There are certain passages in Swift's life, of which it is difficult for a biographer to speak, and which some of the writers alluded to have treated with more, and others with less indulgence; but in relating these, none of them have violated that respect, which is generally considered to be due to the departed; and when the means of information are necessarily imperfect, they have rather leant, when any doubt occurred, to the favourable side. We see no great harm in this sort of charitable feeling, nor are we disposed to allow much merit to that perspicuity which employs itself in detecting and emblazoning the errors of the illustrious dead. For their real offences, they are gone to answer at another tribunal. To them, it is equal what good or ill is said of them in the world; but to the world itself it is not equal. Their examples form the strongest incitement to the honourable ambition of youth; and we neither see the wisdom nor the propriety of attempting to diminish or neutralize this effect, by fixing dishonour upon an eminent name, or by persuading us, that he whom we have admired as a great man and a patriot has been after all a sorry rascal.

This matter has appeared in a different light to the writers of a distinguished cotemporary journal, who seem to have thought, that, though Mr. Scott is by no means the most partial of Swift's biographers, he has been vastly too indulgent to his failings and errors; and they have therefore furnished a statement of their own, to which this fault at least cannot reasonably be imputed, and in which is attributed to him every thing odious, disagreeable, and contemptible in manners, and every thing base and dishonourable in conduct and character. He is stated to have been "extremely ambitious, arrogant, and selfish;" of a morose, vindictive, and haughty temper;" in public life "destitute of principle," in private "of tenderness, fidelity, and compassion." "He had some right perhaps," it is observed, "to look with disdain upon men of ordinary understandings; but for all that is the proper object of reproach, he should have looked only within; and whatever may be his merits as a writer, we do not he sitate to say that he was despicable as a politician, and hateful as a man."

In alluding to the fact, that Swift had set out in life with the profession of Whig principles, and that he had afterwards left that party and joined himself to the Tories, every thing is disregarded that has been or can be urged in justification of this change, and it is stated, that they do not believe there is any where upon re"cord, a more barefaced avowal of political apostacy," and that he went over to Harley in a manner which they imagine "no rat of "the present day could have confidence enough to imitate." In his writings in favour of Harley's ministry, he is accused of "taking up the cudgels with all the fury of a hireling, and the rancour of a renegado, "abusing his former friends with a degree of virulence and rancour, to which it would not be too much to apply the term of brutali

ty;"" singling out with a sort of savage discourtesy a variety of his former friends and benefactors, and making them by name and description the objects of the most malignant abuse." While he is said to have stooped" to the dirtiest and most dishonourable part of a partizan's drudgery," and to have declined none "of the mean arts by which a court party may be maintained," his exertions in favour of that party, are uniformly held out to have been "substantially prompted by a desire to better his own fortune." According ly it is stated, that when he found his new friends beginning to totter, he "openly threatened to desert them also, unless they made a suitable provision for him ;" and "having in this way extorted the deanery of St. Patrick's," we are told that he "counselled measures, which must have involved the country in a civil war, for the mere chance of keeping his party in power; and finally, on the Queen's death, retired in a state of despicable despondency and bitterness to his living, where he continued, to the end of his life, to libel liberty and mankind with unrelenting and pitiable rancour; to correspond with convicted traitors to the constitution they had sworn to maintain; and to lament, as the worst of calamities, the dissolution of a ministry which had no merit but that of having promised him advancement," &c.

His exertions in favour of the trade, liberties, and rights of Ireland, are all referred to one principle, "a desire to insult and "embarrass the government by which he was neglected, and with "which he despaired of being reconciled." While, on the other hand, it is taken for granted that he was willing to make his peace with Walpole on very humiliating terms, and that he made his court to George II. " in a manner truly debasing." Upon the whole, it is concluded that a "more unprincipled or baser course of "proceeding was never held up to the contempt and abhor"rence of mankind."

