It will lie at our door thank ourselves for all that follows. to answer for all the consequences of such a neglect. From those, with whom we join in it, we have no returns, but contempt, reproaches, and insults. In fine, I can consider the triennial return of our elections no otherwise than as what hath made us, and still continues us, the most divided and most corrupted of nations; what was at first. by many contrived, and still in its own nature tends, to oppose the designs of the best kings, and to promote those of the worst; leading to an universal debauchery of the manners and tempers of the electors, as well as to make the elected themselves weary enough of such perpetual contests and charge, to incline sometime or other to thoughts which would not otherwise find admittance; influencing the people to think easily of becoming a prey to the highest bidder; keeping up the spirits of our common enemies, and creating diffidence and uneasiness in our best friends; introducing and increasing all excesses of violence and mutual revenge; serving a multitude of bad purposes, which have a peculiar malignity at this particular juncture, without having one good effect fit to be named in opposition to them; and all this occasioned by the shortness of the interval allowed, either to put an end to such evils or to cultivate anything that is good. To cure all these entirely, nothing can perhaps be thought of, but what would introduce greater. To apply something that may put an end to some of them, and abate and diminish the rest, is a matter that deserves the regard of every good Briton; and, I believe, at this time, nothing at all effectual can be thought of, without an alteration of the triennial elections. I am, &c. ADDISON AND STEELE'S JOINT ASSIGNMENT ΤΟ SAMUEL BUCKLEY, THE BOOKSELLER, OF ONE HALF SHARE OF THE FIRST SEVEN VOLUMES OF THE SPECTATOR. WHEREAS there is already printed four volumes of the Spectators which include from number one to number three hundred seventy-one and whereas there is two volumes more now printing which will take in from number three hundred twenty-one to number four hundred and eighty or thereabouts which will make six volumes and whereas it is intended by the authors whose names are hereinafter mentioned to continue writing the said Spectator to the end of this present month of November which will make a seventh volume Now know all men by these presents that Joseph Addison of St. James' Westminster Esq. and Richard Steele of St. Giles' in the fields Esq. for and in consideration of the sum of five hundred seventy and five pounds to them or one of them in hand paid by Samuel Buckley of London printer and bookseller the receipt whereof they the said Joseph Addison and Richard Steele do hereby respectively acknowledge They the said Joseph Addison and Richard Steel have and each and either of them hath granted bargained sold assigned transferred and set over and by these presents they the said Joseph Addison and Richard Steele do and each and either of them doth grant bargain sell assign transfer and set over unto the said Samuel Buckley his executors administrators and assigns all that their full and sole right and title of in and to one moiety or full half share of the copys of all and every the above mentioned seven volumes of Spectators which said moiety or full half share to remain unto the said Samuel Buckley his heirs and assigns for ever-In witness whereof the said Joseph Addison and Richard Steele have hereunto set their hands and seals this Tenth day of November anno Dom. 1712. Witnesses, Richard Thwaites. David Verdon, at the Fountain Tavern in the Strand. JOSEPH ADDISON. RICHARD STEELE. BUCKLEYS RE-ASSIGNMENT OF THE ABOVE TO TONSON AFTER TWO YEARS' USE. KNOW all men by these presents that I Samuel Buckley of London stationer for and in consideration of the sum of five hundred pounds to me in hand paid by Jacob Tonson Jun. of London stationer the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge do by these presents grant bargain sell and set over unto the said Jacob Tonson the full and sole right of in and to the within-mentioned copy of a book entitled the Spectator the said copy to remain unto the said Jacob Tonson his heirs and assigns for ever-In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth of October 1714. SAM. BUCKLEY. Sealed and delivered in the presence of Thomas Glenister. ASSIGNMENT WITH TONSON FOR THE EIGHTH VOLUME OF THE SPECTATOR. KNOW all men by these presents that I Joseph Addison of the parish of St. Clements Danes in the county of Middlesex for and in consideration of the sum of fifty-three pounds fifteen shillings of good and lawful money of Great Britain, to me in hand paid by Jacob Tonson jun. of London Bookseller the receipt whereof he the said Joseph Addison doth hereby acknowledge he the said Joseph Addison hath bargained sold assigned and set over and by these presents doth bargain sell assign and set over all that his full and sole right and title of in and to the copy of the eighth vol. of the Spectator from number five hundred and fifty-six inclusive