fordshire, and fome neighbouring counties; and which fome of thofe fons often told to their chil dren; many of which are still remembered, but many more forgot.

SECT. XI. He was deprived of both his church-livings, fooner than most other loyal clergymen, upon account of his fuperior zeal for the King's cause, and his estate fequestered: His preferments, at least that of Goodrich, were given to a fanatical faint *; who fcrupled not however to conform upon the Reftoration; and lived many years, I think till after the Revolution. I have seen many perfons at Goodrich, who knew, and told me his name, which I cannot now remember.

SECT. XII. The Lord Treasurer Oxford told the Dean, that he had among his father's (Sir Edward Harley's) papers, feveral letters from Mr Thomas Swift, writ in thofe times, which he promised to give to the grandfon, whose life I am. now writing But never going to his houfe in Herefordshire while he was treasurer, and the Queen's death happening in three days after his removal, the Dean went to Ireland; and the Earl being tried for his life, and dying while the Dean was in Ireland, he could never get them.

SECT. XIII. Mr Thomas Swift died in the year 1658, and in the [63d] year of his age. His

* Gyles Rawlins fucceeded him in the parish of Goodrich : But the other here mentioned, fucceeded Rawlins fome time be fore October 1657. His name was William Tringham.

His body lies under the altar at Goodrich, with a fhort infcription. He died about two years before the return of K. Charles II. who, by the recommendation of fome prelates, had promifed, if ever God fhould restore him, that he would promote Mr Swift in the church, and otherwise reward his family, for his extraordinary fervices and zeal, and perfecutions in the royal caufe; but Mr Swift's merit died with himself.

SECT. XIV. He left ten fons and three or four daughters, most of which lived to be men and women. His eldest fon Godwin Swift, of the Inner-temple, Efq; (fo ftyled by Guillim the herald, in whofe book the family is defcribed at large) was, I think, called to the bar before the Restoration. He married a relation of the old Marchionefs of Ormond'; and upon that account, as well as his father's loyalty, the old Duke of Ormond made him his attorney-general in the palatinate of Tipperary. He had four wives; one of which, to the great offence of his family, was co-heirefs + to Admiral Deane, who was one of the Regicides. Godwin left feveral children, who have all eftates. He was an ill pleader, but perhaps a little too dextrous in the fubtle parts of the law.

SECT. XV. The fecond fon of Mr Thomas Swift, was called by the fame name, was bred at Oxford, and took orders. He married the eldest daughter of Sir William D'Avenant; but died

*Of Gray's Inn, not of the Inner-temple.

+ Sole heiress.

young,

young, and left only one fon, who was called Thomas, and is now rector of Puttenham in Surrey. His widow lived long, was extremely poor, and in part fupported by the famous Dr South, who had been her husband's intimate friend.

SECT. XVI. The reft of his fons, fo far as I can call to mind, were Mr Dryden Swift, (called fo after the naine of his mother, who was a near relation to Mr Dryden the poet †) William, Jonathan, and Adam; who all lived and died in Ireland; but none of them left male iffue, except Jonathan, who, befides a daughter, left one fon, born seven months after his father's death; of whofe life I intend to write a few memorials.

SECT. XVII. J. S. D. D. and D. of St P—, was the only fon of Jonathan Swift, who was the feventh or eighth fon of Mr Thomas Swift above mentioned, fo eminent for his loyalty and his fufferings.

SECT. XVIII. His father died young, about two years after his marriage. He had some employments and agencies. His death was much lamented on account of his reputation for integrity, with a tolerable good understanding.

SECT. XIX. He married Mrs Abigail Erick, of Leicestershire, defcended from the most ancient family of the Ericks; who derive their lineage from Erick the Forefter, a great commander, who

*He died in May 1752, in the 87th year of his age. She was aunt to the famous John Dryden.

who raised an army to oppofe the invafion of William the Conqueror; by whom he was vanquished, but afterwards employed to command that prince's forces: And in his old age retired to his houfe in Leicestershire, where his family hath continued ever fince; but declining every age, and are now in the condition of very private gentlemen.

SECT. XX. This marriage was on both fides very indiscreet: For his wife brought her hufband little or no fortune; and his death happening fo fuddenly *, before he could make a fufficient establishment for his family, his fon (not then born) hath often been heard to fay, that he felt the confequences of that marriage, not only through the whole courfe of his education, but during the greatest part of his life.

SECT. XXI. He was born in Dublin, on St Andrew's day †. And when he was a year old, an event happened to him that feems very unufual For his nurfe, who was a woman of Whitehaven, being under an abfolute neceffity of feeing one of her relations, who was then extremely fick, and from whom she expected a legacy; and being extremely fond of the infant, she stole him on shipboard unknown to his mother and uncle, and carried him with her to Whitehaven ; where he continued for almost three years. For, when the matter was difco

*He died at the age of about five and twenty, In the year 1667.

vered,

vered, his mother fent orders, by all means not to hazard a fecond voyage, till he could be better able to bear it. The nurse was fo careful of him, that before he returned, he had learned to fpell; and by the time that he was three * years old, he could read any chapter of the Bible.

SECT. XXII. After his return to Ireland, he was fent, at fix years old, to the school of Kilkenny; from whence, at fourteen, he was admitted into the University at Dublin: Where, by the ill treatment of his nearest relations, he was fo difcouraged and funk in his fpirits, that he too much neglected fome parts of his academic ftudies; for which he had no great relish by nature, and turned himself to reading hiftory and poetry: So that when the time came for taking his degree of Bachelor, although he had lived with great regularity and due obfervance of the statutes, he was ftopped of his degree for dulnefs and infufficiency; and at last hardly admitted, in a manner little to his credit, which is called in that college fpeciali gratia. And this difcreditable mark, as I am told, ftands upon record in their collegeregistry.

SECT. XXIII. The troubles then breaking out, he went to his mother, who lived in Leicester; and after continuing there fome months, he was received by Sir William Temple, whofe father had been a great friend to the family, and who was now retired to his houfe called Moorpark,

I

* Hawkefworth fays five; and probably he is right.

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