During almost fix years after his return to Ireland, he kept his refolution of not meddling at all with public affairs. In 1720, when the ferment seemed to have fubfided, he published his first political pamphlet relative to Ireland, intituled, A Propofal for the univerfal Use of Irife Manufactures. The effect of this tract is well known. It roufed the indignation of the ministry: a profecution against the printer was commenced, though it came to nothing in the end. Swift again withdrew into retirement; and "there," as Mr. Sheridan expreffes it, by repeating his former allufion, "his patriotic spirit, thus confined, proved only as an evil one to torment him."

His patriotifm burst forth with a vehemence ftill more powerful and effective, in 1724, to obstruct the currency of Wood's balfpence, in the affumed character of a Drapier.

His zeal was recompenfed with fuccefs; and he was, in confequence of it, acclaimed the great patriot of Ireland.

After his marriage to Mifs Johnfon, he continued his fecret intercourfe and correfpondence with Mifs Vanhomrigh; and even indulged her hopes, by the most explicit confeffion of his paffion for her. After fuch a confefsion, she concluded, that fome reports which had reached her of his being married to Mifs Johnfon was the real obstacle to their union. To put an end to all further fufpence, she sent a short note to Mifs Johnfon, requesting to know whether she was married to Swift or pot. Mifs Johnfon answered her in the affirmative, and then enclofed the note fhe had received from her to Swift, and immediately went into the country, without seeing him.

Her abrupt departure fhowed him what passed in her mind. In the first transports of his passion, he immediately rode to Celbridge, Mifs Vanhomrigh's country feat. He entered the apartment where the unhappy lady was, and flung a paper on the table, mute, but with a countenance that spoke the highest resentment, and immediately returned to his horfe. She found it contained nothing but her note to Miss Johnson. Defpair at once feized her, as if she had seen her death warrant ; and fuch indeed it proved to be. The violent agitation of her mind threw her into a fever, which, in a short time, put a period to her existence. Before her death, which happened in 1723, she had cancelled a will made in favour of Swift, and bequeathed her whole fortune to her relation Serjeant Marshall, and the famous Dr. Berkeley, with a frong injunction, that, immediately after her decease, they should publish all the letters which paffed between Swift and her, together with the poem of Cadenus and Vaneffa. The poem was published, but the letters, at the defire of Dr. Sheridan, were fuppressed.

Swift made a tour to the fouth of Ireland for about two months at this time, to diffipate his thoughts, and give place to obloquy; during which Mifs Johnson remained in the country; nor did the quit it for fome months after his return. However, upon her return to Dublin, a reconciliation foon took place. He welcomed her to town with a beautiful poem, called Stella at Wood-Park, which concludes with a high compliment to Stella:

For though my raillery were true,

A cottage is Wood-Park with you.

Early in 1726, he revifited England, after an abfence of twelve years; and collected three volumes ☛f Mifcellanies, in conjunction with Pope, who prefixed the preface, and had the whole profit, which was very confiderable.

The fame year, he published Gulliver's Travels, a production that was received with fuch avidity, that the price of the first edition was raised before the fecond could be made. It was read by the high and the low, the learned and illiterate. Criticifm was for a while loft in wonder; no rules of judgment were applied to a book written in open defiance of truth and regularity. But when Lilinctions came to be made, the part which gave leaft pleasure was that which defcribes the Flying land, and that which gave moft difguft must be the history of the Houyhnmns. The charge of milanthropy is founded on his fuppofed fatire on human nature, in the picture he has drawn of the Tubons. The ground of this cenfure is exam ned very minutely by Mr. Sheridan, and his defence is conducted with great judgment and ingenuity. This part of his writings reflects neither honour nor reproach on his moral character.

While Swift was paffing his time with his friends Pope and Bolingbroke, and the old fraternity, he received accounts that Mifs Johnson was dangeroufly ill. This call of calamity haftened him

Next year, he returned to England; and, when the news of the King's death arrived, he attended at court, and kiffed the hands of the new King and Queen three days after their acceffion.

