The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16

mood by writing play, gave up for time
his military pursuits. and wrote another
and yet another play. His dramatic works
were successful enough to encourage him
to further effort in the same direction,
but once again he found il convenient TO
diversity his existence by becoming Cap
tain in a regiment Of foot and, further,
by engaging In the then someu hat popular
researches and experiments for the dis
covery Of the Philosophers Stone. He
did not discover the PHILOSOPHERS Stone,
but he married widow who Ind large es.
tates in Barbados, and it may be that
in this way he did succeed in turning some
thing into gold Soon afterward he was
made Gentle man-in-W Waiting TO Queen
Anne's husband. Prince George q Dem
mark. His wife lived but for short time
after their marriage and Steele did not
devote himself for long to the disconsolste
state Of a widow.r, but contracted a love
match with n beautiful Young woman TO
whom he was tendcily attached
Though Il Ill a comparatively young man,
| Steele had by this time seen good deal
| Of life had studied mankind from various
| points of view. and was thus peculiarly
| qualified for the kind Of literary work
WHICH, iiS'-u tFINN "ih ii'i
| aid Manners. He attracted the attention
| Of Harley. afterward Earl Of oxford. who
! gave him the post of Gazetteer. with a
salary of ESQ n year. and at a later period
he was appointed Commissioner of Stamps.
He II was who originated the Tdtisr news
paper. and ia II, production he had Addi-
sons help, In certain sense the 1'GtIer
was the precursor of the Spectator but
- Il 4 i,
and original plan of its own. which had
not been foreshadowed by any previous
| venture in the newspaper way. As TO the
original author of the plan there is much
difference Of opinion, some maintaining
that il should be- attributed TO Addison.
Considering the initiative taken by Steele
as founder of the Taller. the author of the
book before US deems il not unreasonable
TO suppose that 1t was he also who became
possessed with the happy inspiration which
led to the starting Of the Spectator. 1T is
quite certain that the names Of both friends
must remain alike and insepdrably ASSOC
ciated with the Spsct1tor in literary history.
Addison and Steele were the Ganini. the
Heavenly Twins. 10 adopt more modern
literary phrase. whose light illumincd that
generation and many later generations,
through the medium of the brilliant and
successful journal" /. is con IN My sup
posed that the Spectator was hili a by the
Stamp tax on printed newspapers. As a
matter Of fact, IL survived the tax. and
only came TO an end when its story vas
told. Most readers will think that. after
the death Of Sir Roger dc Coverley. there
could not be much life left in the story Of
the Spectator { no.
About Jonathan Swift We hear a great
deal more in these volumes than we do
about either Addison or Steele. Often
quoted, too. are the asso rtions and opinions
Of the author of ~Gulivcrs Travels
concise sketch of his career will he found in
the first vulum on PAGES 222-24t. Swift,
ike Steele, was an lrishman hv birth. having
been born in Dublin in 1897. but his parents
on both sides were English. His own COM
ment on his come ction with Ireland il that
a mans being born in stable did not make
him horse. Not only VAS he born in
Ireland however Iut in his childhood he
was sent to school in Kilkenny, and after
ward to Trinity College. Duh lin II is true
that he came over to tngland In i"-' and
for time acted a. ecretary to sir liam
Temple at Moor PARK in Surrey, but. Ill
timately. he took orders in Dublin. and
obtained a living in Ulster. In history
he II associated with many an esort 20 Oh
toin better legislative treatment for the
country Of his birth than she had been oh.
tanning from successive English govern
mcnts, and NJ, Mccarthy entertains. no
donO', that, while Swift was at heart n
thorough Englshmau, he felt the most
generous sympathy with the Irish people
II il certain that he gave rome of his fines,
intellectual forts TO the service of a country
which could make him no practical return
for his lalors on her behalf
The publication Of The Battle Of The
Books" Of "Th- r"ie OF Tub" and "Gu-
liver Travels" mai Ned Swift out at once
as a great satiriol and political writer
aud he soon hncane recognized "a a perfect
master of English prose Indeed. the
author of this book questions whether
the whole range Of English literature can
boast of any other writer Of prose who could
bc ranked a. tho equal of Jonathan Swift
Mr.. Glad,tonc only indorsed the opinion
Of all the best critics ot modern times when
he again and again pronounced Swif,
the greatest prose writer known 10 Eng.
liah literature. But while there never has
been any dispute about Swift'- ce,.ius.
lis character was puzzle TO his coitenl-
poraries, ard has continued to be one to
biographers, cssayists and critics. Mr.
Mccarthy evidently thinks that both
I'd. array ard Thool'eray misread and mis-
Interpreted the whole nature OF the man.
l!is own comments on the character and
motives Of tho author of "Gulivcr" run az
follows; "Sv it's whole If, was one Of con-
ficting impulses. The career in'o which
he vas forced Oy circumstances would ap-
pear to have been the very last suited TO
his temper and his intellect He would
have been great man Of letters if he had
been nothing else he would have baen a
great politician If he had been nothing
else, but nature had not intended him for
the work Of a clergyman. He seems 10
have tried hard to DO his duty in that fold
Of work, for which he was so i'll fitted
but he could not compel his passionate
temperament TO suit itcelf to the conditions
Df such "A calling, and he sought relief by
giving FRYE vent To the stronger and fierc.r
parts Of his nature, through plungng into
political controversy He was, above all
things, an impatient spirit, and in many
parts OF his life he reminds us of the old
stories told about men visited by demoniac
possession. His aspirations appear TO
have been always for tho elevation Of hui