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THE GENIUS OF SWIFT AS WRITING POLITICAL SATIRE.
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Focuses on Books 1 & 3 of [Gulliver's Travels].... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Focuses on Books 1 & 3 of [Gulliver's Travels].
Paper Introduction:
What is man in nature? A nothing in comparison
with the infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing,
a mean between nothing and everything. - Pascal1
This is the basis for one of the greatest works of satire ever written, Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Known as one of the best children's fantasy stories, Gulliver's Travels is actually a satire on four aspects of man: physical, political, intellectual, and moral. This book expresses savage indignation at the follies, vices, and stupidities of men.
Swift's allegory on politics, expressed predominantly in Books I and III, is the basis for this paper. Through this paper, I will show the genius of Jonathan Swift in satirizing the political conditions of his day through the experiences of Lemuel Gulliver. I will focus only on Books I and III, for these two
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He sets down a number of restrictionsGulliver must agree to before he will be released. 36Ibid., 112. 51Ibid., 116. Swift wanted to create an instance of an emergency met by anact technically illegal but, under the circumstances, clearly justifiable.Gulliver's objectionable method of extinguishing the fire serves thispurpose. Let us, then, reconsider the theory that Balnibarbi is England andLaputa the court. What is man in nature? 6Ibid. 21Ibid. In Book III, the main attack is on the Whig ministry of George Ibecause of his experimentations in government and in many other fields.Many critics have argued that Book III is an attack on the new science.However, Arthur E. A center of thenew experimental culture has even been founded in Lagado. The fifth and sixth chapters are concerned with the Grand Academy ofLagado, generally believed to be the Royal Society of London. 24Ibid. This ends the allegory in Book I. He contemplates using violence to free himself, which he couldeasily have done, but chose to submit to the Lilliputians. Gulliver's bitterest enemiesdemand that he be put to a painful death. Eighteenth century Englishmenassociated this word with a man who promoted a get-rich-quick scheme whichwas plausible but not possible. Gulliver is merelyto be blinded after which, if the council finds it necessary, he may easilybe starved to death.31 Blinding is the equivalent of barring Oxford andBolingbroke from political activity for the remainder of their lives.Reldressal's pretended friendship is a reference to the behavior ofCharles, Viscount Townshed, Secretary of State in the Whig cabinet, whomthe Tory leaders at first regarded as a friend at court after their fallfrom power. As in the first book, there are againreferences to Oxford and Bolingbroke. Endnotes 1Samuel Holt Monk, "The Pride of Lemuel Gulliver," in Swift'sGulliver's Travels, ed. Book I, where Gulliver visits the land of the Lilliputians, can beparalleled with the political fortunes of the two Tory leaders, Oxford andBolingbroke (Robert Harley and Henry St. 2 Swift, 37. As Gulliver said: I was privately assured, that the Empress conceiving the greatest Abhorrence of what I had done, removed to the most distant Side of the Court, firmly resolved that those Buildings should never be repaired for her Use; and, in the Presence of her chief Confidents, could not forbear vowing revenge.28In other words, Queen Anne removed Oxford from office and vowed never tomake use of his services again. John (Bolingbroke). France won more than shewarranted but had to dismantle the port of Dunkirk, one of the chiefthreats to English naval supremecy.26 Swift masterfully symbolizes these events. The "four large Towers" presumably stand for the four mostimportant local government agencies--the Privy Council, the Grand Jury, andthe two houses of Irish Parliament.41 As in Book I, Swift is careful not to draw too obvious a portrait ofGeorge I. Robert A. Swift exaggerates on allthese traits when he described him at the court in Balnibarbi. They also feared that the Whigs might cry,as they later did, that the "Tories were robbing England of the fruits ofvictory by granting the enemy easy terms."25 Secret negotiations, however,also brought difficulties. The Empire of Blefescu could thus relate to France.Swift is relating here more political allegory. 27Swift, 4 . 3 Case, 78. 23Case, 74. England, however, likeLaputa, is not able to impose its will indiscriminately upon the weakernation because only a government arrangement that provides for a balancingof various interests can provide safeguards against tyrrany. 