The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D Volume Ii Part 25

[Footnote 11: I have experience.--_Stella_.]

THE AUTHOR UPON HIMSELF

1713

A few of the first lines were wanting in the copy sent us by a friend of the Author's from London.--_Dublin Edition_.

* * By an old ---- pursued, A crazy prelate,[1] and a royal prude;[2]

By dull divines, who look with envious eyes On ev'ry genius that attempts to rise; And pausing o'er a pipe, with doubtful nod, Give hints, that poets ne'er believe in G.o.d.

So clowns on scholars as on wizards look, And take a folio for a conj'ring book.

Swift had the sin of wit, no venial crime: Nay, 'twas affirm'd, he sometimes dealt in rhyme; Humour and mirth had place in all he writ; He reconcil'd divinity and wit: He moved and bow'd, and talk'd with too much grace; Nor show'd the parson in his gait or face; Despised luxurious wines and costly meat; Yet still was at the tables of the great; Frequented lords; saw those that saw the queen; At Child's or Truby's,[3] never once had been; Where town and country vicars flock in tribes, Secured by numbers from the laymen's gibes; And deal in vices of the graver sort, Tobacco, censure, coffee, pride, and port.

But, after sage monitions from his friends, His talents to employ for n.o.bler ends; To better judgments willing to submit, He turns to politics his dang'rous wit.

And now, the public Int'rest to support, By Harley Swift invited, comes to court; In favour grows with ministers of state; Admitted private, when superiors wait: And Harley, not ashamed his choice to own, Takes him to Windsor in his coach alone.

At Windsor Swift no sooner can appear, But St. John comes, and whispers in his ear: The waiters stand in ranks: the yeomen cry, _Make room_, as if a duke were pa.s.sing by.

Now Finch[4] alarms the lords: he hears for certain This dang'rous priest is got behind the curtain.

Finch, famed for tedious elocution, proves That Swift oils many a spring which Harley moves.

Walpole and Aislaby,[5] to clear the doubt, Inform the Commons, that the secret's out: "A certain doctor is observed of late To haunt a certain minister of state: From whence with half an eye we may discover The peace is made, and Perkin must come over."

York is from Lambeth sent, to show the queen A dang'rous treatise[6] writ against the spleen; Which, by the style, the matter, and the drift, 'Tis thought could be the work of none but Swift.

Poor York! the harmless tool of others' hate; He sues for pardon,[7] and repents too late.

Now angry Somerset her vengeance vows On Swift's reproaches for her ******* spouse:[8]

From her red locks her mouth with venom fills, And thence into the royal ear instils.

The queen incensed, his services forgot, Leaves him a victim to the vengeful Scot.[9]

Now through the realm a proclamation spread, To fix a price on his devoted head.[10]

While innocent, he scorns ign.o.ble flight; His watchful friends preserve him by a sleight.

By Harley's favour once again he shines; Is now caress'd by candidate divines, Who change opinions with the changing scene: Lord! how were they mistaken in the dean!

Now Delawar[11] again familiar grows; And in Swift's ear thrusts half his powder'd nose.

The Scottish nation, whom he durst offend, Again apply that Swift would be their friend.[12]

By faction tired, with grief he waits awhile, His great contending friends to reconcile; Performs what friendship, justice, truth require: What could he more, but decently retire?

[Footnote 1: Dr. John Sharpe, who, for some unbecoming reflections in his sermons, had been suspended, May 14, 1686, was raised from the Deanery of Canterbury, to the Archbishopric of York, July 5, 1691; and died February 2, 1712-13. According to Dr. Swift's account, the archbishop had represented him to the queen as a person that was not a Christian; the great lady [the d.u.c.h.ess of Somerset] had supported the aspersion; and the queen, upon such a.s.surances, had given away the bishopric contrary to her majesty's first intentions [which were in favour of Swift]. See Orrery's "Remarks on the Life of Swift," p. 48.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 2: Queen Anne.]

[Footnote 3: Coffeehouses frequented by the clergy. In the preceding poem, Swift gives the same trait of his own character: "A clergyman of special note For shunning those of his own coat."

