X

red to be reputed his concubine, it cannot be suppofed that the concealed any letter which would have proved that she was fo, especially as it would have gratified her refentment against him, for refufing to make her his wife. [7. R. p. 121, 122, 123]

Is it appears, therefore, that there was no criminal commerce between them, and that she did not defire the world should believe there had been any; it follows, from her directing the publication of the poem, of which perhaps the poffeffed the only copy, that, in her sense of the verses, none of them implied a fact which would dishonour her memory. And this appears alfo to have been the opinion of her executors, who, tho' they fuppreffed the letters, because they contained nothing that could do her honour, yet published the poem; by which it must therefore be fuppofed they did not think she would be difgraced. [7. R. p. 123.]

IT has indeed been faid, that Vaneffa, from the time fhe was deferted, "devoted herself, like Ariadne, to "Bacchus," [7. R. p. 123,]: and perhaps it is true, that, in the anguish of difappointed defire, fhe had recourfe to that dreadful opiate, which never fails to complicate disease with trouble, to leave the fufferer more wretched when its operation is at an end; to divide life into frenzy and defpair, and at once to haften the approach, and increate the terrors of death. But it cannot be thought, that when she made her will, fhe was either intoxicated: or delirious, because the perfect exercise of reafon is ef fential to the validity of the act. No particular of her diftrefs, therefore, can weaken the arguments drawn from the direction in her will to publish the poem and the letters, of which the gratification of her vanity was fo evidently the motive, that it is difficult to conceive how it could be overlooked.

FROM 1716 to 1720 is a chafm in the Dean's life, which it has been found difficult to fill up. That he had no need to repeat his college-exercifes, has been fhewn already; and that, in this interval, he went thro' a voluminous courfe of ecclefiaftical hiftory [7. R. p. 101.], feems farther improbable, by a letter to Lord Bolingbroke, dated April 5. 1729 [vol, 4. p. 91.]; in

See vol. 6. p. II.

which it appears, that he was then reading Baronius, and Baronius was the only piece of church-history that was found in his library. Lord Orrery thinks, with great reason, that he employed this time upon Gulliver's Travels. [0. let. 16.]

THE author of the Obfervations indeed fuppofes the -Dean's genius to be verging towards a decline in the -year 1723, and that Gulliver's Travels were written after that time: but in both thefe fuppofitions he is probably mistaken; tho' in the former he feems to be fa-voured by a paffage in a letter written by the Dean himfelf to Mr Pope, dated Sept. 20. 1723. [vol 4. p. 40]

THAT his genius was not declining in 1723, appears by the Drapier's Letters, which were not written till 1724; and of these the Observator himself fays, "his "genius never fhone out in greater strength than on that and the fabfequent occafions;" a truth which is univerfally acknowledged. That Gulliver's Travels were written before that time, is equally evident: for : Swift went into the north of Ireland early in the fpring of 1725; and, in a letter to Dr Sheridan, during his refidence there, he puts him in mind of his defcription of the Yahoos [vol. 4. p. 234.]. So that Sheridan muft have feen the Travels in manufcript, at least in the year 1724. The Dean, alfo, in a letter to Mr Pope, dated Sept. 29. 1725 [vol. 4. p. 45.], fays, "Oh! if the "world had but a dozen of Arbuthnots in it, I would "burn my Travels." It may reasonably be concluded, therefore, that his Travels were then all written, and that at this time he was reviewing and retouching them for the prefs; especially as they were published in 1726; and as he was otherwife employed in 1724, they must have been written at least before 1723.

UPON the whole, perhaps, it is not an extravagant conjecture, that having, according to his own account, wholly neglected his ftudies for the first three years of his refidence at the deanery, and indulged the refentment which his difappointments had produced, till it 'could be contained no longer, he conceived the first no tion of expreffing it in fuch a manner as might correct the enormities which he expofed; and with this view immediately

f 2

immediately began his Travels, of which the first copy was probably finished before the year 1720.

ABOUT this time, the Dean, who had already acquired the character of a humourist and a wit, was first regarded with general kindness, as the patriot of Ireland. He wrote a proposal for the universal use of Irish manufactures [vol. 3. p. 3.]; a tract which, as it was apparently calculated for the fervice of Ireland, and zealoufly condemned a facrifice of intereft to England, made him very popular *. But this fervice would not perhaps have been fo long and fo zealously remembered, if a profecution had not been commenced against the printer. As foon as this measure was taken, the importance of the work was estimated by the diligence of the govern ment to fupprefs it; and the zeal and integrity of the writer were measured by the danger he had incurred. No public notice, however, was taken of the Dean on this occafion; and Waters, the printer, after having been long haraffed and imprisoned, at length obtained a Noli profequi.

