Stamp Office, on an implied under- the clergyman, the soldier, and the standing that he should not be active merchant, were uninteresting figures, against the new government; and he fit only for a background. But the was, during more than two years, in- other two, an old country baronet and duced by Addison to observe this armi- an old town rake, though not destice with tolerable fidelity. lineated with a very delicate pencil, Isaac Bickerstaff accordingly became had some good strokes. Addison took silent upon politics, and the article of the rude outlines into his own hands, news which had once formed about one- retouched them, coloured them, and is third of his paper, altogether disap-in truth the creator of the Sir Roger peared. The Tatler had completely de Coverley and the Will Honeycomb changed its character. It was now with whom we are all familiar. nothing but a series of essays on books, morals, and manners. Steele therefore resolved to bring it to a close, and to commence a new work on an improved plan. It was announced that this new work would be published daily. The undertaking was generally regarded as bold, or rather rash; but the event amply justified the confidence with which Steele relied on the fertility of Addison's genius. On the second of January 1711, appeared the last Tatler. At the beginning of March following appeared the first of an incomparable series of papers, containing observations on life and literature by an imaginary Spectator. The Spectator himself was conceived and drawn by Addison; and it is not easy to doubt that the portrait was meant to be in some features a likeness of the painter. The Spectator is a gentleman who, after passing a studious youth at the university, has travelled on classic ground, and has bestowed much attention on curious points of antiquity. He has, on his return, fixed his residence in London, and has observed all the forms of life which are to be found in that great city, has daily listened to the wits of Will's, has smoked with the philosophers of the Grecian, and has mingled with the parsons at Child's, and with the politicians at the St. James's. In the morning, he often listens to the hum of the Exchange; in the evening, his face is constantly to be seen in the pit of Drury Lane theatre. But an insurmountable bashfulness prevents him from opening his mouth, except in a small circle of intimate friends. These friends were first sketched by Steele. Four of the club, the templar, The plan of the Spectator must be allowed to be both original and eminently happy. Every valuable essay in the series may be read with pleasure separately; yet the five or six hundred essays form a whole, and a whole which has the interest of a novel. It must be remembered, too, that at that time no novel, giving a lively and powerful picture of the common life and manners of England, had appeared. Richardson was working as a compositor. Fielding was robbing birds' nests. Smollett was not yet born. The narrative, therefore, which connects together the Spectator's Essays, gave to our ancestors their first taste of an exquisite and untried pleasure. That narrative was indeed constructed with no art or labour. The events were such events as occur every day. Sir Roger comes up to town to see Eugenio, as the worthy baronet always calls Prince Eugene, goes with the Spectator on the water to Spring Gardens, walks among the tombs in the Abbey, and is frightened by the Mohawks, but conquers his apprehension so far as to go to the theatre when the Distressed Mother is acted. The Spectator pays a visit in the summer to Coverley Hall, is charmed with the old house, the old butler, and the old chaplain, eats a jack caught by Will Wimble, rides to the assizes, and hears a point of law discussed by Tom Touchy. At last a letter from the honest butler brings to the club the news that Sir Roger is dead. Will Honeycomb marries and reforms at sixty. club breaks up; and the Spectator resigns his functions. Such events can hardly be said to form a plot; yet they are related with such truth, such grace, such wit, such humour, such pathos, The key, and the Death of Sir Roger de Coverley.* such knowledge of the human heart, such knowledge of the ways of the world, that they charm us on the hun- The least valuable of Addison's condredth perusal. We have not the least tributions to the Spectator are, in the doubt that if Addison had written a judgment of our age, his critical papers. novel on an extensive plan, it would Yet his critical papers are always luhave been superior to any that we pos-minous, and often ingenious. sess. As it is, he is entitled to be considered, not only as the greatest of the English essayists, but as the forerunner of the great English novelists. The very worst of them must be regarded as creditable to him, when the character of the school in which he had been trained is fairly considered. The best of them were much too good for his readers. In truth, he was not so far behind our generation as he was before his own. No essays in the Spectator were more censured and derided than those in which he raised his voice against the contempt with which our fine old ballads were regarded, and showed the scoffers that the same gold which, burnished and polished, gives lustre to the Eneid and the Odes of Horace, is mingled with the rude dross of Chevy Chace. We say this of Addison alone; for Addison is the Spectator. About three sevenths of the work are his; and it is no exaggeration to say, that his worst essay is as good as the best essay of any of his coadjutors. His best essays approach near to absolute perfection; nor is their excellence more wonderful than their variety. His invention never seems to flag; nor is he ever under the necessity of repeating himself, or of wearing out a subject. There are no dregs in his wine. He regales us after the fashion of that prodigal nabob who It is not strange that the success of held that there was only one