UTEL [ History of English | English Composition | Literary Authors | Literary Works | Literary Criticism ]
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Gulliver's Travels (1726) |
Jonathan Swift |
| 1 | THE Luggnuggians are a polite and generous People, and although they are not without some share of that Pride which is peculiar to all Eastern Countries, yet they shew themselves courteous to Strangers, especially such who are countenanced by the Court. I had many Acquaintance among Persons of the best Fashion, and being always attended by my Interpreter, the Conversation we had was not disagreeable. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ONE Day in much good Company I was asked by a Person of Quality, whether I had seen any of their Struldbrugs or Immortals. I said I had not, and desired he would explain to me what he meant by such an Appellation applyed to a mortal Creature. He told me, that sometimes, though very rarely, a Child happened to be born in a Family with a red circular Spot in the Forehead, directly over the left Eyebrow, which was an infallible Mark that it should never dye. The Spot, as he described it, was about the compass of a Silver Threepence, but in the course of Time grew larger, and changed its Colour; for at twelve Years old it became Green, so continued till five and Twenty, then turned to a deep Blue; at Five and Forty it grew coal Black, and as large as an English Shilling, but never admitted any farther Alteration. He said these Births were so rare, that he did not believe there could be above Eleven Hundred Struldbrugs of both Sexes in the whole Kingdom, of which he computed about fifty in the Metropolis, and among the rest a young Girl born about three Years ago. That these Productions were not peculiar to any Family but a meer effect of Chance, and the Children of the Struldbruggs themselves, were equally mortal with the rest of the People. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | I freely own my self to have been struck with inexpressible Delight upon hearing this Account: And the Person who gave it me happening to understand the Balnibarbian Language, which I spoke very well, I could not forbear breaking out into expressions perhaps a little too Extravagant. I cryed out as in a Rapture; Happy Nation where every Child hath at least a chance for being immortal! Happy People who enjoy so many living Examples of antient Virtue, and have Masters ready to instruct them in the Wisdom of all former Ages! But, happiest beyond all comparison are those excellent Struldbruggs, who born exempt from that universal Calamity of human Nature, have their Minds free and disingaged, without the weight and depression of Spirits caused by the continual Apprehension of Death. I discovered my Admiration that I had not observed any of these illustrious Persons at Court: the black Spot on the Fore-head, being so remarkable a Distinction, that I could not have easily overlooked it: And it was impossible that his Majesty, a most Judicious Prince, should not provide himself with a good number of such wise and able Councellours. Yet perhaps the Virtue of those Reverend Sages was too strict for the Corrupt and Libertine Manners of a Court. And we often find by Experience that young Men are too opinionative and volatile to be guided by the sober Dictates of their Seniors. However, since the King was pleased to allow me Access to his Royal Person, I was resolved upon the very first occasion to deliver my Opinion to him on this Matter freely, and at large by the help of my Interpreter; and whether he would please to take my Advice or no, yet in one thing I was determined, that his Majesty having frequently offered me an Establishment in this Country, I would with great thankfulness accept the Favour, and pass my Life here in the Conversation of those superiour Beings the Struldbruggs, if they would please to admit me. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | THE Gentleman to whom I addressed my Discourse, because (as I have already observed) he spoke the Language of Balnibarbi, said to me with a sort of a Smile, which usually ariseth from Pity to the Ignorant, that he was glad of any occasion to keep me among them, and desired my Permission to explain to the Company what I had spoke. He did so, and they talked together for some time in their own Language, whereof I understood not a Syllable, neither could I observe by their Countenances what impression my Discourse had made on them. After a short Silence the same Person told me, that his Friends and mine (so he thought fit to express himself) were very much pleased with the judicious Remarks I had made on the great Happiness and Advantages of immortal Life, and they were desirous to know in a particular manner, what Scheme of Living I should have formed to my self, if it had fallen to my Lot to have been born a Struldbrugg. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | I answered, it was easy to be Eloquent on so copious and delightful a Subject, especially to me who have been often apt to amuse my self with Visions of what I should do if I were a King, a General, or a great Lord: And upon this very Case I had frequently run over the whole System how I should employ my self, and pass the time if I were sure to live for ever. