the life of Swift, that he was nursed by a Whitehaven woman, who was not paid by his impoverished parent, but, fecling the accustomed affection attached to her situation, carried the infant with her to England. This authentic memorial may satisfy the doubts, or remove the scepticism so artfully raised, and industriously circulated, about the time and place of his birth, or the situation of the family. Ireland is satiated with the brave, honest, and enlightened natives who have undoubtedly adorned her kalendar. Swift had neither vanity nor meanness sufficient to deny his country. His classic and accomplished friend, Dr Sheridan, has confirmed this fact; an authority sufficient to outweigh, by character and situation, an host of venal or interested biographers." Certificate of Dr Swift's Degree; taken at Dublin, and sent to Oxford*. [Swift has himself stated, in the foregoing memoir, that he was admitted to his degree in a manner little to his credit, called in that college speciali gratia. No such words appear on the following. testimonia, which is not surprising, since, if I rightly understand Dr Barrett, certainly the best possible authority upon the point, the phrase per specialem gratiam is never inserted in such certificates, which barely contain the fact that the degree has been duly taken. The words used by Swift are rather perhaps to be understood historically, than literally and formally, and only mean in general, that he gained his degree rather by favour than merit, though no such entry was placed upon the register. But as Swift, during all this memoir, appears to have had his memory sufficiently accurate, as to the passages of his early life, (a circumstance very common where the memory has failed in later events,) it was impossible for a biographer to refuse his evidence respecting a particular, which no one would willingly invent respecting himself.] * Extracted from the Congregation-Book by the Rev. Mr Francis Wise, B. D. keeper of the archives of the university of Oxford and F. S. A. nicated by Richard Rawlinson, LL. D. and F. R. et Ant, S. V. P. commu Omnibus quorum interest salutem. Nos præpositus sociique seniores Collegii Sacro-sanctæ et Inviduæ Trinitatis juxta Dublin, testamur Jonathan Swift, die decimo quinto Februarii 1685, gradum baccalaureatûs in artibus suscepisse, præstito prius fidelitatis erga regiam majestatem juramento. Quod de predicto testimonium, subscriptis singulorum nominibus et collegii sigillo quo in hisce utimur, confirmandum curavimus. Datum die tertio Maii 1692. Robert Huntington, Præpos. L. S. Quibus in venerabiti congregatione magistorum regentium 14 die Junii 1692, habitâ publicatis Jonathan Swift (gratiâ prius petitâ et concessa) ad eundem gradum, statum, et dignitatem, admissus fuit apud Oxonienses, quibus insignitus erat apud suos Dublinienses. 10 Nov. 1753, Vera copia, Ric. Rawlinson. Jonathan Swift, M. A. Hart Hall, July 5, 1692. Lib. Convocat, ab anno 1683 ad ann. 1695. 4 Julii 1692. Whereas Thomas Swift, a complete Bachelor of arts of the university of Dublin and now of Baliol, has been incorporated and admitted to the same degree in the university, since which time he hath performed all the exercises required by the statutes for the taking the degree of Master of Arts, saving only that of determining in Lent, which he humbly prays may, by the favour of the University, be dispensed with, in regard the exercise cannot be done at this time of the year, and it will be of some concern to him to be admitted to be a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts this term; and whereas Jonathan Swift, a complete Bachelor of Arts in the university of Dublin, and now of Hart Hall, being under the same circumstances, and petitioning for the same favour; We, according to the power of the Chancellor delegated to us in that behalf, do hereby give our consent, that both their requests be communicated to the Heads of Houses, and proposed in convocation. Given under our hands and seals the [fourth day] of July 1692. Jonathan Edwards, Vice Can. Fitzherbert Adams. Ra. Bathurst. APPENDIX, No. II. A TRIPOS. The existence of the manuscript containing the Tripos, and other curious pieces, was unknown to Swift's earlier editors and biographers. Dr Barrett, to whose intelligence and industry the public owe their acquaintance with this miscellany, gives the following account of the manuscript and the writer. "The Whimsical Medley, from which the foregoing Tripos, and the following poems, have been transcribed, is a MS. in three volumes, 4to, in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. It is everywhere written by one and the same hand, except on one page, which contains an address in verse "to Emilia, Baroness of Newtown Butler," concluding thus: "Accept this offering from a friend that's true, Since what I've writ falls short of what's your due. "From your Ladyship's most humble, most obedient, 66 J. BUTLER." This poetical epistle has no date; but, as it mentions the lady's son as then living, who died in 1721, (as she herself died in 1722, and her husband Theophilus in 1723,) we cannot assign it a later date than 1720. "In every other part the MS. appears all throughout written by one and the same hand, which is a different hand from the last mentioned; and this hand-writing I suppose to be that of Theophilus, first Lord Newtown Butler, and the elder brother