GULLIVER’S
TRAVELS
PART 10
CHAPTER II.
A description of the farmer’s
daughter. The author carried to a market-town, and then to the
metropolis. The particulars of his journey.
My
mistress had a daughter of nine years old, a child of towardly parts for her
age, very dexterous at her needle, and skilful in dressing her baby. Her
mother and she contrived to fit up the baby’s cradle for me against night: the
cradle was put into a small drawer of a cabinet, and the drawer placed upon a
hanging shelf for fear of the rats. This was my bed all the time I staid
with those people, though made more convenient by degrees, as I began to learn
their language and make my wants known. This young girl was so handy,
that after I had once or twice pulled off my clothes before her, she was able
to dress and undress me, though I never gave her that trouble when she would
let me do either myself. She made me seven shirts, and some other linen,
of as fine cloth as could be got, which indeed was coarser than sackcloth; and
these she constantly washed for me with her own hands. She was likewise
my school-mistress, to teach me the language: when I pointed to any thing, she
told me the name of it in her own tongue, so that in a few days I was able to
call for whatever I had a mind to. She was very good-natured, and not
above forty feet high, being little for her age. She gave me the name of Grildrig,
which the family took up, and afterwards the whole kingdom. The word
imports what the Latins call nanunculus, the Italians homunceletino,
and the English mannikin. To her I chiefly owe my preservation in
that country: we never parted while I was there; I called her my Glumdalclitch,
or little nurse; and should be guilty of great ingratitude, if I omitted this
honourable mention of her care and affection towards me, which I heartily wish
it lay in my power to requite as she deserves, instead of being the innocent,
but unhappy instrument of her disgrace, as I have too much reason to fear.
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 learned 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 cursed 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 when I observed my master and
his friend whispering 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 a 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, 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 was 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 inn-keeper, and making some necessary preparations, he hired
the grultrud, 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, 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 to
put me out of every body’s reach. However, an unlucky school-boy aimed a
hazel nut directly 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 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 hours together, that I could hardly stand upon my legs, or speak a
word. It was at least three days before I recovered my strength; and that
I might have no rest at home, all the neighbouring gentlemen from a hundred
miles round, hearing of my fame, came to see me at my master’s own house.
There could not be fewer than thirty persons with their wives and children (for
the country is very populous;) and my master demanded the rate of a full room
whenever he showed me at home, although it were only to a single family; so
that for some time I had but little ease every day of the week (except
Wednesday, which is their Sabbath,) although I were not carried to the town.
My master,
finding how profitable I was likely to be, resolved to carry me to the most
considerable cities of the kingdom. Having therefore provided himself
with all things necessary for a long journey, and settled his affairs at home,
he took leave of his wife, and upon the 17th of August, 1703, about two months
after my arrival, we set out for the metropolis, situate near the middle of
that empire, and about three thousand miles distance from our house. My
master made his daughter Glumdalclitch ride behind him. She carried me on
her lap, in a box tied about her waist. The girl had lined it on all
sides with the softest cloth she could get, well quilted underneath, furnished it
with her baby’s bed, provided me with linen and other necessaries, and made
everything as convenient as she could. We had no other company but a boy
of the house, who rode after us with the luggage.
My
master’s design was to show me in all the towns by the way, and to step out of
the road for fifty or a hundred miles, to any village, or person of quality’s
house, where he might expect custom. We made easy journeys, of not above
seven or eight score miles a-day; for Glumdalclitch, on purpose to spare me,
complained she was tired with the trotting of the horse. She often took
me out of my box, at my own desire, to give me air, and show me the country,
but always held me fast by a leading-string. We passed over five or six
rivers, many degrees broader and deeper than the Nile or the Ganges: and there
was hardly a rivulet so small as the Thames at London-bridge. We were ten
weeks in our journey, and I was shown in eighteen large towns, besides many
villages, and private families.
On the
26th day of October we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language Lorbrulgrud,
or Pride of the Universe. My master took a lodging in the principal
street of the city, not far from the royal palace, and put out bills in the
usual 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 sixty feet in diameter, upon which I was to act my part, and
pallisadoed it round three feet from the edge, and as many high, to prevent my
falling over. I was shown ten times a-day, to the wonder and satisfaction
of all people. I could now speak the language tolerably well, and
perfectly understood every word, that was spoken to me. Besides, I had
learnt their alphabet, and could make a shift to explain a sentence here and
there; for Glumdalclitch had been my instructor while we were at home, and at
leisure hours during our journey. She carried a little book in her
pocket, not much larger than a Sanson’s Atlas; it was a common treatise for the
use of young girls, giving a short account of their religion: out of this she
taught me my letters, and interpreted the words.
To be continued
