fure delighted with my Demeanour, I fell on my Knees, and begged the Honour of kiffing her Imperial Foot; but this gracious Princess 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 Lips. 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 Slave; but, if I were at my own Disposal, I fhould be proud to devote my Life to her Majesty's Service. She then asked my Mafter 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 Bignefs of eight hundred Moydores; 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 Sum as a thoufand Guineas would be in England. I then said 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 understood to do it fo well, might be admitted into her Service, and continue to be my Nurse and Instructor. 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 Master withdrew, bidding me Farewel,

and

and faying he had left me in a good Service; 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, asked me the Reafon. I made bold to tell her Majefty, that I owed no other Obligation to my late Master, than his not, dashing 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 Majefty would not have got for cheap a Bargain. But as I was out of all Fear of being ill treated under the Protection of fo great and good an Empress, the Ornament of Nature, the Darling of the World, the Delight of her Subjects, the Phoenix of the Creation; fo, I hoped my late Master's Apprehenfions would appear to be groundless, for I already found my Spirits to revive by the Influence of her most august Presence.

This was the Sum of my Speech, delivered with great Improprieties and Hefitation; the latter Part was altogether framed in the Style 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 fpeaking, was however surprised at fo much Wit and good Senfe in fo diminutive an Animal. She took me in her own Hands, and

carried

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 Splachuck; for fuch it seems he took 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 fhould be out of her Sight, 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 Shape exactly, and faw me walk erect, before I began to fpeak," conceived I might be a Piece of Clock-work (which is in that Country arrived to a very great Perfection) contrived by fome ingenious Artift. But when he heard my Voice, and found what I delivered to be regular and rational, he could not conceal his Aftonishment. He was by no means fatisfied with the Relation I gave him of the Manner I came into his Kingdom, but thought it a Story concerted between Glumdalclitch and her Fa ther, who had taught me a Sett of Words to make me fell at a better Price. Upon this Imagination he put feveral other Queftions to me, and ftill received rational Answers, no otherwife defective, than by a foreign Accent, and an imperfectKnowledge in the Language, with fome ruftic

Phrafes

Phrafes which I had learned at the Farmer's House, and did not fuit the polite Style of a Court.

His Majefty fent for three great Scholars who were then in their weekly Waiting, according to the Custom in that Country. These Gentlemen, after they had a while examined my Shape with much Nicety, were of different Opinions concerning me, They all agreed that I could not be produced according to the regular Laws of Nature, because I was not framed with a Capacity of preferving my Life, either by Swiftnefs, or Climbing of Trees, or Digging Holes in the Earth. They obferved by my Teeth, which they view. ed with great Exactnefs, that I was a carnivorous Animal; yet moft Quadrupeds being an Overmatch for me, and Field-mice, with fome others, too nimble, they could not imagine how I fhould be able to fupport myfelf, unless I fed upon Snails and other Infects, which they offered, by many. learned Arguments, to evince that I could not poffibly do. One of these Virtuofi feemed to think that I might be an Embryo, or abortive Birth. But this Opinion was rejected by the other two, who obferved my Limbs to be perfect and finished, and that I had lived feveral Years, as it was manifeft from my Beard, the Stumps whereof they plainly discovered through a Magnifyingglafs. They would not allow me to be a Dwarf, Because my Littleness was beyond all Degrees of Comparifon; for the Queen's favourite Dwarf, the fmalleft ever known in that Kingdom, was near thirty Feet high. After much Debate, they concluded unanimoufly that I was only Relplum Scalcath, which is interpreted literally, Lufus: Nature; a Determination exactly agreeable to the modern Philofophy of Europe, whofe Profef fors, difdaining the old Evafion of occult Caufes,

where

whereby the Followers of Ariftotle endeavoured in vain to difguife their Ignorance, have invented this wonderful Solution of all Difficulties, to the unfpeakable Advancement of human Knowledge.

After this decifive Conclufion, I entreated to be heard a Word or two. I applied myself to the King, and affured His Majefty that I came from a Country which abounded with feveral Millions of both Sexes, and of my own Stature; where the Animals, Trees, and Houfes were all in Proportion, and where by Confequence I might be as able to defend myself, and to find Suftenance, as any of his Majefty's Subjects could do here; which I took for a full Anfwer to thofe Gentlemens Arguments. To this they only replied with a Smile of Contempt, faying, That the Farmer had inftructed me very well in my Leffon. The King, who had a much better Understanding, difmiffing his learned Men, fent for the Farmer, who by good Fortune was not yet gone out of Town: Having therefore firft examined him privately, and then confronted him with me and the young Girl, his Majefty began to think that what we told him might poffibly be true. He defired the Queen

order that a particular Care fhould be taken of me, and was of Opinion, that Glumdalclitch fhould ftill continue in her Office of tending me, because he observed we had a great Affection for each other. A convenient Apartment was provided for her at Court; fhe had a Sort of Governefs appointed to take Care of her Education, a Maid to drefs her, and two other Servants for menial Offices; but the Care of me was wholly appropriated to herself. The Queen commanded her own Cabinet-maker to contrive a Box that might ferve me for a Bed-chainber, after the Mo

del