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"Would to Heaven you were but a while sensible of the thoughts into which my present distractions plunge me: they hale me a thousand ways, and I am not able to bear them. It is so, by Heaven. The love of Varina is of more tragical consequence than her cruelty. Would to God you had treated and scorned me from the beginning. It was your pity opened the first way to my misfortune, and now your love is finishing my ruin and is it so then? In one fortnight I must take eternal farewell of Varina; and (I wonder) will she weep at parting, a little to justify her poor pretences of some affection for me?

'Surely, Varina, you have a very mean opinion of the joys that accompany a true, honourable, unlimited love; yet either nature and our ancestors have highly deceived us, or else all other sublunary things are dross in comparison. Is it possible that you can yet be insensible to the prospect of a rapture and delight so innocent and so exalted? By Heaven, Varina, you are more experienced and have less virgin innocence than I. Would not your conduct make me think you were hugely skilled in all the little politic methods of intrigue? Love, with the gall of too much discretion, is a thousand times worse than with none at all. It is a peculiar part of nature which art debauches, but cannot improve.

Farewell, madam; and may love make you awhile forget your temper to do me justice. Only remember, that if you still refuse to be mine, you will quickly lose, for ever lose, him that has resolved to die as he has lived, all yours, JON. SWIFT."

But Swift neither died- -nor married-nor broke off the connexion, for four years after; in the latter part of which, having been presented to two livings in Ireland, worth nearly 4007. a year, the lady seems to have been reduced to remind him of his former impatience, and fairly to ask him whether his affections had suffered any alteration. His mean and unfeeling answer to this appeal is contained in the second letter: his affections were estranged, and had now probably settled on Stella. And mark, when he urged immediate marriage so passionately in 1696, he had no provision in the world, and must have intended to live on Varina's fortune-about 1007. a year—and that he thought her health as well as happiness would be saved by the match. In 1700, when he had got two livings, he wrote to her as follows:

"I desire, therefore, you will let me know if your health be otherwise than it was when you told me the doctors advised you against marriage, as what would certainly hazard your life. Are they or are you grown of another opinion in this particular? are you in a condition to manage domestic affairs, with an income of less (perhaps) than 3007. a year? [it must have been near 5001.] have you such an inclination to my person and humour, as to comply with my desires and way of living, and endeavour to make us both as happy as you can? can you bend your love and esteem and indifference to others the same way as I do mine? shall I have so much power in your heart, or you so much

government of your passions, as to grow in good humour upon my approach, though provoked by a ? have you so much good nature as to endeavour by soft words to smooth any rugged humour occasioned by the cross accidents of life? shall the place wherever your husband is thrown be more welcome than courts and cities without him? In short, these are some of the necessary methods to please men, who, like me, are deep read in the world; and to a person thus made, I should be proud in giving all due returns towards making her happy.'

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"The dismal account you say I have given you of my livings I can assure you to be a true one; and since it is a dismal one, even in your own opinion, you can but draw consequences from it. The place where Dr. Bolton lived is upon a living which he keeps with the deanery; but the place of residence for that they have given me, is within a mile of a town called Trim, 20 miles from home; and there is no other way but to hire a house at Trim or build one on the spot: the first is hardly to be done, and the other I am too poor to perform at present."

SWIFTS PREFERMENT.

After Sir William Temple's death, Swift repaired to London, and there superintended the publication of his patron's posthumous works, which he dedicated to King William; but finding that the king took no notice of the works, the dedication, or himself, Swift accepted an offer made to him by Lord Berkeley in 1699, who had just been appointed one of the lords justices of Ireland, to attend him there as his chaplain and private secretary. He acted as secretary till they arrived in Dublin, when a person of the name of Bush obtained the office for himself by representing to Lord Berkeley the unsuitableness of such an office to the character and duties of a clergyman. Lord Berkeley, however, to compensate Swift for the loss of his office, promised that he should have the first good preferment in his gift that became vacant. To this arrangement Swift assented. The rich deanery of Derry was soon afterwards at Lord Berkeley's disposal, and Swift intimated to him that he expected him to keep his word. Lord Berkeley told him that Bush had obtained the promise of it for another, but, observing Swift's indignation, advised him to apply to Bush to see if the matter could not be arranged: he did so, when the secretary frankly told him that 1000l. had been offered for it, but that if he would put down the same sum, he should have the preference. Swift, in a rage, exclaimed, "God confound you both for a couple of scoundrels," and immediately left the

castle, intending to return no more. Lord Berkeley, however, was unwilling, if it could be avoided, to risk exposure; he therefore offered to him the rectory of Agher and the vicarages of Laracor and Rathbeggan, then vacant, in the diocese of Meath. Though not worth a third of the deanery, Swift deemed it prudent to accept the livings: he still retained his office of chaplain, and continued to reside with the family. The prebend of Dunlavin (St. Patrick's, Dublin) was also bestowed upon Swift in the following year.

