Parodies, Hoaxes, Mock Treatises

Valerie Rumbold is Reader in English Literature at the University of Birmingham.

• General editors' preface; Chronology; Introduction; A Meditation upon a Broom-stick; A Tritical Essay upon the Faculties of the Mind; Predictions for the Year 1708; The Accomplishment of the First of Mr Bickerstaff's Predictions; A Vindication of Isaac Bickerstaff Esq.; A Famous Prediction of Merlin, the British Wizard; Tatler no. 230; Harrison's Tatler no. 5; Harrison's Tatler no. 20; A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Tongue; A Modest Defence of Punning; Hints towards an Essay on Conversation; On Good-Manners and Good-Breeding; Hints on Good Manners; The Last Speech and Dying Words of Ebenezor Ellison; Of the Education of Ladies; A History of Poetry; A Discourse to Prove the Antiquity of the English Tongue; On Barbarous Denominations in Ireland; Polite Conversation; Directions to Servants; General Textual Introduction and Textual Accounts of Individual Works; Associated Materials: I. April Fool's Joke; II. Specimens of Irish English; III. Laws for the Dean's Servants; IV. Duty of Servants at Inns; V. Notes for Polite Conversation; VI. Fragment of a Preface for Directions to Servants; Appendices: A. A Dialogue in the Castilian Language; B. The Dying Speech of Tom Ashe; C. To my lord High Admirall. The Humble petition of the Doctor; D. 'Squire Bickerstaff Detected; E. An Answer to Bickerstaff; F. The Publisher to the Reader; G. The Attribution to Swift of Further Tatlers and Spectators; H. The Attribution to Swift of A Letter of Advice to a Young Poet; I. The Last Farewell of Ebenezor Elliston; J. A Consultation of Four Physicians, upon a Lord that was Dying; K. A Certificate to a Discarded Servant; Bibliography; Index.

'A mighty contribution to Swift studies.' Times Literary Supplement