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 run 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 her up with
one hand by the waist. I looked down upon the
servants, and one or two friends who were in the house,
as if they had been pigmies and I a giant. I
told my wife, “she had been too thrifty, for
I found she had starved herself and her daughter to
nothing.” In short, I behaved myself so
unaccountably, that they were all of the captain’s
opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had lost
my wits. This I mention as an instance of the
great power of habit and prejudice.
In a little time, I and my family and friends came
to a right understanding: but my wife protested
“I should never go to sea any more;” although
my evil destiny so ordered, that she had not power
to hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter.
In the mean time, I here conclude the second part
of my unfortunate voyages.
PART III. A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB,
AND JAPAN.
CHAPTER I.
[The author sets out on his third voyage. Is
taken by pirates. The malice of a Dutchman.
His arrival at an island. He is received into
Laputa.]
I had not been at home above ten days, when Captain
William Robinson, a Cornish man, commander of the
Hopewell, a stout ship of three hundred tons, came
to my house. I had formerly been surgeon of
another ship where he was master, and a fourth part
owner, in a voyage to the Levant. He had always
treated me more like a brother, than an inferior officer;
and, hearing of my arrival, made me a visit, as I
apprehended only out of friendship, for nothing passed
more than what is usual after long absences.
But repeating his visits often, expressing his joy
to find I me in good health, asking, “whether
I were now settled for life?” adding, “that
he intended a voyage to the East Indies in two months,”
at last he plainly invited me, though with some apologies,
to be surgeon of the ship; “that I should have
another surgeon under me, beside our two mates; that
my salary should be double to the usual pay; and that
having experienced my knowledge in sea-affairs to be
at least equal to his, he would enter into any engagement
to follow my advice, as much as if I had shared in
the command.”
He said so many other obliging things, and I knew
him to be so honest a man, that I could not reject
this proposal; the thirst I had of seeing the world,
notwithstanding my past misfortunes, continuing as
violent as ever. The only difficulty that remained,
was to persuade my wife, whose consent however I at
last obtained, by the prospect of advantage she proposed
to her children.