By the Queen, when fhe was Princess, he had been treated with fome diftinction, and was well received by her on her exaltation; but whether she gave hopes which she never took care to fatisfy, or he formed expectations which the never meant, the event was, that he always afterwards thought on her with refentment, and particularly charged her with breaking her promise of some medals which fhe engaged to fend him.

He had likewife gained the kindness of Mrs. Howard, the Queen's favourite, with whom he kept up a correfpondence; and was favourably noticed, at that time, by Walpole; to whom, it is said, he offered the service of his pen, which was rejected. The story originated with Chesterfield, or rather it can be traced no farther, and feems without fufficient foundation.

His last short vifit to his friends revived the defire which he had of settling in England; and this, he hoped, might be accomplished, by an exchange of his preferments for fomething like an equivalent in England; but he foon found that all expectations of an exchange were at an end.

It was generally fuppofed, on the acceffion of the late King, that the Tories would be no longer profcribed as formerly; more flattering profpects were opened to him than any he could have in view during the late reign. "We have now done with repining," he writes his friend Dr. Sheridan," if we be used well and not baited as formerly; we all agree in it; and if things do not mend, it is not our faults; we have made our offers; if otherwife, we are as we werc."

But he was foon obliged to alter his measures; for, being feized with a fit of giddinefs, and at the fame time, receiving alarming accounts from Ireland, that Mifs Johnson had relapfed, with little hopes of her recovery, he took leave of the Queen, in a polite letter to Mrs. Howard, and fet out for that kingdom on the first abatement of his illness.

On his arrival in Dublin, he found Mifs Johnfon in the laft ftage of a decay. He had the mifery of attending her in that state, and of daily feeing the gradual advances of death during four or five months. As fhe found her diffolution approach, a few days before it happened, in the presence of Dr. Sheridan, she adjured Swift by their friendship, to let her have the fatisfaction of dying at least, though she had not lived his acknowledged wife. He made no reply, but, turning on his heel, walked filently out of the room, nor ever faw her afterwards during the few days the lived. His behaviour threw Mifs Johnson into unspeakable agonies, and, for a time, fhe funk under the weight of fo cruel a disappointment. But soon after, roused by indignation, fhe inveighed against his cruelty in the bitterest terms; and, fending for a lawyer, made her will, bequeathing her fortune, in her own name, to charitable ufes. This feene feems to bear more hard on his humanity than any other part of his conduct in life. She died, January 28. 1728, in the 44th year of her age.

How much he wished her life his papers fhow; nor can it be doubted that he dreaded the death of her whom he loved most, aggravated by the consciousness that himself had hastened it.

Swift's unjustifiable treatment of Miss Johnson and Miss Vanhomrigh have been attributed, by Dr. Delany and Mr. Berkeley, " to that love of fingularity which, in a greater or lefs degree, is infeparable from genius." This may be reafonably doubted. His connection with Mifs Waryng was probably the immediate cause of his myfterious conduct towards Mifs Johnfon; and Miss Vanhomrigh, for a time, had power to captivate him, and make Mifs Johnson experience that mortification which she herself had occasioned to Miss Waryng. His conduct towards Mifs Johnson and Miss Vanhomrigh is examined very minutely by Mr. Sheridan; and though not pofitively justified, yet so anxious is he to place it in the most favourable point of view, that he appears more like a vindicator than an apologift. But the partialities of friendship cannot overcome the power of truth; and it would be more for the credit of Swift, if that part of his conduct which respected Miss Vanhomrigh, not as aggravated by his enemies, but as related by Mr. Sheridan himself, were configned to oblivion. It...ll not admit of a defence: it scarcely merits an apology.

