JONATHAN SWIFT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1841, 24 April 1884, Page 4

JONATHAN SWIFT.

Amoxo the unsolved enigmas of histoiy around which fancy pla\s with cagoi curiosity, noiip, ptrhips, has pioxed itself more tempting a id n.o -c impi.icti cable than the melancholy stoiy of Jonathan -Swift's life. The causes of the gloom which oveishadowvd a gieat mind, the icasons why of the peipetual unsuccess that followed him, and last, but not least, the secret histoiy of the connection between Swift and two ladies, known as Stelh and Vanessa, have been conned andaigued with an eagerness and .111 \-ioty only by the thoiough faiimc that has lesulted. As fai as om picsent means of knowledge .11 c con coined inquiry is hopeless, and solution of the my&tciy lies Imiied witli the aetoi in it. Under the circumstances, imagination finds ample room for itscU, and it is not uondeiful th.it one thcoiy aftei another is attempted. The author of " Jonathan Swift" publishcsauouyinouslv, his theory of the gieat man's life; and we are bound to say that it &ugge&t& not only a feasible but a Kindly and cliantabloseiie.s of possible explanations of some of the daikest aspects of Swift's history. The opening scene describes Swifts mothei and sister, two women of del km to sensibility and intense affection They are awaiting tlie return of the son and bi other f 10111 an unsuccessful efloit to publish " The Tal^ of .1 Tub," and with tender care endeavour to conceal the bitter po\eity that cncncles them, and the disappointment which his tailuie eveites. It is a wondei fully pathetic pictuie of family affection and unselfish goodness. The gi eat q unit youny fellow coveis his bini&cd and aching heait with an appeal ancc of ladiant happiness, while the mothor and Lamiel pour in the oil and wine of tcndei sympathy and full appreciation. Yet the tii&t solitary moment sees the ti'inble sliadow of in sanity come c 7 oun upon the unhappy man, and for a bnef space lie knows that he has been mad. It is with this gum shadow always hoveling near that Jonathan Swift humbles himself to his wealthy ielative, Mr William Temple, to gain a scanty livelihood foi his deal ones. What peisonal sunVimg could etlect he does l)iavci> in oidui to wr c them, and accepts the post of srciotei\ to the unimaginatne and self satisfied Sir William, while his pioud spuit wiithcs under the humiliation of suvice. ft is while he thus woiks at an uncongenial fa=k for love's sake that an einissaiy fiom the Fiend) (!o\ cinnient, tlie Count Honii de (iiuseaid, intioducis iliiiHelt to Laiuicl and Mis Swift, and by ii false tale peisiudes them to giv e him sheltn as a fugitive f 10111 ciHimes, which lie ically desiiesin nis diai.ictri of spy. Undei the inllui me of the fount's u.illantry, and tliu pit\ thati* lkin to love, Lannel loses lit 1 heait, to the false De (juiscuil, and while foi .Jonathan the cloud scorns beginning to lift, and success not fa 1 oil, a <iims comes; (imsi.ud s tieachery is discoveied, and T-numl, broken-heai ted diowns liciself. Souow follows soiiow, and w lien Jonathan socks his home it is to find the tendei mothiifieait has succumbed undei the shodi., and h" is left to bin v, the dead. Woise still, no explanation exists of tlu cause of tins tiagody. ,uid Sw iff r .11 1 les with him an in\ olllllt.it \ siispiiion of the puiitj and upughliK s-. of those he has lost so injsloi ioiisl} Tins mote than all, is the reason of tlu' i.ulual change of (haiactei that mailvs him hfncefoith. Kiith in his kind has gone Even the best have appaiently failed him, and never again can he ti 11st man 01 woman implicitly. As if fate found in him a congenial mailc, his one love stoiy is mailed by anothei tenible suspicion, and at theveiy time when explanation cleiis up the doubt, Hcter Johuscm, the s.ull\ famous Stella of histoiy, sees Swilt m one of Jus fits of mania, and knows that then mutual line mnstncvci end 111 miiinge Among the luiuhK'st poi tions of the book file the pictinesof manly fneniKlnp between Swirt and Heinv SL folm and the \l\aclous po"t, .Matthew I'noi S"ift seems alu.i\s to h.ivc eudnicd kindness lat'iei than sougiit it, and his fi lends must indeed li.ne ben fiiendly eio could j)ut up with the bi usque discouttesy and s.uage humour that coveied a feeling heait Oui authoi, all the way thiough these volumes, diaws the portiait of a man at feud with his liitu 1 , acccepting favouis with a hent disti acted with humiliation and pude, reluctant to icccive, jetfuuous that foi tune will not smile, and always fighting despeiately against the honible fate that he know s .iw.nts him. It is to pi ovule against the tnrc when madness .shall ; e 7. • upon him that he will gain mane, somehow, andum, and "he th it is without sui l'"t linn cast the fust fctme.'' fco, low ci and low ci uudei this qi lev ous temptation, few if t sells his fuends and bieaks a woman s heait, and betiaj-i his cause, and tho ti.igic end comes, However much om theoiics may differ from those of this wutu, lie succeeds in engaging on behalf of this gieatlv abused genius a sympathy .mil coiu[)assion ihat aie painful m tin extienie, and a conviction that tluu' must bu pilbatng cncunibtuices connected w ith the ciiois that loom so hui^e thiough clouds of mysteiy. — Litei.uy Woild.

