<p class="gutsumm">A description of the farmer’s
daughter. The author carried to a market-town, and then to
the metropolis. The particulars of his journey.</p>
<p>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 <i>Grildrig</i>, which the family took up, and afterwards
the whole kingdom. The word imports what the Latins call
<i>nanunculus</i>, the Italians <i>homunceletino</i>, and the
English <i>mannikin</i>. To her I chiefly owe my
preservation in that country: we never parted while I was there;
I called her my <i>Glumdalclitch</i>, 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.</p>
<p>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 <i>splacnuck</i>, 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 <i>he was welcome</i>, 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.</p>
<p>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 <i>grultrud</i>, 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 <i>splacnuck</i> (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.</p>
<p>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
<i>they were welcome</i>, 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>On the 26th day of October we arrived at the metropolis,
called in their language <i>Lorbrulgrud</i>, 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.</p>
<h3>II - CHAPTER III.</h3>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.