THE

In the year 1720, Swift began to reaflume, in fome degree, the character of a political writer. A fmall pamphlet in defence of the Irish manufactures, was, I believe, his firft effay, in Ireland, in that kind of writing; and to that pamphlet he owed the turn of the popular tide in his favour. His fayings of wit and humour had been handed about, and repeated from time to time among the people. They had the effect of an artful preface, and had pre-engaged all readers in his favour. They were adapted to the understanding, and pleafed the imagination of the vulgar: and he was now looked upon in a new light, and diftinguished by the title of THE DEAN.The flux and reflux of popular love and hatred are equally violent. They are often owing to accidents, but fometimes to the return of reafon, which, unaffifted by education, may not be able to guide the lower clafs of people into the right track at the beginning, but will be fufficient to keep them in it, when experience has pointed out the road. The pamphlet propofing the univerfal ufe of Irish manufactures within the kingdom, had captivated all hearts. Some little pieces of poetry to the fame purpose were no lefs acceptable and engaging. The attachment which the Dean bore to the true intereft of Ireland, was no longer doubted. His patriotism was as manifeft as his wit. He was looked upon with pleasure and respect, as he paffed thro' the streets: and he had attained fo high a degree of popularity, as to become an arbitrator in the disputes of property among his neighbours; nor did any man dare to appeal from his opinion, or to murmur at his decrees. 0. let. 6.

THE Dean did not again appear in his political character till the year 1724. A patent having been iniquitoufly procured by one Wood to coin 180,000 l. in copper for the ufe of Ireland, by which he would have acquired exorbitant gain, and proportionably impoverished the nation, the Dean, in the character of a Drapier, wrote a series of letters to the people, urging them not to receive this copper money. Thefe letters united the whole nation in his praife, filled every ftreet with his effigies, and every voice with acclamations; and Wood, tho' he was long fupported by thofe who prostituted the highest delegated authority to the vileft purposes, was at length compelled to withdraw his patent, and his money was totally fuppreffed *.

UPON the arrival of Lord Carteret, foon after the publication of the fourth letter, feveral paffages were felected

f 3

The popular affection which the Dean had hitherto acquired, may be faid not to have been univerfal, till the publication of the Drapier's letters, which made all ranks and all profeffions unani. mous in his applause. The occafion of those letters was a scarcity of copper coin in Ireland, to fo great a degree, that for fome time paft the chief manufacturers throughout the kingdom were obliged to pay their workmen in pieces of tin, or in other tokens of fuppofititious value. Such a method was very difadvantageous to the lower parts of traffick, and was in general an impediment to the commerce of the ftate. To remedy this evil the late King granted a patent to William Wood, to coin, during the term of fourteen years, farthings and halfpence in England for the use of Ireland, to the value of a certain fum fpecified. These halfpence and farthings were to be received by thofe perfons who would voluntarily accept them But the patent was thought of such dangerous confequence to the public, and of fuch exorbitant advantage to the patentee, that the Dean, under the character of M. B. Drapier, wrote a letter to the people, warning them not to accept Wood's halfpence and farthings as current coin. This firft letter was fucceeded by feveral others to the fame purpose; all which are inferted in his works-At the found of the Drapier's trumpet, &c. [fee vol. 3. p. 23. in the notes]-This is the most fuccinét account that can be given of an affair, which alarmed the whole Irish nation to a degree, that in a lefs loyal kingdom must have fomented a rebellion: but the ftedfaft loyalty of the Irish, and their true devotion to the prefent royal family, is immoveable and altho' this unfortunate nation may not hitherto have found many diftinguishing marks of favour and indulgence from the throne, yet it is to be hoped in time they may meet with their reward. O. let. 6.

felected as fufficient ground for a profecution; and his Excellency and council publifhed a proclamation, offering 300 1. reward for a discovery of the author. This proclamation gave the Dean a remarkable opportunity to illuftrate his character. It happened, that his butler, whom he had employed as his amanuenfis, and who alone was trusted with the fecret, went out in the afternoon of the day of the proclamation without leave, and ftaid abroad the whole night, and part of the next day. There was great reafon to fufpect that he had made an information; and having received his reward, would never return. The man however came home in the evening; and the Dean was advised by his friends to take no notice of his fault, left he should be provoked to a breach of truft, from the dread of which his return had juft delivered them. But the Dean rejected this counfel with the utmost difdain, and commanding the man into his prefence, ordered him immediately to ftrip off his livery, and leave the house. "You villain," faid he, "I know I am in your power; and for that very reafon I will the lefs bear with your infolence or neglect. I fuppofe by this time you are rewarded, or "at leaft in a fair way of being rewarded for your "treachery.".

THE man, in very fubmiffive terms, confeffed that he had been drinking all night, and intreated to be forgiven; but Swift was inexorable. He then begged that

he might be confined, in fome part of the house so long as the proclamation could intitle him to any reward; left, when he was driven from his fervice, and destitute of another, the temptation might be too ftrong for his virtue, and his diftrefs might involve him in a crime which he most abhorred. Swift however was ftill inexorable; and the man was difmiffed. During all the time of danger, Swift obftinately refused to contribute one farthing towards his fupport, nor could he be perfuaded to fee his face; but when the time limited in the proclamation was expired, he was permitted to return to his fervice. Soon afterwards he was called haftily up by the Dean; who, without any preface, again ordered him to ftrip off his livery, put on his own cloaths, and then come to him again. The butler ftared with

furprise,