he lad took his seat again, whereupon I went to him, and kissed
his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my mistress's favorite cat leaped into her
lap. I heard a noise behind me like that of a dozen stocking-weavers
at work; and turning my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of
that animal, who seemed to be three times larger than an ox, as I
computed by the view of her head and one of her paws, while her
mistress was feeding and stroking her. The fierceness of this
creature's countenance altogether discomposed me, though I stood at
the farther end of the table, above fifty feet off, and although my
mistress held her fast, for fear she might give a spring, and seize me
in her talons. But it happened there was no danger, for the cat took
not the least notice of me when my master placed me within three yards
of her. And as I have been always told, and found true by experience
in my travels, that flying or discovering fear before a fierce animal
is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, so I resolved in
this dangerous juncture to show no manner of concern. I walked with
intrepidity five or six times before the very head of the cat, and
came within half a yard of her; whereupon she drew herself back, as if
she were more afraid of me. I had less apprehension concerning the
dogs, whereof three or four came into the room, as is usual in
farmers' houses; one of which was a mastiff, equal in bulk to four
elephants, and a greyhound somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not
so large.

When dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year
old in her arms, who immediately spied me, and began a squall that you
might have heard from London Bridge to Chelsea, after the usual
oratory of infants, to get me for a plaything. The mother, out of pure
indulgence, took me up, and put me towards the child, who presently
seized me by the middle, and got my head into his mouth, where I
roared so loud that the urchin was frighted, and let me drop, and I
should infallibly have broken my neck if the mother had not held her
apron under me. The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a rattle,
which was a kind of hollow vessel filled with great stones, and
fastened by a cable to the child's waist.

I remember, when I was at Lilliput, the complexions of those
diminutive people appeared to me the fairest in the world; and talking
upon the subject with a person of le