Reading Help Gulliver's Travels. Part II, III, IV
advanced for their piety or learning; soldiers, for their conduct `
` or valour; judges, for their integrity; senators, for the love of `
` their country; or counsellors for their wisdom. As for yourself," `
` continued the king, "who have spent the greatest part of your life `
` in travelling, I am well disposed to hope you may hitherto have `
` escaped many vices of your country. But by what I have gathered `
` from your own relation, and the answers I have with much pains `
` wrung and extorted from you, I cannot but conclude the bulk of your `
` natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that `
` nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth." `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VII. `
` `
` `
` `
` [The author's love of his country. He makes a proposal of much `
` advantage to the king, which is rejected. The king's great `
` ignorance in politics. The learning of that country very imperfect `
` and confined. The laws, and military affairs, and parties in the `
` state.] `
` `
` Nothing but an extreme love of truth could have hindered me from `
` concealing this part of my story. It was in vain to discover my `
` resentments, which were always turned into ridicule; and I was `
` forced to rest with patience, while my noble and beloved country `
` was so injuriously treated. I am as heartily sorry as any of my `
` readers can possibly be, that such an occasion was given: but this `
` prince happened to be so curious and inquisitive upon every `
` particular, that it could not consist either with gratitude or good `
` manners, to refuse giving him what satisfaction I was able. Yet `
` thus much I may be allowed to say in my own vindication, that I `
` artfully eluded many of his questions, and gave to every point a `
` more favourable turn, by many degrees, than the strictness of truth `
` would allow. For I have always borne that laudable partiality to `
` my own country, which Dionysius Halicarnassensis, with so much `
` justice, recommends to an historian: I would hide the frailties `
` and deformities of my political mother, and place her virtues and `
` beauties in the most advantageous light. This was my sincere `
` endeavour in those many discourses I had with that monarch, `
` although it unfortunately failed of success. `
` `
` But great allowances should be given to a king, who lives wholly `
` secluded from the rest of the world, and must therefore be `
` altogether unacquainted with the manners and customs that most `
` prevail in other nations: the want of which knowledge will ever `
` produce many prejudices, and a certain narrowness of thinking, from `
` which we, and the politer countries of Europe, are wholly exempted. `
` And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of `
` virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind. `
` `
` To confirm what I have now said, and further to show the miserable `
` effects of a confined education, I shall here insert a passage, `
` which will hardly obtain belief. In hopes to ingratiate myself `
` further into his majesty's favour, I told him of "an invention, `
` discovered between three and four hundred years ago, to make a `
` certain powder, into a heap of which, the smallest spark of fire `
` falling, would kindle the whole in a moment, although it were as `
` big as a mountain, and make it all fly up in the air together, with `
` a noise and agitation greater than thunder. That a proper quantity `
` of this powder rammed into a hollow tube of brass or iron, `
` according to its bigness, would drive a ball of iron or lead, with `
` such violence and speed, as nothing was able to sustain its force. `
` That the largest balls thus discharged, would not only destroy `
` whole ranks of an army at once, but batter the strongest walls to `
` the ground, sink down ships, with a thousand men in each, to the `
` bottom of the sea, and when linked together by a chain, would cut `
` through masts and rigging, divide hundreds of bodies in the middle, `
` and lay all waste before them. That we often put this powder into `
` large hollow balls of iron, and discharged them by an engine into `
` some city we were besieging, which would rip up the pavements, tear `
` the houses to pieces, burst and throw splinters on every side, `
` dashing out the brains of all who came near. That I knew the `
` ingredients very well, which were cheap and common; I understood `
` the manner of compounding them, and could direct his workmen how to `
` make those tubes, of a size proportionable to all other things in `
` his majesty's kingdom, and the largest need not be above a hundred `
` feet long; twenty or thirty of which tubes, charged with the proper `
` quantity of powder and balls, would batter down the walls of the `
` strongest town in his dominions in a few hours, or destroy the `
` whole metropolis, if ever it should pretend to dispute his absolute `
` commands." This I humbly offered to his majesty, as a small `
