Jón á Bægisá - 01.11.2008, Page 130

Jonathan Swift — Jóhanna Gunnlaugsdóttir
become breeders themselves: And besides, it is not improbable that
some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (al-
though indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which,
I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against
any project, how well soever intended.
18. But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient
was put into his head by the famous Salmanaazor, a native of the is-
land Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years
ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when
any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold
the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his
time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an
attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty’s
prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in
joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can
I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls
in this town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot
stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a play-house and assemblies
in foreign fineries which they never will pay for; the kingdom would
not be the worse.
19. Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that
vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I
have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken,
to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. But I am not in the
least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they
are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and
vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the young
labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot
get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to
a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common
labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and
themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.
20. I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject. I
think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious
and many, as well as of the highest importance.
21. For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number
128
á .93s/y/-já — Tímarit um þýðingar nr. 12 / 2008