[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
that no such animal should be kept about the palace.
When I attended the king after my recovery, to return him thanks for his favours, he was pleased to rally me a good deal upon this
adventure. He asked me, "what my thoughts and speculations were, while I lay in the monkey's paw; how I liked the victuals he gave
me; his manner of feeding; and whether the fresh air on the roof had sharpened my stomach." He desired to know, "what I would have
done upon such an occasion in my own country." I told his majesty, "that in Europe we had no monkeys, except such as were brought
for curiosity from other places, and so small, that I could deal with a dozen of them together, if they presumed to attack me. And as for
that monstrous animal with whom I was so lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant), if my fears had suffered me to think
so far as to make use of my hanger," (looking fiercely, and clapping my hand on the hilt, as I spoke) "when he poked his paw into my
chamber, perhaps I should have given him such a wound, as would have made him glad to withdraw it with more haste than he put it
in." This I delivered in a firm tone, like a person who was jealous lest his courage should be called in question. However, my speech
produced nothing else beside a laud laughter, which all the respect due to his majesty from those about him could not make them
contain. This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavour to do himself honour among those who are out of all
degree of equality or comparison with him. And yet I have seen the moral of my own behaviour very frequent in England since my
return; where a little contemptible varlet, without the least title to birth, person, wit, or common sense, shall presume to look with
importance, and put himself upon a foot with the greatest persons of the kingdom.
I was every day furnishing the court with some ridiculous story: and Glumdalclitch, although she loved me to excess, yet was arch
enough to inform the queen, whenever I committed any folly that she thought would be diverting to her majesty. The girl, who had
been out of order, was carried by her governess to take the air about an hour's distance, or thirty miles from town. They alighted out of
the coach near a small foot-path in a field, and Glumdalclitch setting down my travelling box, I went out of it to walk. There was a
cow-dung in the path, and I must need try my activity by attempting to leap over it. I took a run, but unfortunately jumped short, and
found myself just in the middle up to my knees. I waded through with some difficulty, and one of the footmen wiped me as clean as he
could with his handkerchief, for I was filthily bemired; and my nurse confined me to my box, till we returned home; where the queen
was soon informed of what had passed, and the footmen spread it about the court: so that all the mirth for some days was at my
expense.
CHAPTER VI
.
[Several contrivances of the author to please the king and queen. He shows his skill in music. The king inquires into the state of
England, which the author relates to him. The king's observations thereon.]
Gulliver's Travels 36/96
Gulliver's Travels
I used to attend the king's levee once or twice a week, and had often seen him under the barber's hand, which indeed was at first very
terrible to behold; for the razor was almost twice as long as an ordinary scythe. His majesty, according to the custom of the country,
was only shaved twice a-week. I once prevailed on the barber to give me some of the suds or lather, out of which I picked forty or
fifty of the strongest stumps of hair. I then took a piece of fine wood, and cut it like the back of a comb, making several holes in it at
equal distances with as small a needle as I could get from Glumdalclitch. I fixed in the stumps so artificially, scraping and sloping
them with my knife toward the points, that I made a very tolerable comb; which was a seasonable supply, my own being so much
broken in the teeth, that it was almost useless: neither did I know any artist in that country so nice and exact, as would undertake to
make me another.
And this puts me in mind of an amusement, wherein I spent many of my leisure hours. I desired the queen's woman to save for me the
combings of her majesty's hair, whereof in time I got a good quantity; and consulting with my friend the cabinet-maker, who had
received general orders to do little jobs for me, I directed him to make two chair-frames, no larger than those I had in my box, and to
bore little holes with a fine awl, round those parts where I designed the backs and seats; through these holes I wove the strongest hairs
I could pick out, just after the manner of cane chairs in England. When they were finished, I made a present of them to her majesty;
who kept them in her cabinet, and used to show them for curiosities, as indeed they were the wonder of every one that beheld them. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
that no such animal should be kept about the palace.
