ceffors; and taught, with great juftnefs of argument and dignity of language, the most important duties and fublime truths.

All these topicks were happily varied with elegant fictions and refined allegories, and illuminated with different changes of ftyle and felicities of invention.

It is recorded by Budgell, that of the characters feigned or exhibited in the Spectator, the favourite of Addison was Sir Roger de Coverley, of whom he had formed a very delicate and difcriminated idea, which he would not fuffer to be violated; and therefore when Steele had fhewn him innocently picking up a girl in the Temple, and taking her to a tavern, he drew upon himself so much of his friend's indignation, that he was forced to appease him by a promise of forbearing Sir Roger for the time to come.

The reason which induced Cervantes to bring his hero to the grave, para mi fola nacio Don Quixote, y yo para el, made Addison declare, with an undue vehemence of expreffion, that he would kill Sir Roger; being of opinion that they were born for one another, and that any other hand would do him wrong.

It may be doubted whether Addison ever filled up his original delineation. He describes his Knight as having his imagination somewhat warped; but of this perverfion he has made very little use. The irregularities in Sir Roger's conduct feem not fo much the effects of a mind deviating from the beaten track of life, by the perpetual preffure of fome overwhelming idea, as of habitual rufticity, and that negligence which folitary grandeur naturally generates.

E 4

The

The variable weather of the mind, the flying va pours of incipient madness, which from time to time cloud reafon, without eclipfing it, it requires fo much nicety to exhibit, that Addifon feems to have been deterred from profecuting his own design.

To Sir Roger, who, as a country gentleman, appears to be a Tory, or, as it is gently expreffed, an adherent to the landed intereft, is oppofed Sir Andrew Freeport, a new man, a wealthy merchant, zealous for the moneyed intereft, and a Whig. Of this contrariety of opinions, it is probable more confequences were at firft intended, than could be produced when the refolution was taken to exclude party from the paper. Sir Andrew does but little, and that little feems not to have pleafed Addifou, who, when he difmiffed him from the club, changed his opinions, Steele had made him, in the true fpirit of unfeeling commerce, declare that he would not build an hofpital for idle people; but at last he buys land, fettles in the country, and builds not a manufactory, but an hofpital for twelve old husbandinen, for men with whom a merchant has little acquaintance, and whom he commonly confiders with little kindness,

Of effays thus elegant, thus inftructive, and thus commodiously distributed, it is natural to suppose the approbation general, and the fale numerous. I once heard it obferved, that the fale may be calculated by the product of the tax, related in the last number to produce more than twenty pounds a week, and therefore stated at one and twenty pounds, or three pounds ten fillings a day: this, at a half-penny a paper, will give fixteen hundred and eighty for the daily number.

This fale is not great; yet this, if Swift be credited, was likely to grow lefs; for he declares that the Spec gator, whom he ridicules for his endless mention of the fair fex, had before his recefs wearied his readers.

The next year (1713), in which Cato came upon the ftage, was the grand climacterick of Addison's reputation. Upon the death of Cato, he had, as is faid, planned a tragedy in the time of his travels, and had for several years the four first acts finished, which were shewn to fuch as were likely to spread their admiration, They were feen by Pope, and by Cibber, who relates that Steele, when he took back the copy, told him, in the defpicable cant of literary modefty, that, whatever spirit his friend had fhewn in the compofition, he doubted whether he would have courage fufficient to expofe it to the cenfure of a British audience.

The time however was now come, when thofe, who affected to think liberty in danger, affected likewife to think that a stage-play might preferve it: and Addifon was importuned, in the name of the tutelary deities of Britain, to fhew his courage and his zeal by finish. ing his defign.

To refume his work he feemed perverfely and unaccountably unwilling; and by a requeft, which perhaps he wished to be denied, defired Mr. Hughes, to add a fifth act. Hughes fuppofed him ferious; and, undertaking the fupplement, brought in a few days fome fcenes for his examination; but he had in the mean time gone to work himself, and produced half an act, which he afterwards completed, but with brevity irregularly disproportionate to the foregoing

parts;

parts; like a task performed with reluctance, and hurried to its conclufion.

It may yet be doubted whether Cato was made publick by any change of the author's purpose; for Dennis charged him with raising prejudices in his own favour by falfe pofitions of preparatory criticism, and with poisoning the town by contradicting in the Spectator the established rule of poetical juftice, because his own hero, with all his virtues, was to fall before a tyrant. The fact is certain; the motives we must guefs.

Addison was, I believe, fufficiently disposed to bar all avenues against all danger. When Pope brought him the prologue, which is properly accommodated to the play, there were these words, Britons, arife, be worth like this approved; meaning nothing more than, Britons, erect and exalt yourselves to the approbation of public virtue. Addison was frighted, left he should be thought a promoter of infurrection, and the line was liquidated to Britons, attend.

Now, heavily in clouds came on the day, the great, the important day, when Addison was to ftand the hazard of the theatre. That there might, however, be left as little to hazard as was poffible, on the first night Steele, as himself relates, undertook to pack an audience. This, fays Pope *, had been tried for the first time in favour of the Diftreft Mother; and was now, with more efficacy, practifed for Cato.

The danger was foon over. The whole nation was at that time on fire with faction. The Whigs applauded every line in which Liberty was mentioned, as fatire on the Tories; and the Tories echoed every

5

* Spence.

clap,

The story of

clap, to fhew that the fatire was unfelt, Bolingbroke is well known. He called Booth to his box, and gave him fifty guineas for defending the caufe of Liberty fo well against a perpetual dictator. The Whigs, fays Pope, defign a fecond prefent, when they can accompany it with as good a sentence.

The play, fupported thus by the emulation of factious praise, was acted night after night for a longer time than, I believe, the public had allowed to any drama before; and the author, as Mrs. Porter long afterwards related, wandered through the whole exhibition behind the fcenes with reftlefs and unappeafable folicitude.

When it was printed, notice was given that the Queen would be pleased if it was dedicated to her; but, as he had defigned that compliment elsewhere, he found himself obliged, fays Tickell, by bis duty on the one hand, and bis bonour on the other, to fend it into the world with out any dedication.

Human happiness has always its abatements; the brightest fun-shine of fuccefs is not without a cloud. No fooner was Cato offered to the reader, than it was attacked by the acute malignity of Dennis, with all the violence of angry criticiúin. Dennis, though equally zealous, and probably by his temper more furious than Addifon, for what they called liberty, and though a flatterer of the Whig ministry, could not fit quiet at a fuccessful play; but was eager to tell friends and enemies, that they had misplaced their admirations. The world was too stubborn for instruction; with the fate of the cenfurer of Corneille's Cid, his animadverfions fhewed his anger without effect, and Cato continued to be praised,

Pope