have met with a firm rejection, and he married Eleanor Morgan two years later. He and Swift, after a long estrangement, became friends once more after Stella's death. Vanessa Stella's friendship with Swift became fraught after 1707 when he met Esther Vanhomrigh, daughter of the Dutch-born Lord Mayor of Dublin. Swift became deeply attached to her and invented for her the name "Vanessa". She in turn became infatuated with him and after his return to Ireland followed him there. The uneasy relationship between the three of them continued until 1723 when Vanessa (who was by now seriously ill from tuberculosis) apparently asked Swift not to see Stella again. This led to a violent quarrel between them, and Vanessa before her death in June 1723 destroyed the will she had made in Swift's favour, leaving her property to two men, George Berkeley and Robert Marshall, who though eminent in their respective callings were almost strangers to her. Secret marriage Whether Swift and Stella were married has always been a subject of intense debate. The marriage ceremony was allegedly performed in 1716 by St George Ashe, Bishop of Clogher (an old friend of Swift, and also his college tutor), with no witnesses present, and it was said that the parties agreed to keep it secret and live apart. Stella always described herself as a "spinster" and Swift always referred to himself as unmarried; Rebecca Dingley, who lived with Stella throughout her years in Ireland, said that Stella and Swift were never alone together. Those who knew the couple best were divided on whether a marriage ever took place: some, like Mrs. Dingley and Swift's housekeeper Mrs. Brent laughed at the idea as "absurd". On the other hand, Thomas Sheridan, one of Swift's oldest friends, believed that the story of the marriage was true: he reportedly gave Stella herself as his source. Historians have been unable to reach a definite conclusion on the truth of the matter: Bishop Ashe died before the story first became public, and there were no other witnesses to the supposed marriage. Writings A collection of her witticisms was published by Swift under the titles of "Bon Mots de Stella" as an appendix to some editions of Gulliver's Travels. Journal to Stella, a collection of 65 letters from Swift to Stella, was published posthumously. Last years and death In 1722, Martha, Lady Giffard died and she left money to