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Pope, "had fomething in it more charming than I ❝ have found in any other man. But this was only "when familiar: before ftrangers, or, perhaps, a

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fingle stranger, he preserved his dignity by a stiff "filence."

This modefty was by no means inconfiftent with a very high opinion of his own merit. He demanded to be the first name in modern wit; and, with Steele to echo him, used to depreciate Dryden, whom Pope and Congreve defended against them. There is no reafon to doubt that he suffered too much pain from the prevalence of Pope's poetical reputation; nor is it without ftrong reafon fufpected, that by fome difingenuous acts he endeavoured to obstruct it; Pope was not the only man whom he infidioufly 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 extenfive learning he has indeed given no proofs. He seems to have had finall 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 perufed the works with great diligence and fkill. The abundance of his own mind left him little indeed of adventitious fentiments; 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 eafily communicate. "This," fays Steele, "was particular in this writer,

*Tonfon and Spence.

"that,

"that, when he had taken his refolution, or made "his plan for what he defigned to write, he would "walk about a room, and dictate it into language "with as much freedom and eafe as any one could "write it down, and attend to the coherence and 66 grammar of what he dictated."

Pope*, who can be lefs fufpected of favouring his memory, declares that he wrote very fluently, but was flow and fcrupulous in correcting; that many of his 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 objec❝tion, was suffered to stand."

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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 useless; and in the third Difcord is made to produce Strife.

Of the course of Addison's familiar day *, before his marriage, Pope has given a detail. He had in

* Spence.

the

the house with him Budgell, and perhaps Philips. His chief companions were Steele, Budgell, Philips, Carey, Davenant, and colonel Brett. With one of other of these he alwavs breakfafted. He studied all morning; then dined at a tavern; and went af terwards to Button's.

Button had been a servant in the countess of Warwick's family, who, under the patronage of Addi- · fon, kept a coffee-house on the fouth fide of Ruffelftreet, 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 countefs, he withdrew the company from Button's houfe.

From the coffee-house he went again to a tavern, where he often fat late, and drank too much wine. In the bottle, difcontent feeks for comfort, cowardice for courage, and bafhfulnefs for confidence. It is hot unlikely that Addison was firft feduced to excefs by the manumiffion which he obtained from the fervile timidity of his fober hours. He that feels oppreffion from the prefence of thofe to whom he knows himself fuperior, will defire to fet loofe his powers of converfation; and who, that ever afked fuccours from Bacchus, was able to preserve himself from being enflaved by his auxiliary ?

Among those 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,

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 last disgusted 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 seems to approve her admiration.

⚫. His works will fupply fome information. It appears, from his various pictures of the world, that, with all his bafhfulness, he had converfed with many diftinct claffes of men, had furveyed their ways with very diligent observation, 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 his writings many "oblique ftrokes upon fome of the wittieft men of His delight was more to excite merriment than deteftation; and he detects follies rather than crimes.

the age.

If any judgement be made, from his books, of his mofal character, nothing will be found but purity and excellence. Knowledge of mankind, indeed, lefs

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lefs 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 reasonable to believe that Addifon's profeffions and practice were at no great variance, fince amidft that ftorm of faction in which most of his life was paffed, though his ftation made him confpicuous, and his activity made him formidable, the character given him by his friends was never contradicted by his enemies of thofe, with whom intereft 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 ufe 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 reftored 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 licentiousness; of having taught a fucceffion of writers to bring elegance and gaiety to the aid of goodness; and, if I may ufe expreffions yet more awful, of having" turned many to righteousness."

Addifon, in his life, and for fome time afterwards, was confidered by a greater part of readers

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