CHARACTERS. 



313 



but Addison would have died with 

 narrow fame, had he never had a 

 friendship with sir R. whose com- 

 positions have done eminent service 

 to mankind. To him we owe, that 

 swearing is unfashionable, and that 

 a regard to religion is become a part 

 of good breeding. 



He had learning; but it was sel- 

 dom transfused into his perform- 

 ances. He studied nature more 

 than books; and as Numa consulted 

 with Egeria, and learnt his laws 

 from that divine nymph, sir R. was 

 in love with a more real goddess ; 

 and was taught by her, in reality, 

 all his precepts. He had an art to 

 make people hate their follies, 

 without hating themselves for hav- 

 ing them ; and he shewed gentle- 

 men a way of becoming virtuous 

 with a good grace. 



A bold free spirit, a lively hu- 

 mour, a quickness of thought, and 

 the most delicate touches of the pas- 

 sions, inspire pleasure into all that 

 read and understand his writings. 

 He had not leisure and coolness 

 enough to bear the fatigue of being 

 correct ; his observations on man- 

 kind crowded so fast upon him, that, 

 for want of patience to write them 

 down in a due studied natural order, 

 he sometimes became obscure. His 

 satire was severe and pointed ; but, 

 I think, he never once exerted that 

 talent against his private, but al- 

 ways against his country's, enemies; 

 and therefore shewed good nature, 

 even in his sharpest and bitterest 

 invectives. 



He had no genius for rhirae ; and 

 he knew that he had not, and there- 

 fore but seldom attempted it. Those 

 who love S. will only admire Ad- 

 dison : he will never have many 

 applauders; but those who can 

 jeUsh him, will never think any 



writings equal to those he has left 

 us. 



How good his political judge- 

 ment was, may be learnt from his 

 letters to sir Miles Wharton, and to 

 the bailiff of Stockbridge : how 

 generous his sentiments of religion 

 may be seen in his Epistle to the 

 Pope. The justness of his wit, and 

 his exact knowledge of true cha- 

 racter, every body confessed, by 

 their approbation of his plays and 

 Tatlers. 



Let thy faults, O ! sir R. be buried 

 in thy grave, and thy virtues be 

 imitated by all ! Let thy writings 

 be beloved ; for whoever doth that 

 sincerely, will, before he thinks of 

 it, become a lover, if not a prac- 

 tiser of virtue ; and the world may 

 owe to thee the removal of foppe- 

 ries, that are to be born again in 

 centuries to come. Thy works will 

 be a medicine of the mind, and cure 

 all the green-sicknessed appetites 

 that will seize on the gay and the 

 young, without so friendly a cordial. 

 If all who have been, or shall be 

 benefited by thy advice, will own 

 themselves thy admirers, never 

 could author boast a more universal 

 or a better- founded applause ; and 

 Socrates himself shall have fewer 

 disciples than Steele. 



T. Rundle. 



Account of the Scotch Highlanders ; 



from Belshavis History of Great 



Britain, from the Revolution to 



the Accession of the House of 



Hanover. 



THE viscount Dundee had in- 

 flamed his mind with the pe- 

 rusal of the ancient poets and histo- 

 rians, and yet more by listening to 

 the heroic achievements celebrated 

 in the popular and traditionary songs 



