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Classical Studies
A Student’s Companion to
Selected Essays of
Jonathan Swift
by Robert W. Watson
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Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 1
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Introduction to Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
HEN Jonathan Swift was accused of being a
misanthrope, or in other words, a hater of mankind, he
flatly denied the charge by saying, “I love mankind; it’s
people I can’t stand.” To the casual observer, mankind and people
appear to be the same. However, mankind is an abstract. It is easy to
say one loves mankind. The same is true with one’s wanting to help
the poor, because there is no risk with being concerned about the
fate of the “poor”—a faceless abstract that exists only in the mind.
On the other hand, people are specific and concrete. Swift was
brutal when he criticized specific actions of particular people, and
he does it in such a way that the reader laughs about it. In short,
Jonathan Swift is perhaps the greatest satirist that ever lived.
What precisely is satire? As a form of art, satire is the belittling of a subject by making it so
ridiculous that the reader will change his attitude due to the contempt, amusement, or scorn.
Satire is not the same as comedy. While comedy evokes laughter for the sake of laughter, satire
uses laughter as a tool (or weapon) against a butt that exists outside the work. The butt can be
either a person, a policy, or even an entire nation. For an example, a satire against the United
States of America is the novel, The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberley. A small
forgotten English duchy decides to declare war on the United States with the purpose of losing
the war in order that it will receive foreign aid from the United States. The point of the satire is
to show the folly of waging war at the expense of American citizens—and the world with its
small nations as well—who sacrificed and died, and then the ridiculousness of rebuilding an
enemy’s infrastructure at the further expense of Americans and their economic well-being.
A key element for successful satire however is the desire to correct a particular human folly.
One who ridicules a physical defect or an incorrigible fault is not a satirist, but a callous boor.
The ridicule must be directed at a folly or vice that can be corrected unlike a large nose or a
noticeable limp that cannot.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Jonathan Swift was not particularly a good student. Even though he
neglected his studies, Swift managed to get a degree from Trinity College, but it was “by
special favor.” Due to political unrest in Ireland, Swift moved to England where he worked as a
secretary to Sir William Temple in Surrey for ten years. This employment gave Swift unlimited
access to Temple’s fine library, helping to further his education and intellect. However, failing
to get a position with the church in England, Swift moves back to Ireland and becomes a
minister there.
Like his contemporaries, Swift was the product of the late seventeenth century. Great Britain
was trying to recover from the disastrous political fighting based on religion. Thinking that
religious partisanship was the root cause for all conflict, many philosophers and writers began
to look to human reason instead of faith as the guiding principle for life. Alexander Pope stated
that the new age would require “correctness” to literary form and a clarity in prose. Thus poets
and authors turned to the ancient Roman and Greek poets and orators for inspiration, which
ushered in the Neoclassical Age of English literature.
Because he was unsettled with the Whig political platform, Swift became a Tory. The Whigs
favored the merchant and urban classes at the expense of the rural classes. Thus, Swift chose to
defend the simpler way of life rooted in culture and tradition, which was being fragmented and
replaced by a reckless enthusiasm. His primary literary opponent was Daniel Defoe (author of
Robinson Crusoe), a dissenter and the arch spokesman for the Whigs. Finally, Swift was
2 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
appointed as the dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, a position he held until he died. It is
during this time at St. Patrick’s that his best known essays were written as well as the large
satirical work, Gulliver’s Travels. Admittedly, Swift did not seek to be an Irish patriot.
Nevertheless, Swift reveals to Alexander Pope in a letter that he was compelled to be one due to
the injustice to the Irish by the English: “What I do is owing to perfect rage and resentment, and
the mortifying sight of slavery, folly, and baseness about me, among which I am forced to live.”
Whether Jonathan Swift suffered from insanity during his later years is still debated. Finally, in
1745, Swift died and was buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The following epitaph, written by
himself, appears next to his coffin:
The body of Jonathan Swift, Doctor of Sacred Theology, dean of this cathedral
church, is buried here, where fierce indignation can no more lacerate his heart.
Go, traveler, and imitate, if you can, one who strove with all his strength to
champion liberty.
ROBERT W. WATSON
NOTE: This study does not include Swift’s essay, “A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical
Operation of the Spirit.” Students may wish to read this essay at their convenience.
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 3
The Battle of the Books
Lesson One
1.1 Vocabulary
turgescence n.
virulence n.
impute v.
ferment n.
disparage v.
1.2 Vocabulary Exercise
1. I do not wish to _________________ your poem, but I have read better poetry written by
first graders.
2. The audience was gracious and forgiving to ____________ my poor speech to the
distracting noise of a jackhammer outside the window.
3. The rioting in and looting of our downtown section was a ______________ that had never
been witnessed in our city since its founding over one hundred years ago.
4. We expected a speech about the plight of the Christian church, but instead Rev. Davis gave
an extended talk about his _____________________ and of his importance to the cause of
Christ.
5. The superintendent's criticism showed such a _______________ toward the high school
teachers that they resigned en mass.
1.3 Reading Assignment: A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works, pages 1–12
1.4 Recall Questions
1. According to Swift, what kind of mirror is satire?
2. According to the narrator, what is the child of pride, and what is the daughter of riches?
3. What is the name of the hill over which the “Moderns” and the “Ancients” battle?
4. According to the narrator, who usurped the place of Plato?
5. Where did the latest battle of the books take place?
6. What came into to the library and destroyed the spider’s web?
7. Why was Aesop mistaken for a Modern?
8. According to Aesop, what are the two things that the Ancients have provided to mankind?
4 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
9. Of the two armies, which side had the fewer soldiers?
10. Which Greek god represented the Moderns?
11. Which Greek god represented the Ancients?
1.5 Critical Thinking

