Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-12
NO. SO.
9lxanorla Ga}&tte,
MONDAY, FEBRUARY u, 1877.
The Irish Dean as q Heart Breaker.

|
If Que we're searching for portrait of man
who would be dangerous to the other sex, he
would be rcckoncd as satiris should he choose
the portrait of jonathan Swift. But everybody
| knows how lie suIjugated their minds by his
rancorous pride and savage tyranny; how three
| of the sweetest women of Great Britain looked
| fer all their happiness to his harsh, homely
face until they dropped with disgust OF died Of
despair. With what fierce arrogance he dc.
ported himself! a poor scribe, with nothing
| in prospect, he was insoeot and hectoring to
| the greatest. Wheo the Duchess of Shrews.
bury reproached him for not dining with her,
| he replied that it was too much tor her to eX-
pect under the circumstances; that she must
make moro advances; that he looked for ad,
vances from ladies, especially duchesses:;
Lady Ogletlorp Introduced him to the DI-
chess of Hamilton. 10 use his own words, he
gave her some encouragement. but not much.
He wrote to the Duchess of Queensbury: Il
am glad you know your duty; tor it has been
in England that the first advances have been
continually made me by ladies' who aspire to
my acquaintance; and the greater their quality
the greater were their advances" He seemed
to regard himself as a superior being, exempt
from all social laws, entitled to homage, even
of the highest, of the atjectcSt sort.
During bis residence in Eagland he appeared
to become topd-if londDess can be associated
With hiu-ot pretty, amlabIe and retired girl,
Jane Waryng, the sister OF az old college
friend. lie asked her to BE- his wife, but she
declined 90 account Of her delicate health. She
grew better; and, as he had charmed her some
how. she repentcd Of her refusal, aud 70 wrote
him. lie then coudescendcd TO accept her; but
ACCOMPANIED his acceptance with conditions SO
uunatural and insulting that ber sclt:rcspect
compelled her to break with him.
n bright and wioulug girl, Esther johnson
(presumed to be the llcgltiuate child OF his
patron, Sir William Tcmplr), whom he had
reared, who had loved him, he treaty. kindly
and brutaIly by turns, until he made her lnef-
faby wre,ched. While he was in London
Esther Vanhomrigh rich and beautiful be-
came euamored oi the great bear, declared hcr
passion, followed him to lrclaud, un ter"ent
paugs Of jealousy, appealed to him most plte'
ousIy, and yet woke 10 serious response 10 MS
hardened breast He had been atectlonatc to
her 10 England, but be changed 10 lrand he
seemed bent Oh torturinS her. she Wrotc:-
"If you continue TO treat ns as you do you
will not long be made uneasy by me. am
sure could have borne the rack much better
than YOUR cruel, killing words. She told the
melancholy truth. His brutal behavior doom.
ed her: she withered into the grave.
Fer the gentle Esther there was now chance
Of happiness. Swift claimed that she had al
gays had his heart. He marr cd her from
sense of duty; but what marriage 1t was
feast in charncI house, It dance OF death. lhe
union was secret it WAS 20 be nominal merely,
it was to be an invisible change, with deeper
inward torment. His home became curse to
him. lie went 10 England as often as he could
and STAYED as long. Poor Esther she was
twelve years dying. Nature was as mallgoant
as fortune had been; but, at last came the
end. and blessed oblivion. The man who had
slowly murdered two devoted women paid the
ucnally which crime unrclcntly cxactS. Stella;
as hc called her had indeed been bis goou
angel. He HAD been wrelchcd With her; ne
was more wrctuhcd without her. AS he had
predicted he died at the top. lie passed
whole year without ut!CrIns word-Wlth
dread of seeing human face Lie sank into
a rayinr unatic, then lnlo helpless lol0t'
and was buried years after he had virtually
died, leaving all his property to bald mad
house. lsit such men whom wHmcn love !
But let judgment be charitable \ mau VINO
could treat good, gentle, devoted women as
Swift treated them must BE- iusanc IRON inc
first.