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SOME Particulars concerning Dr SWIFT. Taken from Mrs PILKINGTON's Memoirs.

RS Pilkington's acquaintance with Dr Swift com

MR menced from fending him the lines on his birth

day, vol. 7. p. 161. Thefe the Dean received very kindly, and faid, he would fee her whenever fhe pleased.

A few days after, fhe was introduced to the Dean in Dr Delany's garden at Delville, by a gentlewoman. He faluted her, and asked the lady, if she was her daughter? The lady fmiled, and faid, fhe was Mrs Pilkington. "What," fays he, "this poor little child "married! God help her, fhe is early engaged to "trouble." The Dean engaging Mr Pilkington to preach for him at the cathedral next Sunday, invited her, with the rest of the company, to dinner.

As the

communion is adminiftred every Sunday in St Patrick's church, Mrs Pilkington was charmed to fee with what a becoming piety the Dean performed that holy fervice, which he had fo much at heart, that he wanted not the affiftance of the liturgy, but went quite thro' it without ever looking in the book. He bowed at the table; which behaviour was cenfured, as favouring of Popery. But this circumstance may vindicate him from the wicked afperfion of being deemed an unbeliever, fince it is plain he had the utmost reverence for the eucharift. Service being ended, the Dean was furrounded at the church-door, by a croud of poor; to all of whom he gave charity, except an old woman, who held out a very dirty hand to him. He told her, very gravely, That tho' fhe was a beggar, water was not so scarce but fhe might have washed her hands. When they came to the deanery, the Dean kindly faluted Mrs Pilkington, and, without allowing her time to fit down, bade her come and fee his library; but merrily told Mr Pilkington, who was for following them, that he did not defire his company. "Well," faid he to her, "I have brought you here to fhew you all the money I got "when I was in the ministry; but don't fteal any of " it." "I won't indeed, Sir," faid fhe. So opening a

cabinet,

cabinet, he shewed her a parcel of empty drawers: " Bless "me," fays he, "the money is flown." He then opened his bureau, wherein he had a great number of curious trinkets of various kinds, fome of which were prefented to him by the Earl and Countess of Oxford, Lady Masham, and Lady Betty Germain. At laft coming to a drawer filled with medals, he bade her chufe two for herself; but he could not help fmiling, when she began to poize them in her hands, chufing them by weight rather than antiquity.

AT dinner the Dean's behaviour was very humorous. He placed himself at the head of his table oppofite to a great pier glafs, fo that he could fee in the glass whatever the fervants did behind him. Turning his eye on the looking glass, he efpied the butler opening a bottle of ale; and helping himself to the first glass, he very kindly jumbled the reft together, that his mafter and guests might all fare alike. "Ha! friend," faid the Dean, Sharp's the word, I find; you drank my ale. for which I ftop two fhillings off board-wages your this week; for "Ifcorn to be out-done in any thing, even in cheating." DINNER being ended, the Dean thanked Mr Pilking ton for his fermon: "I never," said he, "preached but "twice in my life; and then they were not fermons, "but pamphlets." Mrs Pilkington asked him, what might be the fubject of them? He told her, they were against Wood's halfpence. Having asked Mr and Mrs Pilkington if they could fmoke? and being anfwered, that they did not; ""Tis a fign," faid he, 66 you were "neither of you bred in the university of Oxford; for drinking and fmoking are the first rudiments of learning taught there; and in those two arts no univerfity in Europe can outdo them." Having asked Mrs Pilkington, if fhe had any faults?" Pray, Mr Dean," faid Dr Delany, "why will you be fo unpolite as to fuppofe Mrs Pilkington has any faults?" "I'll tell you," replied the Dean; " whenever I fee a number "of agreeable qualities in any perfon, I am always fure "they have bad ones fufficient to poize the scale." Mrs Pilkington bowed, and told him, he did her great honour; in that copying Bp Berkley, whom he had frequently heard declare, That when any fpeech was

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made

made to him, which might be conftrued either into a compliment or an affront, or that had two handles, he always took hold of the best.

THE Dean then asked Mrs Pilkington, if she were a Queen, what fhe would chufe to have after dinner? She answered, "Your converfation, Sir " 66 Pooh !" faid he, "I mean, what regale.' A dish of coffee, "Sir, anfwered fhe. Why then," faid he, "I "will fo far make you as happy as a Queen; you fhall "have fome in perfection: for when I was chaplain to "the Earl of Berkeley, who was in the government

here. I was fo poor, I was obliged to keep a coffee❝ house, and all the nobility resorted to it to talk trea"fon." The Dean then fet about making the coffee: but the fire fcorching his hand, he called to Mrs Pil kington to reach him his glove; and changing the cof fee pot to his left hand, held out his right one, ordering her to put the glove on it; which accordingly fhe did; when taking up part of his gown to fan himself with, and acting in character of a prudish lady, he said, Well, I don't know what to think: women may be "honest that do fuch things; but, for my part, I ne"ver could bear to touch any man's flefh-except my "hufband's; whom, perhaps," (faid he), " fhe wished "at the devil."

