dom foftened by any appearance of

gaiety. He ftubbornly refifted any tendency to laughter.

To his domefticks he was naturally rough; and a man of a rigorous temper, with that vigilance of minute attention which his works discover, must have been a mafter that few could bear. That he was difpofed to do his fervants good, on important occafions, is no great mitigation; benefaction can be but rare, and tyrannick peevifhnefs is perpetual. He did not fpare the fervants of others. Once, when he dined alone with the Earl of Orrery, he faid, of one that waited in the room, That man has, fince we fat to the table, committed fifteen faults. What the faults were, Lord Orrery, from whom

I heard

I heard the ftory, had not been attentive enough to difcover. My number may perhaps not be exact.

In his œconomy he practifed a peculiar and offenfive parfimony, without difguife or apology. The practice of faving being once neceffary, became habitual, and grew first ridiculous, and at laft deteftable. But his avarice, though it might exclude pleasure, was never fuffered to encroach upon his virtue. He was frugal by inclination, but liberal by principle; and if the purpose to which he deftined his little accumulations be remembered, with his distribution of occafional charity, it will perhaps appear that he only liked one mode of expence better than another,

and

and faved only that he might have something to give. He did not grow rich by injuring his fucceffors, but left both Laracor and the Deanery more valuable than he found them.-With all this talk of his covetoufnefs and generofity, it fhould be remembered that he was never rich. The revenue of his Deanery was not much more than feven hundred

a year.

His beneficence was not graced with tenderness or civility; he relieved without pity, and affifted without kindness,. so that thofe who were fed by him could hardly love him.

He made a rule to himself to give but one piece at a time, and therefore always

always ftored his pocket with coins of

different value.

Whatever he did, he feemed willing to do in a manner peculiar to himself, without fufficiently confidering that fingularity, as it implies a contempt of the general practice, is a kind of defiance which justly provokes the hoftility of ridicule; he therefore who indulges peculiar habits is worfe than others, if he be not better.

Of his humour, a ftory told by Pope may afford a specimen.

Dr. Swift has an odd, blunt way, "that is mistaken, by ftrangers, for ill"nature."Tis fo odd, that there's no

66

66 we

you one, that first comes into my "head. One evening, Gay and I went to fee him: you know how intimately were all acquainted. On our "coming in, "Heyday, gentlemen (fays "the Doctor), what's the meaning of "this vifit! How came you to leave "all the great Lords, that you are fo "fond of, to come hither to see a poor "Dean?"-Because we would rather "fee you than any of them.-" Ay, any one that did not know fo well as "I do, might believe you. But fince 66 you are come, I muft get fome fupper

"for you, I fuppofe." No, Doctor,

we have fupped already.-" Supped "already, that's impoffible! why, 'tis "not eight o'clock yet.-That's very