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voice and manner of the Houyhnhnms, and hear myfelf ridiculed on that account without the leaft mortification.

In the midft of all this happiness, and when I looked upon myself to be fully fettled for life, my mafter fent for me one morning a little earlier than his ufual hour. I obferved by his countenance, that he was in fome perplexity, and at a lofs how to begin what he had to fpeak. After a fhort filence, he told me, he did not know how I would take what he was going to fay; that in the laft general affembly, when the affair of the yahoos was entered upon, the reprefentatives had taken offence at his keeping a yahoo (meaning myfelf,) in his family, more like a Houyhnhnm, than a brute animal. That he was known frequently to converfe with me, as if he could receive fome advantage or pleafure in my company: that such a practice was not agreeable to reason or nature, or a thing ever heard of before among them. The affembly did therefore exhort him either to employ me like the rest of my fpecies, or command me to fwim back to the place from whence I came: That the firft of thefe expedients was utterly rejected by all the Houyhnhnmis, who had ever feen me at his houfe or their own: for they alledged, that because I had fome rudiments of reason, added to the natural pravity of those animals, it was to be feared, I might be able to feduce them into the woody and mountainous parts of the country, and bring them in troops by night to deAroy the Houyhnhnms cattle, as being naturally of the ravenous kind, and averfe from labour.

My mafter added, that he was daily preffed by the Houyhnhnms of the neighbourhood to have the affembly's exhortation executed, which he could not put off much longer. He doubted it would be impoffible for me to fwim to another country ; and therefore wished I would contrive fome fort of vehicle refembling thofe I had defcribed to him, that

might carry me on the fea : in which work I fhould have the affiftance of his own fervants, as well as thofe of his neighbours. He concluded, that, for his own part, he could have been content to keep me in his fervice as long as I lived; because he found I had cured myself of fome bad habits and difpofitions, by endeavouring, as far as my inferior nature was capable, to imitate the Hoyuhnhnms.

I fhould here obferve to the reader, that a decree of the general affembly in this country is expreffed by the word hnhloayn, which fignifies an exhortation as near as I can render it; for they have no conception how a rational creature may be compelled, but only advised, or exhorted; because no perfon can difobey reafon without giving up his claim to be a rational creature.

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I was ftruck with the utmost grief and defpair at my master's difcourfe and being unable to fupport the agonies I was under, I fell into a fwoon at his feet when I came to myself, he told me, that he concluded I had been dead (for thefe people are fubject to no fuch imbecilities of nature). I answered, in a faint voice, that death would have been too great an happiness; that although I could not blame the affembly's exhortation, or the urgency of his friends; yet, in my weak and corrupt judgement, I thought it might confift with reafon to be lefs rigorous: that I could not fwim a league, and probably the neareft land to theirs might be diftant above an hun-* dred that many materials neceffary for making a finali veffel to carry me off, were wholly wanting in this country, which however I would attempt in obedience and gratitude to his honour, although I -concluded the thing to be impoffible, and therefore looked on myself as already devoted to deftruction: that the certain profpect of an unnatural death was the leaft of my evils: for fuppofing I fhould escape with life by fome ftrange adventure, how could I

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think with temper of paffing my life among yahoos and relapfing into my old corruptions for want of examples to lead and keep me within the paths of virtue that I knew too well, upon what folid reafons all the determinations of the wife Houyhnhnms were founded, not to be fhaken by arguments of mine, a miferable yahoo; and therefore, after prefenting him with my humble thanks for the offer of his fervants affiftance in making a veffel, and defiring a reasonable time for fo difficult a work, I told him I would endeavour to preserve a wretched being; and if, ever I returned to England, was not without hopes of being useful to my own fpecies, by celebrating the praifes of the renowned Houyhnhnms, and proposing their virtues to the imitation of mankind.

My mafter, in a few words, made a very gracious reply, allowed me the fpace of two months to finifh my boat, and ordered the forrel nag, my fellow fervant (for fo at this distance I may prefume to call him), to follow my instructions; because I told my mafter, that his help would be fufficient, and I knew he had a tenderness for me.

In his company, my firft business was to go to that part of the coaft, where my rebellious crew had ordered me to be fet on fhore. I got upon a height, and looking on every fide into the fea, fan. cied I faw a fmall Ifland towards the N. E. I took out my pocket-glafs, and could then clearly diftinguifh it about five leagues off, as I computed; but it appeared to the forrel nag to be only a blue cloud for as he had no conception of any country befide his own,fo he could not be asexpert in diftinguithing remote objects at fea, as we who fo much converfe in that element.

After I had discovered this ifland, I confidered no farther; but refolved, it fhould, if poffible, be the firft place of my banifhment, leaving the confequence to fortune.

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I returned home, and confulting with the forrelnag, we went into a copfe at fome diftance, where I with my knife, and he with a fhort flint, fastened very artificially after their manner to a wooden handle, cut down several oak-wattles, about the thicknefs of a walking-ftaff, and fome larger pieces. But I shall not trouble the reader with a particular defcription of my own mechanics; let it fuffice to fay, that in fix weeks time, with the help of the forrel nag, who performed the parts that required moft labour, I finished a fort of Indian canoe, but much larger, covering it with the skins of yahoos well ftitched together with hempen threads of my own making. My fail was likewife compofed of the skins of the fame animal; but I made ufe of the youngest I could get, the older being too tough and thick; and I likewife provided myself with four paddles. I laid in a stock of boiled flesh, of rabbets and fowls; and took with me two veffels, one filled with milk, and the other with water.

I tried my canoe in a large pond near my mafter's house, and then corrected in it what was amiss ; ftopping all the chinks with yahoo's tallow, till I found it ftaunch and able to bear me and my freight. And, when it was as complete as I could poffibly make it, I had it drawn on a carriage very gently by yahoos to the fea-fide, under the conduct of the forrel-nag, and another fervant.

When all was ready, and the day came for my departure, I took leave of my mafter and lady, and the whole family, mine eyes flowing with tears, and my heart quite funk with grief. But his honour, out of curiofity, and perhaps (if I may fpeak it without vanity), partly out of kindness, was derermined to fee me in my canoe; and got feveral of his neighbouring friends to accompany him. I was forced to wait above an hour for the tide, and then obferving the wind very fortunately bearing towards the island to which I intended to fteer my courfe, I VOL. V.

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took a fecond leave of my master: but, as I was going to proftrate myself to kifs his hoof, he did me the honour to raise it gently to my mouth. I am not ignorant how much I have been cenfured for mentioning this last particular, Detractors are pleafed to think it improbable, that fo illuftrious a perfon fhould defcend to give fo great a mark of diftinction to a creature fo inferior as 1. Neither have I forgotten how apt fome travellers are to boast of extraordinary favours they have received. But, if thefe cenfurers were better acquainted with the noble and courteous difpofition of the Houyhnhnms, they would foon change their opinion.

I paid my respects to the reft of the Houyhnhnms in his honour's company; then getting into my canoe, I pushed off from fhore.

CHAP. XI.

He arrives at New

The author's dangerous voyage. Holland, hoping to fettle there. Is wounded with an arrow by one of the natives. Is feized and carried by force into a Portgueze fhip. The great ci vilities of the captain. The author arrives at England.

BEGAN this defperate voyage on February 15,

1714-15, at 9 o'clock in the morning. The wind was very favourable; however I made ufe at firft only of my paddles; but confidering I fhould foon be weary, and that the wind might chop about, I ventured to fet up my little fail; and thus, with the help of the tide, I went at the rate of league and a half an hour, as near as I could guess. My mafter and his friends continued on the fhore,

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