ntenance
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 it is usual in farmers' houses; one of which was a mastiff,
equal in bulk to four elephants, and another 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 broke
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:
but all in vain; so that she was forced to apply the last remedy by
giving it suck. I must confess no object ever disgusted me so much as
the sight of her monstrous breast, which I cannot tell what to compare
with, so as to give the curious reader an idea of its bulk, shape, and
colour. It stood prominent six feet, and could not be less than sixteen
in circumference. The nipple was about half the bigness of my head, and
the hue both of that and the dug, so varied with spots, pimples, and
freckles, that nothing could appear more nauseous: for I had a near sight
of her, she sitting down, the more conveniently to give suck, and I
standing on the table. This made me reflect upon the fair skins