ciples, not only of general virtue, but of the noblest moral system of Christianity, he did not deliver himself up to natural propenfities, when they were contrary to his duty; and therefore his love of money did not contract his charity to the poor, or defraud his fucceffors to enrich himself. The fame fpirit which fecured his integrity, by dif daining the meannefs of a lie, produced that dread of hypocrify which concealed his piety, and betrayed him into appearanees of evil: And the fame want of natural tenderness, which made him appear obdurate and auftere, transferred the diftribution of his liberality from inftinct to religion, and made that, which in others is an exercise of felf-love, in him an act of obedience to God.

Such was Dr Jonathan Swift, whofe writings either ftimulate mankind to fuftain their dignity as rational and moral beings, by fhewing how low they stand in mere animal nature; or fright them from indecency, by holding up its picture before them in its native deformity: And whose life, with all the advantages of genius and learning, was a scale of infelicity gradually ascending, till pain and anguish destroyed the faculties by which they were felt: While he was viewed at a distance with envy, he became a burthen to himself; he was forfaken by his friends, and his memory has been loaded with unmerited reproach: His life therefore does not afford lefs instruction than his writings, fince to the wife it may teach humility, and to the fimple content.

Some

Some particulars in Dr SWIFT'S CHARACTER, extracted from Lord ORRERY'S Remarks, and Mr SWIFT's Effay.

From LORD ORRERY.

R SWIFT was in the decline of life when I

DR

knew him. His friendship was an honour to me; and, to fay the truth, I have even drawn advantage from his errors. I have beheld him in all humours and difpofitions; and I have formed various fpeculations from the feveral weakneffes to which I obferved him liable. His capacity and strength of mind 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 difappointment 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 politenefs 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, distinguish between low flattery and just applause. His abilities rendered him fupe

rior to envy. He was undisguised, and perfectly fincere. I am induced to think, that he entered into orders, more from fome private and fixed refolution, than from 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 or behaviour. His caft of mind induced him to think and speak more of politics than of religion. His perpetual views were directed towards power; and his chief aim was to be removed into England: But when he found himfelf entirely disappointed, he turned his thoughts to oppofition, and became the patron of Ireland. Few characters have afforded fo great a variety of faults and beauties. Few men have been more known and admired, or more envied and cenfured, than Dr Swift. 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 abstract and brief chronicle of the times; no man being better acquainted with human nature, both in the highest and in the loweft fcenes of life. His friends and correfpondents were the greatest and most eminent men of the age. The fages of antiquity were often the companions of his clofet: And although he induftriously avoided an oftentation of learning,

and

and generally chofe to draw his materials from his own ftore; yet his knowledge in the ancient authors, evidently appears from the strength of his fentiments, and the claffic correctness of his style.

His attendance upon the public service 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 feldom deviated many minutes, in the daily revolution of his exercises and employments.

From Mr DEANE SWIFT.

THE character of Dr Swift is fo exceedingly ftrange, various, and perplexed, that it can never be drawn up with any degree of accuracy. I fhall, however, remark fome few particulars, without venturing to attempt the delineation of a character, which hath entirely baffled all endeavours hitherto made, either by friends or enemies.

vere.

SWIFT's natural temper feems to have been a miraculous compound of the placid and the feThe placid frequently had the fuperiority in his breaft; and the fevere, in its turn, when excited by the follies and corruptions of humankind, as frequently the predominance.

He

He was by nature of a spirit wonderfully exalted. His pride, if pride it must be called, was of a turn peculiar to himself. His whole deportment was of a piece. He would not have stooped to converfe with the greatest monarch in Europe, upon any terms lower than equality.

He knew to a point the refpect that was due to him; which he took care to exact without any fort of abatements. It will appear from the following inftance, with what quickness he refented any failure in good manners. An English clergyman, appointed a Bishop in Ireland, fent his fervant one morning to the Dean, to beg the favour of him to order St Patrick's cathedral to be got ready against the next Sunday for his confecration. The Doctor would by no means grant his requeft; but faid, he would order the church to be in readiness against the Sunday following. When the fervant was gone, the Doctor told a friend, then with him, that he could as well have had the church ready against the next, as against the following Sunday: But, faid he, my reason for refufing to grant that gentleman's requeft, was, because he ought to have come himfelf, and not fent his fervant to me upon fuch a meffage.

Neither could he endure to be treated with any fort of familiarity, or that any man living (his three or four old acquaintances in England only excepted) fhould rank himfelf in the number of his friends. A young perfon of quality, VOL. I.

upon