alludeA-Modest-Proposal-原文

2021年1月20日发(作者：cascade)

For Preventing the Children of Poor People
in Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents
or Country, and for Making Them
Beneficial to the Publick
By Jonathan Swift
Edited and annotated by
Jack Lynch

Swift
was
Irish,
and
though
he
much
preferred
living
in
England,
he
resented
British
policies
toward
the
Irish.
In
a
letter
to
Pope
of
1729,
he
wrote,

a
nation
the two-thirds of whose revenues are spent out of it, and who are not permitted to
trade
with
the
other
third,
and
where
the
pride
of
the
women
will
not
suffer
[allow]
them to wear their own manufactures even where they excel what come from abroad:
This
is
the
true
state
of
Ireland
in
a
very
few
words.
His
support
for
Irish
causes
has made him a renowned figure in modern Ireland. The paragraph numbers have been
added for this edition.


[1]
It is a melancholly Object to those, who walk through this great Town,

1
or
travel in the Country, when they see the
Streets
, the
Roads
, and
Cabbin-Doors
,
crowded with
Beggars
of the female Sex, followed by three, four, or six Children,

all in Rags
,
and importuning every Passenger
for an Alms. These
Mothers

instead of
being
able
to
work
for
their
honest
livelyhood,
are
forced
to
employ
all
their
time
in
Stroling,
to
beg
Sustenance
for
their
helpless
Infants
,
who,
as
they
grow
up
either
turn
Thieves
for want of work, or leave their
dear native Country to fight for the
Pretender in Spain
,

2
or sell themselves to the
Barbadoes
.

3

[2]
I think it is agreed by all Parties, that this prodigious number of Children,
in the Arms, or on the Backs, or at the
heels
of their
Mothers
, and frequently of


their Fathers, is
in the present deplorable state of the Kingdom
, a very great
additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy
method
of
making
these
Children
sound
and
useful
Members
of
the
common- wealth
would
deserve so well of the publick, as to have his Statue set up
for
a preserver
of the
Nation.

[3]

But
my
Intention
is
very
far
from
being
confined
to
provide
only
for
the
Children
of
professed beggars
, it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole
number
of
Infants
at
a
certain
Age,
who
are
born
of
Parents
in
effect
as
little
able
to support them, as those who demand our Charity in the Streets.

[4]

As
to
my
own
part,
having
turned
my
thoughts
for
many
Years,
upon
this
important
Subject, and maturely weighed the several
Schemes of other Projectors
,

4
I have
always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true a Child,
just
dropt from it's Dam
,

5
may be supported by her Milk, for a Solar year with little
other Nourishment, at most not above the Value of two Shillings, which the Mother
may
certainly
get,
or
the
Value
in
Scraps
,
by
her
lawful
Occupation
of
begging,
and
it is exactly at
one
year Old that I
propose
to
provide for them, in
such a manner,
as, instead of being a Charge upon their
Parents
, or the
Parish
,

6
or
wanting

7
Food
and
Raiment

for
the
rest
of
their
Lives,
they
shall,
on
the
Contrary,
contribute to the Feeding and partly to the Cloathing of many Thousands.

[5]
There is likewise another great Advantage in my Scheme, that it will prevent
those
voluntary
Abortions
,
and
that
horrid
practice
of
Women
murdering
their
Bastard
Children
, alas! too frequent among us, Sacrificing the
poor innocent Babes
, I
doubt,

8
more
to
avoid
the
Expence,
than
the
Shame,
which
would
move
Tears
and
Pity
in the most Savage and inhuman breast.

[6]
The number of Souls in this Kingdom being usually reckoned one Million and a
half,
Of
these
I
calculate
there
may
be
about
two
hundred
thousand
Couple
whose
Wives
are breeders, from which number I Substract thirty Thousand Couples, who are able
to maintain their own Children, although I apprehend

9
there cannot be so many,
under
the present distresses of the Kingdom
, but this being granted, there will
remain an hundred and seventy thousand Breeders. I again Subtract fifty Thousand


for those Women who miscarry, or whose Children
dye by accident,
or disease within
the
Year.
There
only
remain
an
hundred
and
twenty
thousand
Children
of
poor
Parents
annually born: The question therefore is, How this number shall be reared, and
provided
for,
which,
as
I
have
already
said,
under
the
present
Situation
of
Affairs,
is
utterly
impossible
by
all
the
methods
hitherto
proposed,
for
we
can
neither
employ
them
in
Handicraft
,
or
Agriculture
;
we
neither
build
Houses,
(I
mean
in
the
Country)
nor
cultivate
Land:

10
they
can
very
seldom
pick
up
a
Livelyhood
by Stealing

until

11
they
arrive
at
six
years
Old,
except
where
they
are
of
towardly
parts,
although,
I
confess
they
learn
the
Rudiments
much
earlier;
during
which
time
they
can
however
be
properly
looked
upon
only
as
Probationers
,
as
I
have
been
informed
by
a
principal
Gentleman
in
the
County
of
Cavan
,
who
protested
to
me,
that
he
never
knew
above
one
or two Instances under the Age of six, even in a part of the Kingdom
so renowned
for the quickest proficiency in that Art
.

