A Modest ProposalWord下载.docx
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andthereforewhoevercouldfindoutafair,cheapandeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensoundandusefulmembersofthecommon-wealth,woulddeservesowellofthepublick,astohavehisstatuesetupforapreserverofthenation.
Butmyintentionisveryfarfrombeingconfinedtoprovideonlyforthechildrenofprofessedbeggars:
itisofamuchgreaterextent,andshalltakeinthewholenumberofinfantsatacertainage,whoarebornofparentsineffectaslittleabletosupportthem,asthosewhodemandourcharityinthestreets.
Astomyownpart,havingturnedmythoughtsformanyyears,uponthisimportantsubject,andmaturelyweighedtheseveralschemesofourprojectors,Ihavealwaysfoundthemgrosslymistakenintheircomputation.Itistrue,achildjustdroptfromitsdam,maybesupportedbyhermilk,forasolaryear,withlittleothernourishment:
atmostnotabovethevalueoftwoshillings,whichthemothermaycertainlyget,orthevalueinscraps,byherlawfuloccupationofbegging;
anditisexactlyatoneyearoldthatIproposetoprovidefortheminsuchamanner,as,insteadofbeingachargeupontheirparents,ortheparish,orwantingfoodandraimentfortherestoftheirlives,theyshall,onthecontrary,contributetothefeeding,andpartlytothecloathingofmanythousands.
Thereislikewiseanothergreatadvantageinmyscheme,thatitwillpreventthosevoluntaryabortions,andthathorridpracticeofwomenmurderingtheirbastardchildren,alas!
toofrequentamongus,sacrificingthepoorinnocentbabes,Idoubt,moretoavoidtheexpencethantheshame,whichwouldmovetearsandpityinthemostsavageandinhumanbreast.
Thenumberofsoulsinthiskingdombeingusuallyreckonedonemillionandahalf,oftheseIcalculatetheremaybeabouttwohundredthousandcouplewhosewivesarebreeders;
fromwhichnumberIsubtractthirtythousandcouple,whoareabletomaintaintheirownchildren,(althoughIapprehendtherecannotbesomany,underthepresentdistressesofthekingdom)butthisbeinggranted,therewillremainanhundredandseventythousandbreeders.Iagainsubtractfiftythousand,forthosewomenwhomiscarry,orwhosechildrendiebyaccidentordiseasewithintheyear.Thereonlyremainanhundredandtwentythousandchildrenofpoorparentsannuallyborn.Thequestionthereforeis,Howthisnumbershallbereared,andprovidedfor?
which,asIhavealreadysaid,underthepresentsituationofaffairs,isutterlyimpossiblebyallthemethodshithertoproposed.Forwecanneitheremploytheminhandicraftoragriculture;
weneitherbuildhouses,(Imeaninthecountry)norcultivateland:
theycanveryseldompickupalivelihoodbystealingtilltheyarriveatsixyearsold;
exceptwheretheyareoftowardlyparts,althoughIconfesstheylearntherudimentsmuchearlier;
duringwhichtimetheycanhoweverbeproperlylookedupononlyasprobationers:
AsIhavebeeninformedbyaprincipalgentlemaninthecountyofCavan,whoprotestedtome,thatheneverknewaboveoneortwoinstancesundertheageofsix,eveninapartofthekingdomsorenownedforthequickestproficiencyinthatart.
Iamassuredbyourmerchants,thataboyoragirlbeforetwelveyearsold,isnosaleablecommodity,andevenwhentheycometothisage,theywillnotyieldabovethreepounds,orthreepoundsandhalfacrownatmost,ontheexchange;
whichcannotturntoaccounteithertotheparentsorkingdom,thechargeofnutrimentsandragshavingbeenatleastfourtimesthatvalue.
Ishallnowthereforehumblyproposemyownthoughts,whichI
hopewillnotbeliabletotheleastobjection.
IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmericanofmyacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursed,is,atayearold,amostdeliciousnourishingandwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled;
andImakenodoubtthatitwillequallyserveinafricasie,oraragoust.