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | THAT, if it had been my good Fortune to come into the World a Struldbrugg, as soon as I could discover my own Happiness by understanding the difference between Life and Death, I would first resolve by all Arts and Methods whatsoever to procure my self Riches. In the pursuit of which by Thrift and Management, I might reasonably expect in about two Hundred Years, to be the Wealthiest Man in the Kingdom. In the second place, I would from my earliest Youth apply myself to the study of Arts and Sciences, by which I should arrive in time to excel all others in Learning. Lastly I would carefully record every Action and Event of Consequence that happened in the Publick, impartially draw the Characters of the several Successions of Princes, and great Ministers of State, with my own Observations on every Point. I would exactly set down the several changes in Customs, Languages, Fashions, Dress, Dyet and Diversions. By all which Acquirements, I should be a living Treasury of Knowledge and Wisdom, and certainly become the Oracle of the Nation. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | I would never marry after threescore, but live in an hospitable manner, yet still on the saving side. I would entertain myself in forming and directing the Minds of hopeful young Men, by convincing them from my own Remembrance, Experience and Observation, fortified by numerous Examples, of the usefulness of Virtue in publick and private Life. But, my Choice and constant Companions should be a sett of my own immortal Brother-hood, among whom I would elect a dozen from the most Ancient down to my own Contemporaries. Where any of these wanted Fortunes, I would provide them with convenient Lodges round my own Estate, and have some of them always at my Table, only mingling a few of the most valuable among you Mortals, whom length of Time would harden me to lose with little or no Reluctance, and treat your Posterity after the same manner, just as a Man diverts himself with the Annual Succession of Pinks and Tulips in his Garden, without regretting the loss of those which withered the preceeding Year. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | THESE Struldbruggs and I would mutually communicate our Observations and Memorials through the Course of Time; remark the several Gradations by which Corruption steals into the World, and oppose it in every step, by giving perpetual Warning and Instruction to Mankind; which, added to the strong Influence of our own Example, would probably prevent that continual Degeneracy of Human Nature so justly complained of in all Ages. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | ADD to all this the pleasure of seeing the various Revolutions of States and Empires, the Changes in the lower and upper World, antient Cities in Ruins, and obscure Villages become the Seats of Kings. Famous Rivers lessening into shallow Brooks, the Ocean leaving one Coast dry, and overwhelming another: The Discovery of many Countries yet unknown. Barbarity over-running the politest Nations, and the most barbarous become civilized. I should then see the Discovery of the Longitude, the perpetual Motion, the Universal Medicine, and many other great Inventions brought to the utmost Perfection. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | WHAT wonderful Discoveries should we make in Astronomy, by outliving and confirming our own Predictions, by observing the Progress and Returns of Comets, with the changes of Motion in the Sun, Moon and Stars. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | I enlarged upon many other Topicks which the natural desire of endless Life and sublunary Happiness could easily furnish me with. When I had ended, and the Sum of my Discourse had been interpreted as before, to the rest of the Company, there was a good deal of Talk among them in the Language of the Country, not without some Laughter at my Expence. At last the same Gentleman who had been my Interpreter said, he was desired by the rest to set me right in a few Mistakes, which I had fallen into through the common Imbecillity of human Nature, and upon that allowance was less answerable for them. That, this Breed of Struldbruggs was peculiar to their Country, for there were no such People either in Balnibarbi or Japan, where he had the Honour to be Embassador from his Majesty, and found the Natives in both these Kingdoms very hard to believe that the Fact was possible, and it appeared from my Astonishment when he first mentioned the matter to me, that I received it as a thing wholly new, and scarcely to be credited. That in the two Kingdoms above mentioned, where during his Residence he had conversed very much, he observed long Life to be the universal Desire and Wish of Mankind. That whoever had one Foot in the Grave, was sure to hold back the other as strongly as he could. That the eldest had still hopes of living one Day longer, and looked on Death as the greatest Evil, from which Nature always prompted him to retreat; only in this Island of Luggnagg, the Appetite for living was not so eager, from the continual Example of the Struldbruggs before their Eyes. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 |
THAT the System of Living contrived
by me was unreasonable and unjust, because it supposed a Perpetuity of Youth,
Health, and Vigour, which no Man
could be so foolish to hope, however
extravagant he may be in his Wishes.