[7]
I am assured by our Merchants, that a Boy or Girl, before twelve years Old, is
no
saleable
Commodity,
and
even
when
they
come
to
this
Age,
they
will
not
yield
above
three
Pounds,
or
three
Pounds
and
half
a
Crown
at
most
on
the
Exchange,
which
cannot
turn to Account either to the Parents or the Kingdom, the Charge of Nutriments and
Rags having been at least four times that Value.

[8]
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be
lyable to the least Objection.

[9]
I have been assured by a very knowing
American
of my acquaintance in
London
,
that
a
young
healthy
Child
well
Nursed
is
at
a
year
Old,
a
most
delicious,
nourishing,
and wholesome Food, whether
Stewed
,
Roasted
,
Baked
, or
Boyled
, and I make no doubt
that it will equally serve in a
Fricasie
, or
Ragoust
.

12

[10]
I do therefore humbly offer it to
publick consideration
, that of the hundred
and
twenty
thousand
Children,
already
computed,
twenty
thousand
may
be
reserved
for
Breed,
whereof
only
one
fourth
part
to
be
Males,
which
is
more
than
we
allow
to
Sheep
,
black
Cattle
,
or
Swine
,
and
my
reason
is,
that
these
Children
are
seldom
the
Fruits
of Marriage,
a Circumstance not much regarded by our Savages
, therefore,
one Male

will be sufficient to serve
four Females
. That the remaining hundred thousand may


at
a
year
Old
be
offered
in
Sale
to
the
persons
of
Quality
,

13
and
Fortune
,
through
the Kingdom, always advising the Mother to let them Suck plentifully in the last
Month, so as to render them Plump, and Fat for a good Table. A Child will make two
Dishes at an Entertainment for Friends, and when the Family dines alone, the fore
or hind Quarter will make a reasonable Dish, and seasoned with a little Pepper or
Salt will be very good Boiled on the fourth Day, especially in
Winter
.

[11]
I have reckoned upon a Medium, that a Child just born will weigh 12 pounds,
and in a solar Year if tollerably nursed encreaseth to 28 Pounds.

[12]
I grant this food will be somewhat dear,

14
and therefore very
proper for
Landlords
,

15
who,
as
they
have
already
devoured
most
of
the
Parents,
seem
to
have
the best Title to the Children.

[13]
Infant's flesh will be in Season throughout the Year, but more plentiful in

16
March
,
and
a
little
before
and
after;
for
we
are
told
by
a
grave
Author
an
eminent
French
physitian, that
Fish being a prolifick Dyet
, there are more Children born
in
Roman
Catholick
Countries

about
nine
Months
after
Lent
,
than
at
any
other
Season,
therefore
reckoning
a
Year
after
Lent
,
the
Markets
will
be
more
glutted
than
usual,
because
the
Number
of
Popish Infants
,
is
at
least
three
to
one
in
this
Kingdom,
and
therefore it will have one other Collateral advantage by lessening the Number of
Papists
among us.

[14]
I have already computed the Charge of nursing a Beggars Child (in which list
I reckon all
Cottagers
,
Labourers
, and four fifths of the
Farmers
) to be about two
Shillings
per
Annum
,
Rags
included;
and
I
believe
no
Gentleman
would
repine
to
give
Ten Shillings for the
Carcass of a good fat Child
, which, as I have said will make
four
Dishes
of
excellent
Nutritive
Meat,
when
he
hath
only
some
particular
friend,
or
his
own
Family
to
Dine
with
him.
Thus
the
Squire
will
learn
to
be
a
good
Landlord,
and
grow
popular
among
his
Tenants,
the
Mother
will
have
Eight
Shillings
neat
profit,
and be fit for Work till she produceth another Child.



[15]
Those who are more thrifty (
as I must confess the Times require
) may flay the
Carcass; the Skin of which, Artificially

17
dressed, will make admirable
Gloves
for Ladies
, and
Summer Boots for fine Gentlemen
.