After the death of Miss Johnson, his benevolence was contracted, and his severity exafperated; he drove his acquaintance from his table, and wondered why he was deferted. In this forlorn state, his spirit was too great to give way to defpondence, and, deprived as he was of all his domestic com forts, he turned his views wholly to the good and happiness of others. He wrote, from time to time, fuch directions, admonitions, or cenfures, as the exigency of affairs, in his opinion, made proper; and nothing fell from his pen in vain. By the acknowledged fuperiority of his talents, his in

dexible integrity, and his unwearied endeavours in serving the public, he obtained fuch an afcendency over his countrymen, as perhaps no private citizen obtained in any age or country. He was known over the whole kingdom by the title of the Dean, given to him by way of pre-eminence, as it were by common confent; and when the Dean was mentioned, it always carried with it the idea of the firft and greatest man in the kingdom.

In a variety of publications, he laid open the chief fources of the miseries of the poor infatuated eople of Ireland; at the fame time, pointing out the means by which they might be alleviated. While he pleaded their cause with others, he constantly disposed of the third part of his own revenue in charities to the poor, and liberalities to the diftreffed. Soon after he was out of debt, he kent out the first sool. which he could call his own, in small fums of 5 1. and rol. to diligent and neceffitous tradefmen, to be repaid weekly, at 2s. or 4 s. without intereft. This charity was at tended with the greatest benefit to numbers of the loweft class of tradesmen.

During this period, his faculties do not feem to have been at all impaired by the near approaches of old age. One of his last pieces, Verfes on the Death of Dr. Swift, is perhaps one of the best of his compofitions in that way: nor are two of his other productions, written about the fame time, intituled An Epifile to a Lady, and A Rhapsody on Poetry, inferior to any of his former pieces.

The two laft were written chiefly with a view to gratify his refentment against Walpole, to whom he attributed the ill offices done him by the Queen, who promised him fome medals, which the never fent, and affected to believe him to be the author of three forged letters, written in a very unbecoming ftyle, to recommend a fubfcription to Mrs. Barber's poems. Walpole was exasperated to the highest degree, and threatened a profecution; but dropped the defign.

His fevere reflection on Counsellor Bettesworth, in a fhort poem on the Words, Brother Proteflants and Fellow Chriftians, in 1733, is generally known. The provocation given by Swift was certainly very great, but not fo great as the lawyer's indifcretion in his manner of refenting it.

After all, Bettefworth's great fault, and what rendered him particularly obnoxious to Swift, was, his being a zealous Whig, and an active man among the leaders of that party, at a time when party animofities ran high in Ireland, and indeed in both kingdoms.

He wrote, from time to time, various trifles in verfe or profe, and paffed much of his time with Dr. Sheridan, who greatly contributed to his amusement, by little fprightly pieces of the inferior kind of poetry which he was always writing; and yet more to his employment, by hints and materials which he was every moment throwing out.

As his years increased, his fits of giddinefs and deafness grew more frequent, and his deafness made converfation difficult; they grew likewife more fevere, till, in 1736, as he was writing a poem, called The Legion Club, he was feized with a fit so painful, and fo long continued, that he never after thought it proper to attempt any work of thought or labour.

He, however, permitted one book to be published, which had been the production of former years, Polite Converfation, which appeared in 1738. The Directions for Servants was printed foon after his death. These two performances show a mind inceffantly attentive; and, when it was not employed upon great things, bufy with minute occurrences.

His mental powers at length declined, and his irafcible paffions, which at all times he had found difficult to be kept within due bounds, now raged without controul, and made him a torment to himfelf, and to all who were about him.

Confcious of his fituation, he was little defirous of feeing any of his old friends and companions, and they were as little solicitous to visit him in that deplorable ftate. He could now no longer amule himfelf with writing, and a refolution he had formed of never wearing spectacles, to which he obftinately adhered, prevented him from reading. Without employment, without amusement of any kind, his ideas wore gradually away, and left his mind vacant to the vexations of the hour.

