INTO Several remote Nations of the World; By LEMUEL GULLIVER, In FOUR PART S. PART I. A Voyage to LILLIPUT. PART II. A Voyage to Brobdingnag. PART III. A Voyage to LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGG- PART IV. A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms. LONDO N, Printed for C. BATHURST. PUBLISHER TO THE REA DE R. T HE author of these travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my antient and intimate friend; there is likewife fome relation between us on the mother's fide. About three years ago Mr. Gulliver, growing weary of the concourfe of curious people coming to him at his houfe in Redriff, made a fmall purchase of land with a convenient houfe near Newark in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where he now lives retired, yet in good efteem among his neighbours. Although Mr. Gulliver was born in Nottinghamfire, where his father dwelt, yet I have heard him fay, his family came from Oxfordshire; to confirm which, I have obferved in the church-yard at Ban bury in that county feveral 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 difpofe of them as I fhould think fit. I have carefully perused them three times: The ftyle is very plain and fimple; and the only fault I find is, that the author, after the manner of travellers, is a little too circumftantial. There is an air of truth apparent through the whole; and indeed the author was fo diftinguished for his veracity, that it became fort of a proverb among his neighbours at Redriff, when A 3 6 THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. when any one affirmed a thing, to say it was as true as if Mr. Gulliver had fpoken it. By the advice of feveral worthy perfons, to whom with the author's permiffion I communicated these papers, I now venture to fend them into the world, hoping they may be, at least for fome time, a better entertainment to our young noblemen, than the common fcribbles of politicks and party. This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold to strike out innumerable paffages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the feveral voyages, together with the minute defcriptions of the management of the ship in storms in the style of failors; likewife the account of longitudes and latitudes; wherein I have reafon to apprehend, that Mr. Gulliver may be a little diffatisfied: But I was refolved to fit the work as much as poffible to the general capacity of readers. However, if my own ignorance in sea affairs fhall have led me to commit fome mistakes, I alone am answerable for them: And if any traveller hath a curiofity to see the whole work at large, as it came from the hand of the author, I will be ready to gratify him. As for any further particulars relating to the author, the reader will receive fatisfaction from the first pages of the book. RICHARD SYMPSON, |