54Ibid. "A Conjured Spirit." Time, 15 January 1965, 9 -91.Feingold, Richard. Gulliver's good behaviorfinally acquires his release. This relates to the secret understandings betweenthe Tory administration and the French diplomats. Many ofthe Royal Society's experiments were purely scientific and conducted for noimmediate practical purpose. This concludes the political satire in the third voyage. Early in 1715Bolingbroke heard rumors that the Whigs intended to impeach him, Oxford,and other Tory leaders on the charge of high treason. This corresponds to anumber of political developments which culminated early in 1711 when theTories, with the Queen in their favor, gradually won their way back intopublic favor. The rest of thischapter deals with the political situation in Lilliput. The Grand Academyprobably stands, at least in part, for the Royal Society of London.5 The last detail in the history of Munodi is very interesting. Also,Lilliput's Emperor is described as the exact opposite of George I. This act was his sponsoring of the South SeaCompany. George I, whose journeys to Hanover arousedresentment from his English subjects, persuaded Parliament to repeal thisprovision of the Act in 1716.44 More similarities are drawn between the Laputian King and George I.George's love of music is parodied by the Laputian King's fondness of art. Defoe also persuaded them to arrange for the exchange ofgovernmental obligations for South Sea stock. 52Ibid. At first glancethis book appears to be another adventure story about the four voyages ofLemuel Gulliver. Allegorically, Swift is telling about the ruling of Englandfrom Queen Anne to George I. However, instead of having Lilliput's Emperorand Empress rule successively as Queen Anne and George I did, Swift avoidedan obvious satire by having these leaders rule as husband and wife. 37Ibid. Gulliver relates that there had been on Munodi's estate (Englandunder Oxford's administration) an old mill (the old English fiscal system),turned by the current of a large river (England's income from agricultureand trade); and sufficient not only for Munodi's family (the BritishEmpire), but also for a great number of his tenants (England's Allies inthe war of the Spanish Succession).52 A club of promoters (Defoe and hisabettors) proposed to destroy the old mill and substitute a new one muchfarther away (the South Sea Company). Thus, the Laputian kingis reluctant to drop his island on the heads of his subjects below for fearof damage to his own domain.38 The chief defenses of any city against oppression by the king and hiscourt are expressed allegorically: If the Town intended to be destroyed should have in it any tall Rocks, as it gen- erally falls out in the larger Cities; a sit- uation probably chosen at first with a View to prevent such a Catastrophe: Or if it abound in high Spires or Pillars of Stone, a sudden Fall might endanger the Bottom or under Surface of the Island.39 The "high spires" mentioned almost certainly represent churches orchurchmen--possibly the ecclesiastical interest in general which ralliedalmost unanimously to the Irish cause. Breakingeggs at the large end had been an old, primitive custom.17 Thiscontroversy relates to the deep fear and distrust by Prostestants ofCatholics in England. - Pascal1 This is the basis for one of the greatest works of satire everwritten, Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Even though he is aTory, he objects to the silly feud between the Whigs and Tories; and hemocks this dispute through the quarrel between the two Lilliputianpolitical parties--the High-Heels and Low-Heels. Reldressal is thenarrator. TheDuke, seeing an opportunity to get revenge for his dismissal four yearsearlier, played upon Bolingbroke's fears until Bolingbroke finally fled toFrance. In the Academy, the large majority ofexperiments were designed to bring about supposed improvements in commerce,medicine, or some other important field. The emperor, rememberingGulliver's former services, is more merciful. 22Ibid. Their political lives aredefended by Swift as he attacks the Whigs and their leaders, Queen Anne andGeorge I. Swift showsthat an attempt to impose absolute subjection upon a part of a kingdomultimately results in great danger to the agressor. 1 Case, 72. Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Greenberg, 288. 58Ibid., n.p. His actions symbolize Oxford's fall from power. Therefore,Balnibarbi, of which Lagado is a metropolis, must sometimes representIreland, sometimes represent England, or sometimes represent the BritishIsles as a whole. Case, "Personal and Political Satire in Gulliver'sTravels," in Discussions of Jonathan Swift, ed. This refers to Bolingbroke's flight to France.Like Bolingbroke, Gulliver ignored a proclamation threatening that he wouldbe labeled a traitor if he did not return and stand trial for his allegedcrimes. Fourth, it is assertedthat Gulliver had intended to visit Blefescu with only verbal license fromthe Emperor. There are other examples to disprove Firth's theories. Another important fact is the word"Projectors" in the names of the Academy. 