Read This Excerpt From Jonathan Swift's a Modest Proposal There Is Likewise Another Great

For preventing the children of poor people in Republic of ireland, from being a brunt on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick.

Information technology is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the state, when they meet the streets, the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sexual practice, followed past three, 4, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood (…)

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 present lamentable country of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the publick, equally to accept his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

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As to my own part , having turned my thoughts for many years, upon this important bailiwick, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors, I accept e'er found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true, a child only dropt from its dam, may exist supported by her milk, for a solar year, with picayune other nourishment: at most non above the value of 2 shillings, which the female parent may certainly go, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one twelvemonth old that I propose to provide for them in such a mode, as, instead of beingness a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the reverse, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing of many thousands.

In that location is likewise some other great reward in my scheme , that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among the states, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more than 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 existence ordinarily reckoned ane million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred g couple whose 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 and so many, under the nowadays distresses of the kingdom) but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy 1000 breeders. I once more decrease fifty thousand, for those women who expel, or whose children die by accident or disease inside the yr. In that location only remain an hundred and xx grand children of poor parents annually built-in. The question therefore is, How this number shall exist reared, and provided for? which, as I have already said, under the present situation of affairs, is utterly incommunicable by all the methods hitherto proposed. For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at half-dozen years old ; except where they are of towardly parts, although I confess they learn the rudiments much before; during which time they can however be properly looked upon only every bit probationers: As I have been informed by a master gentleman in the county of Cavan, who protested to me, that he never knew higher up one or two instances under the age of six, even in a office of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.

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I practice therefore humbly offer information technology to publick consideration , that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may exist reserved for brood, whereof only one fourth role to be males; which is more than than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male volition exist sufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a twelvemonth old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to permit them suck plentifully in the concluding month, and so equally to render them plump, and fatty for a expert table. A child will make 2 dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or table salt, volition be very proficient boiled on the fourth day, specially in winter.

After all, I am non so violently bent upon my own stance, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be institute equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual.  Just before something of that kind shall be avant-garde in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a amend, I want the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points. Outset, As things now stand up, how they will exist able to find nutrient and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, There existence 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 majority of farmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, 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 showtime ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think information technology a smashing happiness to have been sold for nutrient at a year old, in the mode I prescribe, and thereby accept 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 business firm nor cloaths to cover them from the inclemencies of the atmospheric condition, and the most inevitable prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon their breed for ever.

I profess, in the sincerity of my center, that I accept not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary piece of work, having no other motive than the publick good of my state, past advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can advise to get a single penny; the youngest being ix years quondam, and my wife by child-begetting.

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