Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the 6th of July, 1675, he took the degrees of batchelor and doctor in divinity, at Oxford. His preferments, though not very confiderable, enabled him to live in the country with great decency and hospitality, and he discharged his duty with a moft confcientious diligence. In 1683, the commiffioners for ecclefiaftical affairs, in confideration of his former service at Tangier, conferred upon him the deanery of Litchfield, in which he was installed the 3d of July. On the 8th of De- Ibid. cember, 1684, he was collated to the archdeaconry of Coventry, and held it with his deaconry in commendam. In the convocation, which met on the 4th of December, 1689, dean Addison was present, and was one of the committee, appointed by the lower houfe, to acquaint the lords, that they had confented to a conference on the subject of an address to the king. He died on the 20th of April, 1703, in the feventy-first year of his age, and was buried in the church-yard of Litchfield, at the entrance of the weft door, with the following epitaph on his tomb ftone.

Hic jacet Lancelotus Addifon, S. T. P. hujus ecclefiæ Decanus, nec non Archidiaconus Coventriæ, qui obiit 20 die Aprilis Ann. Dom. 1703. Ætatis fuæ 71.

Dr. Addison wrote many learned and useful treatifes, of which we shall give an account in a note (a),

(a) 1. West Barbary; or, a short narrative of the revolutions of the kingdoms of Fez and Morocco, with an account of the prefent customs, facred, civil and domeftic, by Lancelot Addifon, chaplain to his majesty in ordinary. Oxford, 1671. This piece is dedicated to Jofeph Williamfon, efq; It contains many curious particulars, related by the author on his own knowledge, agreeable to what he fays in his preface, that this book was not compofed from the accounts given by others, but was the fruit of diligent obfervations and many years enquiries.

2. The prefent State of the Jews, more particularly relating to those in Barbary, wherein is contained an exact account of their customs, fecular and religious; to which is annexed, a fummary difcourfe of the Misna, Talmud, and Germara. London, 1675.

This is alfo dedicated to his former patron, under the title of the right

honourable Sir Joseph Williamson,
principal fecretary of state.

3. The primitive Inftitution; or, a feasonable difcourfe of catechifing, wherein is fhewn the antiquity, benefit, and neceffity thereof; together with its fuitablenefs to heal the prefent diftempers of the church of England.

4. A modeft Plea for the Clergy, wherein is briefly confidered the ori ginal, antiquity, and neceffity of that calling; together with the fpurious' and genuine occafions of their prefent contempt. London, 1677.

5. The first State of Mahometifm; or, an account of the author and doctrine of that impofture. London, 1578.

6. An Introduction to the Sacrament; or, a fhort, fafe, and plain way to the communion table, collected for, and rendered familiar to, every particular communicant, 1681,

7. A Difcourfe of Tangier, under the government of the earl of Tiviot. London, 1685.

8. The Catechumen; or, an account given by the young person to the minifter, of his knowledge in religion, upon his first admission to the Lord's table. Recommended to the prefs by two eminent divines of the church of England London, 1690.

9. XPIETOƐ AYTо02; or, an hiftorical account of the herefy, denying the godhead of Chrift. London, 1689.

This book comprehends, in a narrow compass, the hiftory of various heretics, clearly stated from original authors, for the ufe, probably, of

fuch as were unable to read those authors in Greek and Latin.

10. The Chriftian's daily Sacrifice duly performed; or, a practical difcourfe, teaching the right performance of prayer. Printed for Robert Clavel, 1698.

11. An Account of the Milennium, the genuine Ufe of the Two Sacraments, viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper, with the Chriftian's obligation frequently to receive the latter.

These three laft books, with the Catechumen, are ascribed to Dr. Addifon in a catalogue printed at the end of his Chriftian's daily Sacrifice, publifhed in the year 1698.

ADDISON (Jofeph) fon of Dr. Addison, mentioned in the laft article. He was born the 1st of May, 1672, at Ambrefbury, in the county of Wilts, where his father was rector. He received the first rudiments of his education at the place of his nativity, under the reverend Mr. Naifh; but was foon removed to Salisbury, under the care of Mr. Taylor; and from thence to the Charter-house, where he commenced his Memoires acquaintance with Sir Richard Steele. About fifteen, he was des Hommes entered at Queen's College, Oxford, where he applied very illuftres, vol. XXXI. p. clofely to the ftudy of claffical learning, and made a furprising proficiency therein. In the year 1687, Dr. Lancaster, dean of Magdalen College, having, by chance, feen a Latin poem of Mr. Addison's, was fo pleafed with it, that he immediately got him elected into that houfe, where he took up his degrees of batchelor and master of arts. His Latin pieces, in the course of a few years, were exceedingly admired in both universities (a); nor were they less esteemed abroad, particularly

69.