4 Case, "Satire," 113. For this, the Queen removedhim. Monarch Notes. Munodi also withdrewfrom public life. Laputa also travels about by a series ofoblique motions which probably symbolizes the erratic course of Whig policyunder Robert Walpole. However, he is not identified with Oxford whom he seemsto represent. Patrick'sCathedral. N.p.: D.C. Alone amongLaputians of rank, the Prince dispenses with the services of his flapperand makes very wise observations on everything Gulliver tells him. Relying on an oldfriendship, Bolingbroke inquired about these rumors from Marlborough. Some were as idiotic as those described bySwift in Book III and may even have been suggestions for those described byGulliver. 38Feingold, 7 . This bookexpresses savage indignation at the follies, vices, and stupidities of men. "The war had increasingly become a Whigwar."24 The Tories did not anticipate any advantages from a continuationof the war. New York: W.W. He avoids praising themilitary for their victory, but instead makes the victory over Blefescu anaval triumph. He isloath to allow Gulliver to depart, although he is helpful and generous whenGulliver persists in his intentions. Gregg worked in Oxford's office and was foundguilty of treasonable correspondences with France. The identity of Skyresh Bolgolam has never really been discovered,but William Cooke Taylor thought he might be the Duke of Argyle, whom Swifthad offended by his attacks on the Scotch.7 Sir Charles Firth felt thatBolgolam was the Earl of Nottingham because Swift and the Earl had beenmutual enemies.8 However, both of these identifications rest upon thesupposition that Gulliver is Swift, and critics agree that this is not thecase. Gulliver's Travels. 11Ibid. Here, Swift contrasts the WhigKing with the Tory Prince. Laputa isdescribed as being very small in comparison to the relatively large islandit dominates, Balnibarbi. This is in reference to the failure of Oxford to procure alicense under the great seal to negotiate the peace.3 The council's report is somewhat ironic. The desire of the Whigs to obtain a crushing defeat ofFrance is pictured as a malicious and despotic wish of the Emperor tohumiliate and tyrranize over a "Free and Brave People."27 The chapter concludes with an episode which seems disconnected withthe preceding happenings. 56Case, "Satire," 117. The "Pillarsof Stone" may be either self-made citizens of power and importance orcertain man-made legal institutions.4 In the story of the revolt ofLindalino, the strong pointed rock in the middle of the city is almostcertainly the combined power of the Irish Church centered in St. 32Case, 78. Then,in the last paragraph of the third chapter, Gulliver observes that: "By afundamental Law of this Realm, neither the King nor either of his two elderSons, is permitted to leave the island, nor the Queen till she is pastChildbearing."43 This refers to England's Act of Settlement whichoriginally forbade the departure of the sovereign from England without theconsent of Parliament. 39Swift, 13 . The "several Houses on both sides of a street" could referto expanded government buildings on both sides of the Society. Thissymbolizes Queen Anne's complaisance toward the Tories. 15Case, 73. Munodi is described as a formergovernor of Lagado which must symbolize either Lord Mayor of London orPrime Minister of England, probably the latter. The inward appearance of the Academy is far more interesting. Gulliver's return home is meant asjust that. Norton & Company, Inc., 1961.Swift, Jonathan. First of all, Gulliver isaccused of illegally extinguishing the palace fire. 3Nigel Dennis, "A Conjured Spirit," Time, 15 January 1965, 9 -91. 17Swift, 37. 57Swift, 147. Case, Munodi'sprivate estate, managed in "the good old way,"48 to the evident profit ofits owner and the pleasure of its citizenry, represents the way of the Toryremnant, who are sneered at as reactionaries by the adherents of the newerway.49 Case goes on to assert that the triumph of the innovators isattributed to the conversion of weak-minded members of the governing classby the court circle of Laputa, with the result that their principles havebeen imported into the management of the subject continent. Case's explanation of the main purpose of this book is"to attack learned folly, or `pedantry' to use the work in its eighteenthcentury meaning, and especially innovations and innovators in general."34The Whig administration under George I is the focus of this attack:"Whiggery, to Swift, is the negation of that certainty which results fromadherence to tried and approved procedures."35 The key to the third voyage is the identification of Laputa, theflying island. 