440 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



£2°<» S. IX. June 9. '60. 



" ffor He was man : the thyrd kyng 

 Incensum pulcrum tradidit : 

 He us all to his blys brynge 

 Qui mori cruce voluit." 



John Williams, 



CRUDEN AND ADDISON. 



The touching tragedy of Cruden's early life, 

 how he fell passionately in love with the daughter 

 of a Presbyterian clergyman at Aberdeen, and 

 went mad because the fair girl did not return his 

 affection, and how he was afterwards appointed 

 bookseller to Caroline, wife of George II. in 



Addison. 

 " When this excellent Princess was yet in her Father's 

 Court, she was so celebrated for the Beauty of her Person, 

 and the Accomplishments of her Mind that there was no 

 Prince in the Empire, who had room for such an Alli- 

 ance, that was not ambitious of gaining her into his 



Family, either as a Daughter, or as a Consort 



Heir to all the Dominions of the House of Austria, .... 

 . . . but she generously declined was incon- 

 sistent with the Enjoyment of her Religion. 



Providence however kept in Store a Reward for such an 

 exalted Virtue ; and by the secret Methods of its Wisdom, 



.... Christian Magnanimity it was the Fame 



of this heroick Constancy that determined his Royal 

 Highness to desire in Marriage a Princess whose Personal 

 Charms, which had before been so universally admired, 



" We of the British Nation have reason to rejoice that 

 such a proposal was made and accepted ; and that her Ro3'al 

 Highness, with regard to those two successive Treaties of 

 Marriage, showed as much Prudence in her Compliance 

 with the one, as Piety in her Refusal of the other. The 

 Princess was no sooner arrived at Hanover than she im- 

 proved the Lustre of that Court, which was before reckoned 

 among the Politest in Europe ; and increased the Satis- 

 faction of that People who were before looked upon as the 

 happiest in the Empire. She immediately became the 

 darling of the Princess Sophia, who was acknowledged 



the most accomplished Woman of the age in 



which she lived, and who was not a little pleased with 

 the conversation of one in whom she saw so lively an 



image of her own youth 



.... in other Countries. We daily discover those ad- 

 mirable Qualities for which she is so justly famed, and 

 rejoice to see them exerted hi our ownCountrey, where 

 we ourselves are made happy by their Influence. We 

 . . . behold the Throne of these kingdoms surrounded by 



a numerous and beautiful Progeny, 



the Princess . . . takes instilling early into 



their Minds all the Principles of Religion, Virtue, and 

 Honour, 



" Her Royal Highness is indeed possessed of all those 

 talents which make Conversation either delightful or 

 improving. As she has a fine Taste, in the elegant Vrts, 

 and is skilled in several modern Languages, her Dis- 

 course is not confined to the ordinary subjects or forms 

 of conversation, but can adapt itself with an uncommon 

 Grace to every Occasion, and entertain the politest Per- 

 sons of different Nations. I need not mention, what is 

 observed by every one, that agreeable Turn which ap- 

 pears in her sentiments upon the most ordinary Affairs of 

 Life, and which is so suitable to the Delicacy of her Sex, 

 the Politeness of her Education, and the Spicndor of her 

 Qualit}-. 



which diffuses the greatest glory round a Human 



Character " 



1735, are known to most of his biographers ; but 

 that any traces of his idiosyncracy are to be found 

 in his great work, the Concordance of the Bible, has 

 not, I believe, been previously noticed. Cruden 

 presented the first copy of this volume to the 

 Queen in 1737, with a complimentary dedication 

 copied almost verbatim from Addison's paper in 

 The Freeholder on her marriage, dated March 2, 

 1715. 



The praise of this lady, which is graceful in 

 Addison, is curiously laughable in Cruden when 

 changed from a description into an address to her- 

 self. 



Cruden. 



"The beauty of your person, and the accomplishments 



of your mind, were so celebrated in your Father's court 



that there was no Prince in the Empire, who had room 



for such an alliance, that was not ambitious of gaining 



into his Family either as a Daughter, or as a 



Consort heir to all the dominions of the 



house of Austria yet you generously declined 



was inconsistent with the enjoyment of your 



Religion. The great Disposer of all things, however, 

 kept in store a reward for such exalted virtue, and by the 

 secret methods of his wisdom, .... It was the fame of 

 this heroic constancy that determined his Majesty to 

 desire in marriage a Princess who was now more cele- 

 brated for her Christian magnanimity, than for the beauty 

 of her person which had been so universally admired. 



"We of the British nation have reason to rejoice that 

 such a proposal was made and accepted, and that j - our 

 Majest}', with regard to these two successive treaties, 

 showed as much prudence in your compliance with the 

 one, as piety in your refusal of the other. You no sooner 

 arrived at Hanover than you improved the lustre of that 

 court, which was before reckoned among the politest in 

 Europe, and increased the happiness of a people, who 

 were before looked upon as the happiest in the Empire: 

 And you immediately became the darling of the Princess 

 Sophia, a Princess, justly acknowledged to be one of the 

 most accomplished women of the age in which she lived, 

 who was much pleased with the conversation of one 

 in whom she saw so lively an image of her own youth. 



"We daily discover those admirable qualities for which 

 your Majesty was famed in other countries, and rejoice to 

 see them exerted in our Island, where we ourselves are 

 made happy by their influence. We behold the throne 

 of these kingdoms surrounded by your Majesty's royal 

 and numerous Progeny, and hear with pleasure the 

 great care your Majesty takes to instil early into their 

 minds the principles of Religion, Virtue, and Honour. 



" Your Majesty is possessed of all those talents which 

 make conversation either delightful or improving. Your 

 fine taste in the elegant arts, and skill in several modern 

 languages, is such that your discourse is not confined to 

 the ordinary subjects of conversation, but is adapted 

 with an uncommon grace to every occasion, and enter- 

 tains the politest persons of different nations. That 

 agreeable turn which appears in your sentiments upon 

 the most ordinary affairs of life, which is so suitable to 

 the delicacy of your sex, the politeness of 3'our education, 

 and the splendour of your quality, is observed by every 

 one that has the honour to approach you. 



which diffuses the greatest glory around a human 



character . . . ." 



