Lucas; of which I can only fay, that it feemed by no means to correfpond with the notions that I had formed of it, from a converfation which I once heard between the Earl of Orrery and old Mr. Lewis.

Swift now, much against his will, commenced Irishman for life, and was to contrive how he might be beft accommodated in a country where he confidered himself as in a state of exile. It seems that his firft recourfe was to piety. The thoughts of death rushed upon him, at this time, with fuch inceffant importunity, that they took poffeffion of his mind when he first waked for many years together.

He

He opened his houfe by a publick table two days a week, and found his entertainments gradually frequented by more and more vifitants of learning among the men, and of elegance among the women. Mrs. Johnfon had left the country, and lived in lodgings not far from the deanery. On his publick days fhe regulated the table, but always appeared at it as a mere gueft, like other Ladies.

On other days he often dined, at a ftated price, with Mr. Worral, a clergyman of his cathedral, whofe house was recommended by the peculiar neatness and pleafantry of his wife. To this frugal mode of living, he was first difpofed by care to pay fome debts.

which he had contracted, and he continued it for the pleafure of accumulating money. His avarice, however, was not fuffered to obftruct the claims of his dignity; he was ferved in plate, and ufed to fay that he was the pooreft gentleman in Ireland that eat upon plate, and the richeft that lived without a coach.

How he spent the reft of his time, and how he employed his hours of study, has been enquired with hopelefs curiofity. For who can give an account of another's ftudies? Swift was not likely to admit any to his privacies, or to im part a minute account of his business or his leifure.

Soon after (1716), in his forty-ninth year, he was privately married to Mrs. Johnson by Dr. Afhe, Bishop of Clogher, as Dr. Madden told me, in the garden. The marriage made no change in their mode of life; they lived in different houses, as before; nor did the ever lodge in the deanery but when Swift was feized with a fit of giddinefs. "It would be difficult," fays Lord Orrery,

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66 to

prove that they were ever afterwards together without a third perfon."

The Dean of St. Patrick's lived in a. private manner, known and regarded only by his friends, till, about the year 1720, he, by a pamphlet, recommended to the Irish the ufe, and confequently. the improvement, of their manufacture.

For

For a man to use the productions of his own labour is furely a natural right, and to like beft what he makes himfelf is a natural paffion. But to excite this paffion, and enforce this right, appeared fo criminal to those who had an intercft in the English trade, that the printer was imprifoned; and, as Hawkefworth justly obferves, the attention of the publick being by this outrageous refentment turned upon the propofal, the author was by confequence made popular.

In 1723 died Mrs. Van Homrigh, a woman made unhappy by her admiration of wit, and ignominiously diftinguifhed by the name of Vanca, whofe conduct has been already fufficiently difcuffed, and whofe hiftory is too well known

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