to pay their fhare of the reckoning. Here too the midnight orgies of Bacchus were often celebrated, with the fame noify mirth as is cuftomary in his city temples, without in the leaft difturbing the repofe of the more fober part of the family. Games of all forts were allowed, but under fuch reftrictions as to prevent gambling; and fo as to anfwer their true end, that of amusement, without injury to the purfe of the players. There were two billiard-tables, and a large bowlinggreen; ample provifion was made for all fuch as delighted in country sports; fithing tackle of all forts; variety of guns with proper ammunition; a pack of buck-hounds, another of fox-hounds, and another of harriers. He conftantly kept twenty choice hunters in his ftables, for the ufe of those who were not properly mounted for the chace. It may be thought that his income was not fufficient to fupport fo expenfive an eftablifh. ment; but when it is confidered that 2001. a-year at that time was fully equal to double that fum at prefent; that his large demefne, in fome of the richeft foil of Ireland, furnished the houfe with every neceffary except groceries and wine; it may be fuppofed to be easily practicable, if under the regulation of a ftrict œconomy; of which no man was a greater mafter. I am told his plan was fo well formed, and he had fuch checks upon all his domeftics, that it was impoffible there could be any waste, or that any article from the larder, or a fingle bottle of wine from the cellar, could have been purloined without immediate detection. This was done partly by the choice of faithful ftewards, and clerks of approved integrity; but chiefly by his own fuperintendence of the whole, as fcarcely a day paffed without having all the accounts of the preceding one laid before him. This he was enabled to do by his early rifing; and the bufinets being finished before others were out of their beds, he always appeared the moft difengaged man in the houfe, and feemed to have as little concern in the conduct of it as any of the guefts. And indeed to a ftranger he might eafily pafs for fuch, as he made it a point that no one fhould confider him In the light of mafter of the house, nor pay him the leaft civilities on that fcore; which he carried fo far, that he fometimes went abroad without giving any notice, and fraid away feveral days, while things went on as ufual at home; and on

his return he would not allow any gra tulations to be made him, nor any other notice to be taken of him, than if he had not been abfent during that time. The arrangements of every fort were so prudently made, that no multiplicity of guefts or their domeftics ever occafioned any disorder, and all things were con ducted with the fame eafe and regularity as in a private family. There was one point which feemed of great difficulty, that of establishing certain figuals, by which each fervant might know when he was fummoned to his master's apartment. For this purpofe there was a great hall appropriated to their ufe, where they always affembled when they were not upon duty. Along the wall, bells were ranged in order, one to each apartment, with the number of the chamber marked over it; fo that when any one of them was rung, they had only to turn their eyes to the bell, and fee what fervant was called. He was the first who put an end to that inhofpitable cuftom of giving vales to fervants, by making a fuitable addition to their wages; at the fame time affuring them, that if they ever took any afterwards, they should be discharged with difgrace; and to prevent temptation, the guests were informed that Mr Mathew would confider it as the higheft affront, if any offer of that fort were made.

As Swift had heard much of this place from Dr Sheridan, who had been often a welcome guest there, both on account of his companionable qualities, and as being preceptor to the nephew of Mr Mathew, he was defirous of feeing with his own eyes whether the report of it were true, which he could not help thinking to have been much exaggerated. Upon receiving an intimation of this from Dr Sheridan, Mr Mathew wrote a polite letter to the Dean, requesting the honour of a vifit, in company with the Doctor, on his next fchool vacation. They fet out accordingly on horseback, attended by a gentleman who was a near relation of Mr Mathew, and from whom I

received the whole of the following account. They had fcarce reached the inn where they were to pass the firft night, and which, like most of the Irish inns at that time, afforded but miferable entertainment, when a coach and fix horfes arrived, fent to convey them the remainder of their journey to Thomastown; and at the fame time bringing ftore of the choiceft viands, wine, and

