SWIFT, JONATHAN

SWIFT, JONATHAN
   born at Dublin, a posthumous son, of well-connected parents; educated at Kilkenny, where he had Congreve for companion, and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he was a somewhat riotous and a by no means studious undergraduate, only receiving his B.A. by "special grace" in 1686; two years later the Revolution drove him to England; became amanuensis to his mother's distinguished relative Sir William Temple, whose service, however, was uncongenial to his proud independent nature, and after taking a Master's degree at Oxford he returned to Dublin, took orders, and was presented to the canonry of Kilroot, near Belfast; the quiet of country life palling upon him, he was glad to resume secretarial service in Temple's household (1696), where during the next three years he remained, mastering the craft of politics, reading enormously, and falling in love with STELLA (q.v.); was set adrift by Temple's death in 1699, but shortly afterwards became secretary to Lord Berkeley, one of the Lord-Deputies to Ireland, and was soon settled in the vicarage of Laracor, West Meath; in 1704 appeared anonymously his famous satires, the "Battle of the Books" and the "Tale of a Tub," masterpieces of English prose; various squibs and pamphlets followed, "On the Inconvenience of Abolishing Christianity," &c.; but politics more and more engaged his attention; and neglected by the Whigs and hating their war policy, he turned Tory, attacked with deadly effect, during his editorship of the Examiner (1710-11), the war party and its leader Marlborough; crushed Steele's defence in his "Public Spirit of the Whigs," and after the publication of "The Conduct of the Allies" stood easily the foremost political writer of his time; disappointed of an English bishopric, in 1713 reluctantly accepted the deanery of St. Patrick's, Dublin, a position he held until the close of his life; became loved in the country he despised by eloquently voicing the wrongs of Ireland in a series of tracts, "Drapier's Letters," &c., fruitful of good results; crowned his great reputation by the publication (1726) of his masterpiece "Gulliver's Travels," the most daring, savage, and amusing satire contained in the world's literature; "Stella's" death and the slow progress of a brain disease, ending in insanity, cast an ever-deepening gloom over his later years (1667-1745).

The Nuttall Encyclopaedia. . 1907.

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  • Swift,Jonathan — Swift (swĭft), Jonathan. 1667 1745. Irish born English writer known for his satirical works, including Gulliver s Travels (1726) and A Modest Proposal (1729). * * * …   Universalium

  • Swift, Jonathan — Swift, Jonathan. Es ist der Triumph, wie der Probierstein der wahren Dichterkraft, daß sie aus den verschiedensten Elementen, himmlischer Goldstufen wie irdischer Schlacken, aus Thränen und Windesbrausen nur eine einzige harmonische Landschaft… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Swift, Jonathan — born Nov. 30, 1667, Dublin, Ire. died Oct. 19, 1745, Dublin Irish author, the foremost prose satirist in English. He was a student at Dublin s Trinity College during the anti Catholic Revolution of 1688 in England. Irish Catholic reaction in… …   Universalium

  • Swift, Jonathan — (1667–1745)    Satirist and Churchman.    Swift was ordained into the ministry of the Church of Ireland and he rose to become Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1713. He took part in both the political and religious life of his time, but he is… …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Swift, Jonathan — (1667 1745)    An Irish poet, writer, and political satirist who is probably best remembered for his book Gulliver s Travels. The description of the miniature and giant figures in this book, referred to as Lilliputians and Gulliverians, as well… …   Dictionary of Hallucinations

  • Swift, Jonathan — (1667 1745)    Born in Dublin his father was a lawyer whose family had gone to Ireland after the Restoration he attended Trinity College and from 1689 to 1699 was secretary to Sir William Temple in Surrey. After Temple s death, Swift was ordained …   British and Irish poets

  • Swift, Jonathan — ► (1667 1745) Escritor británico. Representante típico de la crítica demoledora de su época. Autor de: La batalla de los libros (1704) y de los famosos Viajes de Gulliver (1726), sátira de la Inglaterra de la época y de la sociedad humana, y… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Swift, Jonathan — (1667 1745)    Satirist, was b. at Dublin of English parents. Dryden was his cousin, and he also claimed kin with Herrick. He was a posthumous child, and was brought up in circumstances of extreme poverty. He was sent to school at Kilkenny, and… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • SWIFT, Jonathan — (1667 1745)    English ANGLICAN theologian and SOCIAL satirist famous for his novel Gulliver s Travels (1726) …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • Jonathan Swift — Nacimiento 30 de noviembre de 1667 Dublín Defunci …   Wikipedia Español

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