difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank to her
ladyship's health, expressing the words as loud as I could in English,
which made the company laugh so heartily that I was almost deafened by
the noise. This liquor tasted like a small cider, and was not
unpleasant. Then the master made me a sign to come to his trencher-side;
but as I walked on the table, being in great surprise all the time, as
the indulgent reader will easily conceive and excuse, I happened to
stumble against a crust, and fell flat on my face, but received no hurt.
I got up immediately, and observing the good people to be in much
concern, I took my hat (which I held under my arm out of good manners),
and, waving it over my head, made three huzzas, to show that I had got
no mischief by my fall.

But advancing forwards towards my master (as I shall henceforth call
him), his youngest son, who sat next him, an arch boy of about ten years
old, took me up by the legs, and held me so high in the air, that I
trembled in every limb; but his father snatched me from him, and at the
same time gave him such a box in the left ear as would have felled an
European troop of horse to the earth, ordering him to be taken from the
table. But being afraid the boy might owe me a spite, and well
remembering how mischievous all children among us naturally are to
sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy dogs, I fell on my knees,
and, pointing to the boy, made my master to understand as well as I
could, that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied,
and the lad took his seat again; whereupon I went to him and kissed his
hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my mistress's favorite cat leapt into her lap. I
heard a noise behind me like that of a dozen stocking-weavers at work;
and, turning my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of that