other

other liquors, for their refreshment. Swift was highly pleafed with this uncommon mark of attention paid him; and the circumftance of the coach proved particularly agreeable, as he had been a good deal fatigued with his day's journey. When they came within fight of the house, the Dean, aftonished at its magnitude, cried out, "What, in the name of God, can be the ufe of fuch a vaft building :" Why, Mr Dean," replied their fellow-traveller before mentioned, "there are no lefs than forty apartments for guefts in that houfe, and all of them probably occupied at this time, except what are referved for us." Swift, in his ufual manner, called out to the coachman to stop, and bade him turn about, and drive him back to Dublin, for he could not think of mixing with fuch a crowd. 66 Well," faid he afterwards fuddenly, "there is no remedy, I must submit; for I have lost a fort · night of my life." Mr Mathew received him at the door with uncommon marks of respect; and then conducting him to his apartment, after fome compliments, made him his ufual fpeech, acquainting him with the customs of the houfe, and retired, leaving him in poffeffion of his caftle. Soon after the cook appeared with his bill of fare, to receive his directions about fupper, and the butler at the fame time with a lift of wines and other liquors. "And is all this really fo," faid Swift; and may I command here as in my own house?" The gentleman before mentioned affured him he might, and that nothing could be more agreeable to the owner of that manfion, than that all under his roof should live conformably to their own inclinations, without the leaft reftraint: "Well then," faid Swift," I invite you and Dr Sheridan to be my guefts while I ftay, for I think I fhall hardly be tempted to mix with the mob below." Three days were paffed in riding over the demefne, and viewing the feveral improvements, without ever feeing Mr Mathew, or any of the guests; nor were the company below much concerned at his abfence, as his very name ufually infpired thofe who did not know him with awe, and they were afraid his prefence would put an end to that eafe and chearfulness which reigned among them. On the fourth day, Swift entered the room where the company were affembled before dinner, and addreffed

Mr Mathew in one of the fineft complimental fpeeches that ever was made; in which he expatiated on all the beauties of his improvements, with the skill of an artift, and tafte of a connoiffeur. He fhewed that he had a full comprehenfion of the whole of the plan, and of the judicious adaption of the parts to the whole, and pointed out feveral articles which had efcaped general obfervation. Such an addrefs, from a man of Swift's character, could not fail of being pleating to the owner, who was at the fame time the planner of these improvements; and fo fine an eulogium from one who was fuppofed to deal more in fatire than panegyric, was likely to remove the prejudice entertained against his character, and prepoffefs the reft of the company in his favour. He concluded his fpeech, by saying, "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am come to live among you, and it shall be no fault of mine, if we do not pass our time agreeably." After dinner, being in high fpirits, he entertained the company with various pleafantries. Dr Sheridan and he played into one another's hands; they joked, they punned, they laughed, and a general gaiety was diffused through the whole company. In a fhort time all conftraint on his account difappeared. He entered readily into all their little fchemes of promoting mirth, and every day, with the affiftance of his coadjutor, produced fome new one, which afforded a good deal of sport and merriment. Never were fuch joyous fcenes known there before; for, when to cafe and chearfulness there is fuperadded, at times, the higher zeft of gay wit, lively fancy, and droli humour, nothing can be wanting to the perfection of the focial pleafures of life. When the time came which obliged Dr Sheridan to return to his fchool, the company were fo delighted with the Dean, that they earneftly intreated him to remain there fome time longer; and Mr Mathew himself for once broke through his rule of never foliciting the ftay of any gueft, (it being the eftablished cuftom of the houfe, that all might depart whenever they thought proper, without any ceremony of leave-taking), by joining in the requeft. Swift found himfelf fo happy in his fituation there, that he readily yielded to their folicitations, and instead of the fortnight, which he had originally intended, paffed four months

there

there much to his own fatisfaction, and that of all those who visited the place during that time.

