and Swift; but that Swift's portion was directed to be sent to the Mrs. Hyde, the widow of John Hyde, the bookseller, in Dame-street, Dublin, mentioned in Swift's printed correspondence. He died in Motte's debt, in 1729; and it was, no doubt, to relieve the widow that Swift thus disposed of his share of the copyright of the Miscellanies. When corresponding with Motte, in 1727, under the name of Richard Sympson, Swift was living with Pope at Twickenham, and most likely consulted on the matter Pope, who was well skilled in the art of dealing with booksellers.

"THE BEGGAR'S OPERA."

In 1727, Gay's Beggar's Opera was produced, and its success was as great as that of Gulliver. Pope (in Spence's Anecdotes) thus details the circumstances. "Dr. Swift had been observing once to Mr. Gay, what an odd pretty sort of a thing a Newgate Pastoral might make. Gay was inclined to try at such a thing for some time, but afterwards thought it would be better to write a comedy on the same plan. This is what gave rise to the Beggar's Opera. He began it, and when he first mentioned it to Swift, the Doctor did not much like the project. As he carried it on, he showed what he wrote to both of us; and we now and then gave a correction, or a word or two of advice: but it was wholly of his own writing. When it was done, neither of us thought it would succeed. We showed it to Congreve, who, after reading it over, said, 'It would either take greatly, or be damned confoundedly! We were all at the first night of it, in great uncertainty of the event; till we were very much encouraged by overhearing the Duke of Argyle, who sat in the next box to us, say, 'It will do,-it must do !-I see it is in the eyes of them.'-This was a good while before the first act was over, and so gave us ease soon; for the Duke (besides his own good taste) has a more particular knack than any one now living, in discovering the taste of the public. He was quite right in this, as usual; the good-nature of the audience appeared stronger every act, and ended in a clamour of applause."

Swift is supposed to have supplied Gay with the two celebrated songs, ingrafted in the Beggar's Opera, and beginning, "Through all the employments of life," and "Since laws were made for every degree." Warton has assigned both to Pope, but the internal evidence is in favour of Mr. Deane

that Lord Bathurst and Lord Chesterfield, with the view of testing Mrs. Howard's influence with George II., persuaded the royal mistress to demand of the new King an earl's coronet for Lord Bathurst. She did-the Queen put in her veto, and Swift, who openly and most ambitiously cultivated Mrs. Howard, in despair, returned to Ireland, to lament Queen Anne, and curse Queen Caroline, under the mask of patriotism, in a country he abhorred and despised. Such are Walpole's words; upon which Croker notes, in the Suffolk Correspondence, vol. i.: "On this, be it observed, that George II. was proclaimed on the 14th of June, 1727, and Swift returned to Ireland in the September of the same year, and that the first creation of peers in that reign did not take place till the 28th of May, 1728. Is it credible that Mrs. Howard should have made such a request of the new King, and suffered so decided a refusal ten or eleven months before any peers were made? But again, upon this first creation of peers, Mrs. Howard's brother is the second name.. Is it probable that with so great an object for her own family in view, she risked a sclicitation for Lord Bathurst? But that which seems most convincing is Swift's own correspondence. In a letter to Mrs. Howard of the 9th of July, 1727, in which, rallying her on her solicitation, to which the new King would be exposed, he says, for my part, you may be

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secure that I will never venture to recommend even a mouse to Mrs. Cole's cat, or a shoe-cleaner to your meanest domestic."

To return to Walpole. "To Mrs. Howard [he continues] Swift's ingratitude was base. She indubitably had not only exerted all her interest to second his and his faction's interests, but loved Queen Caroline and the minister as little as they did; yet, when Swift died, he left behind him a character of Mrs. Howard by no means flattering, which was published in his posthumous works. On its appearance, Mrs. Howard, (become Lady Suffolk,) said to me, in her calm, dispassionate manner, 'All I can say is, that it is very different from one that he drew of me, and sent to me, many years ago, and which I have, written by his own hand." "

Upon this Croker notes: "This is a complete mistake, to give it no harsher name. The character which Swift left behind, and which was published in his posthumous works, is the very same which Lady Suffolk had in her possession. If it be not flattering, it is to Swift's honour, that he did not condescend to flatter her in the days of her highest favour;

suddenly quitted Twickenham, which Dr. Johnson has thus illnaturedly described: "He left the home of Pope with very little ceremony, finding that two sick friends cannot live together, and did not write to him till he found himself at Chester.' But Swift had declared himself sinking under weakness, age, and wounded affection. Pope, however, saw Swift at his lodgings in London; and when the Dean left England in the beginning of October, 1727, he took leave of Pope in a kind letter written from Chester, but left for him at Gay's lodgings, over which he to whom it was addressed "wept like a girl." "If it pleases God," said Swift, "to restore my health, I shall readily make a third journey; if not, we must part as all human creatures have parted." Such, indeed, was the decree of Heaven, for these illustrious friends met no more.

The Dean, in testimony of his friendship, gave Pope a little silver cup bearing the following inscription: Jonathan Swift, Alexro. Pope: Pignus Amicitiæ exiguum ingentis.

DEATH OF STELLA.

the verge of

When Swift arrived in Ireland, Stella was on the grave. For six months she had been only preserved by constant medical attendance and support. In this languishing state she had a remarkable conversation with Swift upon the subject of her marriage, which Sir Walter Scott gives in the words of Mr. Theophilus Swift, to whom it was communicated by Mrs. Whiteway.

