I wonder, and retract a starting tear,

gaze in attentive doubt, with anguish swell, and o'er and o'er on each weigh'd object dwell. Then to the window rush, gay views invite, and tempt idea to permit delight. But unimpressive, all in sorrow drown'd, one void forgetful desert glooms around. Oh, life! deceitful lure of lost desires! how short thy period, yet how fierce thy fires! scarce can a passion start, we change so fast, ere new lights strike us, and the old are past; schemes following schemes, so long life's taste explore, that e'er we learn to live, we live no more.

Who then can think, yet sigh, to part with breath? or shun the healing hand of friendly death? Guilt, penitence, and wrongs, and pain, and strife, form the whole heap'd amount, thou flatterer, life! Is it for this, that toss'd 'twixt hope and fear, peace, by new shipwrecks, numbers each new year? Oh take me, death! indulge desir'd repose, and draw thy silent curtain round my woes. Yet hold, one tender pang revokes that pray❜r, still there remains one claim to tax my care. Gone tho' she is, she left her soul behind, in four dear transcripts, of her copy'd mind. They chain me down to life, new tasks supply, and leave me not at leisure yet to die! busied for them I yet forego release,

and teach my wearied heart to wait for peace.

But when their day breaks broad, I welcome night, smile at discharge from care, and shut out light.

Life of Broome, Melancholy, The Rose-bud,

CONTENTS.

page 1 Poverty and Poetry,

3 The Parting,

5 Alone at an Inn,

689

THE LIFE OF SWIFT.

Perhaps no character has more exhausted the various researches of his biographers than that of Swift. Their several publications place him in very different and sometimes opposite points of view, according to their different degrees of prejudice or candour. The narrations of Lord Orrery, Dr. Hawkesworth, Dr. Johnson, and Mr. Sheridan, appear his real biographers; Dr. Delany, Mr. Swift, and Mr. Berkely are his apologists; and Mrs. Pilkington, a retailer of anecdotes. Dr. Robert Anderson from these sources has given a judicious account which is prefixed to his edition of Swift's Poems. It is from the labours of his predecessors that the business of the editor of the following epitome has been rendered easy. Some particulars of our author's early life are taken from the "Anecdotes of the Family of Swift," a fragment written by himself, which still exists, in his own handwriting, in the University Library of Dublin. Jonathan Swift was descended from a younger branch of an ancient family of that name in Yorkshire. His grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Swift, was vicar of Goodrich in Herefordshire, and married Elizabeth Dryden, aunt of the poet, by whom he had ten sons and three or four daughters. Six of his sons only survived him, Godwin, Thomas, Dryden, William, Jonathan, and Adam. The last four were attorneys, who all lived and died in Ireland. Jonathan, the father of Swift, had married Abigail Erick, descended from an ancient family of that name in Leicestershire, but with little or no fortune. He died at the age of 25, seven weeks before the birth of his only son, leaving

his widow, and an infant daughter to the care of his brother Godwin. When Swift was a year old the nurse, wanting to visit a relation at Whitehaven, carried with her the infant, unknown to the mother and uncle. She remained there 3 years and was so careful to have him educated that before he was five years old he could read any chapter in the bible. At the age of six he was sent to the school of Kilkenny, and at 14 admitted into the University of Dublin. The expense of his education was defrayed by his uncle Godwin, who, having a numerous offspring, by four wives, was under the necessity of reducing his allowance as low as possible. His other relations almost entirely neglected him. His mother who had removed to Leicester was supported chiefly by presents from her relations. During his residence at College, he lived with great regularity and due observance of the statutes, but he neglected so much those studies which should have qualified him for taking the degree of bachelor of arts, that he was refused his first degree for insufficiency, and at last was permitted to take it Speciali gratiâ, in terms of reproach. He remained three years afterwards at college, accounted by scholars a blockhead, little known, and little regarded. The lowness of his circumstances, did not permit him to associate with the rich, and he scorned to associate with the lower class. A degradation on the score of intellect he could not, however, wage a lasting war with; his faculties were roused, and from that time he studied eight hours a day, for seven years, with a success that has surprised the world. The force of his genius broke out in a rude draught of the Tale of a Tub, written at the age of 19. Soon after, his uncle Godwin was seized with a lethar

gy, and the broken state of his affairs was made public. He had now lost the poor support he had before; but his uncle William supplied the place of Godwin, in a way, tho' not more liberal, yet in a manner which engaged his gratitude. In 1688, when he was about 21, he went to consult his mother concerning the means of future support. He was here introduced to Sir William Temple, who had married a relation of Mrs. Swift, and in the company of this distinguished statesman he continued about two years, and had frequent opportunities of seeing king William, who once offered to make him captain of horse. Swift, however, had fixed his inclination on ecclesiastic life. He was admitted to his master's degree at Oxford, ad eundem, 1692, with many marks of respect. He returned to Moor-park, where he remained two years longer, in expectation of some preferment from his patron, whom he assisted in the revisal and correction of his writings. At length, worn with fruitless expectation, he determined to leave Sir William Temple. While at Moor-park, he used to pay his mother an annual visit. He travelled on foot, except when the violence of the weather drove him into a waggon, and called at obscure alehouses. He went over to Ireland, and was ordained in September 1694, and obtained the prebend of Kilroot, in the diocese of Connor, of about 1007. a year. Receiving from Sir William Temple an invitation to Moor-park, he resigned his living to a poor curate with a numerous family, who had only 40% a year. The infirmities of Sir William made the company of Swift most necessary. In the four years that passed between his return and Sir William Temple's death, he was fully and usefully employed as a preceptor to his niece,

teaching her English construction, and directing-her in a proper course of reading. It was here he met with Miss Johnson, daughter to Sir William's steward, afterwards known better by the name of Stella, who partook the benefit of the same course of instructions. She was at this time about fourteen years of age, beautiful in her person, and possessed of fine talents. In 1699, Sir William Temple died, and left to Swift his manuscripts and a legacy. He removed to London, in expectation of a prebend from King William, who had promised the first that became vacant, but his expectations were never realized. Lord Berkeley gave him the rectory of Agher, and the vicarages of Laracor and Rathbeggan, in the diocese of Meath. While Lord Berkeley continued in Ireland Swift was his chaplain, but afterwards settled at his benefice at Laracor. He soon after invited to Ireland his lovely pupil, Miss Johnson, to whom Sir William Temple had left 1000l. in consideration of her father's faithful services. She brought with her a lady named Dingley. With these ladies Swift passed his hours of relaxation, and to them unburdened his mind. It was Stella who inspired his muse; it was Stella who stood pre-eminent in his esteem, and yet he studiously avoided the appearance of a tender attachment. He had addressed Miss Waryng on the score of love, but broke off the correspondence. Ambition, not love, was his ruling passion. In 1701 he took the degree of Doctor in Divinity. In 1704 he published the Tale of a Tub, where religion is slightly treated, and which debarred him from a bishopric froin Queen Anne. Swift lived in the greatest intimacy with Addison, Congreve, Arbuthnot, Prior, Pope, Gay, Parnell, Garth and Berkeley. In April 1713, he was