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"Mr Pilkington," faid he, " you would not tell "me your wife's faults; but I have found her out to "be a d-n'd infolent, proud, unmannerly flut." "What has the done now?" faid Mr Pilkington. "Done," faid the Dean; "why nothing, but fat there quietly, and never once offered to interrupt me in making the coffee; whereas a lady of modern good breeding would have struggled with me for the cof" fee-pot, till fhe had made me fcald myself and her, " and made me throw the coffee in the fire, or perhaps "at her head, rather than permit me to take fo much "trouble for her."

MRS Pilkington ftaid at home with the Dean during the time of the afternoon's fervice; and he made her read his hiftory of the four last years of Q. Anne, afking her at the conclufion of every period, whether she underfood it?"for I would," faid he, " have it in

"telligible

telligible to the meaneft capacity; and if you com"prehend it, 'tis poffible every body may."

SHE accompanied the Dean to evening-prayer; and on their return to the deanery, he told Mr and Mrs Pilkington, that he gave them leave to stay to fupper; which from him was a fufficient invitation. The Dean then decanted a bottle of wine; and the last glass being muddy, he called to Mr Pilkington to drink it; "for," fays he, "I always keep fome poor parfon to "drink the foul wine for me." Mr Pilkington entering into his humour, thanked him, and told him, he did not know the difference, but was glad to get a glafs at any rate. "Why then," faid the Dean, you fhan't; for I'll drink it myself. Why p-x take you, you are wifer than a paltry curate whom I ask"ed to dine with me a few days ago; for upon my making the fame speech to him, he told me he did not "understand fuch usage; and fo walked off without his "dinner. By the fame token, I told the gentleman "who recommended him to me, that the fellow was a blockhead, and I had done with him."

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THE Dean then miffing his golden bottle-fcrew, told Mrs Pilkington very fternly, he was fure fhe had stolen it. She affirmed very ferioufly, fhe had not. Upon which he looked for it, and found it where he himself had laid it: 'Tis well for you," faid he, "that I "have got it, or I would have charged you with theft." Why, pray, Sir," faid fhe," fhould I be fufpected more than any other perfon in the company ?" "For a very good reason," said he, "because you are the "pooreft."

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Ar their going away, the Dean handed Mrs Pilkington down all the fteps to the coach, thanking them for the honour of their company, at the fame time flipping into her hand as much money as Mr Pilkington and she had given at the offering in the morning, and coachhire alfo; which the durft not refufe, left fshe should have been deemed as great a blockhead as the parfon who refufed the thick wine.

IN one of the Dean's periodical fits of deafnefs, he fent for Mrs Pilkington; who having come, he brought out to her a large book, finely bound in turkey leather,

and

and handfomely gilt: "This," faid he, " is a tranfla“tion of the epistles of Horace, a prefent to me from. "the author; 'tis a fpecial good cover; but I have à "mind there fhould be fomething valuable within fide " of it." So taking out his penknife, he cut out all the leaves close to the inner margin. "Now," faid he, "I will give these what they greatly want;" and put them all into the fire. "Your task, Madam, is to pafte " in these letters, in this cover, in the order I fhall give "them to you: I intended to do it myself, but that I "thought it might be a pretty amufement for a child : "fo I fent for you." She told him, fhe was extremely proud to be honoured with his commands; but requested to have leave to read the letters as he went on. Why," faid the Dean, "provided you will acknow"ledge yourself amply rewarded for your trouble, I "don't much care if I indulge you so far."

In reading the letters, fhe could not avoid remarking to the Dean, that, notwithstanding the friendship Mr Pope profeffed for Mr Gay, he could not forbear a great many fatirical, or, if the might be allowed to fay fo, envious remarks on the fuccefs of the Beggar's opera. The Dean very frankly owned, he did not think Mr Pope was fo candid to the merit of other writers as he ought to be. She then ventured to ask the Dean, whether he thought the lines Mr Pope addreffes him with in the beginning of the Dunciad, were any compliment to him? viz.

O thou! whatever title please thine ear.

"I believe," faid he, "they were meant as fuch, "but they are very stiff." "Indeed, Sir," faid fhe, "he is fo perfectly a mafter of harmonious numbers, "that, had his heart been the leaft affected with his fubject, he must have writ better. How cold, how "forced, are his lines to you, compared with yours to "him!

Hail, happy Pope! whose gen'rous mind, &c.

vol. 6. p. 337

"Here