` tribute of acknowledgment, in turn for so many marks that I had `
` received, of his royal favour and protection. `
` `
` The king was struck with horror at the description I had given of `
` those terrible engines, and the proposal I had made. "He was `
` amazed, how so impotent and grovelling an insect as I" (these were `
` his expressions) "could entertain such inhuman ideas, and in so `
` familiar a manner, as to appear wholly unmoved at all the scenes of `
` blood and desolation which I had painted as the common effects of `
` those destructive machines; whereof," he said, "some evil genius, `
` enemy to mankind, must have been the first contriver. As for `
` himself, he protested, that although few things delighted him so `
` much as new discoveries in art or in nature, yet he would rather `
` lose half his kingdom, than be privy to such a secret; which he `
` commanded me, as I valued any life, never to mention any more." `
` `
` A strange effect of narrow principles and views! that a prince `
` possessed of every quality which procures veneration, love, and `
` esteem; of strong parts, great wisdom, and profound learning, `
` endowed with admirable talents, and almost adored by his subjects, `
` should, from a nice, unnecessary scruple, whereof in Europe we can `
` have no conception, let slip an opportunity put into his hands that `
` would have made him absolute master of the lives, the liberties, `
` and the fortunes of his people! Neither do I say this, with the `
` least intention to detract from the many virtues of that excellent `
` king, whose character, I am sensible, will, on this account, be `
` very much lessened in the opinion of an English reader: but I take `
` this defect among them to have risen from their ignorance, by not `
` having hitherto reduced politics into a science, as the more acute `
` wits of Europe have done. For, I remember very well, in a `
` discourse one day with the king, when I happened to say, "there `
` were several thousand books among us written upon the art of `
` government," it gave him (directly contrary to my intention) a very `
` mean opinion of our understandings. He professed both to abominate `
` and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a `
` prince or a minister. He could not tell what I meant by secrets of `
` state, where an enemy, or some rival nation, were not in the case. `
` He confined the knowledge of governing within very narrow bounds, `
` to common sense and reason, to justice and lenity, to the speedy `
` determination of civil and criminal causes; with some other obvious `
` topics, which are not worth considering. And he gave it for his `
` opinion, "that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades `
` of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, `
` would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to `
` his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." `
` `
` The learning of this people is very defective, consisting only in `
` morality, history, poetry, and mathematics, wherein they must be `
` allowed to excel. But the last of these is wholly applied to what `
` may be useful in life, to the improvement of agriculture, and all `
` mechanical arts; so that among us, it would be little esteemed. `
` And as to ideas, entities, abstractions, and transcendentals, I `
` could never drive the least conception into their heads. `
` `
` No law in that country must exceed in words the number of letters `
` in their alphabet, which consists only of two and twenty. But `
` indeed few of them extend even to that length. They are expressed `
` in the most plain and simple terms, wherein those people are not `
` mercurial enough to discover above one interpretation: and to `
` write a comment upon any law, is a capital crime. As to the `
` decision of civil causes, or proceedings against criminals, their `
` precedents are so few, that they have little reason to boast of any `
` extraordinary skill in either. `
` `
` They have had the art of printing, as well as the Chinese, time out `
` of mind: but their libraries are not very large; for that of the `
` king, which is reckoned the largest, does not amount to above a `
` thousand volumes, placed in a gallery of twelve hundred feet long, `
` whence I had liberty to borrow what books I pleased. The queen's `
` joiner had contrived in one of Glumdalclitch's rooms, a kind of `
` wooden machine five-and-twenty feet high, formed like a standing `
` ladder; the steps were each fifty feet long. It was indeed a `
` moveable pair of stairs, the lowest end placed at ten feet distance `
` from the wall of the chamber. The book I had a mind to read, was `
` put up leaning against the wall: I first mounted to the upper step `
` of the ladder, and turning my face towards the book, began at the `
` top of the page, and so walking to the right and left about eight `
` or ten paces, according to the length of the lines, till I had `
` gotten a little below the level of mine eyes, and then descending `
