a whole year, in this state of helpless idiotifm, his house-keeper went into his room on the 30th of November in the morning, and told him, it was his birth-day, and that bonfires and illuminations were preparing to celebrate it as usual: to which he immediately replied, " It is all folly, they had better

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let it alone." Some other instances of fhore intervals of sensibility and reason, after his madness ended in stupor, seem to prove, that his disorder, whatever it was, had not destroyed, but only suspended the powers of his mind. In 1744, he now and then called his fervant by name, and once attempting to speak to him, but not being able to ex press his meaning, he shewed figns of much uneafinefs; and at last said, "I am a fool." Once afterwards, as his fervant was taking away his watch, he said, "bring it here:" and when the same servant was breaking a large hard coal, he said, "That is a fstone; "you blockhead." From this time he was perfectly filent, till the latter end of October 1745, and then died, without the leaft pang or convulfion, in the 78th year of his age.

His character was very fingular, and has been attempted by several writers, the fub stance of which is as follows. In his person, he was large, robust, and masculine, his deportment was commanding, and his walk erect. His voice was sharp and high toned, especially when he read prayers, but not effeminate;

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feminate; and there was a natural severity in his aspect, which even his smiles could scarce foften, nor could his utmost gaiety relax. He was cleanly even to fuperftition his nails were always paired to the quick, to prevent the leafst gathering of dirt under them, and he never dressed without a bason of water by him, with which he carefully cleanfed his feet. Among his fingularities, were his refolution never to wear spectacles, and his obstate perseverance in the usfe of too much exercise. Regularity was peculiar to him in all his actions, even in the greatest trifles.. His hours of walking and reading never varied. His motions were guided by his watch, which was so constantly held in his hand, or placed before him on the table, that he feldom deviated many minutes in the daily revolutions of his exercises and employments.. His manner was without ceremony, but not. ruftic; for he had a perfect knowledge of all the modes and variations of politeness and complaifance, which he practised in a manner peculiar to himself; and the respect that was due to him by these rules, he took care to exact, without the least abatement. He had feen the great world, and profited much by his experience. His capacity and strength of mind were undeniably equal to any tafk whatfoever. His pride, his fpirit, or his ambition, call it by what name you please, was boundless; but his views were checked in his younger

younger years, and the anxiety of that disappointment had a visible effect upon all his actions. He was four and fevere, but not ab folutely ill-natured. He was sociable only to particular friends, and to them only at parti cular hours. In company his rule was never to speak more than a minute at a time, and then to wait at least as long for others to take up the conversation. His colloquial stile, like that of his writing, was clear, forcible, and concife.. He greatly excelled in punning, a. talent, he said, which no man affected to de spise, but those which were without it.. But his converfation abounded with turns of wit of a higher kind. The Dean also greatly excelled in telling a story, his fentences were short and perfpicuous, his observations piercing; and though in the latter part of this life he was very apt to tell his stories too often, yet his wit, as well as his virtues, was always superior to the wretched expedients of those despicable babblers, who are pepetually attempting to put off double entendre and profaneness for wit and humour... His conversation was in the highest degree chaste, and wholly free from the least tincture of ir religion. As he was zealous to preferve all the delicacies of conversation, he was always best pleased, when some of the company were ladies. He had not the least tincture of vanity in his conversation; he was used to say, he was too proud to be vain. He generally spoke

fpoke as he thought, in all companies, and at all times. If the conversation turned upon serious subjects, he was neither petulant in the debate, nor negligent of the issue. He would liften with great attention to the arguments of others, and whether he was engaged or not in the argument, he would recapitulate what had been faid, state the question with great clearness and precision, point out the controverted particular, and appeal to the opinion, either of some neutral person, or of the majority. It is however true, that he kept his friends in some degree of awe, and was therefore rather an entertaining, than a defireable guest. He was open to adu lation, and could not, or would not distin. guish between low flattery and just applause. Yet he was not less open to admonition, if it was offered without arrogance, and by per fons of whose ability and honesty he had no doubt. Such was Swift as a companion; as a master, he was not less remarkable. As he expected punctual, ready, and implicit obedience, he always tried his servants when he hired them, by some test of their humility. Among other questions, he always afked whether they understood cleaning shoes, "because," said he, my kitchen-wench " has a scullion that does her drudgery, and " one part of the business of my groom " and footman, is constantly to clean her " shoes by turns;" if they scrupled this,

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the

the treaty was at an end; if not, he gave them a further hearing. He appeared to be churlish and austere to his domestics in gencral; but in reality was a good master. As a member of civil society, he was a zealous advocate for liberty, the detector of fraud, and the scourge of oppreffion. In politics he was neither Whig nor Tory, Jacobite nor Republican; he was Dr. Swift. As an ecclefiaftic, he was scrupulously exact, in the exercise of his function, as well with regard to spiritual as temporal things. He was extremely exact and confcientious in promoting the members of his choir according to their merit, and never advanced any person to a vicarage, who was not qualified in all respects in the highest degree. He could never be induced to take fines for any of the chapter. lands. He always chose to raise the rents, as the method least oppreffive to the present renant, and most advantageous to all future tenants and landlords; he constantly refused to give charity out of the chapter-funds, which he alleged were scarce fufficient to maintain the necessary repairs of the cathedral, and he expended more money to fupport and adorn it, than had been applied to the fame use in any period of equal length. fince it was first built. He was a faithful guardian of the rights of his deanry, and even determined to affert his right of abfence. against the Archbishop of Dublin, at the ex