r," whom Swift determined to favour as much as he could. Mrs.
Masham, the Duchess of Somerset, the Duchess of Shrewsbury, the Duchess
of Hamilton, Lady Betty Germaine, and many other ladies appear with more
or less distinctness; besides a host of people of less note, of whom we
often know little but what Swift tells us.

Swift throws much light, too, on the daily life of his time. The bellman
on his nightly rounds, calling "Paaast twelvvve o'clock"; the dinner
at three, or at the latest, four; the meetings at coffee-houses; the
book-sales; the visit to the London sights--the lions at the Tower,
Bedlam, the tombs in Westminster Abbey, and the puppet-show; the
terrible Mohocks, of whom Swift stood in so much fear; the polite
"howdees" sent to friends by footmen; these and more are all described
in the Journal. We read of curious habits and practices of fashionable
ladies; of the snuff used by Mrs. Dingley and others; of the
jokes--"bites," puns, and the like--indulged in by polite persons.
When Swift lodged at Chelsea, he reached London either by boat, or
by coach,--which was sometimes full when he wanted it,--or by walking
across the "Five Fields," not without fear of robbers at night. The
going to or from Ireland was a serious matter; after the long journey
by road came the voyage (weather permitting) of some fifteen hours,
with the risk of being seized or pursued by French privateers; and when
Ireland was reached the roads were of the worst. We have glimpses of
fashionable society in Dublin, of the quiet life at Laracor and Trim,
and of the drinking of the waters at Wexford, where visitors had to put
up with primitive arrangements: "Mrs. Dingley never saw such a place in
her life."

Swift's own characteristics come out in the clearest manner in the
Journal, which gives all his hopes and fears during three busy years. He
was pleased to find on his arrival in London how great a value was set
on his friendship by both political parties: "The Whigs were ravished to
see me, and would lay hold on me as a twig while they are drowning;"
but Godolphin's coldness enraged him, so that he was "almost vowing
vengeance." Next day he talked treason heartily against the Whigs, their
baseness and ingratitude, and went home full of schemes of revenge. "The
Tories drily tell me I may make my fortune, if I please; but I do not
understand them, or rather, I DO understand them." He realised that the
Tories might not be more grateful than o