although there were few greater lovers of mankind at that time than myself; yet I confess I never faw any fenfitive being fo deteftable on all accounts; and the more I came near them, the more hateful they grew, while I ftaid in that country. This the mafter horfe obferved by my behaviour, and therefore fent the Yahoo back to his kennel. He then put his fore-hoof tohis mouth, at which I was much furprized, although he did it with eafe, and with a motion that appeared perfectly natural, and made other figns to know what I would eat; but I could not return him fuch an answer as he was able to apprehend; and, if he had understood me, I did not fee how it was poffible to contrive any way for finding myself nourishment. While we were thus engaged, I obferved a cow paffing by, whereupon I pointed to her, and expreffed a defire to let me go and milk her. This had it's effect; for he led me back into the houfe, and ordered a mare-fervant to open a room where a good ftore of milk lay in earthen and wooden veffels, after a very orderly and cleanly manner. She gave me a large bowl full, of which I drank very heartily, and found myself well refreshed.

About noon I faw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn like a fledge, by four Yahoos. There was in it an old fteed, who feemed to be of quality; he alighted with his hind-feet forward, having by accident got a hurt in his left fore-foot. He came to dine with our horse, who received him with great civility. They dined in the best room, and had oats hoiled in milk for the second course, which the old horfe eat warm, but the relt cold. Their mangers were placed circular in the middle of the room, and divided into feveral partitions, round which they fat on their haunches upon boffes of straw. In the middle was a large rack with angles answering to every partition of the manger. So that each horfe and mare eat their own hay, and their own mash of oats and milk, with much decency and regularity. The behaviour of the young colt and fole appeared very modeft, and that of the mafter and miftrefs extremely chearful and complaifant to their gueft. The grey ordered me to stand by him, and much difcourfe paffed between him and his

friend concerning me, as I found by the stranger's often looking on me, and the frequent repetition of the word Yahoo.

I happened to wear my gloves, which the matter grey obferving, feemed per plexed, difcovering figns of wonder what I had done to my fore-feet; he' put his hoof three or four times to them, as if he would fignify that I fhould reduce them to their former fhape, which I prefently did, pulling off both my gloves, and putting them into my pocket. This occafioned farther talk, and I faw the company was pleafed with my behaviour, whereof I foon found the good effects. I was ordered to speak the few words I underfood, and while they were at dinner, the master taught me the names for oats, milk, fire, water, and fome others; which I could readily pronounce after him, having from my youth a great facility in learning languages.

When dinner was done, the mafter horfe took me afide, and by figns and words made me understand the concern that he was in, that I had nothing to eat. Oats in their tongue are called hluunh. This word I pronounced two or three times; for although I had refufed them at firft, yet, upon fecond thoughts I confidered that I could contrive to make of them a kind of bread, which might be fufficient with milk to keep me alive, till I could make my escape to fome other country, and to creatures of my own fpecies. The horfe immediately ordered a white mare-fervant of his family to bring me

good quantity of oats in a fort of wooden tray. These I heated before the fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till the husks came off, which I made a fhift to winnow from the grain; I ground and beat them between two ftones, then took water, and made them into a paste or cake, which I toasted at the fire and eat warm with milk. It was at firft a very infipid diet, though common enough in many parts of Europe, but grew tolerable by time; and having been often reduced to hard fare in my life, this was not the first experiment I had made how eafily nature is fatisfied. And I cannot but obferve, that I never had one hour's fickness, while I ftaid in this ifland. It is true, I fometimes made a fhift to catch a rabbit, or bird, by

springes

fpringes made of Yahoos hairs; and I often gathered wholesome herbs, which I boiled, or eat as fallads with my bread, and now and then, for a rarity, I made a little butter, and drank the whey. I was at first at a great lois for falt; but custom foon reconciled the want of it; and I am confident that the frequent use of falt among us is an effect of luxury, and was first introduced only as a provocative to drink; except where it is neceffary for preferving of flesh in long voyages, or in places remote from great markets. For we obferve no animal to be fond of it but man: and as to myfelf, when I left this country, it was a great while before I could endure the taste of it in any thing that I eat.

This is enough to fay upon the fubject of my diet, wherewith other travellers fill their books, as if the readers were perfonally concerned, whether we fared well or ill. However, it was neceffary to mention this matter, left the world fhould think it impoffible that I could find futtenance for three years in fuch a country and among such inhabitants.

When it grew towards evening, the mafter horfe ordered a place for me to lodge in; it was but fix yards from the houfe, and feparated from the ftable of the Yahoos. Here I got fome straw, and, covering myfelf with my own cloaths, flept very found: but I was in a fhort time better accommodated, as the reader fhall know hereafter, when I come to treat more particularly about my way of living.

me.