His feeling towards his order was exactly the reverse of his celebrated misanthropical expression of hating mankind, but loving individuals. On the contrary, he loved the church, but disliked a.s.sociating with individual clergymen.--_Scott._ See his letter to Pope, Sept. 29, 1725, in Pope's Works, edit. Elwin and Courthope, vii, 53, and the unjust remarks of the commentators.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 4: Daniel Finch, Earl of Nottingham, who made a speech in the House of Lords against the author.]

[Footnote 5: John Aislaby, then M.P. for Ripon. They both spoke against him in the House of Commons.--_Scott._]

[Footnote 6: The Tale of a Tub.]

[Footnote 7: He sent a message to the author to desire his pardon, and that he was very sorry for what he had said and done.]

[Footnote 8: Insert _murder'd_. The d.u.c.h.ess's first husband, Thomas Thynne, Esq., was a.s.sa.s.sinated in Pall Mall by banditti, the emissaries of Count Konigsmark. As the motive of this crime was the count's love to the lady, with whom Thynne had never cohabited, Swift seems to throw upon her the imputation of being privy to the crime. See the "Windsor Prophecy," _ante_, p. 150.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 9: The Duke of Argyle.]

[Footnote 10: For writing "The Public Spirit of the Whigs."]

[Footnote 11: Then lord-treasurer of the household, who cautiously avoided Swift while the proclamation was impending.]

[Footnote 12: He was visited by the Scots lords more than ever.]

THE f.a.gOT[1]

Written in the year 1713, when the Queen's ministers were quarrelling among themselves.

Observe the dying father speak: Try, lads, can you this bundle break?

Then bids the youngest of the six Take up a well-bound heap of sticks.

They thought it was an old man's maggot; And strove, by turns, to break the f.a.got: In vain: the complicated wands Were much too strong for all their hands.

See, said the sire, how soon 'tis done: Then took and broke them one by one.

So strong you'll be, in friendship ty'd; So quickly broke, if you divide.

Keep close then, boys, and never quarrel: Here ends the fable, and the moral.

This tale may be applied in few words, To treasurers, comptrollers, stewards; And others, who, in solemn sort, Appear with slender wands at court; Not firmly join'd to keep their ground, But lashing one another round: While wise men think they ought to fight With quarterstaffs instead of white; Or constable, with staff of peace, Should come and make the clatt'ring cease; Which now disturbs the queen and court, And gives the Whigs and rabble sport.

In history we never found The consul's fasces[2] were unbound: Those Romans were too wise to think on't, Except to lash some grand delinquent, How would they blush to hear it said, The praetor broke the consul's head!

Or consul in his purple gown, Came up and knock'd the praetor down!

Come, courtiers: every man his stick!

Lord treasurer,[3] for once be quick: And that they may the closer cling, Take your blue ribbon for a string.

Come, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g Harcourt,[4] bring your mace; And squeeze it in, or quit your place: Dispatch, or else that rascal Northey[5]

Will undertake to do it for thee: And be a.s.sured, the court will find him Prepared to leap o'er sticks, or bind them.

To make the bundle strong and safe, Great Ormond, lend thy general's staff: And, if the crosier could be cramm'd in A fig for Lechmere, King, and Hambden!

You'll then defy the strongest Whig With both his hands to bend a twig; Though with united strength they all pull, From Somers,[6] down to Craggs[7] and Walpole.

[Footnote 1: This fable is one of the vain remonstrances by which Swift strove to close the breach between Oxford and Bolingbroke, in the last period of their administration, which, to use Swift's own words, was "nothing else but a scene of murmuring and discontent, quarrel and misunderstanding, animosity and hatred;" so that these two great men had scarcely a common friend left, except the author himself, who laboured with unavailing zeal to reconcile their dissensions.--_Scott._ With this exception, the notes are from the Dublin Edition.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 2: The bundle of rods carried before the Consuls at Rome.]

[Footnote 3: The dilatory Earl of Oxford.]

[Footnote 4: Lord Chancellor.]

[Footnote 5: Sir Edward Northey, attorney-general, brought in by Lord Harcourt; yet very desirous of the Great Seal.]

[Footnote 6: Who had been at different times Lord Chancellor and President of the Council.]

[Footnote 7: Afterwards Secretary of State].