an opportunity of conveying away the book, and dexterously inferted a leaf, on which he had written his own Meditation on a Broomftick; after which, he took care to have the book restored to its proper place, and in his next attendance on my Lady, when he was defired to proceed to the next Meditation, Swift opened upon the place where the leaf had been inferted, and with great compofure of countenance read the title, "A Meditation on a Broom-ftick." Lady Berkeley, a little furprised at the oddity of the title, ftopped him, repeating the words, A Meditation on a Broomftick!" blefs me, what a ftrange fubject! But there is no knowing what useful leffons of inftruction this wonderful man may draw, from things apparently the most trivial. Pray let us hear what he fays upon it. Swift then, with an inflexible gravity of countenance, proceeded to read the Meditation, in the fame folemn tone which he had used in delivering the former. Lady Berkeley, not at all fufpecting a trick, in the fulness of her prepoffeffion, was every now and then, during the reading of it, expreffing her admiration of this extraordinary man, who could draw fuch fine moral reflections from fo contemptible a fubject; with which, though Swift must have been inwardly not a little tickled, yet he preferved a moft perfect compofure of features, fo that he had not the leaft room to fufpect any deceit. Soon after, fome company coming in, Swift pretended bufinefs, and withdrew, foreseeing what was to follow. Lady Berkeley, full of the subject, foon entered upon the praises of thofe heavenly Meditations of Mr. Boyle. But, faid fhe, the Doctor has been just reading one to me, which has furprised me more than all the reft. One of the company asked Which of the Meditations fhe meant. She anfwered directly, in the fimplicity of her heart, I mean that ex

cellent

cellent Meditation on a Broom-ftick. The company looked at each other with fome furprife, and could fcarce refrain from laughing. But they all agreed that they had never heard of fuch a Meditation before. Upon my word, faid my Lady, there it is, look into that book, and convince yourselves. One of them opened the book, and found it there indeed, but in Swift's hand-writing; upon which a general burst of laughter enfued; and my Lady, when the first surprise was over, enjoyed the joke as much as any of them; faying, what a vile trick has that rogue played me! But it is his way, he never baulks his humour in any thing. The affair ended in a great deal of harmless mirth, and Swift, you may be fure, was not asked to proceed any farther in the Meditations. Thus we fee that his original intention in writing this piece, was not to ridicule the great Robert Boyle, but only to furnish occafion for a great deal of innocent mirth on Lady Berkeley's enthusiasm, and fimplicity of heart; and at the fame time to get rid of the difagreeable task of reading to her writings which were not at all to his taste. And that it afterwards got out into the world, was owing to the eagerness of those who were acquainted with the Berkeley family, to procure copies of a piece of fuch exquifite humour. This was the cafe indeed in almost all the small things afterwards written by Swift, fcarce any of which were published by himself, but stole into the world in that way.

Though the greatnefs of Swift's talents was known to many in private life, and his company and converfation much fought after and admired, yet was his name hitherto little known in the Republic of Letters. The only pieces which he had then published, were the Battle of the Books, and the Contests and Diffentions in Athens in Rome, and both without a name,

D 4

Nor

was

was he perfonally known to any of the Wits of the age, excepting Mr. Congreve, and one or two more, with whom he had contracted an acquaintance at Sir William Temple's. The knot of Wits ufed at this time. to affemble at Button's Coffee-houfe; and I had a fingular account of Swift's firft appearance there from Ambrofe Philips, who was one of Mr. Addifon's little fenate. He faid that they had for several fucceffive days obferved a strange Clergyman come into the coffeehoufe, who feemed utterly unacquainted with any of those who frequented it; and whofe cuftom it was to lay his hat down on a table, and walk backwards. and forwards at a good pace for half an hour or an hour, without fpeaking to any mortal, or feeming in the least to attend to any thing that was going forward there. He then used to take up his hat, pay his money at the bar, and walk away without opening his lips. After having obferved this fingular behaviour for fome time, they concluded him to be out of his senses; and the name that he went by among them, was that of the mad Parfon. This made them more than usually at tentive to his motions; and one evening, as Mr. Addifon and the reft were obferving him, they faw him caft his eyes feveral times on a gentleman in boots, who feemed to be just come out of the country, and at laft advance towards him as intending to addrefs him. They were all eager to hear what this dumb, mad parfon, had to fay, and immediately quitted their feats to get near him. Swift went up to the country-gentleman, and in a very abrupt manner, without any previous falute, afked him, "Pray, Sir, do you remember. any good weather in the world ?" The country-gentleman, after staring a little at the fingularity of his manner, and the oddity of the queftion, anfwered, "Yes, Sir, I thank God, I remember a great deal of good

weather

weather in my time." "That is more," faid Swift, than I can fay; I never remember any weather that was not too hot, or too cold; too wet, or too dry; but, however God Almighty contrives it, at the end of the year 'tis all very well." Upon faying this, he took up his hat, and without uttering a fyllable more, or taking the least notice of any one, walked out of the coffee-house; leaving all those who had been fpectators of this odd fcene ftaring after him, and still more confirmed in the opinion of his being mad. There is another anecdote recorded of him, of what paffed between him and Dr. Arbuthnot in the fame coffee-house. The Doctor had been fcribbling a letter in great haste, which was much blotted; and feeing this odd parfon near him, with a defign to play upon him, said, " Pray, Sir, have you any fand about you?" "No," replied Swift, "but I have the gravel, and if you will give me your letter I'll p-fs upon it." Thus fingularly commenced an acquaintance between thofe two great wits, which afterwards ripened into the closest friendship. After these adventures they faw him no more at Button's, till The Tale of a Tub had made its appearance in the world, when, in the person of the author of that inimitable performance, they recognized their mad parfon. This piece was first published in the following year 1704; and though without a name, yet the curiofity excited by the appearance of fuch a wonderful piece of original compofition, could not fail of finding out the author, especially as not only the bookfeller knew him, but as the manufcript had at different times been shewn to several of Sir William Temple's relations, and most intimate friends. When it is confidered that Swift had kept this piece by him eight years, after it had been, by his own confeffion, completely finished, before he gave it to the world; we must stand astonish

ed

ed at fuch a piece of felf-denial, as this muft feem, in a young man, ambitious of distinction, and eager after fame; and wonder what could be his motive for not publishing it fooner. But the truth is, Swift fet but little value on his talents as a writer, either at that time, or during the whole courfe of his life, farther than as they might contribute to advance fome nobler ends, which he had always in view. Unfollicitous therefore about fame merely literary, or the reputation of an author, he could with the moft perfect fang froid lock up this admirable piece in his defk, and wait, with the most philofophic patience, for a favourable feafon to produce it, when it might anfwer fome more important purpose. After the time he had given the last finishing to it, the violence of parties ran fo high for fome years, and their difputes were carried on with fuch animofity, that he did not think the public in a temper fit to receive the work, fo as to produce the effects which he propofed from it. But as the rage of party began to cool at that time, and the oppofition from the Tories grew daily more feeble, as the power of the Whigs increased; and as a firm establishment of the Whig intereft feemed to threaten, upon their principles, an entire difregard to, and neglect of all religion; Swift thought this a proper juncture to revive the topic of religion, and to fhew the excellency of the eftablished Church, over its two rivals, in a new way, adapted to common capacities, with regard to the underftanding; and calculated to make way to the heart, through the pleasure which it afforded to the fancy. And without fome artifice of that fort, it would have been impoffible to have gained any attention at all to the topic of religion. People were quite wearied out with the continual repetition of the fame dull arguments or fore, on account of the ill temper with