18Feingold, 31. Swift describes theQueen's complaisance towards Gulliver when Gulliver visits the palace. In a short span ofLilliputian time, Swift condenses what historically took more than twoyears to occur. 2Arthur E. In 1919 Sir CharlesFirth endorsed this view. I will focus only on Books Iand III, for these two books are almost all political allegory and satire. Swift summarizes this throughthe Laputian Prince's recommendation of Gulliver to a friend of his inLagado, the Lord Munodi, who has variously been identified with Bolingbrokeand Lord Midleton. 53Swift, 135. Norton &Company, Inc., 1961), 288. The Catholic kingdom of France was suspected offormenting plots to establish a Catholic monarch on the English throne.England had already fought a war with these Catholics--the War of theSpanish Succession. If the continent of Balnibarbi represents all of theBritish Isles, the inconsistencies of Sir Charles's theory disappear. However, at the end of the nineteenthcentury, experts discovered manuscripts by Swift which supported the viewthat Laputa and Balnibarbi symbolized England and Ireland, respectively,with the former dominating the latter in each case. 19Case, 74. Oxford was later acquitted ofthe charges and freed. England was bound by treaties not to make peacewithout the consent of her allies; and the ministry had no right, underEnglish law, to enter into discussions of the peace terms without specialroyal authority granted under the great seal. These executions occurred shortly after the Houseof Lords, in an address to George I, had praised his "endearing tendernessand clemency."33 Little more allegory remains in Book I, the voyage to Lilliput.Gulliver flees to Blefescu. Swift alludes to this fact twice in the fifthchapter. Swift, a Tory, regarded thisviolent political controversy between the Whigs and Tories as a sign of themoral decay of his country. He was ignorent of musical knowledgeand was not a great art lover like his father. Through this paper, I will show thegenius of Jonathan Swift in satirizing the political conditions of his daythrough the experiences of Lemuel Gulliver. Books I and III, then, are based primarily on political satire,allegory, and criticism of the government of his day. "The Pride of Lemuel Gulliver." In Swift's Gulliver's Travels, ed. The public was encouraged tomake the exchange on the grounds that the new investment was quite as safeas the old and much more profitable. 5Case, 71. This is related in a section (near the end) where Swiftexpresses his views regarding a biased and unjust prosecution of BishopAtterbury in 1723 for complicity in the Jacobite plot.58 The remainder of the third voyage contains only scattering referencesto specific events or persons contemporary to Swift. 31Swift, 53. Swift is summerizing the Tory hopes ofthe early 172 's--that Prince George, on his accession to the throne, mightcall the old Tory administration to power. In the seventh chapter, a secret visit to Gulliver of "a considerablePerson at Court to whom [Gulliver] had been very serviceable at a time whenhe lay under the highest Displeasure of his Imperial Majesty,"29 resumesthe satire. Swift, however, tries to clear Oxford's reputation in the fourthchapter. Robert A. He also arrived late veryoften and used lewd language in her presence. This corresponds to the temporary fall of Oxford andBolingbroke in 17 8 when the Whigs, led by Godolphin and the Earl ofMarlborough, secured control of the Cabinet and the House of Commons.2 As the book progresses, Gulliver is pictured as having been caughtoff-guard. 4Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels (N.p.: Airmont Publishing Co.,Inc., 1963), 22. 42Swift, 121. This parallels Oxford's dismissal in 1714 and histrial for treason from 1715 until 1717. 8Ibid. There is,however, some discrepancies with this identification. Known as one of the bestchildren's fantasy stories, Gulliver's Travels is actually a satire on fouraspects of man: physical, political, intellectual, and moral. Lindalino, orDublin, is described as the second city of the kingdom--an accuratedescription of Dublin if the kingdom as a whole represents the BritishIsles, but not if it represents Ireland alone. Third, Gulliver is attacked for his friendliness towardsthe Blefescudian emperor. There is alsogreat criticism of England's rule over Ireland in the beginning of thisbook. 34Arthur E. In the next chapter, Aristotle relates the theory ofgravitation expressed by Sir Isaac Newton, one of Swift's enemies. This relates to the granting of easy peaceterms to France. Reldressal, PrincipalSecretary of State for Private Affairs and Gulliver's "true friend,"proposes and eventually carries a more lenient motion. 