Jonathan Swift (November 20, 1667 – October 19, 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist and pamphleteer considered the foremost satirist in the English language. Born in Dublin to English immigrant parents, he was raised in the care of his uncle Godwin after his father’s untimely death and his mother’s return to England. He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin but was soon after forced by political troubles to flee Ireland for England, where he served as secretary to English diplomat Sir William Temple, a friend of his uncle. He received an M.A. from Oxford and was ordained as a priest in the Church of Ireland, eventually becoming chaplain of a tiny parish in Dublin, which gave him time to write. He began publishing satirical essays and traveled regularly to England, becoming friends with Alexander Pope and John Gay, who together formed the core of the Martinus Scriberlus Club. He became well known for pieces such as the Battle of the Books and The Tale of The Tub, all of which were published under pseudonyms or anonymously.  He was an active member of the royalist Tory inner circle, often mediating between the prime minister and members of Parliament.  The return to power of the Whigs forced him back to Ireland, where he supported Irish causes with pieces such as the biting A Modest Proposal and wrote the legendary Gulliver’s Travels.  He suffered a stroke in 1742, which confirmed his worst fears by rendering him unable to speak, and died in 1745.