returned to Moor Park; where, upon the abatement of his illness, he renewed his application to his studies.
It does not appear that sir William Temple knew any thing of the value of his young guest, till about this time; and Swift himself says that it was then he began to grow into some confidence with him. The little progress Swift had made in learning at his first arrival at Shene, must have given sir William but a mean opinion of his capacity; and the few things which he wrote during his first two years residence with him, could have given him no very high idea of his genius. For Swift had at that time so far mistaken his talents, that he tried his strength only in Pindarick odes; in which, though there appeared some vigour of mind, and efforts of an uncommon genius, yet it was apparent that it was vigour improperly exerted, and the efforts of a genius misapplied. The sentiments were strained and crowded; and the numbers irregular and harsh[1]. How then shall we account for the sudden change of sir William's sentiments toward him? It could not be on account of his progress in literature, for he had not had time enough to stand highly in the opinion of so distinguished a scholar as sir William was on that score. And indeed, with all his assiduity, it is probable that he had not then so far recovered lost time as to be master of the learning which his standing required. The most probable conjecture is, that Swift had, at his leisure, revised and corrected his Tale of a Tub, which was sketched out by him in the col-
- ↑ Two of these odes, as being the first that have appeared of his poetical writings, are placed, on that account only, at the head of the first volume of his poems in [The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift/Volume 18/Letter from Jonathan Swift to the Athenian Society - 1#xviii-241|this edition]].