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While Swift resided in Lord Berkeley's family, he produced some of the first specimens of his original vein of humour: the Humble Petition of Frances Harris,' among them are and the "Meditation on a Broomstick," according to the style and manner of the " Hon. Robert Boyle's Meditations," which, it seems, Lady Berkeley used to request Swift to read aloud more frequently than was agreeable to him. This was a piece of solemn waggery. In the "Petition," Scott says, "Swift has bound his powerful genius to the thoughts, sentiments, and expressions of a chambermaid."

SWIFT'S JOURNEY TO LARACOR.

The

There were three inns in Navan, each of which claim, to this day, the honour of having entertained Dr. Swift when on his journey to Laracor. 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. The host, whether struck by the commanding sternness of Swift's appearance, or from natural civility, showed him into the best room, and waited himself at table. 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 Thomas 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 you ever expect to visit it again ?"—" Never.”.

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"Can you say that without a sigh ?"-" I can, sir; my family is my country."-" Why, sir, you are a better philosopher than those who have written volumes on the subject: Then you are reconciled to your fate ?"-"I ought to be so; I am very happy; I like the people, and though I was not born in Ireland, I'll die in it, and that's the same thing." Swift paused in deep thought for a minute, and then, with much energy, repeated the first line of the preamble of the noted Irish statute-Ipsis Hibernis Hiberniores! ("The English settlers are more Irish than the Irish themselves.")— Swiftiana.

SWIFT AT HIS VICARAGE.

In the year 1700, on the return of Lord Berkeley to England, Swift took possession of his living at Laracor. He is said to have walked down incognito to the place of his future residence. He proceeded straight to the curate's house, demanded his name, and announced himself bluntly as his master. The curate's wife was ordered to lay aside the Doctor's only clean shirt and stockings, which he carried in his pocket; nor did Swift relax his airs of domination until he had excited much alarm, which his subsequent kind and friendly conduct to the worthy couple, turned into respectful attachment.

Swift's life at Laracor was regular and clerical. He read prayers twice a week, and regularly preached upon the Sunday. Upon the former occasions the church was thinly attended; and it is related that upon one of the week-days the bell was rung and Swift attended in his desk, when after having sat some time, and finding the congregation to consist only of himself and his clerk Roger, he began with great composure and gravity, but with a tone peculiar to himself, 'Dearly beloved Roger, the Scripture moveth you and me in sundry places ;" and then proceeded regularly through the whole service. The truth of this story has been often disputed; and it has so much of the peculiarity of Swift's vein of humour as to be probable; Swift was much more likely to do such a thing than Lord Orrery, (its narrator,) to invent it.

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Roger Coxe, the clerk at Laracor, was a man of humour, and merited a master like Swift. When the Doctor remarked that he wore a scarlet waistcoat, he defended himself as being of the church-militant. "Will you not bid for these poultry ?"

said Swift to his humble dependent, at a sale of farm-stock. "No, sir," said Rogér; "they're just going to Hatch." They were, in fact, on the point of being knocked down to a farmer called Hatch. This humourist was originally a hatter, and died at the age of 90, at Bruky, in the county of Cavan. -See Swiftiana.

Swift repaired the church and vicarage; formed a pleasant garden, and planted the canal-banks with willows, which are often celebrated in his Journal to Stella.

STELLA REMOVES TO IRELAND.

Swift had not been long at Laracor, when it was arranged that Miss Johnson should come to reside in the neighbourhood. She had a small independence, about 1500l., of which 10007. had been left her as a legacy by Sir William Temple. She was accompanied to Ireland by Mrs. Dingley, a relation of the Temple family; and the ostensible ground of leaving England on the part of both, was, that the rate of interest was much higher in Ireland: it was then 10 per cent. They took lodgings in the town of Trim, where they generally resided, except in Swift's absence, when they occupied the vicarage-house. Miss Johnson was then about eighteen years of age; her features were beautiful, her eyes and hair black, and her form symmetrical, though a little inclined to fulness. She was a woman of strong sense, though not highly educated; of agreeable conversation, and elegant manners.

Here she received an offer of marriage from the Rev. Dr. William Tisdal, with whom Swift lived upon a familiar and friendly footing. These addresses Stella finally rejected; from which time she appears to have considered her destiny as united to that of Swift. She encouraged no other admirer, and never left Ireland, excepting for a visit of five or six months to England, in 1705.

SWIFT'S FIRST POLITICAL PAMPHLET.

Swift appears to have passed over to England at least once a year, and remained two or three months, chiefly in London. In 1701, during the first of these annual residences in England, he published his earliest political tract—A Discourse on the Contests and Dissensions between the Nobles and Commons at Athens and Rome; its object being to check the popular violence which had occasioned the impeachment of

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