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SWIFT.

AN account of Dr. Swift has been already collected, with great diligence and acuteness, by Dr. Hawkefworth, according to a fcheme which I laid before him in the intimacy of our friendship. I cannot therefore be expected to fay much of a life, concerning which I had long fince communicated my thoughts to a man capable of dignifying his narration with fo much elegance of language and force of fentiment.

JONATHAN SWIFT was, according to an account faid to be written by himself *, the son of Jonathan Swift, an attorney, and was born at Dublin on St. Andrew's day, 1667: according to his own report, as delivered by Pope to Spence, he was born at Leicester, the son of a clergyman, who was minifter of a parish in Herefordshire. During his life the place of his birth was undetermined. He was

* Mr. Sheridan in his Life of Swift obferves, that this account was really written by the Dean, and now exists in his own handwriting in the library of Dublin college.

+ Spence's Anecdotes, vol. II. p. 273. VOL. III.

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contented to be called an Irishman by the Irifh; bur would occafionally call himself an Englishman. The queftion may, without much regret, be left in the obfcurity in which he delighted to involve it.

Whatever was his birth, his education was Irish. He was fent at the age of fix to the school of Kilkenny, and in his fifteenth year (1682) was admitted into the University of Dublin.

In his academical ftudies he was either not diligent or not happy. It must disappoint every reader's expectation, that, when at the ufual time he claimed the Bachelorship of Arts, he was found by the examiners too confpicuoufly deficient for regular admiffion, and obtained his degree at laft by special favour; a term used in that univerfity to denote want of merit.

Of this difgrace it may be eafily fuppofed that he was much afhamed, and fhame had its proper effect in producing reformation. He refolved from that time to ftudy eight hours a-day, and continued his industry for seven years, with what improvement is fufficiently known. This part of his ftory well deferves to be remembered; it may afford ufeful admonition and powerful encouragement to many men, whose abilities have been made for a time useless by their paffions or pleafures, and who, having loft one part of life in idlenefs, are tempted to throw away the remainder in despair.

In this course of daily application he continued three years longer at Dublin; and in this time, if the obfervation and memory of an old companion may be trufted, he drew the first sketch of his "Tale of "a Tub."

When he was about one-and-twenty (1688), being by the death of Godwin Swift his uncle, who had

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fupported him, left without fubfiftence, he went to confult his mother, who then lived at Leicester, about the future courfe of his life; and by her direction folicited the advice and patronage of Sir William Temple, who had married one of Mrs. Swift's rela tions, and whofe father Sir John Temple, Mafter of the Rolls in Ireland, had lived in great familiarity of friendship with Godwin Swift, by whom Jonathan had been to that time maintained.

Temple received with fufficient kindnefs the nephew of his father's friend, with whom he was, when they converfed together, so much pleafed that he detained him two years in his house. Here he became known to King William, who fometimes vifited Temple when he was disabled by the gout, and, being attended by Swift in the garden, fhewed him how to cut afparagus in the Dutch way.

King William's notions were all military; and he expreffed his kindnefs to Swift by offering to make him a captain of horse.

When Temple removed to Moor-park, he took Swift with him; and when he was confulted by the Earl of Portland about the expedience of complying with a bill then depending for making parliaments triennial, against which King William was ftrongly prejudiced, after having in vain tried to fhew the Earl that the propofal involved nothing dangerous to royal power, he fent Swift for the fame purpofe to the King. Swift, who probably was proud of his employment, and went with all the confidence of a young man, found his arguments, and his art of difplaying them, made totally ineffectual by the pre

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determination of the King; and ufed to mention this difappointment as his firft antidote againf vanity.

Before he left Ireland he contracted a disorder, as he thought, by eating too much fruit. The original of diseases is commonly obfcure. Almoft every boy eats as much fruit as he can get, without any great inconvenience. The disease of Swift was giddiness with deafnefs, which attacked him from time to time, began very early, purfued him through life, and at laft sent him to the grave, deprived of reason.

Being much oppreffed at Moor-park by this grievous malady, he was advised to try his native air, and went to Ireland; but, finding no. benefit, returned to Sir William, at whofe house he continued his ftudies, and is known to have read, among other books, Cyprian" and "Irenæus." He thought exercife of great neceffity, and used to run half a mile up and down a hill every two hours.

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It is easy to imagine that the mode in which his firft degree was conferred, left him no great fondness for the Univerfity of Dublin, and therefore he refolved to become a Mafter of Arts at Oxford. In the teftimonial which he produced, the words of difgrace were omitted; and he took his Master's degree (July 5, 1692) with fuch reception and regard as fully contented him.

While he lived with Temple, he used to pay his mother at Leicester a yearly vifit. He travelled on foot, unless fome violence of weather drove him into a waggon; and at night he would go to a penny lodging, where he purchased clean fheets for fixpence. This practice Lord Orrery imputes to his innate love of groffness and vulgarity: fome may ascribe it to

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