Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 6.djvu/311

Rh I said, my birth was of honest parents, in an island called England; which was remote from this country, as many days journey, as the strongest of his honour's servants could travel, in the annual course of the sun. That I was bred a surgeon, whose trade it is to cure wounds and hurts in the body, gotten by accident or violence; that my country was governed by a female man, whom we called queen. That I left it to get riches, whereby I might maintain myself and family, when I should return. That in my last voyage, I was commander of the ship, and had about fifty yahoos under me, many of which died at sea, and I was forced to supply them by others picked out from several nations. That our ship was twice in danger of being sunk; the first time, by a great storm; and the second, by striking against a rock. Here my master interposed, by asking me, how I could persuade strangers, out of different countries, to venture with me, after the losses I had sustained, and the hazards 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 lawsuits; others, spent all they had in drinking, whoring, and gaming; others, fled for treason; many, for murder, theft, poisoning, 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 they were under a necessity of seeking a livelihood, in other places. During