 of the Crown to those
Countries described by the Author, is justified. The Difficulty of conquering
them. The Author takes his last Leave of the Reader; proposeth his Manner of
Living for the future; gives good Advice, and concludeth.
 
Thus, gentle Reader, I have given thee a faithful History of my Travels for
Sixteen Years, and above Seven Months; wherein I have not been so studious of
Ornament as of Truth. I could perhaps like others have astonished thee with
strange improbable Tales; but I rather chose to relate plain Matter of Fact in
the simplest Manner and Style; because my principal Design was to inform, and
not to amuse thee.
    It is easy for us who travel into remote Countries, which are seldom visited
by Englishmen or other Europeans, to form Descriptions of wonderful Animals both
at Sea and Land. Whereas, a Traveller's chief Aim should be to make Men wiser
and better, and to improve their Minds by the bad, as well as good Example of
what they deliver concerning foreign Places.
    I could heartily wish a Law were enacted, that every Traveller, before he
were permitted to publish his Voyages, should be obliged to make Oath before the
Lord High Chancellor, that all he intended to print was absolutely true to the
best of his Knowledge; for then the World would no longer be deceived as it
usually is, while some Writers, to make their Works pass the better upon the
Publick, impose the grossest Falsities on the unwary Reader. I have perused
several Books of Travels with great Delight in my younger Days; but, having
since gone over most Parts of the Globe, and been able to contradict many
fabulous Accounts from my own Observation; it hath given me a great Disgust
against this Part of Reading, and some Indignation to see the Credulity of
Mankind so impudently abused. Therefore since my Acquaintance were pleased to
think my poor Endeavours might not be unacceptable to my Country; I imposed on
myself as a Maxim, never to be swerved from, that I would strictly adhere to
Truth; neither indeed can I be ever under the least Temptation to vary from it,
while I retain in my Mind the Lectures and Example of my noble Master, and the
other illustrious Houyhnhnms, of whom I had so long the Honour to be an humble
Hearer.
 
-- Nec si miserum Fortuna Sinonem
Finxit, vanum etiam, mendacemque improba finget.
 
I know very well, how little Reputation is to be got by Writings which require
neither Genius nor Learning, nor indeed any other Talent, except a good Memory,
or an exact Journal. I know likewise
