Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 1.djvu/481

 Happening to be in company with a petulant young man, who prided himself in saying pert things to the dean, and at last getting up with some conceited gesticulations, said, with a confident air — "You must know, Mr. dean, I set up for a wit." "Do you so," says the dean, "then take my advice, and sit down again."

Being one day at a visitation dinner, a clergyman, who valued himself more upon his wit than he ought, and often mistook a rough kind of abuse for keen raillery; took it into his head to exercise his talents upon the dean, and that very licentiously. Swift sat with all the composure of a deaf man, not seeming to hear a word that he had said, nor making any kind of answer. At length the bishop interposed, and checked the petulance of the snarl; which was the name he went by. The dean immediately got up, and begged that no restraint might be laid on the gentleman — "Momus, my lord, was always admitted to the feasts of the gods, and privileged to say whatever he pleased there." From that time, instead of Snarl, the gentleman was called by no other name but that of Momus.

Sitting one evening with Mr. Addison, the conversation happened to turn upon the most distinguished characters in the history of the Old Testament; in which Swift preferred and supported that of Joseph; and Addison that of Jonathan; and after they had urged their reasons on both sides, with much zeal for a considerable time; Mr. Addison smiled, and said, "he was glad no third person was witness to their dispute;" just recollecting that he was asserting the hero of Swift's name, Jonathan; and Swift the hero of his, Joseph; which might have been