other. He

then sent his servants to their work, and taking his handkerchief out of his pocket, he doubled and spread it on the left hand, which he placed flat on the ground with the palm upward, making me a sign to step into it, as I could easily do, for it was not above a foot in thickness. I thought it my part to obey, and, for fear of falling, laid myself at full length upon the handkerchief, with the remainder of which he wrapped me up to the head for further security; and in this manner carried me home to his house. There he called his wife, and showed me to her; but she screamed and ran back, as women in England do at the sight of a toad or a spider. However, when she had awhile seen my behaviour, and how well I observed the signs her husband made, she was soon reconciled, and by degrees grew extremely tender of me.

It was about twelve at noon, and a servant brought in dinner. It was only one substantial dish of meat (fit for the plain condition of a husbandman), in a dish of about four-and-twenty feet diameter. The company consisted of the farmer and his wife, three children, and an old grandmother. When they were sat down, the farmer placed me at some distance from him on the table, which was thirty feet high from the floor. I was in a terrible fright, and kept as far as I could from the edge for fear of falling. The wife minced a bit of meat, then crumbled some bread on a trencher, and placed it before me. I made her a low bow, took out my knife and fork, and fell to eat, which gave them exceeding delight. The mistress sent her maid for a small cup which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink. I took up the vessel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank to her ladyship's health, expressing the words as loud as I could in English, which made the company laugh so heartily that I was almost deafened with the noise. This liquor tasted like cider, and was not unpleasant. Then the master made me a sign to come to his trencher side; but as I walked on the table, being in great surprise all the time, I happened to stumble against a crust, and fell flat upon my face, but received no hurt. I got up immediately, and, observing the good people to be much concerned, I took my hat, and, waving it over my head, made three huzzas, to show I had got no mischief by my fall. But advancing forward towards my master (as I shall henceforth call him), his youngest son, who sat next to him, a

roguish boy of about ten years old, took me up by the legs, and held me so high in the air, that I trembled in every limb; but his father snatched me from him, and at the same time gave him such a box on the left ear, as would have felled a European troop of horse to the earth, ordering him to be taken from the table. But being afraid this boy might owe me a spite, and well remembering how mischievous all children amongst us naturally are to sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy dogs, I fell on my knees, and, pointing to the boy, made my master understand as well as I could that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his seat again, whereupon I went to him and kissed his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my mistress's favourite cat leaped into her lap. I heard a noise behind me like that of a dozen stockingweavers at work, and, turning my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of that animal, who seemed to be three times larger than that of an ox. The fierceness of this creature's countenance altogether discomposed me; though I stood at the further end of the table, above fifty feet off; and though my mistress held her fast, for fear she might give a spring, and seize me in her talons. But it happened there was no danger, for the cat took not the least notice of me when my master placed me within three yards of her. As I have been always told, and found true by experience in my travels, that flying or discovering fear before a fierce animal is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, so I resolved, in this dangerous juncture, to show no manner of concern. I walked with intrepidity five or six times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; whereupon she drew herself back, as if she were more afraid of me. I had less apprehension concerning the dogs, whereof three or four came into the room, as is usual in farmers' houses; one of which was a mastiff, equal in bulk to four elephants; and a greyhound, somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not so large.

When the dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year old in her arms, who immediately spied me, and began to squall that you might have heard from London Bridge to Chelsea, to get me for a plaything. The mother, out of pure indulgence, took me up and put me towards the child, who

presently seized me by the middle, and got my head into his mouth, when I roared so loud that the urchin was frightened, and let me drop; and I should certainly have broke my neck, if the mother had not held her apron under me. The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a rattle, which was a kind of hollow vessel filled with great stones, and fastened by a cable to the child's waist; but all in vain; so that she was forced to apply the last remedy by giving it the breast.

When dinner was done, my master went out to his labourers, and, as I could discover by his voice and gestures, gave his wife a strict charge to take care of me. I was very much tired, and disposed to sleep, which my mistress perceiving, she put me on her own bed, and covered me with a clean white handkerchief, but larger and coarser than the mainsail of a man-of-war.

I slept about two hours, and dreamt I was at home, which increased my sorrows when I awaked, and found myself alone in a vast room, between two and three hundred feet wide, and about two hundred high, lying in a bed twenty yards wide. My mistress was gone about her household affairs, and had locked me in. The bed was eight yards from the floor. While I was considering my position, two rats crept up the curtains, and ran smelling backwards and forwards on my bed. One of them came almost up to my face, whereupon I rose in a fright, and drew out my short sword to defend myself. These horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both sides, and one of them held his forefeet at my collar; but I had the good fortune to kill him before he could do me any mischief. He fell down at my feet; and the other, seeing the fate of his comrade, made his escape, but not without one good wound on the back, which I gave him as he fled, and made the blood run trickling from him. After this exploit, I walked gently to and fro on the bed, to recover my breath and loss of spirits. These creatures were of the size of a large mastiff, but much more nimble and fierce so that if I had not taken off my belt before I went to sleep, I must surely have been torn to pieces and devoured. I measured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long, wanting an inch; but it went against my inclination to draw the carcase off the bed, where it lay still bleeding.

Soon after, my mistress came into the room, who, seeing me

covered with blood, ran and took me up in her hand. I pointed to the dead rat, smiling, and making other signs to show I was not hurt; upon which she was extremely pleased, calling the maid to take up the dead rat with a pair of tongs, and throw it out of the window. Then she set me on a table, where I showed her my sword all smeared with blood, and, wiping it on the lappet of my coat, returned it to the scabbard.

Poems to be Remembered.

HUMAN GREATNESS.

THIS passage is one of the most touchingly mournful that occur in Shakespere. Wolsey, after having obtained the high offices of Chancellor and Archbishop of York, is suddenly, on the displeasure of his master-King Henry the Eighthreduced to ruin. In taking leave of all his greatness, he compares the fortune of men to the seasons-it first budding, then ripening, and at last killed by the bitter frost of adversity.

F

AREWELL, a long farewell to all my greatness!
This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope; to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root;
And then he falls, as I do.

He next likens himself to a foolish boy, who, learning to swim by the aid of bladders, has got into rough and dangerous waters, out of which he is unable to extricate himself. In the midst of his struggling the bladders burst, and he is at once drowned. So the "high-blown pride" of Wolsey was utterly extinguished when he heard the news of his sudden fall.

I have ventured,

Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,
This many summers in a sea of glory,

But far beyond my depth. My high-blown pride
At length broke under me, and now has left me,
Weary and old with service, to the mercy

Of a rude stream, that must for ever hide me.

In the fresh opening of his heart in his adversity, he hates the vain pomp and glory of the world. He feels that the man who is dependent upon princes is miserable. There is much agony of expectation and fear of displeasure always disturbing a courtier's mind, and, like Satan, when once he falls, he never regains his position.