Idothereforehumblyofferittopublickconsideration,thatofthehundredandtwentythousandchildren,alreadycomputed,twentythousandmaybereservedforbreed,whereofonlyonefourthparttobemales;
whichismorethanweallowtosheep,blackcattle,orswine,andmyreasonis,thatthesechildrenareseldomthefruitsofmarriage,acircumstancenotmuchregardedbyoursavages,therefore,onemalewillbesufficienttoservefourfemales.Thattheremaininghundredthousandmay,atayearold,beofferedinsaletothepersonsofqualityandfortune,throughthekingdom,alwaysadvisingthemothertoletthemsuckplentifullyinthelastmonth,soastorenderthemplump,andfatforagoodtable.Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends,andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsalt,willbeverygoodboiledonthefourthday,especiallyinwinter.
Ihavereckoneduponamedium,thatachildjustbornwillweigh12pounds,andinasolaryear,iftolerablynursed,encreasethto28pounds.
Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.
Infant'
sfleshwillbeinseasonthroughouttheyear,butmoreplentifulinMarch,andalittlebeforeandafter;
forwearetoldbyagraveauthor,aneminentFrenchphysician,thatfishbeingaprolifickdyet,therearemorechildrenborninRomanCatholickcountriesaboutninemonthsafterLent,themarketswillbemoregluttedthanusual,becausethenumberofPopishinfants,isatleastthreetooneinthiskingdom,andthereforeitwillhaveoneothercollateraladvantage,bylesseningthenumberofPapistsamongus.
Ihavealreadycomputedthechargeofnursingabeggar'
schild(inwhichlistIreckonallcottagers,labourers,andfour-fifthsofthefarmers)tobeabouttwoshillingsperannum,ragsincluded;
andIbelievenogentlemanwouldrepinetogivetenshillingsforthecarcassofagoodfatchild,which,asIhavesaid,willmakefourdishesofexcellentnutritivemeat,whenhehathonlysomeparticularfriend,orhisownfamilytodinewithhim.Thusthesquirewilllearntobeagoodlandlord,andgrowpopularamonghistenants,themotherwillhaveeightshillingsneatprofit,andbefitforworktillsheproducesanotherchild.
Thosewhoaremorethrifty(asImustconfessthetimesrequire)
mayfleathecarcass;
theskinofwhich,artificiallydressed,willmakeadmirableglovesforladies,andsummerbootsforfinegentlemen.
AstoourCityofDublin,shamblesmaybeappointedforthispurpose,inthemostconvenientpartsofit,andbutcherswemaybeassuredwillnotbewanting;
althoughIratherrecommendbuyingthechildrenalive,anddressingthemhotfromtheknife,aswedoroastingpigs.
Averyworthyperson,atrueloverofhiscountry,andwhosevirtuesIhighlyesteem,waslatelypleased,indiscoursingonthismatter,toofferarefinementuponmyscheme.Hesaid,thatmanygentlemenofthiskingdom,havingoflatedestroyedtheirdeer,heconceivedthatthewantofvenisonmightbewellsupply'
dbythebodiesofyoungladsandmaidens,notexceedingfourteenyearsofage,norundertwelve;
sogreatanumberofbothsexesineverycountrybeingnowreadytostarveforwantofworkandservice:
Andthesetobedisposedofbytheirparentsifalive,orotherwisebytheirnearestrelations.Butwithduedeferencetosoexcellentafriend,andsodeservingapatriot,I
cannotbealtogetherinhissentiments;
forastothemales,myAmericanacquaintanceassuredmefromfrequentexperience,thattheirfleshwasgenerallytoughandlean,likethatofourschool-boys,bycontinualexercise,andtheirtastedisagreeable,andtofattenthemwouldnotanswerthecharge.Thenastothefemales,itwould,Ithink,withhumblesubmission,bealosstothepublick,becausetheysoonwouldbecomebreedersthemselves:
Andbesides,itisnotimprobablethatsomescrupulouspeoplemightbeapttocensuresuchapractice,(althoughindeedveryunjustly)asalittleborderinguponcruelty,which,Iconfess,hathalwaysbeenwithmethestrongestobjectionagainstanyproject,howwellsoeverintended.
Butinordertojustifymyfriend,heconfessed,thatthisexpedientwasputintohisheadbythefamousSalmanaazor,anativeoftheislandFormosa,whocamefromthencetoLondon,abovetwentyyearsago,andinconversationtoldmyfriend,thatinhiscountry,whenanyyoungpersonhappenedtobeputtodeath,theexecutionersoldthecarcasstopersonsofquality,asaprimedainty;
andthat,inhistime,thebodyofaplumpgirloffifteen,