A Modest Proposal

AModestProposalbyJonathanSwiftAModestProposalforpreventingthechildrenofpoorpeopleinIreland,frombeingaburdenontheirparentsorcountry,andformakingthembeneficialtothepublick.byDr.JonathanSwift.1729Itisamelancholyobjecttothose,whowalkthroughthisgreattown,ortravelinthecountry,whentheyseethestreets,theroadsandcabbin-doorscrowdedwithbeggarsofthefemalesex,followedbythree,four,orsixchildren,allinrags,andimportuningeverypassengerforanalms.Thesemothersinsteadofbeingabletoworkfortheirhonestlivelihood,areforcedtoemployalltheirtimeinstrolingtobegsustenancefortheirhelplessinfantswho,astheygrowup,eitherturnthievesforwantofwork,orleavetheirdearnativecountry,tofightforthePretenderinSpain,orsellthemselvestotheBarbadoes.Ithinkitisagreedbyallparties,thatthisprodigiousnumberofchildreninthearms,oronthebacks,orattheheelsoftheirmothers,andfrequentlyoftheirfathers,isinthepresentdeplorablestateofthekingdom,averygreatadditionalgrievance;andthereforewhoevercouldfindoutafair,cheapandeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensoundandusefulmembersofthecommon-wealth,woulddeservesowellofthepublick,astohavehisstatuesetupforapreserverofthenation.Butmyintentionisveryfarfrombeingconfinedtoprovideonlyforthechildrenofprofessedbeggars:itisofamuchgreaterextent,andshalltakeinthewholenumberofinfantsatacertainage,whoarebornofparentsineffectaslittleabletosupportthem,asthosewhodemandourcharityinthestreets.Astomyownpart,havingturnedmythoughtsformanyyears,uponthisimportantsubject,andmaturelyweighedtheseveralschemesofourprojectors,Ihavealwaysfoundthemgrosslymistakenintheircomputation.Itistrue,achildjustdroptfromitsdam,maybesupportedbyhermilk,forasolaryear,withlittleothernourishment:atmostnotabovethevalueoftwoshillings,whichthemothermaycertainlyget,orthevalueinscraps,byherlawfuloccupationofbegging;anditisexactlyatoneyearoldthatIproposetoprovidefortheminsuchamanner,as,insteadofbeingachargeupontheirparents,ortheparish,orwantingfoodandraimentfortherestoftheirlives,theyshall,onthecontrary,contributetothefeeding,andpartlytothecloathingofmanythousands.Thereislikewiseanothergreatadvantageinmyscheme,thatitwillpreventthosevoluntaryabortions,andthathorridpracticeofwomenmurderingtheirbastardchildren,alas!toofrequentamongus,sacrificingthepoorinnocentbabes,Idoubt,moretoavoidtheexpencethantheshame,whichwouldmovetearsandpityinthemostsavageandinhumanbreast.Thenumberofsoulsinthiskingdombeingusuallyreckonedonemillionandahalf,oftheseIcalculatetheremaybeabouttwohundredthousandcouplewhosewivesarebreeders;fromwhichnumberIsubtractthirtythousandcouple,whoareabletomaintaintheirownchildren,(althoughIapprehendtherecannotbesomany,underthepresentdistressesofthekingdom)butthisbeinggranted,therewillremainanhundredandseventythousandbreeders.Iagainsubtractfiftythousand,forthosewomenwhomiscarry,orwhosechildrendiebyaccidentordiseasewithintheyear.Thereonlyremainanhundredandtwentythousandchildrenofpoorparentsannuallyborn.Thequestionthereforeis,Howthisnumbershallbereared,andprovidedfor?which,asIhavealreadysaid,underthepresentsituationofaffairs,isutterlyimpossiblebyallthemethodshithertoproposed.Forwecanneitheremploytheminhandicraftoragriculture;weneitherbuildhouses,(Imeaninthecountry)norcultivateland:theycanveryseldompickupalivelihoodbystealingtilltheyarriveatsixyearsold;exceptwheretheyareoftowardlyparts,althoughIconfesstheylearntherudimentsmuchearlier;duringwhichtimetheycanhoweverbeproperlylookedupononlyasprobationers:AsIhavebeeninformedbyaprincipalgentlemaninthecountyofCavan,whoprotestedtome,thatheneverknewaboveoneortwoinstancesundertheageofsix,eveninapartofthekingdomsorenownedforthequickestproficiencyinthatart.Iamassuredbyourmerchants,thataboyoragirlbeforetwelveyearsold,isnosaleablecommodity,andevenwhentheycometothisage,theywillnotyieldabovethreepounds,orthreepoundsandhalfacrownatmost,ontheexchange;whichcannotturntoaccounteithertotheparentsorkingdom,thechargeofnutrimentsandragshavingbeenatleastfourtimesthatvalue.Ishallnowthereforehumblyproposemyownthoughts,whichIhopewillnotbeliabletotheleastobjection.IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmericanofmyacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursed,is,atayearold,amostdeliciousnourishingandwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled;andImakenodoubtthatitwillequallyserveinafricasie,oraragoust.Idothereforehumblyofferittopublickconsideration,thatofthehundredandtwentythousandchildren,alreadycomputed,twentythousandmaybereservedforbreed,whereofonlyonefourthparttobemales;whichismorethanweallowtosheep,blackcattle,orswine,andmyreasonis,thatthesechildrenareseldomthefruitsofmarriage,acircumstancenotmuchregardedbyoursavages,therefore,onemalewillbesufficienttoservefourfemales.Thattheremaininghundredthousandmay,atayearold,beofferedinsaletothepersonsofqualityandfortune,throughthekingdom,alwaysadvisingthemothertoletthemsuckplentifullyinthelastmonth,soastorenderthemplump,andfatforagoodtable.Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends,andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsalt,willbeverygoodboiledonth