Gulliver’s Travels

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.[As given in the original edition.]The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimatefriend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother’s side. Aboutthree years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious peoplecoming to him at his house in Redriff, made a small purchase of land, with aconvenient house, near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where henow lives retired, yet in good esteem among his neighbours.Although Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, where his father dwelt, yet Ihave heard him say his family came from Oxfordshire; to confirm which, I haveobserved in the churchyard at Banbury in that county, several tombs andmonuments of the Gullivers.Before he quitted Redriff, he left the custody of the following papers in myhands, with the liberty to dispose of them as I should think fit. I have carefullyperused them three times. The style is very plain and simple; and the only fault Ifind is, that the author, after the manner of travellers, is a little too circumstantial.There is an air of truth apparent through the whole; and indeed the author was sodistinguished for his veracity, that it became a sort of proverb among hisneighbours at Redriff, when any one affirmed a thing, to say, it was as true as if Mr.Gulliver had spoken it.By the advice of several worthy persons, to whom, with the author’s permission,I communicated these papers, I now venture to send them into the world, hopingthey may be, at least for some time, a better entertainment to our young noblemen,than the common scribbles of politics and party.This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold tostrike out innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to thevariations and bearings in the several voyages, together with the minutedescriptions of the management of the ship in storms, in the style of sailors;likewise the account of longitudes and latitudes; wherein I have reason toapprehend, that Mr. Gulliver may be a little dissatisfied. But I was resolved to fit thework as much as possible to the general capacity of readers. However, if my ownignorance in sea affairs shall have led me to commit some mistakes, I alone amanswerable for them. And if any traveller hath a curiosity to see the whole work atlarge, as it came from the hands of the author, I will be ready to gratify him.As for any further particulars relating to the author, the reader will receivesatisfaction from the first pages of the book.RICHARD SYMPSON.A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN GULLIVER TO HIS COUSIN SYMPSON.Written in the Year 1727.I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall be called to it, thatby your great and frequent urgency you prevailed on me to publish a very looseand uncorrect account of my travels, with directions to hire some young gentlemanof either university to put them in order, and correct the style, as my cousinDampier did, by my advice, in his book called “A Voyage round the world.” But I donot remember I gave you power to consent that any thing should be omitted, andmuch less that any thing should be inserted; therefore, as to the latter, I do hererenounce every thing of that kind; particularly a paragraph about her majestyQueen Anne, of most pious and glorious memory; although I did reverence andesteem her more than any of human species.