Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub
[graphic][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

At Laracor, close by, was Swift's vicarage, where he spent some of his happiest days. In his absence it was commonly inhabited by Stella and her companion; when he returned they moved into Trim. The garden which he laid out, the willows which he planted, the pretty walk which he made, winding along a small stream, "whose banks he smoothed,' have long disappeared. Here, if he had not "a handsome house to lodge a friend," at all events he had

"A river at my garden's end;
A terrace walk, and half a rood
Of land set out to plant a wood.”

Of the vicarage nothing is standing but the fragment of an old wall. His duties as parish priest were light. "I am this minute very busy," he wrote, "being to preach to-day before an audience of at least fifteen people, most of them gentle and all simple." In a letter to the Archbishop of Dublin, he said: "It is one felicity of being among willows that one is not troubled with faction."

The limitation placed by the king on the clergy is thus described by Smollett: "Every preacher was restricted from delivering any other doctrine than what is contained in the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Trinity, and from intermeddling in any affairs of state or government." little earlier, had written to Swift: thing in your circumstance that must make any man

66

Arbuthnot, a

There is one

happy; which is a liberty to preach. For my part, I never imagine any man can be uneasy that has the opportunity of venting himself to a whole congregation once a week."

A full description of the endowments of the Dean of St. Patrick's may be found in W. M. Mason's History of the Cathedral, p. 26.

VIII.

DUBLIN. [private hand :] Mar. 31. 1715

SR-I have been these ten weeks resolving every week to go down to Trim, and from thence to Martry; and have not been able to compass it, tho' my Country Affairs very much required my Presence. This week I was fully determined to have been at Trim, but my Vicars hinder me, their Prosecutions being now just come to an Issue, and I cannot stir from hence till the end of April, when nothing but want of Health or Horses shall hinder me. I can tell you no news. I have read but one Newspaper since I left you. And I never suffer any to be told me. I send this by my Steward, who goes to Trim, to look after my Rents at Laracor-Pray present my most humble service to Dame Plyant; I suppose you do not very soon intend to remove to the Queen's County;

when I come to Trim I shall after a few days there, stay awhile with you, and go thence to Arthy [Athy]; and thence if possible to Connaught and half round Ireld; I hope y' little fire Side is well. I am with great Truth and Esteem

Y' most obd humble sert

J. S.

Is it impossible to get a plain easy sound trotting Horse?

NOTES ON VIII.

The vicars under whose prosecutions Swift suffered were the vicars-choral of his cathedralthe "singing-men" of his first letter. They were twelve in number, of whom five at least were to be priests. The Dean might punish them by mulct, suspension, or expulsion. They were to treat him with great respect, as the following statute of the date of Charles I. shows: "Also every vicar att his goeing to read any lesson, littanies, or to the Lord's table, shall, both goeing and att his returne, expresse a civell obeydance to the Deane, or in his absence to the Sub-deane . . and they may not presume to put on their hatts at any time in Nave Ecclesiæ,' or walke in the church in the presence of the Deane or Sub-deane with their hatts on.'

yeles [aisles] of the

Swift, in his old age, when his mind had almost

failed, wrote An Exhortation addressed to the SubDean and Chapter of St. Patrick's Cathedral. In this he says: "Whereas it hath been reported that I gave a licence to certain vicars to assist at a club of fiddlers in Fishamble Street, I do hereby declare that I remember no such licence to have been ever signed or sealed by me; and that if ever such pretended licence should be produced, I do hereby annul and vacate the said licence.

Intreating my said sub-dean and chapter to punish such vicars as shall ever appear there as songsters, fiddlers, pipers, trumpeters, drummers, drum-majors, or in any sonal quality, according to the flagitious aggravations of their respective disobedience, rebellion, perfidy, and ingratitude."

Of his ignorance of public news he protests somewhat too often and too much. Some years later he wrote to Pope: "I neither know the names nor number of the Royal Family which now reigns farther than the prayer-book informs me. I cannot tell who is Chancellor, who are Secretaries, nor with what nations we are in peace or war."

IX.

DUBLIN. April 6th 1715

S",-Your Messenger brought me y' Letter when

I was under a very bad Barbers hands, meaning

« VorigeDoorgaan »