Were readers smarter in the past?

By this oblique motion the island is conveyed to
different parts of the Monarch's dominions. To explain
the manner of its progress, let AB represent a line drawn
across the dominions of Balnibarbi, let the line CD
represent the loadstone, of which let D be the repelling
end and C the attracting end; the island being over C,
let the stone be placed in the position CD, with its
repelling end downwards, then the island will be driven
upwards obliquely towards D. When it is arrived at D,
let the stone be turned upon its axle till its attracting end
points towards E, and then the island will be earned
obliquely towards E; where, if the stone be again turned
upon its axle till it stands in the position EF, with its
repelling point downwards, the island will rise obliquely
towards F; where, by directing the attracting end
towards G, the island may be carried to G, and from G
to H, by turning the stone, so as to make its repelling
extremity point directly downwards. And thus, by
changing the situation of the stone as often as there is
occasion, the island is made to rise and fall by turns in
an oblique direction, and by those alternate risings
and fallings (the obliquity being not considerable) is
conveyed from one part of the dominions to the other.

I imagine it's intentionally obtuse, but isn't too complex for someone with the right sort of visual imagination.

>>9767541
Was that shit written by an Anglo brain?

>>9767613
irish guy, I think
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift

Authors from centuries ago seem to be much smarter than authors now. Wouldn't surprise me, since anyone can write a book regardless of wealth or genetics now.

>>9767541
Nah, this has nothing on the Legend of the 10 Elemental Masters.

>>9767541
Unless that's meant to be paired with a diagram, that's intentionally nonsensical. The author is constantly introducing new points without defining them, and is describing "the position" of line segments. CD isn't a point, it's a direction or a line segment.

>>9767613
Nevermind, you're right. He's Anglo. Born in Ireland, but not Irish.

File: Screenshot_2017-07-17-11-36-00.png (200KB, 720x1280px) Image search: [Google]

200KB, 720x1280px

Yes all these fags can do now is repeat the party line like hive minded drones. Blah blah blah gender race gender they don't think of anything else but facile and adolescent nonsense.

>>9767541
This looks like deliberate parody to me, but also: yes, readers and writers were both smarter before universal education.

>>9767541
Looks like Swift bamboozled yet another naive soul.