to number six hundred and thirty-five inclusive-which said copy to be and remain unto the said Jacob Tonson his heirs and assigns for ever-In witness whereof the said Joseph Addison hath herewith set his hand and seal this twenty-seventh day of August 1715. J. ADDISON. Sealed and delivered being first stamped according to the several Acts of Parliament in the presence of Thos Tickell. Jas Pinckney. RELATING CHIEFLY TO ADDISON'S APPOINTMENTS. ADDISON'S MEMORIAL TO QUEEN ANNE, (For augmentation of salary as Keeper of the Irish records,) Forwarded by LORD TREASURER GODOLPHIN to the EARL OF WHARTON, LORD-LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND. MY VERY GOOD LORD, Inclosed I send your Excellency a petition' to Her Majesty from Joseph Addison, Esq., Keeper of the Records in the Birmingham Tower within Dublin Castle, praying for the reasons therein mentioned, That such a Salary may be annexed thereunto as Her Majesty shall think proper for an office of such consequence, care, and trust, and that so nearly concerns the rights of the Crown, and the properties of private persons. I desire your Excellency will please to consider the allegation of the said petition; and report to me your opinion thereupon; and what salary you conceive reasonable to be annexed to the said office, to the end I may lay the same before the Queen for a further signification of Her Majesty's pleasure. I am, &c. 9 January, 1709. GODOLPHIN. Underwritten, The Queen grants £400 a year. MY LORD, ADDISON TO LORD TOWNSHEND.2 Enclosing a Memorial. (Whitehall,) May 31st, 1715. Though Mr. Secretary Stanhope has been pleased to promise that he will lay before your Lordship the case of the 1 The petition itself has not been found, but we have before us the official grant, signed Godolphin, St. James's, 24th Feb. 1709, and addressed to the Lord-Lieut. of Ireland. It sets out that the Lord-Lieutenant, in his report on Addison's Petition, had suggested £500 per annum as a proper allowance for examining, digesting, transcribing, and cataloguing the Irish Records, and that the Queen thereupon granted £400 per annum "from Christmas last past." In a note at page 427, we have inadvertently said (but upon historical report) that Queen Anne raised this appointment to £300 per annum. We were not then aware of the present document. 2 Lord Townshend was then Secretary of State. He was afterwards appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, but he never went over. well-drawn character of him see Lord Mahon, i. p. 155, et seq. For a three regiments which are lately placed upon the Irish Establishment, and are to be raised by levy-money from that kingdom, I am afraid I may seem wanting in my duty to your Lordship, if I do not apply to your Lordship in person upon the occasion. I must confess it is with a great deal of constraint upon myself that I presume to solicit your Lordship for my own advantage, and in a point that interferes with your Lordship's interest. I shall therefore humbly beg leave to enclose the state of this matter for your perusal, and acquiesce in your determination, after having assured your Lordship that, without the indulgence you have already been pleased to show me, my place under my Lord-Lieutenant would have been worth very little to me, and indeed much less than I thought it would have been. If your Lordship pleases to let these three regiments, in which my case is still the same, (as is shown in the enclosed Memorial,) be upon the same footing with the other regiments whose commissions are to be renewed, it will be a very great favour. If not, I shall always acknowledge the generous indulgence which your Lordship has already shown me, and remain with the greatest gratitude and respect, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient The Lord Viscount Townshend. MEMORIAL. J. ADDISON. The common people of Ireland being generally Roman Catholics, in order to prevent any such from entering into the Service, it has been for many years thought fit to raise all new regiments, upon the Irish establishment, in the Kingdom of England; as also, when any recruits are wanting to the said regiments, to raise them likewise in England. When the levy-money is issued out of the revenue of Ireland, the commissions have been always signed by the Lord-Lieutenant of that Kingdom; and the fees of the said commissions paid to his secretary; as may be seen in the case of Mr. Dodington, which now lies in the office of the Secretary of State. The present Lord-Lieutenant not having yet taken the Oaths of Office, it is humbly submitted to His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, whether they will be pleased (upon their reserving to their Under-Secretaries their fees) to grant the same indulgence to the Irish Secretary in the passing of these commissions, as in the renewal of the other military commissions for that kingdom: both these cases being of the same nature. N. B. The seven regiments lately ordered for Ireland had their commissions renewed in England before they were put on that establishment. *The Earl of Sunderland. |