INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ADDISON's letters have never before been published with his works Tickell, who might have given a complete edition of this interesting corres. pondence, was prevented perhaps by the same reasons which led him to leave out the Old Whig and the Drummer; and Steele, who might, at least, have contributed largely to the collection, was too busy with polities and providing for daily wants to make up for Tickell's omissions. At this late day it is hardly possible that a complete collection will ever be made, though many unpublished letters are still preserved in public and private collections. The letters to Wortley Montague were first published in the Addisoniana, in fac-similes from the autographs, then in the possession of Mr. Philips. A large portion of the others form part of the Tickell papers, still in the hands of that family, by whom they were lent to Miss Aikin for her life of Addison. The letters to Mr. Stepney are in the British Museum, and were first published by Miss Aikin, with all the abbreviations of the original. The "original papers," published by James Macpherson, in 1775, contain several letters of Addison, and several too are found in the correspondence of Hughes, one of the original contributors to the Specta or. All of these have been republished by Miss Aikin. In the present edition the orthography of the Stepney letters has been corrected, and the abbreviations filled up, a single letter being given in the original form, as a specimen of Addison's orthography. A few explanatory remarks have been added, from various sources, but chiefly from Miss Aikin. From numbers 101, 104 of the Guardian, it would seem that Addison was in the habit of keeping copies of his letters. The letter from Paris, published in the Guardian (101), contains the same description of the royal palaces which we find in the letter to Mr. Congreve from Blois (No. 9), and each has the appearance of an original letter. It is not improbable that these descriptions were first drawn up as materials for the "Travels," and a complete collection of his correspondence would probably bring to light, in the form of letters, the first drafts of many pages of that work, showing, perhaps, at the same time, that he sometimes copied his own descriptions in writing to different correspondents. I have inserted the letters from the Guardian, in the order of date, and as actual letters, which they evidently were, although they may have been corrected for the public eye.-G. Ꮮ Ꭼ Ꭲ Ꭲ Ꭼ Ꭱ Ꮪ . [The first three letters have been preserved in the Tonson family.] Tonson, the publisher, is a great name in the annals of English typogra phy; recalling the last days of Dryden, and the first dawn of Addison and Pope. It was for him that Dryden bound himself to furnish ten thousand verses for two hundred and fifty guineas, to be made three hundred upon publication of the second edition; and gave in as first instalment the imitations of Boccacio and Chaucer, better known as the Fables,"seven thousand five hundred verses more or less." The intercourse between the old poet and his publisher was not always of the most agreeable kind. Tonson was exacting, sharp in his bargains, and occasionally very rude in his manners. "Upon trial," says Dryden to him in one of his letters, “I find all your trade are sharpers, and you not more than others, therefore I have not wholly left you.” (Dryden's Works, v. xviii. p. 125, Scott's ed.) In another letter he accuses him of paying in clipped money and brass shillings. One day Dryden wished something of the publisher which was refused. Dryden sent him the following lines; "With leering looks, bull-faced and freckled fair, With two left legs and Judas coloured hair, And frowzy pores, that taint the ambient air-" adding "tell the dog that he who wrote them can write more. commodation was granted without delay. " The ac Tonson was secretary to the Kit-cat clab, and was thus brought into the company of many eminent persons. His early intercourse with Addison seems to have been pleasant, though he is said afterwards to have entertained unfriendly feelings towards him. Speaking of him to Pope he said, "I always thought him a priest in heart.” He was the publisher of Tickell's edition. Some of the drinking stories told of Addison, come from him. These letters are without the date of the year, but would seem from the allusion to Dryden's Virgil to have been written while that work was in progress, or between 1694 and 1697. They refer to a translation of Herodotus which was never completed.-G.] 7 DEAR SIR,—I was yesterday with Dr. Hannes, and communicated your request to him. I told him that Dr. Blackmore, Mr. Adams, Mr. Boyle and myself had engaged in it, and that you had gained a kind of promise from Dr. Gibbons, so that he could not plead want of time. The Doctor seemed particularly solicitous about the company he was to appear in, and would fain hear all the names of the translators. In short he told me that he did not know how to deny Mr. Tonson any request that he made, and therefore if you would desire it, he would undertake the last Muse. I would fain have you write to the Doctor and engage him in it, for his name would much credit the work among Us, and promote the sale. b As for myself, if you remember I told you that I did not like my Polymnia, if therefore I can do you any service, I will if you please translate the eighth book, Urania, which if you will send me down, you need not fear any delays in the translation. I was walking this morning with Mr. Yalden, and asked him when we might expect to see Ovid "de arte Amandi" in English; he told me he thought you had dropped the design since Mr. Dryden's translation of Virgil had been undertaken, but that he had done his part almost a year ago, and had it lying by him, &c. I am afraid he had done little of it. I believe a letter from you about it would set him at work. He takes care to convey my pieces of Herodotus to you. I am, sir, your hum ble servant. Feb. 12th. To Mr. Jacob Tonson, at the sign of the Judge's * Dr. Hannes was residing as a practising physician at Oxford. He was a contributor to the Musæ Anglicanæ. Ts, at Oxford must be understood. II. то Ꮇ Ꭱ . TONSON. DEAR SIR,- I received your parcel about the beginning of last week, and not being able to find Dr. Hannes at home, have left his part with his servitor. I shall see him next week, and if I find it necessary, will let you know what he says. I shall have but little business about the latter end of Lent, and then will set about my Muse, which I will take care to finish by your time.. You shall have your Urania the beginning of this week, &c. III. то MR. TONSON. I have been so very full of business since the receipt of your papers, that I could not possibly find time to translate them so soon as I desired. I have now almost finished them. Mr. Clay tells me he let you know the misfortune Polymnia met with upon the road. Your discourse with me abont translating Ovid, made such an impression on me at my first coming down from London, that I ventured on the second book, which I turned at my leisure. hours, and will give you a sight of it, if you will give yourself the trouble of reading it. He has so many silly stories with his good ones, that he is more tedious to translate than a better poet would be. But though I despair of serving you this way, I hope I may find out some other to show how much I am yours &c. May 28th. IV. TO CHARLES MONTAGU, ESQ [This gentleman, who afterwards was created Lord Halifax, was one of Addison's early patrons-(v. Macaulay's Essay, p.xxii, and Life by John son, in the Lives of the Poets.) |