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THE
WORKS
O F
VOLUME II.
LONDON,
Pnnted for C. Batuvrst, in Fleet-Street*
MDCCLXVI.
TRAVELS" oA
INTO SEVERAL
Remote Nations
OF THE
WORLD.
By LEMUEL GULLIVER,
Firft a Surgeon, and then a Captain of feveral Ships,
In FourParts.
PART I. A Voyage to L l l p u t.
i i
LONDON:
Printed for C. Bathu R s T.
MDCCLXVI.
C Hi ]
THE
PUBLISHER
T O T H E
READER.
f~Tr^ H E author of thefe travels, Mr Lemuel
I Gulliver, my arxient and intimate
is
iimple ; and the only fault 1 find is, that the author,
after the manner of travellers, is a lit le too circum-
ftantial. There is an air of truth apparent through the
whole ; and indeed the author was (o diftingui(hed for
his veracity, that it became a fort of a proverb among
A 2 his
iv THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER:
his neighbonrs at Redriff, when any one affirmed a
thing, to fay it was as true as if Mr. Gulliver had
Ipoken it.
RiCyARD SVMPSON.
A LET-
[v3 •
:
LETTER FROM
Captain Gulliver
T O H I S
Coufm ST MP SON.
Written In the Year 1727.
5 to
TO HIS COUSIN SYMPSON. vli
iigning the true year, nor the true month, nor day of
the month And I hear the original manufcript is all
:
Jpril Zf 1727.
C O N-
21
CONTENTS.
PART I.
A Voyage to Lilliput.
inducements travel. to
huiifelf
He
fitft
is Jlipn^jiecked, and fuims for his life; gets fafe on fljore
in the country of Lilliput ; /.; tncide a prijcner, and
carried up the country, P^^g^ '
Chap.
xii CONTENTS.
Chap. VI. Of the inhabitants c/"Lilliput ; their leant'
ing, Iwws, and ciijioms, the manner of educating their
children. The author's ivay of living in that country.
His 'vindication of a great lady, Pap-e 43
Chap. VII. The author, being informed of a dejign ta
accufe hitn of high-treafon, inaketh his efcape to Ble-
fufcu. His reception there, 53
Chap. Vlll. The author, by a lucky accident, Jinds means
to leave Blefufcu ; and, after fame difficulties, returns
fafe to his nati-ve country, 6z
P A R T II.
A Voyage to Brobdingnag.
Chap. I. A great form defcribed, the longboat fent to
fetch nuater, the author goes njoith it to difcover the
country. He is left on Jhore, is Jeix,ed by one of the na-
tives, and carried to a farmer^ s houfe. His reception^
•vjith feveral accidents that happened there. A defcrip-
tion cf the inhabitants, 69
Chap. II. A defer ipt ion of the farmer's daughter. The
author carried to a marke'.-toivn, and then to the metro-
polis. The particulars of his journey, 82
Chap. III. The author fent for to court. The qw.en buys
him cf his mafer the farmer, and prefents hitn to the
king. He difputes "uiith his majeffs great fcholars.
An apartment at court pronjided for the author. He
is in high favour nvilh the queen. He flands up for the
honour of his ovun country. His quarrels 'with the queeits
dvjarf 88
Chap. IV. The country defcribed. prcpofal for c'or- A
re£ling modern maps. The kin£ s palace, and fame ac-
count of the jnetropolis. The author's luay of travelling.
The chief temple defcribed, 99
Ch A p V • . Several ad-ventures that happened to the author.
The execution of a criminal. The author Jheivs his Jkill
in navigation^ 1
04
Chap.
CONTENTS. xin
Chap. VI. Se'veral contrivances of the author to pleafe
PART III.
xiv CONTENTS.
Chap. VI. A further account of the academy. The aa*
thor propofes fame impro-vements, n.vhich are honourably
rece'rjedy P^ge IJ7
Chap. VII. The author leaves Lagado, arrives at Mal-
donada. No jhip ready. He takes a Jhort -voyage to
Glubbdubdrib. His reception by the go'vcrnor y 183
Chap. VIII. A further account o/'Glubbdubdrib. An-
cient and modern hijlory correSled, 1
87
Chap. IX. The authcr's return to Maldonada. 5ails to
the kingd .m of L\xo^n?.g<g. The author ctiftied. He
is fent for to court. The manner of his admittance. The
kin£s great lenity to hisjuhjeclsy loj.
PART IV:
A Voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms.
Chap. I. The author
fets out as captain of a f>ip. His
men confpireagainf him, confne hi>n a long time to his
cabbin. ^el him on f^ore in an unknoixm land, Hetra-
*vels up ifito the country. 7"/'^ Yahoos, ajlrange
fort of
animal, defcribed. The author meets tivo Houylin-
hnms, 2 1
A VOY-
^ I ?<; . /H. 2./7(if/T.i. X
L/l.J.
Ho^^sl.-
P.Mlnfnoi
I.GoodTorhii
I INnl's oM
•t*
<i>^
9>^
efusou.
ilUjjut
Vovevcl AD-iGpq
iV
A
VOYAGE T O
L I L L I P U T.
CHAP. I.
^ AVOYAGE
then fending me
fmall fums of money, I laid them oul
in learning navigation, and other parts of the mathe-
niaticks, ufeful to thofe who intend to travel, as 1 al- .
TOLILLIPUT. 5,
tion, Cried out in a fhrill but dilHnft voice, hekinah de^
mil : the others repeated the fame words feveral times,
but then knew not what they meant.
I I lay all this
6 AVOYAGE
like that of people at work ; when turning my head
that way, as well as the pegs and firings would permit;
me, I faw a ftage erefted about a foot and half from
the ground, capable of holding four of the inhabitants,
with two or three ladders to mount it: from whence
one of them, who feemed to be a perfon of quality,
made me a long fpeech, whereof I underllood not one
fyllable. But I fhould haVe mentioned, that, before the
principal perfon began his oration, he cried out three
times, langro (iehul fan (thefe words and the former
;
8 AVOYAGE
CDC of my hands was at liberty, without trembling al
the very fight of fo prodigious a creature, as I muft ap-
pear to them. After fome time, when they obferved
that I made no more demands for meat, there appeared
before me a perfon of high rank from his imperial ma-
jefty. His excellency, having mounted on the fmall of
my right leg, advanced forwards up to my face, with
about a dozen of his retinue. And producing his cre-
dentials under the fignet royal, which he applied clofe
to my eyes, fpoke about ten minutes without any figns
©f anger, but with a kind of determinate refoludon
often pointing forward?, which, as I afterwards found,
was towards the capital city, about half a mile diftant,
whither it was agreed by his majefly in council that i
muft be conveyed. I anfwered in few words, but to no
purpofe, and made a fign with my hand that was loofe,
putting it to the other (but over his excellency's head
for fear of hurting him or his train) and then to my
own head and body, to lignify that I defired my liberty.
It appeared, that he underftood me well enough, for he
fhook his head by way of difapprobation, and held his
hand in a pofture to ftiew, that I muft be carried as a
prifoner. However, he made other figns to let me un-
derftand, that I ftiould have meat and drink enough,
and very good treatment. V^ hereupon I cnce more
thought of attempting to break my bonds ; but again,
when I felt the fmart of their arrows upon my face and
hands, which were all in blifters, and many of the darts
Hill flicking in them, and obferving likewife that the
number of my enemies increafed, I gave tokens to let
them know, that they might do with me what they plea-
fed. Upon this the iiurgo and his train withdrew with
much civility and chearful countenances. Soon after I
heard a general ftiout, with frequent repetitions of the
word peplom felan, and I felt great numbers of people on
my left fide relaxing the cords to fuch a degree, that I
was able to turn upon my right, and to eafe myfeli with
makiog water; which I very plentifully did, to the
great ailoniftyiient of the people, who conjedviring, b.y
TOLTLLIPUT. 9
my motion, what was going to do, immediately open-
I
ed to the right and left on that fide, to avoid the torrent
which fell with fuch noife and violence from me. But,
before this, they had daubed my face and both my
hands with a fort of ointment very pleafant to the
fmell, which in a fev/ minutes removed all the fmart of
their arrows. Thefe circumftances, added to the refrelh-
ment I had received by their vidluais and drink, which
were very nouriiVang, difpofed me to fleep. J flept a-
bout eight hours, as I was afterwards afiured ; and it
was no wonder, for the phyficians, by the emperor's
order, had n.ingled a fleepy potion in the hogfheads of
wine.
It feems that, upon tl>e firft moment I was difcover-
ed fleeping on the ground after my landing, the em-
peror had early notice of it by an exprcfs ; and deter-
mined in council, that I fhould be tied in the manner I
have related, vvhich was done in the night while I
flept) that plenty of meat and drink fliould be fent to
me, and a machine prepared to carry me to the capital
city.
This refolution perhaps may appear very bold and
dangerous, and I am confident would not be imitated
by any prir.ce in Euro^ye on the like cccafion ; howe-
ver, in my opiiiion, it was extremely prudent, as well
as geneious : for, fuppofm;^ thefe people had endea-
voured to kill me with their fpears and arrows while I
was alleep, I ftould certainly have awaked with the
£rll; fenfe of fmart, which might fo far have rouzed my
CHAP. II.
WH N
E I found myfelf on my feet, I looked a-
bout me, and muft confefs I never beheld a more
entertaining profpedt. 7he country around appeared
like a continued garden, and the inclofed fields, which
were generally forty feet fquare, refembled fo many
beds of flowers. 'Ihefc fields were intermingled with
woods of half a Hang t, and the tallell trees, as I could
judge, appeared to be feven feet high. I viewed the
town on my left hand, which looked like the painted
fcene of a city in a theat'e.
1 had been for ibmc hours extremely pre/Ted by the
neceffities
TOLILLIPtJT. 13
reCeffltiesof nature ; which was no wonder, it being al -
moft two days fince I had lafl difburthened myfelf. I
was under great difficulties between urgency and fhame.
The beit expedient I could think on, was to creep into
my houfe, which I acccordingly did ; and, {hutting the
gate after me, I went as far as the length of my chain
would fuifer, and difcharged my body of that uneafy
load. But this was the only time I was ever guilty of
fo uncleanly an aftion for which I cannot but hope the
:
horfeman, kept his feat, till his attendants ran in, and
held the bridle, while his majefty had time to difmount.
When he alighted, he furveyed me round with great ad-
miration but kept beyond the length of my chain. He
;
ment majeftic. He
was then paft his prime, being
twenty eight years and three quarters old, of vv'hich he
had reigned about fevcn in great felicity, and generally
vidloiious. For the better convenience of beholding
him, I lay on my fide, fo that my face was parallel to
his, and he flood but three yards oir: however, I have
had him fmce many times in my hand, and therefore
cannot be deceived in the defcription. His drefs was
very plain and fimple, and the falhion of it between the
ndaiick and the europcan : but he had on his head a light
helmet of gold, adorned with jewels, and « plume on
the ciefl. He held his fword drawn in his hand to de-
fend himfclf, if I fhould happen to break loofe •\ it ;
was almoil: three inches long; the hilt and fcabbard were
gold enriched with diamonds. His voice was llirill, but
very clear and articulate, and I could diftinftly hear it,
•f"
The mafc'jline flrenoth of man pride ; the ot>je£ls of which
features, whxh Gulliver could are trifling difl-indliions, whether
not fee, liU he laid his face upon of perfon oriank ; tJie ridiculous
ike ground j and the awful fiipe- parade and oflentation of a pig-
liotity of flature in a bi-ing, my j which deiive nut only ihtfir
whntn lie held in his hand ; the origin but their ufe from the fol-
helniet, the plume, and the )y, weaknefs, and imperfedlioa
i'woid, arc. a tine reproof of bu- of ourfcivts and others.