When I attended the king after my recovery, to return him thanks for his favours, he was pleased to rally me a good deal upon this
adventure. He asked me, "what my thoughts and speculations were, while I lay in the monkey's paw; how I liked the victuals he gave
me; his manner of feeding; and whether the fresh air on the roof had sharpened my stomach." He desired to know, "what I would have
done upon such an occasion in my own country." I told his majesty, "that in Europe we had no monkeys, except such as were brought
for curiosity from other places, and so small, that I could deal with a dozen of them together, if they presumed to attack me. And as for
that monstrous animal with whom I was so lately engaged (it was indeed as large as an elephant), if my fears had suffered me to think
so far as to make use of my hanger," (looking fiercely, and clapping my hand on the hilt, as I spoke) "when he poked his paw into my
chamber, perhaps I should have given him such a wound, as would have made him glad to withdraw it with more haste than he put it
in." This I delivered in a firm tone, like a person who was jealous lest his courage should be called in question. However, my speech
produced nothing else beside a laud laughter, which all the respect due to his majesty from those about him could not make them
contain. This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavour to do himself honour among those who are out of all
degree of equality or comparison with him. And yet I have seen the moral of my own behaviour very frequent in England since my
return; where a little contemptible varlet, without the least title to birth, person, wit, or common sense, shall presume to look with
importance, and put himself upon a foot with the greatest persons of the kingdom.
I was every day furnishing the court with some ridiculous story: and Glumdalclitch, although she loved me to excess, yet was arch
enough to inform the queen, whenever I committed any folly that she thought would be diverting to her majesty. The girl, who had
been out of order, was carried by her governess to take the air about an hour's distance, or thirty miles from town. They alighted out of
the coach near a small foot-path in a field, and Glumdalclitch setting down my travelling box, I went out of it to walk. There was a
cow-dung in the path, and I must need try my activity by attempting to leap over it. I took a run, but unfortunately jumped short, and
found myself just in the middle up to my knees. I waded through with some difficulty, and one of the footmen wiped me as clean as he
could with his handkerchief, for I was filthily bemired; and my nurse confined me to my box, till we returned home; where the queen
was soon informed of what had passed, and the footmen spread it about the court: so that all the mirth for some days was at my
expense.
CHAPTER VI
.
[Several contrivances of the author to please the king and queen. He shows his skill in music. The king inquires into the state of
England, which the author relates to him. The king's observations thereon.]
Gulliver's Travels 36/96
Gulliver's Travels
I used to attend the king's levee once or twice a week, and had often seen him under the barber's hand, which indeed was at first very
terrible to behold; for the razor was almost twice as long as an ordinary scythe. His majesty, according to the custom of the country,
was only shaved twice a-week. I once prevailed on the barber to give me some of the suds or lather, out of which I picked forty or
fifty of the strongest stumps of hair. I then took a piece of fine wood, and cut it like the back of a comb, making several holes in it at
equal distances with as small a needle as I could get from Glumdalclitch. I fixed in the stumps so artificially, scraping and sloping
them with my knife toward the points, that I made a very tolerable comb; which was a seasonable supply, my own being so much
broken in the teeth, that it was almost useless: neither did I know any artist in that country so nice and exact, as would undertake to
make me another.
And this puts me in mind of an amusement, wherein I spent many of my leisure hours. I desired the queen's woman to save for me the
combings of her majesty's hair, whereof in time I got a good quantity; and consulting with my friend the cabinet-maker, who had
received general orders to do little jobs for me, I directed him to make two chair-frames, no larger than those I had in my box, and to
bore little holes with a fine awl, round those parts where I designed the backs and seats; through these holes I wove the strongest hairs
I could pick out, just after the manner of cane chairs in England. When they were finished, I made a present of them to her majesty;
who kept them in her cabinet, and used to show them for curiosities, as indeed they were the wonder of every one that beheld them. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]