SUMMARY :  The Author's Veracity. His Design in publishing this Work. His Censure of those Travellers who swerve from the Truth. The Author clears himself of any sinister Ends in writing. An Objection Answered. The Method of planting Colonies. His Native Country commended. The Right of the Crown to those Countries described by the Author is justified. the Difficulty of conquering them. The Author takes his last leave of the Reader: proposeth his Manner of Living for the future, gives good Advice, and concludes.

 THUS, GENTLE READER, I have given thee a faithful History of my Travels for Sixteen Years, and above Seven
Months; wherein I have not been so studious of Ornament as Truth. I could perhaps like others have astonished you with
strange improbable Tales; but I rather chose to relate plain Matter of Fact in the simplest Manner and Style, because my
principal Design was to Inform, and not to amuse thee.

 It is easy for us who travel into remote Countries, which are seldom visited by Englishmen or other Europeans, to form
Descriptions of wonderful Animals both at Sea and Land. Whereas a Traveller's chief Aim should be to make Men wiser and
better, and to improve their Minds by the bad as well as good Example of what they deliver concerning foreign Places.

 I could heartily wish a Law was enacted, that every Traveller before he were permitted to publish his Voyages, should be
obliged to make Oath before the Lord High Chancellor that all he intended to print was absolutely true to the best of his
Knowledge; for then the World would no longer be deceived as it usually is, while some Writers, to make their Works pass the
better upon the Publick, impose the grossest Falsities on the unwary Reader. I have perused several Books of Travels with
great Delight in my younger Days; but having since gone over most Parts of the Globe, and been able to contradict many
fabulous Accounts from my own Observation, it hath given me a great Disgust against this Part of Reading, and some
Indignation to see the Credulity of Mankind so impudently abused. Therefore since my Acquaintances were pleased to think
my poor Endeavours might not be unacceptable to my Country, I imposed on myself as a Maxim, never to be swerved from,
that I would strictly adhere to Truth; neither indeed can I be ever under the least temptation to vary from it, while I retain in
my Mind the Lectures and Example of my Noble Master, and the other Illustrious Houyhnhnms, of whom I had so long the
Honour to be a humble Bearer.

      ---Nec si miserum Fortuna Sinonem
     Finxit, vanum etiam, mendacemque improba finget.

 I know very well how little Reputation is to be got by Writings which require neither Genius nor Learning, nor indeed any other
Talent, except a good Memory, or an exact Journal. I know likewise, the Writers of Travels, like Dictionary-Makers, are
sunk into Oblivion by the Weight and Bulk of those who come after, and therefor lie uppermost. And it is highly probable, that
such Travellers who shall hereafter visit the Countries described in this Work of mine, may, by detecting my Errors, (if there be
any) and adding many new Discoveries of their own, justle me out of Vogue, and stand in my Place, making the World forget
that I was ever an Author. This indeed would be too great a Mortification if I wrote for Fame: But, as my sole Intention was the
PUBLICK GOOD, I cannot be altogether disappointed. For who can read of the Virtues I have mentioned in the Glorious
Houyhnhnms, without being ashamed of his own Vices, when he considers himself as the reasoning, governing Animal of his
Country? I shall say nothing of those remote Nations where Yahoos preside amongst which the least corrupted are the
Brobdingnagians, whose wise Maxims in Morality and Government, it would be our Happiness to observe. But I forbear
descanting farther, and rather leave the Judicious Reader to his own Remarks and Applications.

