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The Jonathan Swift Library

The Jonathan Swift Library

By: Jonathan Swift
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About this listen

 Welcome, curious listener, to The Jonathan Swift Library, a most serious repository of voyages, follies, and uncomfortable truths. Within this auditory cabinet you shall find entire books read aloud, as if rescued from the dust of some neglected Enlightenment shelf. Expect giants and tiny emperors, philosophers both wise and ridiculous, and the occasional reminder that mankind, for all its claims to reason, remains delightfully absurd. Pray sit upright, adjust your headphones with dignity, and prepare to be entertained, corrected, and perhaps gently mocked.Public domain
Episodes
  • The Battle of the Books - The Beasts' confession (1732)

    The Battle of the Books - The Beasts' confession (1732)
    Mar 28 2026
    In which various beasts, taking on human-like faculties of speech and conscience, offer earnest confessions before their sovereign, each revealing peculiar virtues and follies in a manner that mirrors the complexities of human character. Through this allegorical assembly, a gentle critique unfolds of the vanity, pretence, and self-justifications commonly found within mankind’s own social and moral discourse.
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    12 mins
  • The Battle of the Books - The second prayer was written NOV. 6, 1727.

    The Battle of the Books - The second prayer was written NOV. 6, 1727.
    Mar 26 2026
    In which a humble and devout supplication is offered, beseeching divine mercy and strength for a suffering soul enduring prolonged affliction. The prayer gently beseeches patience, forgiveness, and the grace to find solace in faith amid the trials of mortality, whilst also seeking comfort for those who mourn.
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    4 mins
  • The Battle of the Books - The first he wrote OCT. 17, 1727

    The Battle of the Books - The first he wrote OCT. 17, 1727
    Mar 24 2026
    In which a deeply devout prayer is offered for the restoration and comfort of a cherished individual enduring a long and fragile illness, beseeching divine mercy, patience, and strength for both the sufferer and those who hold her dear. The plea reflects a gentle resignation to the mysteries of Providence, extolling virtues and seeking solace in the hope of eternal peace beyond worldly affliction.
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    4 mins
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