SWIFT'S RUDENESS. 



183 



uough to convict him. He ac- 

 knowledged that he had been com- 

 posing in the garden, and made his 

 peace by repeating the ballad. 



JAMES MONTGOMERY, THE POET. 



Professor Durbin, an American 

 tourist, in his letters from England, 

 writes, "The day I left Sheffield, 

 at five o'clock, P.M., for Manchester, 

 Dr. Newton, and Mr. Jones, his 

 host, were so good as to afford 

 several of us the great pleasure of 

 spending an hour or two in the 

 company of Mr. Montgomery, the 

 poet. It was at the dinner-table at 

 Mr. Jones'. 



"Conference business required 

 that the company should sit down 

 to dinner early, and it chanced to 

 be before Mr. Montgomery arrived. 

 As soon as he was seen through the 

 window approaching the door, Mr. 

 Jones rose and went out to meet 

 him, and led him into the room. 

 All rose, and stood while he passed 

 round the table, shaking each one 

 by the hand, and then took his seat 

 with Mr. Newton, between him and 

 myself. 



" The conversation was inter- 

 rupted but a moment ; and the in- 

 telligence, vivacity, and piety of the 

 poet instantly diffused a glow and 

 elevation of thought and feeling 

 which true consecrated genius only 

 can inspire. The topics were vari- 

 ous grave, gay, amusing, some- 

 times witty, but always marked 

 with great propriety, and of ten with 

 deep piety. 



"He is now quite advanced in 

 years, and nervous, his health not 

 being good ; yet in company he is 

 very cheerful. He is exceedingly 

 easy and agreeable in manner, and 

 his whole bearing very gentle- 

 manly. 



" No man in any community was 

 ever more respected ; and he enters 

 into all the great benevolent move- 

 ments in his vicinity, and generally 

 presides, at least once a-year, at one 



of the principal missionary meetings 

 of the Wesleyans in Sheffield. He 

 is a truly religious man ; the son 

 of a Moravian missionary, who died 

 in the West Indies. 



" Some time ago there was a pro- 

 position to re-establish the mission 

 on the same island ; and, out of 

 respect to Mr. Montgomery, all 

 classes contributed, and the funds 

 were immediately raised. He has 

 a small income from his works, and 

 a small pension from the govern- 

 ment ; and thus passes his days in 

 sweet retirement, coming forth only 

 to countenance the cause of religion 

 and benevolence, or to shine upon 

 his friends. I was obliged to take 

 my leave of him and the entire 

 company around him ere the dinner- 

 party broke up." 



SWIFT'S MENTAL MALADY. 



Sometimes, during his mental 

 affliction, he continued walking 

 about the house for many conse- 

 cutive hours ; sometimes he remain- 

 ed in a kind of torpor. At times, 

 he would seem to struggle to bring 

 into distinct consciousness and shape 

 into expression, the intellect that 

 lay smothering under gloomy ob- 

 struction in him. A pier-glass fall- 

 ing by accident, nearly fell on him. 

 He said he wished it had ! He once 

 repeated, slowly, several times, "I 

 am what I am." The last thing he 

 wrote was an epigram on the build- 

 ing of a magazine for arms and 

 stores, which was pointed out to 

 him as he went abroad during his 

 mental disease : 



" Behold a proof of Irish senso; 



Hero Irish wit is scon ; 

 When nothing's left that's worth do- 

 fence. 

 They build a mngnzino !" 



SWIFT'S PvTJDENESS. 



An anecdote which, though only 

 told by Mrs. Pilkington, is well at- 

 tested, bears, that the last time he 

 was in London he went to dine 

 with the Earl of Burlington, who 



