Swift meditated the publication of his well-known Instructions to Servants, on which, though it only exists as a fragment, he had bestowed much pains and observation. He himself was a kind but a strict master.

The story is well known of his commanding "Sweetheart," as he called his cookmaid Mary, to carry down a joint of meat and do it less, and on her alleging that was impossible, his grave request, that when in future she choosed to commit a fault, he hoped she would choose one which might be mended. Upon another occasion, hearing one of his servants, in the act of undressing, express a luxurious wish that he could ride to bed, the Dean summoned the man upstairs, commanded him to fetch a horse from the paddock, and prepare him for a journey, and when the poor fellow reported that the horse was ready, "Mount him then, sirrah," said the Dean, "and ride to bed."

He had dined one day in the country, and on going away, the servant of the family brought him his horse. As the man held the steed, the Dean called to his own man, and asked him whether it would not be proper to give something to the servant for his trouble? The man assented, and the Dean asked him what he thought would be proper to give the man, and whether half-a-crown was too much? "No, sir!""Very well,” replied Swift, and gave the man the half-crown. When the board-wages of the week came to be paid, he stopped the half-crown, and read his servant a lecture; telling him it was his duty to attend him, and not leave him to the care of others; that he brought him to the house, that he might not give trouble to others; and pressed his argument by

* A printer that owed his rise and fortune to Dr. Swift.

supposing he would not in future be quite so generous of his master's money.

Sometimes he chose to mix in the mirth of his domestics. Once finding that his housekeeper, Mrs. Ridgeway, had, according to custom, on his birthday, made an entertainment for the neighbours, he requested to know at whose expense the treat was provided; and understanding that he himself was the founder of the feast, he sat down among the guests, and partook of their cheer with great humour.

The Saturnalia at the Deanery was the servants at table, and the masters waiting upon them. The butler represented the Dean, whom he sent to the cellar in quest of some particular wine, when, affecting to be discontented with it, he commanded Swift to bring another sort. The Dean obeyed and decanted the bottle at the sideboard, while the butler abused him in his own style, and charged him with reserving some of the grounds for his own drinking. The Dean did not altogether relish the jest, but it was carried on some time longer; when the tables were removed, the scene reversed, an entertainment served up to the proper guests, and everything conducted by the very servants who had partaken of the Saturnalia. An exaggerated and distorted version of this anecdote, related that the Dean, unable to endure the raillery of the butler, put an end to the Saturnalia and drove the servants out of the room. This is altogether incorrect.

"SHUT THE DOOR."

Swift had some whimsical contrivances to punish his servants for disobedience of orders. The hiring of his maidservants he left to his housekeeper, and that form being over, he acquainted them that he had but two commands to give them-one, to shut the door whenever they came into a room; the other, to shut the door after them whenever they went out of a room. One of these maid-servants requested permission of the Dean to go to her sister's wedding, which was to take place at about ten miles' distance from Dublin. Swift not only consented, but lent the servant one of his horses, and directed that a man-servant should ride before her. The maid, in her joy at this favour, forgot to shut the door when she left the Dean's room; in about a quarter of an hour after she had left the house, the Dean ordered a servant to saddle another horse, to overtake the maid and her escort, and oblige them

to return immediately. This was done, and the girl came into the Dean's presence with the most mortified countenance, and begged to know his honour's commands.“ Only to shut the door after you," was the reply. But not to carry the punishment too far, he then permitted the maid to resume her journey.

THE DEAN'S FOOTMAN.

One morning, as Swift was standing at the window of his study, he observed a decent old woman offer a paper to one of his servants at the door, which the man at first refused in a surly manner. The Dean, who pitied the poor suitor, finding that the man did not bring the paper, again looked out of the window; the day was cold and wet, and the wretched petitioner still retained her post. The Dean now grew impatient, and was about to ring the bell, when he saw the servant cross the street, and again refuse to take charge of the paper. The Dean now threw up the sash, and demanded what the paper contained. "It is a petition, please your reverence," replied the woman. "Bring it up, rascal," cried the angry Dean. The servant, surprised and petrified, obeyed. The poor woman was relieved, and the servant forthwith was turned out of doors, with the following written testimonial of his conduct: "The bearer lived two years in my service, in which time he was frequently drunk and negligent of his duty; which, conceiving him to be honest, I excused, but at last detecting him in a flagrant instance of cruelty, I discharged him." Such were the consequences of this reproof, that the man became reduced to beggary; after which the Dean forgave him, and through another written character, equally singular, he was hired by Mr. Pope, with whom he lived till death removed him.