when
;
TO L I L L I P U T. i;
when I flood up. The ladies and courtiers were all moll
mao-nificently clad, fo that the fpot they flood upon
feemed to refemble a petticoat fpread on the ground, em-
broidered with figures of gold and filver. His imperial
majefty fpoke often to me, and I returned anfwers ; but
neither of us could underftand a fyllable. There were
feveral of his priefts and lawyers prelent, (as I conjec-
tured by their habits) who were commanded to addrefs
themfelves to me, and I fpoke to them in as many lan-
guages as I had the leaft fmattering of, which were
high and /ciu dutch, latin, frerich, fpanip, Italian, and
lingua franca ; but all to no purpofe. After about two
hours the court retired, and 1 was left with a ftrong
guard to prevent the impertinence, and probably the
malice of tiie rabble, who were very impatient to croud
about me as near as they durft, and fome of them had
the impudence to Ihoot their arrows at me, as I fat on
the ground by the door of my houfe, whereof one very
narrowly miffed my left eye. But the colonel order-
ed fix of the ring-leaders to be feized, and thought no
punifhment fo proper as to deliver them bound into my
hands ; which fome of his foldiers accordingly did,
pufliing them forwards with the but-ends of their pikes
into my reach : I took them all in my right-hand, put
i8 A V O YA GE
certain proper officers to fearch me ; for probably t
might carry about me feveral weapons, which muft
needs be dangerous things, if they anfwered the bulk
of fo prodigious a perfon. I (aid, his majefty Ihould
be fatisfied ; for I was ready to ftrip myfelf, and turn
up my pockets before him. This I delivered part in
words, and part in figns. He replied, that by the laws
of the kingdom I muft be fearched by two of his officers;
that he knew this could not be done without my confent
and alfiftance ; that he had fo good an opinion of my
generofity and juftice, as to truft their perfons in my
hands that whatever they took from me^ fhould be re-
:
TOLILLIPUT. 19
fubftances, folded one over another, about the blgnefs
of three men, tied with a ftrong cable, and marked with
black figures ; which we humbly conceive to be writ-
ings, every letter almofl: half as large as the palm of
our hands. In the left there was a fort of engine, from
the back of which were extended twenty long poles,
refembling the palifadoes before your majeily's court
wherewith we conjecture the man-mountain combs his
head for we did not always trouble him with queftions,
;
TO L I L L I P U T, 2j
CHAP.
TO L I L L I PUT. 23
CHAP. III.
MY far on
and good behaviour had gained fo
gentlenefs
emperor and his court, and indeed
tlie
both
;
TOLILLIPUT. 25
both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates
advancing, one by one, fometimes leap c er the fiiclc,
fometimes creep under it backwards and forwards feve-
ral times, according as the flick is advanced or depref-
fed. Sometimes the emperor holds one end of the
ftick, and his firft minifter the other ; fometimes the
miniiler has it entirely to himfelf. Whoever performs
his part with moft agility, and holds out the longell in
leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the biue-colou-
red filk ; the red is given to the next, and the green to
the third, which they all wear girt twice round about
the middle ; and you fee few great perfons about this
court, who are not adorned with one of thefe girdles.
The horfes of the army, and thofe of the royal fta-
bles, having been daily led before me, were no longer
ihy, but would come up to my very feet without ftart-
ing. The riders would leap them over my hand, as I
held it on the ground ; and one of the emperor's huntf-
men upon a large courier took my foot, llioe and all
which was indeed a prodigious leap. I had the good
fortune to divert the emperor one day after a very ex-
traordinary manner. I defired he would order feve-
ral flicks of two feet high, and the thicknefs of an or-
dinary cane, to be brought me ; whereupon his ma-
jefly commanded the mafter of his v/oods to give direc-
tions accordingly, and the next morning fix woodmen
arrived with as many carriages, drawn by eight horfes
to each. I took nine of thefe flicks, and fixing them
firmly in the ground in a quadrangular figure, two feet
and a half fquare, I took four other flicks, and tied
them parallel at each corner about two feet from the
ground ; then I faftened my handkerchief to the nine
flicks that flood erect ; and extended it on all fides, till
it was tight as the top of a drum ; and the four paral-
lel flicks, rifing about five inches higher than the
iiandkerchief, ferved as ledges on each fide. When I
had finijhed my work, I defired the emperOr to let a
troop of his beft horfe, twenty-four in number, come
^nd exercife upon this pljiin. His m^jefly approved of
the.
S.6 A V O Y A G E
the propofal, and I tcok them up one by one in my
hands, ready mounted and armed, with the proper of-
ficers to exercife them. As foon as they got into or-
der, they divided into two parties, performed mock
fkirmilhes, difcharged blunt arrows, drew their fwords,
fled and purfued, attacked and- retired, and in fhort dif-
covered the beft military difcipline I ever beheld. The
parallel flicks fecured them and their horfes from falling
over the iiage ; and the emperor was fo much delight-
ed, that he ordered this entertainment to be repeated fe-
veral days, and once was pleafed to be lifted up, and
give the word of command i and, with great difficulty,
perluaded even the emprels herfelf to let me hold her
in her clofe chair \\ithin two yards of the ftage, from
whence Ihe was able to take a full view of the whole
performance. It was my good fortune, that no ill ac-
cident happened in thefe entertainments, only once a
iiery horfe, that belonged to one of the captains, paw-
ing with his hoof llruck a hole in my handkerchief, and
his foot flipping he overtlirew his rider and himfelf ; but
I immediately relieved; them both, and covering the
hole with one hand, I fet down the troop with the
other, in the fame manner as I took them up. The
horfe that fell was flrained in the left flioulder, but the rider
got no hurt, and I repaired my handkerchief as well as
I could ; however, I would not truft to the ftrength of
it any more in fuch dangerous enterprizes.
About two or three days before 1 was fet at liberty,
as 1 was entertaining the court with this kind of feats,
there arrived an exprefs to inform his majefty, that fome
of his fubjedls, riding near the place where I was firft
taken up, had fcen a great black fubftance lying on the
ground, very oddly fliaped, extending its edges round
as wide as his majefty's bed-chamber, and riflng up in
the middle as high as a man that it was no living
;
28 A V O Y A G E
decency with regard to my perfon ; which however
ell:
CHAP. IV.
Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, efefcribetf, together
nvith the emperor^ s palace. A
cori'verfation betnveen the
author and a principal fecrsiary concerning the affairs cf
that empire. The author's offers to ferve the emperor in
bis nvars.
over the great wellern gate, and pafled very gently, and
fideling, through the two principal ftreets, only in my
fliort waiftcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eves
of the houfes with the (kirts of my coat. I walked with
the utmoft circumfpeftion to avoid treading on any
ftraggler, who might remain in the ftreets ; altho' the
orders were very ftrift, that all people fhould keep in
their houfes at their own peril. The garret- windows
and tops of houfes were fo crouded with fpedators, that
I thought in all my travels I had not feen a more popu-
lous place. The city is an exact fquare, each fide of the
wall being five hundred feet long. 1 he two great ftreets,
which run crofs and divide it into four quarters, are five
feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not en-
ter, but only viewed tliem as I pafTed, are from tv^clve
to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding five
hundred thoufand fouls the houfes are from^ three to
:
Ti>e
-2 AVOYAGE
The emperor's palace is in ll\e center of the city v/herd
,
two feet high, and twenty feet diflance from the build-»
ings. 1 had liis majeily's permiirion to ftep over this
wall ; and the fpace being fo wide between that and the
palace. I could eafily view it on every fide. The out-
ward court is a fcuare of forty feet, and includ.i tv/a
other courts : in the inmoll are the royal apartments,
which I was very defirous to fee, but found it extremely
difficult; for the great gates, from one fquare into ano-
ther, were but eighteen inches high, and fcven inches
wide. Now the buildings of the outer court were at
lead five feet high, and it was impofiible for me to flride
over them without infinite damage to the pile, though
the walls were llrongly built cf hewn itone, and four
inches thick. At the fame time the emperor had a great
defire, that I ftiould fee the magnificence of his palace;
but this I was net able to do till three days after, which
I fpent in cutting down with my knife fo:i;e of the larg-
eft trees in the royal park, about an hundred yards di-
llance from the city. Of thefe trees I made two llools,
each about three feet high, and ftrong enough to bear
my weight. The people having received notice a fecond
time, 1 went agam through the city to the palace with
my two llools in my hands. When I came to the fide
of the outer court, I liood upon one flool, and took the
other in my hand ; this I lifted over the roof, and gently
fct it down on the fpa^e between the firft and iccond
court, which was eight feet wide. I then llept over the
building very conveniently from one flool to the other,
and drew up the firft after me with a hooked Hick. By
this contrivance I got into the inmoft court ; and, lying
down upon my fide, 1 applied my face to the windows
of the middle Uories, which were left open on purpofe,
and difcovcred the moll Iplendid apartments that can be
imagined. 7here I faw the emprefs and the young
princes in their fevcral lodgings with their chief atten^
dants about them. Tier imperial majefly was pleafed to
fnuW
2
TOLILLIPUT. S3
Imi'e very gracioufly upon me, and gave me out of the
window her hand to kifs.
But not anticipate the reader with farther de-
I fliall
cumflances is by this work rcn- the zeal v/ith which they arc
dcred extremely contemptible j oppofcd and defended too much
io fp:c:il,iti-jc differencti are (hewn exceeds their innportance.
to b€ eijualiy ridiculous, when
primitive-
T L I L L I P U T. 3;
primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them,
was upon the larger end ; but his prefent majefty's
grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg,
and breaking it according to the ancient praftice, hap-
pened to cut one of his lingers. Whereupon the em-
peror, his father, publiflied an edict, commanding all
his fubjefls, upon great penalties, to break the fmaller
end of their eggs. 1 he people fo highly refented this
law, that our hiUories tell us, there have been fix rebel-
lions raifed on that account; wherein one emperor loft
his life, and another his crown. Thefe civil commotions
were conftantly fomented by the monarchs of Bkfufcu ;
and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for
refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thou-
fand perfons have at feveral times fuiFered death, rather
than fubmit to break their eggs at the fmaller end. Ma-
ny hundred large volumes have been publiihed upon this
controverfy ; but the books of the Big-endians have been
long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable
by law of holding employments. During the courfe of
thefe troubles, the emperors of Blefufcu did frequently
expoftulate by their ambafiadors, accufmg us of making
a fchifm in religion by oSending againft a fundamental
doflrine of our great prophet Lujirog, in the fifty-fourth
chapter of the Biundecral (which is ^^it^.x Alcoran.) This
however is thought to be a mere flrain upon the text ;
for the words are thefe that all true believers break their
:
CHAP. V,
The author, By an extraordinary Jiratagem, prenjents an
i/jvaJJon. A high trtle of honour is conferred upon him.
Ambajfadors arri-ve from the emperor of BlefuCcu, and
Jue for peace. The emprefs apartmeiU on fire by an
accident ; the author injlrurnentai in faving the reji of
the palacg.
TOLILLIPUT. 59
the cable, by which the fleet was faftened, I cried in a
loud voice, long li've the tnoji puijfant emperor of Lilliput
This great prince received me at my landing with all
poffible encomiums, and created me a Narciac upon the
ipot, which is the higheft title of honour among them.
His majefty defired, I would take fome other oppor-
tunity of bringing all the reft of his enemy's Ihips into
his ports. And fo unmeafurable is the ambition of
princes, that he feemed to think of nothing lefs than
reducing the whole empire of Blefufcu into a province
and governing it by a vice-roy ; of deftroying the Big-
endian exiles, and compelling that people to break ttve
fmaller end of their eggs, by which he would remaia
the fole monarch of the whole world. But I endea-
voured to divert him from this defign by many argu-
ments drawn from the topicks of policy as well asjuftice:
and I plainly protefted, that I would never be an inftru-
ment of bringing a free and brave people into flavery.
And, when the matter was debated in council, th«
wifeft part of the miniftry were of my opinion.
This open bold declaration of mine was fo oppofite to
the fchemes and politicks of his imperial majelty, that
he could never forgive me ; he mentioned it in a very
artful manner at council, where I was told that fome of
the wifeft appcai-ed at leaft by their filence to be of my
opinion ; but others, who were my fecret enemies,
could not forbear fome expreflions, which by a fjde-
wind reflefted on me. And from this time began an
intrigue between his majefly, and a junto of minifters
jnalicioufly bentagainft me, which broke out in lefs than
two months, and had like to have ended in my utter
deftrudlion. Of fo little weight are the greateft fervices
to princes, when put into the ballance with a refiifal to
gratify their paflions.
