Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift entered the world on the 30th of November 1667 in Dublin. His father was a native of Goodrich, Herefordshire who had fled to Ireland after his family estate was ruined during the English Civil War. The elder Jonathan Swift died of syphilis about seven months before his son was born. He claimed he caught the disease from dirty sheets while traveling abroad. Swift's mother Abigail Erick returned to England shortly after giving birth. She left her infant son in the care of his uncle Godwin Swift. A wet nurse took the child to Whitehaven, Cumberland, where he learned to read the Bible. The nurse returned him to his mother in Ireland when he was three years old.
Swift served as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin starting in 1713 until his death. He originally supported the Whig party and the Glorious Revolution early in his career. Political shifts forced him to change sides when the Tories came to power in 1710. He became editor of The Examiner to support their cause against the Whig administration. Swift acted as a mediator between Henry St John and Robert Harley within the Tory government. When Queen Anne died and George I took the throne in 1714, the Whigs returned to power. Swift found himself in virtual exile back in Ireland. He wrote pamphlets supporting Irish causes like the Drapier's Letters which opposed English coinage monopolies. His printer Edward Waters was convicted of seditious libel for publishing these works. A grand jury later refused to find the letters seditious despite government pressure.
Gulliver's Travels appeared anonymously in November 1726 under the name Lemuel Gulliver. Three printings occurred that year with another edition appearing in early 1727. French, German, and Dutch translations followed quickly in 1727. Pirated copies were printed in Ireland itself. The book became an immediate hit among readers across Europe. A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country appeared in Dublin in 1729. Sarah Harding published this work which recommended selling poor children as food to the rich. Swift used intentionally grotesque arguments to highlight actual poverty issues. Critics hail the work as a satiric reflection on Enlightenment thought shortcomings. The narrative includes episodes where Gulliver puts out fires by urinating on them. This scene serves as a metaphor for political treaties Swift regarded as good things accomplished in unfortunate ways.
Swift met Esther Johnson when she was eight years old at Moor Park. He gave her the nickname Stella and maintained a close but ambiguous relationship throughout her life. Thomas Sheridan believed they were secretly married in 1716 while others dismissed the story as absurd. Swift wrote to William Tisdall in 1704 dissuading him from proposing to Stella. He privately expressed disgust for Tisdall as an interloper and they remained estranged for many years. Esther Vanhomrigh received the nickname Vanessa derived from adding Essa to her surname Vanhomrigh. She features as one of the main characters in his poem Cadenus and Vanessa. Esther followed Swift to Ireland in 1714 and settled at Celbridge Abbey. Their uneasy relationship continued until Esther Vanhomrigh died in 1723 at age thirty-five. She destroyed the will she had made in Swift's favor before passing away. Esther Johnson died on the 28th of January 1728 after Swift rushed back home to be with her. A lock of hair assumed to be hers was found in his desk wrapped in paper bearing the words Only a woman's hair.
Swift began showing signs of illness in 1738 possibly suffering a stroke that year. He lost the ability to speak and realized his worst fears of becoming mentally disabled. His friends declared him of unsound mind and memory to protect him from unscrupulous hangers-on. In 1741 guardians were appointed to take care of his affairs and watch lest he harm himself. Great pain came from inflammation of his left eye which swelled to the size of a chicken's egg. Five attendants had to restrain him from tearing out his own eye. He went a whole year without uttering a word. John Arbuthnot another friend from London also died in 1735. Alexander Pope died in 1744 leaving Swift alone among his closest companions. On the 19th of October 1745 Swift died at nearly seventy-eight years old. He was buried in St Patrick's Cathedral by Esther Johnson's side according to his wishes. The bulk of his fortune totaling twelve thousand pounds was left to found a hospital for the mentally ill. This institution opened in 1757 as St Patrick's Hospital for Imbeciles and still exists today.
Swift emerged as the most popular Irish author globally since the late eighteenth century. Gulliver's Travels remains the most printed book by an Irish writer in libraries worldwide. Many streets monuments festivals and regional tourist attractions bear his name across Ireland. George Orwell named him one of the writers he most admired despite disagreeing on moral issues. John Ruskin listed Swift among three people who were most influential for him personally. A 2017 analysis of library holdings data confirmed Swift is the most popular Irish author. His work influenced Soviet playwright Grigory Gorin who wrote The House That Swift Built in 1982. A crater on Mars's moon Deimos bears his name because he predicted the existence of those moons. The Trim Swift Festival honored his long-term residence in that town until it was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. His epitaph reads Savage indignation there cannot lacerate his breast inviting travelers to imitate him if they dare.
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Common questions
When was Jonathan Swift born and where did he enter the world?
Jonathan Swift entered the world on the 30th of November 1667 in Dublin. His father was a native of Goodrich, Herefordshire who had fled to Ireland after his family estate was ruined during the English Civil War.
What political party did Jonathan Swift support when the Tories came to power in 1710?
Jonathan Swift changed sides to support the Tory government when they took power in 1710. He became editor of The Examiner to support their cause against the Whig administration and acted as a mediator between Henry St John and Robert Harley within that government.
How many printings of Gulliver's Travels occurred in 1726 and what year were translations published?
Three printings of Gulliver's Travels appeared in 1726 with another edition appearing in early 1727. French, German, and Dutch translations followed quickly in 1727 while pirated copies were printed in Ireland itself.
Who died on the 28th of January 1728 and how did Jonathan Swift react to her death?
Esther Johnson died on the 28th of January 1728 after Swift rushed back home to be with her. A lock of hair assumed to be hers was found in his desk wrapped in paper bearing the words Only a woman's hair.
When did Jonathan Swift die and where is he buried according to his wishes?
Jonathan Swift died on the 19th of October 1745 at nearly seventy-eight years old. He was buried in St Patrick's Cathedral by Esther Johnson's side according to his wishes.