to Brinsley, first Viscount Lanesborough;" a fact which Dr Barrett has clearly established by circumstantial evidence, unnecessary to be here repeated. In addition to what is above stated concerning Theophilus Lord Newtown, I observe from a codicil to Dean Swift's will, first printed in this edition of his works, that he bequeathed Mrs Ridge. way, the Dean's house-keeper, the sum of L. 20 yearly, which annuity Swift purchased from Mrs Ridgeway and her husband. The Whimsical Medley contains many poems which Dr Barrett is inclined to ascribe to Dean Swift, most of which are printed in the present edition. It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader, that a Tripos was a satirical oration delivered by the Terræ Filius, as he was called, who, from long custom, was supposed to have the privilege, at the public acts of the university, to throw forth his satire, with impunity, upon the fellows and heads of the college, as well as among the community at large. Upon 11th July 1688, the fol lowing Tripos was certainly spoke by Mr John Jones, an intimate of Swift, and he was degraded from his degree on account of the scandalous reflections which it contains. The circumstance gave rise to the tradition, handed down by Richardson, that Swift had pronounced the oration in the quality of Terræ Filius, and undergone the punishment of expulsion. See Memoirs of Life, p. 23. But, although both these particulars are certainly false, yet Dr Barrett, to whose labours the public is indebted for so much light on the early part of Swift's history, conceives it probable that the Tripos, the ostensible production of Jones, was the secret and unavowed work of the illustrious subject of his memoirs. The arguments of this learned and industrious essayist, are briefly as follow: 1st, It seems likely there must have been some foundation, more or less, for the tale rehearsed by Richardson; 2d, Jones was an intimate of Swift, to whose satirical disposition the Tripos offered an interesting opportunity of indulging itself, at the expence of individuals whom he is known to have disliked; 3d, The piece presents strong outlines of Swift's peculiar stile of composition. These reasons, especially as proceeding from Dr Barrett, must have due weight with every reader. Yet the present editor cannot admit them as altogether strong enough to attach the whole disgrace arising from the following piece of scurrility to the memory of Swift. For, 1st, As Richardson's anecdote, resting on the report of a very aged person, is notoriously false in its two principal allegations, it has, according to the ordinary rules of evidence, little claim to credit in any other. 2d, Admitting Swift's early propensity to satire, it seems alien to his disposi tion, to suppose that he would have suffered Jones, his friend, to sustain the punishment of degradation for an offence which he had himself committed, without endeavouring to mitigate the penalty by confessing his share of the crime. 3dly, Neither ob scenity nor macaronic latinity are so uncommon among young students, as to attach a composition abounding with both to any one member of any university. And the other points of resemblance, such as the testamentary disposition of Mr Hewetson in the Tripos, to the legacy of the father in the Tale of a Tub, seem rather far-fetched. The poetry has, however, more the air of being Swift's composition; and, although the heaviness of many parts of the Tripos are greatly against the internal evidence relied upon by Dr Barrett, yet enough remains, considering Swift's neglect of academical rules, his vindictive animosity against Dr Owen Lloyd, who is a severe sufferer in the Tripos, his insubordination and offences against discipline, to think that he may have had some hand in composing a part, at least, of the following satire, and that Richardson's anecdote has, so far, some foundation in truth. The researches of Dr Barrett have thrown light upon most of the persons satirized in the following Tripos; besides which, we are indebted to his Essay on the earlier part of the life of Swift, for the following general information: "At the Commencement, in July 1688, when this Tripos was pronounced, I find that the undernamed persons took the following degrees; to all of whom allusions are inade in it. "Mr William King, (afterwards Archbishop of Dublin,) B. D. and D. D.; Mr Charles Gwithers, M. D.; and Jeremy Marsh, Alexander Jephson, Thomas Cox, Richard Barry, William Tir. rell, Allen Maddison, William Warren, Jo. Travers, &c, were admitted to the degree of A. M. "Jephson was afterwards a clergyman, and had the school of Camberwell. He and Gwithers, and several others, were censured on various occasions by the Board, as was also Nich. Knight, whose name occurs in this Tripos. At the same time appear on the books of the Buttery, among the resident Doctors and Masters, the names of Dr Foy (who had been a Senior Fellow, but, like Foley, had resigned), Dr Gwithers, Mr Napper, Mr Jephson, Mr Cox, Mr Terrill, and Mr Delauny. The other names occurring in the Tripos are all names of persons who had been students in the college, but at that time some of them had left it. We also may find some of the names occurring in King's State of the Protestants, such as that of Dean Glandee, a person of abilities, but whose character has been reproached with the imputation of immorality." |