bis Leader. He ufually continues in Office until a worse can be found; but the very Moment he is discarded, his Succeffor, at the Head of all the Yaboos in that District, young and old, Male and Female, come in a Body, and discharge their Excrements upon him from Head to Foot. But, how far this might be applicable to our Courts and Favourites, and Minifters of State, my Master said I could beft determine.

I DURST make no Return to this malicious Infinuation, which debafed human Understanding below the Sagacity of a common Hound, who hath Judgment enough to diftinguish and follow the Cry of the ableft Dog in the Pack, without being ever mistaken.

My Mafter told me, there were fome Qualities remarkable in the Yaboos, which he had not obferved me to mention, or at leaft very flightly, in the Accounts I had given him of human Kind. He faid, those Animals, like other Brutes, had their Females in common; but in this they differed, that the She-Yahoo would admit the Male, while fhe was pregnant; and that the Hees would quarrel and fight with the Females as fiercely as with each other. Both which Practices were fuch Degrees of infamous Brutality, that no other fenfitive Creature ever arrived at.

ANOTHER Thing he wondered at in the Yaboos, was their strange Difpofition to Naftiness and Dirt; whereas there appears to be a natural Love of Cleanlinefs in all other Animals. As to the two former Accufations, I was glad to let them pafs without any Reply, because I had not a Word to offer upon them in Defence of my Species, which otherwife I certainly had done from my own Inclinations. But, I could have cafily vindicated human Kind from

the Imputation of Singularity upon the last Article, if there had been any Swine in that Country, (as unluckily for me there were not) which although it may be a sweeter Quadruped than a Yaboo, cannot, I humbly conceive, in Juftice pretend to more Cleanlinefs; and fo his Honour himself must have owned, if he had feen their filthy Way of feeding, and their Custom of wallowing and fleeping in the Mud.

My Master likewife mentioned another Quality, which his Servants had discovered in several Ÿaboos, and to him was wholly unaccountable. He faid, a Fancy would fometimes take a Taboo, to retire into a Corner, to lie down and howl, and groan, and fpurn away all that came near him, although he were young and fat, and wanted neither Food nor Water; nor did the Servants imagine what could poffibly all him. And the only Remedy they found, was to fet him to hard Work, after which he would infallibly come to himself. To this I was filent out of Partiality to my own Kind; yet here I could plainly discover the true Seeds of Spleen, which only feizeth on the Lazy, the Luxurious, and the Rich; who, if they were forced to undergo the fame Regimen, I would undertake for the Cure.

HIS Honour had farther obferved, that a FemaleTaboo would often ftand behind a Bank or a Bush, to gaze on the young Males paffing by, and then appear, and hide, ufing many antick Gestures and Grimaces; at which Time it was observed, that fhe had a moft offenfive Smell; and when any of the Males advanced, would flowly retire, looking often back, and with a counterfeit Shew of Fear, run off into fome convenient Place where she knew the Male would follow her.

AT other Times, if a Female Stranger came

among

among them, three or four of her own Sex would get about her, and stare and chatter, and grin, and fmell her all over; and then turn off with Geftures that feemed to exprefs Contempt and Disdain.

PERHAPS my Mafter might refine a little in thefe Speculations, which he had drawn from what he obferved himself, or had been told him by others: However, I could not reflect without fome Amazement, and much Sorrow, that the Rudiments of Lewdness, Coquetry, Cenfure, and Scandal, fhould have Place by Inftinct in Womankind.

But

I EXPECTED every Moment, that my Mafter would accufe the Taboos of those unnatural Appetites in both Sexes, fo common among us, Nature it seems hath not been fo expert a SchoolMistress; and these politer Pleasures are entirely the Productions of Art and Reafon, on our Side of the Globe.

CHAP

CHA P. VIII.

The Author relateth feveral Particulars of the Yahoos. The great Virtues of the Houyhnhnms. The Education and Exercife of their Touth. Their general Affembly.

A

SI ought to have understood human Nature much better than I fuppofed it poffible for my Mafter to do, fo it was eafy to apply the Character he gave of the Taboos to my felf and my Countrymen; and I believed I could yet make farther Discoveries from my own Obfervation. I therefore often begged his Honour to let me go among the Herds of Taboos in the Neighbourhood; to which he always very graciously confented, being perfectly convinced that the Hatred I bore those Brutes would never fuffer me to be corrupted by them; and his Honour ordered one of his Servants, a ftrong forrel Nag, very honest and good-natured, to be my Guard; without whofe Protection I durft not undertake fuch Adventures. For I have already told the Reader how much I was peftered by those

odious

I after

odious Animals upon my firft Arrival. wards failed very narrowly three or four Times of falling into their Clutches, when I happened to ftray at any Distance without my Hanger. And I have Reason to believe, they had fome Imagination that I was of their own Species, which I often af fifted myself, by ftripping up my Sleeves, and fhewing my naked Arms and Breaft in their Sight, when my Protector was with me: At which Times they would approach as near as they durft, 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 perfecuted by the wild ones, when he happens to be got among them.

THEY are prodigioufly 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 fqualling, and fcratching, and biting with fuch 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 Noife; but finding the Cub was fafe, (for away it ran) and my Sorrel Nag being by, they durft not venture near us. I obferved the young Animal's Flesh to fmell very rank, and the Stink was fomewhat between a Weafel and a Fox, but much more difagreeable. I forgot another Circumstance, (and perhaps I might have the Readers 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 Subftance, all over my Cloaths; but by good Fortune there was a fmall Brook hard by, where I washed myself as clean as I could; although I durft not

come