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not been the custom; and accordingly the bell was rung, and he ascended the desk. But, having fat some time with no other au. ditor than his clerk Roger, he began, "Dear$ ly beloved Roger, 'the feriprute moveth

you and me in sundry places;" and so proceeded to the end of the service. Of the fame kind' was his race with Dr. Raymond, vicar of Trim, soon after he was made dean of St. Patrick's, Swift had dined one Sunday with Raymond, and when the bells had done 'ringing for evening prayers, Rayis 'mond,” says Swift, I will lay you a

. es crown, that I will begin prayers before you

this afternoon." Dr. Raymond accepted the wager, and immediately both

' run as fast as they could to the church. Raymond, the nimbler of the two, arrived first at the door, and when he entered the church, walked decently towards the reading desk : Swift never llackened his pace, but running up the ifle, left Raymond behind him; and stepping into the desk, without putting on the furplice, or opening the book, began the fervice in an audible voice.

During Swift's refidence at Laracor, he invited to Ireland a lady, whom he has celebrated by the name of Stella. With this lat. dy he became acquainted while he lived with Sir William Temple : She was the daughter of his steward, whose name was Johnson; and Sir William, when he died, left her

1000 l. in consideration of her father's faithful fervices. At the death of Sir William, which happened in 1699, he was in the 16th year of her age, and it was abouttwo years afterwards, that at Swift's invitation, the left England, accompanied by Mrs. Dingley *, a lady who was fifteen years older, and whose whole fortune, though she was related to Şir William Temple, was no more than an annuity of 27 1. Whether Swift at this time desired the company of Stella as a wife, or a friend, is not certain; but the reason which she and her companion then gave for their leaving England was, that in Ireland the interest of money was high, and provisions were cheap. But whatever was Swift's attachment to Mrs. Johnson, every possible precaution was taken to prevent scandal: they never lived in the fame house; when Swift was absent, Mrs. Johnston and her friend refided at the parsonage; when he returned, they removed either to his friend Dr. Kaymond's, or to a lodging; neither were they ever known to meet, but in the presence of a third person. Swift made frequent excurLions to Dublin, and some to London, but Mrs. Johnson was buried in folitude and obscurity; she was known only to a few of

* The Doctor gave her fifty guineas a year, and left her by his will an annuity of twenty pounds.

Swift's

Swift's most intimate acquaintance, and had no female companion except Mrs. Dingley

In 1901, Swift took his doctor's degree, and in 1702, foon after the death of King Wila liam, he went into England for the first time after his settling at Laracor; 5 journey which he frequently repeated during the reign of Queen Anne. Mrs. Johnson was once in England in 1705, but returned in a few months, and never crossed the channel afterwards. He soon became eminent as a writer, and in that character was known at least to both Whigs and Tories. He had been educated among the former, but at length attached himself to the latter: because the Whigs, as he said, had renounced their old principles, and received others, which their forefathers abhorred. He published, in 1701, “ A dif. course of the contests and diffentions between the nobles and commons in Athens and Rome, with the consequences they had upon both those states :" This was in behalf of King William and his ministers, against the violent proceedings of the House of Commons ; but from that year to 1708, he did not write any political pamphlet *

In the year 1908, he published several political works under the name of Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq; which name was afterwards assumed by Sir Richard Steel, to recommend his Tatlers to the world, Biographia Britannica.

In

In 1710, bing then in England, he was impowered by the Primate of Ireland, to, folicit the Queen to releale the clergy from paying the twentieth pace, and first fruits;

. and upon this occasion his acquaintance with Mr. Harley.commenced. As soon as he had

; received the Primate's instructions, he refolved to apply to Mr. Harley : and, before he waited on him, got himself represented as a perfon who had been ill used by the last ministry, because he would not go such lengths as they would, bave had him. Mr. Harley received him with the utmost kindness and re. spect; kept him with him two hours alone; engaged in, and soon after accomplished, his business; bid him come often to see him privately, and told him, that he must bring him to the knowledge of Mr. St. John. Switc presently became acquainted with the rest of the ministers, who appear to have courted and carreffed him with uncommon assiduity. He dined every Saturday at Mr. Harley's with the Lord Keeper, Mr. Secretary St. John, and Lord Rivers: on that day

, no other person was for some time admitted; but this select company was at length inlarged to fixteen, all men of the first class, Swift included. From this time he supported the interest of his new friends with all his

power, in

pam: phlets, poems, and periodical papers : his intimacy with them was so remarkable, that he was thought not only to defend, but in

fonc

fome degree to direct their measures; and fuch was his importance in the opinion of the oppofite party, that many speeches were made against him in both houses of parliament; a reward was also offered, for discovering the author of the Public Spirit of the Whigs.

Amidst all the buliness and honours that crowded upon him, he wrote every day an account of what occurred to Stella ; and fent her a journal regularly, dated every fortnight, during the whole time of his connection with Queen Anne's ministry. From these unrestrained effusions of his heart many particulars are known, which would otherwife have lain hid; and by these it appears, that he was not only employed, but trusted, even by Harley himself, who, to all others, was referved and mysterious. · In the mean time, Swift had no expectations of advantage from his connections with these persons : he knew they could not long preserve their power; and he did not honour it while it lasted, on account of the violent measures which were pursued by both sides.

« I use the mi“ nistry,” says he, “like dogs, because I

expect they will use me so.---I never knew “ a ministry do any thing for those whom they " make companions of their pleasures; but I " care not. In the summer of 1711, he "

! forclaw the ruin of the ministry by those mis. understandings among themselves, which at last effected it; and it was not only his opinion, VOL. I.

but

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