more money
was, under his direction, laid out in repairs, than had ever been in the
same time since its first erection. Of his choir he was eminently
careful; and, though he neither loved nor understood musick, took care
that all the singers were well qualified, admitting none without the
testimony of skilful judges.

In his church he restored the practice of weekly communion, and
distributed the sacramental elements in the most solemn and devout
manner with his own hand. He came to church every morning, preached
commonly in his turn, and attended the evening anthem, that it might not
be negligently performed.

He read the service, "rather with a strong, nervous voice, than in a
graceful manner; his voice was sharp and high-toned, rather than
harmonious."

He entered upon the clerical state with hope to excel in preaching; but
complained, that, from the time of his political controversies, "he
could only preach pamphlets." This censure of himself, if judgment be
made from those sermons which have been published, was unreasonably
severe.

The suspicions of his irreligion proceeded, in a great measure, from
his dread of hypocrisy; instead of wishing to seem better, he delighted
in seeming worse than he was. He went in London to early prayers, lest
he should be seen at church; he read prayers to his servants every
morning with such dexterous secrecy, that Dr. Delany was six months in
his house before he knew it. He was not only careful to hide the good
which he did, but willingly incurred the suspicion of evil which he did
not. He forgot what himself had formerly asserted, that hypocrisy is
less mischievous than open impiety. Dr. Delany, with all his zeal for
his honour, has justly condemned this part of his character.

The person of Swift had not many recommendations. He had a kind of muddy
complexion, which, though he washed himself with oriental scrupulosity,
did not look clear. He had a countenance sour and severe, which he
seldom softened by any appearance of gaiety. He stubbornly resisted any
tendency to laughter.

To his domesticks he was naturally rough; and a man of a rigorous
temper, with that vigilance of minute attention which his works
discover, must have been a master that few could bear. That he was
disposed to do his servants good, on important occasions, is no great
mitigation; benefaction can be but rare, and tyrannick peevishness is
perpetual. He did not spare the servants of others. Once, when