JonathanSwift,sonoftheEnglishlawyerJonathanSwifttheelder,wasborninDublin,Ireland,onNovember30,1667.HegrewupthereinthecareofhisunclebeforeattendingTrinityCollegeattheageoffourteen,wherehestayedforsevenyears,graduatingin1688.Inthatyear,hebecamethesecretaryofSirWilliamTemple,anEnglishpoliticianandmemberoftheWhigparty.In1694,hetookreligiousordersintheChurchofIrelandandthenspentayearasacountryparson.HethenspentfurthertimeintheserviceofTemplebeforereturningtoIrelandtobecomethechaplainoftheearlofBerkeley.Meanwhile,hehadbeguntowritesatiresonthepoliticalandreligiouscorruptionsurroundinghim,workingonATaleofaTub,whichsupportsthepositionoftheAnglicanChurchagainstitscriticsontheleftandtheright,andTheBattleoftheBooks,whicharguesforthesupremacyoftheclassicsagainstmodernthoughtandliterature.HealsowroteanumberofpoliticalpamphletsinfavoroftheWhigparty.In1709hewenttoLondontocampaignfortheIrishchurchbutwasunsuccessful.AftersomeconflictswiththeWhigparty,mostlybecauseofSwift’sstrongallegiancetothechurch,hebecameamemberofthemoreconservativeTorypartyin1710. 　　UnfortunatelyforSwift,theTorygovernmentfelloutofpowerin1714andSwift,despitehisfameforhiswritings,felloutoffavor.Swift,whohadbeenhopingtobeassignedapositionintheChurchofEngland,insteadreturnedtoDublin,wherehebecamethedeanofSt.Patrick’s.DuringhisbrieftimeinEngland,SwifthadbecomefriendswithwriterssuchasAlexanderPope,andduringameetingoftheirliteraryclub,theMartinusScriblerusClub,theydecidedtowritesatiresofmodernlearning.ThethirdvoyageofGulliver’sTravelsisassembledfromtheworkSwiftdidduringthistime.However,thefinalworkwasnotcompleteduntil1726,andthenarrativeofthethirdvoyagewasactuallythelastonecompleted.AfterhisreturntoIreland,SwiftbecameastaunchsupporteroftheIrishagainstEnglishattemptstoweakentheireconomyandpoliticalpower,writingpamphletssuchasthesatiricalAModestProposal,inwhichhesuggeststhattheIrishproblemsoffamineandoverpopulationcouldbeeasilysolvedbyhavingthebabiesofpoorIrishsubjectssoldasdelicaciestofeedtherich. 　　Lateinlife,Swiftseemedtomanyobserverstobecomeevenmorecausticandbitterthanhehadbeen.Threeyearsbeforehisdeath,hewasdeclaredunabletocareforhimself,andguardianswereappointed.BasedonthesefactsandonacomparisonbetweenSwift’sfateandthatofhischaracterGulliver,somepeoplehaveconcludedthathegraduallybecameinsaneandthathisinsanitywasanaturaloutgrowthofhisindignationandoutrageagainsthumankind.However,thetruthseemstobethatSwiftwassuddenlyincapacitatedbyaparalyticstrokelateinlife,andthatpriortothisincidenthismentalcapacitieswereunimpaired. 　　ReligiousBelief:Swiftwasaclergyman,amemberoftheChurchofIreland,theIrishbranchoftheAnglicanChurch;andassuchhewasamilitantdefenderofhischurchinthefaceofthethreatstoitscontinuedexistenceposedbyRomanCatholicismathomeinIrelandandinEngland,whereSwiftandhispeerssawtheCatholicsasthreateningnotonlytheAnglicanChurchbuttheEnglishConstitution.Swiftwasconservativebynature:heinstinctivelysoughtstabilityinreligionasinpolitics,butstabilitywhichinsuredpersonalfreedoms.Sofaras