Article #623-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Battle of the Books, and other Short Pieces, by Jonathan Swift

INTRODUCTION.

Jonathan Swift was born in 1667, on the 30th of November. His father was
a Jonathan Swift, sixth of the ten sons of the Rev. Thomas Swift, vicar
of Goodrich, near Ross, in Herefordshire, who had married Elizabeth
Dryden, niece to the poet Dryden's grandfather. Jonathan Swift married,
at Leicester, Abigail Erick, or Herrick, who was of the family that had
given to England Robert Herrick, the poet. As their eldest brother,
Godwin, was prospering in Ireland, four other Swifts, Dryden, William,
Jonathan, and Adam, all in turn found their way to Dublin. Jonathan was
admitted an attorney of the King's Inns, Dublin, and was appointed by the
Benchers to the office of Steward of the King's Inns, in January, 1666.
He died in April, 1667, leaving his widow with an infant daughter, Jane,
and an unborn child.

Swift was born in Dublin seven months after his father's death. His
mother after a time returned to her own family, in Leicester, and the
child was added to the household of his uncle, Godwin Swift, who, by his
four wives, became father to ten sons of his own and four daughters.
Godwin Swift sent his nephew to Kilkenny School, where he had William
Congreve among his schoolfellows. In April, 1782, Swift was entered at
Trinity College as pensioner, together with his cousin Thomas, son of his
uncle Thomas. That cousin Thomas afterwards became rector of Puttenham,
in Surrey. Jonathan Swift graduated as B.A. at Dublin, in February,
1686, and remained in Trinity College for another three years. He was
ready to proceed to M.A. when his uncle Godwin became insane. The
troubles of 1689 also caused the closing of the University, and Jonathan
Swift went to Leicester, where mother and son took counsel together as to
future possibilities of life.

Explanation

The excerpt you’ve provided is the introductory biographical section from a collection of Jonathan Swift’s works, specifically The Battle of the Books and Other Short Pieces. While this passage is not a literary work in itself but rather a prefatory historical and biographical account, it serves several key functions in framing Swift’s life and influences, which are crucial for understanding his later satirical and political writings. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, its context, themes, literary significance, and the subtle ways it shapes our reading of Swift’s work.

1. Context of the Excerpt

This introduction is likely written by an editor or biographer (possibly Sir Walter Scott, who edited a 19th-century edition of Swift’s works, or another scholar) to provide genealogical, educational, and familial background before presenting Swift’s texts. The Battle of the Books (1697) is a satirical work mocking literary and intellectual disputes of the time, particularly the "Ancients vs. Moderns" debate—a conflict over whether classical (ancient) or contemporary (modern) writers were superior. The introduction here, however, focuses on Swift’s personal history, which indirectly illuminates themes in his later works, such as:

Displacement and alienation (Swift’s strained family life, being raised by an uncle).
Educational and intellectual formation (Trinity College, exposure to political and religious turmoil).
Hereditary connections to literature (links to Dryden and Herrick, two major poets).

2. Key Themes in the Biographical Sketch

While not a literary text itself, the introduction hints at themes that recur in Swift’s works:

A. Family and Inheritance (Literary and Personal)

Swift’s lineage is traced through clergymen (his grandfather, Rev. Thomas Swift) and poets (Dryden and Herrick), suggesting a dual inheritance: religious authority and literary satire.
- His mother’s family connects him to John Dryden, a dominant literary figure of the Restoration, known for his political and religious controversies (similar to Swift’s later career).
- The Herrick connection ties him to Robert Herrick, a Cavalier poet whose work often explored transience and human folly—themes Swift would later develop in Gulliver’s Travels and A Tale of a Tub.
The absence of his father (who died before Swift’s birth) and his upbringing by an uncle (Godwin Swift) mirror themes of orphanhood and surrogate parentage in his works (e.g., Lemuel Gulliver’s alienation, the Houyhnhnms’ adoption of him).

B. Education and Intellectual Formation

Swift’s education at Kilkenny School (a prestigious Protestant institution) and Trinity College, Dublin placed him in an environment of political and religious tension:
- The Glorious Revolution (1688) and Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91) disrupted his studies, forcing him to leave Trinity.
- This instability may have fueled his skepticism toward authority and his later Tory politics, which emphasized tradition over radical change (a theme in The Battle of the Books).
His failed M.A. due to his uncle’s insanity and the university’s closure reinforces a Swiftian theme: the fragility of human institutions (education, government, religion).

C. Displacement and Identity

Swift’s life was marked by geographical and familial instability:
- Born in Ireland but connected to England (Leicester, Dryden’s lineage).
- Raised by an uncle with a large, chaotic family (four wives, fourteen children)—echoing the absurdity of human reproduction in Gulliver’s Travels (e.g., the Struldbruggs, the Yahoos).
- His mother’s abandonment (returning to Leicester) and his dependent status may have contributed to his cynical view of human relationships.

3. Literary Devices and Style in the Introduction

Though not a literary work, the introduction employs biographical techniques that subtly influence how we read Swift:

A. Genealogical Emphasis (Hereditary Satire)

The text traces Swift’s lineage in detail, linking him to clergymen and poets. This serves to:
- Legitimize his authority as a satirist (he inherits Dryden’s sharp wit).
- Foreshadow his dual roles as both a cleric (Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral) and a literary provocateur.
The repetition of names (Jonathan Swift, Dryden, Herrick) creates a literary pedigree, suggesting that satire is in his blood.

B. Juxtaposition of Stability and Chaos

The introduction contrasts institutional order (Trinity College, King’s Inns) with personal disorder (uncle’s insanity, father’s early death, political upheaval).
- This mirrors Swift’s satirical style, which often exposes the absurdity beneath apparent order (e.g., the petty wars in The Battle of the Books).
The abrupt shifts in Swift’s life (Dublin → Leicester → disrupted education) reflect the unpredictability he later critiques in human society.

C. Foreshadowing of Swift’s Satirical Themes

The mention of Godwin Swift’s four wives and fourteen children subtly evokes Swift’s obsession with bodily functions and excess (e.g., the Yahoos’ filth in Gulliver’s Travels).
The closure of Trinity College due to political unrest prefigures Swift’s distrust of institutions (government, church, academia) in his satires.

4. Significance of the Introduction for Reading The Battle of the Books

While The Battle of the Books is a mock-epic satire about the Ancients vs. Moderns debate, this biographical introduction primes the reader to see Swift’s work through the lens of his personal and intellectual struggles:

Ancients vs. Moderns as a Family Feud?
- Swift’s hereditary ties to Dryden (an "Ancient") and his modern education at Trinity position him as a mediator between traditions—just as The Battle of the Books playfully refuses to take sides, instead mocking both.
Institutional Satire
- His disrupted education and uncle’s insanity make him skeptical of academic and religious authority, which he lampoons in A Tale of a Tub (a satire on corruption in the church).
Alienation and Observation
- Swift’s outsider status (Irish in England, dependent on relatives) mirrors his satirical persona—an observer who exposes folly from the margins (like Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms).

5. Conclusion: Why This Introduction Matters

This biographical sketch is not just background noise but a framework for understanding Swift’s satire. It reveals:

Personal roots of his cynicism (abandonment, instability).
Intellectual influences (Dryden’s polemics, Herrick’s wit).
Themes of displacement and institutional failure that recur in his works.

When reading The Battle of the Books, this introduction encourages us to see Swift not just as a detached satirist but as a product of his chaotic upbringing, using humor to critique the very systems that shaped—and failed—him.