odium.

It was happy for his Lordship that he did not pay a vifit to that country during the ferment, for he would, most affuredly, have been grossly infulted by the populace, and avoided by all of a superior rank.

Dr. Delany's Anfwer was followed by another from Deane Swift, Efq. As it came from a near relation of the Dean's, it, at firft, excited fome expectation; which was foon fucceeded by disappointment, and the Work configned to oblivion. Where let it reft.

On the publication of a new edition of Swift's Works, the proprietors applied to Dr. Hawksworth to write his Life. He was an Author of no small eminence; a man of clear judgment, and great candour. He quickly difcerned the truth from the falfehood; wiped away many of the afperfions that had been thrown on Swift's character; and placed it, fo far as he went, in its proper light. But as he had no new materials of his own, and was confined to fuch only as were contained in former publications, the view he has given of his life is very imperfect; many of the most important articles are omitted, and others ftill left in a very doubtful state.

The last Writer who has given any account of Swift, is Dr. Johnson. Who feems to have undertaken this task, rather from the neceflity he was under of taking fome notice of him in the course of his Biographical History of the English Poets, than from choice. He has prefented us only with

a fhort abftract of what he found in Dr. Hawkfworth, for which he makes the following apology. "An account of Dr. Swift has been already collected with great diligence and acuteness, by Dr. Hawkf

worth,

worth, according to a fcheme which I laid before him in the intimacy of our friendship. I cannot therefore be expected to fay much of a life, concerning which I had long fince communicated my thoughts, to a man capable of dignifying his narration, with fo much elegance of language, and force of fentiment." Accordingly he has produced little new on the subject, except fome obfervations of his own, which are far from being favourable to the character of Swift. It is much to be lamented, that a man of his great abilities, did not choose to follow his friend Hawkfworth in the paths of just and candid criticism, instead of affociating himself with Lord Orrery to the band of true critics. Of which body he has fhewn himself no unworthy member, not on this occafion only, but in the many fevere ftrictures paffed on the Lives and Writings of fome of the greatest geniufes this country has produced; to the no small indignation of their feveral admirers, and to the great regret of the Doctor's own. As this Work is more likely to be generally read than any of the others; both on account of the great reputation of the Author, and as it will of course prefent itself to the eyes of all who shall go through his collection of Lives, I fhall hereafter take an opportunity of making fome comments upon those paffages, which tend to depreciate and misrepresent the character of so great a man.

These several publications, which place the Life and Character of Swift in very different, and often oppofite points of light, have occafioned great diverfity in the judgments formed of them by the world, according to the different degrees of preju

dice,

dice, or candour, in their feveral readers. But as the fale of the first Essay on this fubject, written by Lord Orrery, was infinitely superior to that of all the others put together, the prepoffeffions in favour of the accounts delivered by him, have, for reasons already affigned, made too deep an impreffion on the bulk of mankind, to be easily erafed. I have before taken notice of the fcantinefs of his materials, which yet he has not ranged in any regular order; and which confift chiefly of detached facts, and unconnected Anecdotes, fo that there is no appearance of a whole. The portrait he has drawn of him, puts one in mind of certain paintings to be feen at the optician's in St. Paul's church-yard, where we behold fome scattered and distorted features, covered with blotches of various colours, fo that we cannot discover what it is intended to reprefent: 'till, by the application of a cylindrical mirrour, we are furprised too fee start forth a face of the finest proportioned features, and most beautiful complexion. By fuch an application of the mirrour of truth I hope to fhew Swift in a fimilar light.

I have long wifhed for leifure to fet about this task, which a life spent in a variety of laborious occupations has hitherto prevented. And even now [ am obliged to fufpend pursuits of more advantageous kind with regard to myself, in order to accomplish it. But, reflecting, at this advanced period of life, on the near approaches of old age, which might foon difqualify me from carrying my defign into execution, I determined to poftpone all other confiderations, that might ftand in the way of an object I have had fo much at heart. The love I had to

his

his perfon, and the reverence in which I was taught, from my earliest days, to hold his character, and with which I had an opportunity of being well acquainted, on account of the long intimacy fubfifting between him and my father; and, above all, the means I have in my power of refcuing his good name from the afperfions thrown on it by foulmouthed calumny, have made me think it an indispensible duty, no longer to delay doing juftice to his memory.

From the above acknowledgement of my early prepoffeffions in his favour, it may be thought that I shall prove not an unprejudiced hiftorian: but, though I am conscious to myself that I shall never be guilty of any wilful mifrepresentations, I know too well how little weight all profeffions of impartiality carry with them on fuch occafions, to trouble the reader with any. I defire no credit to be given to affertions or opinions not fupported by the moft convincing proofs: which therefore, in all difputable points, I hope I fhall be indulged in producing at full length. And I doubt not but that the difplay of Swift's true character and conduct in life, though to the confufion of his maligners, and difappointment of the envious and malevolent, will give great fatisfaction to all good minds; as it is of moment to the general caufe of religion and morality, to make it appear, that the greatest Genius of the age, was, at the fame time, a man of the trueft piety, and most exalted virtue.

THE