Sivifi^s Hoax. 235 



and no doubt knew its contents well. ' It was never published, 

 but we know that it contained many stories from the Spanish. ~ 



Swift was also an intimate friend of Lord Carteret 3 whose circle 

 was interested in the literature of Spain ; and it was at his instance 

 that the first carefully prepared edition of Don Quixote saw the 

 hght in London (1738) with the first biography of Cervantes. And 

 Sir William Temple, too, Swift's noted friend, reveals in his works 

 and letters a wide acquaintance with numerous matters concerning 

 the language, the literature, and the affairs in general of the Spanish 

 Peninsula. Thus Swift moved in an atmosphere in which he could 

 continually find an incentive to Spanish reading. 



Indeed, it is of interest to note too, that when Swift's reputation 

 spread through England, and abroad, he earh- came to be looked 

 on as a kind of English Cervantes. ^ And so, knowing how 

 o-reatlv he admired the author of Don Onixotc, we can imagine him 

 turning to the adventures of that famous Knight and his squire, to 

 while away his lonely evenings, when, as he says, he read Spanish 

 prose long after the rest of the house was asleep. He may also 

 have included the novel b}^ Tirso de Molina in these midnight read- 

 ings ; he may possibly have read it in the French version of D'Ouville,^ 

 so frequently printed in his own day. Tirso's works, at all events, 

 had had influence on English and French playwrights Ijefore Bicker- 

 staff's hoax on Partridge was conceived, and perhaps Swift ma\' 

 have thought the jest on the duped husband worth repeating in the 

 case of the poor English almanac maker. 



Yale Universitv. Rudolph Schevill. 



^ Cf. Vol. xviii, p. 92: Correspondence; letter to Dr. Sheridan : "I am 

 confident your collection of bo}t mots, and conies a rire, will be much the 

 best extant, etc." 



2 Cf . Vol. ix, p. 302 : Character of Dr. Sheridan : " He has left behind 

 liim a very great collection, in several volumes, of stories, humorous, 

 witty, wise, or some way useful, gathered from a vast number of Greek. 

 Eoman, Italian, Spanish, French and English writers. I believe I niaj- 

 have seen about thirty, etc." Cf. also : Dkiionary of National Biography. 

 under Dr. Th. Sheridan, Vol. hi, p. 86. 



' Cf . Vol. xviii, p. 144, Epistolary correspondence : " Lord Carteret 

 pulled me to the ^A'indo^v, and bade me tell you that he loved and 

 honoured you." 



* Cf. Vol. xviii, p. 337, Letter from Lord Bathurst. 



^ Cf. Appendix I. 



