LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA SAN OlP.i^O ' V. JlitUuim iHint£cr or "llfOSN'A UNWERSI TV =''-|?'E'|>' 3077 \ 1822 00127 J\" 375/ St ^VMt»^ * BOHN'S STANDARD LIBRARY THE PROSE WORKS OF JONATHAN SWIFT VOL. VIII GEORGE BELL & SONS LONDON : YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN NEW YORK : 66, FIFTH AVENUE, AND BOMBAY: 53, ESPLANADE ROAD CAMBRIDGE : DEIGHTON, BELL & CO. THE PROSE WORKS OF JONATHAN SWIFT, D.D. EDITED BY TEMPLE SCOTT WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION BY THE RT. HON. W. E. H. LECKY, M.P. VOL VIII LONDON GEORGE BELL AND SONS 1899 CHISWICK PRESS ;—CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. GULLIVER'S TRAVELS BY JONATHAN SWIFT EDITED BY G. RAVENSCROFT DENNIS, B.A. Lond. LONDON GEORGE BELL AND SONS 1899 PREFACE " " text of the present edition of Gulliver's Travels THEis the result of a careful collation of all the early editions. Since Hawkesworth published his edition in the middle of the last century the text has been strangely neglected. Scott's edition differs from Hawkesworth's only in its additional inaccuracies and misprints, and one or other of these editions has been used almost invariably in reprints of the work. Yet Hawkesworth is anything but a trustworthy editor. He does not hesitate to alter his text where he thinks it requires correction, and his version pre- sents numerous slight variations for which no authority can be found. In the Introduction an account is given of the large " paper copy of the first edition of Gulliver," which belonged to Swift's friend, Charles Ford, and is now in the Forster Collection at South Kensington. The numerous alterations and additions made by Ford in this copy were taken from Swift's own list of corrections, and have all been adopted in the present edition. Besides the first and second editions, Faulkner's issue (Dublin, 1735), and the fourth and fifth editions (1742 and 1747) have been compared. Of these Faulkner's is not trustworthy, and the fourth and fifth editions, though said to be "corrected," have no specific authority. The variation in the different editions is so considerable, rather in quantity than quality, that it was found impossible to give every reading in the notes. This has, however, been done in a large number of cases, and Vlll PREFACE always where there was any doubt as to which version should be followed. " " A complete commentary on Gulliver would have been beyond the scope of this edition, but it is hoped that the historical and other notes will enable the ordinary reader to understand the allusions in the text. The geographical notes were suggested by some interesting remarks on the subject " by Sir Henry Craik in his Selections from Swift." For the rest, acknowledgment must be made of valuable help derived from the editions of Sir Walter Scott, Dr. J. F. Waller, and Dr. W. Cooke Taylor. The latter, published in 1840, with Grandville's illustrations, is the handsomest as well as the most learned that has yet appeared. Taylor's notes are admirable; it is surprising, however, to find that he had so little respect for the text that he did not scruple to alter, distort, or add to the opening sentences of nearly every chapter, in order to begin with the same letter as the French edition, for which Grandville's pictorial initial letters were originally designed. The more recent illus- trated editions are all expurgated to a very considerable extent, though the publishers do not seem to consider it their duty to mention the fact. The editor's thanks are due to Mr. F. Victor Dickins for the note on "trampling on the crucifix" (p. 225), to Mr. W. Spencer Jackson for much bibliographical research, and to Mr. Temple Scott for assistance and advice on many points. The portrait of Gulliver, the facsimiles of title-pages, and the maps and diagrams, have been reproduced from the large paper copy of the first edition in the British Museum. G. R. D. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction . xi Note on the Text of the Early Editions . xxvi Bibliographical Note xxx The Publisher to the Reader 3 A Letter from Captain Gulliver to his cousin Sympson 5 TRAVELS Part I. A Voyage to Lilliput 17 Part II. A Voyage to Brobdingnag . -87 Part III. A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan . -157 Part IV. A Voyage to the Country of the Houy- hnhnms 229 INTRODUCTION T^HE first edition of "Gulliver's Travels" was published -L in 1726, but we know that Swift was at work upon the book for many years previously. He caught the first hint, no doubt, at the meetings of the Scriblerus Club, in 1714, when, in conjunction with Pope, Gay, and Arbuthnot, he conceived the idea of writing a complete satire on the abuses of learning, to be comprised in the life and writings of Martinus Scriblerus. The Club, which was joined by Oxford, Bolingbroke, and Parnell, was dispersed, after a short existence, on the death of Queen Anne, and the " fragmentary Memoirs of Scriblerus," the work mainly of Arbuthnot and Pope, were not published till 1741. Swift probably intended "Gulliver" to form part of the "Me- moirs," in whichj indeed, the travels of Scriblerus are identified with those of Gulliver.