verned by a female man, whom we called queen. That I left it to get riches, whereby I might maintain myfelf and family when I should return. That in my laft voyage I was commander of the ship, and had about fifty yaboos under me, many of which died at fea, and I was forced to fupply them by others picked out from feveral nations. That our ship was twice in danger of being funk; the first time by a great ftorm, and' the fecond by ftriking against a rock. Here my mafter interpofed, by afking me, how I could perfuade strangers out of different countries to venture with me, after the loffes I had fuftained, and the hazards I had run. I faid, they were fellows of defperate fortunes, forced to fly from the places of their birth on account of their poverty or their crimes. Some were undone by law-fuits; others fpent all they had in drinking, whoring, and gaming; others fled for treafon; many for murder, theft, poyfoning, robbery, perjury, forgery, coining falfe money, for committing rapes or fodomy; for flying from their colours, or deferting to the enemy, and most of them had broken prifon; none of these durft return to their native countries for fear of being hanged, or of starving in a jail; and therefore they were under a neceffity of feeking a livelihood in other pla ces. During this difcourfe, my mafter was pleafed to interrupt me feveral times; I had made ufe of many circumlocutions in defcribing to him the nature of the feveral crimes, for which most of our crew had been forced to fly their country. This labour took up feveral days converfation, before he was able to comprehend me. He was wholly at a lofs to know, what could be the ufe or neceffity of practising those vices. To clear up which, I endeavoured to give him fome ideas of the defire of power and riches; of the terrible effects of luft, intemperance, malice, and envy. All this I was forced to define and defcribe by putting cafes and making fuppofitions. After which, like one whofe imagination was ftruck with something never seen or heard of before, he would lift up his eyes with amazement and indignation. Power, government, war, law, punishment, and a thousand other things had no terms, wherein that language could express them; which made the difficulty almost infuperable to give my mafter any conception of what I meant. But being of an excellent understanding, much improved by contemplation and converse, he at last arrived at a competent knowledge of what human nature in our parts of the world is capable to perform, and defired I would give him fome particular account of that land, which we call Eu rope, but especially of my own country. CHAP. The author, at his mafter's commands, informs him of the state of England. The causes of war among the princes of Europe. The author begins to explain the English conftitution. T HE reader may please to obferve, that the following extract of many converíations I had with my mafter, contains a fummary of the most material points, which were difcourfed at feveral times for above two years; his honour often defiring fuller fatisfaction, as I farther improved in the Houyhnhnm tongue. I laid before him, as well as I could, the whole state of Europe; I discoursed of trade and manufactures, of arts and sciences; and the anfwers I gave to all the queftions he made as they arofe upon feveral fubjects, were a fund of converfation not to be exhaufted. But 1 fhall here only set down the substance of what paffed between us concerning my own country, reducing it into order as well as I can, without any regard to time or other circumftances, while I strictly adhere to truth. My only concern is, that I fhall hardly be able to do juftice to my mafter's arguments and expreffions, which must needs fuffer by my want of capacity, as well as by a tranflation into our barbarous English. In obedience therefore to his honour's commands, I related to him the revolution under the prince of Orange; the long war with France entered into by the faid prince and renewed by his fucceffor the prefent queen, wherein the greatest powers of Christendom were engaged, and which ftill continued: I computed, at his request, that about a million of yaboos might have been killed in the whole progrefs of it; and perhaps a hundred or more cities taken, and five times as many ships burnt or funk. He asked me, what were the usual causes or motives that made one country go to war with another. I answered they were innumerable; but I should only mention a few of the chief. Sometimes the ambition of princes, who never think they have land or people enough to govern. Sometimes the corruption of minifters, who engage their master in a war in order to ftifle or divert the clamour of the fubjects against their evil administration. Difference in opinions hath coft many millions of lives for inftance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether the juice of a certain berry be blood or wine; whether whiftling be a vice or a virtue'; whether it be better to kiss a poft, or throw it into the fire; what is the beft colour for a coat, whether black, white, red, or grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide, dirty or clean, a Tranfubftantiation. crofs. b Church-mufic. • Kiffing a with many more'. Neither are any wars fo furious and bloody, or of fo long continuance, as those occafioned by difference in opinion, efpecially if it be in things indifferent. Some Sometimes the quarrel between two princes is to decide, which of them fhall difpoffefs a third of his dominions, where neither of them pretend to any right. Sometimes one prince quarrelleth with another, for fear the other fhould quarrel with him. Sometimes a war is entered upon because the enemy is too strong; and fometimes because he is too weak. times our neighbours want the things which we have, or have the things which we want ; and we both fight, till they take ours, or give us theirs. It is a very juftifiable cause of a war, to invade a country after the people have been wafted by famine, deftroyed by pestilence, or embroiled by factions among themfelves. It is justifiable to enter into war against our nearest ally, when one of his towns lie convenient for us, or a territory of land, that would render our dominions round and compact. If a prince fends forces into a nation, where the people are poor and ignorant, he may lawfully put half of them to death, and make flaves of the reft, in order to civilize and reduce them from their barbarous way of living. It is a very kingly, honourable, and frequent practice, when one prince defires the affiftance of another to fecure him against an The colour and make of facred vestments, and different orders of popish ecclefiaftics, invafion, |