insensibility, which a month after ended in his death. This short interval was seized to publish, under his name, a New Letter of a Drapier to the good People of Ireland, and particularly to the poor Papists. It was so much in the Dean's style, and so greedily received, that it went through a variety of editions in a month's time. The many

strokes of wit and humour it contained, renders it more than probable that Lord Chesterfield himself had no small share in

it.

Lord Chesterfield had no very high opinion of Swift's shrewdness, fidelity, or candour, as a historian. Speaking of the Four last Years of Queen Anne, his Lordship used to say, that the historical part was a partypamphlet, founded on the lie of the day; which he says, Lord Bolingbroke after reading it, assured him, was coined and delivered out to Swift as materials for Exa

miners, and other political papers. "This spirit," says his Lordship, "remarkably runs through it; for instance, Swift says, Macartney

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cartney murdered the Duke of Hamilton. Nothing is falser; for, though Macartney was very capable of the vilest actions, he was guiltless of that, as I myself can testify, who was at his trial in the King's Bench, when he came over to take it in the late King's time. There did not appear even a ground for suspicion of it, nor did Hamilton, who appeared in court, pretend to tax him with it, which would have been, in truth, accusing himself of the utmost baseness in letting the murderer of his friend go off from the field of battle without either resentment, pursuit, or accusation, till three days afterwards. This lie was invented to inflame the Scotch nation against the Whigs; as was the other, that Prince Eugene intended to murder Lord Oxford, by employing a set of people called Mohocks, which society, by the way, never existed, calculated to inflame the mob of London. Swift took these hints de la meilleure foi du monde, and thought them materials for history. So far he is blameless."

LVI. SWIFT'S STYLE.

Mr.

The opinions upon Swift's style of writing are so various, that it is almost impossible to enumerate them. Horace Walpole used to say that his style was excellent, though without grace; and that it was more correct than either Dryden's or Addison's. Hume, however, does not seem to have held it in that high estimation which it has generally obtained. In his correspondence with Dr. Robertson he says, "What the devil had you to do with that old fashioned dangling word wherewith? I should as soon take back, whereupon, whereunto, and wherewithall. I think the only tolerable decent gentleman of the family is wherein, and I should not choose to be often seen in his company: but I know your affection for wherewith proceeds from your partiality to DEAN SWIFT, whom I can often laugh with, whose style I can even approve, but surely can never admire. It has no harmony, no eloquence, no ornament, and not much

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much correctness, whatever the English may imagine. Were not their literature still in a somewhat barbarous state, that author's place would not be so high among their classics." Johnson humorously observed on Swift's style, "The sly dog never ventures at a metaphor."

LVII. LORD CROMARTY.

Age with some men is attended neither with reflection or sense. Lord Cromarty, after fourscore, went to his country-house in Scotland, with a resolution to stay six years there and live thriftily, in order to save up money that he might spend in London.

LVIII. DUKE OF SCHOMBERG.

The instances of Swift's noble public spirit when Dean of St. Patrick's are almost innumerable. There cannot be a stronger proof of it, and of the contempt with which he could treat persons in high situations of life, when he really despised their conduct, than his behaviour in respect to erecting a mo

nument

nument to the memory of this illustrious General. One of Swift's letters to Lord Carteret on this subject, will describe more strongly the feelings under which he acted, than any I words which can be sub

stituted.

He says,

"The great Duke of Schomberg is buried under the altar in my cathedral. My Lady Holdernesse is my old acquaintance, and I wrote to her about a small sum to make a monument for her grandfather. There was also a letter from the Dean and Chapter with the same request. It seems Mildmay, now Lord Fitzwalter, her husband, is a covetous fellow, or whatever is the matter we have had no answer. I desire you will tell Lord Fitzwalter, that if he will not send fifty pounds to make a monument for the old Duke, I and the Chapter will erect a small one of ourselves for ten pounds; wherein it shall be expressed, that the posterity of the Duke, naming particularly Lady Holdernesse and Mr. Mildmay, not having the generosity to erect a

monument,