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 Irela; I hope y' little fire Side is well. I am with great Truth and Esteem

Yr most obdt 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

In

failed, wrote An Exhortation addressed to the SubDean and Chapter of St. Patrick's Cathedral. 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

SR, Your Messenger brought me y' Letter when I was under a very bad Barbers hands, meaning

my own; I sent for him up, because I heard he was something Gentlemannish, and he told me he returned to-day; so that I have onely time to thank you for y' letter, and assure you, that bar accidents I will be in Trim in a fortnight-I detest the Price of that Horse you mention, and as for your Mare I will never trust her; my Grandmother used to say that good Feeding never brings good Footing; I am just going to Church, and can say no more, but my humble service to Dame Plyant. I believe the fellow rather thinks me mad than is mad himself; 16"! why tis an Estate; I shall not be master of it in 16 years.

I thought that Passage out of Shakespear had been of my own Starting, and that the Magistrate of Martry would not have imagined it-How can you talk of going a Progress of 200 miles?

I know nothing of any Shoes I left. I am sure they are not p" [paid] for and so at least I shall be no loser whatever you may be. Adieu.

NOTES ON IX.

His young cousin, Deane Swift, an undergraduate of Oxford, made him a present of some new shaving tackle. The Dean wrote to Mrs. Whiteway: "Mr. Swift's gimcracks of cups and ball, in order to my convenient shaving with ease and despatch, together

with the prescription on half a sheet of paper, was exactly followed, but some inconveniences attended: for I cut my face once or twice, was just twice as long in the performance, and left twice as much hair behind as I have done this twelvemonth. I return him therefore all his implements and my own compliments, with abundance of thanks, because he hath fixed me during life in my old humdrum way."

Whether the saying that Swift attributes to his grandmother was really hers may well be doubted. "He used to coin proverbs and pass them off for old. One day when walking in a garden he saw some fine fruit, none of which was offered him by its stingy owner. It was an old saying of my grandmother's,' he said, "Always pull a peach when it lies in your reach."' He accordingly plucked one, and his example was immediately followed by all the rest of the company under the sanction of that good old saying." Another day, seeing a farmer thrown from his horse into a slough, he asked him whether he was hurt. "No,' he replied; but I am woundily bemired.' 'You make good the old proverb,' said Swift, the more dirt, the less hurt.' The man seemed much comforted with the old saying, but said he had never heard of it before; and no wonder, for the dean had made it on the occasion." In the Journal to Stella these sayings are often to be found. One day he complains that she writes on thin paper. "Why, that