Explanation:
Although we usually call reward and punishment the two Hinges upon which all Government turns, yet I could never observe this Maxim to be put in Practice by any nation except that of Lilliput.
Answer: These lines occur in Chapter 6 of Part 1 of Jonathan Swift's famous satire Gulliver's Travels. Unleashing a satirical sting, the narrator in these lines exposes the shortcoming of all governments.
Although all human beings feel and recommend that reward and punishment should go hand in hand, hardly it is observed by the governments. They know it well that this should be practiced but this maxim is hardly put into practice. Satirically, he points out what is wrong with all governments. He shows that this maxim is effectively observed by the Lilliputian Government only. Those who in this kingdom observe the Laws of the country have a claim to certain privileges. They are entitled to a sum of money according to their quality and condition of life. They also get titles, which will not descend to posterity. But generally in human life, our laws are enforced only by penalties without any mention of reward. So what the Lilliputs can do for proper justice we cannot. The image of justice suffers in human courts of Judicature.
This is a pungent satire. The Lilliputs are very small in size and they have very limited physical and mental power, yet their government can do what other governments fail to do. Swift has pinpointed what other governments suffer from. Knowing fully well that all governments depend on these two hinges, they cannot put them in practice effectively.
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