Jón á Bægisá - 01.11.2008, Page 136

Jonathan Swift — Jáhanna Gunnlaugsdóttir
buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and
exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could
ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though
often and earnestly invited to it.
30. Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedi-
ents, ‘till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be
some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.
31. But, as to my self, having been wearied out for many years with of-
fering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing
of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly
new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trou-
ble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in
disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will not bear expor-
tation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long
continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which
would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.
32. After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to
reject any offér, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally
innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that
kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offer-
ing a better, I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely
to consider two points. First, As things now stand, how they will be
able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths
and backs. And secondly, There being a round million of creatures in
humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence
put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million of
pounds sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession, to the
bulk of farmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and chil-
dren, who are beggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike
my overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that
they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would
not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at
a year old, in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such
a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have since gone through, by
the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without
money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house
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á . /írrydjá — TÍMARIT UM ÞÝÐINGAR NR. 12 / 2008