ay the bass and treble together, as other artists do;
which was a great disadvantage to my performance.

The king, who, as I before observed, was a prince of excellent
understanding, would frequently order that I should be brought in my box,
and set upon the table in his closet: he would then command me to bring
one of my chairs out of the box, and sit down within three yards distance
upon the top of the cabinet, which brought me almost to a level with his
face. In this manner I had several conversations with him. I one day
took the freedom to tell his majesty, "that the contempt he discovered
towards Europe, and the rest of the world, did not seem answerable to
those excellent qualities of mind that he was master of; that reason did
not extend itself with the bulk of the body; on the contrary, we observed
in our country, that the tallest persons were usually the least provided
with it; that among other animals, bees and ants had the reputation of
more industry, art, and sagacity, than many of the larger kinds; and
that, as inconsiderable as he took me to be, I hoped I might live to do
his majesty some signal service." The king heard me with attention, and
began to conceive a much better opinion of me than he had ever before.
He desired "I would give him as exact an account of the government of
England as I possibly could; because, as fond as princes commonly are of
their own customs (for so he conjectured of other monarchs, by my former
discourses), he should be glad to hear of any thing that might deserve
imitation."

Imagine with thyself, courteous reader, how often I then wished for the
tongue of Demosthenes or Cicero, that might have enabled me to celebrate
the praise of my own dear native country in a style equal to its merits
and felicity.

I began my discourse by informing his majesty, that our dominions
consisted of two islands, which composed three mighty kingdoms, under one
sovereign, beside our plantations in America. I dwelt long upon the
fertility of our soil, and the temperature of our climate. I then spoke
at large upon the constitution of an English parliament; partly made up
of an illustrious body called the House of Peers; persons of the noblest
blood, and of the most ancient and ample patrimonies. I described that
extraordinary care always taken of their education in arts and arms, to
qualify them for being counsellors both to the king and kingdom; to have
a share in the legislature; to be me