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/91

 A D D I S O N. Of the courfe of AJdifon's familiar day, before his mar- riage, Pope has given a detail. Me had in the houfc vitli him Budgcll, and perhaps Philips. His chL-f com;^;ii->ns vcrj Stecle, Budgell, Philips, Carey, Davenant, a id Cul. Jirctt. With one or other of thefe he always brc-akfafted. He ftudicd all morning ; then dined at a tavern, and went afterwards to Button's. From the coft'ee-houfe he went n_i :in to the tavern, where he often fat late, and drank too much wine. Dr. Johnfon's moft admirable dtlineati -n of the character of Ad- difon concludes by obferving with Tickeil, that he employed wit on the fide of virtue and rf;lj_.jcn. Hv r.ot only made the proper U!L- of wit himfelf, but Jiught it to others ; and ,'rom his time it has been generally fubfervient to the caufe of rea- fon and truth. He has diilipatcd the prejudice that had long connected gaiety with vice, ana eafui"fs of manners with laxity of principles. He h^s reftored virtue to its dignity, and taught innocence not to be afhamed. This is an elevation of literary character, "above all Greek, a^o/eall Kyman fame." No greater felicity can genius attain thai that of having puri- fied intellectual pleafure, feparated mirth from indecency, and wit fiom licentiojfnefs ; of having taught a fucceffion of wri- ters to bring elegance and gaiety to the aid of goodnefs ; and, if I may ufe expre.Tions yet more awful, of having manners, he murt be allowed to ftand perhaps the firft of the firft rank. His humour, which, as Steele obferve.s, is peculiar to himfelf, is fo happily diftufed as to give the grace of novelty to domeftick fcer.es and daily occurrences. He never *< out- " fteps the modefty of nature," nor raifes merriment or won- der by the violation of truth. His figures neither divert by distortion, nor amaze by aggravation. He copies life with fo much fidelity, that he can be. hardly faiJ to invent; yet his exhibitions have an air fo much original, that it is difficult to fuppofe them not merely the product of imagination. As a teacher of wifdom he may be coniident'v followed. His reli- gion has nothing in it enthufialtick or i - per/in ions ; he ap- pears neither weakly credulous nor waittonlyfceptical j his morality is neitner daneeroully lax, nor impracticably rigid. All the enchantment of fancy and all the cogency of argu- ment are employed to recommend to the reader his real iirte- reft, the care of p'eafins: the Author of his beino;. Truth is O fhewn fometimes as the phantom cf a vifiar, fometimej pears half-veiled in an allegory ; fometia.i-s ..ti.-.i^ts, in the robes of fancy, and fometimes iteps fo.tn in the conii- 4 deiwc
 * ' turned many to righteoufnefs." As a defcriber of life and