According to Swift, war is the result of lust and greed. Is Swift correct? According to the
Bible, what is the cause of war?

Argue that imperial conquest is actually a resource-poor country taking from countries with
valuable natural resources.
1.6 Bonus Thoughts

Wit: The term wit when used in the context of the Neoclassical Age refers to the ability of a
writer to discover brilliant or surprising ways to express mundane ideas. Therefore wit is a
verbal expression that is brief and intentionally created for shock of comical surprise.
Alexander Pope defines wit well as only he could: “What oft was thought, but ne’er so well
expressed.” A good example of wit is the analogy of a mirror that Swift uses to describe
satire: “Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face
but their own.”

Parnassus: This is a renowned mountain, because the oracle of Apollo resided at Delphi,
which was built on the slopes of the mountain. The mountain is also part of the flood
tradition, because according to Greek mythology, Parnassus was the only mountain where
the top was not completely covered by the flood. Deucalion and his wife, Pyrrha, were able
to find refuge from the rising waters. Since they were
devoted worshippers of the gods, the couple found favor
with Zeus and Poseidon, and the flood was stopped. Being
the only two humans that survived the ordeal, the couple
became the father and mother of a new race. They were
commanded to throw “the bones of their mother” behind
their backs. Since to literally cast their mother’s bones would
have been a sacrilege, they reasoned that their mother was
Earth and that the bones were stones. The stones tossed by
Deucalion became men, and those by Pyrrha became
women.

