Путешествие Гулливера

           Hewonderedtohearmetalkofsuchchargeableandexpensivewars;"thatcertainlywemustbeaquarrelsomepeople,orliveamongverybadneighbours,andthatourgeneralsmustneedsbericherthanourkings."Heasked,whatbusinesswehadoutofourownislands,unlessuponthescoreoftrade,ortreaty,ortodefendthecoastswithourfleet?"Aboveall,hewasamazedtohearmetalkofamercenarystandingarmy,inthemidstofpeace,andamongafreepeople.Hesaid,"ifweweregovernedbyourownconsent,inthepersonsofourrepresentatives,hecouldnotimagineofwhomwewereafraid,oragainstwhomweweretofight;andwouldhearmyopinion,whetheraprivateman’shousemightnotbebetterdefendedbyhimself,hischildren,andfamily,thanbyhalf-a-dozenrascals,pickedupataventureinthestreetsforsmallwages,whomightgetahundredtimesmorebycuttingtheirthroats?"

           Helaughedatmy"oddkindofarithmetic,"ashewaspleasedtocallit,"inreckoningthenumbersofourpeople,byacomputationdrawnfromtheseveralsectsamongus,inreligionandpolitics."Hesaid,"heknewnoreasonwhythose,whoentertainopinionsprejudicialtothepublic,shouldbeobligedtochange,orshouldnotbeobligedtoconcealthem.Andasitwastyrannyinanygovernmenttorequirethefirst,soitwasweaknessnottoenforcethesecond:foramanmaybeallowedtokeeppoisonsinhiscloset,butnottovendthemaboutforcordials."

           Heobserved,"thatamongthediversionsofournobilityandgentry,Ihadmentionedgaming:hedesiredtoknowatwhatagethisentertainmentwasusuallytakenup,andwhenitwaslaiddown;howmuchoftheirtimeitemployed;whetheriteverwentsohighastoaffecttheirfortunes;