13Swift, 33. 41Ibid. However, a closer examination of the text will shock thereader with the awareness of the true genius of Jonathan Swift. The Prince of Wales, whom Swift had portrayed as the heir to theLilliputian crown, is more definitely alligned toward the Tories in thethird voyage. Heath & Company, 1962.Dennis, Nigel. Primarily, Swift tries to gainsympathy for Oxford's blunder with the South Sea Company. Nottingham was also an enemy of Oxford because, for onereason, Oxford had succeeded him to office in 17 4.1 Moreover, while theEarl never proposed anything resembling a set of conditions on which Swiftmight be allowed liberty, in 1711 he did execute a political maneuver whichcould be interpreted in these terms with regards to Oxford. This required artificial means(stockjabbing) to pump water because water, agitated by wind and air,running downhill (money put into active circulation by speculation) wouldturn the mill with half the current of a river running level (would providesufficient government revenues with the use of half the capital required bythe old fiscal policy).53 Munodi, "being then not very well with thecourt"54 (Queen Anne had shown her displeasure at Oxford's personalbehavior towards her as early as 1712 as related in the satire in Book I),finally complied with the proposal (Oxford came out of retirement). 25Ibid., 75. 59Ibid., n.p. He is described as "a great Lord at Court, nearly related tothe King, and for that reason alone with Respect."45 It was well knownthat there was hostility between the Prince and his father. John Truagott, 111-17. The "tall Rocks" seem to be eitherhereditary nobility or the higher ecclesiastical authorities. Swift's allegory on politics, expressed predominantly in Books I andIII, is the basis for this paper. However, it is connected. 49Ibid. N.p.: Thor Publications, Inc., 1964.Monk, Samuel Holt. This possibly represents an investigation of one William Greggby a committee of Whig lords. Gulliver remarks aboutthis when he says: I swore and subscribed to these Articles with great Cheerfulness and Content, although some of them were not so honourable as I could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the malice of Skyresh Bolgolam the High Admiral.13 Chapter four's satire is almost self-explanatory. 44Case, "Satire," 114. It was the methods, though, notthe purposes, that were unreal. Swift also throws in a slap at the ridiculous political conflictbetween his party and the Whigs; he also satirizes the ridiculous religiousconflict between the Protestants and Catholics. Reldressalrelates that the trouble began with the reigning emperor's great-grandfather who, when his son was a young boy, published an edictcommanding his subjects to break their eggs at the larger end. BibliographyCase, Arthur E. The four charges of impeachment against Gulliver corrolate to actualcharges made against Oxford and Bolingbroke. 12Ibid., 73. Not much is said of the physical appearance of the King ofLaputa, but there is one line which identifies him with George I. Princeton, NewJersey: Princeton University Press, 1958.Case, Arthur E. Greenberg (New York: W.W. Therewas one act of Oxford's administration which laid him open to criticism asan experimenter in governmental economics--an experimenter more speculativeand unsound than any Whig. The magnificent genius of Jonathan Swift at writing political satireis thus exemplified in his masterpiece Gulliver's Travels. When summoned by the Queen,he would appear before her highly intoxicated. It is a satiric attack on corruption and stupidityin government. 7Ibid., 72. It was easily inEngland's power to reduce Ireland to virtual slavery if England had imposedthe full force of its economic and military might. First of all, thereis the physical appearance. Munodi's name also seems to be a contraction of mundumodi--"I hate the world."46 "Munodi's story is a thinly veiled allegory of the results to beexpected from flighty experimental Whig government as opposed to soundconservative Tory government."47 According to Arthur E. "This Academy is not an entire single Building,but a continuation of several Houses on both Sides of a Street; whichgrowing waste, was purchased and applyed to that Use."55 This descriptiondoes not fit that of the real Society. 