The Oxford Companion to English Literature | Swift, Jonathan
Swift, Jonathan
(
1667
–
1745
), born in Dublin after his father's death. He was son of Jonathan Swift by Abigail (Erick) of Leicester, and grandson of
Thomas
Swift
, the well-known Royalist vicar of Goodrich, descended from a Yorkshire family. He was a cousin of
Dryden
. He was educated with
Congreve
, at Kilkenny Grammar School, then at Trinity College, Dublin, where he was censured for offences against discipline, obtaining his degree only by ‘special grace’. He was admitted (
1689
) to the household of
Sir
W.
Temple
, and there acted as secretary. He was sent by Temple to
William
III
to convince him of the necessity of triennial parliaments, but his mission was not successful. He wrote Pindaric
odes
, one of which, printed in the Athenian Mercury (
1692
), provoked, according to
Dr
Johnson
,
Dryden's
remark, ‘Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet.’ Chafing at his position of...
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