Conventions of the Epic: The battle between the
“Ancients” and the “Moderns” uses many of the conventions
found in an epic poem like Homer’s Iliad. The use of epic
conventions for such a trivial subject makes “The Battle of
the Books” even more ridiculous. The epic is a long
narrative poem dealing with a serious subject and is centered
on a great man whose actions determine the future of a
nation or tribe of people. An epic will have certain
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 5
recognized conventions, which are derived from Homer. Some of these conventions
include:
1. The poet invokes his muse to help him with writing.
2. The gods and supernatural beings are actively involved with directing the affairs of
mortals.
3. The epic is written in an elevated style that does not represent ordinary day-to-day
speech.
4. The hero in the epic is a great man of national or cosmic importance.
5. The setting of the epic is grand and can include the entire world and even, like Milton’s
Paradise Lost, the whole universe.
6. Themes for the epic center on love and war.
As you read this essay, try to find
conventions.
these conventions, or even the misuse of these
The Battle of the Books (Con’t) &
A Meditation upon a Broomstick
Lesson Two
2.1 Vocabulary
mien n.
hiatus n.
miscreant n.
refulgent adj.
lampoon v.
2.2 Vocabulary Exercise
1. The well-known columnist _______________ the military leaders mercilessly; however, the
top brass deserved it for bungling the routine operation.
2. While his _____________ suggested that he was a gentleman, his clothing and unkempt
appearance appeared to negate this impression.
3. While the negotiations for peace were taking place, the warring factions enjoyed a
______________ in the fighting as the soldiers relaxed in their respective camps.
4. According to the sailors, the unknown craft hovered over the ship with a
_________________ glow that made the night seem like day and emitted a ringing sound.
5. As we learned later, the salesman was a ______________ of the worse sort; he had left
town very quickly with several thousands of dollars, never intending to deliver what he had
promised to the buyers.
2.3 Reading Assignment: A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works, pages 13–24
2.4 Recall Questions
1. Whom (“a malignant deity”) does Momus enlist to help with the battle against the
Ancients?
6 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
2. As the narrator begins to relate the battle, upon which goddess does he invoke?
3. Who kills Des Cartes (Descartes)?
4. Before Virgil is able to overthrow his enemy, the mounted knight sues for peace. Who is
this knight?
5. Who helped to save the live of Cowley?
6. According to the narrator, who was the “most deformed of all the moderns”?
7. Whom does Wotton team up with in order to take the conflict to the enemy?
8. Which god helps Boyle to kill his enemy?
9. In “A Meditation upon a Broomstick,” why does the broomstick represent a tree upside
down?
10. Why is man likened to a broomstick?
2.5 Critical Thinking

Explain how Swift uses epic conventions in his “Battle of the Books.”

Discuss Swift’s attitude toward “reformers” as revealed in “A Meditation upon a
Broomstick.”

Discuss how a busybody “raises a mighty dust where there was none before.” What does the
Scriptures teach about the person who will not mind his own business?
2.6 Bonus Thoughts

Richard Bentley (1662–1742): Bentley is considered by many scholars to be the greatest of
English classical scholars. Swift attacks Bentley due to his most celebrated work,
Dissertation upon The Epistles of Phalaris, which was an exposure of a fourteenth-century
forgery. This work attempted to establish a standard for textual criticism. Bentley served as
the chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester, as Keeper of the Royal Library, and as a Master of
Trinity College. From his Declaration of Rights, Bentley writes, “‘Whatever is, is not,’ is
the maxim of the anarchist, as often as anything comes across him in the shape of a law
which he happens not to like.”