About three weeks after this exploit, there arrived a
folemn ambafly from Bhfufcu with humble offers of a
peace which was foon concluded upon conditions very
;
4© AVOYAGE
a train of about five hundred perfons ; and their entry
was very magnificent, fuitable to the grandeur of their
mafter, and the importance of their bufinefs. When
their treaty was finifhed, wherein I did them feveral
good offices by the credit 1 now had, or at leafl ap-
peared to have at court, their excellencies, who were
privately tola how much I had been their friend, made
me a vifit in form. They began with many compli-
ments upon my valour and generofity, invited me to
that kingdom emperor their mafter's name, and
in the
defired me to them fome proofs of my prodigious
flicv.'
ingly, the next time 1 had the honour to fee our emperor,
I defired his general licence to wait on the Blefufaidian
monarch, which he was pleafed to grant me, as I could
plainly perceive, in a very cold manner but could not
:
vice, yet J could not tell how his majefty might refent
the manner by which I had performed it for, by the
:
CHAP. VI.
ing neither from the left to the right, like the europeans ;
nor from the right to the left, like the arahians ; nor
from up to down, like the chinefe ; but aflant from one
corner of the paper to the ether, like ladies in England,
They
44 A V O Y A G E
They bury their dead with their heads direflly down-
wards, becaufe they hold an opinion, that in eleven
thou (and moons they are ail to rife again, in which pe-
riod the earth (which they conceive to be flat) will turn
upfide down, and by thio means they ihall at their re-
furreflion be lound ready flanding on their feet. The
learned among them confefs the abfurdity of this doc-
trine, but the pradice flill continues in compliance to
the vulgar.
There are fome laws and cuffoms in this empire very
peculiar ; and, if they were not fo direftly contrary to
thofe of my own dear country, I Ihould be tempted to
fay a little in their juftification. It is only to be wifhed
TOLILLIPUT. 4;;
T O L I L L I P U T. 55
for all the world knows, that he is only a glumgiuK, a
title inferior by one degree, as that of a niarquefs is to
CHAP. VIT.
B
^^_0 ing this kingdom, it may be proper to inform the
reader of a private intrigue, vvhicli haa been for two
months forming againil me.
I had been hitherto all my life a ftranger to courts,
^4
AVOYAGE
houfe, priced the chair on the table according to my
ufual cuftom, and fat down by it. After the common
falutations were over, obferving his lordftiip's counte-
nance full of concern, and enquiring into the reafon,
he defired 1 would hear him with patience in a matter,
ARTICLE I.
T O L f L L I P U T. 5$
royal palace, fhall he liable to the pains and pelShlties of
high treafon : notwithilanding the faid ^inbus Flcjlrin
in open breach of the faid law, under colour of extin-
gui{hing the fire kindled in the apartment of his majef-'
ty's moil dear imperial confort, did malicioufly, traiter-
oufly, and devilifhly, by difcharge of his urine put out
the faid fire kindled in the faid apartment, lying and
being within the precinfts of the faid royal palace, a-
gainll the flatute in that cafe provided, ac. againlt the
duty, etc,
A R T I C L E ir,
ARTICLE III.
• A
lawyer thinks himfelf cosntry, but the dean here in-
he does the bed be can
tioiieft if culcates an higher notion of right
fer his client, and a ftatefman if and wrong, and obligations to a
\tt promotes the interefi of bis larger community.
E 4 ART I-
5^ AVOYAGE
ARTICLE IV.
That the faid ^inbus Fkjlrin, contrary to the duty
of a faithful fubjeft, is now preparing to make a
voyage to the court and empire of Blefufcu, for which
he hath received only verbal licence from his imperial
majefty and under colour of the faid licence doth falfly
;
There are fome other articles, but thefe are the moll
important, of which I have read you an abftraft.
In the feveral debates upon this impeachment it rauft
be confefled that his majefty gave many marks of his
great lenity, often urging the fervices you had done
him, and endeavouring to extenuate your crimes. The
treafurer and admiral infifted that you fiiould be put to
the moft painful and ignominious death by fetting fire
on your houfe at night, and the general was .to attend
with twenty thoufand men armed with poifoned arrows
to fhoot you on the face and hands. Some of your fer-
vants were to have private orders to ftrew a poifonous
Juice on your fhirts and ftieets, which would foon make
your tear your own flefh, and die in the utmoft torture.
The general came into the fame opinion fo that for ;
TOLILLIPUT. 57
known to the world, that perhaps the moft honourable
board might think him partial : however, in obedience
to the command he had received, he would freely oiFer
his fentiments. That if his majefty, in confideration
of your fervices, and purfuant to his own merciful dif-
pofition, would pleafe to fp£re your life, and only give
order to put out both your eyes, he humbly conceived,
that by this expedient juftice might in fome meafure be
fatisfied, and all the world would applaud the lenity of
the emperor, as well as the fair and generous proceed-
ings of thofe who have the honour to be his counfeliors.
That the iofs of your eyes would be no impediment to
your bodily ftrength, by which you might ftiil be ufeful
to his majefty that blindnefs is an addition to courage,
:
diflant
T O L I L L I P U T. 59
diftant parts to prevent infeftion, leaving the fkeleton
as amonument of admiration to pofterity.
Thus by the great friendfhip of the fecretary the
%vhole affair was compromifed. It was ftriflly enjoin-
CHAP,
6i A VO Y A G E
CHAP. VIII.
^he authfy hy a lucky accident, f,7ids means to leanje Bld-
fufcu ; and, after fame difficulties, returns Jafe to his
natiue country.
T O L I L L I P U T. 6^
quilting thirteen fold of their ftrongeft linen together.
J was at the pains of making ropes and cables by twitt-
thing all that day ; but upon the next, about three in
the afternoon, when 1 had by my computation made
twenty- four leagues from Blefufcu, 1 defcribed a fail fleer-
could, and in half an hour flie fpied me, then hung out
her antient, and difcharged a gun. It is not eafy to ex-
prtfs the joy I was in upon the unexpected hope of
once more feeing my beloved country, and the dear
pledges I left in it. The Ihip flackencd her fails, and I
came up with her between five and fix in the evening,
September 26 ; but my heart leapt within m.e to fee her
F.nglijh colours. I put my cows and fl7.eep into my coat-
pocket?, and got on board v/ith all my little cargo of
provifions. The vefiel was an Englijh merchant-man re-
turning- from Japan by the north and fouth feas ; the
captain Mr. '')okn Biddle of Deptford, a very civil man,
and an excellent failor. We were now in the latitude.
but lie thouglit 1 Vi'as lavIng, and tiiat the dangers I had
underwent
;
T O L I L L I P U T. t-j
A VOY-
J'\U-/c/-2. j^3i
1S[ O it T H
AME RIC ^^
^'sS.'^^ C.Blango
^^'^.'^n-sxx^ .Dri»^'
I
[%]
VOYAGE T O
BROBDINGNAG.
CHAP. I.
TO BROBDINGNAG. 71
the ftar-board tacks a-board, we cafe ofF our weather
braces and lifts ; ,we fet in the lee-braces, and hawled
forward by the weather-bowlings, and hawled them
tight, and belayed them, and hawled over the miflen-
tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near is
fhe would lie.
During this ftorm, which was followed by a ftrong
wind iveji-fouth-'vjcj], we were carried by my compu-
tation about five hundred leagues to the eaj}, fo that the
oldell failor on board could not tell in what part of the
v/orld we were. Our provifions held out well, our
fhip was ftaunch, and our crew all in good health ; but
we lay in the utmoR diftrefs for water. We thought it
bell to hold on the fame courfe, rather than turn more
northerly, which might have brought us to the norih-
<vjeft parts of great Tartary, and into
the frozen fea.
On the 16th day of 'June, 1703, a boy on the top-
maft difcovered land. On the 17th, we came in full
view of a great illand or continent (for we knew not
whether) on the fouth-fide whereof was a fmall neck
of land jutting out into the fea, and a creek too llial-
!ow to hold a fhip of above one hundred tons. We call
anchor within a league of this creek, and our captain
fent a dozen of his men well armed in the long-boat,
with veflels for water, if any could be found. 1 defi-
red his leave to go with them, that I might fee the coun-
try, and make what difcoveries I could. When we
came to land, we faw no river or fpring, nor any fign
of inhabitants. Our men therefore wandered on the
ftiore to find out fome frelh water near the fea, and I
walked alone about a mile on the other fide, where I
obferved the country all barren and rocky. I now be-
ready got into the boat, and rowing for life to the
Ihip. 1 was going to hollow after them, although it
I what
76 AVOYAGE
what was, and afterwards turned it fei-eral times with
it
took the purfc, and opening it, poured all the gold in^
to his palm. There were fix fpanijh pieces of four
piftoles each, befides twenty or thirty fmaller coins. I
faw him wet the tip of his little finger upon his tongue,
and take up one of my largeft pieces, and then ano-
ther, but he feemed to be wholly ignorant what they
were. He made me a fign to put them again into my
purfe, and the purfe again into my pocket, which, af-
ter offering it to him feveral times, 1 thought it befl
to do.
The farmer by this time was convinced I muft be a
rational creature. He fpoke often to me, but the
found of his voice pierced my ears like that of a wa-
ter-mill, yet his words werearticulate enough. I an-
I had a near fight of her, ihe fitting down the more con-
veniently to give fuck, and I ftanding on the table. This
made me refleft upon the fair fkins of our Englijh ladies,
who appear fo beautiful to us, only becaufe they are of
our own fize, and their defefts not to be feen but thro'
a magnifying-glafs, where v/e find by experiment, that
the fmoothelt an<f whiteft fkins look rough and coarfe,
and ill-coloured.,'
I remember, When I was at Lilliput, the complexions
of thofe diminutive people appeared to me the faireft in
the world ; and talking upon this fubjeft vv'ith a perfon
of learning there, vvho was an intimate friend of mine,
he faid that my face appeared much fairer and fmoother
when he looked on:jne from the ground, than it did up-
on a nearer view when I took him up in my hand and
brought him clofe, which he confefled was at firll a very
fhocking fight. 'He fud he could difcover great holes
in my flcin that the flumps of my beard were ten times
;
8o AVOYAGE
fair as moft of my fex and country, and very little futl-
CHAP. II.
fome time I had but little eafe every day of the week
{except IVcdnefday, which is their fabbath) although I
were not carried to the town.
My mafter, finding how profitable I wns like to be,
Tcfolved to carry me to the moft confidcrable cities of
the kingdom, llaving therefore provided himfelf with
all things neceffary for a long journey, and fettled his
affairs at home, he took leave of his wife, and, upon
the 1 7 th of Augujl 1 703, about two months after my ar-
rival, we fet out for the metropolis, fituated near the
middle
TtD BROBDINGNA'G. 87
midHle of that empire, and about three thoufand miles
diftance from our houfe my mafter made his daughter
:
CHAP. III.
The author fent for to court. 7he queen buys him of his
mafter the farmer, and prefents him to the king. Hg
dijputes ivith his majefys great fcholars. An apart-
me?it at court provided for the author. He is in high
fa'vour n.vith the queen. He Jlands up for the honour of
his OHJon country. His quarrels n.vith the q^ueens di-varf.
TH E
frequent labours T underwent every day,
made in
in my health
a few weeks a very confiderable change
the more my mafter got by me, the
:
office
.
TO BROBDINGNAG. 93
©ffice of tending me, becaufe he obferved we had a
great afFeftion for each other. A convenient apartment
was provided for her at court ; (he had a fort of gover-
nefs appointed to take care of her education, a maid
to drefs her, and tv/o other fervants for menial offices ;
but the care of me was wholly appropriated to herfelf.
