Gullivers Travels

Gulliver's Travels

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by Jonathan Swift)
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Title: Gulliver's Travels
Author: Jonathan Swift
Release Date: February, 1997 [EBook #829] [This file was first posted on February 20,
1997] [Most recently updated: May 29, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS ***

Transcribed from the 1892 George Bell and Sons edition by David Price, email
[email protected]

Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World by Jonathan Swift

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

[As given in the original edition.]
The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend;
there is likewise some relation between us on the mother's side. About three years ago,
Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his
house in Redriff, made a small purchase of land, with a convenient house, near Newark,
in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where he now lives retired, yet in good esteem
among his neighbours.
Although Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, where his father dwelt, yet I have
heard him say his family came from Oxfordshire; to confirm which, I have observed in
the churchyard at Banbury in that county, several tombs and monuments of the Gullivers.
Before he quitted Redriff, he left the custody of the following papers in my hands, with
the liberty to dispose of them as I should think fit. I have carefully perused them three
times. The style is very plain and simple; and the only fault I find 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 so distinguished for his veracity, that it
became a sort of proverb among his neighbours 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, hoping they 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 to strike out
innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and
bearings in the several voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management
of the ship in storms, in the style of sailors; likewise the account of longitudes and
latitudes; wherein I have reason to apprehend, that Mr. Gulliver may be a little
dissatisfied. But I was resolved to fit the work as much as possible to the general capacity
of readers. However, if my own ignorance in sea affairs shall have led me to commit
some mistakes, I alone am answerable for them. And if any traveller hath a curiosity to
see the whole work at large, 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 receive satisfaction
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, that by your
great and frequent urgency you prevailed on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect
account of my travels, with directions to hire some young gentleman of either university
to put them in order, and correct the style, as my cousin Dampier did, by my advice, in
his book called "A Voyage round the world." But I do not remember I gave you power to
consent that