Having given fo very ample an account of the owner of this remarkably happy manfion, I fhall now relate an adventure he was engaged in, of fo fingular a kind as deferves well to be recorded. It was towards the latter end of Queen Anne's reign, when Mr Matthew returned to Dublin, after his long refidence abroad. At that time party ran very high, but raged no where with fuch violence as in that city, infomuch that duels were every day fought there on that fcore. There happened to be, at that time, two gentlemen in London who va lued themselves highly on their fkill in fencing; the name of one of them was Pack, the other Creed; the former a major, the latter a captain in the army. Hearing of thefe daily exploits in Dublin, they refolved, like two knighterrants, to go over in queft of adventures. Upon inquiry, they learned that Mr Mathew, lately arrived from France, had the character of being one of the firft fwordsmen in Europe. Pack, rejoicing to find an antagonist worthy of him, refolved the firft opportunity to pick a quarrel with him; and meeting him as he was carried along the ftreet in his chair, joftled the fore chairman. Of this Mathew took no notice, as fuppofing it to be accidental. But Pack afterwards boafted of it in the public coffeehouse, faying, that he had purposely offered this infult to that gentleman, who had not the spirit to refent it. There happened to be prefent a particular friend of Mr Mathew's of the name of Macnamara, a man of tried courage, and reputed the best fencer in Ireland. He immediately took up the quarrel, and faid, he was fure Mr Mathew did not fuppofe the affront intended, otherwife he would have chaftifed him on the fpot; but if the Major would let him know where he was to be found, he fhould be waited on immediately on his friend's return, who was to dine that day a little way out of town. The Major faid, that he should be at the tavern over the way, where he and his companions would wait their commands. Immediately on his arrival, Mathew be ing made acquainted with what had paff. ed, went from the coffeehoufe to the tavern, accompanied by Macnamara. Belag fhewn into the room where the two gentlemen were, after having fecu

red the door, without any expoftulation, Mathew and Pack drew their swords; but Macnamara stopped them, saying; he had fomething to propole before they proceeded to action. He said, in cafes of this nature, he never could bear to be a cool fpectator; fo, "Sir, (addreffing himself to Mr Creed), if you please, I fhall have the honour of entertaining you in the fame manner." Creed, who defired no better sport, made no other reply than that of inftantly drawing his fword; and to work the four champions fell, with the fame compofure as if it were only a fencing-match with foils. The conflict was of fome duration, and maintained with great obftinacy by the two officers, notwithstanding the great effufion of blood from the many wounds which they had received. At length, quite exhaufted, they both fell, and yielded victory to the fuperior skill of their antagonifts. Upon this occafion, Mathew gave a remarkable proof of the compofure of his mind during the action. Creed had fallen the first; upon which Pack exclaimed, "Ah, poor Creed, are you gone?" "Yes," faid Mathew, very compofedly," and you fhall instantly pack after him;" at the fame time making a home thruft quite through his body, which threw him to the ground. This was the more remarkable, as he was never in his life, either before or after, known to have aimed at a pun. The number of wounds received by the vanquifhed parties was very great; and what feems almoft miraculous, their opponents were untouched. The furgeons, feeing the defperate state of their patients, would not fuffer them to be removed out of the room where they fought, but had beds immediately conveyed into it, on which they lay many hours in a state of infenfibility. When they came to themfelves and faw where they were, Pack, in a feeble voice, faid to his comparion, "Creed, I think we are the conquerors, for we have kept the field of battle." For a long time their lives were defpaired of; but, to the astonishment of every one, they both recovered. When they were able to fee company, Mathew and his friend attended them daily, and a close intimacy afterwards enfued, as they found them men of probity, and of the beft difpofitions, except in this Quixotish idea of duelling, whereof they were now perfectly cured.

ODE

ODE FOR THE NEW YEAR. By WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, Efq; Elufive is the Poet's dream;

D

Or does prophetic Truth infpire The zeal which prompts the glowing theme,

And animates th' according lyre?
Trust the Mufe; her eye commands
Distant times, and distant lands,
Thro' bursting clouds in op'ning fkies
Sees, from Difcord, Union rife,
And Friendship bind unwilling foes
In firmer ties than duty knows.
Torn rudely from its parent tree,
Yon Scion, rifing in the Weft,
Will foon its genuine glory fee,

And court again the foll'ring breast,
Whole nurture gave its pow'rs to spread,
And feel their force, and lift an alien head.
The parent tree, when ftorms impend,

