ADD 
teen, he was entered at Queen’s College, Oxford, where 
he applied very clofely to the ftudy of clalTical learning, 
in which he made a furprifing proficiency. 
In the year 1687, Dr. Lancafter, dean of Magdalen 
College, having, by chance, feen a Latin poem of Mr. 
Addifon’s, was fo pleafed with it, that he immediately got 
him elefted into that houfe, where he took up his degrees 
of bachelor and mafter of arts. His Latin pieces, in the 
courfe of a few years, were exceedingly admired in both 
univerfities ; nor were they lefs efteemed abroad, particu¬ 
larly by the celebrated Boileau, who is reported to have 
faid, that he would not have written againfi Perrault, had 
he before feen fitch excellent pieces by a modern hand. 
He publifited nothing in Engliili before the 22d year of 
his age; when there appeared a ihort copy of verfes writ¬ 
ten by him, and addrelfed to Mr. Dryden, which procured 
him great reputation from the beft judges. This was foon 
followed by a tranllation of the Fourth Georgic of Virgil 
(omitting the (lory of Arillams), much commended by Mr. 
Dryden. He wrote alio the Elfay on the Georgies, pre¬ 
fixed to Mr. Dryden’s tranllation. There are feveral 
other pieces written by him about this time; amongft the 
reft, one dated the third of April 1694, addrelfed to H. S. 
that is, Dr. Sacheverel, who became afterwards fo fa¬ 
mous, and with whom Mr. Addifon once lived in the 
greateft friendlhip; but their intimacy was fome time af¬ 
ter broken off by their difagreement in political princi¬ 
ples. In the year 1695, he wrote a poem to King Wil¬ 
liam on one of his campaigns, addrelfed to Sir John So¬ 
mers lord keeper of the great feal. This gentleman re¬ 
ceived it with much pleafure, took the author into the 
number of his friends, and bellowed on him many marks 
of his favour. 
Mr. Addifon had been clofely prelfed, whileattheuni- 
verfity, to enter into holy orders; and had once refolved 
upon it: but, having expretfed an inclination to travel, he 
was encouraged thereto by his patron above-mentioned, 
who by his intereft procured him from tire crown a penlion 
of 300I. per annum to fupport him in his travels. He 
accordingly made a tour to Italy in the year 1699 ; and, in 
1701, he wrote a poetical epiltle from Italy to the Earl of 
Halifax, which has been univerfally efteemed as a moll ex¬ 
cellent performance. It was tranflated into Italian verfe 
by the Abbot Antonio Maria Salvini, Greek profelfor at 
Florence. In the year 1705, he publilhed an account of 
his travels, dedicated to Lord Somers ; which, though at 
firlt but indifferently received, yet in a little time met with 
its deferved applaufe. 
In the year 1702, he was about to return to England, 
■when he received advice of his being appointed to attend 
prince Eugene, who then commanded for the emperor in 
Italy: but the death of king William, happening foon 
after, put an end to this affair as well as his penfion ; and 
he remained for a conliderable time unemployed. But an 
unexpected incident at once raifed him, and gave him an 
opportunity of exerting his talents to-advantage : for, in 
the year 1704, the lord treafurer Godolphin happened to 
complain to lord Halifax, that the duke of Marlbo¬ 
rough’s victory at Blenheim had not been celebrated in 
verfe in the manner it deferved; and intimated, that.he 
would take it kindly if his lordfhip, who was the known 
patron of the poets, would name a gentleman capable of 
doing juftice to fo elevated a fubjeft. Lord Halifax re¬ 
plied, fomewhat haftily, that he did know fuch a perfon, 
but would not mention him; adding, that long had he feen, 
with indignation, men of no merit maintained in luxury at 
the public expence, whilft thofe of real worth and modef- 
ty were fuffered to languish in obfeurity. The treafurer 
anfwered very coolly, that he was forry there Should be 
occafion for fuch an obfervation, but that he would do his 
endeavour to wine off fuch reproaches for the future; 
and he engaged his honour, that whoever his lordfhip na¬ 
med as a perfon capableof celebrating this victory, Should 
meet with a fuitable recompence. Lord Halifax there¬ 
upon named Mr. Addifon; infilling, however, that the 
Vol. I. No. 7. 
