aid, "You have just met the most unhappy man on earth; but on the
subject of his wretchedness you must never ask a question." Will it be
believed that Scott--who rejects Delany's inference from this alleged
incident--had no better authority for it than "a friend of his
(Delany's) relict"?

9 This incident, for which there is probably some foundation of fact--we
cannot say how much--has been greatly expanded by Mrs. Woods in her
novel Esther Vanhomrigh. Unfortunately most of her readers cannot, of
course, judge exactly how far her story is a work of imagination.

10 In October Swift explained that he had been in the country "partly to
see a lady of my old acquaintance, who was extremely ill" (Unpublished
Letters of Dean Swift, p. 198).

11 There is a story that shortly before her death Swift begged Stella to
allow herself to be publicly announced as his wife, but that she replied
that it was then too late. The versions given by Delany and Theophilus
Swift differ considerably, while Sheridan alters the whole thing by
representing Swift as brutally refusing to comply with Stella's last
wishes.

12 There has also been the absurd suggestion that the impediment was
Swift's knowledge that both he and Stella were the illegitimate children
of Sir William Temple--a theory which is absolutely disproved by known
facts.

13 It is curious to note the intimate knowledge of some of Swift's
peculiarities which was possessed by the hostile writer of a pamphlet
called A Hue and Cry after Dr. S---t, published in 1714. That piece
consists, for the most part, of extracts from a supposed Diary by Swift,
and contains such passages as these: "Friday. Go to the Club... Am
treated. Expenses one shilling." "Saturday. Bid my servant get all
things ready for a journey to the country: mend my breeches; hire a
washerwoman, making her allow for old shirts, socks, dabbs and markees,
which she bought of me... Six coaches of quality, and nine hacks, this
day called at my lodgings." "Thursday. The Earl looked queerly: left him
in a huff. Bid him send for me when he was fit for company... Spent ten
shillings."

14 The "little language" is marked chiefly by such changes of letters
(e.g., l for r, or r for l) as a child makes when learning to speak.
The combinations of letters in which Swift indulges are not so easy of
interpretation. For himself he uses Pdfr, and sometimes Podefar or FR
(perhaps Poor dear foolish rogue). Stella is Ppt (Poor pretty thi