After living in every kind of dissipation, generally necessitous, and always extravagant, he had the good fortune to hit upon this plan. He travelled with it about England, and was uncommonly successful. By this happy expedient he acquired, in a few years, a fortune sufficient to afford him a comfortable retreat in his old age. He died in 1784. He was the author of a novel, in two volumes, entitled “The Adventures of Tom Fool," and some dramatic pieces. He also published a monthly maga zine, which existed almost a year, entitled “The Beauties of all the Magazines except the Lawyer's," by George Alexander Stevens. His itinerant situation frequently threw him and his troupe into laughable situations. One night when they were performing in a barn, they were too attentive to business to observe several large apertures in the boards, which afforded much enjoyment to the outside auditors; one of whom took the first opportunity of tearing away the train of a pompous heroine. Her duty soon after requiring her attendance on the stage, she stalked on, and in the height of tragic rant exclaimed-Why do I bear about this gaudy train?"-(at the same time turning round to observe it, added)—" D the dirty scoundrels, they have cut it off!" On another night, when there was a scarcity of males in the company, a female was easily prevailed on to wear the breeches.-The moment she appeared upon the stage, a burst of laughter proceeded from every quarter of the wooden theatre; the actress joined in the mirth, supposing her exertions in

her

tion.

her comic character had given perfect satisfacBut she soon discovered the origin of so much fun, when her daughter (a girl of about fifteen) thus addressed her with becoming energy-" Mother, mother, button your breeches!

Mother, mother, button your breeches!"She was now convinced, that she had omitted a very necessary article in the adjustment of her small cloaths, and very decently removed or rather concealed the nuisance.

STRONG, (JOSEPH) a native of Carlisle, who though blind from his infancy, displayed amaz ing skill in mechanics. When a youth, he constructed an organ for himself, being a good performer on that instrument. At twenty years of age he could make himself almost every article of wearing apparel. The first pair of shoes that he manufactured was for the purpose of walking from Carlisle to London, on a visit to Mr. Stanley, the blind organist. He also constructed a great number of mechanical figures and machines, and was expert at making any article of houshold furniture. He died at Carlisle, in 1798.

SWIFT, (JONATHAN) the celebrated dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin, was the son of an attorney, and born in 1667. He was an illustrious poetical, political, satirical, and miscellaneous writer. He was a posthumous child, and his mother had but a scanty provision left her to provide for herself and two children. He was first educated at Kilkenny school, from whence he was taken to Trinity-college, Dublin, where, from a natural dullness in the early part of life, or from ncglecting the usual studies of the university, he

did not obtain his degree of B. A. without much difficulty. On the death of his uncie, by whom he had been principally supported, he was left destitute; he therefore paid a visit to Sir William Temple, in England, who received him very kindly, and employed him in correcting his works. In 1692 he was admitted to his degree of M. A. at Oxford; but in 1694, on a disagreement between him and his patron, they parted. Entering into orders, he obtained the prebend of Kilroot, in the diocese of Connor, of the annual value of about 1001. But Sir William Temple, having been much used to his company, was uneasy in his absence, and made overtures of concession to him. A reconciliation immediately took place, and Swift returned to England. Sir William Temple was so well pleased with his conduct on this occasion, that when he died, he left him his posthumous works, and a legacy in money. Having lost his friend, Mr. Swift endeavoured to procure some preferment in England, but was disappointed: He was, however, appointed chaplain and private secretary to Lord Berkley, one of the lords justices of Ireland; but was soon after dismissed with the livings of Laracor and Rathbeggin. He fixed his residence at the first of these places, and decorously performed the duties of a parish priest. To this habitation he invited over the celebrated Stella from England. This lady was daughter of Sir William Temple's steward, to whom Sir William had bequeathed 10001. in consideration of her father's service. She accepted Swift's invitation, and resided with a female friend, who accompanied her at his

house when he was absent, but when he came home, they removed to another in the neighbourhood. In 1701 he took his doctor's degree, and, on the accession of Queen Anne, commenced political writer, by which he became a conspicuous character. In 1713 he was appointed dean of St. Patrick's, which was a great disappointment to him, as he thought it inadequate to his deserts; he looked higher, and thought himself entitled to a bishopric. On the death of the queen, the Tories lost their influence, and the dean became unpopular in Ireland; but he afterwards became the idol of the nation, by zealously opposing the introduction of Wood's half-pence. In 1716 he was privately married to Stella, but they continued to live as they had done before. The dean's conduct, in this respect, is supposed to have preyed upon that lady's spirits, and eventually to have broken her heart. His treatment of another lady, on whom he bestows the name of Vanessa in his works, was also extremely ungenerous. She was the daughter of a Dutch merchant in Dublin, whose affections he had gained by his promises and caresses; but when she pressed him to marry or refuse her, he disclosed his real situation; which had such an effect upon her, that she survived the shock only a few weeks. The dean was subject, through life, to a giddiness in the head, which increased toward the close of it, and brought on a total privation of reason, in which condition he died in 1745. In his lucid intervals he bequeathed the bulk of his fortune to erect an hospital in Dublin, for lunatics and ideots. His

remains were interred in St. Patrick's cathe dral. The principal works of Dean Swift are, "The Tale of a Tub;” “ Gulliver's Travels, a moral and political Romance;" "Letters, Poems, Sermons, Political Treatises ;" and "The Four last Years of Queen Anne." As his company was courted by persons of the first rank in life and literature, the following peculi arities may be related of him. It was a rule with him never to speak more than a minute at a time, and to wait for others to take up the conversation. He was particularly happy in punning, and used to say, "that none despised that talent but those who were without it." He greatly excelled in telling stories, but in the lat ter part of his life repeated them too often. He was offended at a double entendre, or profaneness in religious subjects. He was pleased at having ladies in the company, because it preserved the delicacy of conversation; though we may venture to assert that, in his writings, there are greater indelicacies than any double intendres can

amount to.

TELL, (WILLIAM) an illustrious Swiss patriot, and the chief instrument of the revolution which delivered the Swiss cantons from the German yoke in 1307. Geisler, the governor of these provinces for the emperor Albert, ordered him, on pain of death, to shoot an apple placed on the head of his son. Having fortunately suc ceeded in the task imposed upon him, without hurting the child, he told the tyrant, that had he been less fortunate, he had another arrow in re