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It might afford much matter of curious fpeculation to the phi- 

 lologift, to enquire whether it was this aptitude in the language 

 of Addifon to thofe light topics of writing in which he excelled 

 that direded his choice of fubjeds, or whether his peculiar call 

 of ftyle was formed by his choice of fuch topics. Probably both 

 operated, or rather both were effeds of the fame caufe. A man's 

 caft of thought gives a charader to his ftyle, and where choice is 

 free, the fubjed for compofition is determined by the complexion 

 of the mind. But whatever might have been the caufe of 

 Addifon's excellence in point of ftyle, or that of his compeers 

 Bolingbroke and Shaftftjury, it is certain that for fome time pre- 

 vious to the revolution there had been caufes in operation which 

 necefl'arily tended to produce a general improvement in the ftyle 

 of Englifh profe. Some of thofe have been already hinted above ; 

 there are others that deferve mention. Not only had the religious 

 and political difputes which had called forth and in fome mea- 

 fure fharpened the intelled of the nation, introduced a pofitive 

 improvement in compofition — they did more } they fowed the 

 feeds of ftill farther and more important improvements, by dif- 

 fufing a tafte, and in fome meafure creating a ncceftity for ftudy. 

 Claffical learning had been revived by the reformation. Inftead of 

 -the barbarifms of monkifh Latin, the public had gotten a tafte, 

 not only of the fine writings of antient Rome, but of the compo- 

 fitions of the poets and hiftorians of Greece, who had been fo long 

 buried beneath the rubbifh of popifti ignorance. Literary contefts, 

 created by political differences, difFufed ftill more widely a know- 

 ledge of thofe beft models of compofition — for on a queftion of 



government 