Meanwhile there is evidence to show that Swift did not fail to mark good conduct in a faithful servant. In the cathedral of St. Patrick, at Dublin, he caused to be erected a tablet bearing the following inscription: "Here lieth the Body of Alexandre McGee, servant to Dr. Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's. His Grateful Master caused this Monument to be erected in memory of his Discretion, Fidelity, and Diligence, in that humble station. Ob. Mar. 24, 1721-2,

ætat. 29."

CARLOW CHURCH.

Upon Swift's visiting Carlow, the rector conducted him over the town and neighbourhood, showing him all the objects of interest there. On returning to the glebe, Swift, pointing to the church, inquired what building it was, and why he had not been shown it ? "Oh," said his conductor, "it is only the parish church; but it is really so dilapidated, and in such bad order, that I did not think it worth your inspection." At this Swift expressed his regret; but said he knew a cheap way of repairing it. "Why don't you give it," said he, "to the Papists? you know they would repair it, and then you could take it from them afterwards." This fine stroke of satire is related by Mr. Wilde as hitherto unpublished. Was it on this occasion (he asks) Swift said

A high church and a low steeple,
A poor town and a proud people.

THE ECLIPSE HOAX.

Swift was everywhere received by the common people with the most profound respect, and used to say they should subscribe forty shillings a-year to keep him in hats, so numerous were the bows which he received and regularly returned. Upon one occasion he made a ludicrous experiment on the public belief in his authority. A number of persons having assembled round the Deanery to see an eclipse, Swift became tired of their noise, and commanded the crier to make proclamation that the eclipse was put off by command of the Dean of St. Patrick's. This extraordinary enunciation was received with great gravity, and was the means of dispersing the assembled gazers.

SWIFT'S LOVE OF LOW LIFE.

During his mother's lifetime, Swift scarcely ever failed to pay her an annual visit. He often went in a waggon, but more frequently walked from Holyhead to Leicester, London, or any other part of England. Lord Orrery tells us that "he generally chose to dine with waggoners, hostlers, and persons of that class; and he used to lie at night at the houses where he found written over the door, 'Lodgings for

a penny.' He delighted in scenes of low life. The vulgar dialect was not only a fund of humour for him, but I verily believe was acceptable to his nature; otherwise I know not how to account for the many filthy ideas and indecent expressions (I mean indecent in point of cleanliness and delicacy) that will be found throughout his works."

Johnson says: "This practice Lord Orrery imputes to his innate love of grossness and vulgarity; some may ascribe it to his desire of surveying human life through all its varieties; and others, perhaps, with equal probability, to a passion which seems to have deeply fixed in his heart the love of a shilling."

A TROUBLESOME NEIGHBOUR.

Lord Orrery relates that Swift dined once at a Lord Mayor's feast in Dublin, and was attacked and teazed by an opulent, boisterous, half-intoxicated squire, who happened to sit next to him: he bore the awkward raillery for some time, and then on a sudden called out to the Mayor, "My Lord, here is one of your bears at my shoulder,―he has been worrying me this half hour, and I desire you will order him to be taken off."

A BEGGARS' WEDDING.

Swift, being in the country, on a visit to his friend, Dr. Sheridan, learned that a beggars' wedding was about to be celebrated in the neighbourhood. Sheridan played well upon the violin, and Swift proposed that he should go to the place of the wedding disguised as a blind fiddler, while Swift attended him as his man. Thus accoutred, they joined the party, and were received with acclamation. They had plenty of good cheer, and never was a more joyous wedding seen. The beggars told stories, played tricks, cracked jokes, sang and danced; and the fiddler and his man, when they left, were well remunerated. Next day, the Dean and Sheridan walked out in their usual dress, and found many of their late companions hobbling about upon crutches, or pretending to be blind, and piteously supplicating charity. Sheridan distributed among them the money he had received; but the Dean, who hated all mendicants, fell into a violent passion, telling them his adventure of the preceding day, and threatened to send every one of them to prison. This had such an effect, that the blind opened their eyes, and the lame threw away

H