the third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I offered to leave my goods in fecurity for payment of my freight; but the captain protested he would not receive one farthing. We took a kind leave of each other, and I made him promife he would come to fee me at my houfe in Redriff I hired a horfe and guide for five fhillings, which I borrowed of the captain. As I was on the road, obferving the littlenefs of the houfes, the trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveller I met, and often called aloud to have them stand out of the way, so that I had like to have gotten one or two broken heads for my impertinence. When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to enquire, one of the fervants opening the door, I bent down to go in (like a goofe under a gate) for fear of striking my head. My wife ran out to embrace me, but I ftooped lower than her knees, thinking the could otherwife never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask me bleffing, but I could not fee her till she arose, having been fo long used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above fixty feet; and then I went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked down upon the fervants, and one or two friends who were in the house, as if they had been pigmies, and I a giant. I told my wife the had been too thrifty, for I found the had 0 3 had starved herself and her daughter to nothing. In short, I behaved myself fo unaccountably, that they were all of the captain's opinion when he first faw me, and concluded I had loft my wits. This I mention as an inftance of the great power of habit and prejudice. In a little time, I and my family and friends came to a right understanding: but my wife protested I should never go to fea any more; although my evil deftiny fo ordered, that the had not power to hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter. In the mean time, I here conclude the fecond part of my unfortunate voyages * From the whole of thefe two voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag arifes one general remark which, however obvious, has been overlooked by thofe who confider them as little more than the fport of a' wanton imagination. When human actions are afcribed to pigmies and giants, there are few that do not excite either contempt, difguft, or horror; to afcribe them therefore to fuch beings was perhaps the most probable method of en gaging the mind to examine them with attention, and judge of them with impartiality, by fufpending the fascination of habit, and exhibiting familiar objects in a new light. The ufe of the fable then is not lefs apparent than important and extenfive; and that this ufe was intended by the author can be doubted only by those who are difpofed to affirm, that order and regularity are the effects of chance. A VOYAGE VOY A VOYAGE то LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB, and JAPAN. CHA P. I. The author fets out on his third voyage, is taken by pyrates. The malice of a Dutchman. His arrival at an ifland. He is received into Laputa. Had not been at home above ten days, when captain William Robinson, a Cornish man, commander of the Hope-well, a ftout ship of three hundred tons, came to my house. I had formerly been furgeon of another ship, where he was master and a fourth part owner, in a voyage to the Levant; he had always treated me more like a brother, than an inferior officer, and hearing of my arrival. made me a vifit, as I apprehended, only crt of friendship, for nothing passed more than what is ufual after long abfences. But repeating his vifits often, expreffing his joy to find me in good health, afking whether I were now fettled for life, adding, that he intended a voyage to the Eaft-Indies in two months; at laft he plainly invited me, though with fome apologies, to be furgeon of the fhip; that I should O 4 have 7 1 |