CONTENT S. Difcourfe of the Contests and Diffenfions between the Nobles and Commons of Athens and Rome, CHAP. II. P. I Of the Diffenfions in Athens between the Few and the Many, CHAP. III. 10 Of the Diffenfions between the Patricians and Plebeians in Rome; with the Confequences they had upon that State, CHAP. IV. 18 Of the Contests and Diffenfions at Athens and Rome, CHAP. V. Of the Contests and Diffenfions, &c. A Meditation upon a Broom-flick, 31 36 47 The Sentiments of a Church-of-England-Man, with refpect to Religion and Government, 49 The Sentiments of a Church-of-England-Man, with refpect to Government, 63 An Argument to prove, That the Abolishing of Chriflianity in England, may, as Things now fand, be attended with fome Inconveniencies, and perhaps not produce many good Effects propofed thereby, Predictions for the Year 1708. 79 95 An Account of the Death of Mr. Partrige the Almanackmaker, 'Squire Bickerstaff detected by John Partrige, 107 III A true and impartial Account of the Proceedings of Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq; against me John Partrige, 113 A A Tritical Effay on the Faculties of the Mind, 153 ACCOUNT O F The LIFE, CHARACTER and WRITINGS Of the CELEBRATED DR. JONATHAN SWIFT, D. S.P. D. [Taken from the Earl of ORRERY, and Others.] T HE Account of his Family fhall be as fhort as poffible; fince, altho' his Ancestors were Perfons of very decent and reputable Characters, he himself has been the Herald to blazon the Dignity of their Coat. His Grandfather was the Reverend Mr. THOMAS SWIFT Vicar of Goodridge near Rofs in Herefordshire. He enjoyed a paternal Estate, which is now in poffeffion of his Great Grandfon DEAN SWIFT Efq; He died in the Year 1658, leaving fix Sons, GODWIN, THOMAS, DRYDEN, WILLIAM, JONATHAN and ADAM. Two of them, GODWIN and JONA THAN had Sons. The Defcendants of GODWIN are mentioned in GUILLIM's Heraldry. JONATHAN married Mrs. ABIGAIL ERICK of Leicestershire, by whom he had one Daughter and a Son. The Daughter was born in the first Year of Mr. SWIFT's Marriage; but he lived not to fee the Birth of his Son, which happened on the 30th of November 1667, two Months after the Father's Death, and who was called JONATHAN, in memory of his Father; and became afterwards the famous DEAN of ST. PATRICK's.-Soon after his Birth, he was carried into England by his Nurfe; who be ing obliged to cross the Sea, and having a Nurfe's Fondness for the Child at her Breast, conveyed him on Ship-board without the Knowledge of his Mother or Relations, and kept VOL. I. him him with her at Whitehaven in Cumberland, during her Refi dence three Years at that Place. THE greatest Part of Mr. SwIFT's Income had depended upon Agencies, and other Employments of that kind: So that most of his Fortune perifhed with him; the little he had faved being fcarce a Subfiftance for his Widow, the Children were taken care of by GODWIN, who inherited the paternal Eftate. THE Circumftance of his being three Years in England, gave rife to a Notion, that he was born there; and fome fuppofed him to be the natural Son of the celebrated Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE; but it is evident that Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE was employed as a Minister abroad from the Year 1665, to the Year 1670, firft at Brussels, and afterwards at the Hague, as will be found by his Correspondence with the Earl of ARLINGTON, and other Ministers of State; so that Dr. SWIFT's Mother, who never croffed the Sea, could have no perfonal Correfpondence with Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE, till fome Years after her Son's Birth. AT fix Years old he was fent to a School at Kilkenny, and, about eight Years afterwards, he was entered a Student of Trinity College in Dublin. He lived there in a perfect Regularity, and under an entire Obedience to the Statutes: But the Morofeness of his Temper often rendered him very unacceptable to his Companions; fo that he was little regarded and lefs beloved. Nor were the Academical Exercises agreeable to his Genius. The Studies which he followed, were History and Poetry; in thefe he made a great Progrefs; but to all other Branches of Sciences he had given fo little Application, that he was refufed his Degree of Batchelor of Arts for Infufficiency; and at last obtained it only fpeciali gratia, a Phrafe which, in that University, carries with it the utmost Marks of Reproach.-Mrs, PILKINGTON tells us, That, when the first heard the Dean relate this Circumstance, she told him, she supposed he had been idle; but he affirmed the contrary, affuring her, "He was really dull." But however just this Treatment might be, it filled him with Indignation, and he refolved to purfue his Studies at Oxford, where producing the Teftimonium of his Degree, the Words fpeciali gratia being thought to imply extraordinary Merit, he was "immediately admitted ad eundem: He chofe to enter himself of Hart-hall, now Hertford College; where, except fome Vifits to his Mother at Leicester, and to Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE at Moor park, Surrey, whofe Lady was related to Mr. SWIFT'S Mother, he constantly refided till he took his Degree of Mafter of Arts, which was in the Year 1691. His Uncle, GODWIN, continued to fupport him till the Year of the Revolution; but falling about that time into a Le thargy, thargy, Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE enabled him to continue his Studies at Oxford; and, when he quitted that Univerfity, received him to his Houfe as his Friend and domeftick Companion. Mr. SWIFT's Uncle, WILLIAM, affisted him, when at Oxford, with repeated Acts of Friendship and Affe ction. WHEN he had been about two Years at Moor-park, he contracted a long and dangerous Illness, by eating an immoderate Quantity of Fruit; and to this Surfeit he afcribed that Giddinefs in his Head, which continued ever afterwards, with irregular Intermiffions, and terminated in total Debility of Body and Mind. By the Advice of his Phyficians, when he was fufficiently recovered to travel, he went into Ireland, to try the Effect of his native Air, and received fo much Benefit by the Journey, that, in a short time, he believed his Health to be confirmed, and returned into England to his Patron, Sir WILLIAM, who had now fettled at Sheen, and was often visited by King WILLIAM. Here SWIFT had frequent Opportunities of converfing with the Prince, who once offered to make him a Captain of Horfe; an Offer which, in fplenetick Difpofitions, he always feemed forry to have refufed. But, at that time, he had refolved to take Orders; and foon after went again to Ireland, and immediately inlifted himself under the Banner of the Church. He was recommended by Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE to Lord CAPEL, then Lord-Deputy, who gave him the first vacant Benefice, which was a Prebendary, worth about 100l. per annum. SWIFT foon grew weary of being at so great a Distance from London, and was impatient to return to the Converfa.. tion in which he delighted: He therefore refigned his Prebendary in favour of a Friend, and returned to Sheen, where he continued till the Death of Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE; who, befides a pecuniary Legacy, left to him the Publication of his Pofthumous Works. THE King had promised Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE, that SWIFT fhould be put into the first Vacancy which should happen among the Prebends of Westminster or Canterbury. He therefore, upon the Death of his Patron, came to London and delivered a Petition to his Majesty, in which he claimed' his Promife; but, it producing no Effect, after a long Attendance at Whitehall, he gave up, with Reluctance, all Thoughts of a Settlement in England; for though he had dedicated Sir WILLIAM TEMPLE's Works to the King, his Majefty never took the least Notice of him after Sir WILLIAM's Death.From this first Disappointment, may, probably, be dated that Bitterness towards Kings and Courtiers, which |