A grand Debate at the General Assembly of the Houyhnhnms; and how it was determined. The Learning of the Houyhnhnms. Their Buildings. Their Manner of Burials. The Defectiveness of their Language.

One of these Grand Assemblies was held in my time, about threeMonths before my Departure, whither my Master went as the Representative of our District. In this Council was resumed their old Debate, and indeed, the only Debate that ever happened in their Country; whereof my Master after his Return gave me a very particular Account.

The Question to be debated, was, Whether the Yahoos should be exterminated from the Face of the Earth. One of the Members for the Affirmative offered several Arguments of great Strength and Weight; alledging, That, as the Yahoos were the most filthy, noisome, and deformed Animal which Nature ever produced, so they were the most restive and indocible, mischievous and malicious: They would privately suck the Teats of the Houyhnhnms Cows; kill and devour their Cats, trample down their Oats and Grass, if they were not continually watched; and commit a Thousand other Extravagancies. He took Notice of a general Tradition, that Yahoos had not been always in their Country: But, that many Ages ago, two of these Brutes appeared together upon a Mountain; whether produced by theHeat of the Sun upon corruptedMud and Slime, or fromtheOoze and Froth of the Sea, was never known. That these Yahoos engendered, and their Brood in a short time grew so numerous as to over-run and infest the whole Nation. That the Houyhnhnms to get rid of this Evil, made a general Hunting, and at last inclosed the whole Herd; and destroying the Older, every Houyhnhnm kept two young Ones in a Kennel, and brought them to such aDegree of Tameness, as an Animal so savage by Nature can be capable of acquiring; using them for Draught and Carriage. That, there seemed to be much Truth in this Tradition, and that those Creatures could not be Ylnhniamshy (or Aborigines of the Land) because of the violent Hatred the Houyhnhnms as well as all other Animals, bore them; which although their evil Disposition sufficiently deserved, could never have arrived at so high a Degree, if they had been Aborigines, or else they would have long since been rooted out.