A Modest Proposal
For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick
Jonathan Swift's pamphlet of 1729 begins as a sober piece of economic reasoning about the beggars of Ireland and the burden of their children, and proceeds, in the same reasonable voice, to propose that the children be fattened and sold as food for the rich, with calculations of the yield and suggestions for cooking. The target is the English treatment of Ireland and the cold arithmetic of the political economists, and the joke is never acknowledged. It is a few thousand words long and the most famous piece of sustained irony in the language. Swift, the dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin, published it anonymously, as he did Gulliver's Travels three years earlier. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the opening is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about A Modest Proposal
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read A Modest Proposal online?
Yes. A Modest Proposal opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is A Modest Proposal free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of A Modest Proposal is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is A Modest Proposal in the public domain?
Yes. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read A Modest Proposal?
About 14 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is A Modest Proposal?
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is filed under "History" in the Vinteuil library.
