and then he would take shelter in a waggon. He chofe to dine at obfcure alehouses, frequented by pedlars, and at night would go to a penny lodging, where he procured clean fheets for fixpence. Some afcribe this ftrange practice to parfimony, and others with more apparent probability to a defire of feeing human life in all the variety of its fcenes and ftations.

According to his resolution, Swift went over to Ireland, and was ordained in September 1694, heing then almost twenty feven years old, and having no higher view than that of obtaining the Chaplainfhip of the Factory at Lisbon, through the interest of a relation, who refided as a merchant in that city. But in the interim he was recommended to Lord Capel, then Lord Deputy of Ireland, who gave him the Prebend of Kilroot in the Diocese of Connor a northern district, the income of which was about one hundred pounds a year.

To this place Swift immediately repaired to take upon him the duties of his office; but he was foon difgufted with his fituation, being at fo great a distance from the metropolis, that it abfolutely deprived him of that kind of converfation and fociety in which he delighted. He had been used to very different fcenes in England, and had naturally an averfion to folitude and retirement. Happily therefore for him, he foon received a letter from Sir William Temple, with an invitation to Moor- Park, which fixed his refolution of compliance; but he first determined to refign his living.

This refignation was highly commendable on the part of Swift, as it was in favour of a poor curate who had a numerous family to maintain, on the miferable pittance of forty pounds a year. It is mentioned by a gentleman of veracity, that Swift was fo affected by the lively fenfation of the poor man to whom he had rendered fo effential a fervice, as to declare he had never felt fuch exquifite pleasure of mind as he did upon that memorable occafion.

When he arrived at Moor-Park in 1695, after a

year's

year's abfence, he met with the most cordial reception from Sir William Temple, who was fo highly gratified by his return, that for the remainder of Sir William's life, which was about four years, these two great men lived together in the most perfect harmony, and with marks of mutual confidence and efteem. During this time Swift wrote the Battle of the Books, of which Sir William is the hero, and the eulogium paid to his profound learning and fuperior talents in that work reflect the highest honour on his character. To pafs his leisure hours, Swift undertook the tuition of Sir William's niece, inftructing her in the English language, and pointing out fuch books as were proper for her to read. Mifs Johnson, afterwards fo well known by the name of Stella, who refided in the family, became his pupil, and as she was at that time about fourteen, beautiful in her perfon and elegant in her manners, no task could be more grateful to Swift than that of cultivating her talents and forming her mind.

In 1699, Sir William Temple died, and left a legacy to Swift, together with the care and truft of publishing his pofthumous works, having obtained for him, from King William, a promife of the first prebend that should be vacant at Westminster, or Canterbury. Such were the regard and attention which Swift fhewed to this great man, that in his laft illness he kept a daily regifter of the various turns of his diforder, from July ift 1668, to the 27th of January 1669, which he concludes with this note, "He died at one o'clock in the "morning, and with him all that was great and good amongst men.

Upon the demife of his patron, Swift came to Lon. don, and applied by petition to King William, for the firft vacant prebend of Canterbury or Weftminster, according to the royal promife, and to facilitate the fuccefs of this application, he dedicated the pofthumous works with which he was entrusted, to his Majefty. But neither the dedication, petition, nor fubfequent emorial which he prefented, had any effect, fo that after

after a fruitless attendance at court for fome time, he accepted of an invitation given him by the Earl of Berkeley, then appointed one of the Lords Juftices of Ireland, to attend him to that kingdom as his Chaplain and private Secretary, which offices he filled, till they arrived at Dublin, when one Bush found an opportunity to infinuate to his Lordship, that the poft of Secretary was not proper for a Clergyman, to whom only church preferments could be fuitable, fo that the Earl divefted Swift of the Secretaryship, and conferred it upon Bufh. Swift, fired with refentment at this illiberal treatment, expreffed his fenfibility of it in a fhort but fatirical copy of verfes, entitled the Discovery, which placed his Lordship, and his new made Secretary, in a ridiculous point of view.