55Ibid. When Oxford and Bolingbroke first took power, their biggestconcern was peace with France. The Prince of Laputa is not only uninterested in the subjects whichengross the attention of his father's court, he is positively interested inall the other things which they neglect. When the charges were dropped,Oxford retired to his country estate in Herefordshire. The allegory continues in Chapter III. First, Gulliver remarks that it is customary for the projectors tobeg for money from all who visit them.56 Second, the inventor of a framefor writing books suggests that his operations "might be still improved,and much expedited, if the Publick would raise a Fund for making andemploying five hundred such frames in Lagado."57 Speculative schemes wereproposed during the first six years of the reign of George I, especially inthe South Sea Year of 172 . John (Bolingbroke) while he criticizes the Whigadministrations under Queen Anne and George I. 48Ibid. 33Ibid. He suggested that Count Munodi representedViscount Midleton, Chancellor of Ireland from 1714 to 1725, and thatBalnibarbi, in the impoverished state it is described as being in,represented Ireland under English domination.36 This theory, however,necessitates the belief that Swift changed his symbolism from time to time.For example, Lagado is in Balnibarbi; but the Grand Academy of Lagado isgenerally believed to be the Royal Society of London. 28Ibid., 43. Alone among the Laputians, the Prince is anxiousto learn from Gulliver the laws and customs of other countries. 43Ibid., 13 . He isdescribed as "strong and masculine, twenty-eight years and three quartersold and articulate."4 Generally, Gulliver gives a very praiseworthydescription of the Emperor. Skyresh Bolgolam is the only cabinet ministerwho opposes Gulliver's release. He hada "thick and ungainly form, bad taste in dress, and a guttural andunintelligible pronunciation of the little English he knew."5 As AlexanderPope said in Epistle to Augustus: "Praise undeserved is scandal indisguise."6 There is another important satire in the second chapter. For example, there is a dispute between the Big-Endians and the Small-Endians (Roman Catholics and Protestants). Here is some evidence. Basically, though, atleast in Book I, Swift is defending the political lives of Robert Harley(Oxford) and Henry St. Swift also criticizes thereligious struggle between the Protestants and Catholics through thequarrel between the Big-Endians and Little-Endians. Swift then brings up the Spanish Succession again when he tellsthat "a bloody War hath been carried on between the two empires for six andthirty moons with various Success."22 Swift, however, did not want to makeEngland appear clearly superior to France in arms. Case, Four Essays on Gulliver's Travels (Princeton, NewJersey: Princeton University Press, 1958), 7 . In Book III, Swift ispredominantly attacking George I for the way he rules over Ireland and forhis experimentation in government. 35Case, "Satire," 111. The real Society was in one buildingin Crane Court. In thischapter, Gulliver's possessions are inventoried by a committee appointed bythe Emperor. The school for political projectors (promotors) has no connectionwith the Royal Society. He would charge the public a fee forcarrying out his scheme. Munodi was discharged fromoffice for inefficiency. Usingthis theory, it is easy to relate to history various details of Laputa,such as their method of suppressing insurrections. First, he tells of the party system, admitting that the HighHeels (Tories) exceed in number his own party, the Low Heels (Whigs).However, the Low Heels are in power because they have the Emperor'sfavor.14 Reldressal also admits that the heir to the throne (the Prince ofWales; later George II) is partial to the High Heels, although he tries toretain the friendship of both sides.15 This political feud in Lilliputrefers to the political feud in England. Lagado, the metropolis of the Kingdom, must surelystand for London; but it is below and subject to Laputa. Besides, Gulliver states that Bolgolam's hatred arose "without anyprovocation."9 There is, though, evidence to support both of theseidentifications. Swift is definitely criticising George I for his bully-tactic ruleover Ireland. It is acriticism mainly of the ministry of George I because of hisexperimentations in government. 9Swift, 32. So, Reldressal ends bystating that "Lilliput is in imminent danger of attack from Blefescu, andthat the Emperor is relying on Gulliver (the Tory administration) to savethe country."23 The fifth chapter brings about the crisis. For almost two centuries it was believed that it stood forthe English court under George I. To begin with, Gulliver is shipwrecked and captured bythe Lilliputians. A nothing in comparison with the infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything. When Oxfordrose to power as Chancellor of the Exchequer (in effect Prime Minister),Nottingham proposed an amendment to the royal address in the House of Lordswhich stipulated that peace with France should not leave Spain and theIndies in the possession of the House of Bourbon.11 This act was an openattempt to restrict the powers of the new Tory administration and toembarrass them by the implication that they could not be trusted tosafeguard the interests of England.12 Oxford and Bolingbroke felt it wisenot to oppose this amendment, and so it was passed. Oxford strenuouslyprotested his innocence to this crime and swore his loyalty. Laputa'sking is described as "being distinguished above all his Predecessors forhis hospitality to Strangers."42 This is in reference to George'sextensive appointments of Hanoverians to posts of profit in England. Gulliver saved the palace, although his method was both illegal andindecent; Oxford saved the state in return for which his illegalities andindecencies should have been overlooked. 