forming his mind to thofe great things which he afterwards executed. It was in the year 1688 that Swift left Ireland; he was then in his one-and-twentieth year. Suppofe him landed in a country where he was utterly unknown, and without recommendatory letters that might introduce him to the acquaintance, or procure him the affistance of any one in that country, with regard to any future plan of life. Let us ftop a while, and furvey the future Swift, fetting out on foot from Chester, in order to go to a mother, who was utterly incapable of affording him the leaft affiftance, as she herfelf was chiefly fupported by prefents and contributions from her relations. One can hardly imagine a fituation more hopeless with regard to externals; and with refpect to his own internal powers, he had yet given no proofs of thofe, which would not rather occafion defpondency in his relations, than raise in them any hopes of his being able to push his own way in the world. And indeed at that juncture perhaps there were few living lefs qualified than he to do any thing for his own fupport. The world was all before him where to choofe And he seems indeed to have been then under the immediate guidance of Providence; for, hopeless as the end of fuch a journey might at that time have appeared, it proved in fact the means of all his future greatness. After a refidence of fome months with his mother, he laid before her the uncomfortableness of his present fituation, and the gloominefs of his future profpects; requesting her advice what courfe he should pursue. She clearly faw that her fon's cafe required the affist ance ance of fome powerful friend, and the unfortunate can feldom number fuch among their acquaintance. She recollected however that Sir William Temple's Lady was her relation; and that there had been a long intimacy between Sir John Temple, father to Sir William, and the family of the Swifts in Ireland; fhe knew alfo that a coufin German of her fon's, the Revd. Thomas Swift, had been Chaplain to Sir William Temple, and had been provided for by him in the Church, on the score of family connections. She recommended it therefore to her fon to go to Sir William, and make his cafe known to him. * However grating fuch an application might be to the proud spirit of Swift, yet, as it was his only resource, he followed his mother's advice, and foon afterwards presented himself to Sir William Temple at Shene, requesting his advice and affiftance. Sir William was a man of too much goodness and humanity, not to take compaffion on a young man born an orphan, without fortune, diftreffed from his cradle, and without friends or interest to push him forward in life; who at the fame time had a double claim to his favour, as related by blood to a wife for whom he had the highest honour and affection; and as the offspring of a family with whom his father had lived in the clofeft ties of friendship. He accordingly received him cheerfully into his house, and treated him with that hofpitable kindness, which family connections, and what was ftill more to a generous mind, his unfortunate fituation demanded of him. But yet we do not find, for a long time, that his kindefs to him was encreafed from motives of per * Sir William Temple's own place of refidence was a feat which he had purchased, called Moor-Park, near Farnham in Surrey; but at the time of the Revolution, as Moor-Park grew unfafe by lying in the way of both armies, Sir William went back to his houfe at Shene, which he had given up to his fon. fonal fonal regard, on a nearer acquaintance with him. It is probable that Sir William early founded his depth of knowledge, and examined into the progrefs he had made in his studies; which was far from being fo great as might have been expected from his courfe of education, and time of life. The first good office that Sir William could do him, therefore, was to put him into a course of reading, in order that he might redeem loft time. Accordingly we find, that Swift, during his refidence with Sir William, applied himself with great affiduity to his ftudies; in which, for the space of eight years, he was employed, by his own account, at least eight hours a day, with but few intermiffions. The first of these was occafioned by an illness, which he attributed to a furfeit of fruit, that brought on a coldness of stomach, and giddiness of head, which pursued him more or lefs during the remainder of his life. After two years refidence at Moor-Park, to which place he had removed with Sir William when the troubles were ended, his ftate of health was fo bad, that he was advised by physicians to try the effects of his native air, towards restoring it. In pursuance of this advice he revifited Ireland; but finding himself growing worse there, he foon returned to Moor-Park; where, upon the abatement of his illness, he renewed his application to his ftudies. It does not appear that Sir William Temple knew any thing of the value of his young guest, till about this time; and Swift himself fays that it was then he began to grow into fome confidence with him. The little progrefs Swift had made in learning at his firft arrival at Shene, must have given Sir William but a mean opinion of his capacity; and the few things which he wrote during his first two years refidence with him, could have given him no very high idea of his genius, For For Swift had at that time fo far mistaken his talents, that he tried his ftrength only in Pindarick Odes; in which, though there appeared fome vigour of mind, and efforts of an uncommon genius, yet it was apparent that it was vigour improperly exerted, and the efforts of a genius mifapplied. The fentiments were ftrained and crowded; and the numbers irregular and harh. How then fhall we account for the fudden change of Sir William's fentiments towards him? It could not be on account of his progrefs in literature, for he had not had time enough to ftand highly in the opinion of fo diftinguished a scholar as Sir William was, on that score. And indeed, with all his affiduity, it is probable that he had not then fo far recovered loft time, as to be master of the learning which his standing required. The most probable conjecture is, that Swift had, at his leifure, revised and corrected his Tale of a Tub, which was sketched out by him in the College, as was before mentioned, and now firft fhewed it to Sir William. A work, bearing fuch a stamp of original genius, must, in a man of Sir William Temple's delicate tafte, and nice difcernment, have at once raised the author into a high place in his esteem, and made him look upon him afterwards with very different eyes. Accordingly we find that, about this period, he trufted him with matters of great importance. He introduced him to King William, and fuffered him to be present at fome of their conferences t. He employed him in a com * Two of thefe Odes, as being the first that have appeared of his poetical writings, are placed, on that account only, at the head of the first volume of his poems. + Sir William had been Ambaffador and Mediator of a general peace at Nimeguen before the Revolution. In this character he contracted a close intimacy with the Prince of Orange; who, after he had afcended the English throne, frequently vifited him at Shene, and took a commiffion of confequence to the King, when he was unable to attend him himself, which required dexterity, and knowledge in the Hiftory of England. And above all, he confulted him conftantly, and employed him in the revifal and correction of his own works. In this fituation Swift continued, ftill applying clofely to his ftudies till the year 1692, when he went to Oxford in order to take his Mafter's degree; to which he was admitted on the 5th of July 1692. pro From his delaying fo long to take this degree, it may be concluded that Swift was determined to prepare himself for it in fuch a way, as might do him credit in the eyes of the University, in order to wipe off the dif grace of the former. And we may judge that his grefs in academick studies had been very small, when it required four years application before he thought himself qualified to appear at Oxford with that view. Nor can there be any other reason affigned for his not having done it fooner, as he was of fufficient ftanding to have applied for his Master's degree in the first year of his refidence at Moor-Park. From the fatisfaction he expreffes at the behaviour of the University of Oxford, and the civilities he met with there, it is probable that he was not undistinguished as a scholar; and that he found the first end he propofed by his ftudies, fully answered. his advice in affairs of the utmost importance. Sir William being then lame of the gout, fubstituted Swift to attend his Majesty in his walks round the gardens; who admitted him to fuch familiarity, that he fhewed him how to cut afparagus in the Dutch fashion; and once offered to make him a Captain of Horfe. But Swift appears to have fixed his mind very early on an ecclefiaftical life; and it is therefore probable that upon declining this offer, he obtained a promife of preferment in the Church; for, in a letter to his uncle William, dated 1692, he says,—" I am not to take orders 'till the King gives me a Prebend." From |