SUMMARY : The Author relates several Particulars of the Yahoos. The great Virtues of the Houyhnhnms. The Education and Exercise of their Youth. Their general Assembly.

 AS I OUGHT to have understood Human Nature much better than I supposed it possible for my Master to do, so it was
easy to apply the Character he gave of the Yahoos to myself and my Countrymen, and I believed I could yet make farther
Discoveries from my own Observation. I therefore often begged his Favour to let me go among the Herds of Yahoos in the
Neighbourhood, to which he always very graciously consented, being perfectly convinced that the Hatred I bore those Brutes,
would never suffer me to be corrupted by them; and his Honour ordered one of his Servants, a strong Sorrel Nag, very honest
and good-Natured, to be my Guard, without whose Protection I durst not undertake such Adventures. For I have already told
the Reader how much I was pestered by those odious Animals upon my first Arrival. And I afterwards failed three or four times
of very narrowly of falling into their Clutches, when I happened to stray at any Distance without my Hanger. And I have Reason
to believe they had some Imagination that I was of their own Species, which I often assisted myself, by stripping up my sleeves,
and shewing my naked Arms, and Breast in their sight, when my Protector was with me. At which times they would approach
as near as they durst, and imitate my Actions, after the manner of Monkeys, but ever with great Signs of Hatred; as a tame
Jack-Daw with Cap and Stockings, is always persecuted by the wild ones, when he happens to get among them.

 They are prodigiously nimble from their Infancy; however, I once caught a young Male of three Years old, and endeavoured
by all Marks of Tenderness to make it quiet; but the little Imp fell a squalling, and scratching, and biting with such Violence, that
I was forced to let it go; and it was high time, for a whole Troop of old ones came about us at the Noise, but finding the Cub
was safe, (for away it ran) and my Sorrel Nag being by, they durst not venture near us. I observed the young Animal's Flesh to
smell very rank, and the stink was somewhat between a Weasel and a Fox, but much more disagreeable. I forgot another
Circumstance (and perhaps I might have the Reader's pardon if it were wholly omitted), that while I held the odious Vermin in
my Hands, it voided its filthy Excrements of a Yellow liquid Substance, all over my Cloaths; but by good Fortune there was a
small Brook hard by, where I washed myself as clean as I could, although I durst not come into my Master's Presence, until I
were sufficiently aired.

 By what I could discover, the Yahoos appear to be the most unteachable of all Animals, their Capacities never reaching higher
than to draw or carry Burthens. Yet I am of Opinion this Defect ariseth chiefly from a perverse, restive Disposition. For they
are cunning, malicious, treacherous and revengeful. They are strong and hardy, but of a cowardly Spirit, and by consequence,
insolent, abject, and cruel. It is observed that the Red-haired of both Sexes are more libidinous and mischievous than the rest,
whom yet they much exceed in Strength and Activity.

 The Houyhnhnms keep the Yahoos for present use in Huts not far from the House; but the rest are sent abroad to certain
Fields, where they dig up Roots, eat several kinds of Herbs, and scratch about for Carrion, or sometimes catch Weasels and
Luhimuhs (a Sort of wild Rat) which they greedily devour. Nature hath taught them to dig deep Holes with their Nails on the
Side of a rising Ground, wherein they lie by themselves, only the Kennels of the Females are larger, sufficient to hold two or
three Cubs.

 They swim from their Infancy like Frogs, and are able to continue long under Water, where they often take Fish, which the
Females carry home to their Young. And upon this Occasion, I hope the Reader will pardon my relating an odd Adventure.

 Being one Day abroad with my Protector, the Sorrel Nag, and the Weather exceeding hot, I entreated him to let me bathe in a
River that was near. He consented, and I immediately stripped myself stark naked, and went down softly into the Stream. It
happened that a young Female Yahoo standing behind a Bank, saw the whole Proceeding, and enflamed by Desire, as the Nag
and I conjectured, came running with all Speed, and leaped into the Water, within five Yards of the Place where I bathed. I
was never in my Life so terribly frighted; the Nag was grazing at some Distance, not suspecting any Harm. She embraced me
after a most fulsome Manner; I roared as loud as I could, and the Nag came galloping towards me, whereupon she quitted her
Grasp, with the utmost Reluctancy, and leaped upon the opposite Bank, where she stood gazing and howling all the time I was
putting on my Cloaths.

 This was matter of Diversion to my Master and his Family, as well as of Mortification to myself. For now I could no longer
deny, that I was a real Yahoo, in every Limb and Feature, since the Females had a natural Prophensity to me as one of their
own Species. Neither was the Hair of this Brute of a Red Colour (which might have been some Excuse for an Appetite a little
irregular), but Black as a Sloe, and her Countenance did not make an Appearance altogether so hideous as the rest of the
Kind; for, I think, she could not be above eleven Years old.

 Having already lived three Years in this Country, the Reader I suppose will expect that I should, like other Travellers, give him
some Account of the Manners and customs of its Inhabitants, which it was indeed my principal Study to learn.

