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The Book of Laurence - 3 -
- 3 -
In such he perhaps follows in the fine tradition of Dublin’s
legendary Dean Swift, when he wrote his satirical Modest
Proposal three centuries ago.³
“As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon
this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our
projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in
their
computation. It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported
by her milk, for a solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not
above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or
the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly
at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as,
instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting
food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary,
contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing of many thousands.
There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will
prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice
of
women
murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing
the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to
avoid the expence than the
shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and
inhuman breast.”
Swift was
the author of Gulliver’s Travels in 1726. Dean of St
Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin since 1713, should not have
been entirely unaware of how such prose would be
received.
4
He concluded his pamphlet:
2
Jonathan Swift,
A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in
Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial
to the publick, 1729 (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1080).
4
“The satirical intent of A Modest Proposal was misunderstood by many of Swift's
peers, and he was harshly criticized for writing prose in such exceptionally "bad taste."
He came close to losing his patronage because of this essay.” (Wikipedia)
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