good glass the Spectator should have been such as in a bottle. As soon as we have tasted no similar work has ever obtained. the first sparkling foam of a jest, it is The number of copies daily distributed withdrawn, and a fresh draught of nec- was at first three thousand. It subtar is at our lips. On the Monday we sequently increased, and had risen to have an allegory as lively and ingeni- near four thousand when the stamp ous as Lucian's Auction of Lives; on tax was imposed. That tax was fatal the Tuesday an Eastern apologue, as to a crowd of journals. The Spectator, richly coloured as the Tales of Schere- however, stood its ground, doubled its zade; on the Wednesday, a character price, and, though its circulation fell described with the skill of La Bruyere; off, still yielded a large revenue both on the Thursday, a scene from common to the state and to the authors. For life, equal to the best chapters in the particular papers, the demand was imVicar of Wakefield; on the Friday, mense; of some, it is said, twenty thousome sly Horatian pleasantry on fashion-sand copies were required. But this able follies, on hoops, patches, or puppet shows; and on the Saturday a religious meditation, which will bear a comparison with the finest passages in Massillon. was not all. To have the Spectator It is dangerous to select where there is so much that deserves the highest praise. We will venture, however, to say, that any person who wishes to form a notion of the extent and variety of Addison's powers, will do well to read at one sitting the following papers, the two Visits to the Abbey, the Visit to the Exchange, the Journal of the Retired Citizen, the Vision of Mirza, the Transmigrations of Pug the Mon-work. *Nos. 26, 329, 69, 317, 159, 343, 517. These papers are all in the first seven volumes. The eighth must be considered as a separate habit of reading, was probably not a sixth of what it now is. A shopkeeper or a farmer who found any pleasure in literature, was a rarity. Nay, there was doubtless more than one knight of the shire whose country seat did not contain ten books, receipt books and books on farriery included. In these circumstances, the sale of the Spectator must be considered as indicating a popularity quite as great as that of the most successful works of Sir Walter Scott and Mr. Dickens in our own time. litical friends, who hoped that the public would discover some analogy between the followers of Cæsar and the Tories, between Sempronius and the apostate Whigs, between Cato, struggling to the last for the liberties of Rome, and the band of patriots who still stood firm round Halifax and Wharton. Addison gave the play to the managers of Drury Lane theatre, without stipulating for any advantage to himself. They, therefore, thought themselves bound to spare no cost in scenery At the close of 1712 the Spectator and dresses. The decorations, it is ceased to appear. It was probably true, would not have pleased the skilfelt that the shortfaced gentleman and ful eye of Mr. Macready. Juba's waisthis club had been long enough before coat blazed with gold lace; Marcia's the town; and that it was time to hoop was worthy of a Duchess on the withdraw them, and to replace them birthday; and Cato wore a wig worth by a new set of characters. In a few fifty guineas. The prologue was written weeks the first number of the Guardian by Pope, and is undoubtedly a dignified was published. But the Guardian and spirited composition. The part of was unfortunate both in its birth and the hero was excellently played by in its death. It began in dulness, and Booth. Steele undertook to pack a disappeared in a tempest of faction. house. The boxes were in a blaze The original plan was bad. Addison with the stars of the Peers in Opposicontributed nothing till sixty-six num- tion. The pit was crowded with atbers had appeared; and it was then tentive and friendly listeners from the impossible to make the Guardian what Inns of Court and the literary coffeethe Spectator had been. Nestor Iron-houses. side and the Miss Lizards were people to whom even he could impart no interest. He could only furnish some excellent little essays, both serious and comic; and this he did. Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Governor of the Bank of England, was at the head of a powerful body of auxiliaries from the city, warm men and true Whigs, but better known at Jonathan's and Garraway's than in the haunts of wits and critics. Why Addison gave no assistance to the Guardian, during the first two These precautions were quite supermonths of its existence, is a question fluous. The Tories, as a body, rewhich has puzzled the editors and bio-garded Addison with no unkind feelgraphers, but which seems to us to ings. Nor was it for their interest, admit of a very easy solution. He was then engaged in bringing his Cato on the stage. The first four acts of this drama had been lying in his desk since his return from Italy. His modest and sensitive nature shrank from the risk of a public and shameful failure; and, though all who saw the manuscript were loud in praise, some thought it possible that an audience might become impatient even of very good rhetoric, and advised Addison to print the play without hazarding a representation. At length, after many fits of apprehension, the poet yielded to the urgency of his po professing, as they did, profound reverence for law and prescription, and abhorrence both of popular insurrections and of standing armies, to appropriate to themselves reflections thrown on the great military chief and demagogue, who, with the support of the legions and of the common people, subverted all the ancient institutions of his country. Accordingly, every shout that was raised by the members of the Kit Cat was echoed by the High Churchmen of the October; and the curtain at length fell amidst thunders of unanimous applause. The delight and admiration of the such knowledge of the human heart, such knowledge