fail, and he would furnish me with all things neceffary. It would be tedious to repeat his argu ments, and my contradictions. He faid it was altogether impoffible to find fuch a folitary island as I had defired to live in; but I might command in my own house, and pafs my time in a manner as reclufe as I pleased. I complied at last, finding I could not do better. I left Lisbon, the 24th day of November, in an English merchant-man, but who was the mafter I never enquired. 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 laft voyage, I had no commerce with the mafter, or any of his men; but pretending I was fick, kept clofe in my cabbin. On the 5th of December 1715, we caft anchor in the Downs about nine in the morning, and at three in the afternoon I got safe to my house at Rotherhithe. My wife and family received me with great furprize and joy, because they concluded me certainly dead; but I must freely confess the fight of them filled me only with hatred, disguft, and contempt; and the more by reflecting on the near alliance I had to them. For although, fince my unfortunate exile from the Houyhnhnm country, I had compelled myself to tolerate the fight of yahoos, and to converfe with Don Pedro de Mendez, yet my memory and imagination were perpetually filled with the virtues and ideas of thofe exalted Houyhnhnms. And when I began to confider, that, by copulating with one of the yahoo fpecies, I had become a parent of more, it ftruck me with the utmoft shame, confufion, and horror. As foon as I entered the house, my wife took me in her arms, and kiffed me; at which, not having been used to the touch of that odious animal for fo many years, I fell into a fwoon for almost an hour. hour. At the time I am writing, it is five years fince my last return to England *: during the first year I could not endure my wife or children in my prefence: the very fmell of them was intolerable; much lefs could I fuffer them to eat in the fame room. To this hour they dare not presume to touch my bread, or drink out of the fame cup; neither was I ever able to let them take me by the hand. The first money I laid out was to buy two young ftone-horses, which I keep in a good stable, and next to them the groom is my greateft favourite; for I feel my fpirits revived by the fmell he contracts in the ftable. My horfes understand me tolerably well; I converfe with them at leaft four hours every day. They are ftrangers to bridle or faddle; they live in great amity with me, and friendship to each other. *This was intended as a mark, whereby the exact point of time, when Dr. Swift had finished this noble and grand performance, which, in the prophetic ftyle of his friend Pope, will in future ages be the admiration of all men, should be known to posterity. Swift. CHAP. CHA P. XII *. The author's veracity. His defign in publishing this work. His cenfure of thofe travellers who fwerve from the truth. The author clears himself from any finifter ends in writing. An objection answered. The method of planting colonies. His native country commended. The right of the crown to those countries defcribed by the author, is juftified. The difficulty of conquering them. The author takes his laft leave of the reader; propofeth his manner of living for the future; gives good advice, and concludeth. Tful hiftory of my travels for fixteen years and HUS, gentle reader, I have given thee a faith above feven months; wherein I have not been fo ftudious of ornament as of truth. I could perhaps, like others, have aftonished thee with ftrange improbable tales; but I rather chose to relate plain matter of fact in the fimpleft manner aud style; becaufe my principal defign was to inform, and not to amuse thee. It is eafy for us who travel into remote countries, which are feldom vifited by Englifhmen, or other Europeans, to form defcriptions of wonderful animals both at fea and land. Whereas a traveller's * I must confefs, in the fpirit of candour and fincerity, that I heartily with this 12th chapter, which is, without exception, the dulleft piece (at least that I can remember,) in his whole writings, were either burnt or annihilated. This indeed, like the rest of his critics, I could easily have paffed over uncenfured; perhaps they never obferved it and yet all that I mean by this gentle feverity, (for I defpife the reputation of a little cenfuring critic,) is, to fhew the world, that I would fcorn to approve, through thick and thin, the works of the most approved, consummate genius, in despite to that little knowledge which I have endeavoured to acquire, as a direction to my own tafte and judgement. Swift. chief aim fhould be to make men wifer and better, and to improve their minds by the bad, as well as good examples, of what they deliver concerning foreign places. I could heartily with a law was enacted, that every traveller, before he were permitted to publith his voyages, fhould be obliged to make oath before the Lord High Chancellor, that all he intended to print was abfolutely true to the best of his know. ledge; for then the world would no longer be deceived, as it ufually is; while fome writers, to make their works pafs the better upon the public, inpofe the groffeft falfities on the unwary reader. I have perused several books of travels with great delight in my younger days; but having fince gone over moft parts of the globe, and been able to contradict many fabulous accounts from my own obfer. vation, it hath given me a great difguft against this part of reading, and fome indignation to fee the credulity of mankind fo impudently abufed. Therefore, fince my acquaintance were pleafed to think my poor endeavours might not be unacceptable to my country, I impofed on myself as a maxim never to be fwerved from, that I would strictly adhere to truth; neither indeed can I be ever under the leaft temptation to vary from it, while I retain in my mind the lectures and example of my noble mafter, and the other illuftrious Houyhnhnms, of whom I had fo long the honour to be an humble hearer. Nec fi miferum fortuna Sinonem Finxit, vanum etiam, mendacemque, improba finget. I know very well how little reputation is to be got by writings, which require neither genius nor learning, nor indeed any other talent, except a good memory, or an exact journal. I know likewife, that writers of travels, like dictionary makers, are funk into oblivion, by the weight and bulk of those who came laft, and therefore lie uppermoft. And it is highly probable, that fuch travellers, who VOL. V, Y fhall fhall bereafter vifit the countries defcribed in this work of mine, may, by detecting my errors, (if there be any,) and adding many new difcoveries of their own, juftie me out of vogue, and ftand in my place, making the world forget that ever I was an author. This indeed would be too great mortification, if I wrote for fame: but as my fole intention was the public good, I cannot be altogether difappointed. For who can read of the virtues I have mentioned in the glorious Houyhnhnms without being afhamed of his own vices, when he confiders himself as the reasoning, governing animal of his country? I fhall fay nothing of thofe remote nati ons, where yahoos prefide; amongst which the leaft corrupted are the Brobdingnagians, whose wife maxims in morality and government it would be our happiness to obferve. But I forbear def canting farther, and rather leave the judicious reader to his own remarks and applications. I am not a little pleased, that this work of mine can poffibly meet with no cenfurers: for what objection can be made against a writer, who relates only plain facts, that happened in fuch diftant countries, where we have not the least interest with refpect either to trade or negotiations? I have carefully avoided every fault, with which common writers of travels are often too juftly charged. Befides I meddle not in the leaft with any party, but write without paffion, prejudice, or ill-will against any man, or number of men whatsoever. I write for the nobleft end, to inform and instruct mankind, over whom I may, without breach of mo-. defty, pretend to fome fuperiority, from the advantages I received by converfing fo long among the most accomplished Houyhnhnms. I write with out any view towards profit or praife. I never fuffer a word to país, that may look like reflection, or poffibly give the leaf offence, even to those who are moft ready to take it. So that I hope, I may with juftice |