well, and merrily replied with the old
English proverb, that he doubted mine eyes were bigger than my belly,
for he did not observe my stomach so good, although I had fasted all
day; and, continuing in his mirth, protested he would have gladly
given an hundred pounds to have seen my closet in the eagle's bill,
and afterwards in its fall from so great a height into the sea; which
would certainly have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have
the description of it transmitted to future ages; and the comparison
of Phaethon was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it,
although I did not much admire the conceit.

The captain, having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to England,
driven northeastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and of longitude
143. But meeting a trade wind two days after I came on board him, we
sailed southward a long time, and coasting New Holland kept our course
west-southwest, and then south-southwest, till we doubled the Cape of
Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the
reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one or two
ports, and sent in his longboat for provisions and fresh water; but I
never went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on
the third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I
offered to leave my goods in security 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 promise he would come to see
me at my house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five
shillings, which I borrowed of the captain.

As I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses, the
trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in
Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveler 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 inquire, one of
the servants opening the door, I bent down to go in (like a goose
under a gate), for fear of striking my head. My wife ran out to
embrace me, but I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she could
otherwise never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask
my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, having been so
long used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet;
and then I went to take he