THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

    As given
           in the original edition.

    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,
         made a small purchase
               of land,
           with a convenient house,
         near Newark,
           in Nottinghamshire,
         his native country;
        where he now lives retired,
           yet in good esteem
               among his neighbours.

    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 neighbours 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
               to our young noblemen,
         than the common scribbles
               of politics and party.

    This volume
        would have been
               at least twice
             as large,
           if I
            had not
                  made bold
                      to strike out innumerable passages
                           relating to the winds
                               and tides,
         as well
               as to the variations
                   and bearings
                 in the
              several voyages,
           together with the minute
             descriptions
                of the management
                   of the ship
               in storms,
         in the style of sailors;
        likewise the account of longitudes
               and latitudes;
        wherein I have
             reason to apprehend,
           that Mr. Gulliver
            may be a little dissatisfied.

    But I
        was resolved
              to fit the work
         as much
               as possible
                to the general capacity
                         of readers.

    However,
           if my own ignorance
               in sea affairs
            shall have led me
                  to commit some mistakes,
         I alone
            am answerable for them.

    And if any traveller
          hath a curiosity
              to see the whole work
                   at large,
           as it
            came from the hands
                   of the author,
         I will be ready
              to gratify him.

    As for any further particulars
          relating to the author,
           the reader
            will receive satisfaction
                   from the first pages
                       of the book.

    RICHARD
        SYMPSON.

  A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN GULLIVER
            TO HIS COUSIN
        SYMPSON.

    WRITTEN IN THE YEAR
        1727.

    I hope you
        will be ready
              to own publicly,
           whenever you
            shall be called to it,
         that by your great
               and frequent urgency you
            prevailed on me
                  to publish a very loose
                       and uncorrect account
                           of my travels,
           with directions
              to hire
                   some young gentleman of
                 either university
                  to put them in order,
         and correct the style,
           as my cousin Dampier did,
         by my advice,
           in his book called
         "A Voyage round the world."

    But I do not remember
         I gave you power
               to consent
         that any thing
            should be omitted,
           and much less