 I am not a little pleased that this work of mine can possibly meet with no Censurers: For what Objections can be made against
a Writer who relates only plain Facts that happened in such distant Countries, where we have not the least Interest with respect
either to Trade or Negotiations? I have carefully avoided every Fault with which common Writers of Travels are often too justly
charged. Besides, I meddle not with any Party, but write without Passion, Prejudice, or Ill-will against any Man or number of
Men whatsoever. I write for the noblest End, to inform and instruct Mankind, over whom I may, without Breach of Modesty,
pretend to some Superiority from the Advantages I received by conversing so long among the most accomplished
Houyhnhnms. I write without any View towards Profit or Praise. I never suffer a Word to pass that may look like Reflection,
or possibly give the least Offence even to those who are most ready to take it. So that I hope I may with Justice pronounce
myself an Author perfectly blameless, against whom the Tribes of Answerers, Considerers, Observers, Reflecters, Detecters,
Remarkers will never be able to find matter for exercising their Talents.

 I confess, it was whispered to me, that I was bound in Duty as a Subject of England, to have given in a Memorial to a
Secretary of State at my first coming over; because whatever Lands are discovered by a Subject, belong to the Crown. But I
doubt whether our Conquests in the Countries I treat of, would be as easy as those of Ferdinando Cortez over the naked
Americans. The Lilliputians I think are hardly worth the Charge of a Fleet and Army to reduce them, and I question whether
it might be prudent or safe to attempt the Brobdingnagians. Or whether an English Army would be much at their Ease with
the Flying Island over their Heads. The Houyhnhnms, indeed, appear not to be so well prepared for War, a Science to which
they are perfect Strangers, and especially against missive weapons. However, supposing myself to be a Minister of State, I
could never give my Advice for invading them. Their Prudence, Unanimity, Unacquaintedness with Fear, and their Love of their
Country would amply supply all Defects in the Military Art. Imagine Twenty thousand of them breaking into the midst of an
European Army, confounding the Ranks, overturning the Carriages, battering the Warriors' Faces into Mummy, by terrible
Yerks from their hinder Hoofs. For they would well deserve the Character given to Augustus; Recalcitrat undique tutus. But
instead of Proposals for conquering that magnanimous Nation, I rather wish they were in a Capacity or Disposition to send a
sufficient Number of their Inhabitants for civilizing Europe, by teaching us the first Principles of Honour, Truth, Temperance,
Publick Spirit, Fortitude, Chastity, Benevolence, and Fidelity. The Names of all which Virtues are still retained among us in
Languages, and are to be met with in modern as well as ancient Authors, which I am able to assert from my own small Reading.

 But I had another Reason which made me less forward to enlarge his Majesty's Dominions by my Discovery. To say the Truth,
I had conceived a few Scruples with Relation to the Distributive Justice of Princes upon those Occasions. For instance, A
Crew of Pyrates are driven by a Storm they know not whither, at length a boy discovers Land from the Top-mast, they go on
Shore to Rob and Plunder; they see an harmless People, are entertained with Kindness, they give the Country a new Name,
they take formal Possession of it for their King, they set up a rotten Plank or a Stone for a Memorial, they murder two or three
Dozen of the Natives, bring away a couple more by Force for a Sample, return Home, and get their Pardon. Here commences
a new Dominion acquired with a Title by Divine Right. Ships are sent with the first Opportunity, the Natives driven out or
destroyed, their Princes tortured to discover their Gold; a free Licence given to all Acts of Inhumanity and Lust, the Earth
reeking with the Blood of its Inhabitants: And this execrable Crew of Butchers employed in so pious an Expedition, is a
modern Colony sent to convert and civilize an idolatrous and barbarous People.

 But this Description, I confess, doth by no Means affect the British Nation, who may be an Example to the whole World for
their Wisdom, Care, and Justice in Planting Colonies; their liberal Endowments for the Advancement of Religion and Learning;
their Choice of devout and able Pastors to propagate Christianity, their Caution in stocking their Provinces with People of
sober Lives and Conversations from this the Mother Kingdom; their strict regard to the Distribution of Justice in supplying the
Civil Administration through all their Colonies with Officers of the greatest Abilities, utter Strangers to Corruption; and to crown
all, by sending the most Vigilant and Virtuous Governors, who have no other Views than the Happiness of the People over
whom they preside, and the Honour of the King their Master.

