GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

Into Several Remote Regions of the World

by

JONATHAN SWIFT, D.D.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Thomas M. Balliet
Superintendent of Schools, Springfield, Mass.

With Thirty-Eight Pictures and a Map

PART I: A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

PART II: A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

D.C. Heath & Co., Publishers
Boston, New York, Chicago

1900

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PREFACE

*And lo! the book, from all its end beguiled,
A harmless wonder to some happy child.*
—LORD LYTTON

Gulliver's Travels was first published in 1726. The author didn't write it for children, but kids quickly took a liking to it. Ever since, they have loved it as one of their favorite story books. Children may not understand why the book was written, and they may miss the hidden joke, or satire (a way of poking fun at something serious), that runs through the story. But they still enjoy the amazing adventures. They follow along, wide-eyed with wonder, into new worlds dreamed up by an author with a powerful and clever imagination.

The stories about the voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag carry a meaning and a lesson that go beyond the hidden political joke. Even the youngest reader will understand this lesson without much help from a teacher.

For young readers, this book feels a bit like Robinson Crusoe mixed with a fairy tale. It is written simply, the story moves along plainly, and it grabs a child's imagination. Older readers and grown-ups enjoy it mostly for its sharp, clever humor about serious topics. Because of this, people of many ages and interests can enjoy the book—from a ten-year-old child to a grown adult.

This edition mostly matches the original book from 1726–27. We updated the punctuation and capital letters, changed a few old-fashioned words, and broke the text into more paragraphs. We left out a few parts that might upset modern readers or that aren't right for children. We also added some notes to explain old or confusing words.

As a book used in schools, these stories work well for students from fifth or sixth grade through the end of grammar school.

—THOMAS M. BALLIET

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CONTENTS

VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

Chapter I. The author tells about himself and his family, and what made him want to travel. His ship wrecks, and he swims to save his life. He reaches the shore safely in the land of Lilliput. He is captured and taken inland.

Chapter II. The emperor of Lilliput visits the author, along with important nobles. The emperor's looks and habits are described. Wise men are chosen to teach the author their language. He wins favor by being gentle. His pockets are searched, and his sword and pistols are taken away.

Chapter III. The author entertains the emperor and his nobles in a very unusual way. The fun activities at the Lilliput court are described. The author is granted his freedom, but only if he follows certain rules.

Chapter IV. Mildendo, the capital city of Lilliput, is described, along with the emperor's palace. The author talks with a top official about the empire's business. The author offers to help the emperor in his wars.

Chapter V. Using a clever trick, the author stops an invasion. He receives a high honor. Messengers arrive from the emperor of Blefuscu asking for peace.

Chapter VI. This chapter describes the people of Lilliput—their knowledge, laws, customs, and how they raise their children. It also tells how the author lived there, and how he defended an important lady.

Chapter VII. The author learns that some people plan to accuse him of a serious crime against the state. He escapes to Blefuscu and is welcomed there.

Chapter VIII. By a lucky chance, the author finds a way to leave Blefuscu. After some trouble, he makes it safely back to his home country.

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LIST OF FULL-PAGE PICTURES

• "He commanded his generals to draw up the troops"
• Map of Lilliput and Blefuscu
• "I lay all this while ... in great uneasiness"
• "Producing his credentials"
• "These gentlemen made an exact inventory"
• "Her imperial majesty was pleased to smile very graciously upon me"
• "And created me a nardac upon the spot"
• "Three hundred tailors were employed"
• "The happiness ... of dining with me"
• "He desired I would hear him with patience"
• "I set sail ... at six in the morning"

AND TWENTY-THREE SMALLER PICTURES IN THE TEXT.

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CONTENTS

A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

Chapter I. A big storm hits the ship. A small boat is sent to get water, and the author goes along to explore. He is left behind on shore, captured by one of the giant people who live there, and brought to a farmer's house. This chapter describes what happens there and what the people look like.

Chapter II. This chapter describes the farmer's daughter. The author is taken to a market town, and then to the capital city. The details of his trip are told.

Chapter III. The author is called to the royal court. The queen buys him from the farmer and gives him to the king. He argues with the king's top scholars. He is given a room at court and becomes a favorite of the queen. He defends the honor of his home country and gets into a fight with the queen's small assistant.

Chapter IV. This chapter describes the country, suggests fixes for modern maps, and describes the king's palace and the capital city. It tells how the author travels and describes the main temple.

