A Modest Proposal
(for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial
to the publick.)
by Dr. Jonathan Swift. 1729
It is a melancholy object to tho, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they e the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female x, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every pasnger for an alms. The mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or ll themlves to the Barbadoes.
I think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the prent deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and eas
y method of making the children sound and uful members of the common-wealth, would derve so well of the publick, as to have his statue t up for a prerver of the nation.
But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of profesd beggars: it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to support them, as tho who demand our charity in the streets.
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the veral schemes of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I propo to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing of many thousands.
There is likewi another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent tho voluntary abortion武松简介
s, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.
The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of the I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple who wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are able to maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot be so many, under the prent distress of the kingdom) but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and venty thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand, for tho women who miscarry, or who children die by accident or dia within the year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born. The question therefore is, How this number shall be reared, and provided for? which, as I have already said, under the prent situation of affairs, is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto propod. For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build hous, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they can very ldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old; except where they are of towardly parts, although I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier; during which time they can however be properly looked upon only as probati
oners: As I have been informed by a principal gentleman in the county of Cavan, who protested to me, that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.
I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half a crown at most, on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriments and rags having been at least four
职业排名times that value.
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I shall now therefore humbly propo my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nurd, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally rve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.
I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration, that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may be rerved for breed, whereof only one fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that the children are ldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to rve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and asoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.
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I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nurd, encreath to 28 pounds.俄罗斯淫妇
I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, em to have the best title to the children.
Infant's flesh will be in ason throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before an
d after; for we are told by a grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolifick dyet, there are more children born in Roman Catholick countries about nine months after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual, becau the number of Popish infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it will have
one other collateral advantage, by lesning the number of Papists among us.
I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar's child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, and four-fifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he hath only some particular friend, or his own family to dine with him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.
牛油果的营养价值Tho who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flea the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dresd, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.
As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpo, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.大海的成语>药妆护肤品有哪些品牌
A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and who virtues I highly esteem, was lately plead, in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supply'd by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both xes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and rvice: And the to be dispod of by their parents if alive, or otherwi by their nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so derving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his ntiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our school-boys, by continual exerci, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the