The queen commanded her own cabinet-maker to con-
trive a box, that might ferve ma for a bed-chamber,
after the model that Glumdaklitch and I lliould agree
upon. This man was a mod: ingenious artift, and ac-
cording to my directions in three weeks finilhed for me
a wooden chamber of fixteen feet fquare, and twehe
high, with fifli-windows, a door, and two clofets, like
a London bed-chamber. The board, that made the
cieling, was to be lifted up and down by two hinges to
put in a bed ready furniflied by her majeJly's upholiter-
er, which Glntndalditch took out every day to air, made
it with her own hands, and, letting it down at night,
locked up the roof over me. A nice workman, who
was famous for little curiofities, undertook to make me
two chairs, with backs and frames, of a fubftance not
unlike ivory, and two tables, with a cabinet to put my
things in. The room was quilted on all fides, as well
as the floor and the cieling, to prevent any accident
from the careleifnefs of thofe v/ho carried me, and to
break the force of a jolt when I went in a coach. I
deiired a lock for my door to prev ent rats and mic«
from coming in the fmith, after fevcral attempts, made
:
the fmalleft that ever was feen among them, for I have
known a larger at the gate of a gentleman's houfe ia
England. 1 made a fhift to keep the key in a pocket
the fame at which her majeily eat, jufl at her left elbow,
and a chair to fit on. Glumdaldttch Hood on a itool on
the floor near my table to aflift and take care of me. I
had an entire fett of filver difhes and plates and other
neceffaries, which, in proportion to thofe of the queen,
were not much bigger than what I have feen in a Lon-
don toy-fliop, for the furniture of a baby-houfe thefe- :
has rendered familiar arc thofe crificed to fuHain his own, fliould
which arife from eating animal emjuire by what the account has
food :he who has ever turned been ballanced, and whether his
with abhorrence from the fkele- life is hecotne proportionably of
ton of a be.ift which has been irore value by the exercife of
picked whole by birds or vermin, viitue and piety, by the fuperior
niuit conftfs that habit only happinefs which he has commu-
coiiid have enabled him to en- nicated to reafonable beings, and
duie the fipht of the mangled by the glory which his intelktt
bones and flcfh of a dead carcafe has afcnbiid to God.
ivhich evei) day cover his table :
fame
TO BR O B D I N G N A G, %5
&me proportion. I remember, when Glumdaldltch car-
ried me out of curiofity to fee fome of the tables at
court, where ten or a dozen of thefe enormous knives
and forks were lifted up together, I thought I had ne-
ver then beheld fo terrible a fight.
till
was near a minute before any one knew what was be-
come of m.e; for I thought it below me to cry oat.
But, as princes fcldcm get their meat hot, my legs were
not fcalded, only my (lockings and breeches in a fad
condition. The dwarf, at my entreaty, had no other
punifhment than a found whipping.
I was frequently rallied by the queen upon account of
my fearfulncfs 5 and Ihe ufed to afk me, whether the
Vol. II. H people
98 A V O y A G E
people of my country were as great cowards as my-
felf? he occafion was this: the kingdom is much,
I
prefently
TO BROBDINGNAG. 99
prefently fliut my window. Thefe infeftswere as laro-e
as partridges ; I took out their Itings, found them an
inch and a half long, and as fharp as needles. I care-
fully preferved them all, and having fj.nce iliewn them
with fome other curiofities in feveral parts of Europe^
upon my return to Englandy I gave three of them to
Grejham College, and kept the fourth for myfelf.
CHAP. IV.
The country defcrihcd. A propofal for correSiing modtrii
maps. 'The king s palace, and Jomc account of the me-
tropolis. The author'' s njjay of travelling. The chief
temple dcfcribed.
TO B ROBDINGNA G. icj
and me, wherein her governefs frequently
GlumrfalclL'ch
took her out to fee the town, or go among the lliops
and I was always of the party, carried in my box al- ;
CHAP. V.
Severe/ ad^jgntures that happened to the author, ^he exe^
cation of a criminaL The author Jkenvs his Jkill in na-
^oigatioji.
/ tn. thiij
TO B R OBD I NGN A G. lo?
that I could not go abroad in ten days. Ndither Is this
at al] to be wondered at, becaufe nature in<that country
obferving the fame proportion through all her operations,
a hailftone is near eighteen hundred times as large as
one in Europe, which 1 can afiert upon experience, hav-
ing been fo curious to weigh and meafure them.
But a more dangerous accident happened to me in the
fame garden, when my little nurfe believing {he had put
me which I often entreated her to do,
in a fecure place,
that I might enjoy my own thoughts, and having left
my box at heme to avoid the trouble of carrying it,
went to another part of the garden with lier governefs,
and fome ladies of her acquaintance. While fhe was
abfent, and out of hearing, a fmall white fpaniel belong-
ing to one of the chief gardeners, having got by acci-
dent into the garden, happened to range near the place
where I lay the dog, following the fcent, csme di-
:
count of his dog but the thing was hufhed up, and
:
TO BROBDINGNAG. 107
linnet, as near as I can remember, feemed to be fome-
what larger than an England fwan.
The maids of honour often invited Glumdalditch to
their apartments, and defired fhe would bring me along
with her, on purpofe to have the pleafure of feeing and
touching me. They would often ftiip riie naked front
top to toe, and lay me at full length in their bofoms
wherewith I was much difgufted ; becaufe, to fay the
truth, a very ofxenfive fmell came from their fkins ;
which I do not mention, or intend, to the difadvantage
of thofe excellent ladies, for whom I have all manner
of refped ; but I conceive that my fenfe was more acute
in proportion to my littlenefs, and that thofe illuftrious
perfons were no more difagreeable to their lovers, or to
each other, than people of the fame quality are with
us in England. And, after all, I found their natural
fmell was much more fupportable, than when they ufed
perfumes, under which I immediately fwooned away.
I cannot forget, that an intimate friend of mine in Lit-
lipiit took the freedom in a warm doy, when I had ufed
TO BROBDINGNAG. iij
fiercely, and clapping my hand upon the hilt, as I fpoke
when he poked his paw into my chamber, perhaps I
(hould have given him fuch a wound, as would have
made him glad to withdraw it with more halle than he
put it in. This I delivered in a firm tone, like a per-
fon who was jealous left his courage (hould be called in
queflion. However, my fpeech produced iiOthing
ellc befides a loud laughter, which all the refpeft due to
his majefty from thofe about him could not make them
contain. This made me refleft, how vain an attempt it
is for a man to endeavour to do himfelf honour among
thofe, who are out of all degree of equality or compa-
rifonwith him. And yet i have feen the moral of my
own behaviour very frequent in England ^iwcc my return,
where a little contemptible varlet, without the leaft title
to birth, perfon, wit, or common fenfe, llmll prefume
to look with importance, and put himfelf upon a foot
with the greateft perfons of the kingdom.
I was every day furnifbing the court with fome ri-
diculous ftory ; and GlumdalcUtch, although fhe loved
me to excefs, yet was arch enough to inform the queen,
whenever I committed any folly that fbe thought would
be diverting to her majefty. The girl, who had been
out of order, was carried by her governefs to take the
air about an hour's diftance, or thirty miles from town.
They alighted out of the coach near a fmall foot-path in
a field, and, GlumdalcUtch fetting down my travelling-
box, I went out of it to walk. There was a cow-dung
in the path, and 1 muft needs try my aftivity by attempt-
ing to leap over it. I took a run, but unfortunately
jumped Ihort, and found myfelf juft in the middle up to
my knees. I v/aded through with fome difficulty, and
one of the footmen wiped me as clean as he could with
his handkerchief; for I was filthily bemired, and my
nurfe confined me to my box, till we returned home ;
where the queen was foon informed of what had paf-
fed, and the footmen fpread it about the court ; fo that
all the mirth for fome days was at my expence.
Vol. II. I C H A P.
114 A V O Y A G E
CHAP. VI. •
Several contri'vances of the author to pleafe the king and
queen. He Jhenxis his Jktll in mujtck. The king enquires
into the Jiate o/'England, ixhich the author relates to
him. 7he king's ob/ervations thereon.
was near fixty feet long, each key being almofl a foot
wide, fo that with my arms extended I could not reach
to above five keys, and to prefs them down required a
good fmart ftroak with my fill, which would be too
great a labour, and to no purpofe. 1 he method I
contrived was this I prepared two round flicks about
:
!20 A V O Y A G E
upon every pnrt of this head, propofing numberlefs en-
quiries and objedions, which I think not prudent or
convenient to repeat.
Upon what I faid, in relation to our courts of juflice,
his majefty defired to be fatisfied, in feveral points
and this I was the better able to do, having been for-
merly almoft ruined by a long fuit in chancery, which
was decreed for me with colts. He afked what time
was ufiially fpent in determining between right and
wrong, and what degree of expence. Whether advo-
cates and orators had liberty to plead in caufes mani-
feftiy known tobe unjull, vexatious, or oppreffive.
Whether party were obferved
in religion, or politicks,
to be of any weight in the fcale of juilice. Whether
thofe pleading orators v/ere perfons educated in the ge-
neral knowledge of equity, or only in provincial, na-
tional, and other local cuftoms. "V^^hether they or their
judges had any part in penning thofe laws, which they
affumed the liberty of interpreting or glofling upon at
their pleafure. Whether they had ever, at different times,
pleaded for and againil the f^.me caufe, and cited pre-
cedents to prove contrary opinions. Whether they
were a rich or a poor corporation. Whether they re-
ceived any pecuniary reward for pleading or delivering
their opinions. And particularly, whether they were
ever admitted as Members in the lower Senate,
He fell next upon the managerr.ent of our treafury,
and faid, he thought m^' memory had failed me, be-
caufe I computed our raxes at about five or fix millions
a year, and, when I came to mention the iffuCivhc found
tht;y fometimes amounted to more than dounle';for the
potes he had taken were very particular in this point,
becaufe he hoped, as he told me, that the knowledge of
our condud might be ufcful to him, and he could not
be deceived in his calculations: But, if v>hat I told
him were true, he v/as dill at a lofs how a kingdom
could run out of its eilate like a private perfon. He
aiked me who were our creditors ; and where we Ihould
f.ad money to pay them, He wondered to hear me
5 talk
TO BROBDINGNAG. izr
CHAP. vir.
12^ A V O Y A G E
many prejudices,and a certain narronune/s of thinkings
from which we and the politer countries of Europe are
v/h'^Uy exempted, And it would beliard indeed, if fo
remote a prirjce's notions of virtue and vice were to be
offered as a flar.dard for a!i mankiv.d.
To confirm wiiat I have now fa; d, and further to
fliew the miferable effefts of a confusd education, I fhall
iicre infert a paffige which wi'I hardly obtain belief.
In hope^ to ingratiate myfeif farther into his majefty's
favour, I told him of" an invention difcovered between
three and four hundred yean ,'^o to make a certain
|>owder, into an heap of whicli the fmalleft fpark of
l:re falling would kindle the whole in a moment, al-
though it were as bigas a mountain, and make it all
Sy up in the air together, with a noife and agitation
greater than thunder. That a proper quality of this
powder rammed into an hollow tube of brafs and iron,
itccording to its bignefs, would drive a ball of iron or
iead widi fuch violence and fpeed, as nothing was able
to fullain its force. 7'hat the largcft balls thus dif-
chargcd would not only deftroy whole ranks of an ar-
iDy at once, but batter ilie ftrongeft walls to the ground,
£uk down fliips with a thoufand men in each, to the
bottom of the fea ; and, when linked together by a
ch-lain, v/ould cut through malls and rigging, divide
iiundreds of bodies in the middle, and lay all watte be-
fore them. That we often put this powder into large
iio-llovv halls of iron, and difchargcd them by an engine
VoL.ir. K CHAP.
130 A VOYAGE
CHAP. viir.
5 a very
TO BROBDINGNAG. 131
a very convenient dofet of twelve feet wide. And I
had ordered a hammock to be fixed by filken ropes
from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts,
when a fervant carried me before him on horfeback, as
I fometimes defired, and would often fltep in my ham-
mock while we were upon 'the road. Cn the roof of
my clofet, not direftly over the middle of the ham-
mock, I ordered the joiner to cut out a hole of a foot
fquare, to give me air in hot weather, as I flept; which
hole I ihut at pleafure with a board, that drew back-
Wards and forwards through a groove.
When we came to our journey's end, the king thought
proper to pafs a few days at a palace he hath near Flan-
jUaJnic, a city within eighteen Englijh miles of the fea-
fide. Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued I had :
$ cornefs
TO BR OB DING NAG. 153
•orners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet
deep in water. 1 did then, and do now fuppofe, that
the eagle which flew away with my box was purfued by-
two or tliree others, and forced to let me drop while he
defended himfelf againll the reft, who hoped to fhare
in the prey. The plates of iron faftened at tlie bot-
tom of the box (for thofe were the ftrongell) preferved
the balance while it fell, and hindered it from being
broken on the furface of the water. Every joint of it
was well grooved ; and the door did not move on hin-
ges, but up and down like a fafli, which kept my clo-
iet fo tight that very little water came in. I got with
much difficulty out of my hammock, having firfl. ven-
tured to draw back the flip-board on the roof already
mentioned, contrived on purpofe to let in air, for want
of which I found myfelf almoft ftifled.
