THE AUTHOR STUDIOUS TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE—THE HOUYHNHNM HIS
MASTER ASSISTS IN TEACHING HIM—THE LANGUAGE DESCRIBED—SEVERAL
HOUYHNHNMS OF QUALITY COME OUT OF CURIOSITY TO SEE THE
AUTHOR—HE GIVES HIS MASTER A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS VOYAGE.
My principal endeavor was to learn the language, which my master (for so
I shall henceforth call him) and his children, and every servant of his
house, were desirous to teach me; for they looked upon it as a prodigy
that a brute animal should discover such marks of a rational creature. I
pointed to everything, and inquired the name of it, which I wrote down
in my journal book when I was alone, and corrected my bad accent, by
desiring those of the family to pronounce it often. In this employment, a
sorrel nag, one of the under servants, was ready to assist me.
In speaking, they pronounce through the nose and throat, and their
language approaches nearest to the High Dutch or German, of any I know in
Europe; but it is much more graceful and significant. The emperor Charles
V. made almost the same observation when he said that if he were to speak
to his horse, it should be in High Dutch.
The curiosity and impatience of my master were so great that he spent
many hours of his leisure to instruct me. He was convinced (as he
afterwards told me) that I must be a _yahoo_, but my teachableness,
civility, and cleanliness, astonished him; which were qualities
altogether so opposite to those animals. He was most perplexed about my
clothes, reasoning sometimes with himself, whether they were a part of
my body; for I never pulled them off till the family were asleep, and
got them on before they waked in the morning. My master was eager to
learn whence I came; how I acquired those appearances of reason which I
discovered in all my actions; and to know my story from my own mouth,
which he hoped he should soon do by the great proficiency I made in
learning and pronouncing their words and sentences. To help my memory, I
formed all I learned in the English alphabet, and wrote the words down,
with the translations. This last, after some time, I ventured to do in my
master’s presence. It cost me much trouble to explain to him what I was
doing; for the inhabitants have not the least idea of books or literature.
In about ten weeks’ time I was able to understand most of his questions;
and in three months could give him some tolerable answers. He was
extremely curious to know from what part of the country I came, and how
I was taught to imitate a rational creature; because the _yahoos_ (whom
he saw I exactly resembled in my head, hands and face, that were only
visible), with some appearance of cunning, and the strongest disposition
to mischief, were observed to be the most unteachable of all brutes, I
answered that I came over the sea from a far place, with many others of
my own kind, in a great hollow vessel made of the bodies of trees; that
my companions forced me to land on this coast, and then left me to shift
for myself. It was with some difficulty, and by the help of many signs,
that I brought him to understand me. He replied, that I must needs be
mistaken, or that I said the thing which was not. (For they have no
word in their language to express lying or falsehood.) He knew it was
impossible that there could be a country beyond the sea, or that a parcel
of brutes could move a wooden vessel whither they pleased upon water. He
was sure no Houyhnhnm alive could make such a vessel, nor would trust
_yahoos_ to manage it.
The word Houyhnhnm, in their tongue, signifies a horse, and, in its
etymology, the perfection of nature. I told my master that I was at a
loss for expression, but would improve as fast as I could; and hoped in
a short time I should be able to tell him wonders. He was pleased to
direct his own mare, his colt and foal, and the servants of the family,
to take all opportunities of instructing me; and every day, for two or
three hours, he was at the same pains himself; several horses and mares
of quality in the neighborhood came often to our house upon the report
spread of a wonderful _yahoo_, that could speak like a Houyhnhnm, and
seemed in his words and actions to discover some glimmerings of reason.
These delighted to converse with me; they put many questions and received
such answers as I was able to return. By all these advantages I made
so great a progress, that in five months from my arrival, I understood
whatever was spoken, and could express myself tolerably well.
The Houyhnhnms who came to visit my master out of a design of seeing and
talking with me, could hardly believe me to be a right _yahoo_, because
my body had a different covering from others of my kind. They were
astonished to observe me without the usual hair or skin, except on my
head, face, and hands; but I discovered that secret to my master upon an
accident which happened about a fortnight before.
I have already told the reader, that every night, when the family were
gone to bed, it was my custom to strip, and cover myself with my clothes:
it happened one morning early, that my master sent for me by the sorrel
nag, who was his valet; when he came I was fast asleep, my clothes
fallen off on one side, and my shirt above my waist. I awaked at the
noise he made, and observed him to deliver his message in some disorder;
after which he went to my master, and in a great fright gave him a very
confused account of what he had seen. This I presently discovered; for
going as soon as I was dressed to pay attendance upon his honor, he asked
me the meaning of what his servant had reported, that I was not the same
thing when I slept as I appeared to be at other times.
