Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 1.djvu/355

Rh finely upon her. Mrs. Johnson smiled, and answered, that she thought that point not quite so clear; for it was well known the dean could write finely on a broomstick. We must suppose her to have been exceedingly galled, when one of her humane disposition could utter such a sarcasm, and thus exult over the recent ashes of her departed rival.

As there were numbers, through party hatred, and others through envy, who watched every opportunity to calumniate the dean's character, and spread stories to his disadvantage, the publication of this poem afforded room for malice to exert itself, which was greedily embraced. There were some lines in it, which having the worst construction put on them, by a very forced interpretation, might give rise to suspicions injurious to his character, and totally destructive of the lady's. Yet, such is the propensity of mankind to lean to the worse side, especially when any exalted character is thereby to be brought down more to a level with themselves, that this interpretation has been generally received, and the calumny accordingly spread, though perhaps there never was any built upon a more slender foundation, as I shall presently show. The lines alluded to are the following:

But what success  met, Is to the world a secret yet: Whether the nymph, to please her swain, Talks in a high romantick strain; Or whether he at last descends, To act with less seraphick ends; Or, to compound the business, whether They temper love and books together; Must never to mankind be told. Nor shall the conscious muse unfold.

VOL. I.