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in his country to fay the thing which was not? affured him, I had almost forgot what he meant by falfehood, and, if I had lived a thousand years in Houyhnhnm-land, I fhould never have heard a lye from the meaneft fervant; that I was altogether indifferent whether he believed me or no; but however, in return for his favours, I would give fo much allowance to the corruption of his nature, as to answer any objection he would please to make and then he might easily discover the truth.

The captain a wife man, after many endeavours to catch me tripping in fome part of my ftory, at laft began to have a better opinion of my veracity. But he added, that, fince I profeffed fo inviolable an attachment to truth, I must give him my word and honour to bear him company in this vayage, without attempting any thing against my life, or elfe he would continue me a prisoner till we arrived at Lisbon. I gave him the promise he required; but at the fame time protefted, that I would fuffer the greatest hardships, rather than return to live among yahoos.

Our voyage paffed without any confiderable accident. In gratitude to the captain, I fometimes fat with him at his earnest request, and ftrove to conceal my antipathy against human kind, although it often broke out; which he suffered to pafs without obfervation. But the greatest part of the day I confined myself to my cabbin, to avoid feeing any of the crew. The captain had often intreated me to ftrip myself of my favage drefs, and offered to lend me the best fuit of cloaths he had. This I would not be prevailed on to accept, abhorring to cover myfelt with any thing that had been on the back of a yahoo. I only defired he would lend me two clean fhirs, which, having been wafhed fince he wore them, I believed would not fo much defile me. Thefe I changed every fecond day, and washed them myself.

We

We arrived at Lisbon, Nov. 5. 1715. At our landing, the captain forced me to cover myfelf with his cloak, to prevent the rabble from crouding about me. I was conveyed to his own house; and at my earnest request he led me up to the highest room backwards. I conjured him to conceal from all perfons what I had told him of the Houyhnhnms; becaufe the leaft hint of such a ftory would not only draw numbers of people to fee me, but probably put me in danger of being imprifoned or burnt by the inquifition. The captain perfuaded me to accept a fuit of cloaths newly made; but I would not fuffer the taylor to take my measure, However, Don Pedro being almoft of my fize, they fitted me well enough. He ac coutred me with other ncceffaries, all new, which I aired for twenty-four hours, before I would use them.

The captain had no wife, nor above three fervants, none of which were fuffered to attend at meals; and his whole deportment was fo obliging, added to very good human understanding, that I really began to tolerate his company. He gained fo far upon me, that I ventured to look out of the back window. By degrees I was brought into another room, from whence I peeped into the ftreet, but drew my head back in a fright. In a week's time he feduced me down to the door. I found my terror gradually leffened, but my hatred and contempt feemed to increafe. I was at laft bold enough to walk the ftreet in his company, but kept my nofe well ftopped with rue, or fometimes with tobacco.

In ten days, don Pedro, to whom I had given fome account of my domeftic affairs, put it upon me as a matter of honour and confcience, that I ought to return to my native country, and live at home with my wife and children. He told me, there was an English fhip in the port just ready to

fail, and he would furnish me with all things neceffary. It would be tedious to repeat his arguments, 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 pass my time in a manner as reclufe as I pleased.

I complied at laft, 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 close 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 fafe to my house at Rotherhithe.

My wife and family received me with great furprize and joy, because they concluded me certainly dead; but I muft freely confefs the fight of them filled me only with hatred, difguft, 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 myfelf to tolerate the fight of yahoos, and to converfe with Don Pedro de Mendez, yet my memory and imagination were perpetually filledwith the virtues and ideas of thofe exalted Houyh: nhnms. 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 ut moft shame, confufion, and horror.

As foon as I entered the houfe, 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 swoon for almost an

hour.

hour. At the time I am writing, it is five years fince my laft 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-horfes, which I keep in a good ftable, 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, fhould be known to pofterity. Swift.

CHAP.

L

CHAP. XII *.

The author's veracity. His defign in publishing this. work. His cenfure of thefe travellers who fwerve from the truth. The author clears himself from any finifter ends in writing. An objection anfwered. 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.

HUS, gentle reader, I have given thee a faith

THUS

ful hiftory of my travels for fixteen years and above feven months; wherein I have not been fo studious of ornament as of truth. I could perhaps, like others, have aftonished thee with ftrange im•* probable tales; but I rather chofe to relate plain matter of fact in the fimpleft manner aud ftyle; because 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 chap'er, 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 passed 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 cen'uring critic,) is, to fhew the world, that I would fcorn to approve, through thick and thin, the works of the most approved, confummate genius, in defpite to that little knowledge which I have endeavoured to acquire, as a direction to my own tafte and judgement. Swift.

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