^ But when the original scheme fell through and the friends were separated, the project of writing a satire in the guise of a book of travels, though put aside for the time, was not forgotten by Swift. As his cynicism and misanthropy grew upon him, the idea appealed to him more and more. A passage at the end of the work" suggests that it was begun about 1720. In " January, 1721, Bolingbroke writes: I long to see your ' ' " Travels and in an ; undated letter, written probably in 1720,^ Miss Vanhomrigh shows that she has seen part, at least, of the manuscript. After describing an assembly of "ladies and beaux" whose "forms and features were very " like those of baboons and monkeys," she continues, One ^ " Memoirs of Scriblerus," chap. xiii. - "Voyage to the Ilouyhnhnms," chap, xi., p. 301. It would be characteristic of Swift to date his hero's movements his own. See " by Mr. Leslie Stephen's article in the Dictionary of National Biography." ^ "Swift's Works," ed. Scott, 1824, vol. xix., p. 375. Xll INTRODUCTION of these animals snatched my fan, and was so pleased with me that it seized me with such a panic that I apprehended nothing less than being carried up to the top of the house ^ and served as a friend of yours was." A few years later " " ' writes : Your travels I hear much of Pope ; and Boling- " broke addresses a letter to Swift, Pope, and Gay, as the three Yahoos of Twickenham.^ Although the authorship of the book was perfectly well known, at least in the wide circle of Swift's friends, it was pubhshed anonymously, on October 28th, 1726, by Benjamin Motte,* and a considerable amount of mystery was " " attached to its production. Motte," writes Pope," received the copy, he tells me, he knew not from whence, nor from whom, dropped at his house in the dark from a hackney coach. By computing the time I found it was after you left England, so for my part I suspend my judgment." It pleased Swift's friends to humour his anonymity and keep up an affectation of ignorance on the matter. As a matter of fact, there seems to be no doubt that Pope was re- sponsible for the negotiations with the publisher, though he employed Erasmus Lewis as a go-between. In a letter to Pulteney, written some years afterwards, Swift says that he never " got a farthing by anything he wrote, except once, about eight years ago, and that was by Mr. Pope's prudent management for me."^ ^ See "Voyage to Brobdingnag," p. 124. ^ Pope to Swift, September 14th, 1725. ^ July 23rd, 1726. * " The following advertisement appeared in "The Daily Journal of October 28th, 1726. " Tills Day is Published Travels into several remote Nations of the World. By Lemuel first a Gulliver, Surgeon, afterwards Captain of Several Ships. In Two Volumes. Compositum jus, fasque animi, sanctosque recessus Mentis, & incoctum generoso pectus honesto. Printed for Benj. Motte, at the Middle Temple Gate, Fleet-street. N,B. There are a few printed on a Royal Paper." Similar advertisements appeared in "The Daily Post" of the same and in date, "The Evening Post" of October 27th-29th. '" Pope to Swift, November i6th, 1726. ^ Swift to Pulteney, May 12th, 1735. It is true that Pope expressly INTRODUCTION Xlll in Some interesting letters published by Dr. Taylor his " ' edition of Gulliver," throw light on this subject. The letters were in the possession of the Rev. Charles Bathurst Woodman, a grandson of Charles Bathurst, who was in first communication with the partnership with Motte. The publisher was the following : "London, August 8, 1726. " Sir, " My cousin, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, entrusted me some time ago with a copy of his Travels; whereof that which I here send you is about a fourth part, for I shortened to the reader. them very much, as you will find in my preface I have shown them to several persons of great judgment and distinction, who are confident they will sell very well. And volumes although some parts of this and the following may be thought in one or two places to be a little satyrical, yet but in that must it is agreed they will give no offence, you of and judge for yourself, and take the advice your friends, if they or you be of another opinion, you may let me know I shall be in it when you return these papers, which expect three days at furthest.