Lemuel Gulliver, the author of these travels, is a long-standing and intimate friend of mine; in fact, we are distantly related through my mother’s family. Approximately three years ago, Mr. Gulliver became exhausted by the constant stream of curious visitors at his home in Redriff. Consequently, he decided to purchase a modest estate near Newark, in his native Nottinghamshire. There, he now lives a quiet, retired life, though he remains highly respected by his neighbors.
While Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire, I have often heard him mention that his ancestors hailed from Oxfordshire. I have personally confirmed this by observing several Gulliver family monuments in the Banbury churchyard, which support his claims.
Before leaving Redriff, he entrusted me with the following papers, granting me the freedom to dispose of them as I saw fit. I have carefully read through them three times. The style is remarkably plain and straightforward. My only criticism is that the author, like many travellers, provides a few too many minor details. Nevertheless, a sense of absolute truth shines through the entire narrative. Indeed, Mr. Gulliver was so renowned for his integrity that his neighbors used to say, "It is as true as if Mr. Gulliver had spoken it," whenever they wanted to emphasize a fact.
Encouraged by several respected acquaintances, I have now decided to share these papers with the world. I hope they will provide more genuine entertainment than the tedious political pamphlets that are so common today.
This volume would have been at least twice as long if I had not taken the liberty of removing countless technical passages. I deleted detailed descriptions of tides, wind directions, and the complex maneuvers of sailing—details that only a professional sailor would fully appreciate. While Mr. Gulliver might be slightly annoyed by these cuts, I was determined to make the book accessible to the general reader. If any errors have occurred due to my lack of maritime knowledge, I alone am responsible for them. Should any curious traveller wish to see the original, unedited manuscript, I would be happy to show it to them.
For further details regarding the author’s life, the reader will find more information in the opening pages of the book.
RICHARD SYMPSON.