An equally odious picture is drawn of his personal as of his political character, and the principles of his conduct in both are traced to "the same arrogance and disdain of mankind, leading "to profligate ambition and scurrility in public life, and domi"neering and selfish habits in private;" and accordingly his be haviour towards his dependents and equals is stated as characterized by "caprice," "insolence," "coarseness," "arrogance," “ rudeness,” “ impertinence," and "tyranny;" while to his superiors he is said to have conducted himself with "extravagant "adulation and base humility." Somewhat inconsistently with this, he is stated, while in favour with the great, to have "withheld" with "studied rudeness and ostentatious arrogance" "the usual tribute of respect that all well-bred persons pay to rank and office ;" and to have "exhibited as much of the ridiculous airs of a parvenu, of a low bred underling, brought suddenly into contact with wealth and splendour, as any of the base understrappers that ever made party disgusting.'

"

While the peculiarities of Swift's general manners and behaviour are so roughly handled, it may be believed that no remarkable leniency is shewn to him in that unpleasant part of his

history which relates to his connections with the other sex. In the statement of these unhappy transactions, no allowance is made for the infirmities of human nature, none for the want of material information, none for the possible imprudence of the parties themselves. Every thing is presumed against the unfortunate Swift. His conduct is described as one tissue of "dis"gusting and brutal selfishness." Of the death of one of the ladies, it is stated broadly that he was "as direetly and as guilt"ily the cause, as if he had plunged a dagger into her heart;" and as to his treatment of another, after stating the worst account which has been given of the matter, it is exclaimed, "If this be "true, Swift must have had the heart of a monster." Indeed, he is repeatedly alluded to as having broken the hearts of both the women, whose histories were so much and so singularly involved in his own.

His merits as a writer come last to be spoken of, and to them, indeed, a certain degree of justice is done, which could not easily be withheld. But even here (for nothing of praise can be allowed to Swift, without a qualifying clause of a condemnatory nature,) his chief excellence is stated to have lain in the force and vehemence of his invective, and the incomparable dexterity and effect with which he exercised the trade of a libeller.

We confess there appears to us throughout this sketch by much too great an effort to overwhelm and to vilify. It seems not the calm statement of a judge, but the impassioned pleading of an advocate, anxious to make out a strong case. There is in it, we have satisfied ourselves, much random assertion; besides, in some instances, an absolute disregard of the real state of facts. It is chargeable moreover, as we think, with sundry peculiarities which materially vitiate it as a biographical composition; a convenient forgetfulness and confusion in regard to dates; an exaggeration of every unfavourable circumstance, and a total omission of every thing of a contrary tendency; a suppression of all mention of any redeeming virtue, and, we believe, there was much in the character of Swift. It is notwithstanding a powerful delineation, and well calculated to make, as we remember it did make, a great impression upon the public. The writer proceeds with so much apparent confidence in his own knowledge of the subject, such a hearty and avowed indignation against every kind of meanness and unworthiness, that it is not to be wondered at if he carried with him the feelings and conviction of a great majority of his readers. The accusations brought forward are broad and intelligible; the proofs as stated are apparently strong, while few persons can be expected to sift the evidence for themselves, scattered as it is through the nineteen volumes of Swift's most multifarious writings and correspondence.

After a lapse of four years, a champion has appeared to vindicate the honour of Swift, and the result of his labours is now before us; but, with the best opinion of his intentions, we are constrained to say that it is a feeble performance, and not very likely, on many important points, to remove the impression of the reviewer's powerful, though, we think, greatly erroneous statement. Many of the remarks are just and pertinent, but the whole wants arrangement and connection, and has more the appearance of memoranda in a common-place book than of a regular defence. The author is pretty successful, we think, in vindicating Swift against the sweeping charge of general brutality and insolence in private life, by numerous quotations which he gives from the letters and writings of eminent persons, of both sexes, with whom Swift lived in terms of the closest friendship, and who characterize him as no less distinguished for his rare talents of wit and humour, than for the more amiable qualities of kindness, benevolence, and universal philanthropy. One of the last, perhaps the last authority of this kind, but not noticed by the author, is Dr. King, who, in his anecdotes, speaks most affectionately of Swift, One passage from that work is worthy of being quoted, "I most sincerely loved him." P. 16. We agree with the author in thinking that these testimonies of contemporaries who knew and conversed with him, who had abundant opportunities of knowing his temper and disposition, and who can neither be suspected of wanting penetration nor honesty, must far outweigh the strictures of men who were born half a century after Swift was laid in his grave. It is evidently unfair to form an opinion from a few odd traits of humour, which, when related without the accompaniments of living look and action, may wear a perfectly different appearance to us and to those who were witnesses of them. Indeed, from the manner in which they are told, it is clear that those oddities which Swift affected were looked upon more as matter of entertainment than any thing else; and, although they latterly perhaps grew more inconvenient, that they were at first assumed as much to amuse others as to gratify himself. Even those instances which seem least reconcileable to good manners, are to be regarded as exceptions merely, and not as the general tenor of his behaviour; of which we may be fully satisfied from the great and distinguished society by which he was courted and admired, and the multitudes by whom his con versation was intensely relished.