` gradually till I came to the bottom: after which I mounted again, `
` and began the other page in the same manner, and so turned over the `
` leaf, which I could easily do with both my hands, for it was as `
` thick and stiff as a pasteboard, and in the largest folios not `
` above eighteen or twenty feet long. `
` `
` Their style is clear, masculine, and smooth, but not florid; for `
` they avoid nothing more than multiplying unnecessary words, or `
` using various expressions. I have perused many of their books, `
` especially those in history and morality. Among the rest, I was `
` much diverted with a little old treatise, which always lay in `
` Glumdalclitch's bed chamber, and belonged to her governess, a grave `
` elderly gentlewoman, who dealt in writings of morality and `
` devotion. The book treats of the weakness of human kind, and is in `
` little esteem, except among the women and the vulgar. However, I `
` was curious to see what an author of that country could say upon `
` such a subject. This writer went through all the usual topics of `
` European moralists, showing "how diminutive, contemptible, and `
` helpless an animal was man in his own nature; how unable to defend `
` himself from inclemencies of the air, or the fury of wild beasts: `
` how much he was excelled by one creature in strength, by another in `
` speed, by a third in foresight, by a fourth in industry." He `
` added, "that nature was degenerated in these latter declining ages `
` of the world, and could now produce only small abortive births, in `
` comparison of those in ancient times." He said "it was very `
` reasonable to think, not only that the species of men were `
` originally much larger, but also that there must have been giants `
` in former ages; which, as it is asserted by history and tradition, `
` so it has been confirmed by huge bones and skulls, casually dug up `
` in several parts of the kingdom, far exceeding the common dwindled `
` race of men in our days." He argued, "that the very laws of nature `
` absolutely required we should have been made, in the beginning of a `
` size more large and robust; not so liable to destruction from every `
` little accident, of a tile falling from a house, or a stone cast `
` from the hand of a boy, or being drowned in a little brook." From `
` this way of reasoning, the author drew several moral applications, `
` useful in the conduct of life, but needless here to repeat. For my `
` own part, I could not avoid reflecting how universally this talent `
` was spread, of drawing lectures in morality, or indeed rather `
`
` or valour; judges, for their integrity; senators, for the love of `
` their country; or counsellors for their wisdom. As for yourself," `
` continued the king, "who have spent the greatest part of your life `
` in travelling, I am well disposed to hope you may hitherto have `
` escaped many vices of your country. But by what I have gathered `
` from your own relation, and the answers I have with much pains `
` wrung and extorted from you, I cannot but conclude the bulk of your `
` natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that `
` nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth." `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VII. `
` `
` `
` `
` [The author's love of his country. He makes a proposal of much `
` advantage to the king, which is rejected. The king's great `
` ignorance in politics. The learning of that country very imperfect `
` and confined. The laws, and military affairs, and parties in the `
` state.] `
` `
` Nothing but an extreme love of truth could have hindered me from `
` concealing this part of my story. It was in vain to discover my `
` resentments, which were always turned into ridicule; and I was `
` forced to rest with patience, while my noble and beloved country `
` was so injuriously treated. I am as heartily sorry as any of my `
` readers can possibly be, that such an occasion was given: but this `
` prince happened to be so curious and inquisitive upon every `
` particular, that it could not consist either with gratitude or good `
` manners, to refuse giving him what satisfaction I was able. Yet `
` thus much I may be allowed to say in my own vindication, that I `
` artfully eluded many of his questions, and gave to every point a `
` more favourable turn, by many degrees, than the strictness of truth `
` would allow. For I have always borne that laudable partiality to `
` my own country, which Dionysius Halicarnassensis, with so much `
` justice, recommends to an historian: I would hide the frailties `
` and deformities of my political mother, and place her virtues and `
` beauties in the most advantageous light. This was my sincere `
` endeavour in those many discourses I had with that monarch, `
` although it unfortunately failed of success. `
` `
` But great allowances should be given to a king, who lives wholly `
` secluded from the rest of the world, and must therefore be `
` altogether unacquainted with the manners and customs that most `
