格列佛游记

CONTENTS

Listof Illustrations

Abbreviations

Introduction

Noteon the Text

SelectBibliography

AChronology of Jonathan Swift

GULLIVER’STRAVELS

Advertisement

ALetter from Capt. Gulliver to his Cousin Sympson

ThePublisher to the Reader

AVoyage to Lilliput

AVoyage to Brobdingnag

AVoyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan

AVoyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms

ExplanatoryNotes

CHAPTER ONE

The Authorgiveth some Account of himself and Family; his first Inducements to travel. Heis shipwrecked, and swims for his Life; gets safe on shoar in the CountryofLilliput; is made a Prisoner, and carried up the Country.

Myfather had a small Estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the Third of five Sons. Hesent me to Emanuel-Collegein Cambridge,at Fourteen Years old, where I resided three Years, and applied myself close tomy Studies: But the Charge of maintaining me (although I had a very scantyAllowance) being too great for a narrow Fortune; I was bound Apprentice to MrJames Bates, an eminent Surgeon in London, with whom I continued four Years;and my Father now and then sending me small Sums of Money, I laid them out inlearning Navigation, and other Parts of the Mathematicks, useful to those whointend to travel, as I always believed it would be some time or other myFortune to do. When I left Mr Bates, I went down to my Father; where, by theAssistance of him and my Uncle John, and some other Relations, I got FortyPounds, and a Promise of Thirty Pounds a Year to maintain me at Leyden: There Istudied Physick two Years and seven Months, knowing it would be useful in long Voyages.

Soonafter my Return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good Master Mr Bates, tobe Surgeon to the Swallow, Captain Abraham PannellCommander; with whom Icontinued three Years and a half, making a Voyage or two into the Levant, and some other Parts. When I came back, Iresolved to settle in London,to which Mr Bates, my Master, encouraged me; and by him I was recommended toseveral Patients. I took Part of a small House in the Old Jury; and beingadvised to alter my Condition, I married Mrs Mary Burton, second Daughter to MrEdmond Burton, Hosier, in Newgate-street, with whom I received four Hundred Poundsfor a Portion.

But,my good Master Bates dying in two Years after, and I having few Friends, myBusiness began to fail; for my Conscience would not suffer me to imitate thebad Practice of too many among my Brethren. Having therefore consulted with myWife, and some of my Acquaintance, I determined to go again to Sea. I wasSurgeon successively in two Ships, and made several Voyages, for six Years, to theEastand West-Indies; by which I got some Addition to my Fortune. My Hours of LeisureI spent in reading the best Authors, ancient and modern; being always providedwith a good Number of Books; and when I was ashore, in observing the Mannersand Dispositions of the People, as well as learning their Language; wherein I hada great Facility by the Strength of my Memory.

Thelast of these Voyages not proving very fortunate, I grew weary of the Sea, andintended to stay at home with my Wife and Family. I removed from the Old JurytoFetter-Lane, and from thence to Wapping, hoping to get Business among theSailors; but it would not turn to account. After three Years Expectation thatthings would mend, I accepted an advantageous Offer from Captain William Prichard,Master of the Antelope, who was making a Voyage to the South-Sea. We set sail fromBristol,May4th,1699, and our Voyage at first was very prosperous.

