The modest proposal
创世神话
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 cabin 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 strolling 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 easy method of making the children sound, u
ful members of the commonwealth, would derve so well of the public as to have his statue t up for a prerver of the nation.
奶茶制作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.
周永开
”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 ...”
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the veral schemes of other projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in the computation. It is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s., 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 clothing, of many thousands.
There is likewi another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent tho voluntary abortions, 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 expen 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 couples 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 ven
ty 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 remains one 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 probationers, 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 salable 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 nutriment and rags having been at least four times that value.
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 frica or a ragout.
I do therefore humbly offer it to public 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 the 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.
I have reckoned upon a medium that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nurd, increath to 28 pounds.颜氏
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.孩子嗜睡
Infant's flesh will be in ason throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told by a grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish
酵母菌结构being a prolific diet, there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent than at any other ason; therefore, reckoning a year 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.
71年的猪是什么命
