Meath, which together did not equal half the value of the deanery.

At Laracor he increased the parochial duty by reading prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays, and performed all the offices of his profeffion with great decency and exactnefs.

Soon after his fettlement at Laracor,

he invited to Ireland the unfortunate

Stella, a young woman whofe name was Johnfon, the daughter of the fteward of Sir William Temple, who, in confideration of her father's virtues, left her a thousand pounds. With her came Mrs. Dingley, whose whole fortune was twenty-feven pounds a year for her life. With thefe Ladies he paffed his hours of relaxation, and to them he opened

2

his

his bofom; but they never refided in the fame houfe, nor did he fee either without a witness, They lived at the Parfonage, when Swift was away; and when he returned, removed to a lodging, or to the house of a neighbouring clergyman.

Swift was not one of those minds which amaze the world with early pregnancy his first work, except his few poetical Effays, was the Diffentions in Athens and Rome, publifhed (1701) in his thirty-fourth year. After its ap pearance, paying a vifit to fome bishop, he heard mention made of the new pam phlet that Burnet had written, replete with political knowledge. When he feemed to doubt Burnet's right to the work, he was told by the Bishop, that

he

he was a young man; and, ftill perfifting to doubt, that he was a very positive young man.

Three years afterward (1704) was published The Tale of a Tub: of this book charity may be perfuaded to think that it might be written by a man of a peculiar character, without ill intention, but it is certainly of dangerous example. That Swift was its author, though it be univerfally believed, was never owned by himself, nor very well proved by any evidence; but no other claimant can be produced, and he did not deny it when Archbishop Sharpe and the Duchefs of Somerfet, by fhewing it to the Queen, debarred him from a bishop

rick.

B

When

When this wild work first raised the attention of the publick, Sacheverell, meeting Smalridge, tried to flatter him, by feeming to think him the author; but Sinalridge anfwered with indignation, "Not all that you and I have in the "world, nor all that ever we shall have, "fhould hire me to write the Tale of "a Tub."

The digreffions relating to Wotton and Bentley must be confeffed to difcover want of knowledge, or want of integrity; he did not understand the two controverfies, or he willingly misreprefented them. But Wit can ftand its ground against Truth only a little while. The honours due to learning have. been justly diftributed by the decifion of pofterity.

The

The Battle of the Books is fo like the Combat des Livres, which the fame queftion concerning the Ancients and Moderns had produced in France, that the improbability of fuch a coincidence of thoughts without communication is not, in my opinion, balanced by the anonymous proteftation prefixed, in which all knowledge of the French book is peremptorily disowned.

For fome time after Swift was probably employed in solitary study, gaining the qualifications requifite for future eminence. How often he vifited England, and with what diligence he attended his parishes, I know not. It was not till about four years afterwards