That the Question therefore was not
whether a Man would chuse to be always in the Prime of Youth, attended
with Prosperity and Health, but how
he would pass a perpetual Life under all
the usual Disadvantages which old Age
brings along with it. For although few
Men will avow their Desires of being
immortal upon such hard Conditions,
yet in the two Kingdoms before-menti| 13 |
AFTER this Preface he gave me a
particular Account of the Struldbruggs
among them. He said they commonly
acted like Mortals, till about thirty
Years old, after which by degreees they
grew melancholy and dejected, encreasing
in both till they came to four-score. This
he learned from their own Confession;
for otherwise there not being above two
or three of that Species born in an Age,
were too few to form a general Observation by. When they came to fourscore Years, which is reckoned the Extremity of living in this Country, they
had not only all the Follies and Infirmities of other old Men, but many
more which arose from the dreadful Prospects of never dying. They were not
only Opinionative, Peevish, Covetous,
Morose, Vain, Talkative, but uncapable
of Friendship, and dead to all natural
Affection, which never descended below their Grand-children. Envy and
impotent Desires are their prevailing
Passions. But those Objects against
which their Envy seems principally directed, are the Vices of the younger sort,
and the Deaths of the old. By reflecting on the former, they find themselves
cut off from all possibility of Pleasure;
and whenever they see a Funeral, they
lament and repine that others are gone
to an Harbour of Rest, to which they
themselves never can hope to arrive.
They have no Remembrance of any
thing but what they learned and observed
in their Youth and middle Age, and
even that is very imperfect. And for the
Truth or Particulars of any Fact, it is
safer to depend on common Traditions
than upon their best Recollections. The
least miserable among them appear
to be those who turn to Dotage, and
entirely lose their | 14 |
IF a Struldbrugg happen to marry one
of his own kind, the Marriage is dissolved of course by the Courtesy of the
Kingdom, as soon as the younger of the
two come to be four-score. For the
Law thinks it a reasonable Indulgence,
that those who are condemned without
any Fault of their own to a perpetual
Continuance in the World, should not
have their Misery doubled by the Load
of a Wife.
| 15 |
As soon as they have compleated the
| 16 |
AT Ninety they lose their Teeth and
Hair, they have at that age no Distinction of Taste, but eat and drink
whatever they can get, without Relish
or Appetite. The Diseases they were
subject to still continuing without encreasing or diminishing. In talking
they forgot the common Appellation of
things, and the Names of Persons, even
of those who are their nearest Friends
and Relations. For the same reason
they never can amuse themselves with
reading, because their Memory will not
serve to carry them from the beginning
of a Sentence to the end; and by this
Defect they are deprived of the only
Entertainment whereof they might otherwise be capable.
| 17 |
THE Language of this Country being always upon the Flux, the Struldbruggs of one Age do not understand
those of another, neither are they able
after two hundred Years to hold any
Conversation (farther than by a few
general Words) with their Neighbours
the Mortals, and thus they lye under the
Disadvantage of living like Foreigners in
their own Country.
| 18 |
THIS was the Account given me of
the Struldbruggs, as near as I can remember. I afterwards saw five or six of
different Ages, the youngest not above
two hundred Years old, who were
brought | 19 |
THEY are | 20 |
THEY were the most mortifying
Sight I ever beheld, and the Women
more horrible than the Men. Besides
the usual Deformities in extreme OldAge, they acquired an additional Ghastliness in proportion to their number of
Years, which is not to be described, and
among half a Dozen I soon distinguished which was the eldest, although there
was not above a Century or two between them.
| 21 |
THE Reader will easily believe, that
from what I had heard and seen, my
keen Appetite for perpetuity of Life
was much abated. I grew heartily
ashamed of the pleasing Visions I
had formed, and thought no Tyrant
could invent a Death into which I
would not run with Pleasure from such
a Life. The King heard of all that had
passed between me and my Friends upon this Occasion, and rallied me very
pleasantly, wishing I would send a Couple of Struldbruggs to my own Country,
to arm our People against the Fear of
Death; but this it seems is forbidden by
the fundamental Laws of the Kingdom,
or else I should have been well content
with the trouble and expence of transporting them.
| 22 |
I COULD not but agree that the
Laws of this Kingdom, relating to the
Struldbruggs, were founded upon the
strongest Reasons, and such as any other
Country would be under the Necessity
of enacting in the like Circumstances.
Otherwise, as Avarice is the necessary
Consequent of old-Age, those Immortals
would in time become Proprietors of
the whole Nation, and engross the Civil Power, which, for want of Abilities
to manage, must end in the Ruin of
the Publick.
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UTEL [ History of English | English Composition | Literary Authors | Literary Works | Literary Criticism ]