my Sovereign's Name, it never came once into my Thoughts; and if it had, yet as my Affairs then ftood, I fhould perhaps in Point of Prudence and Self-Preservation, have put it off to a better Opportunity. HAVING thus anfwered the only Objection that can be raised against me as a Traveller; I here take a final Leave of my courteous Readers, and return to enjoy my own Speculations in my little Garden at Redriff; to apply thofe excellent Leffons of Virtue which I learned among the Houyhnhnms; to inftruct the Taboos of my own Family as far as I fhall find them docible Animals; to behold my Figure often in a Glafs, and thus, if poffible, habituate my felf, by Time, to tolerate the Sight of a human Creature: To lament the Brutality of Houybnbnms in my own Country, but always treat their Perfons with Refpect, for the Sake of my noble Mafter, his Family, his Friends, and the whole Houyhnhnm Race, whom thefe of ours have the Honour to resemble in all their Lineaments, however their Intellectuals came to degenerate. 1 I BEGAN laft Week to permit, my Wife to fit at Dinner with me, at the fartheft End of a long Table; and to anfwer (but with the utmoft Brevity) the few Questions I asked her. Yet the Smell of a Taboo continuing very offenfive, I always keep my Nose well topped 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 fome Time to fuffer a Neighbour Taboo in my Company, without the Apprehenfions I am yet under of his Teeth or his Claws. My Reconcilement to the Taboo Kind in general might not be fo difficult, if they would be content with those Vices and Follies only which Nature hath hath entitled them to. I am not in the leaft provoked at the Sight of a Lawyer, a Pick-pocket, a Colonel, a Fool, a Lord, a Gamester, a Politician, a Whoremonger, a Physician, an Evidence, a Suborner, an Attorney, a Traytor, or the like: This is all according to the due Course of Things: But, when I behold a Lump of Deformity, and Dif eases both in Body and Mind, fmitten with Pride, it immediately breaks all the Meafures of my Patience; neither shall I be ever able to comprehend how fuch an Animal and fuch a Vice could tally together. The wife and virtuous Houyhnhnms, who abound in all Excellencies that can adorn a rational Creature, have no Name for this Vice in their Language, which hath no Terms to exprefs any Thing that is evil, except thofe whereby they defcribe the deteftable Qualities of their Yaboos; a mong which they were not able to diftinguish this of Pride, for want of thoroughly understanding humane Nature, as it fheweth it felf in other Countries, where that Animal prefides. But I, who had more Experience, could plainly obferve fome Rudiments of it among the wild Yaboos. BUT the Houyhnhnms, who live under the Government of Reafon, are no more proud of the good Qualities they poffefs, than I fhould be for not wanting a Leg or an Arm, which no Man in his Wits would boast of, although he must be miferable without them. I dwell the longer upon this Subject from the Defire I have to make the Society of an English Yahoo by any Means not infupportable; and therefore, I here intreat thofe who have any Tincture of this abfurd Vice, that they will not presume to appear in my Sight. FINI S. VOL. III. Bb The The three following Poems were written, as we are informed, by Doctor ARBUTHNOT, Mr. POPE; and Mr. GAY. |