The Houyhnhnms Notion of Truth and Falshood. The Author's Discourse disapproved by hisMaster. The Author gives a more particular Account of himself, and the Accidents of his Voyage.

My master heard me with great Appearances of Uneasiness in his Countenance; because Doubting or not believing, are so little known in this Country, that the Inhabitants cannot tell how to behave themselves under such Circumstances. And I remember in frequent Discourses with my Master concerning the Nature of Manhood, in other Parts of theWorld; having Occasion to talk of Lying, and falseRepresentation, it was with much Difficulty that he comprehended what I meant; although he had otherwise a most acute Judgment. For he argued thus; That the Use of Speech was to make us understand one another, and to receive Information of Facts; now if any one said the Thing which was not, these Ends were defeated; because I cannot properly be said to understand him; and I am so far from receiving Information, that he leaves me worse than in Ignorance; for I am led to believe a Thing Black when it is White, and Short when it is Long. And these were all the Notions he had concerning that Faculty of Lying, so perfectly well understood, and so universally practised among human Creatures.

To return from this Digression; when I asserted that the Yahoos were the only governing Animals in my Country, which my Master said was altogether past his Conception, he desired to know, whether we had Houyhnhnms among us, and what was their Employment: I told him, we had great Numbers; that in Summer they grazed in the Fields, and in Winter were kept in Houses, with Hay and Oats, where Yahoo-Servants were employed to rub their Skins smooth, comb their Manes, pick their Feet, serve them with Food, andmake their Beds. I understand you well, said my Master; it is now very plain from all you have spoken, that whatever Share of Reason the Yahoos pretend to, the Houyhnhnms are your Masters; I heartily wish our Yahoos would be so tractable. I begged his Honour would please to excuse me from proceeding any farther, because I was very certain that the Account he expected from me would be highly displeasing. But he insisted in commanding me to let him know the best and the worst: I told him he should be obeyed.