 As these Noble Houyhnhnms are endowed by Nature with a general Disposition to all Virtues, and have no Conceptions or
Ideas of what is Evil in a rational Creature, so their grand Maxim is, to cultivate Reason, and to be wholly governed by it.
Neither is Reason among them a Point problematical as with us, where Men can argue with Plausibility on both sides of the
Question; but strikes you with immediate Conviction; as it must needs do where it is not mingled, obscured, or discoloured by
Passion and Interest. I remember it was with extreme Difficulty that I could bring my Master to understand the Meaning of the
Word Opinion, or how a Point could be disputable; because Reason taught us to affirm or deny only where we are certain,
and beyond our Knowledge we cannot do either. So that Controversies, Wranglings, Disputes, and Positiveness in false or
dubious Propositions are Evils unknown among the Houyhnhnms. In the like Manner when I used to explain to him our several
Systems of Natural Philosophy, he would laugh that a Creature pretending to Reason should value itself upon the Knowledge
of other Peoples Conjectures, and in Things, where that Knowledge, if it were certain, could be of no Use. Wherein he agreed
entirely with the Sentiments of Socrates, as Plato delivers them; which I mention as the highest Honour I can do that Prince of
Philosophers. I have often since reflected what Destruction such a Doctrine would make in the Libraries of Europe, and how
many Paths to Fame would be then shut up in the Learned World.

 Friendship and Benevolence are the two principal Virtues among the Houyhnhnms, and these not confined to particular
Objects, but universal to the whole Race. For a Stranger from the remotest Part is equally treated with the nearest Neighbour,
and wherever he goes, looks upon himself as at home. They preserve Decency and Civility in the highest Degrees, but are
altogether ignorant of Ceremony. They have no Fondness for their Colts or Foles, but the Care they take in educating them
proceeds entirely from the Dictates of Reason. And I observed my Master to shew the same Affection to his Neighbour's Issue
that he had for his own. They will have it that Nature teaches them to love the whole Species, and it is Reason only that maketh
a Distinction of Persons, where there is a superior Degree of Virtue.

 When the matron Houyhnhnms have produced one of each Sex, they no longer accompany with their Consorts, except they
lose one of their Issue by some Casualty, which very seldom happens: But in such a Case they meet again; or when the like
Accident befalls a Person whose Wife is past bearing, some other Couple bestow on him one of their own Colts, and then go
together again till the Mother is pregnant. This Caution is necessary to prevent the Country from being overburthened with
Numbers. But the Race of inferior Houyhnhnms bred up to be Servants is not so strictly limited upon this Article; These are
allowed to produce three of each Sex, to be Domesticks in the Noble Families.

 In their Marriages they are exactly careful to choose such Colours as will not make any disagreeable Mixture in the Breed.
Strength is chiefly valued in the Male, and Comeliness in the Female, not upon the account of Love, but to preserve the Race
from degenerating; for where a Female happens to excel in Strength, a Consort is chosen with regard to Comeliness.
Courtship, Love, Presents, Joyntures, Settlements, have no place in their Thoughts, or Terms whereby to express them in their
Language. The young Couple meet and are joyned, merely because it is the Determination of their Parents and Friends: It is
what they see done every Day, and they look upon it as one of the necessary Actions of a Rational Being. But the Violation of
Marriage, or any other Unchastity, was never heard of: And the married Pair pass their Lives with the same Friendship, and
mutual Benevolence that they bear to all others of the same Species, who come in their way; without Jealousy, Fondness,
Quarrelling, or Discontent.

 In educating the Youth of both Sexes, their Method is admirable, and highly deserves our Imitation. These are not suffered to
Taste a Grain of Oats, except upon certain Days, till Eighteen Years old; nor Milk, but very rarely; and in Summer they graze
two Hours in the Morning, and as long in the Evening, which their Parents likewise observe, but the Servants are not allowed
above half that time, and a great Part of their Grass is brought home, which they eat at the most convenient Hours, when they
can be best spared from work.

 Temperance, Industry, Exercise and Cleanliness, are the Lessons equally enjoyned to the young ones of both Sexes: And
my Master thought it monstrous in us to give the Females a different kind of Education from the Males, except in some Articles
of Domestick Management; whereby, as he truly observed, one half of our Natives were good for nothing but bringing Children
into the World: And to trust the Care of our Children to such useless Animals, he said, was yet a greater Instance of Brutality.

 But the Houyhnhnms train up their Youth to Strength, Speed, and Hardiness, by exercising them in running Races up and
down steep Hills, and over hard and stony Grounds, and when they are all in a Sweat, they are ordered to leap over Head and
Ears, into a Pond or a River. Four times a Year the Youth of a certain District meet to shew their Proficiency in Running, and
Leaping, and other Feats of Strength and Agility; where the Victor is rewarded, with a Song made in his or her Praise. On this
Festival the Servants drive a Herd of Yahoos into the Field, laden with Hay, and Oats, and Milk, for a repast to the
Houyhnhnms; after which these Brutes are immediately driven back again, for Fear of being noisome to the Assembly.

 Every fourth Year, at the Vernal Equinox, there is a Representative Council of the whole Nation, which meets in a Plain about
twenty Miles from our House, and continues about five or six Days. Here they enquire into the State and Condition of the
several Districts, Whether they abound or be deficient in Hay or Oats, or Cows or Yahoos? and wherever there is any Want
(which is seldom) it is immediately supplied by unanimous Consent and Contribution. Here likewise the Regulation of Children
is settled: As for instance, if a Houyhnhnm hath two Males, he changeth one of them with another that hath two Females: And
when a Child hath been lost by any Casualty, where the Mother is past Breeding, it is determined what Family in the District
shall breed another to supply the Loss.