The writ 'de lunatico inquirendo,' in the case of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St. Patrick's : with observations / by J.T. Banks.

  • Banks, John Thomas, 1811-1908.
Date:
[1863]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The writ 'de lunatico inquirendo,' in the case of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St. Patrick's : with observations / by J.T. Banks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    John Rochfort was one of the witnesses to the will. Sir James Somerville was Sheriff in 1720, Lord Mayor in 1736, and at the same period wasknighted. This gentleman was subsequently created a Baronet, by patent, dated June 14, 1748. Eaton Stannard was Prime Sergeant at Law, and Recorder of Dublin ; he was one of the executors of the will. Philip Tisdall, Judge of the Prerogative Court ; Whitney Boleyn, King’s Counsel. Some of the Commissioners, it may be noticed, were Swift’s intimate friends, from the circumstance of his having selected them as executors to his will, or having remembered them in that document. The writ was directed to seventeen gentlemen named, as Commissioners; but only seven names are annexed to the in- quisition. The writ commanded any three or more of them to diligently inquire into the case. The jury, upon which devolved such an important duty as determining the mental condition of Jonathan Swift, was strangely constituted. There are some respectable citizens, and probably, from their position in life, intelligent men; but there are also two carpenters and a currier associated with them. Their task, however, was an easy one, under the guidance of the Commissioners; for, from all we can learn, we may fairly come to the conclusion, that long before the time of the issuing of the writ, the mighty mind of Swift had completely broken down. The first faint clouds which foreshadowed the coming event may easily be traced to a comparatively early period in the life of this truly great man; but the storm which was des- tined to utterly overwhelm the shattered bark, had already broken over it. The life of Swift is still to be written; and I have reason to believe it is in progress, and, moreover, that it is in good hands. My object in publishing the contents of the important instrument which I had the good fortune to discover, is to fill up what has hitherto been a blank in the darkest page of the history of the renowned Dean of St. Patrick’s. “ Georee the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Bri- tain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and soforth, to our trusty and well-beloved the Right Hon. Luke Gardner, Esq.; Eaton Stannard, Recorder of the City of Dublin, Esq.; Philip Tisdall, and Boleyn Whitney, Esqrs.; Doctor William Cooper, and Doctor Thomas Trotter; Sir James Somerville, Alderman John Macarell, Alderman Per- cival Hunt, Alderman Nathaniel Pearson, Alderman Robert