Reading Help Gulliver's Travels. Part I

`
` Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World `
` by Jonathan Swift `
` `
` `
` THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. `
` `
` [As given in the original edition.] `
` `
` The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and `
` intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the `
` mother's side. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary `
` of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his house in `
` Redriff, made a small purchase of land, with a convenient house, `
` near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where he now `
` lives retired, yet in good esteem among his neighbours. `
` `
` Although Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, where his father `
` dwelt, yet I have heard him say his family came from Oxfordshire; `
` to confirm which, I have observed in the churchyard at Banbury in `
` that county, several tombs and monuments of the Gullivers. `
` `
` Before he quitted Redriff, he left the custody of the following `
` papers in my hands, with the liberty to dispose of them as I should `
` think fit. I have carefully perused them three times. The style `
` is very plain and simple; and the only fault I find is, that the `
` author, after the manner of travellers, is a little too `
` circumstantial. There is an air of truth apparent through the `
` whole; and indeed the author was so distinguished for his veracity, `
` that it became a sort of proverb among his neighbours at Redriff, `
` when any one affirmed a thing, to say, it was as true as if Mr. `
` Gulliver had spoken it. `
` `
` By the advice of several worthy persons, to whom, with the author's `
` permission, I communicated these papers, I now venture to send them `
` into the world, hoping they may be, at least for some time, a `
` better entertainment to our young noblemen, than the common `
` scribbles of politics and party. `
` `
` This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not `
` made bold to strike out innumerable passages relating to the winds `
` and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the several `
` voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management of `
` the ship in storms, in the style of sailors; likewise the account `
` of longitudes and latitudes; wherein I have reason to apprehend, `
` that Mr. Gulliver may be a little dissatisfied. But I was resolved `
` to fit the work as much as possible to the general capacity of `
` readers. However, if my own ignorance in sea affairs shall have `
` led me to commit some mistakes, I alone am answerable for them. `
` And if any traveller hath a curiosity to see the whole work at `
` large, as it came from the hands of the author, I will be ready to `
` gratify him. `
` `
` As for any further particulars relating to the author, the reader `
` will receive satisfaction from the first pages of the book. `
` `
` RICHARD SYMPSON. `
` `
` `
` `
` A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN GULLIVER TO HIS COUSIN SYMPSON. `
` `
` `
` `
` WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1727. `
` `
` I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall be `
` called to it, that by your great and frequent urgency you prevailed `
` on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect account of my travels, `
` with directions to hire some young gentleman of either university `
` to put them in order, and correct the style, as my cousin Dampier `
` did, by my advice, in his book called "A Voyage round the world." `
` But I do not remember I gave you power to consent that any thing `
` should be omitted, and much less that any thing should be inserted; `
` therefore, as to the latter, I do here renounce every thing of that `
` kind; particularly a paragraph about her majesty Queen Anne, of `
` most pious and glorious memory; although I did reverence and esteem `
` her more than any of human species. But you, or your interpolator, `
` ought to have considered, that it was not my inclination, so was it `
` not decent to praise any animal of our composition before my master `
` Houyhnhnm: And besides, the fact was altogether false; for to my `
` knowledge, being in England during some part of her majesty's `
` reign, she did govern by a chief minister; nay even by two `
` successively, the first whereof was the lord of Godolphin, and the `
` second the lord of Oxford; so that you have made me say the thing `
` that was not. Likewise in the account of the academy of `
` projectors, and several passages of my discourse to my master `
` Houyhnhnm, you have either omitted some material circumstances, or `
` minced or changed them in such a manner, that I do hardly know my `
` own work. When I formerly hinted to you something of this in a `
` letter, you were pleased to answer that you were afraid of giving `
` offence; that people in power were very watchful over the press, `
` and apt not only to interpret, but to punish every thing which `
` looked like an innuendo (as I think you call it). But, pray how `
` could that which I spoke so many years ago, and at about five `
` thousand leagues distance, in another reign, be applied to any of `
` the Yahoos, who now are said to govern the herd; especially at a `
` time when I little thought, or feared, the unhappiness of living `
` under them? Have not I the most reason to complain, when I see `
` these very Yahoos carried by Houyhnhnms in a vehicle, as if they `
` were brutes, and those the rational creatures? And indeed to avoid `
` so monstrous and detestable a sight was one principal motive of my `
` retirement hither. `
` `
` Thus much I thought proper to tell you in relation to yourself, and `
` to the trust I reposed in you. `
` `
` I do, in the next place, complain of my own great want of judgment, `
