( 401 ) THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For DECEMBER, 1754. ART. XLVII. The third and laft Volume of the Memoirs of Mrs. Lætitia Pilkington. Written by Herfelf. Wherein are occafionally interfperfed, variety of poems: as alfo the letters of Jeveral perfons of diftinction: with the conclusive part of the Life of the inimitable Dean Swift. 12mo. 3s. Griffiths. T HIS pofthumous production of Mrs. Pilkington is publifhed by her fon, pursuant to a fubfcription which his mother had begun to raife, and which his own affairs made it neceffary to get completed. Those who have feen the two firft volumes of this lady's memoirs will be fufficiently apprized of what they may expect in this, when we inform them, that her pen is dipped in the fame gall, and her ftyle conducted with the fame fpirit. I cannot,' (fays fhe, in her introduction to this volume) like a certain female writer, fay, I hope, if I have done nothing to pleafe, I have done nothing to offend; for truly, I mean to give both pleasure and offence: lemon and sugar is very pretty. I fhould be forry to write a fatyr which did not fting, nor will I ever write a panegyric on an undeferver: if a rogue fhould happen to be mine honest friend, I owe him filence; but that is the most he can expect.-I threaten not any, nor did I ever do it; but characters are my game.'How far the provocations fhe had met with may excufe, or extenuate, the exceffive freedom, fhe has taken with the characters of feveral perfons, our ignorance of her connections VOL. XI. DJ will will not allow us to determine: but, as we have no complaints of that kind to make, no reader of breeding, or generofity, will expect us to take up the malevolent task of making more public, what muft neceffarily give pain to those with whom we are at perfect peace. The further anecdotes Mrs. Pilkington has given us, upon her own credit, of Dean Swift, we hope, will prove a more agreeable entertainment. Thefe then, together with Mrs. Pilkington's behaviour in her last moments, as defcribed by her fon, in an appendix to this volume, are all we think fit to lay before the public; who, no doubt, are curious to know, in what manner this lady quitted a world, in which fhe had made herself fo remarkable. Her memoirs relating to Swift do no great honour to his good fenfe, or difcretion. This our female biographer feems fenfible of; but, fuppofing that the most minute circumftances relating to fo great a man cannot be deemed trivial,’— she undertakes to trace him in private life:' observing at the fame time, very juftly, that there only it is we can frame a true judgment of any perfon, the rest being frequently mere outfide.' Moft of Mrs. Pilkington's accounts of the Dean are from her own knowledge; the following however is upon hearfay. 6 I remember,' (fays fhe) a worthy gentleman, who had the honour of his [Swift's] acquaintance, told me, that the Dean, and fome other perfons of tafte, whom I do not now recollect, came to a refolution to have a feast once a year, in imitation of the Saturnalia; which, in heathen Rome, was held about the time we keep our Christmas, whereat the ⚫ fervants perfonated their mafters, and the mafters waited as • fervants.' The first time they put this fcheme in practice, was at the deanery-house. When all the fervants were feated, and 6 every gentlemen placed behind his own man, the Dean's fervant took an opportunity of finding fault with fome meat, which was not done to his tafte, and taking it up in his hand, he threw it in his mafter's face, and mimicked him in every other foible which he had ever discovered in him. At this the Dean flew in a violent rage, beat the fellow, and put every thing into fuch diforder, that the fervants, affrighted, left the room; and here ended the feaft of Sa• turnalia. One would have thought, fo much a master of true humour as the Dean was himself, that the poor fellow's conduct, thus excellently adapted to the intention of their regale, would have met with a very different reception: but Swift, it seems, was one of those who think themselves authorised to push at random against all that come near them, with the privilege of exemption from any hit in return. Mrs. Pilkington agrees with what has been mentioned in a former Review, from another author, that Stella was certainly the Dean's wife; but that no conjugal commerce had passed between them that the Dean in the latter part of his life, offered to acknowledge her as the partner of his heart; but fhe wifely declined it, knowing that while fhe continued only as a vifitor, he would treat her with refpect; which 'would cease, as his temper was unpaffive, if she lived entirely with him; and every fault of his fervants would be attributed to her.' But our author is certain he must have • tenderly loved that lady,' as she had been a witnefs, that the bare mention of her name has drawn tears from him, which it was not eafy to effect.' The following story we know not what to make of, without fuppofing that it happened very late in the Dean's life. I remember,' (fays Mrs. Pilkington) he fent for me one morning very early, to breakfaft; and as I always drank tea or coffee, I expected to have found one of thefe ready; but after he had detained me two hours, difcourfing on his ⚫ houfhold œconomy, and other