That when with the Pope,
I was getting my lore,
Ye were roasting potatoes

At the foot of Sheemôr.*

XVI. POSTHUMOUS WORKS OF DR. PARNELL, DEAN OF CLOGHER.

There is every reason to believe that a great part of these posthumous poems, by which the memory of Dr. Parnell is flagitiously disgraced, were never written by him. They were, however, ushered to the public with the apparently decisive authentication of a receipt stated to have been given by Dean Swift, and which is in these words:

"December 5th, 1723. Then received from Benjamin Everard, Esquire, the above writings of the late Dr. Parnell, in four stitched volumes of manuscript; which I promise to restore to him on demand.

JONATHAN SWIFT."

The editor states, that these MSS. were given to him by the son of Mr. Everard.

* A mountain in the county of Leitrim.

In justice to the memory of Dr. Parnell let it be observed, that it does not appear that the words, the above writings, in Swift's receipt, relate to this collection. The words themselves could not be used with propriety, except the names of the several pieces contained in the four stitched volumes immediately preceded them; and, if they did, they should have been printed with the receipt, for without them it is of no authority. It is somewhat strange too, that Swift, when he returned the verses, should not take up his receipt; for if it was thought necessary to take his receipt to make him chargeable with them till they were returned, it was surely necessary to restore his receipt, without which he was chargeable with them after they were returned. It is also possible, that the verses might be put into Swift's hands as Parnell's, and yet not be genuine; and in that case, his mentioning them to be Parnell's in the receipt will prove nothing more, than that when he received them, he was told they were Parnell's. Many of the

verses themselves, however, are stronger evidence that Parnell was not the author of them, than any proof that can now be brought to the contrary; for instance, in the History of the Old Testament:

"O look not, Israel, to thy former way;

God cannot fail, and either wait or pray."

That is, if you wait, do not pray; and if you pray, do not wait.

Parnell was a man every way estimable. Mr. Mason elegantly says,

"Not to disgust with false or venal praise

Was Parnell's modest fame."

XVII.

COUNTESS OF BURLINGTON..

Swift was sometimes very rude, even to his superiors in birth and condition. Dining one day with the Earl of Burlington soon after his Lordship's marriage, that nobleman, expecting some diversion from Swift's oddities of behaviour, purposely neglected to name him to his lady, who was entirely ignorant of the Dean's person. The Dean generally wore his gowns till they were

quite rusty, which being then the case, she supposed him to be some clergyman of no great consequence. After dinner, the Dean said to her, "Lady Burlington, I hear you can sing; come, sing me a song." The lady, disgusted with this unceremonious way of asking such a favour, positively refused him. He said she should sing, or he would make her. "What, madam, I suppose you take me for one of your poor paltry English hedge-parsons; sing, when I bid you!" As the Earl did nothing but laugh at this freedom, the Lady was so vexed, that she burst into tears, and retired. His first compliment when he saw her a little time afterwards was, "Pray, madam, are you as proud and ill-natured now as when I saw you last?" To which she replied with the greatest good humour, "No, Mr. Dean; I will sing for you now, if you please." From this time he conceived the greatest esteem for her, and always behaved with the utmost respect. Those who knew Swift, took no offence at his bluntness of behaviour.

It seems Queen Caroline did not, if we may credit his words in the verses on his own death.

XVIII. SWIFT'S BEHAVIOUR AT TABLE.

Swift's manner of entertaining his guests, and his behaviour at table, were curious. A frequent visitor thus described them: He placed himself at the head of the table, and opposite to a great pier glass, so that he could see whatever his servants did at the marble side-board behind his chair. He was served entirely in plate, and with great elegance. The beef being once over-roasted, he called for the cook-maid to take it down stairs, and do it less. The girl very innocently replied, that she could not. "Why what sort of a creature are you," exclaimed he, "to commit a fault which cannot be mended?" Then, turning to one that sate next to him, he said very gravely, that he hoped, as the cook was a woman of genius, he should, by this manner of arguing, be able, in about a year's time, to convince her,

she