Lilliput and the Giant Country - (Illustrated Edition of World Children's Literature)

Author: (English) Jonathan Swift
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2000-05-01
Features: My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; he had five sons, and I was the third. When I was fourteen, he sent me to Emmanuel College at Cambridge University. I stayed there for three years, always devoted to my studies. Although the family only provided me with a small amount of tuition fees, this burden was still too heavy for a poor family. So, I went to Mr. James Bates, a famous surgeon in London, to serve as an apprentice; I learned from him for four years. During this time, my father sometimes sent me small amounts of money, which I used to find tutors to supplement my knowledge of navigation and mathematics, which are very useful for those who aspire to travel, because I believed that one day I would surely have good luck and go abroad for travel. I bid farewell to Mr. Bates and returned home to see my father; thanks to the help of my elderly father, Uncle John, and several relatives, I obtained forty pounds, and they also promised to give me thirty pounds annually to study at Leiden①. I studied medicine at Leiden for a total of two years and seven months, because I knew that medicine would be useful during long voyages. Shortly after I returned from Leiden, my mentor Mr. Bates recommended me to serve as a surgeon on the merchant ship "Swallow," under the command of Captain Abraham Pinner. I worked with him for three and a half years, during which we made several voyages to the Levant① and other places. After my return, encouraged by my mentor Mr. Bates, I resolved to stay in London, and he introduced me to several patients. I rented a small room in a part of Old Jewry Street; at that time, everyone advised me to change my lifestyle, so I married Mary Burton, the second daughter of Mr. Edmund Burton, who ran a business in stockings and underwear on Newgate Street, and we received four hundred pounds as a dowry. However, two years later, my mentor Mr. Bates passed away unexpectedly. I had no friends, and I was unwilling to compromise my conscience like many of my peers, so my business gradually declined. After discussing with my wife and a few acquaintances, I decided to go back to sea again. I served as a surgeon on two ships and made several voyages to the East Indies and the West Indies② over six years, which increased my wealth. I always had many books around me, and in my free time, I read the best works of ancient and modern authors; when I was ashore, I observed the customs and traditions of the local people and learned their languages, which was very easy for me because of my good memory. However, the last of these voyages was not very smooth, and I grew tired of the life at sea, so I wanted to stay home with my wife and children. I moved from Old Jewry Street to Ironmonger Lane, and then to Wapping, hoping to find some work in the ship's crew, but it was still useless. After three years like this, with my fortunes hopelessly declining, I accepted the generous offer of Captain William Prichard, the owner of the ship "Gazelle," who was then planning a voyage to the South Pacific. On May 4, 1699, we set sail from Bristol③. Our voyage initially was very smooth.