g; this I filled with
the feathers of several birds I had taken with springes made of _Yahoos'_
hairs, and were excellent food. I had worked two chairs with my knife,
the sorrel nag helping me in the grosser and more laborious part. When
my clothes were worn to rags, I made myself others with the skins of
rabbits, and of a certain beautiful animal, about the same size, called
_nnuhnoh_, the skin of which is covered with a fine down. Of these I
also made very tolerable stockings. I soled my shoes with wood, which I
cut from a tree, and fitted to the upper-leather; and when this was worn
out, I supplied it with the skins of _Yahoos_ dried in the sun. I often
got honey out of hollow trees, which I mingled with water, or ate with my
bread. No man could more verify the truth of these two maxims, "That
nature is very easily satisfied;" and, "That necessity is the mother of
invention." I enjoyed perfect health of body, and tranquillity of mind;
I did not feel the treachery or inconstancy of a friend, nor the injuries
of a secret or open enemy. I had no occasion of bribing, flattering, or
pimping, to procure the favour of any great man, or of his minion; I
wanted no fence against fraud or oppression: here was neither physician
to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch
my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were
no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers,
attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics,
tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers,
virtuosos; no leaders, or followers, of party and faction; no encouragers
to vice, by seducement or examples; no dungeon, axes, gibbets,
whipping-posts, or pillories; no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics; no
pride, vanity, or affectation; no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling
whores, or poxes; no ranting, lewd, expensive wives; no stupid, proud
pedants; no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty,
conceited, swearing companions; no scoundrels raised from the dust upon
the merit of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their
virtues; no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing-masters.

I had the favour of being admitted to several _Houyhnhnms_, who came to
visit or dine with my master; where his honour graciously suffered me to
wait in the room, and listen to their discourse. Both he and his company
would often descend