r?' I should tell him that I was not the author; and, therefore, I
tell you, Mr. Bettesworth, that I am not the author of these lines."

Bettesworth was so little satisfied with this account, that he publickly
professed his resolution of a violent and corporal revenge; but the
inhabitants of St. Patrick's district embodied themselves in the dean's
defence. Bettesworth declared in parliament, that Swift had deprived him
of twelve hundred pounds a year.

Swift was popular awhile by another mode of beneficence. He set aside
some hundreds to be lent in small sums to the poor, from five shillings,
I think, to five pounds. He took no interest, and only required that, at
repayment, a small fee should be given to the accomptant; but he
required that the day of promised payment should be exactly kept. A
severe and punctilious temper is ill qualified for transactions with the
poor: the day was often broken, and the loan was not repaid. This might
have been easily foreseen; but for this Swift had made no provision of
patience or pity. He ordered his debtors to be sued. A severe creditor
has no popular character; what then was likely to be said of him who
employs the catchpoll under the appearance of charity? The clamour
against him was loud, and the resentment of the populace outrageous; he
was, therefore, forced to drop his scheme, and own the folly of
expecting punctuality from the poor[105].

His asperity continually increasing, condemned him to solitude; and his
resentment of solitude sharpened his asperity. He was not, however,
totally deserted; some men of learning, and some women of elegance,
often visited him; and he wrote, from time to time, either verse or
prose; of his verses he willingly gave copies, and is supposed to have
felt no discontent when he saw them printed. His favourite maxim was,
"Vive la bagatelle;" he thought trifles a necessary part of life, and,
perhaps, found them necessary to himself. It seems impossible to him to
be idle, and his disorders made it difficult or dangerous to be long
seriously studious, or laboriously diligent. The love of ease is always
gaining upon age, and he had one temptation to petty amusements peculiar
to himself; whatever he did, he was sure to hear applauded; and such was
his predominance over all that approached, that all their applauses were
probably sincere. He that is much flattered, soon learns to flatter
himself: we are commonly taught our duty by fear or shame, and how