` prevail in other nations: the want of which knowledge will ever `
` produce many prejudices, and a certain narrowness of thinking, from `
` which we, and the politer countries of Europe, are wholly exempted. `
` And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of `
` virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind. `
` `
` To confirm what I have now said, and further to show the miserable `
` effects of a confined education, I shall here insert a passage, `
` which will hardly obtain belief. In hopes to ingratiate myself `
` further into his majesty's favour, I told him of "an invention, `
` discovered between three and four hundred years ago, to make a `
` certain powder, into a heap of which, the smallest spark of fire `
` falling, would kindle the whole in a moment, although it were as `
` big as a mountain, and make it all fly up in the air together, with `
` a noise and agitation greater than thunder. That a proper quantity `
` of this powder rammed into a hollow tube of brass or iron, `
` according to its bigness, would drive a ball of iron or lead, with `
` such violence and speed, as nothing was able to sustain its force. `
` That the largest balls thus discharged, would not only destroy `
` whole ranks of an army at once, but batter the strongest walls to `
` the ground, sink down ships, with a thousand men in each, to the `
` bottom of the sea, and when linked together by a chain, would cut `
` through masts and rigging, divide hundreds of bodies in the middle, `
` and lay all waste before them. That we often put this powder into `
` large hollow balls of iron, and discharged them by an engine into `
` some city we were besieging, which would rip up the pavements, tear `
` the houses to pieces, burst and throw splinters on every side, `
` dashing out the brains of all who came near. That I knew the `
` ingredients very well, which were cheap and common; I understood `
` the manner of compounding them, and could direct his workmen how to `
` make those tubes, of a size proportionable to all other things in `
` his majesty's kingdom, and the largest need not be above a hundred `
` feet long; twenty or thirty of which tubes, charged with the proper `
` quantity of powder and balls, would batter down the walls of the `
` strongest town in his dominions in a few hours, or destroy the `
` whole metropolis, if ever it should pretend to dispute his absolute `
` commands." This I humbly offered to his majesty, as a small `
` tribute of acknowledgment, in turn for so many marks that I had `
` received, of his royal favour and protection. `
` `
` The king was struck with horror at the description I had given of `
` those terrible engines, and the proposal I had made. "He was `
` amazed, how so impotent and grovelling an insect as I" (these were `
` his expressions) "could entertain such inhuman ideas, and in so `
` familiar a manner, as to appear wholly unmoved at all the scenes of `
` blood and desolation which I had painted as the common effects of `
` those destructive machines; whereof," he said, "some evil genius, `
` enemy to mankind, must have been the first contriver. As for `
` himself, he protested, that although few things delighted him so `
` much as new discoveries in art or in nature, yet he would rather `
` lose half his kingdom, than be privy to such a secret; which he `
` commanded me, as I valued any life, never to mention any more." `
` `
` A strange effect of narrow principles and views! that a prince `
` possessed of every quality which procures veneration, love, and `
` esteem; of strong parts, great wisdom, and profound learning, `
` endowed with admirable talents, and almost adored by his subjects, `
` should, from a nice, unnecessary scruple, whereof in Europe we can `
` have no conception, let slip an opportunity put into his hands that `
` would have made him absolute master of the lives, the liberties, `
` and the fortunes of his people! Neither do I say this, with the `
` least intention to detract from the many virtues of that excellent `
` king, whose character, I am sensible, will, on this account, be `
` very much lessened in the opinion of an English reader: but I take `
` this defect among them to have risen from their ignorance, by not `
` having hitherto reduced politics into a science, as the more acute `
` wits of Europe have done. For, I remember very well, in a `
` discourse one day with the king, when I happened to say, "there `
` were several thousand books among us written upon the art of `
` government," it gave him (directly contrary to my intention) a very `
` mean opinion of our understandings. He professed both to abominate `
` and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a `
` prince or a minister. He could not tell what I meant by secrets of `
` state, where an enemy, or some rival nation, were not in the case. `
` He confined the knowledge of governing within very narrow bounds, `
` to common sense and reason, to justice and lenity, to the speedy `
` determination of civil and criminal causes; with some other obvious `
