Poetry. 197 



Love of Fame the Universal Passion, byY)\\ Young, 

 though mentioned under a preceding head, is also 

 entitled to a place among the best satirical pro- 

 ductions of the age. The characters are, in general, 

 well selected and ably drawn, the illustrations are 

 happy, the sentiments just, the imagery correct and 

 various, and the satire at once easy, vivacious and 

 moral. 



The satirical poetry of Dean Swift has various 

 kinds and a high degree of poetic excellence; but 

 delicacy is by no means one of its attributes. His 

 wit is often extremely happy, and his ridicule just, 

 lively, and powerful. " His diction is correct, 

 his numbers smooth, and his rhymes exact. There 

 seldom occurs a laboured expression, or a redun- 

 dant epithet. All his verses exemplify his own 

 definition of a good style; they consist of proper 

 words in proper places. 11 But the levity with 

 which he frequently treats the most serious subjects 

 is altogether unpardonable ; w and the unnatural 

 fondness which he manifests for coarse indelicacy, 

 and for images drawn from every source of physical 

 impurity, cannot but fill with disgust the mind of 

 every virtuous reader.* 



•w " I know not," says Dr. Beattie, " whether this author is not the; 

 pnly human being who ever presumed to speak in ludicrous terms of the 

 last judgment. His profane verses on that tremendous subject were not 

 published, so far as I know, till after his death: for Chesterfield's 

 letter to Voltaire, in which they are inserted, and spoken of with ap- 

 probation, (which is no more than one could expect from such a critic) 

 jtnd said to be copied from the original in Swift's hand-writing, is dated 

 in 175a. But this is no excuse for the author. We can guess at what was 

 in his mind when he wrote them ; and at what remained in his mind 

 while he could have destroyed them, and would not. I mean not to insi- 

 nuate that Swift was favourable to infidelity. There is good reason to 

 believe he was not ; and that, though many of his levities are inexcuseable, 

 he could occasionally be both serious and pious. In fact, an infidel clergy- 

 man would be such a compound of execrable impiety, and contemptible 

 meanness, that I am unwilling to suppose there can be such a monster. 

 The profaneness of this author I impute to his passion fcr ridicule, and rage 

 of witticism ; which, when they settle into a habit, arid venture on liberties 

 with what is sacred, never fail to pervert the mind, and harden the heart." 



x Instances of this fault are so numerous and offensive in Swift's 

 writings, that no further remarks 

 force the criticism. 



