Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-25
WAS DEAN OF ST. PATRICK'S
Wrote Many Satires on Parliament
and Its Laws.
SOME INTERESTING STORIES
"The Schonberg Epitaph" and the
Tablet in Memory Of His
Body Servant.
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and Il
Chicago Record Herald.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
DUBLIN, June 1s. 1903.
One cannot go very far, or visit many
Of the most interesting places In Ireland.
without coming acress reminders of the
Rev. Jonathan Swift, DID. author OF
"Guliiver's Travels" The Tale OF a
Tub and other we'll known books. He
was the greatest of all satirists, one OF
the most brilliant of all wits. and an all
around genius. without moral conscious
ness, altogether selfish. inordinately vain
and one OF the most eccentric characters
in the history Of literature. He was born
in Dublin November 80, 1867. educated at
Trinity College. where he only distin-
guished himself by his eccentricities: was
curate of two churches In this neighbor-
hood, and dean OF st. Patrick's Cathedral
for more than thirty years. He was more
famous for his wit than his wisdom for
mis- piquancy than for r:-ty. He spent
most of his life there, he died there. was
buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral by the
side of noble woman whose life he
wrecked, and left his money to found an
insane asylum which is still In existence.
The house in which Jonathan Swift was
born Is in Hoey's court, which once was
popular place of residence for well-to-
do people. and still has many houses of
architectural pretensions. but has degen-
may be found in the very center Of the
business section of the city.
Swift's Ancestry.
He came of good Yorkshire family.
His mother had aristocratic connections
and was one of those women who seem to
have been born to suffer from the failings
Of men. His father was a shiftless ad-
venturer, following several professions
and occupations in turn without even
ordinary success In either Jonathan
went to the parish schools In XII
happened to be living in that locality.
and when he was seventeen years old
passed the entrance examinations to Trim
ity College, Dublin. where Oliver Gold
smith was a fellow-student and one of his
few intimate friends. Swift was will
full, independent, eccentric person. OF a
lonely and sour disposition. and refused
to be bound by the rules of the university.
He would not study mathematics or phys
les. but delighted In classical literature.
and wrote many very bright and witty
contributions to college literature which
gave promise OF genius. One Of them was
a play that was performed by the college
students with great success His degree
was reluctantly conferred by the faculty
through the influence Of Sir William Tenn
pie. famous statesman Of those days,
whose wife was a distant relative Of
Swift's mother.
Shortly after graduation he became pri-
vate secretary to Sir William Temple and
went with him to London during several
sessions Of parliament. and while there
under some influence that has never been
explained In a satisfactory manner. Swift
decided to enter the ministry and took q
course of theology at Oxford. After his
ordination in 1896 Temple got him a living
in a quiet, secluded village called Laricor
near Danean, about four miles from Dub.
lin. in a church that has long ago crum-
bled to ruins and has been replaced by q
modern building. 1t was a small parish
consisting of not more than ten or twelve
aristocratic family: among them the
Wellesley family. the ancestors of the
great Duke Of Wellington. who, however
was not born at Dangan. as some OF his
biographers have asserted. but at No. q
Upper Merrion street, Dublin. a house
now occupied by the board Of commission.
ers and their clerks. who are carrying on,
the provisions Of the Irish land law.
A Congregation Of One.
The young curate's congregation was
not very regular in its attendance. and
you will remember. perhaps. an amusing
story of how the Rev. Mr.. Swift. when
he cams from the vestry to the lectern one
Sabbath morning found no one but thu
sexton. Roger Norris, In the paws. He
read the service as usual. however. and
with that quaint sense of humor which
cropped out in everything he did began
Solemny:
Dearly beloved Roger, the Scripture
moveth us in sundry places, ETC.. ETC.
Coming to the conclusion that he was
not fitted for parish work. Swift obtained
the position of private secretary to Ear
Berkeley. one OF the lord justices of Ire
land. but after a while got another church
and tried preaching again. But he spent
more of his time In literary work and
writing political satires than in prayer
or study or sermonizing. He edited Sir
William Temples speeches and wrote his
biography, and went to London, where
he became a member of an able and inter
esting group of politicians and PAM
broke. He contributed to the Tattler, the
Spectator and other publications Of the
time. and soon became recognized as one
Of the most brilliant and savage satirists
and influential political writer's of the
day.
Through his political influence and not
for his piety he tried to get the inter OF
bishop. but failed, and after many years
was appointed dean OF st. Patrick's. the
most prominent and famous church In
Dublin He had not been in his new po'
sition long before he created a tremen-
dous sensation and set all Ireland aflame
by writing political pamphlet signed NJ
B. ORA pier
In 173 Walpoles government. under
George 1, gave to the Duchess of Kendall.
the mistress of the king, concession to
supply an unlimited amount Of copper
coinage to Ireland. and she took VIII
liam Wood, an iron manufacturer Of
Birmingham. into partnership. There was
no mint In Dublin and no limitation in
the contract SO the firm Of Kendall &
Wood flooded the island with new cop
per pence and halfpence, upon which
| they made a profit of 40 per cent. They
became so abundant that they lost their
values. Naturally the contract created
not only scandal. but an intense indig-
nation. Many pamphlets were pub!ished
and speeches were made denouncng the
transaction.
Telling Attack on Copper Coinage
The most telling attack came from
what puIported to be an honest, unpre-
| tentious Dublin draper or dry goods mer-
chant who told in simple, direct Language
the story of the coinage. and related anec-
dotes Of Dublin women going from shol
to shop followed by carloads of copper
coins from the factory Of the Duchess OF
Kendall. He told OF a poor working
woman who gave a pound OF deprecated
pennies for mug Of ale. and declared