nic, a city within eighteen English
miles of the seaside. Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued: I had
gotten a small cold, but the poor girl was so ill as to be confined to
her chamber. I longed to see the ocean, which must be the only scene of
my escape, if ever it should happen. I pretended to be worse than I
really was, and desired leave to take the fresh air of the sea, with a
page, whom I was very fond of, and who had sometimes been trusted with
me. I shall never forget with what unwillingness Glumdalclitch
consented, nor the strict charge she gave the page to be careful of me,
bursting at the same time into a flood of tears, as if she had some
forboding of what was to happen. The boy took me out in my box, about
half an hours walk from the palace, towards the rocks on the sea-shore.
I ordered him to set me down, and lifting up one of my sashes, cast many
a wistful melancholy look towards the sea. I found myself not very well,
and told the page that I had a mind to take a nap in my hammock, which I
hoped would do me good. I got in, and the boy shut the window close
down, to keep out the cold. I soon fell asleep, and all I can conjecture
is, while I slept, the page, thinking no danger could happen, went among
the rocks to look for birds' eggs, having before observed him from my
window searching about, and picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that
as it will, I found myself suddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the
ring, which was fastened at the top of my box for the conveniency of
carriage. I felt my box raised very high in the air, and then borne
forward with prodigious speed. The first jolt had like to have shaken me
out of my hammock, but afterward the motion was easy enough. I called
out several times, as loud as I could raise my voice, but all to no
purpose. I looked towards my windows, and could see nothing but the
clouds and sky. I heard a noise just over my head, like the clapping of
wings, and then began to perceive the woful condition I was in; that some
eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with an intent to let it
fall on a rock, like a tortoise in a shell, and then pick out my body,
and devour it: for the sagacity and smell of this bird enables him to
discover his quarry at a great distance, though better concealed than I
could be within a two-inch board.

In a little time, I observed the noise and flutter of wings to increase
very fast, and my box was tossed up and down, l