How often did I then wifli myfelf with my dear
Glumdaldiich, from whom one fingle hour had fo far
divided me ! And I may fay with truth, that in the
midit of my own misfortunes I could not forbear la-
menting my poor nurfe, the grief Ihe would fufFer for
my lofs, the difpleafure of the queen, and the ruin of
her fortune. Perhaps many travellers have not been
under greater difficulties and diilrefs than I was at this
juncture, expeding every moment to fee my box dafh-
ed to pieces, or at iealt overfet by the firft violent blaft
or rifing wave. A breach in one fingle pane of g'afs
would have been immediate death : nor could any
thing have preferved the windows but the ftrong lat-
tice-wires placed on the outfide againll accidents in
travelling. I faw the water ooze in at feveral crannies,
although the le^ks were not confiderable, and I endear
voured to flop them as well as I could. I was not able
to lift up the roof of my clofet, which otherwifc I cer-
tainly ihould have done, and fat on the top of it,
where I might at leall preferve myfelf fome hours
longer than by being Ihut up (as I may call it) in the
hold. Or, if] efcaped thefe dangers for a day or 'wo,
what could I expeft but a miferabk death of cold „i
K. 3 bun
134 A V O Y A G E
hunger ?was four hours under thefe circumftances,
I
expecting, and indeed wilhing every moment to be my
lalt.
I have already told the reader, that there were two
llrong ftaples fixed upon rhat fide of my box which had
no window, and into which the fervant who ufed to carry
me on horfeback would put a leathern belt, and buckle
it about his waift. Being in this difconfolate ftate, I
Jieard or at lead thought 1 heard fome kind of grating
noife on that fide of my box where the ftaples were
fixed, and foon after I began to fancy, that the box
was pulled or towed along in the fea for I now and
;
K 4, neft
136 A V O YA G E
neft worthy Shroppire man, obferving I was ready to
faint, took me into his cabbin, gave me a cordial to.
comfort me, and made me turn in upon his own bed, ad-
vifing me to take a little reft, of which I had great need.
Before I went to fleep, I gave him to underitand that I
had forae valuable furniture in my box too good to be
loft; a line hammock, an handfome field -bed, two
chairs, a table, and a cabinet. That my clofet was
hung on all fides, or rather quilted, with filk and cot-
ton that if he would let one of the crew bring my
:
TO BROBDINGNAG. 137
«oon, ashe was looking through his glafs, he fpied it
at a diftance, and thought it was a fail, which he had a
mind to make, being not much out of his courfe, in
hopes of buying fome biflcet, his own beginning to fall
fhort. That upon coming nearer, and finding his er-
ror, he fent out his long-boat to difcover what I was ;
that his men came back in a fright, fwearing they had
feen a fwimming houfe. That he laughed at their fol-
ly, and went himfelf in the boat, ordering his men to
take a ftrong cable along with them. That the weather
being calm he rowed round me fevcral times, obferved
my windows, and the wire-lattices that defended them.
That he difcovercd two ftaples upon one fide, which
was all of boards without any paflage for light. He then
commanded his men to row up to that fide, and, faften-
ing a cable to one of the Itaples, ordered them to tow
my chell (as they called it) towards the fhip. When it
was there, he gave diredions to fallen another cable to
the ring fixed in the cover, and to raife up my cheft
with pullies, which all the failors were not able to do
above two or three feet. He faid, they faw my flick and
handkerchief thruft out of the hole, and concluded that
fome unhappy man mufl: be ftut up in the cavity. I
afked, whether he or the crew had feen any prodigious
birds in the air about the time he iirfl: difcovered me ?
to which he anfwered, that, difcouriing this matter with
the failors while I was aflecp, one of them faid, he had
ohjerved three eagles flying towards the north, but re-
marked nothing of their being larger than the ufual
lize, which I fuppofe muft be imputed to the great
heighth they were at ; and he could not guefs the rea-
fon of my queftion. I then alked the captain, how far
the queen's hair ; a gold ring which one day flie made
me a prefrnt of in a moll obliging manner, taking it
from her little finger, and throwing it over my head
like
TO BROBDINGNAG. 139
like a collar, the captain would pleafe to ac-
I defired
cept this ring in return of his civilities ; which he ab-
folutely refufed. I {hewed him a corn that I had cut off
with my own hand from a maid of honour's toe ; it was
about the bignefs of a Kentijh pippin, and grown fa
hard, that, when I returned to England, I got it hol-
lowed into a cup, and fet in filver. Laftly, I defued
him to fee the breeches I had then on, which were
made of a nioufe's flcin.
I could force nothing on him but a footman's tooth,
which I obferved him to examine with great curiofity,
and found he had a fancy for it. He received it with
abundance of thanks, more than fuch a trifle could de-
ferve. It was drawn by an unflcilful furgeon in a mif-
take from one of Glumdalditchh men, who was affiided
with the tooth-ach, but it was as found as any in his
head. I got it cleaned, and put it into my cabinet. It
ierveci another thing, that when I firft get into the fliip,
and the fallors ftoad all about we, 1 thought they were .
A VOY-
-A'^3 /^2.
Parts TJnkno-wTL
ofC
IX'rac
Timiii
;
[ 143 1
VOYAGE T O
CHAP. I.
^ prevailed
T O L A P UT A, ea*?. i0
prevailed over my wearinefs, and kept me awake. I
confidered how impoffible it was to preferve my life in
fo defolate a place, and how miferable my end mull be.
Yet found myfclf fo liltlefs and defponding, that I had
not the heart to rife ; and before I could get fpirits
enough to creep out of my cave, the day was far advan-
ced, I walked a while among the rocks, the fky was per-
fedly clear, and the fun fo hot, that I was forced to
turn my face from it : when all on a fudden it became
obfcure, as I thought, in a manner very different from
what happens by the interpofition of a cloud. I turned
back, and perceived a vaft opake body between me and
the fun, moving forwards towards the ifland it feemed
:
to be about two miles high, and hid the fun fix or feven
minutes, but I did not obferve the air to be much cold-
er, or the Iky more darkened, than if I had flood un-
der the fliade of a mountain. As it approached nearer
over the place where I was, it appeared to be a firm
fubftance, the bottom flat, fmooth, and fliining very
bright from the refleftion of the fea below. I flood up-
on a heighth about two hundred yards from the fliore*
and faw this vafl body defcending almoft to a parallel
with me at lefs than an EngliJ^ mile diftance. I took
out my pocket-perfpeftive, and could plainly difcover
numbers of people moving up and down the fides of it,
which appeared to be floping ; but, what thofe people
were doing, I was not able to dillinguifti.
The natural love of life gave me fome inward mo-
CHAP. II.
L 3
<^^
i;9 A VOY A G E
of others, without being roufed by fome external tac-
tion upon the organs of fpeech and hearing ; for which
reafon thofe perfons, who are able to afford it, always
keep zf.apper (the original is climenole) in their family,
as one of their domefticks, nor ever walk abroad or
make vifits without him. And the bufinefs of this of-
ficeris, when two, three, or more perfons are in com-
CHAP,
1^8 A V O y A G E
CHAP. III.
Xapufa
5lal3oTiada
T O L A P UT A, ^f. iSt
earth, a£l with equal force, the one in drawing down-
wards, the other in pufhing upwards, and conrequently
no motion can enfne.
This load-ftone is under the care of certain aflrono-
mers, who from time to time give it fuch pofitions as
the monarch direcls.' They fpend the greateft part of
their lives in obfcrving the cekllial bodies, which they
do by good-
the affillance of glafTes far excelling ours in
nefs. For, although their largeft telefcopes do not
exceed three feet, they magnify much more then thofe
of an hundred with us, and ihew the flaro with greater
clearnefs. This advantage hath enabled them to ex-
tend their difcoveries much farther than our aftronomers
in Europe ; for they have made a catalogue often thou-
fand fixed ftars, whereas the largeft of ours do not con-
tain above one third part of that number. They have
likewife difcovered two leffer liars, or fatel/ites, which
revolve about Mars, whereof the innermoll is diftant
from the center of the primary planet exadlly three of
his diameters, and the outermoft iive ; the former re-
volves in the fpace often hours, and the latter in twen-
ty-one and an half; fo that the fquares of their perio-
dical times are very near in the fame proportion with
the cubes of their diftance from the center of Mars,
which evidently (hews them to be governed by the
fame law of gravitation, that influences the other hea-
venly bodies.
They have obferved ninety-throe different comets,
and with great exaclnefs.
fettled their periods If this
be true (and they affirm it with great confidence) it is
much to be wiflied, that their obfervations were made
publick, whereby the theory of comets, which^t .prefent
is very lame and defective, might be brought to the
CHAP. IV,
t64 A V O Y A G E
weic the only people, from whom I could ever recelv
a rcafonable anfwer.
1 had obtained by hard ftudy a good degree of know-
town gates, and went about three miles into the coun-
try, where I faw many labourers working with feveral
forts of tools in the ground, but was not able to con-
jed:ure what they were about ; neither did I cbferve any
expeftation either of corn or grafs, although the foil
appeared to be excellent. 1 could not forbear admi-
ring at thefe odd appearances both in town and coun-
try ; and I made bold to defire my conduftor, that he
would be pleafed to explain to me, what could be meant
by (0 many bufy heads, hands, and faces both in the
ilreets and the fields, becaufe I did not diicover any
good effefts they pioduced ; but, on the contrary, I
never knew a foil \o unhappily cultivated, houfes fo ill
contrived and fo ruinous, or a people whofe countenan-
ces and habit exprefled fo much mifery and want.
'I his lord Miiuodi was a perfon of the firll rank, and
CHAP. V.
The av.thor permitted to fee the grand academy cfhzgzdG,
The academy largely dcfcribed. The arts <ix:herein the
profejfors employ themfelves*.
_^-3^2-
TO LA P UT A, ^f. 175
computation of the general proportion there is in books
between the numbers of particles, nouns, and verbs,
and other parts of fpeech.
I made my humbleft acknowledgment to this illuf.
trious perfon for his great communicativenefs ; and pro-
mifed, if ever I had the good fortune to return to my
native country, that I would do him jufiice, as the fole
inventor of this wonderful machine ; the form and con-
trivance of which I defired leave to delineate upon pa-
per, as in the figure here annexed. 1 told him, al-
CHAP. VI.
j^ further account of the academy. The author propofes
fome improvements, avhich are honourably recei'ved.
my judgment
en-
178 A V O Y A G E
more evident, than that the health of both muft be
preferved and the difeaies cured by the fame prefcrip--
tions ? It is allowed, that fenates and great councils are
their own
brealt. The higheft tax was upon men, who
are the greateft favourites of the other fex, and the af-
felTments according to the number and natures of the
favours they have received for which they are allowed
:
pleat. This
ventured to tell the author, and offered
I
i82 A V O Y A G E
feftual care taken to fecure all their letters and pa-
is
CHAP.
TO L A P U T A, eftf. i§^
CHAP. VII.
T O L A P U T A, Sifr. 1S7
intrepidityand firmnefs of mind, the truefc love of his
country, and general benevolence for mankind, in every
lineament of his countenance. I obferved with much
pleafure, that thefe two perfons were in good intelli-
gence with each other ; and C^far freely confefled to
me, that the greateft adtions of his own life were not
equal by many degrees to the glory of taking it away.
I had the honour to have much converfation with Bru-
tus; and was told, that his anceftor Junius, Socratesy
EpatnivcrJas, Cato the younger *, Sir Thotnas More,
and himfelf were perpetually together a fextumnji- :
CHAP. \'iir.
igo A V O Y A G E
diftinguifhed up, to their criginals. I could plainly
T O L A P U T A, Jfff. 191
O CHAP.
194 A V O Y A G E
CHAP. IX.
TO LA P UT A, effr.
