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The author's veracity. His defign in publishing this work. His cenfure of those 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 thofe 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*.

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HUS gentle reader, I have given thee a faithful history of my travels for fixteen years and 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 and style; because my principal defign was to inform, and not to amufe thee.

IT is eafy for us who travel into remote countries, which are feldom visited by Englishmen 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 with a law was enacted, that every traveller, before he were permitted to publish his voyages, fhould

*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 thro' thick and thin the words of the most improved, confummate genius, in defpite to that little knowledge which I have endeavoured to acquire, as a direction to my own taste and judgment. Swift.

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 knowledge; 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, impofe 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 most parts of the globe, and been able to contradict many fabulous accounts from my own observation, 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 plea fed to think my poor endeavours might not be unacceptable to my country, I impofed on myself as a maxim never to be swerved from, that I would strictly adhere to truth; neither indeed can I be ever under the least 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 firget.

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 thofe, who come laft, and therefore lie uppermoft. And it is highly probable, that fuch travellers, who fhall hereafter 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, juftle me out of vogue and stand in my place, making the world forget that ever I was an author. This indeed would be too great a mortification, if I wrote for fame but as my fole intention was the public good, I cannot be altogether disappointed. For who can read of the virtues I have mentioned in the glorious Houyhnhnms without being ashamed of his own vices, when he confi

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ders himself as the reafoning, governing animal of his country? I fhall fay nothing of thofe remote nations, where yaboos prefide; amongst which the leaft corrupted are the Brobdingnagians, whofe wife maxims in morality and government it would be our happiness to obferve. But I forbear defcanting 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 objections can be made againft a writer, who relates only plain facts, that happened in such distant countries, where we have not the leaft intereft with respect 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 the leaft with any party, but write without paffion, prejudice, or ill will against any man, or number of men whatfoever. I write for the nobleft end, to inform and instruct mankind, over whom I may, without breach of modefty, pretend to fome fuperiority, from the advantages I have received by converfing fo long among the most accomplished Houyhnhnms. I write without any view towards profit or praise. I never fuffer a word to pass that may look like reflexion, or poffibly give the least offence, even to those who are most ready to take it. So that I hope, I may with juftice pronounce myself an author perfectly blameless; against whom the tribes of anfwerers, confiderers, obfervers, reflecters, detecters, remarkers, will never be able to find matter for exercifing their talents.

I confefs, it was whispered to me, that I was bound in duty, as a fubject of England, to have given in a memorial to a fecretary of state at my firft coming over; becaufe, whatever lands are difcovered by a fubject, be long to the crown. But I doubt whether our conquests, in the countries I treat of, would be as eafy as thofe of Ferdinando Cortez over the naked Americans. The Lilliputians, I think, are hardly worth the charge of a fleet and army to reduce them; and I question whether it might be prudent or fafe to attempt the BrobdingnagiOr whether an English army would be much at their cafe with the flying island over their heads. The Houyhnhnms indeed appear not to be fo well prepared

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for war, a science to which they are perfect strangers, and especially against miffive weapons. However, fuppofing myself to be a minifter of ftate, I could never give my advice for invading them. Their prudence, unanimity, unacquaintednefs with fear, and their love of their country, would amply fupply all defects in the military art. Imagine twenty thousand of them breaking into the midst of an European army, confounding the ranks, overturning the carriages, battering the warriors faces into mummy by terrible yerks from their hinder hoofs; for they would well deserve the character given to Auguftus, Recalcitrat undique tutus. But instead of propofals for conquering that magnanimous nation, I rather with they were in a capacity, or difpofition, to fend a fufficient number of their inhabitants for civilizing Europe, by teaching us the first principles of honour, juftice, truth, temperance, public fpirit, fortitude, chastity, friendship, benevolence, and fidelity. The names of all which virtues are still retained among us in moft languages, and are to be met with in modern, as well as ancient authors; which I am able to affert from my own fmall reading.

BUT I had another reason, which made me lefs forward to enlarge his Majefty's dominions by my difcoveries. To fay the truth, I had conceived a few fcruples with relation to the diftributive justice of princes upon those occafions. For instance, a crew of pyrates are driven by a ftorm they know not whether; at length a boy difcovers land from the top-maft; they go on fhore to rob and plunder; they fee an harmless people, are entertained with kindness; they give the country a new name; they take formal poffeffion of it for their king; they fet up a rotten plank or a ftone for a memorial; they murder two or three dozen of the natives, bring away a couple more by force for a fample, return home, and get their pardon. Here commences a new dominion acquired with a title by divine right. Ships are fent with the firft opportunity; the natives driven out or deftroyed; their princes tortured to discover their gold; a free licence given to all acts of inhumanity and luft; the earth reeking with the blood of its inhabitants: and this execrable crew of butchers employed in fo pious an expedition, is a modern colony, fent to convert and civilize an idolatrous and barbarous people. Bb 3

BUT

BUT this defcription, I confefs, doth by no means affect the British nation, who may be an example to the whole world for their wisdom, care, and juftice in planting colonies; their liberal endowments for the advancement of religion and learning; their choice of devout and able paftors to propagate chrifiianity; their caution in ftocking their provinces with people of fober lives and converfations from this the mother kingdom; their ftri&t regard to the distribution of justice, in fupplying the civil administration thro' all their colonies with officers of the greatest abilities, utter ftrangers to corruption; and to crown all, by fending the moft vigilant and virtuous governors, who have no other views than the happiness of the people over whom they prefide, and the honour of the King their master.

BUT as thofe countries, which I have defcribed, do not appear to have any defire of being conquered, and enflaved, murdered or driven out by colonies; nor abound either in gold, filver, fugar, or tobacco; I did humbly conceive, they were by no means proper objects of our zeal, our valour, or our intereft. However, if thofe, whom it more concerns, think fit to be of another opinion, I am ready to depofe, when I fhall be lawfully called, that no European did ever vifit thefe countries before me. I mean, if the inhabitants ought to be believed, unless a difpute may arife concerning the two yahoos faid to have been feen many ages ago upon a mountain in Houyhnhnm-land.

BUT, as to the formality of taking poffeffion in my fo vereign's name, it never came once into my thoughts; and if it had, yet, as my affairs then flood, I should perhaps in point of prudence and felf-prefervation have put it off to a better opportunity.

HAVING thus anfwered the only objection, that can ever be raised against me as a traveller; I here take a final leave of all my courteous readers, and return to enjoy my own fpeculations in my little garden at Reddriff; to apply thofe excellent leffons of virtue, which I learned among the Houyhnhnms; to inftruct the yaboos of my own family, as far as I fhall find them docible animals; to behold my figure often in a glass, and thus, if poffible, habituate myself by time to tolerate the fight of a human creature: to lament the brutality of Houyhnhnms in my

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