He published his first poem, some verses addressed to Dryden, in 1694, which won for him the friendship of that poet. This was a matter of considerable importance to young Addison, who was without fame and as yet unknown to the literary men of England. Addison's father was desirous that his son should become a clergyman, but Lords Somers and Montagu decided that such talent as he displayed was needed in the service of his country. He wrote a poem on the King, which pleased the monarch so highly that Addison was put on a pension of three hundred pounds a year, that he might cultivate his literary taste by travel on the Continent. Addison accordingly began at once to travel in France and Italy, studying closely the society, manners, and scenery of the countries through which he passed, and at the same time attempting to acquire a knowledge of the French language. King William's death, however, cut off his pension, and he was finally compelled to return to England. When the battle of Blenheim was fought Addison was employed to write a poem in praise of the victory. This brought him again to the notice of the Crown, and he was made commissioner of appeals. From this post he rose rapidly until he became secretary of Ireland, and, finally, in 1717, one of the King's chief secretaries of State, the highest position he attained. In the spring of 1709, Addison's old school-fellow, Richard Steele, started a tri-weekly paper called The Tatler, to which Addison became a contributor. This paper gave in each issue a short article or essay and items of news. It became popular at once. In 1711, Addison and Steele issued, instead of The Tatler, their famous daily, The Spectator. Both contributors wrote anonymously, though Addison's articles were usually signed by one of the letters C, L, I, O-supposed to represent Chelsea, London, Islington, and the Office. Addison married the countess of Warwick when he was forty-four, but the marriage was not a happy one. His wife was high-spirited and dashing, while he was cold and polished. Addison won fame as a poet, but his greatest reputation is due to the elegant, graceful, and polished style of his essays, which made The Spectator, in which they mostly were printed, a classic. Among his earlier writings were an opera entitled Rosamond and a comedy called The Drummer. Six years before his death he wrote a tragedy entitled Cato, which was received with great favor and applause. It was translated into French, Italian, and German. In his later years he was addicted to drink, and it is said that he thawed out and became voluble only when to some extent under the influence of wine. He died at his home on the 15th of June, 1719, and his body was borne at dead of night to Westminster Abbey, where it was buried. CRITICISM BY MACAULAY. THE mere choice and arrangement of Addison's words would have sufficed to make his essays classical. For never, not even by Dryden, not even by Temple, had the English language been written with such sweetness, grace, and facility. As a moral satirist, Addison stands unrivaled. In wit, properly so called, he was not inferior to Cowley or Butler. The still higher faculty of invention he possessed in a still larger measure. The numerous fictions, generally original, often wild and grotesque, but always singularly graceful and happy, which are found in his essays, fully entitle him to the rank of a great poet-a rank to which his metrical compositions give him no claim. As an observer of life, of manners, of all shades of human character, he stands in the first class. And what he observed he had the art of communicating in two widely-different ways. He could describe virtues, vices, habits, whims, as well as Clarendon. But he could do something better. He could call human beings into existence, and make them exhibit themselves. If we wish to find anything more vivid than Addison's best portraits, we must go either to Shakespeare or to Cervantes. ESSAY ON CHEERFULNESS. I have always preferred cheerfulness to mirth. The latter I consider as an act, the former as a habit of the mind. Mirth is short and transient, cheerfulness fixed and permanent. Those are often raised into the greatest transports of mirth who are subject to the greatest 5 depressions of melancholy: on the contrary, cheerfulness, though it does not give the mind such an exquisite gladness, prevents us from falling into any depths of sorrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds and glitters for a moment; 10 cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity. Men of austere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and dissolute for a state of probation, and as ANALYSIS.-2. as an act. Dispose of as. the former as a habit. Supply the ellipsis. 3 cheerfulness fixed. Supply ellipsis. Dispose of fixed. 4. Those, etc. Give modifiers of those. 6. depressions of melancholy. What figure? 9. Mirth is like a flash, etc. Explain the figure. Give the case of ughtning. filled with a certain triumph and insolence of heart 15 that is inconsistent with a life which is every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers. Writers of this complexion have observed that the sacred Person who was the great pattern of perfection was never seen to laugh. 20 Cheerfulness of mind is not liable to any of these ex. ceptions: it is of a serious and composed nature; it does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the present state of humanity, and is very conspicuous in the characters of those who are looked upon as the 25 greatest philosophers among the heathen, as well as among those who have been deservedly esteemed as saints and holy men among Christians. If we consider cheerfulness in three lights, with regard to ourselves, to those we converse with, and to the 30 great Author of our being, it will not a little recommend itself on each of these accounts. The man who is possessed of this excellent frame of mind is not only easy in his thoughts, but a perfect master of all the powers and faculties of his soul: his imagination is 35 always clear, and his judgment undisturbed; his temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in solitude. He comes with a relish to all those goods which Nature has provided for him, tastes all the pleasures of the creation which are poured about him, and does not 40 feel the full weight of those accidental evils which may befall him. ANALYSIS.-16. To what does that relate? 18. Who is meant by sacred Person? 25. Dispose of are looked upon. 25, 26. Give the construction of as and philosophers. 28. among Christians. What does the phrase modify? 38-42. He comes, etc. Name all the predicates. If we consider him in relation to the persons whom he converses with, it naturally produces love and goodwill toward him. A cheerful mind is not only dis- 45 posed to be affable and obliging, but raises the same good-humor in those who come within its influence. A man finds himself pleased, he does not know why, with the cheerfulness of his companion: it is like a sudden sunshine that awakens a secret delight in the 50 mind, without her attending to it: the heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence toward the person who has so kindly an effect upon it. When I consider this cheerful state of mind in its 55 third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a constant habitual gratitude to the great Author of Nature. An inward cheerfulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its dispensations: it is a kind of acquiescence in the state wherein we are placed, 60 and a secret approbation of the Divine will in his conduct toward men. There are but two things which, in my opinion, can reasonably deprive us of this cheerfulness of heart The first of these is the sense of guilt. A man who lives in 65 a state of vice and impenitence can have no title to that evenness and tranquillity of mind which is the health of the soul and the natural effect of virtue and innocence. Cheerfulness in an ill man deserves a harder name than language can furnish us with, and is many 70 ANALYSIS.-43, 44. whom he converses with. Dispose of whom. 49, 50. What figure in these lines? 51. the heart..... flows out. What figure? 53. kindly. What part of speech? 59. Point out and name the figure in this line. 67. which is the health, etc. What figure? 70. furnish us with. Dispose of the verb. |