19J
tions were for Japan, and knew
the Dutch were the
I
only Europeans permitted to enter into that kingdom. I
therefore told the officer, that having been fhipwrecked
On the coaft of Balnibarbi, and c;i:t on a rock, I was
received up into Laputa, or the flying ifland (of which.
he had often heard) and was now endeavouring to gee
to Japan, from wlience I might find a convenience of
l-eturning to my own country. The officer laid, Imuft
be confined till he could receive orders from court, for
which he would write immediately, and hoped to re-
ceive an anfwer in a fortnight. I was carried to a con-
venient lodging with a centry placed at the door;
however, I had the liberty of a large garden, and was
treated with humanity enough, being maintained all the
time at the king's charge. I was invited by feveral
pcrfons, chiefly out of curiofity, becauie it was reported
that I came from countries very remote, of which they
had never heard.
I hired a young man, who came in the fame fhip,
to be an interpreter ; he was a native of Lugonagg, but
had lived fome years at Maldonada, and was a perfeft
matter of both languages. Qy his afliftance I was able
to hold a converfation with thofe, who came to vifit
me ; but this confifted only of their queftions and m/
anfwers.
The came from court about the time we ex-
difpatch
pected. contained a warrant for condufting me and
It
my retinue to Tra!dragciubh, or Triidrogdrib, for it is
pronounced both ways, as near as I can remember, by
a party of ten horfe. All my retinue was that poor lad
for an interpreter, whom I perfuaded into my fervice,
and at my humble requeft we had each of us a mule to
ride on. A meflenger was difpatched half a day's jour-
ney before us to give the king notice of my approach,
and to defire that his majefty would pleafe to appoint a
day and hour, when it would be his gracious pieafure,
that might have the honour to lick the duft before hit
I
live the fun ele-ven moons and a half. To this the king
returned" fome anfwer, which although I could not un-
derlland, yet I replied as I had been direfted Flute drin
:
CHAP. X,
^he Lugnuggians commended. A particular defcrlption
of the Struldbrugs, luith many connjerfations between
the author and fame eminent perfons upon that fubjeSi.
TH ^
E Luggnuggians are a polite and generous peo-
ple; and although they arc not without fome
O3 fhare
:
198 A V O Y A G E
ftiare of that pride, which is peculiar to all eaprn,
countries, yet they fhew themfelves courteous to ftran-
gers, efpecially fuch who are countenanced by the
court. 1 had many acquaintance amonjr perfons of the
beft fa{hion,and being always attended by my interpre-
ter, the converfation we had was not difagreeable.
One day, in much good company, I was afked by a
perfon of quality, whether I had feen any of their
jiruldbrugs or immortals. 1 faid, I had not and defired
;
T L A P U T ^, eff^. 2Ct
hey are held incapable of any employment of fruft or
profit ; they cannot purchafe lands, or take leaft s ; nei-
ther are they allowed to be witnefles in any caufe, either
civil or criminal, not even for the decifion of raecrs
and bounds.
At ninety they lofc their teeth and hair; they have
at that age no dilHncftion of talte, but eat and drink
whatever they can get without relifh or appetite. The
difeafes they were fubjeft to ftill continue, without en-
creafing or diminifhing In talking they ft^rget tlie
common appellation of things, and the names of per-
fons, even of thofe who are their neareft friends and re-
lations. For the fame reafon they never can amufe tbeni-
felveswith reading, becaufe their memory will notferve
to carry them from the beginning of a fentence to the
end ; and by this defeft they are deprived of the only
entertainment, whereof they might otherwife be ca-
pable.
The language of this country being always upon the
flux, th.tjiruldbrugs of or^e age do not underftand thofe
of another} neither are they able after two hundred
years to hold any converfation (farther than by a few
general words) with their neighbours, the nwrtals ; and
thus they lie under the difadvantage of living like fo-
reigners in their own country.
This was the account given me of t\\e Jlruldhrngs, as
near as I can remember. I afterwards faw five or fix
of different ages, the youngeft not above two hundred
years old, who were brought to me at feveral time^ by
fome of my friends; but although they were told, that
I was a great traveller, and had feen all tlie world,
they had not the leaft curiofity to aflc me a queftion ;
only defired I would give ^i\Qm fM?r.fiudafi, or a tokea
of remembrance ; which is a modeft way of begging,
to avoid the law, that flridly forbids it, becaufe they
are provided for by the publick, although indeed with a
very fcanty allowance.
They are defpifed and hated by all forts of people
when gne of them h born, it is reckoned ominous,
and
so6 A V O Y A G E
and their birth is recorded very particularly
; fo tliat
you may know their age by confulting the regifter ;
which however hath not been kept above a thoufand
years paft, or at leaJl hath been deftroyed by time or
publick difturbances. But the ufual way of computing
how old they are, is, by afking them what kings or
great pcrfons they can remember, and then confuking
hiftory ; for infallibly the lall prince in their mind did
not begin his reign after they were fourfcore year; old.
They were the moil rnortif.ing fight I ever beheld ;
and the women more horrible than men. Beiides the
ufual deformities in extreme old age, they acquired an
additional ghaftlinefs in proportion to their number of
years, which not to be defcribed ; and among half a
is
Other*
T O L A P U T A, yr.
'
267
Otherwife as avarice is the necefiary confequent of old
age, thofe immortals would in time become proprietors
of the whole nation, and engrofs the civil power;
which, for want of abilities to jnanage, muU end in the
ruin of the publick.
CHAP. XI.
* The word necejfary is here lers who defcribe the fame coun-
afed in the fame ro3Hner,as when try very often necefarily agree in
by the idiom of our language it dwelling on the fame particulars,
means convenient, though it is to and therefore do net deferi^e the
be underftood in its propet and cenfurs of having borrowedj^f."
original fignifisalion, ** Travsi*
give
toS A V O Y A G E
give me and honoured me with i
his licence to depart,
letter of recommendation under his own hand to the!
emperor of Japan. He likewife prefented me with
four hundred forty-four large pieces of gold (this nation
delighting in even numbers) and a red diamond, which
I fold in England for eleven hundred pounds.
On the 6th day of May, 1709, I took a folemn
leave of his majefty and all my friends. This prince was
fo gracious, as to order a guard to conduft me to Glan^^
gnenjiald, which is a royal port to xke fouih-nx-eji part of
the ifland. In fix days I found a veffel ready to carry
me to Japan, and fpent fifteen days in the voyage. We
landed at a fmall port-town called Xamofchi, fiiuated on
iht/outh-eaji part of Japan ; the town lies on the nvef-
tern point, where there is a narrow ftreight leading norths
ivard into a long arm of the fea, upon the north-iveji
part of which Tedo the metropolis ftands. At landing
I (hewed the cuftom-houfe officers my letter from the
king oi Luggnagg to his imperial majefty. They knew
the feal perfeftty well ; it was as broad as the palm of
A
my hand. The impreffion was ki7ig lifting up a lame
beggar from the earth. The magilirates of the town,
hearing of my letter, received me as a publick minifter ;
they provided me with carriages and fervants and bore
my charges to Tedo, where I was admitted to an audi-
ence, and delivered my letter, which was opened with
great ceremony, and explained to the emperor by an
interpreter, who then gave me notice by his majelly's
order, that I (hould fignify my requeft, and whatever it,
were, it fhould be granted for the fake of his royal bro-
ther of Liiggnagg. This interpreter was a perfon em-
ployed to tranlafl affairs with the hoHanders ; he foon
conjectured by my countenance, that I was an european,
and therefore repeated his majefty's command in lozu-
diitch, which he (poke perfeftly well. I anfwered (as I
had before determined) that I was a dutch mcrchane
fhipwrecked in a very remote country, from whence I
had travelled by fea and land to Luggnagg, and theri
took Ihipping for Japatiy where I knew my countrymen
often
;
TO L A P IT T A, 'dc. 209
often traded, and with fome of thefe I hoped to get an
opportunity of returning into Europe: I therefore mod
humbly entreated his royal favour to give order, that I
(hould be condufted in lafety to Nangafac : to this ad-
I
VoL.JI. P be
210 A V O Y A G E, 6ff.
A voy-
/ /r/r J££=
'Swyis Laud
UdefsLarui StPiefer
LewinsXand
KotJYl^HNMS
li^:N^D
ifcoverd
&
[ 211 ]
H O U Y H N H N M S.
CHAP. I.
3
peeing
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 215
pelting nothing lefs than to be murdered, as they often
threatened me.
Upon the 9th day of May 171 1 one James Welch
eame down to my cabbin, and faid he had orders from
the captain to fet me a-fhore. I expoftulated with him,
but in vain ; neither would he fo much as tell me, who
their new captain was. They forced me into the long-
boat, letting me put on my beft fuit of cloaths, which
were good as new, and take a fmall bundle of lin-
as
nen, but no arm?, except my hanger ; and they were
fo civil as not to fearch my pockets, into which 1 con-
veyed what money I had with fome other little necef-
faries. I'hey rowed about a league ; and then fet me
down on a Itrand. I deftred them to tell me, what
country it was. They all fwore, they knew no more
than myfelf, but faid, that the captain (as they called
him) was refo'.ved, after they had fold the lading, to
get rid of me in the firft place, where they could difco-
ver land. They pufljed off immediately, advifing me
to make haile for fear of being overtaken by the tide,
and fo bad me farewel.
In this defolate condition I advanced forward, and
foon got upon firm ground, where I fat down on a bank
to reft myfelf and confider what I had bcfl: do. When
I was a little refrefhed, Iv/ent up into the countiy, re-
folving to deliver myfelf to the firft favages I fhould
meet, and purchafe my life from them by fome brace-
lets, glafs rings, and other toys, which jailors ufuallv
provide themfelves with in thofe voyages, and whereof
I had fome about me. The land was divided by long
rows of trees not regularly planted, but naturally
growing ; there was great plenty of grafs, and feve-
ral fields of oats. I walked very circumfpedlly for fear
of being furprifed, or fuddenly fhot with an arrow
from behind, or on either fide. I fell into a beaten
road, where I faw many tracks of human feet, and fome
of cows, but moft of horfes. At laft I beheld feveral
animals in a field, and one or two of the fame kind
fitting in trees. Their fhape was very fmgular and
P 3 deformed.
214 A V O Y A G E
deformed, v.hich a little difcompofed me, fo that I lay
down behind a thicket to obierve them better. Some of
,them coming forward near the place where I lay, gave
me an opportunity of diftinclly marking their lorm.
Their heads and breads were covered with a thick hair,
fome frizzled, and others lank ; they had beards like '
goats, and a long ridge of hair down their backs and the
fore-paris of their legs and feet; but the reft of their
bodies were bare, fo that 1 might fee their Ikins, which
were of a brown buff colour. They had no tails, nor
any hair at all on their buttocks, except about the
anus which, I prefume, nature had placed there to
;
Jianger, and gave him a good blow with the flat fide of
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 215
It, with the edge, fearing the in-
for I durft not ftrike
habitants might be provoked againft me, if they fhould
come to know, that I had killed or maimed any of
their cattle. When the beaft felt the fmart, he drew
back, and roared fo loud, that a herd of at leaft forty
came flocking about me from the next field, howhng
and making odious faces ; but I ran to the body of a
tree, and leaning my back againft it kept them off by
waving my hanger. Several of this curfed brood get-
ting hold of the branches behind, leapt up into the tree
from whence they began to difcharge their excrements
on my head : however, T efcaped pretty well by ilick-
ing clofe to the ftem of the tree, but was almolt ftifled
with the filth, which fell about me on every fide.
In the midft of this diftrcfs, I obferved them all to
run away on a fudden as faft as they could, at which I
ventured to leave tlie tree, and purfue the road, won-
dering what it was that could put them into this fright.
But looking on my left hand 1 faw a horfe walking ioft-
ly in the field which my perfecutors having fooner dif-
;
2i6 A V O YA G E
came up ; whoapplying himfelf to the firft in a very
formal manner, they gently i'ruck each other's right
hoof before, neighing; feveral times by turns, and va-
ryi:"!g the found, which feemed to be almoil articulate.
They went fome paces oft, as if it were to confer to-
gether, walking fide by fide, backvvard and forward,
like perfons deliberating upon fome affair of weight,
but often turning their eyes towards me, as it were to
watch that I might not efcape. I was amazed to fee
'
CHAP. ir.