` in being prevailed upon by the entreaties and false reasoning of `
` you and some others, very much against my own opinion, to suffer my `
` travels to be published. Pray bring to your mind how often I `
` desired you to consider, when you insisted on the motive of public `
` good, that the Yahoos were a species of animals utterly incapable `
` of amendment by precept or example: and so it has proved; for, `
` instead of seeing a full stop put to all abuses and corruptions, at `
` least in this little island, as I had reason to expect; behold, `
` after above six months warning, I cannot learn that my book has `
` produced one single effect according to my intentions. I desired `
` you would let me know, by a letter, when party and faction were `
` extinguished; judges learned and upright; pleaders honest and `
` modest, with some tincture of common sense, and Smithfield blazing `
` with pyramids of law books; the young nobility's education entirely `
` changed; the physicians banished; the female Yahoos abounding in `
` virtue, honour, truth, and good sense; courts and levees of great `
` ministers thoroughly weeded and swept; wit, merit, and learning `
` rewarded; all disgracers of the press in prose and verse condemned `
` to eat nothing but their own cotton, and quench their thirst with `
` their own ink. These, and a thousand other reformations, I firmly `
` counted upon by your encouragement; as indeed they were plainly `
` deducible from the precepts delivered in my book. And it must be `
` owned, that seven months were a sufficient time to correct every `
` vice and folly to which Yahoos are subject, if their natures had `
` been capable of the least disposition to virtue or wisdom. Yet, so `
` far have you been from answering my expectation in any of your `
` letters; that on the contrary you are loading our carrier every `
` week with libels, and keys, and reflections, and memoirs, and `
` second parts; wherein I see myself accused of reflecting upon great `
` state folk; of degrading human nature (for so they have still the `
` confidence to style it), and of abusing the female sex. I find `
` likewise that the writers of those bundles are not agreed among `
` themselves; for some of them will not allow me to be the author of `
` my own travels; and others make me author of books to which I am `
` wholly a stranger. `
` `
` I find likewise that your printer has been so careless as to `
` confound the times, and mistake the dates, of my several voyages `
` and returns; neither assigning the true year, nor the true month, `
` nor day of the month: and I hear the original manuscript is all `
` destroyed since the publication of my book; neither have I any copy `
` left: however, I have sent you some corrections, which you may `
` insert, if ever there should be a second edition: and yet I cannot `
` stand to them; but shall leave that matter to my judicious and `
` candid readers to adjust it as they please. `
` `
` I hear some of our sea Yahoos find fault with my sea-language, as `
` not proper in many parts, nor now in use. I cannot help it. In my `
` first voyages, while I was young, I was instructed by the oldest `
` mariners, and learned to speak as they did. But I have since found `
` that the sea Yahoos are apt, like the land ones, to become new- `
` fangled in their words, which the latter change every year; `
` insomuch, as I remember upon each return to my own country their `
` old dialect was so altered, that I could hardly understand the new. `
` And I observe, when any Yahoo comes from London out of curiosity to `
` visit me at my house, we neither of us are able to deliver our `
` conceptions in a manner intelligible to the other. `
` `
` If the censure of the Yahoos could any way affect me, I should have `
` great reason to complain, that some of them are so bold as to think `
` my book of travels a mere fiction out of mine own brain, and have `
` gone so far as to drop hints, that the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos have `
` no more existence than the inhabitants of Utopia. `
` `
` Indeed I must confess, that as to the people of Lilliput, `
` Brobdingrag (for so the word should have been spelt, and not `
` erroneously Brobdingnag), and Laputa, I have never yet heard of any `
` Yahoo so presumptuous as to dispute their being, or the facts I `
` have related concerning them; because the truth immediately strikes `
` every reader with conviction. And is there less probability in my `
` account of the Houyhnhnms or Yahoos, when it is manifest as to the `
` latter, there are so many thousands even in this country, who only `
` differ from their brother brutes in Houyhnhnmland, because they use `
` a sort of jabber, and do not go naked? I wrote for their `
` amendment, and not their approbation. The united praise of the `
` whole race would be of less consequence to me, than the neighing of `
` those two degenerate Houyhnhnms I keep in my stable; because from `
` these, degenerate as they are, I still improve in some virtues `
` without any mixture of vice. `
` `
` Do these miserable animals presume to think, that I am so `
` degenerated as to defend my veracity? Yahoo as I am, it is well `
` known through all Houyhnhnmland, that, by the instructions and `
` example of my illustrious master, I was able in the compass of two `
` years (although I confess with the utmost difficulty) to remove `
` that infernal habit of lying, shuffling, deceiving, and `
` equivocating, so deeply rooted in the very souls of all my species; `
` especially the Europeans. `
` `
` I have other complaints to make upon this vexatious occasion; but I `
` forbear troubling myself or you any further. I must freely `
` confess, that since my last return, some corruptions of my Yahoo `
` nature have revived in me by conversing with a few of your species, `
`