In 1741, he became more violent, and it was found neceffary that legal guardians should be appointed of his perfon and fortune. He now loft diftinction. His madness was compounded of rage and fatuity. The laft face he knew was that of Mrs. Whiteway, a relation, that lived with him fince the death of Miss Johnson; and her he ceased to know in a little time. His meat was brought him cut into mouthfuls; but he would never touch it while the fervant ftaid; and at last, after it had flood perhaps an hour, would cat it walking; for he continued his old habit, and was on his feet

J

In 1742, he had an inflammation in his left eye, which swelled it to the fize of an egg, with boils in other parts; he was kept long waking with the pain, and was not eafily restrained by five attendants from tearing out his eye.

The tumour at last fubfided, and a fhort interval of reafon enfuing, in which he knew his physician and family, gave hopes of his recovery; but he funk into lethargic ftupidity, motionless, heedlefs, and fpeechlefs; the effect, as it was fufpected, of water in the brain.

He afterwards fpoke now and then to Mrs. Ridgeway the house-keeper, or gave some intimation of a meaning, but at last sunk into a perfect filence, which continued till the 19th of October, 1745, when he expired without a ftruggle, in the 78th year of his age.

He was buried in the great aifle of St. Patrick's Cathedral, under a ftone of black marble, on which was engraved the following epitaph, written by himself:

Hic depofitum eft corpus

JONATHAN SWIFT, S. T. P.
Hujus Ecclefiæ Cathedralis
Decani:

Ubi fæva indignatio

Ulterius cor conlacerare nequit.
Abi, viator,
Et imitare, fi poteris

Strenuum pro virili libertatis vindicem.
Obiit Anno (1745)

Menfis (Octobris) die (19)
Atatis Anno (78).

By his will, which is dated May 3. 1740, juft before he ceafed to be a reasonable being, he left about 1200 1. in fpecific legacies, and the reft of his fortune, which amounted to about 11,000l. to erect and endow an hofpital for idiots and lunatics. His fifter, Mrs. Fenton, had disobliged him by an imprudent marriage.

His works have been printed often, and in various forms; firft by Pope, in 1726, in fome volumes of Mifcellanies; next by George Faulkener, 1765; afterwards by Dr. Hawkefworth, in 8 vols. 4to. 1775.; three additional volumes 4to. by Deane Swift, Efq.; and three more by Mr, Nichols. These have been reprinted in 25 vols. large Evo, and in 27 vols. fmall 8vo. with the life of Swift by Mr. Sheridan, in 1784. A volume of Miscellaneous Pieces, in Profe and Verfe, not inserted in Mr. Sheridan's edition, was printed in 1789, and may be confidered either as an 18th volume of Mr. Sheridan's edition, or as a 26th of that of Dr. Hawkefworth and Mr. Nichols.

On the character and writings of Swift, it is the lefs neceffary for the prefent writer to enlarge, as they have been fo accurately illustrated by Loid Orrery, Dr. Johnson, and Mr. Sheridan.

"His capacity and ftrength of mind," fays Lord Orrery, "were undoubtedly equal to any task whatever. His pride, his fpirit, or his ambition, call it by what name you please, was boundless; but his views were checked in his younger years, and the anxiety of that disappointment had a vifible effect upon all his actions. He was four and fevere, but not abfolutely illnatured. He was fociable only to particular friends, and to them only at particular hours. He knew politeness more than he practifed it. He was a mixture of avarice and generofity; the former was frequently prevalent, the latter feldom appeared unless excited by compaffion. He was open to adulation, and could not, or would not diftinguish between flattery and juft applaufe. His abilities rendered him fuperior to envy. He was undisguised, and perfectly fincere. I am induced to think that he entered into orders more from fome private and fixed resolution than abfolute choice. Be that as it may, he performed the duties of the church with great punctuality, and a decent degree of devotion. He read prayers rather in a strong nervous voice than in a graceful manner; and although he has been often accused of irreligion, nothing of that kind appeared in his converfation and behaviour. His caft of mind induced him to think and speak more of politics than religion. His perpetual views were directed towards power, and his chief aim was to be removed into England; but when he found himself entirely difappointed, he turned his thoughts to opposition, and became the patron of Ircland.