Robert Boyle (1627–1691): As you read today, “Meditation on a Broomstick” was placed
inside Boyle’s Meditations. Robert Boyle was a mathematician best known for his
important contributions to physics and chemistry, particularly for Boyle’s law describing an
ideal gas. Even though he was a founding fellow of the Royal Society, Boyle declined to
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 7
serve as President of the Society. His reasons were due to his religious convictions, for he
would not swear to the necessary oaths. His strong Christian faith had no conflict with a
mechanical world, because according to Boyle, a Creator God, who produced a universe
with design and order, is deserving of praise and worship.
An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity in England
Lesson Three
3.1 Vocabulary
extirpate v.
cavil v.
scrofulous adj.
languid adj.
projector n.
3.2 Vocabulary Exercise
1. I cannot believe that Katy ____________ about her re-election posters when they came
back from the printers with a dark red background instead of medium red.
2. After the King Philip’s War, the Puritans nearly ________________ the culture of the
Northeastern Indians by selling the defeated warriors into slavery.
3. The scheme to revitalize our small downtown by attracting gambling concerns was so
ridiculous that I was anxious to know who the _________________ was.
4. We had a pleasant walk by the pond where the _____________ water remained still until a
frog disturbed its tranquility.
5. Whenever a society values making money more than pleasing God, all phases of life will
become _____________, especially politics and religion.
3.3 Reading Assignment: A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works, pages 41–51
3.4 Recall Questions
1. According to Swift, why is it folly to disagree with the majority’s opinion?
2. What was Horace’s suggestion for correcting the corruption of ancient Rome?
3. Why does Swift propose only to defend “nominal Christianity” and not “primitive
Christianity”?
4. Why does Swift state that it is a good thing to permit people to blaspheme God?
5. Who was affected by the “wise regulations of Henry VIII,” which reduced them to a low
diet and moderate exercise?
8 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
6. How does Swift counter the argument that the elimination of Christianity would eliminate
factions?
7. According to Swift, what is the source of the enjoyment of being a freethinker?
8. According to Swift, while most of the common people are freethinkers, i.e., unbelievers, the
notion of “a superior power” is excellent for what purposes?
9. Regarding the subjects by which the freethinkers will be able to display their “learning,”
why should Christianity not be abolished?
10. Instead of opposing Christianity in particular, what does Swift say the freethinkers are
opposed to in general?
3.5 Critical Thinking

Swift states that one advantage with eliminating Christianity is that there will be another
day for industry to take advantage. The Southern states used to have “blue laws,” which
regulated activities on Sunday, generally shopping in retail stores. Do you think these laws
are a good thing? As a Christian, is it right to go to a restaurant after church, since this
requires the employees to prepare food, thus missing the opportunity to go to their own
church? Why or why not?

Is it possible to legislate the prohibition of all religious exercise and faith? Why or why not?

Not only is Swift against freethinkers, but also the Roman Catholic Church, because of its
superstitions. Explain why philosophies based on human reason and belief in superstition
are contrary to Biblical Christianity.

Are any of the reasons valid which Swift advances for retaining Christianity? What are
some other reasons for retaining Christianity that Swift does not mention?
3.6 Bonus Thoughts

Free Thought and Secular Humanism: The Free Thought movement arose from the
Renaissance, when it became fashionable to look to human reason for the hope of mankind.
While it could be broadly defined as just rational thinking using logic, free thinking has
taken on a connotation that is antagonistic to religious faith. Eventually, the movement
developed into Secular Humanism. The Humanist Society of Western New York defines
Humanism as:
A joyous alternative to religions that believe in a supernatural god and life in a
hereafter. Humanists believe that this is the only life of which we have certain
knowledge and that we owe it to ourselves and others to make it the best life
possible for ourselves and all with whom we share this fragile planet. A belief
that when people are free to think for themselves, using reason and knowledge as
their tools, they are best able to solve this world's problems. An appreciation of
the art, literature, music and crafts that are our heritage from the past and of the
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 9
creativity that, if nourished, can continuously enrich our lives. Humanism is, in
sum, a philosophy of those in love with life. Humanists take responsibility for
their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking
new knowledge, exploring new options. Instead of finding solace in
prefabricated answers to the great questions of life, humanists enjoy the openendedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery that this entails.
The fallacies in this statement are so numerous that it would require a book to discuss them.
However, I shall make a couple of points. First, humanists base their entire philosophy on a
faulty foundation: the human mind. The reliance on the irrational belief (indeed it is a great
faith) in the superiority of human reason to solve all of man’s problems will lead to a
guaranteed failure. It is irrational and foolish to suppose in the light of six thousand years of
recorded history that “rational” men are capable of doing anything but swindle and oppress
others for the sake of money. Second, by rejecting divine revelation, humanists must adopt a
subjective standard in order to judge right and wrong, which of course is each individual.
When every man does according to his own mind, there can be no commonality of purpose,
but a general free-for-all. On the other hand, the Bible is an objective standard that is
independent of the human mind. Indeed, the Bible is a source of knowledge, which is more
valid than even a scientific experiment, because the experiment is subject to human
limitations. Science is trapped in the physical world, whereas the Bible is not. Whether one
assumes there is a God, or whether there is not a God, is a matter of faith, both positions
being incapable of being proved logically or scientifically. In short, Secular Humanism is a
religious faith with its unproved assumptions and dogmas like any other religion in the
world.

