Chapter III

TRAVELS.

PART IV.

A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS.

 

CHAPTER III.

 The Author studious to learn the Language, the Houyhnhnm, his Master assists in teaching him. The Language described. Several Houyhnhnms of Quality come out of Curiosity to see the Author. His gives his Master a short Account of his Voyage.

 MY PRINCIPAL Endeavour was to learn the Language, which my Master (for so I shall henceforth call him) and his Children, and every Servant of his House, were desirous to teach me. For they looked upon it as a Prodigy that a brute Animal should discover such Marks of a rational Creature. I pointed to every Thing and enquired the Name of it, which I wrote down in my Journal Book when I was alone, and corrected my bad Accent by desiring those of the Family to pronounce it often. In this Employment, a Sorrel Nag, one of the under Servants, was ready to assist me.

 In speaking, they pronounce through the Nose and Throat, and their Language approaches nearest to the High-Dutch or German, of any I know in Europe; but is much more graceful and significant. The Emperor Charles V. made almost the same Observation, when he said, That if he were to speak to his Horse, it should be in High Dutch.

 The Curiosity and Impatience of my Master were so great, that he spent many Hours of his Leisure to instruct me. He was convinced (as he afterwards told me) that I must be a Yahoo, but my Teachableness, Civility, and Cleanliness, astonished him; which were Qualities altogether so opposite to those Animals, he was most perplexed about my Cloaths, reasoning sometimes with himself whether they were a Part of my Body; for I never pulled them off till the Family were asleep, and got them on before they waked in the Morning. My Master was eager to learn from where I came, how I acquired those Appearances of Reason, which I discovered in all my Actions, and to know my Story from my own Mouth, which he hoped he should soon do by the great Proficiency I made in learning and pronouncing their Words and Sentences. To help my Memory, I formed all I learned into the English Alphabet, and wrote the Words down with the Translations. This last, after some time I ventured to do in my Master's Presence. It cost me much Trouble to explain to him what I was doing; for the Inhabitants have not the least idea of Books or Literature.

 In about Ten Weeks time I was able to understand most of his Questions, and in three Months could give him some tolerable Answers. He was extremely curious to know from what Part of the Country I came, and how I was taught to imitate a rational Creature; because the Yahoos (whom he saw I exactly resembled in my Head, Hands, and Face, that were only visible,) with some Appearance of Cunning, and the strongest Disposition to Mischief, were observed to be the most unteachable of all Brutes. I answered, That I came over the Sea from a far Place, with many others of my own Kind, in a great hollow Vessel made of the Bodies of Trees. That my Companions forced me to land on this Coast, and then left me to shift for myself. It was with some Difficulty, and by the help of many Signs, that I brought him to understand me. He replied, That I must needs be mistaken, or that I said the Thing which was not. For they have no Word in their Language to express Lying or Falsehood. He knew it was impossible that there could be a Country beyond the Sea, or that a parcel of Brutes could move a Wooden Vessel whither they pleased upon Water. He was sure no Houyhnhnm alive could make such a Vessel, nor would trust Yahoos to manage it.

 The Word Houyhnhnm, in their Tongue, signifies a Horse, and in its Etymology, the Perfection of Nature. I told my Master, that I was at a loss for Expression, but would improve as fast as I could; and hoped in a short time I should be able to tell him Wonders: He was pleased to direct his own Mare, his Colt and Fole, and the Servants of the Family to take all Opportunities of instructing me, and every Day for two or three Hours, he was at the same Pains himself: Several Horses and Mares of Quality in the Neighbourhood came often to our House upon the Report spread of a wonderful Yahoo, that could speak like a Houyhnhnm, and seemed in his Words and Actions to discover some Glimmerings of Reason. These delighted to converse with me; they put many Questions, and received such Answers, as I was able to return. By all these Advantages, I made so great a Progress, that in five Months from my arrival, I understood whatever was spoke, and could express myself tolerably well.

 The Houyhnhnms who came to visit my Master with the Design of seeing and talking with me, could hardly believe me to be a right Yahoo, because my Body had a different Covering from others of my Kind. They were astonished to observe me without the usual Hair or Skin, except on my Head, Face, and Hands; but I discovered that Secret to my Master, upon an Accident, which happened about a Fortnight before.

 I have already told the Reader, that every Night when the Family were gone to Bed it was my Custom, to strip and cover my self with my Cloaths: It happened one Morning early, that my Master sent for me, by the Sorrel Nag, who was his Valet; when he came, I was fast asleep, my Cloaths fallen off on one side, and my Shirt above my Waste. I awakened at the Noise he made, and observed him to deliver his Message in some Disorder; after which he went to my Master, and in a great Fright gave him a very confused Account of what he had seen: This I presently discovered; for going as soon as I was dressed, to pay my Attendance upon his Honour, he asked me the Meaning of what his Servant had reported, that I was not the same Thing when I slept as I appeared to be at other times; that his Valet assured him, some Part of me was White, some Yellow, at least not so White, and some Brown.

