The fecond fon of Mr. Thomas Swift was called by the fame name, was bred at Oxford, and took orders. He married the eldest daughter of Sir William D'Avenant, but died young, and left only one fon, who was alfo called Thomas, and is now Rector of Putenham in Surry. His widow lived long, was extremely poor, and in part fupported by the famous Dr. South, who had been her husband's intimate friend. The rest of his fons, as far as I can call to mind, were Mr. Dryden Swift, called fo after the name of his mother, who was a near relation to Mr. Dryden the Poet. William, Jonathan, and Adam, who all lived and died in Ireland; but none of them left male iffue except Jonathan, who befide a daughter left one fon, born seven months after his father's death; of whofe life I intend to write a few memorials. J. S. D. D. and D. of St. P—, was the only fon of Jonathan Swift, who was the seventh or eighth fon of Mr. Thomas Swift above mentioned, fo eminent for his loyalty and his fufferings. His father died young, about two years after his marriage: he had fome employments and agencies; his death was much lamented on account of his reputation for integrity, with a tolerable good understanding. He married Mrs. Abigail Erick, of Leicestershire, defcended from the most ancient family of the Ericks, who derive their lineage from Erick the Forefter, a great commander, who raifed an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror, by whom he was vanquished, but afterwards employed to command that Prince's forces; and in his old age retired to his house in Leicestershire, where his family hath continued ever fince, but declining every age, and are now in the condition of very private gentlemen. This marriage was on both fides very indifcreet, for his wife brought her husband little or no fortune; and his death happening fo fuddenly, before he could make a fufficient establishment for his family, his fon (not then born) hath often been heard to fay, that he felt the confequences of that marriage, not only through the whole courfe of his education, but during the greatest part of his life. He was born in Dublin, on St. Andrew's day; and when he was a year old, an event happened to him that feems very unufual; for his nurse, who was a woman of Whitehaven, being under an abfolute neceffity of feeing one of her relations, who was then extremely fick, and from whom the expected a legacy; and being extremely fond of the infant, she stole him on shipboard unknown to his mother and uncle, and carried him with her to Whitehaven, where he continued for almost three years. For, when the matter was difcovered, his mother fent orders by all means not to hazard a fecond voyage, till he could be bettter able to bear it. The nurfe was fo careful of him, that before he returned he had learnt to spell; and by the time that he was five years old, he could read any chapter in the bible. After his return to Ireland, he was fent at fix years years old to the school of Kilkenny, from whence at fourteen he was admitted into the univerfity at Dublin; where by the ill treatment of his nearest relations, he was fo difcouraged and funk in his fpirits, that he too much neglected fome parts of his academick ftudies: for which he had no great relish by nature, and turned himself to reading history and poetry; fo that when the time came for taking his degrees of Batchelor, although he had lived with great regularity and due obfervance of the ftatutes, he was ftopped of his degree for dulness and infufficiency; and at last hardly admitted in a manner, little to his credit, which is called in that 3. that college, fpeciali gratia. And this difcreditable mark, as I am told, ftands upon record in their college registery. The troubles then breaking out, he went to his mother, who lived in Leicester; and after continuing there some months, he was received by Sir William Temple, whofe father had been a great friend to the family, and who was now retired to his houfe called Moor-park, near Farnham in Surry, where he continued for about two years: for he happened before twenty years old, by a furfeit of fruit, to contract a giddiness and coldness of stomach, that almoft brought him to his grave; and this disorder pursued him with intermiffions of two or three years to the end of his life. Upon this occafion he returned to Ireland, by advice of phyficians, who weakly imagined that his native air might be of fome use to recover his health but growing worse, he foon went back to Sir William Temple; with whom growing into fome confidence, he was often trufted with matters of great importance. King William had a high efteem for Sir William Temple by a long acquaintance, while that Gentleman was Ambaffador and Mediator of a general peace at Nimeguen. The King foon after his expedition to England, vifited his old friend often at Sheen, and took his advice in affairs of greateft confequence. But Sir William Temple, weary of living fo near London, and refolving to retire to a more private scene, bought an eftate near Farnham in Surry, of about 100l. a year, where Mr. Swift accompanied him. About that time a bill was brought into the House of Commons for Triennial Parliaments; against which, the King, who was a stranger to our Conftitution, was very averse, by the advice of fome weak people, who perfuaded the Earl of Portland, that King Charles the First lost his crown and life by confenting to pass fuch a bill. The Earl Earl, who was a weak man, came down to Moor-park, by his Majefty's orders, to have Sir William Temple's advice, who faid much to fhew him the mistake. But he continued still to advise the King against paffing the bill. Whereupon Mr. Swift was fent to Kenfington with the whole account of that matter in writing, to convince the King and the Earl how ill they were informed. He told the Earl, to whom he was referred by his Majefty (and gave it in writing) that the ruin of King Charles the First was not owing to his paffing the Triennial Bill, which did not hinder him from diffolving any Parliament, but to the paffing of another bill, which put it out of his power to diffolve the Parliament then in being, without the consent of the House. Mr. Swift, who was well versed in English hiftory, although he was then under twenty-one years old, gave the King a fhort account of the matter, but a more large one to the Earl of Portland; but all in vain; for the King, by ill advisers, was prevailed upon to refufe paffing the bill. This was the first time that Mr. Swift had any converfe with courts, and he told his friends it was the firft incident that helped to cure him of vanity. The confequence of this wrong step in his Majefly was very unhappy; for it put that Prince under a neceffity of introducing thofe people called Whigs into power and employments, in order to pacify them. For, although it be held a part of the King's prerogative to refufe paffing a bill, yet the learned in the // law think otherwife, from that expreffion ufed at the coronation, wherein the Prince obligeth himself to confent to all laws, quas vulgus elegerit. Mr. Swift lived with him (Sir William Temple) fomė time, but refolving to fettle himself in fome way of living, was inclined to take orders. However, although his fortune was very small, he had a fcruple of entering into the church merely for fupport, and Sir William Temple Temple then being Master of the Rolls in Ireland, offered him an employ of about 120l. a year in that office; whereupon Mr. Swift told him, that fince he had now an opportunity of living without being driven into the church for a maintenance, he was refolved to go to Ireland and take holy orders. He was recommended to the Lord Capel, then Lord Deputy, who gave him a Prebend in the north, worth about 100l. a year, of which growing weary in a few months, he returned to England, refigned his living in favour of a friend, and continued in Sir William Temple's houfe till the death of that great man, who befides a legacy, left him the care and truft and advantage of publishing his pofthumous writings. Upon this event Mr. Swift removed to London, and applied by petition to King William, upon the claim of a promise his Majefty had made to Sir William Temple, that he would give Mr. Swift a Prebend of Canterbury or Westminster. The Earl of Rumney, who profeffed much friendship for him, promised to fecond his petition; but as he was an old, vicious, illiterate rake, without any fenfe of truth or honour, faid not a word to the King. And Mr. Swift, after long attendance in vain, thought it better to comply with an invitation given him by the Earl of Berkley to attend him to Ireland, as his Chaplain and private Secretary; his Lordship having been appointed one of the Lords Juftices of that kingdom. He attended his Lordship, who landed near Waterford, and Mr. Swift acted as Secretary during the whole journey to Dublin. But another perfon had fo far infinuated himself into the Earl's favour, by telling him that the post of Secretary was not proper for a Clergyman, nor would be of any advantage to one, who only aimed at church preferments; that his Lordship, after a poor apology, gave that office to the other. |