The Society of Jesus: In 1534, Ignatius Loyola founded The Society of Jesus, or The
Jesuits. Ignatius was a Spanish nobleman who was wounded in a battle and during the time
of his recovery, he claimed to have experienced a mystical conversion and vowed to “serve
only God and the Roman pontiff, His vicar on earth.” The society was given papal authority
to be a military arm of the Roman Catholic Church. Ignatius became the first general
(“Black Pope”) of the order. Members in the society are subject to strong discipline and are
trained to give absolute obedience to higher authority. The Society of Jesus is the only order
that takes a special vow of allegiance to the pope. The Jesuits were responsible for
curtailing the Protestant Reformation and even reversing many gains in some countries like
Poland, Hungary, and France. The order’s success came about by becoming advisers to
monarchs and achieving important positions in government. Throughout Europe, the Jesuits
built and developed universities that attracted many students from Protestant countries.
Today, Jesuits are still very active in education and have many colleges in the United States,
such as the University of Notre Dame and Boston College.
10 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
A Modest Proposal
Lesson Four
4.1 Vocabulary
importune v.
prodigious adj.
collateral adj.
vintner n.
parsimony adj.
4.2 Vocabulary Exercise
1. In Georgia, there are not too many _____________(s), because the climate is not conducive
to growing grapes for wines.
2. Because he wanted a raise, Mr. Fisher _______________ the owner on every occasion that
he could; finally the owner reluctantly granted the request.
3. The city manager created a lot of unrest, because his _____________ cut deep into every
budget of every department.
4. Larry’s ________________ talents include playing the piano, the violin, the concert guitar,
and the banjo.
5. Even though they had fewer members, the ______________ efforts of the Ladies’ Club
helped to complete the project of a history book about our county begun by our local
historical society.
4.3 Reading Assignment: A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works, pages 52–59
4.4 Recall Questions
1. According to Swift, what are the three options available for the poor children of Ireland
once they reach maturity?
2. According to Swift, what does he suspect is the reason why poor women abort or murder
their children?
3. According to his American acquaintance, children at the age of one year is especially good
for what?
4. Who has the best title to the small children? Why?
5. Swift’s proposal will have the “collateral advantage” of decreasing the number of whose
children?
6. What is the reasons that Swift offer for not being too concerned about finding a solution to
the large number of poor older folks?
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift / 11
7. According to Swift, with his proposal, husbands would treat their wives better. Why?
8. Why does Swift state that he will not make any money with his proposal, thus showing that
he has no motive other than to help others?
4.5 Critical Thinking

Do you consider “A Modest Proposal” amusing or offensive? Why?

Explain how Swift creates an objective and disinterested essay. In other words, what literary
and rhetorical devices does Swift use in “A Modest Proposal” that makes you think he is
being honest and sincere?

What is the real purpose of “A Modest Proposal”? Read pages 57–58 for clues.
4.6 Bonus Thoughts

