Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745) born in Dublin, Ireland, was an Anglican clergyman in Kilroot, Belfast, and eventually Dean of St. Patrick's. He was a member of the Church of England. Swift wrote numerous pamphlets on political and ecclesiastical subjects. Politically, he initially fought on the side of the Whigs; in 1710 he went over to the Tories and gained great political influence under their leadership, which was, however, cut off after their fall. Thereafter, he campaigned exclusively on Irish issues. When his mistress Stella died in 1728, his life darkened. He suffered from misanthropy and fear of mental illness. During the last years of his life, he was blind and deaf as a result of a brain tumor. In 1745 he died in Dublin in mental derangement.