 I had run. I said, they were Fellows
of desperate Fortunes, forced to fly from the Places of their Birth, on Account
of their Poverty or their Crimes. Some were undone by Law-suits; others spent
all they had in Drinking, Whoring and Gaming; others fled for Treason; many for
Murder, Theft, Poysoning, Robbery, Perjury, Forgery, Coining false Money; for
committing Rapes or Sodomy; for flying from their Colours, or deserting to the
Enemy; and most of them had broken Prison. None of these durst return to their
native Countries for fear of being hanged, or of starving in a Jail; and
therefore were under a Necessity of seeking a Livelihood in other Places.
    During this Discourse, my Master was pleased often to interrupt me. I had
made Use of many Circumlocutions in describing to him the Nature of the several
Crimes, for which most of our Crew had been forced to fly their Country. This
Labour took up several Days Conversation before he was able to comprehend me. He
was wholly at a Loss to know what could be the Use or Necessity of practising
those Vices. To clear up which I endeavoured to give him some Ideas of the
Desire of Power and Riches; of the terrible Effects of Lust, Intemperance,
Malice, and Envy. All this I was forced to define and describe by putting of
Cases, and making Suppositions. After which, like one whose Imagination was
struck with something never seen or heard of before, he would lift up his Eyes
with Amazement and Indignation. Power, Government, War, Law, Punishment, and a
Thousand other Things had no Terms, wherein that Language could express them;
which made the Difficulty almost insuperable to give my Master any Conception of
what I meant: But being of an excellent Understanding, much improved by
Contemplation and Converse, he at last arrived at a competent Knowledge of what
human Nature in our Parts of the World is capable to perform; and desired I
would give him some particular Account of that Land, which we call Europe,
especially, of my own Country.
 

                                    Chap. V.

The Author at his Master's Commands informs him of the State of England. The
Causes of War among the Princes of Europe. The Author begins to explain the
English Constitution.
 
The Reader may please to observe, that the following Extract of many
Conversations I had with my Master, contains a Summary of the most material
Points, which were discoursed at several times for above two Years; his Honour
often desiring fuller Satisfaction as I farther improved in the Houyhnhnm
Tongue. I laid before
