Quotes from Gulliver’s Travels

And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.

It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end.

My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.

I said the thing which was not.

Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own.

You have clearly proved, that ignorance, idleness, and vice, are the proper ingredients for qualifying a legislator.

A soldier is a Yahoo hired to kill, in cold blood, as many of his own species, who have never offended him, as possibly he can.

It was only a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders, massacres, revolutions, banishments, the very worst effects that avarice, faction, hypocrisy, perfidiousness, cruelty, rage, madness, hatred, envy, lust, malice, and ambition, could produce.

There was a society of men among us, bred up from their youth in the art of proving, by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white, according as they are paid.

Reason alone is sufficient to govern a rational creature.

Undoubtedly philosophers are in the right, when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison.

When I behold a lump of deformity and diseases, both in body and mind, smitten with pride, it immediately breaks all the measures of my patience.

But the Houyhnhnms, who live under the government of reason, are no more proud of the good qualities they possess, than I should be for not wanting a leg or an arm; which no man in his wits would boast of, although he must be miserable without them.

This diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favour at court.

Whoever performs his part with most agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue-coloured silk.

Yet, the smell of a Yahoo continuing very offensive, I always keep my nose well stopped with rue, lavender, or tobacco leaves.

Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.