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A Dog's Religion
Grace After Dinner
His Duel With Captain D'esterre
A Certificate Of Marriage
His Birth
Wisdom
A Mistaken Frenchman
A Courtier's Retort
Arthur O'leary
A Martial Judge
Least Viewed
His Birth
Swift Arbuthnot And Parnell
To Quilca
His Reception At The Rotundo By The Volunteers
Sow-west And The Wigs
His Charity
Epistolary Bores
Sir R Peel's Opinion Of O'connell
Swift And Bettesworth
His First Client
Random Irish Humour
Swift And His Butler
His Habits Of Study--his Influence
Sir R Peel's Opinion Of O'connell
Meeting Of O'leary And Wesley
Dialogue Between Swift And His Landlord
His Birth
Howard The Philanthropist And Mr Henry Shears
Curran As Punch's Man
The Pies
The Dean's Contributory Dinner
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Countess Of Burlington
Irish Humour Home
Swift was dining one day with the Earl of Burlington soon after his
lordship's marriage, when that nobleman, expecting some diversion from
Swift's oddities of behavior, 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 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 favor, positively refused him. He said she could
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 his 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 humor, 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 behavior. It seems Queen Caroline did not,
if we may credit his words in the verses on his own death.
Next: Swift's Political Principles
Previous: Swift's Behavior At Table
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