[16]
As to our City of
Dublin
, Shambles

18
may be appointed for this purpose, in
the
most
convenient
parts
of
it,
and
Butchers
we
may
be
assured
will
not
be
wanting,
although I rather recommend buying the Children alive, and dressing them hot from
the Knife, as we do
roasting Pigs
.

[17]
A very worthy Person, a
true Lover of his Country
, and whose Virtues I highly
esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement
upon
my
Scheme.
He
said,
that
many
Gentlemen
of
this
Kingdom,
having
of
late
destroyed
their
Deer,
he
conceived
that
the
want
of
Venison
might
be
well
supplyed
by
the
Bodies
of young Lads and Maidens, not exceeding fourteen Years of Age, nor under twelve;
so
great
a
Number
of
both
Sexes
in
every
County
being
now
ready
to
Starve,
for
want
of Work and Service: And these to be disposed of by their Parents if alive, or
otherwise
by
their
nearest
Relations.
But
with
due
deference
to
so
excellent
a
friend,
and
so
deserving
a
Patriot,
I
cannot
be
altogether
in
his
Sentiments,
for
as
to
the
Males, my
American
acquaintance assured me from frequent Experience, that their
flesh was generally Tough and Lean, like that of our School-boys, by continual
exercise, and their Taste disagreeable, and to Fatten them would not answer the
Charge.
Then
as
to
the
Females,
it
would,
I
think,
with
humble
Submission,
be
a
loss
to the Publick
,
because
they
soon
would
become
Breeders
themselves:
And
besides
it
is
not
improbable
that
some
scrupulous
People
might
be
apt
to
Censure
such
a
Practice,
(although
indeed
very
unjustly)
as
a
little
bordering
upon
Cruelty,
which,
I
confess,
hath
always
been
with
me
the
strongest
objection
against
any
Project,
how
well
soever
intended.

[18]
But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put
into his head by the famous
Sallmanaazor
,

19
a Native of the Island
Formosa
, who
came
from
thence
to
London
,
above
twenty
Years
ago,
and
in
Conversation
told
my
friend,
that
in
his
Country
when
any
young
Person
happened
to
be
put
to
Death,
the
Executioner
sold the Carcass to
Persons of Quality
, as a prime Dainty, and that, in his Time,
the
Body
of
a
plump
Girl
of
fifteen,
who
was
crucifyed
for
an
attempt
to
Poison
the


Emperor,
was
sold
to
his
Imperial
Majesty's
prime
Minister
of
State
,
and
other
great
Mandarins

20
of the Court,
in Joints from the Gibbet
,

21
at four hundred Crowns.
Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young
Girls
in
this
Town,
who,
without
one
single
Groat
abroad without a Chair,

23

22
to
their
Fortunes,
cannot
stir
and appear at a
Play- House
, and
Assemblies
in Foreign
fineries, which they never will Pay for; the Kingdom would not be the worse.

[19]

Some
Persons
of
a
desponding
Spirit
are
in
great
concern
about
that
vast
Number
of
poor
People,
who
are
aged,
diseased,
or
maimed,
and
I
have
been
desired
to
imploy
my
thoughts
what
Course
may
be
taken,
to
ease
the
Nation
of
so
grievous
an
Incumbrance.
But
I
am
not
in
the
least
pain
upon
that
matter,
because
it
is
very
well
known,
that
they are every Day
dying
, and
rotting
, by
cold
, and
famine
, and
filth
, and
vermin
,
as
fast
as
can
be
reasonably
expected.
And
as
to
the
younger
Labourers
they
are
now
in almost as
hopeful a
Condition. They cannot get Work,
and consequently pine away
from want of Nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally
hired to common Labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the Country
and themselves are happily delivered from the Evils to come.

[20]
I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject. I think
the advantages by the Proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as
of the highest importance.

[21]
For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen
the Number of
Papists
,
with
whom
we
are
Yearly
over-run,
being
the
principal
Breeders
of
the
Nation,
as
well
as
our
most
dangerous
Enemies,
and
who
stay
at
home
on
purpose
with
a
design
to
deliver
the
Kingdom
to
the
Pretender
,
hoping
to
take
their
Advantage
by
the
absence
of
so
many
good
Protestants
,

24
who
have
chosen
rather
to
leave
their
Country,
than
stay at home, and pay Tythes against their
Conscience
, to an idolatrous
Episcopal
Curate
.

[22]

Secondly
,
the
poorer
Tenants
will
have
something
valuable
of
their
own,
which
by Law may be made lyable to Distress,

25
and help to pay their Landlord's Rent,
their Corn and Cattle being already seazed, and
Money a thing unknown
.