For they looked upon it as a prodigy, that a brute animal should difcover fuch marks of a rational creature. I pointed to every thing, and enquired the name of it, which I wrote down in my Journal-book when I was alone, and corrected my bad accent, by defiring thofe of the family to pronounce it often. In this employment, a forrel nag, one of the under-fervants, was very ready to affist me.

In fpeaking, they pronounce through the nose and throat, and their language approaches nearest to the High Dutch, or German, of any I know in Europe; but is much more graceful and fignificant. The emperor Charles V. made almost the fame obfervation, when he faid, that if he were to speak to his horfe, it should be in High Dutch.

The curiofity and impatience of my mafter was fo great, that he spent many hours of his leifure to inftruct me. He was convinced (as he afterwards told me) that I mult be a Yahoo, but my teachableness, civility, and cleanliness, aftonished him; which were qualities altogether fo oppofite to thofe animals. He was moit perplexed about my cloaths, reafoning fometimes with himfelf, whether they were part of my body; for I never pulled them off till the family were afleep, and got them on before they waked in the morning. My mafter was eager to learn from whence I came, how I acquired thofe appearances of reafon, which I difcovered in all my actions; and to know my story from my own mouth, which he hoped he fhould foon do by the great proficiency I made in learning and pronouncing their words and fentences. To help my memory I formed all I learned into the English alphabet, and writ the words down with the tranflations. This last, after fome time, I ventured to do in my mafter's prefence. It coft me much trouble to explain to him what I was doing; for the inhabitants have not the least idea of books or literature.

In about ten weeks time, I was able to understand most of his questions; and in three months could give him fome tolerable answers. He was extremely curious to know from what part of the country I came, and how I was taught to imitate a rational creature, because the Yahoos (whom he faw I exactly refembled in my head, hands, and face, that were only visible) with fome appearance

pearance of cunning, and the strongest difpofition to mischief, were oblerved to be the most unteachable of all brutes. I answered, that I came over the fea from a far place, with many others of my own kind, in a great hollow veffel made of the bodies of trees. That my companions forced me to land on this coait, and then left me to shift for myself. It was with fome difficulty, and by the help of many gus, that I brought him to understand me. He replied, That I must needs be mistaken, or that I faid the thing which was not. (For they have no word in their language to exprefs lying or falfhood.) He knew it was impoffible, that there could be a country beyond the fea, or that a parcel of brutes could move a wooden veffel whither they pleafed upon water. He was fure no Houyhnhnm alive could make fuch a veffel, nor would truft Yahoos to manage it.

The word Houyhnhnm, in their tongue, fignifies a horfe, and in it's etymology, the perfection of nature. I told my matter, that I was at a lofs for expreffion, but would improve as falt as I could; and hoped in a fhort time I fhould be able to tell him wonders: he was pleased to direct his own mare, his colt and fole, and the fervants of the family, to take all opportunities of instructing me; and every day, for two or three hours, he was at the fame pains himself. Several horfes and mares of quality in the neighbourhood came often to our houfe, upon the report ipread of a wonderful Yahoo, that could speak like a Houyhnhnm, and feemed in his words and actions to discover fome glimmerings of reason. These delighted to converse with me; they put many questions, and received fuch anfwers as I was able to return. By all thefe advantages I made so great a progrefs, that in five months from my arrival, I understood whatever was fpoke, and could exprefs myself tolerably well. The Houyhnhnms who came to vifit my matter, out of a defign of feeing and talking with me, could hardly be lieve me to be a right Yahoo, because my body had a different covering from others of my kind. They were aftonifhed to obferve me without the ufual hair or skin, except on my head, face, and hands; but I difcovered that fecret to my mafter, upon an accident that happened about a fortnight before.

I have already told the reader, that every night when the family were gone to bed, it was my custom to ftrip, and cover myself with my cloaths: it happened one morning early, that my mafter fent for me, by the forrel nag, who was his valet; when he came, I was faft afleep, my cloaths fallen off on one fide, and my fhirt above my wait. I awaked at the noiic he made, and obferved him to deliver his mefiage in fome diforder; after which he went to my mafter, and in a great fright gave him a very confused account of what he had feen: this I prefently difcovered; for going as foon as I was dreffed, to pay my attendance upon his honour, be alked me the meaning of what his fervant had reported; that I was not the fame thing when I flept as I appeared to be at other times; that his valet affured him, fome part of me was white, fome yellow, at least not so white, and fome brown.

