country which is the fubject of this

poem.

The materials for the Dialogues upon Medals, were collected in the native country of thofe coins. The book itself was begun to be caft into form at Vienna, as appears from a letter to Mr. Stepney, then minister at that court, dated in November 1702.

Some time before the date of this letter, Mr. Addifon had defigned to return to England, when he received advice from his friends, that he was pitched upon to attend the army under Prince Eugene, who had just begun the war in Italy, as fecretary from his Majefty. But an account of the death of King William, which he met with at Geneva, put an end to that thought; and as his hopes of advancement in his own country were fallen with the credit of his friends, who were out of power at the beginning of her late Majefty's reign, he had

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had leisure to make the tour of Ger

many in his way home.

He remained for fome time, after his return to England, without any public employment, which he did not obtain until the year 1704, when the Duke of Marlborough arrived at the highest pitch of glory, by delivering all Europe from flavery, and furnished Mr. Addison with a fubject worthy of that genius which appears in his poem called The Campaign. The Lord-Treasurer Godolphin, who was a fine judge of poetry, had a fight of this work, when it was only carried on as far as the applauded fimile of the Angel; and approved the poem, by bestowing on the author, in a few days after, the place of Commiffioner of appeals, vacant by the removal of the famous Mr. Locke to the council of trade.

His next advancement was to the place of under-fecretary, which he held under Sir Charles Hedges, and

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the

the prefent Earl of Sunderland. The opera of Rofamond was written, while he poffeffed that employment. What doubts foever have been raised about the merit of the mufic, which, as the Italian taste at that time begun wholly to prevail, was thought fufficiently inexcufable, because it was the compofition of an Englishman; the poetry of this piece has given as much pleasure in the clofet, as others have afforded from the ftage, with all the affiftance of voices and inftruments.

The comedy called The Tender Hufband appeared much about the fame time, to which Mr. Addifon wrote the prologue. Sir Richard Steele furprised him with a very handfom dedication of this play, and has fince acquainted the public, that he owed fome of the moft taking scenes of it to Mr. AddiJon.

His next step in his fortune, was to the poft of Secretary under the late Marquis

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Marquis of Wharton, who was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in the year 1709. As I have propofed to touch but very lightly on thofe parts of his life, which do not regard him as an author, I fhall not enlarge upon the great reputation he acquired by his turn to business and his unblemished integrity, in this and other employments. It must not be omitted here, that the falary of keeper of the records in Ireland was confiderably raised, and that poft bestowed upon him, at this time, as a mark of the Queen's favour. He was in that kingdom, when he firft difcovered Sir Richard Steele to be author of The Tatler, by an observation upon Virgil, which had been by him communicated to his friend. The affiftance, he occafionally gave him afterwards in the courfe of the paper, did not a little contribute to advance its reputation; and, upon the change of the miniftry, he found leifure to

engage

engage more constantly in that work, which however was dropt at laft, as it had been taken up, without his participation.

The plan of the Spectator, as far as it regards the feigned perfon of the author, and of the feveral characters that compose his club, was projected in concert with Sir Richard Steele. But for the distinct papers, they were never or feldom fhown to each other by their respective authors; who fully answered the promise they had made, and far out-went the expectation they had raised, of pursuing their labour in the fame spirit and ftrength, with which it was begun. It would have been impoffible for Mr. Addison, who made little or no ufe of letters fent in by the numerous correfpondents of the Spectator, to have executed his large fhare of this tafk, in fo exquifite a manner; if he had not ingrafted into it many pieces, that had lain by him in little hints and minutes, which

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