near Farnham in Surrey, where he continued for about two years: For he happened, before twenty years old, by a furfeit of fruit, to contract a giddinefs and coldness of stomach, that almost brought him to his grave; and this diforder purfued him, with intermiffions of two or three years, to the end of his life. Upon this occafion he returned to Ireland, by advice of phyficians, who weakly imagined, that his native air might be of fome ufe to recover his health. But falling worse, he foon went back to Sir William Temple; with whom growing into fome confidence, he was often trufted with matters of great importance. King William had a high esteem for Sir William Temple, by a long acquaintance while that gentleman was ambaffador and mediator of a general peace at Nimeguen. The King, foon after his expedition to England, vifited his old friend often at Sheen, and took his advice in affairs of the greateft confequence. But Sir William Temple, weary of living fo near London, and refolving to retire to a more private fcene, bought an estate near Farnham in Surrey, of about 100 l. a-year, where Mr Swift accompanied him.

SECT. XXIV. About that time a bill was brought into the Houfe of Commons, for triennial parliaments; against which the King, who was a stranger to our conftitution, was very averfe, by the advice of fome weak people, who perfuaded the Earl of Portland, that King Charles I. VOL. I.

B

loft

loft his crown and life by confenting to pafs fuch a bill. The Earl, who was a weak man, came down to Moorpark, by his Majesty's orders, to have Sir William Temple's advice; who faid much to fhew him the mistake: But he continued ftill to advise the King against paffing the bill. Whereupon Mr Swift was fent to Kensington, with the whole account of that matter in writing, to convince the King, and the Earl, how ill they were informed. He told the Earl, to whom he was referred by his Majefty, (and gave it in writing), that the ruin of King Charles I. was not owing to his paffing the triennial bill, which did not hinder him from diffolving any parliament; but to the paffing another bill, which put it out of his power to diffolve the parliament then in being, without the confent of the House. Mr Swift, who was well verfed in Englifh hiftory, although he was then under twenty-one years old *, gave the King a fhort account of the matter, but a more large one to the Earl of Portland; but all in vain: For the King, by ill advifers, was prevailed upon to refuse paffing the bill. This was the first time that Mr Swift had any converfe with courts; and he told his friends, it was the first incident that helped to cure him of vanity.

The

*It was firft written, but afterwards erafed in the original manufcript, "three and twenty years old ;" which, in all probability, was right: For Dr Swift was twenty-one years old the last day of November 1688, and before that period there could have been no fuch bill under confideration.

The confequence of this wrong step in his Majesty, was very unhappy: For it put that prince under a neceffity of introducing those people called Whigs into power and employments, in order to pacify them. For although it be held a part of the King's prerogative to refufe paffing a bill, yet the learned in the law think otherwife, from that expreffion ufed at the coronation, wherein the prince obligeth himself to confent to all laws quas vulgus elegerit.

SECT. XXV. Mr Swift lived with him, (Sir William Temple) fome time *; but refolving to fettle himself in a way of living, was inclined to take orders. However, although his fortune was very fmall, he had a fcruple of entering into the church merely for fupport; and Sir William Temple then being mafter of the rolls in Ireland, offered him an employ of about 120 l. a-year in that office: Whereupon Mr Swift told him, that fince he had now an opportunity of living without being driven into the church for a maintenance, he was refolved to go to Ireland to take holy orders +. He was recommended to the Lord Capel, then Lord Deputy, who gave him a prebend in the North, worth about 100 l. a-year; of which growing weary in a few months, he returned to England, refigned his living in favour of a friend,

B 2

That is, for the space of about five years and a half, from 1688 to 1694.

† An answer extremely polite, and feemingly adorned with gratitude; but at the fame time extremely refolute, and worthy of himself.

friend, and continued in Sir William Temple's houfe till the death of that great man, who, befides a legacy, left him the care, and truft, and advantage of publishing his pofthumous writings.

SECT. XXVI. Upon this event Mr Swift removed to London, and applied by petition to King William, upon the claim of a promise his Majefty had made to Sir W. Temple, that he would give Mr Swift a prebend of Canterbury or Weftminster. The Earl of Rumney, who profeffed much friendship for him, promised to fecond his petition; but as he was an old, vitious, illiterate rake, without any fenfe of truth or honour, faid not a word to the King. And Mr Swift, after long attendance in vain, thought it better to comply with an invitation given him by the Earl of Berkeley, to attend him to Ireland as his chaplain and private fecretary, his Lordship having been appointed one of the Lords Juftices of that kingdom. He attended his Lordthip, who landed near Waterford: And Mr Swift acted as fecretary during the whole journey to Dublin. But another perfon had fo far infinuated himfelf into the Earl's favour, by telling him, that the poft of fecretary was not proper for a clergyman, nor would be of any advantage to one who only aimed at church preferments, that his Lordfhip, after a poor apology, gave that office to the other †.

*Suppofed to be 500 l.

SECT. XXVII.

See a poem upon this incident in vol. ix. intitled, The Difcovery.

SECT. XXVII. In fome months the deanry of Derry fell vacant, and it was the Earl of Berkeley's turn to dispose of it; yet things were fo ordered, that the fecretary having received a bribe, the deanry was disposed of to another, and Mr Swift was put off with fome other churchlivings not worth above a third of that rich deanry, and at this present not a fixth. The excuse pretended, was his being too young, although he was then thirty years old *.

* He was then upwards of two and thirty years old.

N. B. All the notes in this Tract, except that in p. 12, and the laft in p. 16, are taken from Mr Deane Swift.