In 1697 appeared his Latin verfes on the peace of Ryfwick, which he dedicated to Montague, and which was afterwards called by Smith "the best "Latin poem fince the Æneid." Praife muft not be too rigorously examined; but the performance cannot be denied to be vigorous and elegant.

Having yet no publick employment, he obtained (in 1699) a penfion of three hundred pounds a year, that he might be enabled to travel. He ftaid a year at Blois *, probably to learn the French language; and then proceeded in his journey to Italy, which he furveyed with the eyes of a poet.

While he was travelling at leifure, he was far from being idle: for he not only collected his obfervations on the country, but found time to write his Dialogues on Medals, and four Acts of Cato. Such at leaft is the relation of Tickell. Perhaps he only collected his materials, and formed his plan.

Whatever were his other employments in Italy, he there wrote the letter to lord Halifax, which is justly confidered as the most elegant, if not the moft fublime, of his poetical productions. But in about two years he found it neceffary to haften home; being, as Swift informs us, diftreffed by indigence, and compelled to become the tutor of a travelling Squire, because his penfion was not remitted.

At his return he published his Travels, with a dedication to lord Somers. As his ftay in foreign countries was short, his obfervations are fuch as might be fupplied by a hafty view, and consist chiefly in comparisons of the prefent face of the

* Spence.

country

country with the defcriptions left us by the Romant poets, from whom he made preparatory collections, though he might have fpared the trouble, had he known that fuch collections had been made twice be-fore by Italian authors.

The moft amufing paffage of his book is his account of the minute republick of San Marino; of many parts it is not a very fevere cenfure to say, that they might have been written at home. His elegance of language, and variegation of profe and verie, however, gains upon the reader; and the book, though a while neglected, became in time fo much the favourite of the publick, that before it was reprinted it rofe to five times its price.

When he returned to England (in 1702), with a meanness of appearance which gave teftimony of the difficulties to which he had been reduced, he found his old patrons out of power, and was therefore, for a time, at full leifure for the cultivation of his mind, and a mind fo cultivated gives reason to believe that little time was loft.

But he remained not long neglected or useless. The victory at Blenheim (1704) spread triumph and confidence over the nation; and lord Godolphin, lamenting to lord Halifax, that it had not been celebrated in a manner equal to the fubject, defired him to propose it to fome better poet. Halifax told him, that there was no encouragement for genius; that worthless men were unprofitably enriched with publick money, without any care to find or employ thofe whofe appearance might do honour to their country. To this Godolphin replied, that fuch abuses should in time be rectified; and that, if a

man

man could be found capable of the task then proposed, he should not want an ample recompenfe. Halifax then named Addifon, but required that the Treasurer should apply to him in his own person. Godolphin fent the meffage by Mr. Boyle, afterwards lord Carlton; and Addifon, having undertaken the work, communicated it to the Treasurer, while it was yet advanced no further than the fimile of the Angel, and was immediately rewarded by fucceeding Mr. Locke in the place of Commiffioner of Appeals.

In the following year he was at Hanover with lord Halifax; and the year after he was made under-fecretary of state, first to Sir Charles Hedges, and in a few months more to the earl of Sunderland.

About this time the prevalent tafte for Italian operas inclined him to try what would be the effect of a mufical Drama in our own language. He therefore wrote the opera of Rofamond, which, when exhibited on the stage, was either hiffed or neglected; but, trufting that the readers would do him more justice, he published it, with an infcription to the dutchess of Marlborough; a woman without skill, or pretenfions to fkill, in poetry or literature. His dedication was therefore an inftance of fervile abfurdity, to be exceeded only by Joshua Barnes's dedication of a Greek Anacreon to the Duke.

His reputation had been fomewhat advanced by The Tender Hufband, a comedy which Steele dedicated to him, with a confeffion that he owed to him feveral of the moft fuccefsful fcenes. To this play Addison fupplied a prologue.

When the marquis of Wharton was appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland, Addison attended him as his fecretary; and was made keeper of the records in VOL. X.

G

Bir

Birmingham's Tower, with a falary of three hundred pounds a year. The office was little more than nominal, and the falary was augmented for his accommodation.

Intereft and faction allow little to the operation of particular difpofitions, or private opinions. Two men of personal characters, more oppofite than those of Wharton and Addifon, could not eafily be brought together. Wharton was impious, profligate, and hameless, without regard, or appearance of regard, to right and wrong: whatever is contrary to this may be faid of Addifon; but as agents of a party they were connected, and how they adjufted their other fentiments we cannot know.

Addifon muft however not be too haftily condemned. It is not neceffary to refufe benefits from a bad man, when the acceptance implies no approbation of his crimes; nor has the fubordinate officer any obligation to examine the opinions or conduct of thofe under whom he acts, except that he may not be made the inftrument of wickednefs. It is reasonable to fuppofe that Addifon counteracted, as far as he was able, the malignant and blafting influence of the Lieutenant; and that at leaft by his intervention fome good was done, and fome mifchief prevented.

When he was in office, he made a law to himself, as Swift has recorded, never to remit his regular fees in civility to his friends: "For," faid he, "I

may have a hundred friends; and if my fee be "two guineas, I fhall, by relinquishing my right, "lofe two hundred guineas, and no friend gain more "than two; there is therefore no proportion between "the good imparted and the evil fuffered."

He

He was in Ireland when Steele, without any communication of his defign, began the publication of the Tatler but he was not long concealed: by inferting a remark on Virgil, which Addifon had given him, he discovered himself. It is indeed not eafy for any man to write upon literature or common life, fo as not to make himleif known to thofe with whom he familiarly converfes, and who are acquainted with his track of study, his favourite topick, his peculiar notions, and his habitual phrases.

If Steele defired to write in fecret, he was not lucky; a fingle month detected him. His first Tatler was published April 22 (1709); and Addifon's contribution appeared May 26. Tickell obferves, that the Tatler began and was concluded without his concurrence. This is doubtlefs literally true; but the work did not fuffer much by his unconfcioulnefs of its commencement, or his abfence at its ceffation; for he continued his affiftance to December 23, and the paper ftopped on January 2. He did not distinguish his pieces by any fignature; and I know not whether his name was not kept fecret till the papers were collected into volumes.

To the Tatler, in about two months, fucceeded the Spectator; a series of effays of the fame kind, but written with lefs levity, upon a more regular plan, and publifhed daily. Such an undertaking fhewed the writers not to diftruft their own copioufnefs of materials or facility of compofition, and their performance juftified their confidence. They found however, in their progrefs, many auxiliaries. To attempt a fingle paper was no terrifying labour; many pieces were offered, and many were received.