land, in hopes of experiencing benefit from his native air; but finding no advantage from the change, he again returned to Moorpark, and employed in his studies the intervals which his disorder afforded. It was now that he experienced marks of confidence from Temple, who permitted him to be present at his confidential interviews with King William, when that mo

Swift has indulged in pictures of a very different class, and has dwelt on physical impurities, calculated to disgust, and not to excite the fancy. We may, therefore, safely take Swift's word for the origin of his malady, as well as for his constitutional temperance. And, until medical authors can clearly account for, and radically cure the diseases of their contemporary patients, they may readily be excused from assigning dishonourable causes for the disorders of the illustrious dead.

The following receipt for his malady, by the celebrated Dr Ratcliffe, was found among Mr Smith's papers, indorsed in the Dean's hand :

"R.

Nov. 3d, 1733. Dr Ratcliff's Rect. for Deafness, sent by my Lady Moncastell.

"Docter Ratcliff's prescription for a noisse in the head and deffness, proseeding from a cold moyst humor in the head.

"Take a pint of sack whay, make very clear, halfe sack and halfe water, boyle in it sum plain reael sage, and a sprige of Rossmery; take it gowing to rest, with thirty or forty drops of spirit of hartshorn, continue it as long as you find benifet by it, expectly the wintor seson; he may swetn or not with sirop of Cowslep. He orderd allsoe a spice capp: to be made of clowes, masse, and pepper mingled finely, pownded and put betwen too silke, and quelted to wear next the head, and for a man to be sowdd within side his wigg."

narch honoured Moorpark with his visits, a distinction which Temple owed to their former intimacy in Holland, and which he received with respectful ease, and repaid by sound and constitutional advice. Nay, when Sir William's gout confined him to his chamber, the duty of attending the King devolved upon Swift; and it is recorded by all the poet's biographers, that William offered him a troop of horse, and shewed him how to cut asparagus the Dutch way. It would be unjust to suppress the additional advantage he acquired in learning, by the royal example, to eat the same vegetable with Dutch economy, on which subject the reader will find a lively anecdote at the bottom of the page." Other advantages of a

* This characteristic story is given on the authority of the father of my friend, Mr M. Weld Hartstonge. Alderman George Faulkner of Dublin, the well-known bookseller, happening one day to dine in company with Dr Leland the historian, the conversation adverted to the illustrious Dean of St Patrick's. Faulkner, who was the Dean's printer and publisher on many occasions, mentioned, that one day being detained late at the Deanery-house, in correcting some proof-sheets for the press, Swift made the worthy alderman stay to dinner. Amongst other vegetables, asparagus formed one of the dishes. The Dean helped his guest, who shortly again called upon his host to be helped a second time; when the Dean, pointing to the alderman's plate, "Sir, first finish what you have upon your plate."—"What, sir, eat my stalks ?”—“ Ay, sir! King William always eat the stalks !”—“ And George," rejoined the historian, (who was himself remarkably proud, and very pompous,) "what, were you blockhead enough to obey him ?”"Yes, doctor, and if you had dined with Dean Swift, tete-a-tete, faith, you would have been obliged to eat your stalks too!"

more solid nature were, however, held out to his ambition; and he was led to hope that he would be pro vided for in the church, to which profession he was destined, as well by inclination as by so fair a prospect of preferment.* The high trust reposed in him warranted these hopes. For he was employed by Sir William Temple to lay before King William the reasons why his Majesty ought to assent to the bill for · triennial parliaments; and he strengthened Temple's opinion by several arguments drawn from English history. But the King persevered in his opposition, and the bill was thrown out by the influence of the Crown, in the House of Commons. This was the first intercourse that Swift had with courts; and he was wont to tell his friends that it helped to cure him of vanity: having probably anticipated success in his negotiation, and being mortified in proportion by its unexpected failure.

In 1692, Swift went to Oxford for the purpose of taking his master's degree, to which he was admitted on the 5th July in that year. He seems to have been pleased with the civilities he met at Oxford, and observes, that he was ashamed to have been more obliged, in a few weeks, to strangers, than ever he was,

*He writes to his uncle, William Swift, 29th November, 1692, "I am not to take orders till the King gives me a prebend." See his Works, Vol, XV. p. 257.

in seven years, to Dublin college.* The favour of Oxford necessarily implies learning and genius. In the former Swift was now eminent, and in the latter shewed the fair promise of an active and enterprizing mind. Even in 1691, he informs his friend, Mr Kendal, that he had " written, and burned, and written again upon all manner of subjects, more than perhaps any man in England." Amidst these miscellaneous efforts, poetry was not neglected. The Muses met him on their own sacred ground, and it is at Oxford that Swift produced his first verses, (reserving only his claim to any of those contained in the Tripos of Jones.) It is a version of Horace, Book II. Ode 18,‡ which will be found in its place:

'Tis true, my cottage, mean and low,
Not built for grandeur, but for ease,

No ivory cornices can shew,

Nor ceilings rough with gold displays.

The passage reminds us of a similar expression in Dryden's prologue to the University of Oxford.

Oxford to him a dearer name shall be

Than his own mother university;

Thebes did his green unknowing youth engage,

He chooses Athens in his riper age.

Both poets had received some censure from their Alma Mater. + Swift's Works, Vol. XV. p. 252.

These verses were copied by Dr Hill of Dublin, from the original in the possession of Mr Worrall, who was one of the Dean's curates, and lived in great habits of friendship with him.