His delight was in fimplicity. That he has in his works no metaphor, as has been faid, is not true; but his few metaphors feem to be received rather by neceffity than choice. He ftudied purity; and though perhaps all his ftrictures are not exact, yet it is not often that folecifms can be found; and whoever depends on his authority may generally conclude himfelf fafe. His fentences are never too much dilated or contracted; and it will not be eafy to find any embarraffment in the complication of his claufes, any inconfequence in his connections, or abruptness in his tranfitions.

His ftyle was well fuited to his thoughts, which are never fubtilifed by nice difquifitions, decorated by fparkling conceits, elevated by ambitious fentences, or variegated by far-fought learning. He pays no court to the paffions; he excites neither furprise nor admiration; he always understands himself; and his readers always understand him: the perufer of Swift wants little previous knowledge; it will be fufficient that he is acquainted with common words and common things; he is neither required to mount elevations, nor to explore profundities; his paffage is always on a level, along folid ground, without afperities, without obftruction.

This eafy and fafe conveyance of meaning it was Swift's defire to attain, and for having attained he deferves praife. For purpofes merely didactick, when fomething is to be told that was not known before, it is the best mode; but against that inattention by which known truths are fuffered to lie neglected, it makes no provifion; it inftructs, but does not perfuade.

By.

By his political education he was affociated with the Whigs; but he deferted them when they deferted their principles, yet without running into the contrary extreme; he continued throughout his life to retain the difpofition which he affigns to the "Church"of-England Man," of thinking commonly with the Whigs of the State, and with the Tories of the Church.

He was a churchman rationally zealous; he defired the profperity, and maintained the honour, of the Clergy; of the Diffenters he did not wish to infringe the toleration, but he oppofed their encroach

ments.

To his duty as Dean he was very attentive. He managed the revenues of his church, with exact conomy; and it is said by Delany, that more money was, under his direction, laid out in repairs, than had ever been in the fame time fince its firft erection. Of his choir he was eminently careful; and, though he neither loved nor understood mufick, took care that all the fingers were well qualified, admitting none without the teftimony of skilful judges.

In his church he reftored the practice of weekly communion, and diftributed the facramental elements in the moft folemn and devout manner with his own hand. He came to church every morning, preached commonly in his turn, and attended the evening anthem, that it might not be negligently performed.

He read the fervice, "rather with a strong, nervous "voice, than in a graceful maner; his voice was "fharp and high-toned, rather than harmonious."

He entered upon the clerical ftate with hope to excel in preaching; but complained, that, from the

66

time of his political controverfies, "he could only preach pamphlets." This cenfure of himself, if judgement be made from thofe fermons which have been printed, was unreasonably fevere.

The fufpicions of his irreligion proceeded in a great measure from his dread of hypocrify; instead of wishing to feem better, he delighted in feeming worse than he was. He went in London to early prayers, left he should be feen at church; he read prayers to his fervants every morning with fuch dexterous fecrecy, that Dr. Delany was fix months in his houfe before he knew it. He was not only careful to hide the good which he did, but willingly incurred the fufpicion of evil which he did not. He forgot what himself had formerly afferted, that hypocrify is less mifchievous than open impiety. Dr. Delany, with all his zeal for his honour, has juftly condemned this part of his character.

The perfon of Swift had not many recommendations. He had a kind of muddy complexion, which, though he washed himself with oriental fcrupulofity, did not look clear. He had a countenance four and fevere, which he seldom foftened by any appearance of gaiety. He ftubbornly refifted any tendency to laughter.

To his domefticks he was naturally rough; and a man of a rigorous temper, with that vigilance of minute attention which his works difcover, muft have been a mafter that few could bear. That he was difpofed to do his fervants good, on important occafions, is no great mitigation; benefaction can be but rare, and tyrannick peevishness is perpetual, He did not fpare the fervants of others. Once,

when

when he dined alone with the Earl of Orrery, he faid of one that waited in the room, "That man

"has, fince we fat to the table, committed fifteen "faults." What the faults were, Lord Orrery, from whom I heard the ftory, had not been attentive enough to difcover. My number may perhaps not be exact.

In his œconomy he practifed a peculiar and offenfive parfimony, without difguife or apology. The practice of faving being once neceffary, became habitual, and grew firft ridiculous, and at last deteftable. But his avarice, though it might exclude pleasure, was never fuffered to encroach upon his virtue. He was frugal by inclination, but liberal by principle; and if the purpose to which he deftined his little accumulations be remembered, with his diftribution of occafional charity, it will perhaps appear, that he only liked one mode of expenfe better than another, and faved merely that he might have fomething to give. He did not grow rich by injuring his fucceffors, but left both Laracor and the Deanery more valuable than he found them.-With all this talk of his covetousness and generofity, it fhould be remembered, that he was never rich. The revenue of his Deanery was not much more than feven hundred a year.

His beneficence was not graced with tenderness or civility; he relieved without pity, and affifted without kindness; so that those who were fed by him could hardly love him.

He made a rule to himself to give but one piece at a time, and therefore always ftored his pocket with coins of different value.

Whatever he did, he feemed willing to do in a manner peculiar to himself, without fufficiently confidering, that fingularity, as it implies a contempt of the general practice, is a kind of defiance which justly provokes the hoftility of ridicule; he, therefore, who indulges peculiar habits, is worfe than others, if he be not better.

Of his humour, a ftory told by Pope * may afford a fpecimen.

Dr. Swift has an odd, blunt way, that is "mistaken by strangers for ill-nature.-'Tis fo odd, "that there's no defcribing it but by facts. I'll tell 66 you one that first comes into my head. One even"ing, Gay and I went to fee him: you know how

intimately we were all acquainted. On our coming "in, Heyday, gentleman, (fays the Doctor) what's "the meaning of this vifit? How came you to "leave the great Lords that you are fo fond of, to "come hither to fee a poor Dean ! Because we "would rather fee you than any of them.'-'Ay,

66

any one that did not know fo well as I do might "believe you. But fince you are come, you are come, I must get "fome fupper for you, I fuppofe.'-' No, Doctor, "we have fupped already. Supped already? that's impoffible! why, 'tis not eight o'clock yet.―That's

66

66

very strange; but if you had not supped, I must "have got fomething for you.-Let me fee, what "fhould I have had? A couple of lobfters; ay, "that would have done very well; two fhillings"tarts, a fhilling: but you will drink a glafs of "wine with me, though you fupped fo much before. your usual time only to fpare my pocket ?— No,

* Spence.