CHAPTER VIII.

The king and queen make a progress to the frontiers—­The Author attends them—­The manner in which he leaves the country very particularly related—­He returns to England

NOTE

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List of full-page illustrations.

    “They concluded I was only Relplum Sealcath”
     Map of Brobdingnag
    “A huge creature walking ... on the sea”
    “Whereupon the huge creature trod short”
    “I drew my hanger to defend myself”
    “I called her my Glumdalclitch”
    “Flourished after the manner of fencers in England”
    “This gracious princess held out her little finger”
    “She carried me to the king”
    “I could only revenge myself by calling him brother”
    “The smaller birds did not appear to be at all afraid of me”
    “Gave me a gale with their fans”
    “The most violent exercise I ever underwent”
    “You have made an admirable panegyric”
    “She had some foreboding”
    “Somebody calling in the English tongue”
    “My daughter kneeled, but I could not see her”

And twelve smaller ones in the text.

THE FIRST PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

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,[1] made a small purchase of land, with a convenient house, near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, his native county, where he now lives retired, yet in good esteem among his neighbors.

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 neighbors 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 than the common scribbles about politics and party.