he truly obferved, one half of our Natives were good for nothing but bringing Children into the World: And to truft the Care of our Children to fuch ufelefs Animals, he faid, was yet a greater Inftance of Brutality.

But the Houyhnhnms train up their Youth to Strength, Speed, and Hardinefs, by exercifing them to running Races up and down fteep Hills, and over hard ftony Grounds, and, when they are all in a Sweat, they are ordered to leap over Head and Ears, into a Pond or River. Four Times a Year, the Youth of a certain Diftrict meet to fhew their Proficiency in Running, and Leaping, and other Feats of Strength and Agility; where the Victor is rewarded, with a Song in his or her Praife. On this Festival, the Servants drive a Herd of Yahoos into the Field, laden with Hay, and Oats, and Milk, for a Repaft to the Houyhnhums; after which, these Brutes are immediately driven back again, for Fear of being noisome to the Affembly.

Every fourth Year, at the Vernal Equinox, there is a Reprefentative Council of the whole Nation, which meets in a Plain about twenty Miles from our Houfe, and continues about five or fix Days. Here they enquire into the State and Condition of the feveral Districts; Whether they abound, or be deficient in Hay or Oats, or Cows or Yahoos? And wherever there is any Want (which is but feldom) it is immediately fupplied by unanimous Confent and Contribution. Here likewife the Regulation of Children is fettled: As for Inftance, if a Houyhnhnm hath two Males, he changeth one of them with another that hath two Females: And when a Child hath been loft by any Casualty, where the Mother is paft Breeding, it is deter

mined what Family in the District shall breed another, to fupply the Lofs.

CHAP. IX.

A grand Debate at the General Assembly of the Houyhnhnms, and how it was determined. The Learning of the Houyhnhnms. Their Buildings. Their Manner of Burials. The Defectiveness of their Language.

NE of thefe grand Assemblies was held in Me Time, about three Months before my Departure, whither my Mafter went, as the Reprefentative of our District. In this Council was refumed their old Debate, and, indeed, the only Debate that ever happened in that Country; whereof my Mafter, after his Return, gave me a very particular Account.

The Question to be debated, was, Whether the Taboos fhould be exterminated from the Face of the Earth. One of the Members for the Affirmative offered feveral Arguments of great Strength and Weight; alledging, That as the Yahoos were the moft filthy, noifome, and deformed Animal which Nature ever produced, fo they were the most restive and indocible, mifchievous and malicious: They would privately fuck the Teats of the Houypnhnms Cows; kill and devour their Cats, trample down their Oats and Grafs, if they were not continually watched, and commit a thousand other Extravagancies. He took Notice of a general Tradition, That Yahoos had not been always in that Country; but that, many Ages ago, two of thefe Brutes appeared together upon a Mountain;

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whether produced by the Heat of the Sun upon corrupted Mud and Slime, or from the Ooze and Froth of the Sea, was never known. That these Yahoos engendered, and their Brood, in a fhort Time, grew fo numerous, as to over-run and infeft the whole Nation. That the Houyhnhnms, to get rid of this Fvil, made a general Hunting, and at laft enclosed the whole Herd; and, deftroying the elder, every H uyhnhnm kept two young ones in a Kennel, and brought them to fuch a Degree of Tameness, as an Animal, so savage by Nature, can be capable of acquiring; using them for Draught and Carriage. That there feemed to be much Truth in this Tradition, and that those Creatures could not be Yinhniamsby (or Aborigines of the Land) because of the violent Hatred the Houyhnhnms, as well as all other Animals, bore them; which, although their evil Difpofition fufficiently deferved, could never have arrived at fo high a Degree, if they had been Aborigines, or elfe they would have long fince been rooted out. That the Inhabitants, taking a Fancy to use the Service of the Yahoos, had very imprudently neglected to cultivate the Breed of Affes, which were a comely Animal, easily kept, more tame and orderly, without any offenfive Smell, strong enough for Labour, although they yield to the other in Agility of Body; and, if their Braying be no agreeable Sound, it is far preferable to the horrible Howlings of the Yaboos.

Several others declared their Sentiments to the fame Purpose, when my Mafter propofed an Expedient to the Affembly, whereof he had, indeed, borrowed the Hint from me. He approved of the Tradition, mentioned by the honourable Member, who spoke before; and affirmed, that the two

Yahoos,

1

Yahoos, faid to be first seen among them, had been driven thither over the Sea ; that coming to Land, and being forfaken by their Companions, they retired to the Mountains, and, degenerating by Degrees, became, in Proceís of Time, much more favage, than those of their own Species in the Country from whence these two Originals came. The Reafon of this Affertion was, that he had now in his Poffeffion a certain wonderful Yaboo (meaning myfelf) which most of them had. heard of, and many of them had seen. He then related to them, how he first found me; that my Body was all covered with an artificial Compofure of the Skins and Hairs of other Animals: That I fpoke in a Language of my own, and had thoroughly learned theirs: That I had related to him the Accidents which brought me thither: That, when he faw me without my Covering, I was an exact Yahoo in every Part, only of a whiter Colour, lefs hairy, and with fhorter Claws. He added, how I had endeavoured to perfuade him, that, in my own and other Countries, the raboos acted as the governing, rational Animal, and held the Houyhnhnms in Servitude: That he obferved. in me all the Qualities of a Yahoo, only a little more civilized by fome Tincture of Reason; which, however, was in a Degree as far inferiour to the Houyhnhnm Race, as the Taboos of their Country were to me: That, among other Things, I mentioned a Cuftom we had of Caftrating Houyhnhnms when they were young, in order to render them tame; that the Operation was eafy and fafe; that it was no Shame to learn Wisdom from Brutes, as Induftry is taught by the Ant, and Building by the Swallow (for fo I tranflate the Word Lybannb, although it be a much. larger

larger Fowl). That this Invention might be practifed upon the younger Yaboos here, which, befides rendering them tractable, and fitter for Ufe, would, in an Age, put an End to the whole Species, without deftroying Life. That, in the mean Time, the Houyhnhnms fhould be exhorted to cultivate the Breed of Affes, which, as they are in all Respects more valuable Brutes, fo they have this Advantage, to be fit for Service at five Years old, which the others are not till twelve.

This was all my Mafter thought fit to tell me at that Time, of what paffed in the Grand Council. But he was pleased to conceal one Particular, which related perfonally to myself, whereof I foon felt the unhappy Effect, as the Reader will know in its proper Place, and from whence I date all the fucceeding Misfortunes of my Life.

The Houyhnhnms have no Letters, and confequently, their Knowledge is all Traditional. But there happening few Events of any Moment among a People fo well united, naturally difpofed to eve ry Virtue, wholly governed by Reafon, and cutoff from all Commerce with other Nations; the hiftorical Part is easily preferved without burthening their Memories. I have already observed that they are fubject to no Diseases, and therefore can have no Need of Phyficians. However, they have excellent Medicines compofed of Herbs, to cure accidental Bruifes and Cuts in the Paftern, or Frog of the Foot, by fharp Stones, as well as other Maims and Hurts in the feveral Parts of the Body.

They calculate the Year by the Revolution of the Sun and the Moon, but use no Subdivisions into Weeks. They are well enough acquainted with the Motions of thofe two Luminaries, and

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