rageous frenzy, aggravated by severe bodily suffer peared to be so much inflamed and discoloured, that the surgeon expected it would mortify; several large boils also broke out on his arms and his body. The extreme pain of this tumour kept him waking near a month, and during one week it was with difficulty that five persons kept him, by mere force, from tearing out his eyes. Just before the tumour perfectly subsided, and the pain left him, he knew Mrs Whiteway, took her by the hand, and spoke to her with his former kindness: that day, and the following, he knew his physician and surgeon, and all his family, and appeared to have so far recovered his understanding and temper, that the surgeon was not without hopes he might once more enjoy society, and be amused with the company of his old friends. This hope, however, was but of short duration; for a few days afterwards he sunk into a state of total insensibility, slept much, and could not, without great difficulty, be prevailed on to walk across the room. This was the effect of another bodily disease, his brain being loaded with water. Mr Stevens, an ingenious clergyman of his chapter, pronounced this to be the case during his illness, and upon opening his head it appeared that he was not mistaken; but though he often entreated the Dean's friends and physicians that his scull might be trepanned and the water discharged, no regard was paid to his opinion or advice. "After the Dean had continued silent a whole year in this helpless state of idiocy, his housekeeper went into his room on the 30th of November in the morning, telling him that it was his birthday, and that bonfires and illuminations were preparing to celebrate it as usual; to this he immediately replied- It is all folly, they had better let it alone.' "He would often attempt to speak his mind, but could not recollect words to express his meaning; upon which he would shrug up his shoulders, shake his head, and sigh heartily. Among all kinds of smells, none offended him so much as the snuff of a candle. It happened that a young girl, the daughter of his house ing, the illustrious Dean of St Patrick's sunk into the keeper's relation, blew out a candle in his chamber; at which he knit his brows,lo oked angry, and said, ' You are a little dirty slut!' He spoke no more of it; but seemed displeased with her the whole evening. "Some other instances of short intervals of sensibility and reason, after his madness had ended in stupor, seem to prove that his disorder, whatever it was, had not destroyed, but only suspended the powers of his mind. 6 "He was sometimes visited by Mr Deane Swift, a relation, and about Christmas, 1743, he seemed desirous to speak to him. Mr Swift then told him he came to dine with him; and Mrs Ridgeway, the housekeeper, immediately said, Won't you give Mr Swift a glass of wine, sir?' To this he made no answer, but shewed he understood the question, by shrugging up his shoulders, as he had been used to do, when he had a mind a friend should spend the evening with him, and which was as much as to say you will ruin me in wine.' Soon after he again endeavoured, with a good deal of pain, to find words; but at last, after many efforts, not being able, he fetched a deep sigh, and was afterwards silent. A few months after this, upon his housekeeper's removing a knife, as he was going to catch at it, he shrugged up his shoulders, and said, 'I am what I am ;' and, in about six minutes, repeated the same words two or three times. "In the year 1744, he now and then called his servant by his name, and once attempted to speak to him, but not being able to express his meaning, he shewed signs of much uneasiness, and at last said, 'I am a fool.' Once afterwards, as his servant was taking away his watch, he said, 'Bring it here;' and when the same servant was breaking a hard large coal, he said, 'That is a stone, you blockhead.' "From this time he was perfectly silent, till the latter end of October 1745; and then died without the least pang or convulsion, in the seventy-eighth year of his age." situation of a helpless changeling.* In the course of about three years, he is only known to have spoken once or twice. At length, when this awful moral lesson had subsisted from 1743, until the 19th October 1745, it pleased God to release the subject of these Memoirs from this calamitous situation. He died upon that day without a single pang, so gently, indeed, that his attendants were scarce aware of the moment of his dissolution. It was then that the gratitude of the Irish shewed itself in the full glow of national enthusiasm. The interval was forgotten, during which their great patriot had been dead to the world, and he was wept and mourned, as if he had been called away in the full career of his public services. Young and old of all ranks surrounded the house, to pay the last tribute of sorrow and of affection. Locks of his hair were so eagerly sought after, that Mr Sheridan happily applies to the enthusiasm of the citizens of Dublin, the lines of Shakespeare, * The curiosity of strangers sometimes led them to see this extraordinary man in this state of living death. The father of the late Lord Kinedder, one of the Editor's most intimate friends, was of the number. He was told that the servants privately took money for gratifying the curiosity of strangers, but declined to have recourse to that mode of gratifying his curiosity. He saw the Dean by means of a clergyman, (Dr Lyons, probably,) who was at that time totally unconscious of all that passed around him, a living wreck of humanity. Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, And dying mention it within their wills, Unto their issue. SHAKESPEARE. The remains of Dean Swift were interred, agreeably to his directions, with privacy,* in the great aisle of St Patrick's Cathedral, where an inscription, composed by himself, records his exertions for liberty, and his detestation of oppression. HIC DEPOSITUM EST CORPUS JONATHAN SWIFT, S. T. P. HUJUS ECCLESIÆ CATHEDRALIS DECANI: UBI SÆVA INDIGNATIO ULTERIUS COR LACERARE NEQUIT. ET IMITARE, SI POTERIS, STRENUUM PRO VIRILI LIBERTATIS VINDICEM. OBIIT ANNO (1745): MENSIS (OCTOBRIS) DIE (19); * It appears from the following animated expostulation, addressed by Mrs Whiteway to one of the executors, that their purpose was to have interpreted the word privacy so strictly as to infer a sordid and unbecoming obscurity. It would appear that the re monstrances of his friend and relation were attended to. The ori ginal paper is amongst those belonging to Mr Swift : Mrs WHITEWAY to some one of Dr SWIFT's Executors. SIR, 1745. THE indignation which the town have expressed at the manner of burying their Patriot, is a proof his memory is dear as his life was once so to them. I am told, and I wish my authority may not be true, that Dr Swift is to be carried out of his backdoor at one in the morning by four porters into the church, attended only by two clergymen, with the circumstance of the respect paid to them, of giving each a scarf. I know his desire was to be buried as privately as possible; but, were the same persons to be executors to a duke, and a man who had left but five pounds behind him, would the words be construed in the same literal sense? and I appeal to yourself, whether ever you knew a gentleman, whose corpse was not in danger of being arrested for debt, treated in such a manner-an executed criminal, to whom the law doth not allow Christian burial, could only be used thus, by some slight acquaintance. Surely.to hang the room Dr Swift lies in with black, to give him an hearse, and a few mourning coaches, would be judged a funeral sufficiently private for so great a man ; and that he himself thought decency requisite at a funeral, may be known by what he did for his honest, trusty servant, Alexander M'Gee. If this expense be thought too much to be taken from the noble charity he hath bequeathed, I make the offer of doing it, and desire it may be taken out of my legacy, as the last respect I can pay to my great and worthy friend. If this favour be denied me, I shall let whoever mentions this affair in my hearing, know the offer I have made. I am, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble servant, October 22, 1745, ten in the morning. MARTHA WHITEWAY. |