When this wild work firft raised the attention of the publick, Sacheverell, meeting Smalridge, tried to flatter him, by feeming to think him the author; but Smalridge anfwered with indignation, "Not all that you " and I have in the world, nor all that ever 66 we fhall have, should hire me to write the "Tale of a Tub."

The digreffions relating to Wotton and Bentley must be confeffed to difcover want of knowledge, or want of integrity; he did not understand the two controverfies, or he willingly mifrepresented them. But Wit can ftand its ground against Truth only a little while. The honours due to learning have been justly diftributed by the decifion of pofterity.

The Battle of the Books is fo like the Combat des Livres, which the fame queftion concerning the Ancients and Moderns had produced in France, that the improbability of fuch a coincidence of thoughts without communication is not, in my opinion, balanced by the anonymous proteftation prefixed, in which all knowledge of the French book is peremptorily difowned.

For

For fome time after Swift was probably employed in folitary study, gaining the qualifications requifite for future eminence. How often he visited England, and with what diligence he attended his parishes, I know not. It was not till about four years afterwards that he became a profeffed author, and then one year (1708) produced The Sentiments of a Church-of-England Man; the ridicule of Aftrology, under the name of Bickerstaff; the Argument againft abolishing Christianity; and the defence of the Sacramental Test.

The Sentiments of a Church-of-England Man is written with great coolnefs, moderation, ease, and perfpicuity. The Argument against abolishing Christianity is a very happy and judicious irony. One paffage in it deferves to be selected.

"If Christianity were once abolished, how "could the free-thinkers, the ftrong reason

ers, and the men of profound learning, be "able to find another fubject fo calculated, “in all points, whereon to display their abi"lities? What wonderful productions of wit "fhould we be deprived of from those, whose genius,

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"genius, by continual practice, hath been

wholly turned upon raillery and invectives against religion, and would therefore never be able to fhine, or diftinguish themselves, "upon any other fubject? We are daily complaining of the great decline of wit cc among us, and would take away the greateft, perhaps the only, topick we have left. "Who would ever have fufpected Afgill for

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a wit, or Toland for a philofopher, if the "inexhauftible ftock of Chriftianity had not "been at hand to provide them with mate"rials? What other fubject, through all art

or nature, could have produced Tindal for 66 a profound author, or furnished him with "readers? It is the wife choice of the fub"ject that alone adorns and diftinguishes the "writer. For had an hundred fuch pens as "these been employed on the fide of religion, they would have immediately sunk "into filence and oblivion,

The reasonablenefs of a Teft is not hard to be proved; but perhaps it must be allowed that the proper teft has not been chofen,

The attention paid to the papers published under the name of Bickerstaff, induced Steele,

when he projected the Tatler, to affume an appellation which had already gained poffeffion of the reader's notice.

In the year following he wrote a Project for the Advancement of Religion, addressed to Lady Berkley; by whofe kindness it is not unlikely that he was advanced to his benefices. To this project, which is formed with great purity of intention, and difplayed with spriteliness and elegance, it can only be objected, that, like many projects, it is, if not generally impracticable, yet evidently hopeless, as it fuppofes more zeal, concord, and perfeverance, than a view of mankind gives reason for expecting.

He wrote likewise this year a Vindication of Bickerstaff; and an explanation of an Ancient Prophecy, which, though not completed in all its parts, cannot be read without amaze

ment.

Soon after began the bufy and important part of Swift's life. He was employed (1710) by the Primate of Ireland to folicit the Queen for a remiffion of the Firft Fruits and Twentieth parts to the Irish Clergy. With this purpose

purpose he had recourfe to Mr. Harley, to whom he was mentioned as a man neglected and oppreffed by the laft ministry, because he had refused to co-operate with fome of their schemes. What he had refused, has never been told; what he had fuffered was, I suppose, the exclufion from a bishoprick by the remonstrances of Sharpe, whom he defcribes as the harmless tool of others hate, and whom he reprefents as afterwards fuing for pardon.

Harley's defigns and fituation were fuch as made him glad of an auxiliary fo well qualified for his service; he therefore soon admitted him to familiarity, whether ever to confidence fome have made a doubt; but it would have been difficult to excite his zeal without perfuading him that he was trufted, and not very easy to delude him by false perfuafions.

He was certainly admitted to those meetings in which the first hints and original plan of action are fuppofed to have been formed; and was one of the fixteen Minifters, or agents of the Miniftry, who met weekly at