Oncogene

See also: Swift

Jonathan Swift (Dublin, November 30th 1667 - October 19th 1745) is a writer Irish of English origin known for its Satire S and its humorous Pamphlet S. He was member of the Scriblerus Club.

Biography

Jonathan Swift is orphan of father and will be raised by his uncles resulting from the upper middle class Anglicane. From 1681 to 1688, it carries out its studies with excellent the Trinity College of Dublin.

In 1689, it leaves Dublin and its tensions between Protesting S and Catholique S to go in England where it joined his mother established in the county of Leicester. It is used then as secretary with the Diplomate Sir William Temple, a statesman in sight, relative very distant from his mother.

He becomes also tutor of Esther Johnson, probably the illegitimate girl of Temple, which he calls Stella and which will inspire a long passion to him. He can then continue his studies of Théologie which will be completed in 1692 by a doctorate. In 1694, it is named Pasteur with Kilroot, close to Belfast, but will remain only a few months on the spot. He is in addition freemason.

He returns to Moor Park, where Temple lives. He then writes the Bataille of the books to defend Temple in the Querelle of Old and Modern the and the Tale of the barrel , text pitiless with regard to the stupidity of his contemporaries and which will displease with the queen Anne. In 1701, it anonymously publishes its first political lampoon, has Discourse one the Contests and Dissentions in Athens and Rome , where it takes party for the Whiggs.

In 1702, three years after the death of Temple, it returns to Ireland with Esther Johnson (from now on 20 years old). It will quickly obtain the benefit of Laracor in the County of Mealth and an emolument with the Cathédrale Saint-Patrick of Dublin.

At the time of the come to power of Tories in 1710, Swift supports them through the articles which he writes for the Examiner of 1711 to 1714. In 1711, Swift publishes the political lampoon " The Conduct off the Combine " attacking the Whig government for its incapacity to put an end to the war with France. It is thus given the responsability to prepare the public opinion with peace. It is at that time that the Tory government carries out secret negotiations with France which will lead to the Traités of Utrecht in 1713, which will contribute to put an end to the War of succession of Spain.

Arrived at the state of senior of its cathedral, Swift will not reach évêché, the Anne queen always holding to him rigor of its virulent Conte of the barrel .

Jonathan Swift engaged in some literary battles of his time, in particular the Querelle of Old and of Modern the, was to him side of Old.

In 1714 the fall of the Tories makes final its exile to Ireland. It will defend its country consequently and will publish a big number of political works.

More and more only after the death of Stella in 1728 (that he perhaps had married in secrecy in 1716) which followed that of Vanessa (Hester Vanhomrigh, a woman which liked Swift, and whose reciprocity of the feelings is possible) occurred in 1723, Swift will suffer from the Maladie of Menière, mental disorders which will end only with its death, on October 19th, 1745. The money which it left was employed with the foundation of a hospital looking after the mental diseases.

Jonathan Swift is buried in the enclosure of his own cathedral, close to the coffin of his Stella wife. On the tomb stone one can always read the epitaph which he itself had written in Latin:

“Here puts back the skin of Jonathan Swift, D.D., senior of this cathedral, which from now on will not have any more the heart torn by savage indignation. Goes your way, traveller, and imitates if you can it the man who defended freedom towards and against all. ”

Caption

In its novel " Travel in Laputa" (1727), Swift indicates the existence of two satellites of Mars, it gives their period of rotation and their distance compared to planet. When, one century and half later, the astronomer Asaph Hall discovers these satellites, knowing the novel, taken fear by the accuracy of the indications, it would have named these two stars “Phobos” and “Deimos”: fear and terror.

Actually, the satellites of the planet Mars were simply baptized names of the legendary children of the god of the homonymous war.

Works

Works inspired by Jonathan Swift

  • Manual of Diéguez, the cave, Gallimard, Library of the Ideas, 1974.

Quotations

  • It is an axiom which those to which everyone grants the second place have indisputable titles with the first.
  • That which observes while going in the streets, will see, I believe, the merriest faces in the cars of mourning.
  • This stoical method to provide for its requirements by removing its desires is equivalent cutting the feet not to need more shoes.
  • I asked a poor man how he lived; he answered me: “like a soap, always while decreasing”.
  • Ambition often made accept the lowest functions; thus one climbs in the same posture as one crawls.
  • Ignorance, the idleness and the defect are sure guarantors of the competence of a legislator.
  • The vision is art to see the invisible things.
  • The pleasure of having is not worth the sorrow to acquire.
  • Positivism is essential to the speakers. Who shares his thoughts with a public will be able to convince with measurement of what it will appear itself convinced.
  • The whims of the female species are not limited at only one part of the world nor with only one climate, but are in all places the same ones.
  • The men want well that one laughs at their spirit, but not of their stupidity.
  • The laws are similar to the cobwebs, which catch the small flies, but let pass wasps and Frelons.
  • The complaints are the greatest tribute which receives the sky and the most sincere part of our devotion.
  • The old men and the comets were venerated and dreaded for the same reason: their long beards and their claim to predict the events.
  • We have just enough religion to hate us, but not enough to love us the ones the others.
  • No wise man never wished to be younger.
  • Nothing is constant in this world, that inconstancy.
  • If a man holds me remotely, my consolation is that it is held to with it too.
  • Everyone wishes food a long time, but nobody would like to be old.
  • When a true genius appears in this low world, one can recognize it with this sign which the imbeciles all are leagued against him.

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