"From the gifts of nature, he had great powers, and from the imperfection of humanity, he had

many failings. I always confidered him as an abftract and brief chronicle of the times, no man being beater acquainted with human nature, both in the highest and loweft fcenes. His friends and correfpondents were the greatest and most eminent men of the age; and the fages of antiquity were often the companions of his clofet; and although he avoided an oftentation of learning, and generally chose to draw his materials from his own store, yet his knowledge of the ancient authors evidently appears from the ftrength of his fentiments, and the claffic correctness of his style.

"His attendance upon the public fervice of the church was regular and uninterrupted; and, indeed, regularity was peculiar to him in all his actions, even in the greatest trifles. His hours of walking and reading never varied: his motions were guided by his watch, which was fo conftantly held in his hand, or placed before him upon his table, that he seldom deviated many minutes in the daily revolution of his exercises and employments.

The Dean kept company with many of the fair fex, but they were rather his amusement than his admiration; he trifled away many hours in their converfation, he filled many pages in their praise, and, by the powers of his head, he gained the character of a lover, without the least aflistance from his heart. To this particular kind of pride, fupported by the heat of his genius, and joined by the exceffive coldness of his nature, Vanessa owed the ruin of her reputation; and from the fame caufe, Stella remained an unacknowledged wife. If you review his feveral poems to Stella, you will find them fuller of affection than defire, and more expreffive of friendship than love.

"Upon a general view of his poetry, we shall find him, as in his other performances, an uncommon, furprising, heteroclite genius, luxurious in his fancy, lively in his ideas, humorous in his defeription, and bitter, exceedingly bitter, in his fatire. The restlessness of his imagination, and the dappointment of his ambition, have both contributed to hinder him from undertaking any poetical work of length or importance. His wit was fufficient to every labour; no flight could have wearied the strength of his powers; perhaps if the extensive views of his nature had been fully fatisfied, his airy motions had been more regular and lefs fudden; but he now appears like an eagle that is fometimes chained, and at that particular time, for want of nobler and more proper food, diverts his confinement, and appeafes his hunger, by deftroying the gnats, butterflies, and other wretched infects that unluckily happen to buz or flutter within her reach.

The fubjects of his poems are often naufeous, and the performances beautifully difagreeable. The Ladies Dreing-room has been univerfally condemned, as deficient in point of delicacy, even to the highest degree. The two poems, entitled The Life and genuine Character of Dr. Swift, and Verfes on the Death of Dr. Swift, &c. are poems of great wit and humour. In the laft, he has fummoned the whole powers of fatire and poetry; it is a parting blow, the legacy of anger and difappointment. One of his strictest rules in poetry was to avoid triplets. He had the niceft ear, and is remarkably chafte and delicate in his rhymes: a bad rhyme appeared to him one of the capital fins in poetry." Mr. Sheridan produces fome ftriking inftances of Swift's tenderness of heart, his great humanity, and his univerfal benevolence, and clofes his account of him with laying open one leading part of his character," which," fays he, "may ferve as a clue to the whole."

"He was perhaps the most difinterefed man that ever lived. No felfifh motive ever influenced any part of his conduct. He loved virtue for its own fake, and was content it fhould be its own reward. The means to arrive at rank, fortune, and fame, the three great objects of purfuit in other men, though thrown in his way, he utterly defpifed, fatisfied with having deferved them. The fame principle operated equally on the author as on the man, as he never put his name to his works, nor had any folicitude about them after they had once made their appearance in the world. The laft act of his life fhowed how far he made this a rule of conduct, in his choice of the charity to which he bequeathed his fortune, leaving it for the fupport of idiots and lunatics, beings that could never know their benefactor.

Upon the whole, when we confider his character as a man perfectly free from vicc, with few frailties, and fuch exalted virtucs, and as an author pofsessed of fuch uncommon talents, fuch an unexhauftible fund of wit, joined to fo clear and folid an understanding; when we behold these two characters united in one and the fame perfon, perhaps it will not be thought too bold an affertion to fay, that his parallel is not to be found either in the hiftory of ancient or modern times.”