This difappointment was soon after followed by another. The rich Deanery of Derry, which was at his Lordship's difpofal, became vacant, and Swift expected to obtain it, but he was frustrated in his hope; for through the Secretary's influence, fecured by a bribe, it was given to another, and Lord Berkeley, fearful of the refentment of an exafperated genius, immediately prefented him with the two livings of Laracor and Rathbeggan, in the Diocese of Meath, which together did not amount to half the value of the Deanery; the former be. ing worth about two hundred, and the latter about fixty pounds a year. These were the only church preferments that Swift enjoyed, till he was appointed Dean of St. Patrick's in 1713. He did not however eftrange himself from Lord Berkeley's family, from the great honour and respect he had for his excellent Lady, whose virtues he has celebrated in the Introduction to The Project for the Advancement of Religion. He alfo wrote feveral little pieces for the private entertainment of the family, among which was one remarkable for its genuine humour, entitled, The humble Petition of Mr. Frances Harris, &c.

When Lord Berkeley left Ireland, he went to refide at Laracor, where he performed all the duties of his

function

function with great decency and exanefs, and gave notice that he would read prayers every Wedneiday, and Friday. Upon the fubfequent Wednesday the bell was rung, and the Rector attended in his desk, where after having fat down, and finding the congregation to confift only of himself, and his Clerk Roger, he began, with great compofure and gravity, but with a turn peculiar to himself, "Dearly beloved Roger, the fcripture moveth you and me in fundry places" and proceeded regularly through the whole fervice. We mention this trifling circumftance to fhew that he could not refift a vein of humour, when he had an opportunity of exerting it, and having given a particular example of his humour, we shall give the following inftance of his pride.

While Swift was Chaplain to Lord Berkeley, his only fister, with the concurrence of her friends, was married to a tradefman of fair character and confiderable property. Swift, difdaining an alliance with a tradefman, utterly refused all reconciliation with his fifter, nor would listen to the entreaties of his mother, who came over to Ireland, under an affurance of pacifying his anger, having found him in every other inftance a dutiful and obedient fon; but his pride was not to be conquered, and his mother finding her fon inflexible, returned to Leicester, where the continued till the time of her death.

During his refidence at Laracor, he invited to Ireland Miss Johnson, his former pupil, to whom Sir William Temple, in confideration of her father's faithful fervices as fteward, had left a legacy of a thoufand pounds. She was accompanied by her friend Mrs. Dingley, whofe whole fortune, though the was related to the Temples, was only twenty feven pounds a year for her life. With thefe ladies he paffed his leifure hours, and no doubt but the conversation of the amiable Stella, who by his own account poffeffed every accomplishment that could adorn her fex, contributed not a little to fweeten his retirement, which otherwise must foon have become

become burthenfome to fo active a fpirit. But it is very remarkable, that neither of thefe ladies refided in the fame houfe with him, nor did he ever fee them without a third perfon being prefent. They lived at the parfonage when Swift was abfent, and when he returned, removed to the house of a neighbouring Clergyman. From Laracor he made frequent excurfions to Dublin, and paid an annual vifit to England, hoping that fome favourable opportunity would offer for the aggrandizement of his fame and fortune.

In 1701, Swift took his degree of Doctor in Divinity, and afterwards came to London, where he found the public mind agitated by the impeachment of the Earls of Portland and Oxford, and Lords Simmonds and Halifax, by the House of Commons. This event produced his first political Effay, entitled, A Difcourfe on the Contests and Diffentions in Athens and Rome, in which he difplayed great knowledge in ancient Hiftory, as well as ikill in the English conftitution, and the ftate of parties, without at that time any attachment to either, being actuated by truly difinterefted and patriotic principles.

As he concealed his name with the greatest caution, this much talked of pamphlet, fo replete with political knowledge, was attributed to Bishop Burnet; but Swift himfelf difcovered the author upon the following occafion. On his return to Ireland, happening to fall in company with Bishop Sheridan, that prelate, on the sub. ject of the pamphlet coming upon the tapis, insisted that it was written by Bishop Burnet, and that there was not another man living equal to it. Swift maintained the contrary, and being urged, peremptorily averred that it was not written by Burnet, upon which Bishop Sheridan asking, who wrote it? Swift replied, "My Lord, I wrote it." Johnson, in his Life of Swift, obferves, that when he feemed to doubt Burnet's right to the work, he was told by the Bishop," that he was a young man," and ftill perfifting to doubt, the Prelate declared he was "avery pofitive young man." This was the only piece he ever explicitly averred.

Early