Путешествие Гулливера

Chapter 6

           Thecottagersandlabourerskeeptheirchildrenathome,theirbusinessbeingonlytotillandcultivatetheearth,andthereforetheireducationisoflittleconsequencetothepublic:buttheoldanddiseasedamongthem,aresupportedbyhospitals;forbeggingisatradeunknowninthisempire.

           Andhereitmay,perhaps,divertthecuriousreader,togivesomeaccountofmydomestics,andmymanneroflivinginthiscountry,duringaresidenceofninemonths,andthirteendays.Havingaheadmechanicallyturned,andbeinglikewiseforcedbynecessity,Ihadmadeformyselfatableandchairconvenientenough,outofthelargesttreesintheroyalpark.Twohundredsempstresseswereemployedtomakemeshirts,andlinenformybedandtable,allofthestrongestandcoarsestkindtheycouldget;which,however,theywereforcedtoquilttogetherinseveralfolds,forthethickestwassomedegreesfinerthanlawn.Theirlinenisusuallythreeincheswide,andthreefeetmakeapiece.ThesempstressestookmymeasureasIlayontheground,onestandingatmyneck,andanotheratmymid-leg,withastrongcordextended,thateachheldbytheend,whileathirdmeasuredthelengthofthecordwitharuleofaninchlong.Thentheymeasuredmyrightthumb,anddesirednomore;forbyamathematicalcomputation,thattwiceroundthethumbisonceroundthewrist,andsoontotheneckandthewaist,andbythehelpofmyoldshirt,whichIdisplayedonthegroundbeforethemforapattern,theyfittedmeexactly.Threehundredtailorswereemployedinthesamemannertomakemeclothes;buttheyhadanothercontrivancefortakingmymeasure.Ikneeleddown,andtheyraisedaladderfromthegroundtomyneck;uponthisladderoneofthemmounted,andletfallaplumb-linefrommycollartothefloor,whichjustansweredthelengthofmycoat:butmywaistandarmsImeasuredmyself.

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