power almost defpotick, nor flattery almoft idolatrous, could reconcile him. He fometimes wifhed to vifit England, but always found some reason of delay. He tells Pope, in the decline of life, that he hopes once more to fee him; but if not, fays he, we must part, as all human beings have parted.

After the death of Stella, his benevolence was contracted, and his severity exafperated; he drove his acquaintance from his table, and wondered why he was deferted. But he continued his attention to the publick, and wrote from time to time fuch directions, admonitions, or cenfures, as the various exigency of affairs, in his opinion, made

pro

proper; and nothing fell from his pen

in vain.

In a fhort poem on the Prefbyterians, whom he always regarded with detestation, he bestowed one flricture upon Bettefworth, a lawyer eminent for his infolence to the clergy, which, from very confiderable reputation, brought him into immediate and univerfal contempt. Bettefworth, enraged at his dif grace and lofs, went to Swift, and demanded whether he was the author of "Mr.. Bettefworth," an

that poem. fwered he," I was in my youth ac"quainted with great lawyers, who, "knowing my difpofition to fatire, ad"vised me, that,, if any fcoundrel or "blockhead whom I had lampooned

"fhould

"fhould afk, Are you the author of this

66

paper, I fhould tell him that I was not "the author; and therefore I tell you,

Mr. Bettefworth, that I am not the author of these lines."

Bettefworth was fo little fatisfied with

this account, that he publickly

that he publickly profeffed

his refolution of a violent and corporal revenge; but the inhabitants of St. Patrick's district embodied themfelves in the Dean's defence; and Bettesworth declared in Parliament, that Swift had de-prived him of twelve hundred pounds

a year.,

Swift was popular a while by another mode of beneficence. He fet afide fome hundreds to be lent in finall fums to the poor, from five fhillings, I think,

to

to five pounds. He took no intereft, and only required that, at repayment, a fmall fee should be given to the ac comptant; but he required that the day of promised payment fhould be exactly kept. A fevere and punctilious temper is ill qualified for tranfactions with the poor; the day was often broken, and the loan was not repaid. This might have been eafily foreseen; but for this Swift had made no provifion of patienceor pity. He ordered his debtors to be fued. A fevere creditor has no popular character; what then was likely to be faid of him who employs the catchpoll under the appearance of charity? The clamour against him was loud, and the refentment of the populace outrageous; he

was

was therefore forced to drop his scheme, and own the folly of expecting punctuality from the poor.

His afperity continually 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 verse or profe; of his verfes he willingly gave copies, and is fuppofed to have felt no difcontent when he faw 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 feems impoffible to him to be idle, and his dif

orders