Cannibalism: When it comes to human beings eating other human beings, everyone is
repulsed by the idea. This repulsion is universal, and now many anthropologists are thinking
that institutionalized cannibalism is a myth. The evidence of such practices is scant to be
sure. Cannibalism was a favorite topic for writers during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, particularly if the work has a setting in exotic and mysterious places like Africa
and America. For an example, Swift’s literary and political rival, Daniel Defoe, details a
scene of cannibalism in his book Robinson Crusoe, and Friday supposedly belonged to a
West Indian tribe that ate their captured enemies. In fact, Friday came into the service of
Crusoe, because he escaped from his enemies who were preparing to feast on their hapless
victim. It may be, however, that all this talk about savage tribes eating other humans is the
product of vivid imaginations.
Most stories about human flesh being eaten are generally in the context of starvation or
survival. There are recorded in the Bible acts of the eating of human flesh. Also, a famous
British case involved survivors in a lifeboat who stayed alive by eating the remains of their
dead comrades. More recently, passengers in a plane crash also ate those who died when
food stuffs were depleted. These are instances where an emergency created the need for a
new society with different mores and values. As soon as the emergency was over, then life
returned to normalcy. Even the survivors would cringe at the idea of eating a human being if
they were not adrift in a small boat in the middle of the ocean with no prospects of being
rescued or stranded on top of a snow-covered mountain.
Also, there are rituals that seem rather gruesome. The Yanomamo people of Venezuela
burned the dead in the middle of their villages, then ground up the teeth and bones to make
a soup for all the villagers to eat. Yet none of these practices represents institutionalized
cannibalism where the entire society condones the eating of human flesh. In the case of the
Yanomamo, no flesh is eaten at all. The fact is that there has never been a single
anthropologist or scientist who has ever reported having seen an actual act of cannibalism.
There are many legends and certain peoples have claimed to have once practiced
cannibalism, but today no culture condones this practice.
12 / Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
Glossary for Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
cavil (k²v“…l) v. To find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections; quibble; detect petty flaws
in
collateral (k…-l²t“…r-…l) adj. Situated or running side by side; parallel; serving to support; of a
secondary nature; subordinate
disparage (d¹-sp²r“¹j) v. To speak of in a slighting way; belittle; to reduce in esteem or rank
extirpate (μk“st…r-p³t”) v. To pull up by the roots; to destroy totally; exterminate
ferment (fûr“mμnt”) n. A state of agitation or of turbulent change or development
hiatus (hº-³“t…s) n. A gap or an interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break
importune (¹m”pôr-t›n“) v. To beset with insistent or repeated requests; entreat pressingly; to
ask for urgently or repeatedly; to annoy; vex
impute (¹m-py›t“) v. To charge with the fault or responsibility for
lampoon (l²m-p›n“) v. To ridicule or satirize
languid (l²ng“gw¹d) adj. Lacking energy or vitality; weak; showing little or no spirit or
animation; listless
mien (m¶n) n. Bearing or manner, especially as it reveals an inner state of mind
miscreant (m¹s“kr¶-…nt) n. An evildoer; a villain; an infidel; a heretic
parsimony (pär“s…-m½”n¶) n. Unusual or excessive frugality; extreme economy or stinginess
prodigious (pr…-d¹j“…s) adj. Impressively great in size, force, or extent; enormous; extraordinary;
marvelous
projector (pr…-jμk“t…r) n. One who devises plans or projects
refulgent (r¹-f‹l“j…nt) adj. Shining radiantly; resplendent
scrofulous (skr¼f“y…-l…s) adj. Morally degenerate; corrupt
turgescence (tûr-jμs“…ns) n. The condition of being swollen; pomposity; self-importance
vintner (v¹nt“n…r) n. A wine merchant or one who makes wine
virulence (vîr“y…-l…nt) adj. Extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous; intensely irritating,
obnoxious, or harsh
Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
Vocabulary Quiz
Instructions: Match the word with its definition.
A. turgescence
D. ferment
G. hiatus
J. lampoon
M. scrofulous
P. importune
S. vintner
B. virulence
E. disparage
H. miscreant
K. extirpate
N. languid
Q. prodigious
T. parsimony
C. impute
F. mien
I. refulgent
L. cavil
O. projector
R. collateral