I had hitherto concealed the secret of my dress, in order to distinguish
myself as much as possible from that cursed race of _yahoos_; but now
I found it in vain to do so any longer. Besides, I considered that my
clothes and shoes would soon wear out, which already were in a declining
condition, and must be supplied by some contrivance from the hides of
_yahoos_ or other brutes; whereby the whole secret would be known. I
therefore told my master that in the country whence I came, those of
my kind always covered their bodies with the hairs of certain animals
prepared by art, as well for decency as to avoid the inclemencies of
air, both hot and cold; of which, as to my own person, I would give him
immediate conviction, if he pleased to command me. Whereupon I first
unbuttoned my coat, and pulled it off. I did the same with my waistcoat.
I drew off my shoes, stockings, and breeches.
My master observed the whole performance with great signs of curiosity
and admiration. He took up all my clothes in his pastern, one piece
after another, and examined them diligently; he then stroked my body
very gently, and looked round me several times; after which he said, it
was plain I must be a perfect _yahoo_; but that I differed very much
from the rest of my species, in the softness, whiteness, and smoothness
of my skin; my want of hair on several parts of my body; the shape and
shortness of my claws behind and before; and my affectation of walking
continually on my two hinder feet. He desired to see no more; and gave me
leave to put on my clothes again, for I was shuddering with cold.
I expressed my uneasiness at his giving me so often the appellation
of _yahoo_, an odious animal, for which I had so utter a hatred and
contempt; I begged he would forbear applying that word to me, and take
the same order in his family and among his friends whom he suffered
to see me. I requested likewise, that the secret of my having a false
covering to my body might be known to none but himself, at least as long
as my present clothing should last; for, as to what the sorrel nag, his
valet, had observed, his honor might command him to conceal it.
All this my master very graciously consented to, and thus the secret was
kept till my clothes began to wear out, which I was forced to supply by
several contrivances that shall hereafter be mentioned. In the meantime,
he desired I would go on with my utmost diligence to learn their
language, because he was more astonished at my capacity for speech and
reason, than at the figure of my body, whether it were covered or no;
adding, that he waited with some impatience to hear the wonders which I
promised to tell him.
Thenceforward he doubled the pains he had been at to instruct me; he
brought me into all company, and made them treat me with civility,
because, as he told them privately, this would put me into good humor,
and make me more diverting.
Every day, when I waited on him, besides the trouble he was at in
teaching, he would ask me several questions concerning myself, which I
answered as well as I could; and by these means he had already received
some general ideas, though very imperfect. It would be tedious to relate
the several steps by which I advanced to a more regular conversation, but
the first account I gave of myself in any order and length was to this
purpose:
That I came from a very far country, as I already had attempted to tell
him, with about fifty more of my own species; that we traveled upon the
seas in a great hollow vessel made of wood, and larger than his honor’s
house. I described the ship to him in the best terms I could, and
explained, by the help of my handkerchief displayed, how it was driven
forward by the wind. That upon a quarrel among us, I was set on shore
on this coast, where I walked forward, without knowing whither, till he
delivered me from the persecution of those execrable yahoos. He asked
me who made the ship, and how it was possible that the Houyhnhnms of
my country would leave it to the management of brutes. My answer was,
that I durst proceed no farther in my relation, unless he would give me
his word and honor that he would not be offended, and then I would tell
him the wonders I had so often promised. He agreed; and I went on by
assuring him that the ship was made by creatures like myself, who, in
all the countries I had traveled, as well as in my own, were the only
governing, rational animals; and that upon my arrival hither I was as
much astonished to see the Houyhnhnms act like rational beings, as he or
his friends could be in finding some marks of reason in a creature he
was pleased to call a _yahoo_, to which I owned my resemblance in every
part, but could not account for their degenerate and brutal nature. I
said farther, that if good fortune ever restored me to my native country,
to relate my travels hither, as I resolved to do, everybody would believe
that I said the thing which was not; that I invented the story out of
my own head; and—with all possible respect to himself, his family, and
friends, and under his promise of not being offended—our countrymen
would hardly think it probable that a Houyhnhnm should be the presiding
creature of a nation, and a _yahoo_ the brute.