I had hitherto concealed the fecret of my dicfs, in order to distinguish myself as much as I could from the curfed race of Yahoos; but now i found it in vain to co fo any longer. Belides, I confidered, that my cloaths and fhoes would foon wear out, which already were in a declining condition, and must be fupplied by fome contrivance from the hides of Yahoos or other brutes; whereby the whole fecret would be known: I therefore told my matter, that in the country from whence I came, those of my kind always covered their bodies with the hairs of certain animals prepared by art, as well for decency, as to avoid the inclemencies of air both hot and cold; of which, as to my own perfon I would give him immediate conviction, if he pleafed to command me; only defiring his excufe, if I didnot expofe thole parts that nature taught us to conceal. He faid my difcourfe was all very ftrange, but especially the last part; for he could not understand why nature should teach us to conceal what nature had given. That neither himself nor family were ashamed of any parts of their bodies; but however I might do as I pleased. Whereupon, I first unbuttoned my coat, and pulled it off. I did the fame with my waistcoat; and drew off my fhoes, ftockings, and breeches. I let my shirt down to my wait, and drew up the bottom, fastening it like a girdle about my middle to hide my nakedness.

My

CHAP. IV.

THE HOUYHNHNMS NOTION OF TRUTH AND FALSHOOD-THE AUTHOR'S DISCOURSE DISAP

PROVED BY HIS MASTER-THE AUTHOR GIVES A MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF,

AND THE ACCIDENTS OF HIS VOYAGE.

MY

Y mafter heard me with great appearance of uneafinefs in his countenance, because doubting or not believing are fo little known in this country, that the inhabitants cannot tell how to behave themselves under fuch circumftances. And I remember in frequent difcourses with my master concerning the nature of manhood in other parts of the world, having occafion to talk of lying, and falfe reprefentation, it was with much difficulty that he comprehended what I meant, although he had otherwife a moft acute judgment. For he argued thus: That the use of fpeech was to make us understand one. another, and to receive information of facts; now if any one faid the thing which was not, thofe ends were defeated; because I cannot properly be faid to understand him, and I am fo far from, receiving information, that be leaves me worse than in ignorance, for I am led to believe a thing black when it is white, and short when it is lang. And these were all the notions he had concerning that faculty of lying, fo perfectly well understood and univerfally practifed among human creatures.

To return from this digreffion; when I afferted that the Yahoos were the only governing animals in my country, which my mafter faid was altogether paft his conception, he defired to know whether we had Houyhnhnms among us, and what was their employment: I told him, we had great numbers; that in fummer they grazed in the fields, and in winter were kept in houses, with hay and oats, where Yahoo fervants were employed to rub their skins fmooth, comb their manes, pick their feet, ferve them with food, and make their beds. • I understand you well,' faid my mafter, it is now very plain, from, all you have spoken, that whatever 'fhare of reason the Yahoos preténd to, the Houyhnhnms are your ma

fters; I heartily with our Yahoos • would be fo tractable.' I begged his honour would be pleafed to excuse me from proceeding any farther, because I was very certain that the account he expected from me would be highly difpleafing. But he infifted in commanding me to let him know the beft and the worst: I told him he should be obeyed. I owned, that the Houyhnhnms among us, whom we called horfes, were the most generous and comely animal we had; that they excelled in strength and swiftnefs; and when they belonged to perfons of quality, were employed in travelling, racing, or drawing chariots, they were treated with much kindness and care, till they fell into diseases, or became foundered in the feet; but then they were fold, and used to all kinds of drudgery, till they died; after which their skins were ftripped, and fold for what they were worth, and their bodies left to be devoured by dogs and birds of prey. But the common race of horses had not fo good fortune, being kept by farmers and carriers, and other mean people, who put them to greater labour, and fed them worse. I defcribed, as well as I could, our way of riding; the fhape and use of a bridle, a faddle, a fpur, and a whip; of harness and wheels. I added, that we faftened plates of a certain hard fubftance, called iron, at the bottom of their feet, to preferve their hoofs from being broken by the ftony ways on which we often travelled.

My mafter, after fome expreffions of great indignation, wondered how we dared to venture upon a Houyhnhnm's back; for he was fure that the weakest fervant in his houfe would be able to shake off the ftrongest Yahoo; or by lying down, and rolling on his back, fqueeze the brute to death. I anfwered, that our horfes were trained up from three or four years old, to the feveral ufes we intended them for; that if any of them proved intolerably vicious, they were employed for carriages; that they were feverely beaten while they were young, for any mif chievous tricks: that the males defigned for common use in riding or draught, were generally caftrated about two years after their birth, to take down their spirits, and make them more tame and gentle; that they were indeed fen

P

fible