of Sir Roger to his disdainful widow; and whơ, it is feared, diverted herself often by playing with his passion. He is faid to have been first known to her by becoming tutor to her fon. His advances at first were certainly timorous, but grew bolder as his reputation and influence increased; till at last the lady was perfuaded to marry him, on terms much like those on which a Turkish princess is espoused, to whom the Sultan is reported to pronounce, " Daughter, I give thee this man for thy flave." The mar. riage, if uncontradicted report can be credited, made no addition to his happiness; it neither found them nor made them equal. She always remembered her own rank, and thought herself entitled to treat with very little ceremony the tutor of her fon.

In the year 1717 he rose to his highest ele. vation, being made secretary of state. For this employment he might be justly supposed qualified by long practice of business, and by his regular afcent through other offices; but expec tation is often disappointed; it is universally con fefsed that he was unequal to the duties of his place. In the house of commons he could not fpeak, and therefore was useless to the defence of the government. In the office he could not issue an order without losing his time in quest of fine expressions. What he gained in rank he lost in credit; and, finding by experience his own inability, was forced to folicit his dismission with a pension of 1500l. a year.

He now returned to his vocation, and engaged in a defence of the Christian Religion, of which part was published after his death, and he defigned to have made a new poetical version of the Pfalms. It is related that he once had a design to make an English Dictionary, and that he confidered Dr. Tillotson as the writer of highest authority.

Addison however did not conclude his life in peaceful studies; but relapsed, when he was near his end, to a political question.

It fo happened that (1718-19) a controversy was agitated, with great vehemence, between those friends of long continuance Addison and Steele. The earl of Sunderland proposed an act called the Peerage Bill, by which the number of peers should be fixed, and the king reftrained from any new creation of nobility, unless when an old family should be extinct. Το prevent this fubversion of the ancient establishment, Steele, whose pen readily seconded his political paffions, endeavoured to alarm the nation by a pamphlet called the Plebeian; to this an an swer was published by Addifon, under the title of the Old Whig, in which it is not discovered that Steele was then known to be the advocate of the commons. Steele replied by a fecond Plebeian; and whether by ignorance or by courtesy, confined himself to his question, without any personal notice of his opponent. The Old Whig answered the Plebeian, and could not forbear fome contempt of little Dicky, whose trade it was to write pamphlets. Dicky, however did not lofe his settled veneration for his friend; but contented himself with quoting some lines of Cato, which were at once detection and reproof. The bill was laid afide during that feffion, and Addison died before the next.

Every reader fürely must regret that these two

illustrious friends, after so many years past in confidence confidence and endearment, in unity of interest, conformity of opinion, and fellowship of study, should finally part in acrimonious oppofition. Such a controverfy was bellum plusquam civile, as Lucan expresses it. Why could not faction find other advocates? But, among the uncertainties of the human state, we are doomed to number the inftability of friendship.

The end of this useful life was now approaching. Addison had for fome time been oppressed by shortness of breath, which was now aggravated by a dropsy; and, finding his danger preffing, he prepared to die conformably to his own precepts and profeffions.

During this lingering decay he sent a message by the earl of Warwick to Mr. Gay, defiring to see him: Gay, who had not visited him for some time before, obeyed the summons, and found himself received with great kindness. Addison then told him that he had injured him, but that, if he recovered, he would recompense him. What the injury was he did not explain, nor did Gay ever know; but fuppofed that some preferment designed for him, had by Addison's intervention been withheld.

Lord Warwick was a young man of very irregular life, and perhaps of loose opinions. Addifon, for whom he did not want respect, had very diligently endeavoured to reclaim him; but his arguments and expoftulations had no effect: One experiment however remained to be tried. When he found his life near it's end, he directed the young lord to be called; and when he defired, with great tenderness to hear his last injunctions, told him, I have fent for you that you may fee how a

CHRISTIAN CAN DIE.

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Having

Having given directions to Mr. Tickel for the publication of his works, and dedicated them on his death-bed to his friend Mr. Craggs, he died June 17, 1719, at Holland-house, leaving no child but a daughter.

Of his virtue it is a fufficient testimony, that the resentment of party has transmitted no charge of any crime. He was not one of those who are praised only after death; for his merit was fo generally acknowledged, that Swift, having observed that his election passed without a conteft, added, that if he had proposed himself for king he would hardly have been refused.

His zeal for his party did not extinguish his kindness for the merit of his opponents: When he was secretary in Ireland, he refused to intermit his acquaintance with Swift.

Of his habits, or external manners, nothing is fo often mentioned as that timorous or fullen taciturnity, which his friends called modesty by too mild a name. Steele mentions with great tenderness, " that remarkable bashfulness, which " is a cloak that hides and muffles merit:" Chefterfield affirms that "Addison was the most ti"morous and awkward man that he ever faw:" And Addison, speaking of his own deficience in conversation, used to say of himself, that with respect to intellectual wealth, " he could draw " bills for a thousand pounds, though he had not " a guinea in his pocket."

That he wanted current coin for ready payment, and by that want was often obstructed and distressed; that he was oppressed by an improper and ungraceful timidity, every testimony concurs to prove, but Chesterfield's representation is doubtless hyperbolical. That man cannot be fupposed

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or

pofed very unexpert in the arts of converfation and practice of life, who, without fortune alliance, by his usefulness and dexterity, became secretary of state; and who died at forty-feven, after having not only stood long in the highest rank of wit and literature, but filled one of the most important offices of state.

The time in which he lived had reason to lament his obstinacy of filence; " for he was, (fays " Steele) above all men in that talent called hu

mour, and enjoyed it in such perfection, that " I have often reflected after a night spent with " him apart from all the world, that I had the "pleasure of converfing with an intimate acquaint"ance of Terence and Catullus, who had all their " wit and nature, heightened with humour more " exquifite and deliglitful than any other man ever " poffefsfed." This is the fondness of a friend; let us hear what is told us by a rival. "Addison's conversation, (says Pope) had fomething in it more charming than I have found in any other man. But this was only when familiar: Before strangers, or perhaps a single stranger, he preserved his dignity by a stiff filence."

This modesty was by no means inconsistent with a very high opinion of his own merit. There is no reason to doubt that he suffered too much pain from the prevalence of Pope's poetical reputation; nor is it without strong reason suspected that by some disingenuous acts he endeavoured to obstruct it. Pope was not the only man whom he infidously injured, though the only man of whom he could be afraid.

Of very extensive learning he has indeed given no proofs. He seems to have had small acquaintance with the sciences, and to have read little except Latin and French. The abundance of his