ADD 109 
treafurer himfelf fhould fend to him; which he promi- 
fed. Accordingly he prevailed on Mr. Boyle (afterwards 
Lord Carlton) then chancellor of the Exchequer, to make 
the propofal to Mr. Addifon; which he did in fo polite a 
manner, that our author readily undertook the talk. 
The lord treafurer had a fight of the piece, when it was 
carried no farther than the celebrated fimile of the angel; 
and was fo pleafed with it, that he immediately appointed 
Mr. Addifon a commilfioner of appeals, vacant by the 
promotion of Mr. Locke, chofen one of the lords com- 
miffioners for trade. The Campaign is addrelfed to the 
duke of Marlborough : it gives a Ihort view of the mi¬ 
litary tranfaclions in 1704, and contains a noble deferip- 
tion of the two great actions of Schellemberg and Blen¬ 
heim. In 1705, he attended lord Halifax to Hanover; 
and the enfuing year was appointed under-fecretary to 
Sir Charles Hedges, fecretary of Hate; in which office he 
acquitted himfelf fo well, that the earl of Sunderland, 
who fucceeded Sir Charles in December, continued Mr. 
Addifon in his employment. 
A talle for operas beginning at this time to prevail in 
England, and many perfons having folicited Mr. Addifon 
to write one, he complied with their requelt, andcompo- 
fed his Rofamond. This, how'ever, whether from the 
defeCl of the mufic, or from the prejudices in favour of 
the Italian talle, did not lucceed upon the llage; but the 
poetry of it has, and always will be, jultiy admired. About 
this time, Sir Richard Steele compofed his comedy of the 
the Tender Hulband, to which Mr. Addifon wrote a pro¬ 
logue. Sir Richard furprifed him with a dedication of 
this play, and acquainted the public, that he was indebted 
to him for fome of the moll excellent llrokes in the per¬ 
formance. The marquis of Wharton, being; appointed 
lord-lieutenant of Ireland in 1709, took Mr. Addifon with 
him as his fecretary. Her majelly alio made him keeper 
of the records of Ireland, and, as a farther mark ot her 
favour, conliderably augmented the falary annexed to that 
place. Whilft he was in this kingdom, the Tatler was 
firlt publilhed; and he difeovered his friend Sir Richard 
Steele to be the author, by an obfervation on Virgil, which 
he had communicated to him. He afterwards aftifted con¬ 
liderably in carrying on this paper, which the author ac¬ 
knowledges. The Tatler being laid down, the Spectator 
was fet on foot, and Mr. Addifon furnilhed great part of 
the moll admired papers. The Spectator made its ap¬ 
pearance in March 1711, and was brought to a conclusion 
in September 1712. 
His celebrated Cato appeared; in 1713. lie formed the 
'delign of a tragedy upon this fubject when he was very 
young, and wrote it when on his travels: he retouched it 
in England, without any intention, of bringing it on the 
llage; but, his friends being perfuaded it would ferve the 
caufe of liberty, he was prevailed on by their Solicitations, 
and it was accordingly exhibited on the theatre, v ith a 
prologue by Mr. Pope, and an epilogue by Dr. Garth. 
It was received with the molt uncommon applaufe, having 
run thirty-five-nights without interruption. The Whigs 
applauded every line in which liberty was mentioned, as 
a latire on the Tories; and the Tories echoed every clap, 
to lhe-w that tire latire was unfelt. When it was printed, 
notice was given that the queen would be pleafed if it was 
dedicated to her ; “ but, as lie had deligned that compli¬ 
ment elfewhere, lie- found himfelf obliged (lays Tickell) 
by his duty on the one hand, and his honour on the other, 
to fend it into the world without any dedication.” It was 
no lefs efteemed abroad, having been tranflated into French, 
Italian, and German; and it was afted at Leghorn, and 
feveral other places, with vail applaufe. The jeluits of 
St. Omers made a Latin veriionof it, and the Undents act¬ 
ed it with great magnificence. 
About this time, another paper called the Guardian was 
publilhed by Steele, to which Addifon was a principal 
contributor. It was a continuation of the Speflator, and 
was diliinguifhed by the fame elegance and the fame varie¬ 
ty; but, in cohlequence of Steele’s propensity to politics, 
F f was 