220 A V O YA G E
refleclions ; for the grey horfe came to the door, and
made me a him into the third room ;
fign to foUov/
where I faw a very comely mare, together with a colt
and fole, fitting on their haunches upon matts of flraw
not nnartfully made and perfeclly neat and clear;.
The mare foon after my entrance rofe from her matt,
and coming up clofe, after having nicely obferved my
liands and face, gave me a moft contemptuous look
then taming to the horfe, 1 heard the v^oxA yahoo often
repeated betv/ixt them ; the meaning of which word I
could not then comprehend, although it were the firit
I had learned to pronounce ; but I was foon better in-
formed to my everlafting niortification for the horfe
:
224 A V O YA G S
and now and then for a rarity I made a little butter,
and drank the whey. I was firil: at a g;reat lois for
fait ; but cullom foon reconciled me to the want of it
and I am confident, that the frequent ufe of fait among
us is an efFed of luxury, and was £rll introduced only
as a prov'ocative to drink; except where it is necciTary
for preferving of flefh in long voyages, or in places re-
mote from great markets. For we obferve no animal to
be fond of it but man
and as to myfelf, when I left
:
CHAP. III.
228 A V O Y A G E
cold; of which, as to my own perfon, I would give
him immediate conviftion, If he pleafed to command
me only defiring his excufe, if I did not ex'pofe thofe
;
23» A V O Y A G E
word and honour that he would not be offended, and
then I would tell him the wonders I had (o often pro-
mifed. He agreed ; and I went on by afluring him,
that the fhip was made by creatures like myfelf, who in
all the countries I had travelled, as well as in my own,
were the only governing, rational animals ; and that
upon my arrival hither I was as much aftonifhed to fee
the Houyhnhnvis atl like rational beings, as he or his
friends could be in finding feme marks of reafcn in a
creature he was pleafed to call a yahoo ; to which I
owned my refemblance in e-very part, but could not ac-
count for their degenerate and brutal nature. I faid
farther, that if good fortune ever reftored me to my na-
tive country to relate my travels hither, as I refolved to
do, every body would believe, that I faid the thing
nvhich ixiai not ; that I invented the llory out of my
own head ; and (with all pofTible refpeft to himfelf, his
family, and friends, and under his promife of not being
offended) our countrymen would hardly think it pro-
bable, that a Houyhnhnm fhould be the prefiding creature
of a nation, and & yahoo the brute.
CHAP. IV.
MY mafter heard
eafinefs in his
me with great appearances of un-
countenance ; becaufe doubting, or
known in this country, that
not btlie-tjing, are fo little
the inhabitants cannot tell how to behave themfelves
under fuch circumflances. And I remember, in free-
quent difcourfes with my mailer concerning the nature
of manhood in other parts of the world, having occa-
and falfe reprcfentaiion, it was with,
fion to talk of lying,
much he comprehended what I meant
difficulty that
although he had otherwife a moil acute judgment. For
he
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 231
he argued thus that the ufe of fpeech was to make us
:
much m.ore foft and tender, and the flcins of the latter
generally as v/hitc as milk. He faid, I differed indeed
from other yahoos, being much more cleanly, and not
altogether fo deform.ed ; but in point of real advantage
he thought 1 differed for the worfe. That my nails
were of no ufe either to my fore or hinder- feet; as to
my fore-feet, he could not properly call them by that
name, for he never obferved me to walk upon them ;
that they were too foft to bear the ground ; that I ge-
nerally went with them uncovered, neither was the co-
vering I fometimes wore on them of the fame fhape, or
fo llrong as that on my feet behind. That I could not
walk with any fecurity, for if either of my hinder-
feet flipped, I mull inevitably fall. He then began to
find fault v.'ith other parts of my body ; the flatnefs of
my face, the prominence of my nofe, mine eyes,
placed diredlly in front, fo that 1 could not look on
either fide without turning my head that I was not
:
CHAP. V.
Thu author, at his tnajiers cormnands, ijifcrms him of the
Jlate ©/"England. Thi: caufes of <vmr among the princes
£/" Europe. 'I he author begins to explain //!7f Engliflt
CQvfitution.
t»
338 A V O Y A G E
to death, and makes flaves of the reft, in order to ci-
vilize and reduce them from their barbarous way of li-
ving. It is a very kingly, honourable, and frequent prac-
tice, when one prince defires the afliftance of another to
fecure him againlt an invafion, that the aflillant, when
he hath driven out the invader, fliould feize on the do-
minions himfelf, and kill, imprifon, or banilli the
prince he came to relieve. Alliance by blood, or mar-
riage, is a frequent caufe of war between princes ; and
tlienearer the kindred is, the greater is their difpofition
to quarrel : poor nations are hungry, and rich nations are
proud ; and pride and hunger will ever be at variance.
For thefe reafons, the trade oi a/Uier is held the noil
honourable of all others : becaufe a foldier is a yahooy
hired to kill in cold blood as many of our ov^n fpecies,
who have never offended him, as poflibly he can.
There is likewife a kind of beggarly princes in Eurcpty
not able to make war by them felves, who hire out their
troops to richer nations, for fo much a day to each
man ; of which they keep three-fourths to themfelves,
and it is the bell part ot their maintenance ; fuch are
thofe in many tiorthem parts ol Europe.
What you have told me (faid my mafter) upon the
fubjeil ot war, does indeed difcover moft admirably the
effedls of that reafon you pretend to : however it is
happy that xht Jhatfie is greater than the danger ; and
you utterly incapable of doing much
that nature has left
mifchief. For, your mouths lying flat with your faces,
you can hardly bite each other to any purpole, unlefs by
confcnt. Then as to the claws upon your feet before
and behind, they are fo fhort and tender, that one of
our yahoos would drive a dozen of yours before hirn.
And therefore in recounting the numbers of thofe who
have been killed in battle, 1 cannot but think you have
Jaid the thi?ig njohich is not.
I could not forbear Ihaking my head, and fmiling a
him
J40 A V O Y A G E
him a diflurbance in his mind, to which he was wholly
a ftranger before. He thought his ears, being ufed'to
fuch abominable words, might by degrees admit them
with lefs deteftation. 7"hat although lie liated the
yahoos of this country, yet he no more blamed them
for their odious qualities, than he did a.g7mn\h fa bird of
prey) for its cruelty, or a fharp llonc for cutting his
hoof. But v>'hen a creature, pretending to reafon, could
be capable of fuch enormities, he dreaded, left the cor-
ruption of that faculty might be worfe than brutality it-
felf. He feemeth therefore confident, that inilead of
reafon we were cnly pofielTcd of fome quality fitted to
encreafe our natural vices ; as the refleiftion from a trou-
bled ftream returns the image of an ill-fhapen body not
only larger but more dijlorted.
He added, that he had heard too much upon the
flibjeft of war both in this, snd fome former difcourfes.
There was another point;, which a little perplexed him
at prefent. I had informed him, that fome of our crew-
left their country on account of being ruined by la^'<\
that I had already explained ti\e meaning of the word ;
but he was at a lofs, how it Jhould come to pafs, that
ihe/rtiu, which was intended for every ma;;'s preferva-
tion, fhould be any man'? ruin. Therefore he defired
to be farther fatisficd what I meant by lav.', and die
dijpenfers thereof, according to the prefent practice in
my own country becaufe he thoughr nature and reafon
:
the favour of the bei ch. Now your honour ibto know,
that thefe judges are perfons appointed to decide all
controverfies of property, as well as for the trial of
criminals, and picked out from the moft dexterous
lawyers who are grown old or lazy ; and having been
byaffed all their lives againil truth and equity, lie under
fuch a fataJ neceffity of favouring fraud, perjury, and
oppreffion, that I have known fome of them refufe a
large bribe from the fide where juftice lay, rather than
injure the faculty by doing any thing unbecoming their
nature or their office.
It is a maxim among thefe lawyers, that whatever
hath been done before, may legally be done again : and
242 « A V O Y A G E
therefore they take fpecial care to record all the decifi-
ons formerly made againft common jullice, and the ge-
neral reafon of mankmd. Thefe, under the name of
frecedents, theyproduce as authorities to juftify the moft
iniquitous opinions, and the judges never fail of di-
recling accordingly.
In pleading they ftudioufly avoid entering into the
merits of the caule ; but are loud, violent, aud tedi-
ous, in dv/elling upon all circiimjlances which are not
to the purpofe. For inllance, in the cafe already men-
tioned they never defire to know what claim or title
:
CHAP. VI.
let him know, what thefe colHy meats were, and how
anv of us happened to want them. V\ hereupon I
enumerated as many forts as came into my head, with
the various methods of dreCing them, which could not
be done without fending velTels by fea to every part of
the world, as well for liquors to drink, as for fauces,
and innumerable other cnnveniencies. I allured him
that this whole globe of earth muft be at leaf: three
times gone round, before one of our better female j«-
bcos could get her breakfall: or a cup to put it in. He
faid that mufr needs be a miferable country, vv'hich can-
not furnifh food for its own inhabitants. But v/hat he
chiefly wondered at was, how fuch vafts tracls of
ground, as defcribed, fhould be v/hoUy without frejh
I
R 2 female
246 A V O Y A G E
female yahoos acquired a certain malady, which bred
rottennefs in the bones of thofe who fell into their em-
braces ; that this and many other difeafes were propa-
gated from father to fon ; fo that great numbers come
into the world with complicated maladies upon them :
that it would be endlefs to give him a catalogue of all
difeafes incident to human bodies ; for they could not
be fewer than five or fix hundred fpread over every
limb and joint ; in fhort, every part, external and in-
teliine, having difeafes appropriated to itfelf. To re-
medy which there was a fort of people bred up among
us in the profeffion, or pretence, of curing the fick.
And becaufe I had fome fldll in the faculty, I would in
gratitude to his honour let him know the whole myf-
tery and method, by which they proceed.
Their fundamental is, that all difeafes arife from re^
fletion; from whence they conclude, that a great eva-
aiatiai of the body is necelfary either through the na-
tural paffage, or upwards at the mouth. Their next
bufinefs is from herbs, minerals, gums, oyls, fhells,
falts, juices, fea-weed, excrements, barks of trees,
ferpents, toads, frogs, fpiders, dead mens flefh and
bones, birds, beafts, and fifhes to form a compofition
for fmell and tafte the moil abominable, naufeous, and
deteflable, they can poffibly contrive, which the flo-
mach immediately rejefts with loathing ; and this they
call a 'vomit : or elfe from the fame liore-houfe, with
fome other poyfonous additions, they command us to
take in at the orifice above or belo^iv (jull as the phyfi-
cian then happens to be difpofed) a medicine equally
annoying and difgullful to the bowels ; which relaxing
the belly, drives down all before it and this they call
;
CHAP. Wl.
The authors great Icve to his nati've country. His majler's
ehfer-uations upon the conjlitution and
adminijlration of
England, as defer ibsd by the author^ ^th
parallel
cafesand comparif,ns. His maJler^s obfcr-uations upon
hnman nature,
ther : and
was peculiar in their temper, that they
it
I ciFeft?,
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 255
cffefts, that wine hath upon us. It would make them
fometimes hug, and fometimes tear one another ; they
would howl and grin, and chatter, and reel, and tum-
ble, and then fall afleep in the mud.
I did indeed obferve, that the yahtioi were the only
animals in this country fubjedl to any difeafes ; which
however were much fewer than horfes have among us,
and contracted not by any ill treatment they meet
with, but by the naftinefs and greedinefs of that for-
did brute. Neither has their language any more than,
a general appellation for thofe maladies, which is bor-
rowed from the name of the beaft, and called hnea-yahoo
or the yahoo s euil, and the cure prefcribed is a mixture
of their o-xvn dung and urine, forcibly put down the
jahooh throat. This I have fince often known to have
been taken with fuccefs, and do here freely recommend
it to my countrymen, for the publick good, as an admi-
rable fpecifick againll all difeafes produced by repletion.
