Works of Jonathan Swift

In 1735 an Irish publisher, George Faulkner, printed a complete set of Swift's works to date, Volume III of which was the famous Gulliver's Travels (originally produced in 1726). As revealed in Faulkner's "Advertisement to the Reader", Faulkner had access to an annotated copy of Benjamin Motte's work by "a friend of the author" (generally believed to be Swift's friend Charles Ford) which reproduced most of the manuscript free of Motte's amendments, the original manuscript having been destroyed. It is also believed that Swift at least reviewed proofs of Faulkner's edition before printing but this cannot be proven. Generally, this is regarded as the Editio Princeps of Gulliver's Travels with one small exception, discussed below. This edition had an added piece by Swift, A letter from Capt. Gulliver to his Cousin Sympson which complained of Motte's alterations to the original text, saying he had so much altered it that "I do hardly know mine own work" and repudiating all of Motte's changes as well as all the keys, libels, parodies, second parts and continuations that had appeared in the intervening years. This letter now forms part of many standard texts. Gulliver's Travels, officially Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships is a novel that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the "travellers' tales" literary sub-genre. It is Swift's best known work, and a classic of English literature. The book became tremendously popular as soon as it was published (John Gay said in a 1726 letter to Swift that "it is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery"), and it is likely that it has never been out of print since then. Swift had travelled to London to have his work published; the manuscript was secretly delivered to the publisher Motte, who used five printing houses to speed production and avoid piracy. Motte, recognising a bestseller but fearing prosecution, simply cut or altered the worst offending passages (such as the descriptions of the court contests in Lilliput or the rebellion of Lindalino), added some material in defense of Queen Anne to book II, and published it. The first edition was released in two volumes on October 26, 1726, priced 8s. 6d.