of the ways of the world, that they charm us on the hundredth perusal. We have not the least doubt that if Addison had written a novel on an extensive plan, it would have been superior to any that we possess. As it is, he is entitled to be considered, not only as the greatest of the English essayists, but as the forerunner of the great English novelists. key, and the Death of Sir P The least valuable of A than ...surd ment diaand among French model, rank high; not ne, or Saul; but, we w Cinna, and certainly ther English tragedy of school, above many of the Corneille, above many of the of Voltaire and Alfieri, and above e plays of Racine. Be this as it ay, we have little doubt that Cato did as much as the Tatlers, Spectators, se and Freeholders united, to raise Adrties dison's fame among his contempoought raries. We say this of Addison alone; for Addison is the Spectator. About three sevenths of the work are his; and it is no exaggeration to say, that his worst essay is as good as the best essay of any of his coadjutors. His best essays approach near to absolute perfection; nor is their excellence more wonderful fine than their variety. His invention never sh seems to flag; nor is he ever under the v necessity of repeating himself, or of wearing out a subject. There are no dregs in his wine. He regales us afte the fashion of that prodigal nabob w held that there was only one good g in a bottle. As soon as we have to the first sparkling foam of a jest withdrawn, and a fresh draught tar is at our lips. On the Mor have an allegory as lively and ous as Lucian's Auction of the Tuesday an Eastern a richly coloured as the Tale zade; on the Wednesday described with the skill on the Thursday, a scen life, equal to the best Vicar of Wakefield some sly Horatian pl able follies, on hoo pet shows; and o ligious meditati comparison wit' Massillon. It is dang is so much praise. W say, that form a n of Add read a the tv to th Reti the .e us squab The modesty and good nature of the successful dramatist had tamed triumph of even the malignity of faction. But liteurbed, the most rary envy, it should seem, is a fiercer Bolingbroke's. passion than party spirit. It was by sent for Booth to a zealous Whig that the fiercest attack him, before the on the Whig tragedy was made. John Dennis published Remarks on Cato, which were written with some acute tted a purse of fifty st a perpetual Dic-ness and with much coarseness and pungent allusion to ch Marlborough had before his fall, to obcreating him Captain and in April, a hun asperity. Addison neither defended hirty years ago, the London dies: he had, moreover, a larger share thought to be far advanced. than most men of those infirmities and whole month, however, Cato eccentricities which excite laughter; performed to overflowing houses, and Addison's power of turning either brought into the treasury of the an absurd book or an absurd man into nrivalled. Addison, how- | that on Atticus, or that on Sporus, the nscious of his supe- old grumbler would have been crushed. nity on his assail- But Pope writing dialogue resembled turally irritable-to borrow Horace's imagery and his red by want, own-a wolf, which, instead of biting, failures. should take to kicking, or a monkey tes for which should try to sting. The Naris-rative is utterly contemptible. Of argument there is not even the show; nd the jests are such as, if they were duced into a farce, would call e hisses of the shilling gallery. ves about the drama; and ks that he is calling for a here is," he cries, no pethe tragedy, no change of no change at all." Pray, sir, be not angry," says the old man; "I'll fetch change." This is not exactly the pleasantry of Addi ) son. 66 66 in- There can be no doubt that Addison Lator, saw through this officious zeal, and felt praised himself deeply aggrieved by it. So gentle hint foolish and spiteful a pamphlet could writer of so do him no good, and, if he were nave done well thought to have any hand in it, must sonalities. Pope, do him harm. Gifted with incomnore galled by the parable powers of ridicule, he had atified by the praise, never, even in self-defence, used those As for the admonition, powers inhumanly or uncourteously; d to profit by it. The two and he was not disposed to let others tinued to exchange civilities, make his fame and his interests a preand small good offices. Ad-text under which they might commit publicly extolled Pope's miscel-outrages from which he had himself eous pieces; and Pope furnished constantly abstained. He accordingly Addison with a prologue. This did declared that he had no concern in the not last long. Pope hated Dennis, Narrative, that he disapproved of it, whom he had injured without provo- and that if he answered the Remarks, cation. The appearance of the Re- he would answer them like a gentlemarks on Cato gave the irritable poet man; and he took care to communian opportunity of venting his malice cate this to Dennis. Pope was bitterly under the show of friendship; and such mortified; and to this transaction we an opportunity could not but be wel- are inclined to ascribe the hatred with come to a nature which was implacable which he ever after regarded Addiin enmity, and which always preferred son. the tortuous to the straight path. He In September 1713 the Guardian published, accordingly, the Narrative ceased to appear. Steele had gone of the Frenzy of John Dennis. But mad about politics. A general election Pope had mistaken his powers. He had just taken place: he had been chosen was a great master of invective and member for Stockbridge; and he fully sarcasm he could dissect a character expected to play a first part in Parliain terse and sonorous couplets, brilliant ment. The immense success of the with antithesis: but of dramatic talent Tatler and Spectator had turned his he was altogether destitute. If he had head. He had been the editor of both written a lampoon on Dennis, such as those papers, and was not aware how |