they talked about my nose.  He seemed wonderfully pleased to see me; but I knew since, my nose belonged to another family.  That into which I was born, is one of the most numerous amongst you; therefore crowds of relations came every day to congratulate my arrival; among others, my cousin Betty, the greatest romp in nature; she whisks me such a height over her head, that I cried out for fear of falling.  She pinched me, and called me squealing chit, and threw me into a girl’s arms that was taken in to tend me.  The girl was very proud of the womanly employment of a nurse, and took upon her to strip and dress me anew, because I made a noise, to see what ailed me:  she did so, and stuck a pin in every joint about me.  I still cried:  upon which, she lays me on my face in her lap; and to quiet me, fell a nailing in all the pins, by clapping me on the back, and screaming a lullaby.  But my pain made me exalt my voice above hers, which brought up the nurse, the witch I first saw, and my grandmother.  The girl is turned down stairs, and I stripped again, as well to find out what ailed me, as to satisfy my granam’s further curiosity.  This good old woman’s visit was the cause of all my troubles.  You are to understand, that I was hitherto bred by hand, and anybody that stood next, gave me pap, if I did but open my lips; insomuch, that I was grown so cunning, as to pretend myself asleep when I was not, to prevent my being crammed.  But my grandmother began a loud lecture upon the idleness of the wives of this age, who, for fear of their shape, forbear suckling their own offspring; and ten nurses were immediately sent for; one was whispered to have a wanton eye, and would soon spoil her milk; another was in a consumption; the third had an ill voice, and would frighten me, instead of lulling me to sleep.  Such exceptions were made against all but one country milch-wench, to whom I was committed, and put to the breast.  This careless jade was eternally romping with the footmen, and downright starved me; insomuch that I daily pined away, and should never have been relieved, had it not been, that on the thirtieth day of my life, a fellow of the Royal Society,[205] who had writ upon Cold Baths, came to visit me, and solemnly protested, I was utterly lost for want of that method:  upon which he soused me head and ears into a pail of water, where I had the good fortune to be drowned, and so escaped being lashed into a linguist till sixteen, running after wenches till twenty-five, and being married to an ill-natured wife till sixty:  which had certainly been my fate, had not the enchantment between body and soul been broke by this philosopher.  Thus, till the age I should have otherwise lived, I am obliged to watch the steps of men; and if you please, shall accompany you in your present walks, and get you intelligence from the aerial lackey, who is in waiting, what are the thoughts and purposes of any whom you inquire for.”  I accepted his kind offer, and immediately took him with me in a hack to White’s.