The Life of Jonathan SwiftBLACKWELL CRITICAL BIOGRAPHIES Jonathan Swift, the conservative, Anglo Irish Protestant clergyman, appears far removed from the controversial, oftentimes radical positions expressed in his works. Swift was seen as a hero by the Irish, a defender against English exploitation, yet was contemptuous of his countrymen. He hated the English, but he longed to live in England. Although much is known about Swift, in many ways he remains an enigma. In The Life