and own the folly of expecting punctuality from the poor.

His afperity continully increafing, condemned him to folitude; and his refentment of folitude fharpened his afperity. He was not, however, totally deferted; fome men of learning, and fome women of elegance, often vifited him; and he wrote from time to time either verfe or profe; of his verfes he willingly gave copies, and is fuppofed to have felt no difcontent when he saw them printed. His favourite maxim was vive la bagatelle; he thought trifles a neceffary part of life, and perhaps found them neceffary to himself. It seems impoffible to him to be idle, and his diforders made it difficult or dangerous to be long seriously ftudious, or laboriously diligent. The love of eafe is always gaining upon age, and he had one temptation to petty amusements peculiar to himself; whatever he did, he was fure to hear applauded; and fuch was his predominance over all that approached, that all their applauses were probably fincere. He that is much flattered, foon learns to flatter himself: we are commonly taught our duty by fear or fhame, and how can they act upon the man who hears nothing but his own praises ?

As his years increased, his fits of giddiness and deafnefs grew more frequent, and his deafnefs made converfation difficult; they grew likewife more fevere, till in 1736, as he was writing a poem called The Legion Club, he was feized with a fit fo painful, and fo long continued, that he never after thought it proper to attempt any work of thought or labour..

He was always careful of his money, and was therefore no liberal entertainer; but was lefs frugal of his

wine than of his meat. When his friends of either fex came to him, in expectation of a dinner, his cuftom was to give every one a fhilling, that they might please themselves with their provifion. At laft his avarice grew too powerful for his kindnefs; he would refufe a bottle of wine, and in Ireland no man vifits where he cannot drink.

Having thus excluded converfation, and defifted from ftudy, he had neither bufinefs nor amufement; for having, by fome ridiculous refolution or mad vow, determined never to wear spectacles, he could make little ufe of books in his later years: his ideas therefore, being neither renovated by difcourfe, nor increased by reading, wore gradually away, and left his mind vacant to the vexations of the hour, till at last his anger was heightened into madness.

He however permitted one book to be publifhed, which had been the production of former years; Polite Converfation, which appeared in 1738. The Directions for Servants was printed foon after his death. These two performances fhew a mind inceffantly attentive, and, when it was not employed upon great things, busy with minute occurrences. It is apparent that he must have had the habit of noting whatever he obferved; for fuch a number of particulars could never have been affembled by the power of recollection.

He grew more violent; and his mental powers declined till (1741) it was found neceffary that legal guardians fhould be appointed of his perfon and fortune. He now loft diftinction. His madness was compounded of rage and fatuity. The laft face that he knew was that of Mrs. Whiteway, and her he ceased VOL. III.

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to know in a little time. His meat was brought him cut into mouthfuls; but he would never touch it while the fervant ftaid, and at last, after it had stood perhaps an hour, would eat it walking; for he continued his old habit, and was on his feet ten hours a-day.

Next year (1742) he had an inflammation in his Left eye, which fwelled it to the fize of an egg, with boils in other parts; he was kept long waking with the pain, and was not easily restrained by five attendants from tearing out his eye.

The tumour at laft fubfided; and a fhort interval of reafon enfuing, in which he knew his phyfician and his family, gave hopes of his recovery; but in a few days he funk into lethargick ftupidity, motionless, heedlefs, and fpeechlefs. But it is faid, that, after a year of total filence, when his housekeeper, on the 30th of November, told him that the ufual bonfires and illuminations were preparing to celebrate his birthday, he anfwered, It is all fally; they had better let it

alone.

It is remembered that he afterwards spoke now and then, or gave fome intimation of a meaning; but at laft funk into perfect filence, which continued till about the end of October 1744, when, in his feventyeighth year, he expired without a struggle.

WHEN Swift is confidered as an author, it is just to estimate his powers by their effects. In the reign of Queen Anne he turned the ftream of popularity against the Whigs, and must be confeffed to have dictated for a time the political opinions of the English nation. In the fucceeding reign he delivered Ireland from

plunder

plunder and oppreffion; and fhewed that wit, confederated with truth, had fuch force as authority was unable to refift. He faid truly of himself, that Ireland was his debtor. It was from the time when he first began to patronize the Irish, that they may date their riches and profperity. He taught them first to know their own interest, their weight, and their strength, and gave them spirit to affet that equality with their fellow-fubjects to which they have ever fince been making vigorous advances, and to claim thofe rights which they have at last established. Nor can they be charged with ingratitude to their benefactor; for they reverenced him as a guardian, and obeyed him as a dictator.

In his works, he has given very differant fpecimens both of fentiment and expreffion. His Tale of a Tub has little resemblance to his other pieces. It exhibits a vehemence and rapidity of mind, a copioufnefs of images, and vivacity of diction, fuch as he afterwards never poffeffed, or never exerted. It is of a mode fo diftin&t and peculiar, that it must be confidered by itself; what is true of that, is not true of any thing else which he has written.

In his other works is found an equable tenour of eafy language, which rather trickles than flows. His delight was in fimplicity. That he has in his works no metaphor, as has been faid, is not true; but his few metaphors seem to be received rather by necessity than choice. He ftudied purity; and though perhaps all his ftrictures are not exact, yet it is not often that folecifms can be found; and whoever depends on his authority may generally conclude himself fafe. His fentences are never too much dilated or contrated;

and it will not be easy to find any embarrasment in the complication of his claufes, any inconfequence in his connections, or abruptnefs in his tranfitions.

His ftyle was well fuited to his thoughts, which are never fubtilised by nice difquifitions, decorated by fparkling conceits, elevated by ambitious fentences, or variegated by far-fought learning. He pays no court to the paffions; he excites neither furprise nor admiration; he always understands himself: and his reader always understands him: the perufer of Swift wants. little previous knowledge; it will be fufficient that he is acquainted with common words and common things; he is neither required to mount elevations, nor to explore profundities; his paffage is always on a level, along folid ground, without afperities, without obftruction.

This eafy and fafe conveyance of meaning it was Swift's defire to attain, and for having attained he deferves praise, though perhaps not the highest praiseFor purpofes merely didactick, when fomething is to be told that was not known before, it is the best mode, but against that inattention by which known truths are fuffered to lie neglected, it makes no provifion; it inftructs, but does not perfuade.

By his political education he was affociated with the Whigs; but he deferted them when they deferted their principles, yet without running into the contrary ex-treme; he continued throughout his life to retain the difpofition which he affigns to the Church-of-England Man, of thinking commonly with the Whigs of the State, and with the Tories of the Church.

He was a churchman rationally zealous; he defired the profperity, and maintained the honour of the Clergy;