The reader must obferve, there was a long interval between the commencement of his acquaintance with Stella, and the time of making her his wife, for which fas it appears he was fond of her from the beginning of their intimacy) no other caufe can be affigned, but that the fame unaccountable humour, which had fo long detained him, from marrying, prevented him from acknowledging her after the was his wife.

Stella (fays lord Orrery) was a most amiable woman both in mind and perfon: She had an elevated understanding, with all the delicacy, and fofthefs of her own fex. Her voice, however * fweet in itself, was still rendered more harmonious by what the faid. Her wit was poignant without feverity: Her manners were humane, polite, eafy and unreferved. -Wherever she Game, the attracted attention and esteem. As virtue was her guide in morality, fincerity was her guide in religion. She was conftant, but not oftentatious in her devotions; She was remark"ably prudent in her converfation: She had great skill in mufic; and was perfectly well verfed in all the leffer arts that employ a lady's leifure. Her wit allowed her a fund of perpetual chearfulnefs within proper limits. She exactly answer"ed the description of Penelope in Homer.

"A woman, loveliest of the lovely kind,
• In body perfect, and compleat in mind."

Such was this amiable lady, yet, with all these advantages, fhe could never prevail on Dr. Swift to acknowledge her openly as his wife. A great genius must tread in unbeaten paths, and deviate from the common road of life; otherwife a diamond of fo much luftre might have been publickly produced, although it had been fixed within the collet of matri

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mony: But that which diminished the value of this ineftimable jewel in Swift's eye was the fervile itate of her father.

Ambition and pride, the predominant principles which directed all the actions of Swift, conquered reafon and juftice; and the vanity of boasting fuch a wife was fuppreffed by the greater vanity of keeping free from a low alliance. Dr. Swift and Mrs. Johnfon continued the fame economy of life after marriage, which they had pursued before it. They lived in feparate houses; nothing appeared in their behaviour inconfiftent in their decorum; and beyond the limits of platonic love. However unaccountable this renunciation of marriage rites might appear to the world, it certainly arofe, not from any confcioufness of a too near confanguinity between him and Mrs. Johnfon, although the general voice of fome was willing to make them both the natural children of Sir William Temples Dr. Swift, (fays lord Orrery) was not of that opinion, for the fame falfe pride which induced him to deny the legitimate daughter of an obfcure fervant, might have prompted him to own the natural daughter of Sir William Templet.

It is natural to imagine, that a woman of Stella's delicacy muft repine at fuch an extraordinary fitua tion. The outward honours the received are as frequently bestowed upon a mistress as a wife ; she

†The authors of the Monthly Review have justly remarked, that this obfervation of his lordship's feems premature. The fame public rumour, fay they, that made HER Sir William Temple's daughter, made HIM alfo Sir William's fon: Therefore he (Swift) could never with decency, have acknowledged Mrs. Johnfon as his wife, while that rumour ⚫ continued to retain any degree of credit; and if there had been really no foundation for it, furely it might have been no very hard task to obviate its force, by producing the neceflary proofs and circumftances of his birth: Yet, we do not find that ever this was done, either by the Dean or his relations.'

was

was abfolutely virtuous, and was yet obliged to fubmit to all the appearances of vice. Inward anxiety affected by degrees the calmnefs of her mind, and the ftrength of her body. She died towards the end of January 1727, abfolutely deftroy'd by the peculiarity of her fate; a fate which perhaps he could not have incurred by an alliance with any other perfon in the world.

Upon the death of Sir William Temple, Swift came to London, and took the earliest opportunity of delivering a petition to King William, under the claim of a promife made by his majesty to Sir William Temple, that Mr. Swift should have the first vacancy which might happen among the pre bends of Weftminfter or Canterbury. But this promife was either totally forgotten, or the petition which Mr. Swift prefented was drowned amidst the clamour of more urgent addreffes. From this firft difappointment may be dated that bitternefs towards kings and courtiers, which is to be found fo univerially difperfed throughout his works.