As to learning, government, arts, mauufaftures,
and the like, my mafter confelTed, he could find little
or no refemblance between the yahoos of that country
and thofe in ours. For he only meant to obferve,
what parity there was in our natures. He had heard
indeed fome curious Houyhnhnms obferve, that in mofl
herds there was a fort of ruling yahoo (as among us
there is generally fome leading or principal flag in a
park) who was always more deformed in body, and
mifchie-jous in di/pcfjion, than any of the reft. That
this leader had ufually a favourite as like himfelfz^ he
could get, whofe employment was to lick his majler's
feet and pojleriors, and drive the female yahoos to his
kennel * ; for which he was now and then rewarded
with a piece of afs's flefh. This fanjourite is hated by
the whole herd, and therefore to protedl himfelf keeps
always near the per/on of his leader. He ufually conti-
nues in office, till a worfe can be found ; but the very
moment he is difcarded, his fucceflbr/ at the head of all
tKe
256 A V O Y A G E
theyaloos in that diftrift, young and old, male and fe-
male, come in a body, and difchai^e their excrements
upon him from head to foot. But how far this might
be applicable to our cour/s and fa-uourites, and mhiijlers
efjlate, my mailer faid I could bell determine.
I durft make no return to this malicious infinuation,
which debafed human underftanding below the fagacity
of a common hound, who hath judgment enough to
diftinguifli and follow the cry of the ableji dog in the
pack, without being ever miftaken.
My mailer told me, there were fome qualities remar-
kable in the yahoos, which he had not obferved me to
mention, or at leaft very flightly, in the accounts I had
given him of human kind ; he faid, thofc anima'slike
other brutes had their females in common but in this
;
they differed, that the ibe yahoo would admit the male,
while fhe was pregnant ; and that the he's would
quarrel and fight with the females as fiercely as with
each other. Both which praflices were fuch degrees of
infamous brutality, as no other fenfitive creature ever
arrived at.
Another thing he wondered at in the yahoos, was
their ftrange difpofition to naflinefs and dirt ; whereas
there appears to be a natural love of clean) inefs in all
other animals. As to the two former accuiations, I
was glad to let them pafs without any reply, becaufe I
had not a word to offer upon them in defence of my
fpecies, v/hich otherwife I certainly had done from
my own inclinations. But I could have eafily vindica-
ted human kind from the imputation of fingularity upon
the laft article, if there had been any Jhv:/:e in that
country (as unluckily for me there were not) which,
although it may be a fiueeter quadruped than a yahco^
cannot, I humbly conceive, in juRice pretend to m.ore
cleanlinefs ; and fo his honour himfelf muft have own-
ed, if he had feen their filthy way of feeding, and their
cuftom of wallowing and fleeping in the mud.
Mymailer likewife mentioned another quality, which
Iiiiiefvants had difcovercdin feveralj^j^o:;, and to him
was
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 257
was wholly unaccountable. He faid, a fancy would
Ibmetimes take a yahoo to retire into a corner, to lie
down, and howl and groan, and fpurn away all that
came near him, although he were young and fat, want-
ed neither food nor water nor did the lervants imagine
:
CHAP. viir.
years old.
Having lived three years in this country, the reader
1 fuppofe win e^pedl that I fhould, like other travel-
lers, give him fome account of the manners and cuf-
toms of its inhabitants, which it was indeed my princi-
pal ftudy to learn.
As thefe noble Houyhnhnms are endowed by nature
with
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. 261
uith a general difpofition to all virtues, and have no
conceptions or ideas of what is evil in a rational crea-
ture ;To their grand maxim is, to cultivate reafon, and
to be wholly governed by it. Neither is rf^_/^« among
them a point problematical, as with us, where men
can argue with plaufibility on both fides of a queftion ;
but ftrikes you with immediate conviftion as it mufl
;
* We here view the pure in- merely from their ufing the fame
flinQs of biutes, afting in their word in an oppofite feiife as by
j
narrow fphere, merely for their the word candour, his lordfhip
immediate prefervation. Or- always means a quality which
KERY. inclines a man to put the worft
\ It may perhaps be thought conftruftion upon the words and
fcmewhatflrange, that the fenfe aftions of another, and by can-
of the noble commentator fhculd dour, the dean always means juft
appear to be direiSly oppofite to the contrary,
that of the author, in the paflii- Compare Orrery, fmall edit,
ges which thefe notes were in- p. loo. krge edit. p. 146. lafl:
tended to illuflrate ; but this paragraph, with Sii'ift's apoJogy
apparent oppofition may arife for the Tale of a Tub, p. 3.
Court-
:;
CHAP. IX.
CHAP. X.
CHAP. XL
^'he author's dangerous voyage. He arrives at New-
Holland, hoping to fettle there Is nueunded loith an
arroiv by one of the natives. Is Jeized and arried by
force into a ipOTtagaeze Jhip. 7 he great civilities of the
captain. The author arrives at England.
T 3 »P
Z78 A V Y A G E
ap my little fail
; and thus with the help of the tide I
went at the rate of a league and a half an hour, as near
as 1 could guefs. My mailer and his friends continued
on the fhore, till I was almoft out of fight ; and I
often heai'd the forrel nag (who always loved me) cry-
ing out, hnuy ilia tiyha m(ija yahoo ^ Take care of thyfelf
gentle yahoo.
My defign was, if poffible, to difcover fome fmall
ifland uninhabited, yet fufRcient by my labour to fur-
liifh me with the neceffaries of life, which I would have
thought a greater happinefs, than to be firft miniller in
the politeft court of europe ; fo horrible was the idea I
conceived of returning to live in the fociety, and under
the government ol yahoos. For, in fuch a folitude as I
defired, I could at leaft enjoy my own thoughts, and
reflecl with delight on the virtues of thofe inimitabl®
Ilouyhnhnms without any opportunity of degenerating
into the vices and corruptions of my own fpecies.
The reader may remember what I related, when mjc
crew confpired againit me, and confined me to my cab-
bin. How 1 continued there feveral weeks without
knowing what courfe we took ; and when I was putL
a-fiioar in the long-boat, how the failors told me
with oaths, whether true or falfe, that they knew not in
what part of the world we were. However, I did then
believe us to be about ten degrees fouth^jjard of the
Cape of Good-Hope, or about 45 degrees fnnthern lati-
tude, as I gathered from fome general words I over-
heard among them, being I fuppofed to \\\t fouth-eaji in
their intended voyage to Madagafcar. And although
this were but little better than conjedture, yet I refolved
to fteer my courfe eajinvard, honing to reach thefouth-
ivi'fi coali of Nenju-Holland, and perhaps fome fuch
iHand as I defired lying iveji-^jcard of it. The wind
was fall vjcji, and by fix in the evening I computed I
had gone enj}zvard at leall: eighteen leagues ; when I
fpied a very fmall ifland about half a league off, which
I foon reached. It was nothing but a rock with one
2*4 A VO Y A G E
The captain had no wife, nor above three fervants^
none of which were fuffered to attend at meals ; and his
whole deportment was fo obliging, added to very good
human underflanding, that I really began to tolerate his
company. He gained fo far upon me, that I ventured
to look out of the back window. By degrees I was
brought into another room, from whence I peeped into
the llreet, but drew my head back in a fright. In a
week's time he feduced me down to the door. I found
my terror gradually lefiened, but my hatred and con-
tempt fcemed to encreafe. 1 was at laft bold enough
to walk the ilreet in his company, but kept my nofe well
flopped with rue, or fometimes with tobacco.
In ten days Don Pedro, to whom I had given fome ac-
count of my domeftick affairs, put it upon me as a mas-
ter of honour and confcience, that I ought to return to
my native country, and live at home with my wife and
children. He told me, there was an engUjh fhip in the
port juft ready to fail, and he would furnifh me with
all things neceffary. It would be tedious to repeat his
arguments, and my contradidlions. He faid it was al-
together impoffible to find fuch a folitary ifland as I had
defired to live in ; but I might command in my own
houfe, and pafs my time in a manner as reclufe as I
pleafed.
J complied at laft, finding I could not do better. I
left Lifo n the 24th day o^ Ncvembet- in an englijh mer-
chant-man, but, who was the mafter, I never enqui-
red, Don Pedro accompanied me to the fhip, and
lent me twenty pounds. He took kind leave of me,
and embraced me at parting, which I bore as well as I
could. During this lait voyage I had no commerce
with the maimer, or, any of his men ; but pretending I
was fick kept clofe in my cabbin. On the 5th oi De-
ternhrry 1 71 9, v/e caft anchor in the Donxins about nine
'u\ the morning, and at three in the afternoon I got
i:SQ to niy houie at Rothcrhith.
My wife and family received me with great furprizc
ar.;l joy, becaufe they concluded me certainly dead
4 but
TO THE HOUYHNHNMS. aSj
but muft freely confefs the fight of them filled mc
I
only with hatred, difguft, and contempt and the more
:
CHAP.
2S6 A VOY AGL
CHAP. XII.
THUS, of myhiftory
gentle reader, I have given thee a faithful
travels for iixteen years and above
feven months ; wherein I have not been fo ftudious ov
ornament as of truth. I could perhaps, like others, have
aftonifhed thee with ftrange improbable tales ; but I
rather chofe to relate plain matter of faft in the fim-
pleft manner and ftyle ; becaufe my principal defign was
to inform, and not to amufe thee.
It is eafy for us who travel into remote countries,
which are feldom vifited by englijhmen or other europeans
to form defcriptions of wonderful animals both at fea
and land. Whereas a traveller's chief aim fhould be
to make men wifer and better, and to improve their
minds by the bad, as well as good example, of what
they deliver concerning foreign places.
I could heartily wifli a law was enabled, that every
traveller, before he were permitted to publilh his
voyages, fhouM be obliged to make oath before the
lord high Chancellor, that all he intended to print was
abfolutely true to the bell of his knowledge ; for then
the world would no longer be deceived, as itufually is ;
while fome writers, to make their works pafs the better
upon the publick, impole the groffell falfities on the un-
wary reader. I have perufed feveral books of travels
with great delighi in my younger days ; but having
2 fmce
TO TME HOUYHNHNMS. 287
fince gone over moft parts of the globe, and been able
to contradicl many fabulous accounts from my own ob-
fervation, it hath given me a great difguft againft this
part of reading, and fome indignation to fee the credu-
lity of mankind fo impudently abufed. Therefore,
fincemy acquaintance were pleafed to think my pool-
endeavours might not be unacceptable to my country, I
impofed on myfelf as a maxim never to be fwerved
from, that I would ftritily adhere to truth ; neither in-
deed can I be ever under the leaft temptation to vary
from it, while I retain in my mind the leftures and ex-
ample of my noble mafter, and the other illuftrious
Houyhnhnms, of whom I had fo long the honour to be
an humble hearer.
Nee Ji ?ntferum Fortuna Si>ronem
Finxity <vaniim etiam, mendaeemque improbafinget.
I know very well, how little reputation is to be got
by writings, which require neither genius nci learning,
nor indeed any other talent, e:\'cept a good memory, or
an ex2iEi journal. I know likevvile, that writers of tra-
vels, like d!dionary-mz\ztrs, are funk into oblivion by
the weight and bulk of thole, who come laft, and
therefore lie uppermoft. And it is highly probable,
that fuch travellers, who fnall hereafter vifit the coun-
tries defcribed in this work of mine, may by detefting
my errors (if and adding many new
there be any)
difcoveries of their own,me out of vogue and
jultle
ftand in my place, making the world forget that ever I
was an author. This indeed would be too great a mor-
tification, if 1 wrote for fame but as my fole inten-
:
tiiat
zgz . A V'O Y A G E, ^c.
that can adorn a rational creature, have no name i v
this vice in theirlanguage, which hath no terms to ex-
prefs any thing that is evil, except thofe whereby they
defcribe the deteltable qualities of their yn^oos, among
which they were not able to diftinguiHi this of pride for
want of thorcughly underflanding human nature, as it
Iheweth itielf in other countries, where that animal
prefides. But I, who had more experience, could
plainly obferve feme rudiments of it among the wild
jahocs.
Eut the Hou-hrhnms., v>ho live under the government
of reafon, are i;.. more pri ud of the good qualities they
pofTefs, than I ihould be for not wanting a leg or an
arm, which no man in his wits would boaftof, although
he muil be miferable without them. I dwell the longer
upon this fubjed, from the defire I have to make the
fociety of an englijh yahoo by any meano not infuppcrta-
ble and therefore I here intreat thofe, who have any
;
F I N I S.