matters, amongft which one was, that a piece of his garden-wall had fallen down; and "fo," faid he," one of my fellows muft needs get a trowel " and mortar, and undertake to mend the breach. "I happened," continued the Dean, "to fpy him out of my window at this employment, and called him to know "why he did that? He told me he had been bred a bricklayer, and that his doing it would fave me money; fo I "let him finish it, which he did very compleatly in about an hour's time. So I gave him a moidore; and pex take me, but the fellow, inftead of going as he ought, to the ale"houfe, or a whore, went and bought filver buckles, and is grown very proud on it. "-Come," faid he, " fhall we go to breakfast, I know CC you were once Bermudas mad; now I'll give you fome of "that country cheer; open that drawer, and reach me a flat "bottle you'll find there." I ran to obey him, and as the drawer was low, kneeled down to it.' . I no fooner attempted to unlock the drawer, but he flew at me, and beat me moft immoderately; I again made an effort, and ftill he beat me, crying, "Pox take you, open "the drawer." I once more tried, and he ftruck me fo hard," that I burst into tears, and faid, "Lord, Sir, what must "I do?" "Pox take you for a flut," faid he, "would you spoil my "lock, and break my key?" Why, Sir, the drawer is "locked." "Oh! I beg pardon," faid he, "I thought you were going to pull it out by the key; well, open it, and do "what I bid you." I did fo, and found the bottle. "Now," faid he, " you "must know I always breakfast between my own house and "the church, and I carry my provifion in my pocket," upon this he pulled out a piece of ginger-bread, and offered me fome. As I was terribly afflicted with the heart-burn, the very As the memoirs of Swift are promiscuously scattered through Our author, whofe addreffes to the great were very frequent and extensive, takes occafion, to complain loudly of the mercenary infolence of fervants in families of rank; the allowance of which fhe, with more politeness than veracity, attributes to their lords' being ignorant of it: this, however, leads her to recollect the following behaviour of Swift upon fuch an occafion. The Dean,' (fays fhe) difcharged a fervant only for rejecting the petition of a poor old woman: she was very ancient, and on a cold morning fat at the deanery-steps a confiderable time, during which the Dean faw her through a window, and no doubt commiferated her defolate condi⚫tion. His footman happened to come to the door, and the poor creature befought him in a pitcous tone, to give that paper to his reverence. The fervant read it, and told her, with infinite fcorn, his mafter had fomething elfe to mind, than her petition. What's that you fay, fellow?" faid the I • Dean, 1 Dean, looking out at the window," come up here." The man, trembling, obeyed him: he alfo defired the poor wo⚫ man to come before him, made her fit down, and ordered her fome bread and wine; after which he turned to the man, and faid, "At what time, Sir, did I order you to open a 66 paper directed to me? or to refufe a letter from any one? "Hark ye, Sirrah, you have been admonifhed by me for drunkennefs, idling, and other faults; but fince I have dif"covered your inhuman difpofition, I must difmifs you from my fervice: fo pull off my cloaths, take your wages, and "let me hear no more of you." But we return, with our author, to one or two more of the Dean's whims. When the Dean was at Bellcamp, at the house of the rev. Dr. Gratton, he wrote to Dr. Delany to come and dine with him, mighty Thomas Thumb, and her ferene highness of Lil• liput, meaning my husband and me: accordingly we went; the Dean came out to meet us, and I, by agreement, hiding my face, Mr. Pilkington told him they had picked up a girl on the road, and defired to know whether they might bring her in. He, gueffing who it was, faid, "let her fhew her face, and if she be likely, we'll admit her." On this I took ⚫ down my fan, and faid, “O indeed, Sir, I am :" "Well "then," faid he, “give me your hand." He led me into a parlour, where there were twelve clergy-men, and faid, "Those fellows coming in, have brought a wench with them; "but," added he, "we'll give her a dinner, poor devil! and "keep the fecret of our brethren.”— ' "Pox on you, you flut," said the Dean," you gave me a hint "for my polite converfation, which I have purfued: you faid, "it would be better to throw it into dialogue, and suppose it "to pass amongst the great; I have improved by you:" "O "dear Sir," faid I, " it is impoffible you should do otherwife." "Matchlefs faucinefs!" returned he: "well, but I'll read you "the work;" which he did with infinite humour, to our high • entertainment. It was Christmas time, and froze very hard: the Dean, meditating revenge, fet the wine before a great fire; the ⚫ corks of the wine being fecured with pitch and rofin, which began, in a little while, to melt: no fooner did the Dean ' perceive they were fit for his purpose, but he Alily rubbed his fingers on them, and daubed my face all over. Instead of being vexed, as he expected I would, I told him he did me great honour in fealing me for his own. "Plague on her, " faid he, "I cannot put her out of temper;" yet he determined to do it, if poffible, for he asked the company if they had Dd 3 ever |