As a fair specimen of the author's style and manner, we shall present the reader with his observations on Swift's conduct in regard to Irish affairs.

"The character of Swift is more a subject of history than of criticism; because, if the history of Ireland is omitted, little can be known of Swift:

the mere critic has nothing to do with him. I allow he wrote both poetry and prose, because composition was the instrument of his public conduct and his public conduct is what must give him character with posterity, and his proper place in the annals of his country. When the Edinburgh Reviewers propose to discuss the merits of Swift, and exclude from their consideration the history of Ireland, Swift ceases with them to be an object of legitimate criticism. Suppose, for instance, a literary critic professed to discuss the merits of Pericles, from which was excluded the history of Athens, and confined himself to his orations and his amours with Aspasia; or proposed to give the public an idea of Julius Cæsar, from which was excluded the history of Rome, and confined his observations to his Commentaries, and his gallantries with Cato's sister, &c. &c.-he would be the very Reviewer, who, professing to give an idea of Swift, passed over the history of Ireland, and confined his remarks to his literary compositions, and his intercourse with two or three young ladies. Swift's character rose in Ireland with his defence of it in 1724; for by his conduct at that time he acquired an esteem and influence which can never be forgotten. The question in Swift's consideration at that day was not whether Wood's new copper coinage was good or bad ; -the question was, whether an enterprising manufacturer of copper should prevail against Ireland. An insulting patent, obtained in the most insidious way, was issued by the British council without consulting even the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

"Against it the grand juries protested, the corporations protested, the privy council protested, and the Irish Parliament protested.-All failed.At last comes forth a private clergyman, whose party was proscribed, and himself persecuted, and carries his country on his back, and forces the British minister to retire within his trenches.

"Ireland, trampled on by a British minister, by a British and Irish government-Ireland, that had lost her trade, her judicature, and her Parliament-Ireland, that had sunk by the weight of her oppressions, prevails under the direction of a solitary divine, who not only inspires, but instructs his country in her rights, telling her people," that by the laws of God, of nature, of nations, and of their country, they are, and ought to be, as free a people as their brethren in England.'

"The victory was not one, or momentary; in the next age it was the restoration of her freedom.

"Here the Patriot rose above the Divine. He taught his country to protest against her grievances, and gave her spirit by which she redressed them.' Pp. 37-39.

"In discussing these topics, he had against him the King of Great Britain, his Parliament, and all the people of England, together with the Irish government, and the Irish judges.

"You will say, he had the Irish people. There was no people; he was to create a people, by whom he was to be defended.

"Would the Irish Parliament, whose cause he defended, have saved him? She could not save herself; and was besides so lowered and subdued by the over-ruling power of England, that she was more likely to have become his prosecutor than protector. Swift, on this occasion, stood alone like Teneriff, or Atlas, unremoved; and laid the foundation of his country's liberty.

"Fair Liberty was all his cry.
For her he stood prepared to die;
For her he boldly stood alone,
For her he oft expos'd his own;
Two kingdoms, just as faction led,

Had set a price upon his head;
But not a traitor could be found-

To sell him for six hundred pound."-Pp. 40, 41.