Shall own Affection's warmth again; Again its foftering aid fhall lend,

Nor hear the fuppliant plead in vain ;
Shall ftretch protecting branches round,
Extend the shelter, and forget the wound.
Two Britains, thro' th' admiring world,
Shall wing their way with fails unfurl'd,
Each, from the other kindred state,
Avert, by turns, the bolts of fate,
And acts of mutual amity endear
The Tyre and Carthage of a wider sphere.
When Rome's divided eagles flew,
And different thrones her empire knew,
The varying language foon disjoin'd
The boafted masters of mankind:
But here, no ills like those we fear,
No varying language threatens here;
Congenial worth, congenial flame,
Their manners and their arts the fame,
To the fame tongue fhall glowing themes
afford,
[record.
And British Heroes act, and British Bards

Fly fwift, ye years, ye minutes, haste,
And in the future lofe the past;
O'er many a thought-afflicting tale,
Oblivion, caft thy friendly veil;
Let not Memory breathe a figh,
Or backward turn th' indignant eye;
Nor the infidious arts of foes

Enlarge the breach that longs to clofe; But acts of amity alone infpire [willing lyre. Firm faith and cordial love, and wake the

VERSES addressed to Mifs Seward, by the Rev. Thomas Sedgwick Whalley, on reading an illmatured criticifm on her Louifa.

To make her worthy of that high renown,
Which Seward long, as with a radiant Crown,
By her enamour'd country had been grac'd,
The Mufe, to deck her offspring, fummons
Tafte;

Energic Genius, with his ardent eyes;
Imagination, bright with changing dies;
And Senfibility's magnetic power;

And prays them to adorn the natal hour
Of this her darling with each various grace
Expreffive of her high Parnaffian race,
And meet, without a fear, or blush, to claim
The glorious patronage of Seward's name.
Glad they aflent, and foon the lovely Maid,
Beneath their fofl'ring cares, each charm dif-
play'd,

art

That prove, in concert join'd, their fovereign
[heart.
To win the judgement, and enslave the
Within her eye the fires of Genius play,
Temper'd by Senfibility's foft ray,
Glow on her cheek, in every fmile appear,
Give ftrange electric force to every tear;
Inform each step, each geft; and mingle fair
The timid graces with her noble air;
Imagination the rich robe fupplies,
That dazzles with a thousand luftrous dies;
And every ornament is aptly plac'd,
To give the whole its full effect, by Tafte.
Shewn to the world, thus form'd, and thus
array'd,
[Maid;
All eyes were fix'd upon the matchless
Her melting powers touch'd every generous
breast;

The Wife admir'd her, and the Good carefs'd.

This Envy faw, and faw with fick’ning heart,
As in her lurking-place the writh'd apart:
And fhall it be, thou Arrogant! she said,
That undifputed laurels deck thy head?
Thy head alone from Eavy's blastings free
Nor one proud leaf untimely fall by me?
Then vainly are my lips with cankers hung,
And vain the banetul poitons of my tongue!
She faid, and, faying, beckon'd to her fide

Three fiends in nature to herself allied:
Coward Revenge, who fhuns a noble war,
And from his fecret battery floors afar;
Bafe Jealoufy, who loaths a rival's praife,
And, whill he dreads his fame, diffects his lays;
With private Ranceur, who pretends to be
From every taint of fecret malice free,
But through a native dread of piercing light,
Wrapt up herself and them in veils of night;
And, heedlefs of a public cenfor's fame,
Borrow'd and borrowing, damn'd the facred

name.

Then to each other tofs'd the taunting head. "And did ye ever fee," pale Envy faid, "So mere a mawkin as that vaunted Maid? Look how the walks-is that her noble air, And can ye find in that unmeaning ftare, The melting grace, the animating fire, That all are touch'd with, and that all admire?"

"Sho

“She walks on filts," dark Jealoufy replied, Which all her art would vainly ftrive to hide. Look, look too, how the labours to obtain The long'd applaufes of her gaping train." "Oh, what forc'd action! oh, what tortur'd grace,

Moves every limb, and grins upon her face!" Cries private Rancour. "See her tawdry

taste,

[pafte!" How daub'd fhe is with tinfel, fringe, and "But, midst her glittering threds," Revenge

replied,

"Her native rags are eafily efpied;

And while the proudly boaft, her race divine,
And claims extraction from the facred Nine,
How eafy to detect her vulgar birth
From fome poor, bafe, plebeian stock of earth!"
More had they rail'd; but, with difdainful
eye,

