Jonathan Swift. Gulliver's travels into several remote nations of the world
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
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