Itwould not be proper for some Reasons, to trouble the Reader with theParticulars of our Adventures in those Seas: Let it suffice to inform him, thatin our Passage from thence to the East-Indies, we were driven by a violentStorm to the North-west of Van Diemen’s Land. By an Observation, we foundourselves in the Latitude of 30Degrees 2Minutes South. Twelve of our Crew weredead by immoderate Labour, and ill Food; the rest were in a very weak Condition.On the fifth of November, which was the beginning of Summer in those Parts, theWeather being very hazy, the Seamen spyed a Rock, within half a Cable’s length ofthe Ship; but the Wind was so strong, that we were driven directly upon it, andimmediately split. Six of the Crew, of whom I was one, having let down the Boatinto the Sea, made a Shift to get clear of the Ship, and the Rock. We rowed bymy Computation, about three Leagues, till we were able to work no longer, beingalready spent with Labour while we were in the Ship. We therefore trustedourselves to the Mercy of the Waves; and in about half an Hour the Boat wasoverset by a sudden Flurry from the North. What became of my Companions in theBoat, as well as of those who escaped on the Rock, or were left in the Vessel,I cannot tell; but conclude they were all lost. For my own Part, I swam asFortune directed me, and was pushed forward by Wind and Tide. I often let myLegs drop, and could feel no Bottom: But when I was almost gone, and able tostruggle no longer, I found myself within my Depth; and by this Time the Stormwas much abated. The Declivity was so small, that I walked near a Mile before Igot to the Shore, which I conjectured was about Eight o’Clock in the Evening. Ithen advanced forward near half a Mile, but could not discover any Sign ofHouses or Inhabitants; at least I was in so weak a Condition, that I did notobserve them. I was extremely tired, and with that, and the Heat of theWeather, and about half a Pint of Brandy that I drank as I left the Ship, Ifound my self much inclined to sleep. I lay down on the Grass, which was veryshort and soft; where I slept sounder than ever I remember to have done in myLife, and as I reckoned, above Nine Hours; for when I awaked, it was justDay-light. I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: For as I happened tolie on my Back, I found my Arms and Legs were strongly fastened on each Side tothe Ground; and my Hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the sameManner. I likewise felt several slender Ligatures across my Body, from myArmpits to my Thighs. I could only look upwards; the Sun began to grow hot, andthe Light offended mine Eyes. I heard a confused Noise about me, but in thePosture I lay, could see nothing except the Sky. In a little time I feltsomething alive moving on my left Leg, which advancing gently forward over myBreast, came almost up to my Chin; when bending mine Eyes downwards as much asI could, I perceived it to be a human Creature not six Inches high, with a Bowand Arrow in his Hands, and a Quiver at his Back. In the mean time, I felt atleast Forty more of the same Kind (as I conjectured) following the first. I wasin the utmost Astonishment, and roared so loud, that they all ran back in aFright; and some of them, as I was afterwards told, were hurt with the Falls theygot by leaping from my Sides upon the Ground. However, they soon returned; andone of them, who ventured so far as to get a full Sight of my Face, lifting uphis Hands and Eyes by way of Admiration, cryed out in a shrill, but distinctVoice, Hekinah Degul: The others repeated the same Words several times, but Ithen knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, as the Reader may believe,in great Uneasiness: At length, struggling to get loose, I had the Fortune tobreak the Strings, and wrench out the Pegs that fastened my left Arm to theGround; for, by lifting it up to my Face, I discovered the Methods they hadtaken to bind me; and, at the same time, with a violent Pull, which gave meexcessive Pain, I a little loosened the Strings that tied down my Hair on theleft Side; so that I was just able to turn my Head about two Inches. But theCreatures ran offa second time, before I could seize them; whereupon there wasa great Shout in a very shrill Accent; and after it ceased, I heard one of themcry aloud, Tolgo Phonac; when in an Instant I felt above an Hundred Arrowsdischarged on my left Hand, which pricked me like so many Needles; and besides,they shot another Flight into the Air, as we do Bombs in Europe; whereof many,I suppose, fell on my Body, (though I felt them not) and some on my Face, whichI immediately covered with my left Hand. When this Shower of Arrows was over, Ifell a groaning with Grief and Pain; and then striving again to get loose, theydischarged another Volly larger than the first; and some of them attempted withSpears to stick me in the Sides; but, by good Luck, I had on me a BuffJerkin,which they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent Method to lie still;and my Design was to continue so till Night, when my left Hand being alreadyloose, I could easily free myself: And as for the Inhabitants, I had Reason tobelieve I might be a Match for the greatest Armies they could bring against me,if they were all of the same Size with him that I saw. But Fortune disposedotherwise of me.