only preach pamphlets." On the contrary, Swift's discourses contain strong, sensible, and precise language, which distinguishes all his prose writings. They are not, indeed, without a cast of his peculiar humour, but it is not driven beyond the verge of propriety. As he considered the power of pulpit elocution as of the last consequence to the church, he used to attend particularly to the discourse of every young clergyman who preached in his cathedral, and never failed to minute down such words as seemed too obscure for the understandings of a popular congregation. In his Letter to a Clergyman, he has dwelt upon this common error of young preachers, which, with other excellent remarks contained in that treatise, shews that Swift not only valued the dignity of his order, but knew that it can only be maintained by the regular discharge of clerical duties in a decorous and practical manner. But his zeal for the interests of his younger brethren was not only shewn by public and private precepts, and by the tracts he wrote upon the Fates of Clergymen, and the Hatred against the Clergy ;-he endeavoured to serve them more effectually by patronage and recommendation. It was to this purpose chiefly he turned his intimacy with Carteret, and his long friendship with Lady Betty Germaine, who resided in family with his successor, the Duke of Dorset, and possessed influence with him. The frequency and urgency of his applications, as well as, generally speaking, the worth of those in whose favour they were made, give the best and most solid proof of his real interest in the promotion of clergymen of virtue and learning. Within his own deanery, Swift was scrupulously accurate in maintaining and improving the revenues of the living, and rejected every proposal which was made to raise wealth for himself, at the expense of the establishment. When he was almost sunk into imbecility, and love of money, a habit rather than a passion, seemed to be his sole remaining motive of action, he rejected, with indignation, a considerable sum, offered for the renewal of a lease, upon terms which would have been unfavourable for his successors. To the last moment of his capacity, he kept an accurate account of the revenues of the cathedral, and even of the sums collected and expended in charity, of which his accounts are now before the Editor. One is dated so low as 1742.* * The entries in these records sometimes exhibit the Dean's peculiar humour, as for example, "Increased to Mr Lyon by the pernicious vice and ad vice of my daily spunge and [a word illegible] Will's son, to 12 scoundrels at 64d. per week, fortnight, L.0 6 6 1739-40, January 12. A long extraordinary cold season, and I was worried by Mr Lyon to give more than the fund will support. However I give 20 shill. March 11. To a blind parson and his wife, 0 28 Upon the same principle, the Dean took care, by consulting proper judges, that the choir of his cathedral should be well regulated, and his correspondence with Dr Arbuthnot often turns upon procuring proper choristers. His zeal in this particular also survived the decay of his abilities, for he drew up a singular document, prohibiting the members of his choir from attending ordinary music meetings, so late as 28th January, 1741.* The Dean himself did not affect either to be a judge or admirer of music, yet he possessed the power of mimicking it in a wonderful degree. A person regretting at his table that he had not heard Mr Rosingrave, then just returned from Italy, perform upon the organ; "You shall hear him now," said Swift, and immediately started off into a burlesque imitation of the chromatics of the musician, to the inexpressible amusement of the company, excepting one old gentleman, who remained unmoved, because, as he said, "he had heard Mr Rosingrave himself perform the same piece that morning." This The Will's son above mentioned, was Francis Wilson, Prebendary of Kilmactolway, living then an inmate in the Dean's family, but expelled from it in 1742, for using personal violence to Swift. See Vol. XIX. p. 258, and note. * See Vol. XIX: p. 254. See his verses to himself, Vol. XIV. p. 397, beginning, Grave Dean of St Patrick's, how comes it to pass, That you, who know music no more than an ass, &c. exploit led to the Dean's composing the celebrated cantata, burlesquing the doctrine of imitative sounds in poetry and music. It was set to music by Dr John Ecclin.* With a great zeal for the rights of his order, which did not, however, in his own opinion, transgress the bounds of toleration, Dean Swift, upon every occasion, when the question occurred, obstinately resisted any relaxation of the penal laws against dissenters. So early as 1708, he had published his Letter on the Sacramental Test,† and, about twenty years after, his Narrative of the Attempts of the Dissenters, for the Repeal of the Test Act, appeared in the Correspondent, a periodical paper of the day. This, in 1731,‡ he reprinted as an appendix to the "Presbyterians' Plea of Merit," a treatise which gave the dissenters great offence, as it contradicted and even ridiculed their pretensions to peculiar zeal for the reformed religion and the Protestant succession.§ The clamour which this pamphlet excited, did not prevent Swift from following it up, in the next year, by an ironical statement, entitled, “The Advantages Proposed by Repealing the Sacramental Test." In the same year he pub • See Vol. XIX. p. 262, note. + See p. 94, and Vol. VIII. p. 351. Vol. VIII. p. 391. § See Vol. VIII. p. 375. lished "Queries relating to the Sacramental Test;" and in 1733," Reasons for Repealing the Test in favour of the Roman Catholics;" in all which treatises, the cause of the dissenters was treated with very great severity, and it was more than insinuated, that relaxation ought to be made rather in favour even of the Catholics, than of the Protestant dissenters. The former he compared to a lion, but chained and despoiled of his fangs and claws; the latter to a wild cat loose, in full possession of teeth and talons, and ready to fix them into the Church of England. On the same subject the Dean wrote several fugitive pieces of poetry, and probably more occasional tracts than have yet been recovered.* . The following tracts on the same subject have been collected by Dr Barrett: The Test Act examined by the Test of Reason. Laudatur ab his, culpatur ab illis. Dublin, printed in the year 1733. HORAT. History of the Test Acts, in which the mistakes in some late writings against it are rectified, and the importance of it to the church explained. Printed at London. Dublin, reprinted by George Faulkner, in Essex Street, opposite to the Bridge, 1733. The case of the Test considered, with respect to Ireland. Dublin, Faulkner, 1733. The natural impossibilities of better uniting Protestants, &c. by repealing the Test. Dublin, printed by Faulkner, 1733. |