ready given vent to his resentment in one or two keen personal satires; and his patron, alarmed for the consequences of an absolute breach with a man of his temper and talents, was glad to reconcile, or, at least to pacify him, by presenting him with the rectory of Agher, and the vicarages of Laracor and Pathbeggan. These livings united, though far inferior in value to the deanery of Derry, formed yet a certain and competent fund of subsistence, amounting to about L. 230 yearly. The prebend of Dunlavin being added in the year 1700, raised Swift's income to betwixt L. 350 and L. 400, which was its amount, until he was preferred to the deanery of St Patrick's. These facts are ascertained from his account-books for the years 1701 and 1702, which evince, on the one hand, the remarkable economy with which Swift managed this moderate income, and on the other, that, of the expences which he permitted himself, more than one-tenth part was incurred in acts of liberality and benevolence *.

received him seated in his chair, with the sarcastic apology, "My Lord, I am certain your grace will forgive me, because you know I am too old to rise.”

* Account of expences from Nov. 1, 1700 to Nov. 1, 1701. Articles per Account,

£ s. d.

Swift's quarrel with Lord Berkeley did not disturb his intercourse with the rest of the family, in which he retained his situation of chaplain. Lady Berkeley stood high in his opinion as an amiable and virtuous woman, in whom the most easy and polite conversation, joined with the truest piety, might be observed united to as much advantage as ever they were seen apart in any other persons. The company also, of two amiable and lively young ladies of fashion, daughters of the earl †, must have rendered the society still more

This excellent lady was daughter of Baptist Noel, Viscount Campden, and sister to Edward, first Earl of Gainsborough. She died 30th July 1719.

+ Ladies Mary and Elizabeth Berkeley. The former married Thomas Chambers of Hanworth, in the county of Middlesex; the latter Sir John Germaine of Drayton, in the

fascinating; and, accordingly, it is during his residence with Lord Berkeley, that Swift appears first to have given way to the playfulness of his disposition in numerous poetical jeux d'esprit, which no poet ever composed with the same felicity and spirit. Of this class are the inimitable petition of Mrs Frances Harris, the verses on Miss Floyd, a young lady of beauty and spirit, who was also an inmate of the family, and some other pieces, written during this period. But the most solemn waggery was the Meditation on a Broom stick, composed and read with infinite gravity, as an existing portion of the Honourable Mr Boyle's Meditations, which, it seems, Lady Berkeley used to request Swift to read aloud more frequently than was agreeable to him. In such company, and with such amusements, his time glided happily away, and he retained a high regard for the ladies of the family during the rest of his life. Lady Betty Berkeley, in particular, afterwards Lady Betty Germaine, was, to the end of his career, one of his most valuable and most valued correspondents.

During this period of Swift's life, his sister contracted an imprudent marriage with a person called Fenton, to his very high and avowed displeasure,

county of Northampton. A third daughter of the Earl, Lady Penelope, died during his residence at Dublin.

which, Lord Orrery has informed us, was solely owing to his ambition being outraged at her matching with a tradesman. This, however, was by no means the case. Fenton was a worthless character, and, upon the eve of bankruptcy, when Swift's sister, against his warm remonstrances, chose to unite her fate to his. And although he retained his resentment against her imprudence, Lord Orrery ought not to have omitted, that, out of his own moderate income, Swift allowed Mrs Fenton what was adequate to her comfortable support, amid the ruin in which that imprudence had involved her*.

Having now taken leave of Lord Berkeley's family, at least as resident chaplain, Swift, in the year 1700, took possession of his living at Laracor, and resumed the habits of a country clergyman. He is said to have walked down, incognito, to the place of his future residence; and tradition has recorded various anecdotes † of his journey.

* These particulars concerning Fenton are on the authority of Mr Theophilus Swift.

+ Among those may be reckoned the doggrel lines, in which he is said to have commemorated various towns and villages through which he past in his way to Laracor.

Dublin a city, Dunshaughlin for a plow,

Navan for a market, Ardbracken for a cow;

Kells for an old town, Virginia poor,

Cavan for dirt, and Belturbet for a whore.

SWIFTIANA.

Swift was very much addicted to this sort of proverb-making,

He walked straight to the curate's house, demanded his name, and announced himself bluntly

as it may be called. In the following couplet on Carlow, I understand the first line is highly descriptive; but that the town and inhabitants do not now merit the reproach contained in the second:

High church and low steeple,

Dirty town and proud people.

Many instances of this humour may be observed in the Journal to Stella.

Another anecdote of this journey is preserved by Mr Wilson. "There were three inns in Navan, each of which claim, to this day, the honour of having entertained Dr Swift. It is probable that he dined at one of them, for it is certain that he slept at Kells, in the house of Jonathan Belcher, a Leicestershire man, who had built the inn of that town on the English model, which still exists; and, in point of capaciousness and convenience, would not disgrace the first road in England. The host, whether struck by the commanding sternness of Swift's appearance, or from natural civility, shewed him into the best room, and waited himself at table. The attention of Belcher seems so far to have won upon Swift as to have produced some conversation. You're an Englishman, Sir?' said Swift. "Yes, Sir.' What is your name?'

Jonathan Belcher, Sir.' An Englishman and Jonathan too, in the town of Kells,-Who would have thought it! What brought you to this country?' I came with Sir Tho mas Taylor, Sir; and I believe I could reckon fifty Jonathans in my family.' Then you are a man of family?' 'Yes, Sir; and I have four sons and three daughters by one mother, a good woman of true Irish mould.'Have you long been out of your native country? Thirty years, Sir.' Do expect to visit it again? 'Never.'

you ever

Can you say that with