Quotes from Jonathan Swift

The empress, and young princes of the blood of both sexes, attended by many ladies, sat at some distance in their chairs; but

Three kings protested to me, that in their whole reigns they never did once prefer any person of merit, unless by mistake, or treachery of some minister in whom they confided; neither would they do it if they were to live again: and they showed, with great strength of reason, that the royal throne could not be supported without corruption, because that positive, confident, restive temper, which virtue infused into a man, was a perpetual clog to public business.

todas as terras que um súdito descobre, pertencem, de direito, à coroa.

If a struldbrug happen to marry one of his own kind, the marriage is dissolved of course, by the courtesy of the kingdom, as soon as the younger of the two comes to be fourscore; for the law thinks it a reasonable indulgence, that those who are condemned, without any fault of their own, to a perpetual continuance in the world, should not have their misery doubled by the load of a wife. "As

Luego me midieron el dedo pulgar de la mano derecha, y no necesitaron más, pues por medio de un cálculo matemático, según el cual dos veces la circunferencia del dedo pulgar es una vez la circunferencia de la muñeca

We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love each other.

Argument, as usually managed, is the worst sort of conversation

I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who

One enemy can do more hurt than ten friends can do good.

felt great numbers of people on my left side relaxing the cords to such a degree, that I was able to turn upon my right, and to ease myself with making water; which I very plentifully did, to the great astonishment of the people; who, conjecturing by my motion what I was going to do, immediately opened to the right and left on that side, to avoid the torrent, which fell with such noise and violence from

A wise man is never less alone than when he is alone.

So that, upon the whole, there must be some kind of subjection due from every man to every man, which cannot be made void by any power, pre-eminence, or authority whatsoever. 

I had been for some hours extremely pressed by the necessities of nature; which was no wonder, it being almost two days since I had last disburdened myself. I was under great difficulties between urgency and shame. The best expedient I could think of, was to creep into my house, which I accordingly did; and shutting the gate after me, I went as far as the length of my chain would suffer, and discharged my body of that uneasy load.

He had therefore begun to think it not unwise in us to cover our bodies, and by that invention conceal many of our deformities from each other, which would else be hardly supportable.

From this time my constant practice was, as soon as I rose, to perform that business in open air, at the full extent of my chain; and due care was taken every morning before company came, that the offensive matter should be carried off in wheel-barrows, by two servants appointed for that purpose. I

Habéis probado claramente que la ignorancia, la pereza y el odio son los ingredientes apropiados para formar un legislador; que quienes mejor explican, interpretan y aplican las leyes son aquellos cuyos intereses y habilidades residen en pervertirlas, confundirlas y eludirlas.

We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

Cuando en el mundo aparece un verdadero genio puede reconocérsele por este signo: todos los necios conjuran contra él.

The emperor, and all his court, came out to meet us; but his great officers would by no means suffer his majesty to endanger his person by mounting on my body. At

When I am reading a book, whether wise or silly, it seems to me to be alive and talking to me.

and the first words I learnt, were to express my desire "that he would please give me my liberty;" which I every day repeated on my knees. His

For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, the flesh being of too tender a consistence to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.

I had as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I sometimes use for the weakness of mine eyes,) a pocket perspective, and some other little conveniences; which, being of no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in honour to discover, and I apprehended they might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.

The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a rattle which was a kind of hollow vessel filled with great stones, and fastened by a cable to the child's waist: but all in vain; so that she was forced to apply the last remedy by giving it suck.