When Stella was in her last weak state, and one day had come in a chair to the Deanery, she was with difficulty brought into the parlour. The Dean had prepared some mulled wine, and kept it by the fire for her refreshment. After tasting it, she became very faint, but, having recovered a little by degrees, when her breath (for she was asthmatic) was allowed her, she desired to lie down. She was carried upstairs and laid on a bed; the Dean sitting by her, held her hand, and addressed her in the most affectionate manner. She drooped, however, very much. Mrs. Whiteway was the only third person present. After a short time, her politeness induced her to withdraw to the adjoining room, but it was necessary, on account of air, that the door should not be closed: it was half shut-the rooms were close adjoining. Mrs. Whiteway had too much honour to listen, but could not avoid observing, that the Dean and Mrs. Johnson conversed together in a low tone; the latter, indeed, was too weak to raise her voice. Mrs. Whiteway paid no attention, having no idle curiosity, but at length, she heard the Dean say, in an audible voice, "Well, my dear, if you wish it, it shall be owned," to which Stella answered with a sigh, "It is too late." Such are, upon

the best and most respectable authority, the minute particulars of this remarkable anecdote. The word marriage was not mentioned, but there can remain no doubt that such was the secret to be owned; and the report of Mrs. Whiteway I received with pleasure, as vindicating the Dean from the charge of cold-blooded and hard-hearted cruelty to the unfortunate Stella, when on the verge of existence. On 28th January, 1727-28, about eight o'clock at night, Mrs. Johnson closed her weary pilgrimage, and passed to that land where they neither marry nor are given in marriage.

Sheridan relates the interview with a difference-that Swift made no reply to Stella's entreaty that he would acknowledge the marriage, but walked out of the room, and never saw her more. But Scott considers Mr. Theophilus Swift's authority preferable, and it was received by Dr. Johnson. It was derived from Mrs. Whiteway after he attained manhood; and Mr. Sheridan was a boy at the time of the death of his father, Dr. Sheridan, who is stated to have been present at this last interview. Thus the boy may have misunderstood his father's version of the story. The scene was closed, and every reason for mystery at an end. The narratives may, indeed, be reconciled, by supposing that of Mrs. Whiteway subsequent to the scene detailed by Sheridan. The Dean may, at length, have relented, yet Sheridan remained ignorant of it.

Stella was buried by torchlight, on the 30th of January, in the same manner as the Dean directed himself to be buried, and nearly at the same hour. In his "Character of Mrs. Johnson," Swift says, "This is the night of the funeral, which my sickness will not suffer me to attend. It is now nine at night, and I am removed into another apartment, that I may not see the light in the church, which is just over against the window of my bedchamber."

Stella is interred beneath the second pillar from the great western entrance, on the south side of the nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The following inscription on "a plain white marble" slab, in accordance with her will, marks the spot. From the contiguity of the tombs it looks as if she and the Dean had long arranged the place of their burial:

"Underneath lie interred the mortal remains of Mrs. HESTER JOHNSON, better known to the world by the name of STELLA, under which she is celebrated in the writings of Dr. JONATHAN SWIFT, Dean of this Cathedral. She was a person of extraordinary endowments and accomplishments in body, mind, and behaviour; justly admired and regretted by all who knew her, on account of her many eminent virtues, as well as for her great natural and acquired perfections. She died January

27, 1727-28, in the forty-sixth year of her age, and by her will bequeathed one thousand pounds towards the support of a chaplain to the Hospital founded in this city by Dr. Stevens."-(Steevens.)

The following passages are from a paper begun by Swift on the evening of the day of Stella's death:

"She was sickly from her childhood, until about the age of fifteen; but then she grew into perfect health, and was looked upon as one of the most beautiful, graceful, and agreeable young women in Londononly a little too fat. Her hair was blacker than a raven, and every feature of her face in perfection.

Properly speaking"-he goes on with a calmness which, under the circumstances, is terrible- "she has been dying six months !" ....

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Never was any of her sex born with better gifts of the mind, or who more improved them by reading and conversation. All of us who had the happiness of her friendship agreed unanimously, that in an afternoon's or evening's conversation she never failed before we parted of delivering the best thing that was said in the company. Some of us have written down several of her sayings, or what the French call bons mots, wherein she excelled beyond belief."

The specimens on record, however, in the Dean's paper called "Bons Mots de Stella," scarcely bear out this last part of the panegyric. the following prove her wit:

But

"A gentleman, who had been very silly and pert in her company, at last began to grieve at remembering the loss of a child lately dead. A bishop sitting by comforted him-that he should be easy, because the child was gone to heaven.' 'No, my lord,' said she; that is it which most grieves him, because he is sure never to see his child there.'

"When she was extremely ill, her physician said, 'Madam, you are near the bottom of the hill, but we will endeavour to get you up again.' She answered, 'Doctor, I fear I shall be out of breath before I get up to the top.'

Stella left her fortune for charitable purposes, and consequently away from Swift, it has been inferred, on account of this imputed cruel treatment. That this was not the case is proved by a letter written by Swift, in 1726, who says: "I wish it could be brought about that she might make her will. Her intentions are to leave the interest of all her fortune to her mother and sister during their lives, afterwards to Dr. Steevens's Hospital, to purchase lands for such uses as she designs;" and such were the very words of the will made two years afterwards, which Sheridan would have his readers believe was made in pique at the Dean's conduct.

WALPOLE'S INJUSTICE TO SWIFT.

In his Reminiscences of the Courts of George I. and II., Walpole is characteristically scandalous of Swift. He tells us