 But, as those Countries which I have described do not appear to have any Desire of being conquered, and enslaved, murdered
or driven out by Colonies, nor abound either in Gold, Silver, Sugar, or Tobacco; I did humbly conceive they were by no
Means proper Objects of our Zeal, our Valour, or our Interest. However, if those whom it may concern, think fit to be of
another Opinion, I am ready to depose, when I shall be lawfully called, That no European did ever visit these Countries before
me. I mean, if the Inhabitants ought to be believed; unless a dispute may arise about the two Yahoos, said to have been seen
many Ages ago on a Mountain in Houyhnhnm-land, from whence the Opinion is, that the Race of those Brutes hath
descended; and these, for anything I know, may have been English, which indeed I was apt to suspect from the Lineaments of
their Posterity's Countenances, although very much defaced. But, how far that will go to make out a Title, I leave to the
Learned in Colony-Law.

 But as to the Formality of taking Possession in my Sovereign's Name, it never came once into my Thoughts; and if it had, yet
as my Affairs then stood, I should perhaps in point of Prudence and Self-preservation have put it off to a better Opportunity.

 Having thus answered the only Objection that can ever be raised against me as a Traveller, I here take a final Leave of all my
Courteous Readers, and return to enjoy my own Speculations in my little Garden at Redriff, to apply those excellent Lessons of
Virtue which I learned among the Houyhnhnms, to instruct the Yahoos of my own Family as far as I shall find them docile
Animals; to behold my Figure often in a Glass, and thus if possible habituate myself by time to tolerate the sight of a human
Creature: To lament the Brutality of Houyhnhnms in my own Country, but always treat their Persons with respect, for the sake
of my noble Master, his Family, his Friends, and the whole Houyhnhnm Race, whom these ours have the Honour to resemble
in all their Lineaments, however their Intellectuals came to degenerate.

 I began last Week to permit my Wife to sit at Dinner with me, at the farthest End of a long Table, and to answer (but with the
utmost Brevity) the few Questions I ask'd her. Yet the Smell of a Yahoo continuing very offensive, I always keep my Nose well
stopt with Rue, Lavender, or Tobacco-leaves. And although it be hard for a Man late in Life to remove old Habits, I am not
altogether out of Hopes in some time to suffer a Neighbour Yahoo in my Company without the Apprehensions I am yet under
of his Teeth or his Claws.

 My Reconcilement to the Yahoo-kind in general might not be so difficult if they would be content with those Vices and Follies
only, which Nature has entitled them to. I am not in the least provoked at the Sight of a Lawyer, a Pick-pocket, a Colonel, a
Fool, a Lord, a Gamester, a Politician, a Whore-Master, a Physician, an Evidence, a Suborner, an Attorney, a Traitor, or the
like: This is all according to the due Course of Things: But when I behold a Lump of Deformity, and Diseases both in Body and
Mind, smitten with Pride, it immediately breaks all the Measures of my Patience; neither shall I be ever able to comprehend
how such an Animal and such a Vice could tally together. The wise and virtuous Houyhnhnms, who abound in all Excellencies
that can adorn a Rational Creature, have no Name for this Vice in their Language, which has no Terms to express anything that
is Evil, except those whereby they describe the detestable Qualities of their Yahoos, among which they were not able to
distinguish this of Pride, for want of thoroughly understanding Human Nature, as it sheweth itself in other Countries, where that
Animal presides. But I, who had more Experience, could plainly observe some Rudiments of it among the wild Yahoos.

 But the Houyhnhnms, who live under the Government of Reason, are no more proud of the good Qualities they possess, than
I should be for not wanting a Leg or an Arm, which no Man in his Wits would boast of, although he must be miserable without
them. I dwell the longer upon this Subject from the Desire I have to make the Society of an English Yahoo by any Means not
insupportable, and therefore I here entreat those who have any Tincture of this absurd Vice, that they will not presume to come
in my sight.

                                                                               FINIS