` topics, which are not worth considering. And he gave it for his `
` opinion, "that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades `
` of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, `
` would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to `
` his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." `
` `
` The learning of this people is very defective, consisting only in `
` morality, history, poetry, and mathematics, wherein they must be `
` allowed to excel. But the last of these is wholly applied to what `
` may be useful in life, to the improvement of agriculture, and all `
` mechanical arts; so that among us, it would be little esteemed. `
` And as to ideas, entities, abstractions, and transcendentals, I `
` could never drive the least conception into their heads. `
` `
` No law in that country must exceed in words the number of letters `
` in their alphabet, which consists only of two and twenty. But `
` indeed few of them extend even to that length. They are expressed `
` in the most plain and simple terms, wherein those people are not `
` mercurial enough to discover above one interpretation: and to `
` write a comment upon any law, is a capital crime. As to the `
` decision of civil causes, or proceedings against criminals, their `
` precedents are so few, that they have little reason to boast of any `
` extraordinary skill in either. `
` `
` They have had the art of printing, as well as the Chinese, time out `
` of mind: but their libraries are not very large; for that of the `
` king, which is reckoned the largest, does not amount to above a `
` thousand volumes, placed in a gallery of twelve hundred feet long, `
` whence I had liberty to borrow what books I pleased. The queen's `
` joiner had contrived in one of Glumdalclitch's rooms, a kind of `
` wooden machine five-and-twenty feet high, formed like a standing `
` ladder; the steps were each fifty feet long. It was indeed a `
` moveable pair of stairs, the lowest end placed at ten feet distance `
` from the wall of the chamber. The book I had a mind to read, was `
` put up leaning against the wall: I first mounted to the upper step `
` of the ladder, and turning my face towards the book, began at the `
` top of the page, and so walking to the right and left about eight `
` or ten paces, according to the length of the lines, till I had `
` gotten a little below the level of mine eyes, and then descending `
` gradually till I came to the bottom: after which I mounted again, `
` and began the other page in the same manner, and so turned over the `
` leaf, which I could easily do with both my hands, for it was as `
` thick and stiff as a pasteboard, and in the largest folios not `
` above eighteen or twenty feet long. `
` `
` Their style is clear, masculine, and smooth, but not florid; for `
` they avoid nothing more than multiplying unnecessary words, or `
` using various expressions. I have perused many of their books, `
` especially those in history and morality. Among the rest, I was `
` much diverted with a little old treatise, which always lay in `
` Glumdalclitch's bed chamber, and belonged to her governess, a grave `
` elderly gentlewoman, who dealt in writings of morality and `
` devotion. The book treats of the weakness of human kind, and is in `
` little esteem, except among the women and the vulgar. However, I `
` was curious to see what an author of that country could say upon `
` such a subject. This writer went through all the usual topics of `
` European moralists, showing "how diminutive, contemptible, and `
` helpless an animal was man in his own nature; how unable to defend `
` himself from inclemencies of the air, or the fury of wild beasts: `
` how much he was excelled by one creature in strength, by another in `
` speed, by a third in foresight, by a fourth in industry." He `
` added, "that nature was degenerated in these latter declining ages `
` of the world, and could now produce only small abortive births, in `
` comparison of those in ancient times." He said "it was very `
` reasonable to think, not only that the species of men were `
` originally much larger, but also that there must have been giants `
` in former ages; which, as it is asserted by history and tradition, `
` so it has been confirmed by huge bones and skulls, casually dug up `
` in several parts of the kingdom, far exceeding the common dwindled `
` race of men in our days." He argued, "that the very laws of nature `
` absolutely required we should have been made, in the beginning of a `
` size more large and robust; not so liable to destruction from every `
` little accident, of a tile falling from a house, or a stone cast `
` from the hand of a boy, or being drowned in a little brook." From `
` this way of reasoning, the author drew several moral applications, `
` useful in the conduct of life, but needless here to repeat. For my `
` own part, I could not avoid reflecting how universally this talent `
` was spread, of drawing lectures in morality, or indeed rather `
`