Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/85

 A D D I S O N. 49 remained not long negle&ed or ufelefs. The vi&ory at Blen- heim i 704. fpread triumph and confidence over the nati'K, ; and lord Godolphin lamenting to lord Halifax that it had not been celebrated in a manner equal to the I'ubjeit, defire i h;;n to propoft: it to fome better poet. Halifax named Addifon; who, having undertaken the work, communicated it to the Treafurer, while it was jet advanced no further than the fimile of the Angel, and was iir.medi .:tcl r rewarded by fuc- ceeding Mr. Locke in the place of Commiffioner of Appeals. In the following year he was at Hanover with lord Ha! ; f.ix ; and the year after was made under-fccret.iry of (late, firlt to Sir Charles Hedges, and in a few months more to the c^rl of Sunderland. About this time the prevalent tad for Italian operas inclining him to try what would be thetftect of a mufi- cal Drama in our own language, he wrote the opera of Ro- famond, which, when exhibited on the ftage, was either hi fl- ed or neglected ; but truftini* that the readers would do him more juftice, he published it, with an inlcription to iheduchefs of Marlborough. His reputation had been fomewrnt ad- vanced by the " Tender Hufb-md," a comedy which Steele dedicated to him, with a conftilion that he owed to him feve- ral of the moft fuccefcful fcenes. To this play Adcl'nbn fup- plied a prologue. When the marquis of Wharton was ap- pointed lord lieutenant of Ireland, Addifon att' nded him as his fecretary; and was made keeper of the records in Berm ng- ham's Tower, with a (alary of 300!. a year. The office was little more than nominal, and the falary was augmented lor his accommodation. When he was in office, he made a lav to himfelf, as Swift has recorded, never to remit his regular fees in civility to his friends. " I may have a hundred friends j '* and if my fee be two guineas, I lli.ill by relinquishing my " right lofe 200 guineas, and no friend gain more than two." He was in Ireland when Steele, without any communication, of his defign, began the publication of the Tatler ; buthewas not long concealed : by inferring a remark on Virgil, which Addifon had given him, he difcovered himfelf. Stede'b firft Tailer was published April 22, 1709, and Addilbn's contri- bution appeared May 26. Tickell obferves, that the Tatler begun and was concluded without his concurrence. This is doubtlefs literally true ; but the work did not fuffer much by his unconfcioufnels of its commencement, or his abfence at its ceflation ; for he continued his afliltance to Dec. 23, and the paper flopped on Jan. 2. Pie did not diftinguifh his pieces by any fignature. VOL, I. E