Many of
the best satirical quotations in relate to Swift's insinuated political
commentary. As someone cynically disillusioned by his own unhappy involvement in the world of
politics, Swift's ill-concealed bitterness brings an added satirical bite to these quotations'
impact upon the reader.
Of so little weight are the
greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their
passions.
Gulliver is reflecting on the ingratitude of
the Emperor of Lilliput, despite his having saved the Lilliputians from a Blefuscu invasion. He
has refused to enslave the Blefuscudian prisoners at the Emperor's behest on moral grounds. The
message here is that politics and morality do not always align; if you want to get on in the
political world then be prepared...
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