Vorrede. 940s t 1831 Zu den grossen Geistern Englands, welche sich in der Literatur ausgezeichnet haben, gehört auch Dr. Jonathan Swift. Seine Werke sind immer gern gelesen worden, und haben bedeutendes Aufsehen gemacht. Ist auch der Styl Swift's nicht immer zu loben, so findet man doch in seinen Werken Tiefe, gediegene Urtheilskraft und treffende Satyre. Um so mehr ist es aber zu bedauern, dass dieser Schriftsteller in so Weniger Händen ist; was vornehmlich wohl daher komint, weil keine Ausgabe einzelner Stücke bisher in Deutschland vorhanden war. Diesem Bedürfnisse abzuhelfen, entschloss ich mich, vorliegendes Werkchen herauszugeben. Ueber die Bearbeitung ist zu bemerken, dass die unter dem Texte angegebenen grammatischen Regeln aus des Herrn Professor Wagner's englischer Sprachlehre (die nicht genug zum Studium empfohlen werden kann) genommen worden sind; ausserdem hat der Herausgeber die schweren Wörter, wie auch den Sinn dunkler Stellen nach den besten Hülfsquellen erklärt. S M308796 Sollte dieses Werkchen sich des Beifalls verständiger Männer erfreuen, so wird der Herausgeber gern noch andere Stücke von Swift auf ähnliche Art bearbeiten.. Leipzig, den 16. November 1831. Paul Anton Fedor Possart. THE PREF A C E. The wits of the present age being so very numerous and penetrating, it seems the grandees of church and state begin to fall under horrible apprehensions, lest these gentlemen'), during the intervals of a long peace, should find leisure to pick holes in the weak sides of religion and government. To prevent which, there has been much thought 2) employed of late, upon certain projects, for taking off the force and edge of those formidable enquirers, from canvassing and reasoning upon such delicate points. They have at length fixed upon one which will require some time, as well as cost, to perfect. Meanwhile, the danger hourly increasing, by new levies 3) of wits, all appointed *) (as there is reason to fear) with pen, ink, and paper, which may, at an hour's warning, be drawn out into pamphlets and other offensive weapons ready for immediate execution; it was judged of absolute necessity that some present expedient be thought on till the main design can be brought to maturity. To this end, at a grand committee, some days ago, this important discovery was made by a certain curious and refined observer, that seamen have a custom, when they meet a whale, to fling him out an empty tub by way of amusement, to divert him from laying violent hands upon the ship. This parable was immediately mythologized. The whale was interpreted to be Hobbes's Leviathan 3), which tosses and plays with all other schemes of reli 1) Die Constrution ist: should find etc. Betrachtung. 3) levies, Rekruten. sten, versehen mit ... 4) to appoint, ausrü 5) Leviathan, eine Schrift von Hobbes, der vollständige Titel ist: Leviathan s. de materia, forma et potestate civitatis ecclesiasticae et civilis. Amstelod. 1668. 4. Früher engl. London. 1651. fol. gion and government, whereof a great many are hollow and dry, and empty, and noisy, and wooden, and given to rotation. This is the Leviathan from whence the terrible wits of our age are said to borrow their weapons. The ship in danger, is easily understood to be its old antitype the commonwealth. But how to analyse the tub, was a matter of difficulty, when, after long enquiry and debate, the literal meaning was preserved; and it was decreed, that, in order to prevent these Leviathans from tossing and sporting with the commonwealth (which of itself is too apt to fluctuate) they should be diverted from that game by a Tale of a Tub ). And my genius being conceived to lie not unhappily that way, I had the honour done me to be engaged in the performance. This is the sole design in publishing the following treatise, which I hope will serve for an interim of some months to employ those unquiet spirits till the perfecting of that great work, into the secret of which, it is reasonable the courteous reader should have some little light. It is intended that a large academy be erected, capable of containing nine thousand seven hundred forty and three persons, which, by modest computation, is reckoned to be pretty near the current number of wits in this island. These are to be disposed into the several schools of this academy, and then pursue those studies to which their genius most inclines them. The undertaker himself will publish his proposals with all convenient speed, to which I shall refer the curious reader for a more particular account, mentioning at present only a few of the principal schools. There is first a large pederastic school, with French and Italian masters; there is also a spelling school, a very spacious building; the school of looking-glasses; the school 6) Der Ausdruck: Tale of a Tub, kommt entweder daher, weil die Waschweiber bei einer Waschtonne, oder die Fischweiber bei ihren Fischtonnen gern Mährchen erzählen; oder er kommt von den Tonnen, die man den Wallfischen vorwirft, |