took me for an Inhabitant of the Firmament, and that some great Bird had transported me hither; a Thing that had once before happened, as the History or Annals of that Globe can testify. But all these Things I understood not till after the Space of some Months, in which Time I became acquainted with the subterranean Language. For in my present Circumstances, what thro’ Fear, and what through the Disorder of my Intellects, I was quite regardless of myself, nor could conceive how there could be any such Thing as living and speaking Trees, nor to what Purpose was this Procession, which was very slow and solemn. But yet the Voices and Murmurs with which all the Plains echoed seemed to indicate Anger and Indignation; and in good Truth it was not without ample Reason that they had conceived this Resentment against me; for that very Tree, which I climb’d up in my Flight from the Bull, was the Wife of the Prætor, or principal Magistrate of the next City; and so the Quality of the Person injur’d aggravated the Crime; for it look’d as if I had a Mind to violate not a Female of mean and plebeian Birth, but a Matron of prime Rank, which was a most detested Spectacle to a People of so venerable a Modesty as these were. At length we arrived at the City to which I was led Captive. This City was equally remarkable for its stately Edifices, and for the elegant Order and Proportion of the Streets and Highways; so lofty were the Houses, that they resembled so many Towers; the Streets too were full of walking Trees, which by letting down their Branches saluted each other as they met, and the greater Number of Branches or Boughs they dropt, the greater was the Compliment. Thus when an Oak went out of one of the most eminent Houses, the rest of the Trees drew back at his Approach, and let down every one of their Branches; from whence it was easy to infer, that that Oak was far above the vulgar Sort; and, indeed, I soon understood that it was the Prætor himself, and the very Person whose Wife I was said to have so highly affronted. Forthwith they hurried me to the Prætor’s House; upon my Entrance into which, the Doors were immediately lock’d and bolted upon me, so that I look’d upon myself as one condemn’d to a Gaol. What greatly contributed to this Fear was, that there were three Guards plac’d without, like Centinels, each of them arm’d with six Axes, according to the Number of their Branches; for as many Branches as they had, so many Arms they had; and as many Buds at the Extremities, so many Fingers. I observed, that on the Top of the Trunks or Bodies of the Trees their Heads were plac’d, not at all unlike human Heads; and instead of Roots, I saw two Feet, and those very short, by Reason of which the Pace they us’d was almost as slow as that of a Tortoise; so that had I been at Liberty, it had been very easy for me to have escap’d their Hands, since my Motion was perfect Flying compar’d to theirs.