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/87

 A D D I S O N. 51 was foon over. The whole nation was at that time on fire with faction. The Whigs applauded every line in which Li- berty was mentioned, as a fatirc on the Tories; and the To- ries echoed every clap, to (hew that the fat ire was unfdt. When it was printed, notice was given that the Queen would be pleafed if it was dedicated to her; ** but as he had defigned " that compliment elfewhere, he found himlelf 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. " At the publication the wits feemed proud to pay their at- tendance with encomiaftick verfes. The bell are from an un- known hand, which will perhaps Icfe fomewhat of their praifc when the author is known to be Jeffreys. Cato had yet other honours. It was cenfurtd as a party-play by a Scholar c- Oxford, and defended in a favourable examination by Dr. Sewel. It was tranflated bySalvini into Italian, and acted at Florence; and by the Jefyits of St. Omer's into Latin, and played by their pupils. While Cato was upon the ftage, ano- ther daily paper called the Guardian was publilned by Steele; to which Addifon gave great afliltance. Of this paper nothing is neceflaiy to be ("aid, but that it found many contributors, and that it was a continuation of the Spectator, with the fame elegance, and the fame variety, till fome unlccky fparkle fiom a Tory paper fet Steele's politicks on fire, and wit at once blazed into faction. He was foon too hot for neutral topicks, and quitted the Guardian to write the Englishman. The pa- pers of Addifon are marked in the Spectator by one of the ler." ters in the name of Clio, and in the Guardian by a Hand. Many of thefe papers were written with powers truly comick, with nice difcriminatioo of characters, and accurate obferva- tion of natural or accidental deviations from propriety; but ic was not fuppofed that he had tried a comedy on the fta-e, till Steele,after his death, declared him the author of " The Druqty- " mer;" this however he did not know to be true by any co- gent teftimony; for when _Addifon put the play into hU hands, he only tolJ him it was the work of a Gentleman in the Com- pany i and when it was received, as is confefled, with cold dil- approbation, he wt L ^