rageous; he was therefore forced to drop his fcheme, and own the folly of expecting punctuality from the poor *.

was,

His afperity continually increafing, condemned him to folitude; and his refentment of folitude fharpened his afperity. He was not, however, totally deserted; fome men of learning, and fome women of elegance, often vifited him; and he wrote from time to time either verse or profe; of his verfes he willingly gave copies, and is fuppofed to have felt no difcontent when he saw them printed. His favourite maxim "Vive la bagatelle :" he thought trifles a neceffary part of life, and perhaps found them neceffary to himself. It feems impoffible to him to be idle, and his disorders made it difficult or dangerous to be long seriously ftudious, or laboriously diligent. The love of eafe is always gaining upon age, and he had one temptation to petty amusements peculiar to himself; whatever he did, he was fure to hear applauded; and fuch was his predominance over all that approached, that all their applaufes were probably fincere. He that is much flattered foon learns to flatter himself: we are commonly taught our duty by fear or fhame, and how can they act upon the man who hears nothing but his own praifes ?

As his years increased, his fits of giddinefs and deafnefs grew more frequent, and his deafnefs made

* This account is contradicted by Mr. Sheridan, who with great warmth afferts, from his own knowledge, that there was not one fyllable of truth in this whole account from the beginning to the end. See Life of Swift, edit. 1784, p. 532. R.

VOL. III.

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converfation difficult: they grew likewise more fe vere, till in 1736, as he was writing a poem called "The Legion Club," he was feized with a fit sơ painful, and fo long continued, that he never after thought it proper to attempt any work of thought or labour.

He was always careful of his money, and was therefore no liberal entertainer; but was lefs frugal of his wine than of his meat. When his friends of

either fex came to him, in expectation of a dinner, his custom was to give every one a fhilling, that they might please themselves with their provifion. At laft his avarice grew too powerful for his kindness; he would refufe a bottle of wine, and in Ireland no man vifits where he cannot drink.

Having thus excluded converfation, and defifted from study, he had neither business nor amusement; for, having by fome ridiculous refolution, or mad yow, determined never to wear spectacles, he could make little use of books in his later years: his ideas therefore, being neither renovated by discourse, nor increased by reading, wore gradually away, and left his mind vacant to the vexations of the hour, til at laft his anger was heightened into madness.

He however permitted one book to be published, which had been the production of former years; "Po"lite Converfation," which appeared in 1738. The "Directions for Servants" was printed foon after his death. These two performances fhew a mind inceffantly attentive, and, when it was not employed upon great things,

5

things, bufy with minute occurrences. It is It is apparent that he must have had the habit of noting whatever he obferved; for fuch a number of particulars could never have been affembled by the power of recollection.

He grew more violent, and his mental powers declined till (1741) it was found neceffary that legal guardians fhould be appointed of his perfon and fortune. He now loft diftinction. His madness was compounded of rage and fatuity. The laft face that he knew was that of Mrs. Whiteway; and her he ceafed to know in a little time. His meat was brought him cut into mouthfuls; but he would never touch it while the fervant ftaid, and at last, after it had stood perhaps an hour, would eat it walking; for he continued his old habit, and was on his feet ten hours a day.

Next year (1742) he had an inflammation in his left eye, which swelled it to the fize of an egg, with boils in other parts; he was kept long waking with the pain, and was not eafily reftrained by five attendants from tearing out his eye.

The tumour at laft fubfided; and a fhort interval of reason enfuing, in which he knew his phyfician and his family, gave hopes of his recovery; but in a few days he funk into a lethargick ftupidity, motionless, heedlefs, and fpeechlefs. But it is faid, that, after a year of total filence, when his housekeeper, on the 30th of November, told him that the ufual bonfires and illuminations were preparing to celebrate his birth-day, he answered, "It is all folly; "they had better let it alone."

It is remembered, that he afterwards fpoke now and then, or gave fome intimation of a meaning; but at laft funk into perfect filence, which continued till about the end of October, 1744, when, in his feventy-eighth year, he expired without a Aruggle.

WHEN

66

WHEN Swift is confidered as an author, it is juft to eftimate his powers by their effects. In the reign of Queen Anne he turned the ftream of popularity against the Whigs, and muft be confeffed to have dictated for a time the political opinions of the English nation. In the fucceeding reign he delivered Ireland from plunder and oppreffion; and shewed that wit, confederated with truth, had fuch force as authority was unable to refift. He faid truly of himself, that Ireland was his debtor." It was from the time. when he firft began to patronize the Irish, that they may date their riches and profperity. He taught them first to know their own intereft, their weight, and their strength, and gave them spirit to affert that equality with their fellow-fubjects to which they have ever fince been making vigorous advances, and to claim those rights which they have at last established. Nor can they be charged with ingratitude to their benefactor; for they reverenced him as a guardian, and obeyed him as a dictator.

In his works he has given very different fpecimens both of fentiments and expreffion. His "Tale of a Tub" has little refemblance to his other pieces. It exhibits a vehemence and rapidity of mind, a copiousness of images, and vivacity of diction, fuch as he afterwards never poffeffed, or never exerted. It is of a mode fo diftinct and peculiar, that it must be confidered by itfelf; what is true of that, is not true of any thing else which he has

written..

In his other works is found an equable tenour of eafy language, which rather trickles than flows.