Tickel's preface.

(a) His poetical pieces in Latin were published in the fecond volume of Mufarum Anglicanarum analeta, dedicated to Mr. Montague, chancellor of the exchequer. They are eight in number.

1. Pax Gulielmi aufpiciis Europæ reddita, 1697; i. e. Upon the Peace restored to Europe by king William.

2. Barometri Descriptio. A Defcription of the Barometer.

3. пгмАIO-TEPANOMAXIA. The battle betwixt the Pigmies and Cranes.

4. Refurrectio delineata ad altare

by

Coll. Magd. Oxon. A Poem on the Refurrection, as described in a painting over the altar in Magdalen College, Oxford.

5. Spærifterium. The Bowlinggreen.

6. Ad D. D. Hannes infigniffimum Medicum et Poetam. An Ode to Dr. Hannes, that excellent Poet and Physician.

7. Machine Gefticulantes. The Puppet-shew.

8. Ad infigniffimum Virum D. Tho. Burnettum facræ Theorie Tel

by the celebrated Boileau, who is reported to have faid, Ibid. that he would not have written against Perrault, had he before seen fuch excellent pieces by a modern hand. He published nothing in English before the twenty-fecond year of his age, when there appeared a fhort copy of verses wrote by him, and addreffed to Mr. Dryden (b), which procured him great reputation from the beft judges. This was foon followed by a tranflation of the Fourth Georgic of Virgil, (omitting the story of Ariftaus) much commended by Mr. Dryden. He wrote alfo the Effay on the Georgics, Dryden's prefixed to Mr. Dryden's tranflation (c). There are feveral Virgil, vol. other pieces written by him about this time; amongst the 822. reft, one dated the 3d of April, 1694 (d), addreffed to H. S. that is, Dr. Sacheverel, who became afterwards fo famous, and with whom Mr. Addifon lived once in the greatest friendship; but their intimacy was fome time after broke off by their difagreement in political principles (e). In the year 1695, he wrote a poem to king William on one of his campaigns, addreffed to Sir John Somers, lord keeper of the great feal. This gentleman received it with great pleasure, took the author into the number of his friends, and bestowed on him

luris Authorem. An Ode to the celebrated Dr. Thomas Burnet, Author of the Theory of the Earth.

These poems have been tranflated into English by Dr. Sewel, of Peterhoufe, Cambridge, Mr. Newcomb, and Nicholas Amhurst, Efq; of Oxford.

(b) Thefe verfes are dated from Magdalen College, in Oxford, June 2, 1693. They contain a very fine compliment on Mr. Dryden's tranflations of Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Perfeus, and Juvenal.

(c) Mr. Tickell having expreffed himself somewhat furprised, that Mr. Dryden, who had complimented Mr. Addison on his tranflation of the 4th Georgic, did not likewife acknowledge his obligation to him for this effay: Sir Richard Steele has taken eccafion to vindicate Mr. Dryden, by fhewing, that the effay upon the Georgics is the fame with the preface prefixed to them in Mr. Dryden's tranflation of Virgil's works, and that this is acknowledged to have

come from a friend, whofe name 'is
not mentioned, because he defired to
have it concealed. Dedication to the
Drummer.

(d) This poem must always be e-
fteemed a curious and valuable piece,
as it contains the judgment of a great
poet on our greatest English poets.

(e) In the year 1710, Mr. Addison wrote feveral papers in the Whig Examiner, in oppofition to a paper called the Examiner. In one of thefe he divides nonfenfe into two kinds, high nonfenfe and low nonfenfe, and fays, that we meet with the first in every Grub-street production; " but, I think, (says he) there are none of our prefent writers, who have hit the fublime in nonsense, befides Dr. Sacheverel," (who had juít published his fermon). This public raillery upon Dr. Sacheverel is a convincing proof, that all their former friendship was now entirely extinguished. Whig Examiner, No. 4. Thursday, Oct. 5.

many

III.

P.

