Horace Walpole and Gulliver's Travels

H o ra c e W a lp o le a n d zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Gullive rsTrave ls J E A N N E K . W E L C H E R ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA An yo n e w h o r ea d s H o r a ce W a lp ole's w r itin gs kn o w s w h a t a p r o d i­ giou s r ea d er a n d vo lu b le liter a r y com m en ta tor h e w a s a n d is a w a r e th a t Sw ift r eceived a sh a r e o f th a t a tten tio n .1 J u st h o w con sciou s W a lp ole w a s o f Sw ift's im p or ta n ce a s a w r iter , h o w r em a r ka b ly a p p r ecia tive h e w a s o f QPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA G u lliv e r 's T r a v e ls — in fa ct h o w em b ed d ed th a t b o o k w a s in h is o w n im a gin a tio n —W a lp o le u n d o u b ted ly co u ld n ot h a ve sa id h im self. It is r a r e to fin d a w r iter w h o , th ou gh n ot a p r ofession a l cr itic or sch ola r , a d ver ts tim e a n d a ga in o ver a lon g life to a m a jor w o r k o f h is o w n d a y. W h en W a lp ole's r esp on ses to G u lliv e r 's T r a v e ls a r e a ssem b led a n d set w ith in th e p er sp ective o f h is cen tu r y, th e r esu lt is im p r essive a n d in som e w a ys u n ­ for eseen . Th ese r esp on ses a r e o f tw o sor ts. Th e fir st a r e com m en ts r ela tin g d ir ectly or in d ir ectly to Sw ift a n d h is w o r k s. By fa r th e m ost co p io u s sou r ce o f th ese is W a lp ole's letter s, w h er e su ch r efer en ces a n d a llu sion s a r e fr eq u en t a n d r ecu r fo r m or e th a n fifty yea r s. In h is cr itica l a n d h istor ica l essa ys, h e o cca sio n a lly cited Sw ift. An d in b o o ks b y a n d a b o u t Sw ift h e left m a r gin a lia — a n in tr igu in g m e­ d iu m , w h ich in tim e w ill b e m or e r ea d ily a ccessib le th r ou gh th e W . S. Lew is gift to Ya le. Besid es q u otin g a n d ta lkin g a b ou t Sw ift, W a lp o le im ita ted h im , p r i­ m a r ily G u lliv e r 's T r a v e ls . W r itin g G u lliver ia n a w a s a n eigh teen th cen tu r y p h en om en on th...