fon to doubt that he suffered too much pain from the prevalence of Pope's poetical reputation; nor is it without strong reason fufpected, that by fome difingenuous acts he endeavoured to obftruct it; Pope was not the only man whom he infidiously injured, though the only man of whom he could be afraid.

His own powers were fuch as might have fatisfied him with confcious excellence. Of very extensive learning he has indeed given no proofs. He feems to have had small acquaintance with the fciences, and to have read little except Latin and French; but of the Latin poets his Dialogues on Medals fhew that he had perused the works with great diligence and skill. The abundance of his own mind left him little need of adventitious sentiments; his wit always could fuggeft what the occafion demanded. He had read with critical eyes the important volume of human life, and knew the heart of man from the depths of ftratagem to the furface of affectation.

What he knew he could easily communicate. "This," fays Steele, "was particular in this writer, "that, when he had taken his refolution, or made his

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plan for what he defigned to write, he would walk "about a room, and dictate it into language with as "much freedom and ease as any one could write it down, and attend to the coherence and grammar of "what he dictated."

Pope, who can be less fufpected of favouring his memory, declares that he wrote very fluently, but was flow and fcrupulous in correcting; that many of hist Spectators were written very faft, and fent immediately to the prefs; and that it seemed to be for his advantage not to have time for much revifal.

He would alter," fays Pope, "any thing to "please his friends, before publication; but would, "not retouch his pieces afterwards: and I believe "not one word in Cato, to which I made an objection, "was fuffered to ftand."

The laft line of Cato is Pope's, having been originally written

And, oh! 'twas this that ended Cato's life.

Pope might have made more objections to the fix concluding lines. In the first couplet the words from hence are improper; and the fecond line is taken from Dryden's Virgil. Of the next couplet, the first verse being included in the fecond, is therefore uselefs; and in the third Discord is made to produce Strife.

Of the course of Addison's familiar day *, before his marriage, Pope has given a detail. He had in the house with him Budgell, and perhaps Philips. His chief companions were Steele, Budgell, Philips, Carey, Davenant, and colonel Brett. With one or other of these he always breakfasted. He studied all morning; then dined at a tavern; and went afterwards to Button's.

Button had been a fervant in the countess of Warwick's family, who, under the patronage of Addifon, kept a coffee-house on the fouth fide of Ruffel-street, about two doors from Covent-garden. Here it was that the wits of that time used to affemble. It is faid, when Addison had fuffered any vexation from the countess, he withdrew the company from Button's house.

From the coffee-house he went again to a tavern, where he often fat late, and drank too much wine. In

VOL. III.

* Spence.
G

the

the bottle, difcontent feeks for comfort, cowardice for courage, and bashfulness for confidence. It is not unlikely that Addison was first feduced to excess by the manumiffion which he obtained from the fervile timidity of his fober hours. He that feels oppreffion from the prefence of those to whom he knows himself fuperior, will defire to fet loose his powers of conversation; and who, that ever asked fuccour from Bacchus, was able to preferve himself from being enflaved by his auxiliary?

Among thofe friends it was that Addison displayed the elegance of his colloquial accomplishments, which may easily be fuppofed fuch as Pope reprefents them. The remark of Mandeville, who, when he had paffed an evening in his company, declared that he was a parfon in a tye-wig, can detract little from his character; he was always referved to ftrangers, and was not incited to uncommon freedom by a character like that of Mandeville.

From any minute knowledge of his familiar manners, the intervention of fixty years has now debarred us. Steele once promised Congreve and the publick a complete description of his character; but the promises of authors are like the vows of lovers. Steele thought no more on his defign, or thought on it with anxiety that at laft difgufted him, and left his friend in the hands of Tickell.

One flight lineament of his character Swift has preferved. It was his practice when he found any man invincibly wrong, to flatter his opinions by acquiefcence, and fink him yet deeper in abfurdity. This artifice of mifchief was admired by Stella; and Swift feems to approve her admiration.

His

His works will fupply fome information. It appears from his various pictures of the world, that, with all his bashfulness, he had converfed with many diftinct claffes of men, had surveyed their ways with very diligent obfervation, and marked with great acuteness the effects of different modes of life. He was a man in whofe prefence nothing reprehenfible was out of danger; quick in difcerning whatever was wrong or ridiculous, and not unwilling to expofe it. There are, fays Steele, in bis writings many oblique strokes upon fome of the wittiest men of the age. His delight was more to excite merriment than deteftation; and he detects follies rather than crimes.

If any judgement be made, from his books, of his moral character, nothing will be found but purity and excellence *. Knowledge of mankind indeed, less extenfive than that of Addifon, will fhew, that to write, and to live, are very different. Many who praife virtue, do no more than praise it. Yet it is reafonable to believe that Addifon's profeffions and practice were at no great variance, fince, amidst that storm of faction in which most of his life was paffed, though his station made him confpicuous, and his activity made him formidable, the character given him by his friends.

Conceiving it in fome degree criminal to fupprefs any evidence in favour of a character, fuch as that of Mr. Addison, I take this opportunity of mentioning that, in a Magazine printed about twenty years ago, but which I am not now able to recollect, I faw a copy of a letter of his in anfwer to one from a lady, who, though a wife, had entertained a paffion for him; wherein are contained fuch diffuafives against the encouragement of it, and fuch a declaration of inflexibility on his part, as could hardly fail to answer the end for which it was written.

was never contradicted by his enemies of those with whom interest or opinion united him, he had not only the esteem, but the kindness; and of others, whom the violence of oppofition drove against him, though he might lose the love, he retained the reverence.

It is justly obferved by Tickell, that he employed wit on the fide of virtue and religion. He not only made the proper use of wit himself, but taught it to others; and from his time it has been generally fubfervient to the cause of reafon and of truth. He has diffipated the prejudice that had long connected gaiety with vice, and eafinefs of manners with laxity of principles. He has restored virtue to its dignity, and taught innocence not to be ashamed. This is an elevation of literary character, above all Greek, above all Roman fame. No greater felicity can genius attain than that of having purified intellectual pleasure, feparated mirth from indecency, and wit from licentioufnefs; of having taught a fucceffion of writers to bring elegance and gaiety to the aid of goodness; and, if I may use expreffions yet more awful, of having turned many to righteousness.

ADDISON, in his life, and for fome time afterwards, was confidered by the greater part of readers as fupremely excelling both in poetry and criticism. Part of his reputation may be probably ascribed to the advancement of his fortune: when, as Swift obferves, he became a statefman, and faw poets waiting at his levee, it was no wonder that praise was accumulated upon him. Much likewise may be more honourably afcribed to his perfonal character: he who, if he had claimed it, might have obtained the diadem, was not likely to be denied the laurel.

But