Description
Wildside Press The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was born in 1667 on the 30th of November. His father was a Jonathan Swift sixth of the ten sons of the Rev. Thomas Swift vicar of Goodrich near Ross in Herefordshire who had married Elizabeth Dryden niece to the poet Drydens grandfather. Jonathan Swift married at Leicester Abigail Erick or Herrick who was of the family that had given to England Robert Herrick the poet. As their eldest brother Godwin was prospering in Ireland four other Swifts Dryden William Jonathan and Adam all in turn found their way to Dublin. Jonathan was admitted an attorney of the Kings Inns Dublin and was appointed by the Benchers to the office of Steward of the Kings Inns in January 1666. He died in April 1667 leaving his widow with an infant daughter Jane and an unborn child. Swift was born in Dublin seven months after his fathers death. His mother after a time returned to her own family in Leicester and the child was added to the household of his uncle Godwin Swift who by his four wives became father to ten sons of his own and four daughters. Godwin Swift sent his nephew to Kilkenny School where he had William Congreve among his schoolfellows. In April 1782 Swift was entered at Trinity College as pensioner together with his cousin Thomas son of his uncle Thomas. That cousin Thomas afterwards became rector of Puttenham in Surrey. Jonathan Swift graduated as B.A. at Dublin in February 1686 and remained in Trinity College for another three years. He was ready to proceed to M.A. when his uncle Godwin became insane. The troubles of 1689 also caused the closing of the University and Jonathan Swift went to Leicester where mother and son took counsel together as to future possibilities of life. His most famous work remains Gullivers Travels.show more