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he drew upon himself so much of his friend's indignation, that he was forced to appeafe him by a promife of forbearing Sir Roger for the time to come.

The reafon which induced Cervantes to bring his hero to the grave, para mi fola nacio Don Quixote, y yo para el, made Addison declare, with 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 Addifon ever filled up his original delineation. He describes his Knight as having his imagination fomewhat warped; but of this perverfion he has made very little ufe. 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 gene

rates.

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

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 opposed 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

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that little feems not to have pleased Addison, who, when he difmiffed him from the club, changed his opinions. Steele had made him, in the true spirit 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 husbandmen, 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 observed, 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 fhillings a day: this, at a halfpenny 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 Spectator, 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 Addifon's reputation. Upon the death of Cato, he had, as is faid, planned a tragedy in the time of his travels,

* That this calculation is not exaggerated, that it is even much below the real number, fee the notes on the Tatler, ed. 1786, vol. VI. p. 452. N.

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and had for several years the four first acts finished, which were fhewn to fuch as were likely to fpread 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 fpirit 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 those, who affected to think liberty in danger, affected likewise to think that a ftage-play might preferve it; and Addison was importuned, in the name of the tutelary deities of Britain, to fhew his courage and his zeal by finishing his defign.

To refume his work he seemed 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 serious; and, undertaking the fupplement, brought in a few days fome scenes 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, 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 purpofe; for Dennis charged him with raifing prejudices in his own favour by falfe pofitions of preparatory criticifm, and with poisoning the town by contradicting in the Spectator the "eftablished rule of poetical juftice, because his own hero, with all his virtues, was

to

to fall before a tyrant. The fact is certain; the motives we must guess.

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, arise ! "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."

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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 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 a fatire on the Tories; and the Tories echoed every clap, to fhew that the fatire was unfelt. The ftory of Bolingbroke is well known. He called Booth to his box, and gave him fifty guineas for defending the cause of Liberty fo well against a per petual dictator. The Whigs, fays Pope, defign fecond prefent, when they can accompany it with as good a fentence.

* Spence.

The

The play, fupported thus by the emulation of factious praise, was acted night after night for a longer time than, I believe, the publick 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 elle"where, he found himself obliged," fays Tickell, "by his duty on the one hand, and his honour on "the other, to send it into the world without any de"dication."

Human happiness has always its abatements; the brighteft fun-fhine 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 criticism. 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 miniftry, could not fit quiet at a fuccefsful play; but was eager to tell friends and enemies, that they had misplaced their admirations. The world was too ftubborn 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 had now an opportunity of courting the friendship of Addison, by vilifying his old enemy, and could give refentment its full play without ap pearing to revenge hi afelf. He therefore published A Narrative of the Madness of John Dennis; a performance

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