Tickell's preface.

many marks of his favour. Mr. Addison had been strongly folicited, when at the university, to enter into orders, and had once refolved upon it; but receding from his choice, and having expreffed an inclination to travel, he was encouraged thereto by his patron above-mentioned, who, by his intereft, procured him from the crown a penfion of three hundred pounds per annum to fupport him in his travels, and he accordingly made a tour to Italy in the year 1699. In 1701, he wrote a poetical epiftle from Italy to the earl of Halifax, which has been univerfally efteemed as an excellent performance, and fome give it the Tickell's preference to all his other productions (f). It was tranflat4to edition, ed into Italian verfe by the abbot Antonio Maria Salvini, vol. I. p.43. Greek profeffor at Florence. In the year 1705, he published

Ibid.

an account of his travels, dedicated to lord Somers, which, though at first but indifferently received, yet, in a little time, it met with its deferved applaufe (g). In the year 1702, he was

about

(f) The poem opens thus:

While you, my lord, the rural fhade admire,
And from Britannia's public pofts retire,
Nor longer her ungrateful fons to please,
For their advantage facrifice your eafe,
Me into foreign realms my fate conveys,
Thro' nations fruitful of immortal lays,
Where the soft season and inviting clime,
Confpire to trouble your repose with rhyme.

The commons had this year impeached lord Halifax, and had addreffed his majesty to remove him from his council. Mr. Addifon dedicating a poem to him at this juncture, is therefore a noble proof of his gratitude. Mr. Tickell has obferved, that this poem may be confidered as a text, and the book of travels as a large comment upon it. Tickell's preface.

(g) This piece, though at its firft publication it did not meet with the applause it deferved, yet, in a little time, it was better relished, and the price, at last, rofe to five times the original value before there was a fecond edition. We have an account of the work from Mr. Addifon him.

self in his preface: "For my own part (fays he) as I have taken notice of feveral places and antiquities, that no body else has spoken of; fo, I think, I have mentioned but few things in common with others, that are not either fet in a new light, or accompanied with different reflec-· tions. I have taken care particularly to confider the several paffages of the ancient poets, which have any relation to the places or curiofities I met with.

For, before I entered on my voyage, I took care to refresh my memory among the claffic authors, and to make fuch collections out of them, as I might afterwards have accafion for. I must confefs, it was not one of the leaft entertainments

that

about to return to England, when he received advice of his being appointed to attend prince Eugene, who then commanded for the emperor in Italy; but the death of king William happening foon after, put an end to this affair, as Tickel's well as his penfion; so that all his hopes of advancement preface. were now greatly fallen.

He returned to England, and remained for a confiderable time without any opportunity of difplaying his abilities, or receiving fuitable encouragement: a lucky incident however, at length, happened; in the year 1704, soon after the battle of Blenheim, the lord treasurer Godolphin, being in company with the earl of Halifax, faid, it would be a pity if ever fuch a victory fhould be forgot, and begged, that the earl, who was fuch a diftinguished patron of the poets, would name a person capable of doing justice to fo great a fubject. Lord Halifax replied, fomewhat hastily, that he did know such a person, but would not mention him; adding, that long had he feen, with indignation, men of no merit maintained in luxury at the public expence, whilst those of real worth and modefty were fuffered to languish in obfcurity. The treasurer anfwered very coolly, that he was forry there fhould be occafion for fuch an obfervation, but that he would do his endeavour to wipe off fuch reproaches for the future; and he engaged his honour, that whoever his lordship named, as a perfon capable of celebrating this victory, fhould meet with a fuitable recompence. Lord Halifax thereupon named Mr. Addison, infifting, however, that the treasurer himself should send to him, which he promised. Accordingly he prevailed on Mr. Boyle (afterwards lord Carlton) then chancellor of the exchequer, to make the propofal to Mr. Addifon, which he did in fo polite a manner, that our author readily undertook the Mr. Fudtafk. The lord treasurer had a fight of the piece, when it gel's Life of Lord Orrery

was carried no farther than the celebrated fimile of the angel (i), P. 150.

that I met with in travelling, to examine these feveral descriptions, as it were upon the fpot, and to compare the natural face of the country with the landskips that the poets have given us of it. However, to avoid the confufion that might arise from a multitude of quotations, I have only cited fuch verfes, as have given us fome image of the place, or that have fomething elfe befides the bare VOL. I.

and

name of it to recommend them."
Addison's works, vol. II. preface.

(1) It is highly extolled in the
Tatler, No, 43. "But the fublime
I am talking of (fays the author of
that paper) and which I really think
as great as ever entered into the
thought of man, is, in the poem,
called the Campaign, where the fimile
of a miniftring angel fets forth the
most fedate and the most active cou-

rage,

« AnteriorContinuar »