36 
time, to fear as much. ‘The chara@er of 
the Countefs of Warwick appears, from 
account, to have been very nearly that of 
Sir Roger de Coverley’s admired widow in 
the Spelator. “The one was unqueftiona- 
Remarks from the 
bly drawn from the other. Much of what 
is related of Sir Roger’s amour was in- 
tended to reprefent the flate and incidents 
of Addifon’s courtihip to the Countefs. 
In the Guardian, alo,-itfeems to have 
been in view to pay compliments to the 
Countefs, in part of what is faid of Lady 
Liza-d. In both thefe feries of papers are 
many -little allufions which were intended 
to be underftood by the Counteds as hints 
in favour of Addifon’s love. 
The papers in the Spectator, which ar 
dated from the ccuntry, and mingle their 
wit, piety and morality, with deicriptions 
of the fummer appearances of the face of 
nature, and of rural characters, labours, 
manners, and amufements, have ever been 
particularly adfired. They are all,-or 
almott all, by Addifon. But it 1s from 
the original letters and other communica- 
tions in the Addifoniana, that we learn, for 
the firfitime, how Addifon came to excei 
{> much in thee reprefentations of Eng- 
jith Iife in the country, fucn as it, then 
actually was. He was accuffomed to 
fpend in-the country every day that hé 
could fpare from his official duties. In 
the country he paffed his time much in the 
fame manner in which tae Spefiator is 
feigned to have amufed himielf at the 
feat of Sir Rogér... He joinéd in every 
amufement with a condefcending philan- 
thropy, and lceked ever eagerly around him 
with the eye of a philofopher and a poet. 
Hence in. writing the Speftators, which 
are dated from the country, he was merely . 
deferibing thole realities with which he 
was the belt acquainted, and which had 
made the mo. pieafing impreffions on his 
imagination and his feelings. 
‘The breach in the friendfhip between 
Adaifon and Steele towards the end of their 
lives, has been much lamented, though 
not fully accounted for. It may, however, 
be explained by putting together feyeral 
particulars which ‘are mentioned im thefe 
Addifoniana and Swiftiana, and in one 
‘cr two other late publications. At the 
time of their greateft intimacy, Steele, by 
the fortunes acquired by his fit and his 
fecond marriage (both with heirefles), by 
the income of his appointments under 
Government, and by the emoluments 
which he derived from his writings, was 
little, or nothing at all, lower in fortung 
Addifoniana, &e. (Fed.1, 
than Addifon. His known courage, the 
wit and gocd nature of his converfation, 
the f{plendid fucceis of his efforts as a 
dramatift, and the unbounded benevolence 
of his heart, had made him a charaéter 
of very favourable and fafhionable noto- 
riety. Addiion could not then, by his 
notice confer honour on the character of 
/ 
his old {chool-fellow; but on the con=_ 
trary, was himfelf rather a gainer by 
Steele’s notice. In the progre’s of the 
next eight or ten years, their relative con- 
ditions altered. Steele’s fortunes were 
impaired by his profufion and his difinte- 
-reftednefs; Addifon’s were by various 
caufes greatly improved. By the Spetta- 
“torsand by bis Cato, Addifon attained 
to reputation much higher than Steele's, 
in thote very fpecies of writing in which 
Steele chiefly excelled. It was natural 
that, in confeqnence even of thefe two 
changes alone, Addifon fhould feel new 
dignity inthe prefence of Steele; Steele, | 
on the other hand, fomewhat of confcious 
abafement before Addifon. _Befides, Ad- 
difon, when he became the hufband of 
the Countefs of Warwick, was neceflarily 
withdrawn in part by her ladyfbip’s in- 
fluence from that fociety and thofe ha- 
bits in which he had ufed to conyerfe the 
mott with Steele. And, to complete the 
feparation, while Addifon, to the Jaf, 
adhered to his old patron, the Earl of 
Halifax, and after his death to the Earl 
of Surderland ; Steele, in the great divi- 
fion between the old and the young Whig 
’ Jeaders, took part with Walpole, who had 
been his zealous defender when he was ex- 
pelled the Houfe of Commons, and with 
Lord Townfhend. 
The Swiftiana prefent many fac-fimile 
fpecimens of the hand-writing of eminent 
perfons who were in correfpondence with 
the Dean. But it is remarkable that none 
of thofe is nearly fo elegant or fo diitinly 
legible as that of Swift himfelf. Very 
probably Swift, during his readence with 
Sir William Temple, might be induced, 
for his friend’s convenience and fatistac- 
tion, to ufe, in writing out his Works, a 
care for beauty and correétneis of manu- 
{cript 5 in confequence of which his hand- 
writing was ever after neat, firm, and 
difingt. There is fomething in its ap- 
pearance that feems to bear the impreffion 
of the precifion and correétiefs of his 
tafte in morals, conyerfation, politics, 
and literary compofition. 
London, Ropert HERON. 
December 4, 1804. 
’ C ANTABRIGIANA. 
* 
i 