AtirLT males 111 England have an aveiage hemht of (57 3(5in., and females 021(),')in. The a\ciage weight of the men is 1)5111, and of the female 12-211). Il.c females aie but little 11101 p than half as .strong as the males Chili is making rapid political and educational piogi < ss Jfei eUi/eiis aie beginnmj,' to believe in a futnic ot national powei. Jfohqinus fnedom is granted, and libeial leL'islatois, even now, foiesee the se .nation of Cluuch and State.

HOW V UITII IV \K\ s OCCI It IN JAl'W*.— In the mytl)ol»)gical menageiie ot the Japanese thcie is, aLCoi ding "to some, 111 the depths of the sea a gigantic fish which stnkes ag.uiiot the coasts in its anger, and thus makes the e.aith tremble ; according to othcis, it is a subtenanean monster, whose head is in the 1101 th of Hmdo, while the tail lies between tlie two chief towns, which pioduces the eaithquakcs. 'J his position of the monster was a^uied, because expeiience ba& tausrht tint eaitlujnakos 111 the 1101 them Japan .11 c i.uei and less uoleii*-, than 111 the middle, poition ot Hindo, in which widespiead devastation w.is lepeatcdly earned Uy them. Acumling to Kaempfer the Ci<"> to I-lands aic fiee fiom these phenomena. How f.u this is so 1 could not satisfactory asccitain. — Japan. By J. J. "Rein, Piofcssor of Geography in Mai bin g. The follow ing sums aie said to have been paid for single woiks :—"liomola,'' George Kbot, 110,000; " Waveilcy," Scott, £700 ; " Woodstock,"Scott£Booo ; " Life of Napoleon, v Scott. £18,000 ; " Annadale," \ v i!kic Collins, €.)000 ; " Lallah Rookh,"Thomas Mooie, i"3000 ; " History of iiome," Uoldsimth, £'>00 ; " Ilistoiy of Cieeee," Goldsmith, £'2.">0 ; •• Hibtoiy of England,"Goldsmith, £000 ; " Vicai of Walv(held,"(«olds,inith, £(i 0 ; " Decline and Fall," Gibbon, tIO.OOO ; " Lives the of Poets," Johnson, £."JOO ; " Rasselas," Johnson, £100.

One SiirLLi.vu.—Fiancib J. Shortts Popular Art Union —icn first-class Oil Paintings by celebrated artists. 0000 tickets at Is The pri/cs are magnificent .uid costlj Country subscribers sending stamps or otherw ise will have tickets by return post. Enclose stamped envelope for replv—l'kanus J Shokit, 1 J0( Aiill^l md — fAuvj

Qiipcn-'.tiect, ] Rats and Mick. —If you wish to destroy them get a packet of H11 1 's .Mac.il Vkrmi\ Kin IK in packets, (id, fid, and Is, to be obt lined ol all storekeepers., or from 1". 13. Hn l by enclosing an r-\tia si mip

LIFK IN THKBUmH— TIILX AM) Now.— It is generally supposed that in the bush we have to put up with many discomforts and privations in the shape of food Formerly it was so, but now, thanks to T. R. Hill, who has himself dwelt in the bush, if food does consist chiefly of tinned moats his Col on x/M Saiick gives to them a most delectable flavour, making them as well of the plainest food most enjoyable, and instead as bard biscuits and indigestible damper his I\ifhovbd Colon rAr. Hakog Povvdi'k makes the v*ry best broad, scones, cakes, and pastry far superior and more wholesome than yeast or leaven', Sold by all storekeepers who can ob{iip it Jropi any n^ercbaat in Auckland,