1. The Book of Admission into College, or Senior Lecturer's Book. This contains the names, ages, and descriptions of all students admitted from the year 1637 to 1725.

2. The Book of Registry; or of the Transactions of the Provosts and Senior Fellows, from 1640 to 1740: in which are found all elections, collations to degrees, censures, &c. during that period.

3. The Buttery Books. In them are written every week the names of the students, and the punishments inflicted on them for missing duties; also, whether they be in commons or not, is marked in these books.

Of these I make use of three, viz. one Junior Book, as it is called, and two Senior Books. The Senior Book contains the names of those who are on the foundation, that is, the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the house; also resident doctors, masters, and fellow-commoners. The Junior Book contains the names of all the other students.-The books of the Buttery relating to Swift's times, and which I was able to find, were, a Senior Book, and the Junior Book corresponding to it; they extend from 14 November 1685, to 14 October 1687. The third is the succeeding Senior Book, extending from 31 December 1687, to 18 September 1691: and to this I was unable to procure the corresponding Junior Book. The want of this last will be felt in making out some of the conclusions I mean to establish; but as it will leave room for reason to operate in making those inferences, and as I have good grounds to proceed upon without it, the loss is the less to be regretted.

The Senior Lecturer's Book informs us, that on 24 April 1682, were admitted as pensioners, under

the

the tuition of St. George Ashe, from the school of Mr. Ryder at Kilkenny,

"Thomas Swift, son of Thomas, aged fifteen years, born in Oxfordshire,” and

"Jonathan Swift, son of Jonathan, aged fourteen years, born in the county of Dublin."

When we compare this entry with the particulars given by Swift in the short account of his own life, published by Mr. Deane Swift, we cannot doubt, that the Thomas here mentioned is that cousin of Jonathan Swift, who was rector of Puttenham, where he died in May, 1752, in the eighty-seventh year of his age. For if he had been born in 1666, he would in April 1682, have completed fifteen years, and in 1752 completed eighty-six years, and therefore have been in the eighty-seventh year of his age at his decease. Nor does he agree in the circumstances of age only, but in the other particulars. Thus the rector of Puttenham was the son of Thomas, and this last was bred at Oxford, and probably (from his matrimonial connec tion with the family of Davenant) a resident there.-Thomas Swift then being one year older than Jonathan, it is probable that he would be denominated Swift senior, when both entered on the same day: and we accordingly find him so styled.

And as a person of the name of Jones was intimately connected with Swift in the earlier part of his life, although such connexion has totally escaped the observation of all Swift's biographers, this will be the place for me to relate what particulars we learn from the same college record concerning this person, who will bear, as I apprehend, no inconsiderable share in what concerns Swift in the sequel. It thence appears that John Jones, a sizer, was admitted under the

tuition

tuition of St. George Ashe, at the

age of seventeen, on 1 May 1682: that is, only seven days after Swift's admission, and under the same tutor; circumstances which alone would sufficiently prove that he must have been known to and acquainted with Swift.

After their admission into college, Swift senior (that is, Thomas,) and Jones appear to have to have prosecuted their studies with more success than Jonathan; for after an examination in classical literature for two days by the Provost and Senior Fellows, according to the course observed in the College of Dublin, the former was elected a Scholar of the House on 26 May, 1684; as was the latter on 30 May, 1685. All the three, however, commenced A. B. at the same time, in February 1685-6: the grace of the house for that degree having been conferred on Thomas Swift on 11 February, and the special grace for the same granted to Jonathan Swift, John Jones, and three others, on the 13th of the same month.

We learn from the short Account of his Life, drawn up by Swift himself, "that previous to his taking his degree, he had lived with great regularity and due observance of the statutes:" and agreeably to this representation I find no censures on him in the registry previous to that period. The first public punishment he received is thus detailed in that book:

"18 March, 1686-7. Mr. Warren, Sir Swift senior, Sir Swift junior, Web, Bredy, Serles, and Johnson the pensioner, for notorious neglect of duties and frequenting the town, were admonished."

And note also, that one of the above (Bredy) was expelled, 19th September 1687," for writing and publishing a scandalous libel on some ladies of quality."

Let us next inquire and see what account the

Buttery

Buttery Books give of Swift's attendance on duties. From them we learn, that the duties to which students were then liable, were these:

Chapel,-hall,-surplice, catechism,-lectures in Greek, Hebrew, mathematics, as also morning lecture; also disputations and declamations. Of these the first four were in force all the year: the lectures, only in term. And I further find, that between the periods of 14 November 1685, and 8 October 1687, (being the time comprized in the first and only Ju nior Book I could get) he had punishments on him, whether confirmed or taken off, upwards of seventy weeks that after he had received the above-mentioned punishments, he appears both out of commons and unpunished, for ten weeks and upwards; whence, (as I do not believe the censure wrought any refor mation in him,) I am inclined to believe that he spent the three or four months subsequent to his censure, in the country, his high spirit being unable to brook the disgrace. During other periods he was frequently out of commons; thus, previously to 20 March, 1685-5; also from May 1 to 18, 1686; and from 28 August to 16 October, 1686; and from 27 November 1686, to January 8, 1686-7; but he has punishments confirmed on him, in those times: whence I conclude that he was then in college, notwithstanding he was out of commons. Most of his punishments are for non-attendance in chapel; the amount is 1. 19s. 4d. confirmed, and 19s. 10d. taken off. For surplice, (that is, for non-attendance in chapel at those times when surplices are required to be worn,) 11s. 4d. confirmed: and 6s. 6d. taken off-Of his other punishments, those for lectures appear all confirmed; and are, for chatechism 3s., Greek

1

Greek lecture gd., Hebrew lecture 8d., mathematic lecture 1s. 10d.; and those for missing night-rolls, or town-haunting, (that is, for halls *,) amount to 31. 4s.; but are all taken off, the admonition being substituted in their place.

His negligence did therefore principally consist, 1st. in the neglecting to attend divine service in the college chapel; concerning which I observe that there are very few weeks in which he is not fined for a partial and remiss attendance, although there appears scarce any in which he was totally and completely idle. 2dly. In the frequent missing of nightrolls or halls, and also the missing of tickets. He is sometimes punished for disputations and declamations; and once 1s. for verses, which appear to have been some exercise given in at the time of the quarterly examinations.

The want of the second Junior Book (in which alone I could hope to find the name of Jonathan Swift) obliges me to have recourse to its corresponding Senior Book, to determine several points relating to the second punishment inflicted on him, and to the time of his leaving college. I shall therefore now proceed to state what information respecting his cousin Thomas, and Jones, the two Senior Books supply us with; observing only, that as Thomas and Jo

* The names of the students are called over in the college hall every night at nine o'clock.

+ The students of Trinity College are required by the statutes not to go into town without the written permission of their tutors, left at the porter's lodge; this is called a ticket: and consequently missing tickets and town-haunting mean the same thing, and the offence is punished by a pecuniary fine, or (when that is found inefficient) by adinonition.

nathan