Chapter V. Several adventures happen to the author. A criminal is executed. The author shows off his sailing skills.

Chapter VI. The author comes up with clever ways to please the king and queen. He shows off his musical skill. The king asks about life in Europe, and the author tells him. The king shares his thoughts on what he hears.

Chapter VII. The author's love for his home country shows. He offers the king a helpful plan, but the king turns it down. This chapter shows how little the king knows about government matters. It also covers the country's limited knowledge, its laws, and its military.

Chapter VIII. The king and queen travel to the edge of their kingdom, and the author goes with them. This chapter carefully explains how the author leaves the country and returns to England.

NOTE

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LIST OF FULL-PAGE PICTURES

• "They concluded I was only Relplum Sealcath"
• Map of Brobdingnag
• "A huge creature walking ... on the sea"
• "Whereupon the huge creature trod short"
• "I drew my hanger to defend myself"
• "I called her my Glumdalclitch"
• "Flourished after the manner of fencers in England"
• "This gracious princess held out her little finger"
• "She carried me to the king"
• "I could only revenge myself by calling him brother"
• "The smaller birds did not appear to be at all afraid of me"
• "Gave me a gale with their fans"
• "The most violent exercise I ever underwent"
• "You have made an admirable panegyric"
• "She had some foreboding"
• "Somebody calling in the English tongue"
• "My daughter kneeled, but I could not see her"

AND TWELVE SMALLER PICTURES IN THE TEXT.

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A NOTE FROM THE FIRST PUBLISHER TO THE READER

The author of these travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my old and close friend. We are also related through our mothers' side of the family. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver grew tired of curious people visiting him at his house in Redriff. So he bought a small piece of land with a house near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, where he was born. He now lives there quietly, well liked by his neighbors.

Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, where his father lived. But I've heard him say his family originally came from Oxfordshire. This seems true, since I've seen several Gulliver family tombs and monuments in the churchyard at Banbury, a town in that county.

Before he left Redriff, Mr. Gulliver gave me these papers to keep, and told me I could do with them as I saw fit. I have read them carefully three times. The writing style is plain and simple. My only complaint is that, like many travelers, the author includes a few too many small details. Still, the whole story feels honest and true. In fact, Mr. Gulliver was known for being so truthful that his neighbors in Redriff had a saying: when someone wanted to prove something was true, they'd say it was "as true as if Mr. Gulliver had said it."

Several respected people read these papers with the author's permission, and they encouraged me to share them with the world. I hope they will provide better entertainment, at least for a while, than the usual writings about politics and arguing between groups.

This book would have been twice as long if I hadn't cut out many passages about winds, tides, and the ship's exact direction and position during the voyages. I also removed detailed descriptions of how sailors handled the ship during storms, as well as information about longitude and latitude (used for figuring out exact locations at sea). Mr. Gulliver might not be happy about these cuts, but I wanted to make the book easy for all kinds of readers to enjoy. If I made any mistakes because I don't know much about sailing, that's my fault alone. Anyone curious to see the complete original work can ask me, and I'll gladly share it.

For more details about the author, readers will find answers in the very first pages of the book.

—RICHARD SYMPSON

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TRAVELS

PART I: A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

CHAPTER I

The author tells about himself and his family, and what made him want to travel. His ship wrecks, and he swims to save his life. He reaches shore safely in the land of Lilliput. He is captured and taken inland.

My father owned a small piece of land in Nottinghamshire. I was the third of his five sons. When I was fourteen, he sent me to Emmanuel College in Cambridge, where I studied hard for three years. But paying for my education cost too much for our family's modest income, even though I lived very cheaply. So I became an apprentice to Mr. James Bates, a well-known surgeon in London, and worked with him for four years. My father sent me small amounts of money now and then, and I used it to study navigation (the science of guiding ships) and other math skills useful for travelers—since I always believed I would travel someday.

When I finished working with Mr. Bates, I went home to my father. With help from him, my uncle John, and some other relatives, I gathered forty pounds. I was also promised thirty pounds a year to help pay for my studies at Leyden. There, I studied medicine for two years and seven months, knowing it would help me on long voyages.

Soon after I returned from Leyden, my kind teacher Mr. Bates recommended me as a ship's surgeon on the Swallow, commanded by Captain Abraham Pannell. I worked there for three and a half years, sailing once or twice to the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean region) and other places. When I came home, I decided to settle down in London. Mr. Bates encouraged this and introduced me to several patients. I rented part of a small house...