Balti state university a. Russo chair of english philology

Jonathan Swift 
(1667 – 1745) 
The greatest of the prose satirists of the age of Enlightenment, Jonathan Swift, was born of 
English parents in Dublin. Through the generosity of an uncle he was educated at Kelkenny 
School and Trinity College, Dublin, but before he could fix on a career, the subsequent invasion 
of James II in Ireland drove Swift to England. Between 1689 –1699 J. Swift took the orders of 
the church and became a part of it. It was then, when he discovered his gift of a great satirist. 
About 1696 – 97 he wrote his powerful satiric works devoted to corruption in religion and 
learning, A Tale of the Tub and The Battle of the Books. These were the years when he slowly 
came to maturity. 
A good part of his life Swift devoted his talents to politics and religion. As a clergyman he 
supported the Anglican Church, giving to it no less importance than to the Crown. In 1710 
having strong disagreements with his old party the Whigs, he abandoned it and joined the 
Tories, becoming the most brilliant journalist of the time. Later on he moved to Ireland where he 
became an ecclesiastical administrator and the leader of resistance to English oppression. 
Under the pseudonym M. B. Drapier, he published the famous series of public letters, which 
enraged the king, who promised 100.000 pounds for the real name of the writer. His last years of 
life were less happy, because of his sickness. Swift has written several poems devoted to his 
great love, Lady Esther Johnson (Stella). He dedicated to her his famous journal letters published 
in 1766
under the title The Journal to Stella.
The Battle of the Books – is an allegory, based on a discussion, which began in France 
devoted to The Advantages of Ancient and Modern Writers. These debates separated the literary 
world in two parts, some supporting the ancient literature and others the modern one. The Battle 
of the Books was written in 1697 and published in 1704. It relates about an incident in St James 
Library. Swift pretends to have come upon an old manuscript, which he decided to publish. The 
librarian having a sceptical attitude to everything that is old, had thrown away form the shelved 
the volumes with antique works. The books of the ancient authors strive to get back their own 
position, and make war with the Moderns. Amidst the cloud of dust the two armies engage in a 
battle. Swift didn‟t want to take either of the sides that‟s why no winner is mentioned
The Tale of a Tub is an antireligious satire. The title of the book has a double meaning 
and explains the idea of the book. The Tale of the Tub means a nonsense story told as a joke: the 
world tub suggests the idea expressed in the proverb: “Empty vessels make the greatest sound”. 
In the preface to the book Swift tells his readers of an old custom, the seamen have when at sea, 
i.e. if a whale begins to follow a vessel, they throw the empty tub into the water to divert the 
whale‟s attention form the ship. The whole is a satire upon religion in England. The empty tub 

---

80 
80 
symbolises religion, which diverted people from political thinking, which offered the chance to 
discover the real state of things about the ruling class.
The inventive genius of J. Swift and his savage satire were at their best reflected in his 
masterpiece Gulliver‟s Travels.