After a long and fruitless attendance at Whitehall, Swift reluctantly gave up all thoughts of a fettlement in England: Pride prevented him from remaining longer in a state of fervility and contempt. He complied therefore with an invitation from the earl of Berkley (appointed one of the Lords Juftices in Ireland) to attend him as his chaplain, and private fecretary.- -Lord Berkley landed near Waterford, and Mr. Swift acted as fecretary during the whole journey to Dublin. But another of lord Berkley's attendants, whofe name was Bush, had by this time infinuated himself into the earl's favour, and had whispered to his lordship, that the post of secretary was not proper for a clergyman, to whom only church preferments could be fuitable or advantageous, Lord Berkley, liftened perhaps too attentively to thefe infinuations, and making fome flight apology

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to Mr. Swift, divefted him of that office, and be flowed it upon Mr. Bush.

Here again was another difappointment, and a fresh object of indignation. The treatment was thought injurious, and Swift expreffed his fenfibility of it in a fhort but fatyrical copy of verfes, intitled the Discovery. However, during the government of the Earls of Berkley and Galway, who were jointly Lords Juftices of Ireland, two livings, Laracor and Rathbeggan, were given to Mr. Swift. The firft of thefe rectories was worth about 200, and the latter about 60 1. a year; and they were the only church preferments which he enjoyed till he was appointed Dean of St. Patrick's, in the year 1713.

Lord. Orrery gives the following inftances of his humour and of his pride.

As foon as he had taken poffeffion of his two livings, he went to refide at Laracor, and gave public notice to his parishioners, that he would read prayers on every Wednesday and Friday. Upon the fabfequent Wednesday the bell was rung, and the rector attended in his defk, when after having fat fome time, and finding the congregation to confift only of himself and his clerk Roger, he began with great compofure and gravity; but with a turn peculiar to himfelf, Dearly beloved Roger, the fcrip "túre moveth you and me in fundry places, &c." And then proceeded regularly thro' the whole fervice. This trifling circumftance ferves to fhew, that he could not refift a vein of humour, whenever he had an opportunity of exerting it.

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The following is the inftance of his pride. While Swift was chaplain to lord Berkley, his only fifter, by the confert and approbation of her uncle and relations, was married to a man in trade, whose fortune, character, and fituation were efteemed by all her friends, and suitable to her in every refpect.

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But the marriage was intirely difagreeable to her brother. It seemed to interrupt thofe ambitious views he had long fince formed: He grew outragious at the thoughts of being brother-in law to a tradesman, He utterly refufed all reconciliation with his fifter; nor would he even liften, to the entreaties of his mother, who came over to Ireland under the frongeft hopes of pacifying his anger; having in every other inftance found him a dutiful and obedient fon: But his pride was not to be conquered, and Mrs. Swift finding her fon inflexible,. haftened back to Leicester, where the continued till. her death.

During his mother's life time, he scarce ever failed to pay her an annual visit. But his manner of tra velling was as fingular as any other of his actions. He often went in a waggon, but more frequently walked from Holyhead to Leicester, London, or any other part of England. He generally chofe to dine with waggoners, oalers, and perfons of that rank; and be used to lye at night in houfes where he found written over the door, Lodgings for a Penny. He delighted in fcenes of low life. The vulgar dialect was not only a fund of humour for him; but feems to have been acceptable to his nature, as appears from the many filthy ideas, and indecent expreffions found throughout his works!

A frict refidence in a country place was not in the least fuitable to the restlefs temper of Swift. He was perpetually making excursions not only to Dublin, and other places in Ireland, but likewife to London; fo rambling a difpofition occafioned to him a confiderable los. The rich deanery of Derry became vacant at this time, and was intended for him by lord, Berkley, if Dr. King, then bishop of Derry, and afterwards archbishop of Dublin, had not interpofed; entreating with great earnestness, that the deanery might be given to fame grave and. elderly divine, rather than to fa young a man;

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