16Richard Feingold, Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Monarch Notes (N.p.:Thor Publications, Inc., 1964), 3 . The three ways of punishing a recalcitrant city--flying the islandabove the city to block out the sun; pelting the city with rocks; andcrushing the city by dropping the island on it--represent three degrees ofthreats: withdrawal of court patronage, moderate civil repressive action,and military invasion. 47Ibid. This corrolates to theadministration's illegal treaty at Utrecht. Also, Laputa is not self-supporting but dependsupon sustenance drawn from below. John Fraugott (N.p.: D.C.Heath & Company, 1962), 111. 46Ibid. "Personal and Political Satire in Gulliver's Travels." In Discussions of Jonathan Swift, ed. He is attacking and mockingthis religious dispute by showing that the issue is ridiculous, asridiculous as the question of which end of an egg to break in order to eatit.18 The great-grandfather could represent Henry VIII; the son presumablyis Queen Elizabeth, who was declared illegitimate by the Pope; the edict ispresumably Henry's proclamation of himself as head of the nationalchurch.19 Reldressal reviews this conflict as one in which "one Emperorlost his Life, and another his Crown."2 This leads to the explanation ofinternational relations with Blefescu (France), which is represented asharboring and encouraging Big-Endian exiles who have fled there afterunsuccessful rebellions.21 Swift here is paralleling the JacobiteMovement. Through anadventure story, he has expertly portrayed the political scene of his day.It is a history lesson that could benefit everyone. Despite all this, theadministration began secret negotiations for peace. 45Ibid., 115. Laputa's king is not in favor of using the lastmethod because it might endanger the bottom of the island.37 Mostcommentators agree that in this particular incident, Swift is referring tocontemporary relations between England and Ireland. Since Oxford remained to stand trial, the remaining chapters arebased on Bolingbroke's adventures in France. This device for refunding the public debt of England had beenurged by Defoe, who had finally persuaded his superior to give the companya charter in 1712. The device of presenting political differencesin terms of the height of one's heels serves to show how ridiculous thecontroversy is.16 Reldressal also explains, as Swift satirizes, the religiousdifferences of the day. This firstbook could be summarized as a political allegory on the lives of RobertHarley (Oxford) and Henry St. Four Essays on Gulliver's Travels. In the seventhChapter, the "modern representative"59 to the Roman senate represents theBritish Parliament. N.p.: Airmont Publishing Co., Inc., 1963.----------------------- 1 172 was named the "South Sea Year."51 The crash broughtwith it much criticism of Oxford and many demands that he emerge fromretirement to assist in cleaning up the mess for which he was responsible. It was thrown in by Swift just to continue the story. 26Ibid. They felt they could not achieve a decisive English victory.However, they could not negotiate openly with France because the war wasstill popular with the people. Second, Gulliver refuses tosubjugate Blefescu completely. 5 Ibid. Prince Georgehad a supreme contempt for learning. 29Ibid., 51. Eventually, in 1713,both countries signed a peace treaty at Utrecht. Later he regardshis submission as a promise binding him in honor not to injure his captors.This attitude parallels that of the Tories towards the Whigs from 17 8 to171 .3 In the second chapter, Swift uses Lilliput's Emperor and Empress forhis satire. However, George I was just the opposite. The stock, however, failed in 172 when it crashed. John), during the latter half ofQueen Anne's reign. This person represents the Duke of Marlborough. However, his sincerity soon came to be mistrusted.32 The"mercy" of the Emperor is a jab at the execution of a number of the leadersof a rebellion in 1715. After he becamechancellor, Oxford began to drink a great deal. 14Ibid., 36. The story of the firein the royal palace is Swift's defense of the Tories' illegal negotiationof the peace.
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