 I had hitherto concealed the Secret of my Dress, in order to distinguish myself as much as I could from that cursed Race of Yahoos; but now I found it in vain to do so any longer. Besides, I considered that my Cloaths and Shoes would soon wear out, which already were in a declining Condition, and must be supplied by some Contrivance from the Hides of Yahoos or other Brutes; whereby the whole Secret would be known. I therefore told my Master, That in the Country from whence I came, those of my kind always covered their Bodies with the Hairs of certain Animals prepared by Art, as well for Decency, as to avoid the Inclemencies of Air both Hot and Cold; of which, as to my own Person, I would give him immediate Conviction, if he pleased to command me; only desiring his Excuse, if I did not expose those Parts, that Nature taught us to conceal. He said my Discourse was all very strange, but especially the last Part; for he could not understand why Nature should teach us to conceal what Nature had given. That neither himself nor Family were ashamed of any Parts of their Bodies; but however I might do as I pleased. Whereupon, I first unbuttoned my Coat and pulled it off. I did the same with my Waste-coat; I drew off my Shoes, Stockings, and Breeches. I let my Shirt down to my Waste, and drew up the Bottom, fastening it like a girdle about my Middle to hide my Nakedness.

 My Master observed the whole Performance with great Signs of Curiosity and Admiration. He took up all my Cloaths in his Pastern, one Piece after another, and examined them diligently; he then stroakd my Body very gently, and looked round me several times, after which he said, it was plain I must be a perfect Yahoo; but that I differed very much from the rest of my Species, in the Softness and Whiteness and Smoothness of my Skin, my Want of Hair in several Parts of my Body, the Shape and Shortness of my Claws behind and before, and my affectation of walking continually on my two Hinder-feet. He desired to see no more, and gave me Leave to put on my Cloaths again, for I was shuddering with Cold.

 I expressed my uneasiness at his giving me so often the Appellation of Yahoo, an odious Animal, for which I had so utter an Hatred and Contempt. I begged he would forbear applying that Word to me, and take the same Order in his Family, and among his Friends whom he suffered to see me. I requested likewise, that the Secret of my having a false Covering to my Body might be known to none but Himself, at least as long as my present Cloathing should last; for as to what the Sorrel Nag his Valet had observed, his Honour might command him to conceal it.

 All this my Master very graciously consented to, and thus the Secret was kept till my Cloaths began to wear out, which I was forced to supply by several Contrivances, that shall hereafter be mentioned. In the mean time, he desired I would go on with my utmost Diligence to learn their Language, because he was more astonished at my Capacity for Speech and Reason, than at the Figure of my Body, whether it were covered or no; adding that he waited with some Impatience to hear the Wonders which I promised to tell him.

 From thenceforward he doubled the Pains he had been at to instruct me; he brought me into all Company, and made them treat me with Civility, because, as he told them privately, this would put me into good Humour, and make me more diverting.

 Every Day when I waited on him, beside the Trouble he was at in teaching, he would ask me several Questions concerning myself, which I answered as well as I could; and by these Means he had already received some general Ideas, though very imperfect. It would be tedious to relate the several Steps, by which I advanced to a more regular Conversation: But the first Account I gave of myself in any Order and Length, was to this Purpose:

 That I came from a very far Country, as I already had attempted to tell him with about Fifty more of my own Species; that we travelled upon the Seas, in a great hollow Vessel made of Wood, and larger than his Honour's House. I described the Ship to him in the best Terms I could, and explained by the help of my Handkerchief displayed, how it was driven forward by the Wind. That upon a Quarrel among us, I was set on Shoar on this Coast, where I walked forward without knowing whither, till he delivered me from the Persecution of those execrable Yahoos. He asked me, Who made the Ship, and how it was possible that the Houyhnhnms of my Country would leave it to the Management of Brutes? My Answer was, That I durst proceed no further in my Relation, unless he would give me his Word and Honour that he would not be offended, and then I would tell him the Wonders I had so often promised. He agreed; and I went on by assuring him, that the Ship was made by Creatures like myself, who in all the Countries I had travelled, as well as in my own, were the only governing, rational Animals; and that upon my Arrival hither, I was as much astonished to see the Houyhnhnms act like rational beings, as he or his Friends could be finding some Marks of Reason in a Creature he was pleased to call a Yahoo, to which I owned my Resemblance in every Part, but could not account for their degenerate and brutal Nature. I said farther, That if good Fortune ever restored me to my native Country, to relate my Travels hither, as I resolved to do, every body would believe that I said the Thing which was not; that I invented the Story out of my own Head; and with all possible respect to Himself, his Family, and Friends, and under his Promise of not being offended, our Countrymen would hardly think it probable, that a Houyhnhnm should be the presiding Creature of a Nation, and a Yahoo the Brute.