1. _____ a state of agitation or of turbulent change or development
2. _____ enormous; extraordinary; marvelous
3. _____ a break
4. _____ unusual or excessive frugality
5. _____ to find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections
6. _____ extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous; intensely irritating
7. _____ lacking energy or vitality; weak; listless
8. _____ bearing or manner, especially as it reveals an inner state of mind
9. _____ one who devises plans or projects
10. _____ shining radiantly; resplendent
11. _____ to ask for urgently or repeatedly; to annoy; vex
12. _____ to speak of in a slighting way; belittle
13. _____ a wine merchant or one who makes wine
14. _____ to charge with the fault or responsibility for
15. _____ to pull up by the roots; to destroy totally; exterminate
16. _____ parallel; serving to support; of a secondary nature
17. _____ an evildoer; a villain; an infidel; a heretic
18. _____ morally degenerate; corrupt
19. _____ condition of being swollen; pomposity; self-importance
20. _____ to ridicule or satirize
Answer Keys to Selected Essays of Jonathan Swift
Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 1
1. disparage
2. impute
3. ferment
4. turgescence
5. virulence
Lesson 1
1. Satire is a mirror that reflects everyone’s face except the one looking in the mirror.
2. War is the child of pride, and pride is the daughter of riches.
3. The name of the hill is Parnassus.
4. The usurpers were Scotus and Aristotle.
5. The battle was in the king’s library.
6. A bee destroyed the spider’s web.
7. Aesop had transformed himself into an ass (donkey).
8. The Ancients have provided sweetness and light.
9. The Ancients had the fewer soldiers.
10. The god that represented the Moderns was Momus, god of mockery.
11. The god that represented the Ancients was Pallas (or Athene), goddess of wisdom.
Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 2
1. lampooned
2. mien
3. hiatus
4. refulgent
5. miscreant
Lesson 2
1. Momus enlists the help of Criticism.
2. The narrator invokes the goddess of history.
3. Aristotle kills Descartes.
4. The knight is John Dryden.
5. The goddess Venus gave Cowley a shield.
6. The most deformed was Bentley.
7. Wotton teams up with Bentley.
8. Pallas (Athene) helps Boyle to kill Wotton and Bentley.
9. A broom has its branches on the earth, while its root is in the air.
10. Man is turned upside down as well.
Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 3
1. caviled
2. extirpated
3. projector
1
4. languid
5. scrofulous
Lesson 3
1. The majority’s opinion is considered (incorrectly) to be the “voice of God.”
2. Horace suggested that the Romans leave the city in mass and find a new civilization.
3. Primitive Christianity would condemn the current desire for wealth and power, and
primitive Christianity has been already rejected even by the common people.
4. People will want to blaspheme someone, and if God is not permitted to exist, then
blasphemers will revile the government or some other dignitaries.
5. Swift is referring to the clergy in England.
6. Swift points out that prohibiting certain words will not end the activity of immorality or of
politics.
7. The source of enjoyment of being a freethinker is that the freethinker is doing something
that is prohibited or condemned by society.
8. The notion of God is good for frightening children into submission to their parents and for
providing amusement during long, winter nights.
9. The freethinkers would not be able to find a better subject to criticize than Christianity.
10. The freethinkers are opposed to religion in general.
Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 4
1. vintners
2. importuned
3. parsimony
4. prodigious
5. collateral
Lesson 4
1. The children will become thieves, mercenaries, or slaves.
2. The mothers abort or murder their children in order to avoid expenses and not because of
shame.
3. One-year-old children are especially good to be cooked and eaten at this age.
4. Swift remarks that landlords have the best title to the children, since they had already
“devoured” the parents.
5. The proposal will have the added advantage of decreasing the number of Roman Catholic
children.
6. Swift states that cold, famine, filth, and vermin are killing the older people as quickly as can
be expected.
7. Since the children will be seen as money makers (like other animals), the mothers will be
taken better care of in order to ensure the good health of the child.
8. Swift states that his oldest child is 9 years old and his wife can no longer have children.
2
Jonathan Swift
1. D
2. Q
3. G
4. T
5. L
6. B
7. N
8. F
9. O
10. I
11. P
12. E
13. S
14. C
15. K
16. R
17. H
18. M
19. A
20. J
3
4