Candour cut short the fcurrilous reply:
And whilft her fcoinful hand indignant tore
The darkling veil whofe fkulking glooms they

wore,

And fhew'd the monsters to the public gape, Each in its own deform'd and hated shape, "Hence! hence, to hell!" the cry'd, "detefted [purfue; There your bafe projects, your dark plots There fpend your venom where you took your birth,

crew;

And ceafe to harafs and pollute the earth:
Senfelefs as vile, in your attempts to blast
The glorious fenfibility and tafte
Genius and radiant Fancy join to shed
With mingled luftre on Louifa's head.
Heace!" At the word, Truth's brilliant
fhield the rear'd,

In whofe bright mirror at its length appear'd
Each bloated fiend to its own loathing fight:
Banning they fled, and, in the fhades of night
Hiding their foul deformity, left Worth
T'enjoy a while unpoifon'd praife on earth.

WINTER. An Ode.
By the late Dr JOHNSON.
TO more the morn with tepid rays
Unfolds the flower of various hue;
Noou spreads no more the genial blaze,
Not gentle Eve diftills the dew.
The ling'ring hours prolong the night,
Carping Darkness thares the day;
Her mifts reftrain the force of light,
And Phoebus holds a doubtful fway.
By gloomy twilight half reveal'd
With fighs we view the hoary hill,
The leaflefs wood, the naked field,
The fnow-topt cor, the frozen rill.
No mufic warbles thro' the grove,

No vivid colours paint the plain;
No more with devious fteps I rove
Thro' verdant paths, now fought in vain.
Aloud the driving tempeft roars;
Congeal'd, impetuous fhowers defcend:
VOL. XLVII.

Hafte!-clofe the window-bar the door:
Fate leaves me Stella and a friend.
In Nature's aid, let Art fupply

Rouze, rouze the fire, and pile it high;
With light and heat my little fphere:
Light up a conftellation here.
Let Mufic found the voice of Joy!

Or Mirth repeat the jocund tale;
Let Love his wanton wiles employ,
Yet Time his dreary Winter brings,
And o'er the Seafon, wine prevail.

When Mirth's gay tale fhail pleafe no more; Nor Mufic charm, tho' Stella fings;

Nor Love, nor Wine, the Spring restore.
Catch then, O! catch the transient hour;
Improve each moment as it flies:
Life's a fhort Summer,-Man a Flower;
He dies!-Alas! how foon he dies!

On the Death of a beloved Mother.
Hat though no fculptur'd marble marks
the place

WH

Where Death's cold arms a Mother's corfe embrace;

What though no epitaph her lavish praife,
In turgid ftrain, and learned pomp, difplays;
What though confin'd to an inglorious grave,
Where darkfome yews their folemn branches

wave:

Yet fhall Remembrance on her tablet keep
Her Virtues pictur'd, and, furveying, weep.
O when thall Piety and Goodness find
An empire equal to her heavenly mind!
Warm was her foul with pure Devotion's flame;
She felt its power, regardless of the name.
The conftant facrifice of prayer and praise
Mark'd the long number of her chequer'd days.
Nor Care intrufive, nor alluring Joy,
Stole the bleft moments of this pure employ.
From hence deriv'd thofe gifts which GoD
bestows

To eafe th' oppreffive load of human woes; Patience, whofe balm can Pain's fierce ftings [furvey.

allay;

And Faith, whofe eye can opening Heaven
No cold feif-intereft froze her liberal heart,
In all distress the bore the ampleft part.
Her bounty flow'd in one unruffled courfe,
When fmiling Fortune fill'd the generous
fource:

But when the clouds of dark Misfortune fpread
The night of indigence around her head,
Soft Pity ne'er deny'd for others' woe,
Her figh to murmur, and her tear to flow.
To fympathife was still her honeft pride,
And Nature gave what Poverty deny'd.

Above the dark difguife of fraudful Art, Her tongue difplay'd the purpose of her heart. Like the fam'd ftream, whofe crystal waters fhow

The golden treasures of the foil below.
Her children blefs'd her mild yet steady fway;
Love, more than duty, taught them to obey:
That

F