A Modest Proposal: 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 publickSwift, Jonathan
General
A Modest Proposal: 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
Swift, Jonathan
Ireland -- Politics and government -- 18th century -- Humor; Political satire, English; Religious satire, English
I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against
this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people
will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and
was indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire
the reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy for this one
individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or,
I think, ever can be upon Earth. Therefore let no man talk to me of
other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of
using neither clothes, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our
own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and
instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of
pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein
of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country,
wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of
Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any
longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment
their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our
country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at
least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a
spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a
resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would
immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure,
and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair
proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like
expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will
ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.
But, as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering
vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of
success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly
new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little
trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in
disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will not bear
exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a
long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country,
which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account