Mr. Addifon's example will carry no man fur. ther than that height for which Nature capacitated him; and the affectation of following great men in works above the genius of their imitators will never rife further than the production of uncommon and unfuitable ornaments in a barren difcourfe, like flowers upon an heath, fuch as the author's phrafe of "fomething bet "ter than perfection." But indeed his preface, if ever any thing was, is that "fomething "better," for it is fo extraordinary that we cannot fay it is too long or too short, or deny but that it is both. I think I abstract myself from all manner of prejudice when I aver, that no man, though without any obligation to Mr. Addison, would have reprefented him in his fa mily, and his friendships or his perfonal character, fo disadvantageoufly as his fecretary (in prefe rence of whom he incurred the warmeft refentments of other gentlemen) has been pleased to describe him in those particulars. Mr. Dean Addison, father of this memorable man, left behind him four children, each of whom, for excellent talents and fingular perfections, was as much above the ordinary world as their brother Jofeph was above them. Were things of this nature to be expofed to public view, I could fhew, under the Dean's own hand*, * If this letter fhould by chance exift among the papers in the poffeffion of Mr. Scurlock, it would be an acceptable communication to the curious. in the warmest terms, his bleffing on the friendship between his fon and me; nor had he a child who did not prefer me in the firft place of kindnefs and esteem, as their father loved me like one of them and I can with great pleasure fay, I never omitted any opportunity of fhewing that zeal for their perfons and interests as became a gentleman and a friend. Were I now to indulge myself, I could talk a great deal to you, which I am fure would be entertaining; but as I am speaking, at the fame time, to all the world, I confidered it would be impertinent. Let me then confine myfelf a while to. the following play, which I at first recommended to the stage, and carried to the press. No one who reads the preface which I published* with it will imagine I could be induced to fay fo much as I then did, had I not known the man I beft loved had had a part in it, or had I believed that any other concerned had much more to do than as an amanuenfis. But, indeed, had I not known, at the time, of the tranfaction concerning the acting on the ftage and fale of the copy, I fhould, I think, have feen Mr. Addifon in every page of it; for he was above all men in that talent we call Humour, and enjoyed it in fuch perfection that I have often reflected, after a night spent with him, apart from all the world, that *See this in p. 458. I had had the pleasure of converfing with an. intimate acquaintance of Terence and Catullus, who had all their wit and nature heightened with humour, more more exquifite and delightful than any other man ever poffeffed. They who fhall read this play, after being let into the fecret that it was written by Mr. Addifon, or under his direction, will probably be attentive to thofe excellencies which they before overlooked, and wonder they did not till now obferve, that there is not an expreffion in the whole piece which has not in it the most nice propriety and aptitude to the character which utters it; here is that fmiling mirth, that delicate fatire, and genteel raillery, which appeared in Mr. Addison when he was free among intimates: I fay, when he was free from his remarkable bafhfulness, which is a cloke that hides and muffles merit; and his abilities were covered only by modefty, which doubles the beauties which are feen, and gives credit and esteem to all that are concealed. "The Drummer" made no great figure on the ftage, though exquifitely well acted; but when I obferve this, I fay a much harder thing of the ftage than of the comedy. When I fay the ftage in this place, I am [to be] understood to mean in general the present taste of theatrical representation, where nothing that is not violent, and, as I may fay, groffly delightful, can come on without hazard of being condemned, or flighted. It is here re-published, and recom-mended as a clofet piece, to recreate an intelligent mind in a vacant hour; for vacant the reader must be from every strong prepoffeffion, in order to relish an entertainment (quod nequeo monftrare et fentio tantum) which cannot be enjoyed to the degree it deferves, but by thofe of the most polite taste among scholars, the best breeding among gentlemen, and the leaft acquainted with fenfual pleasure among the ladies. The Editor is pleafed to relate concerning Cato," that a play under that design was projected by the author very early, and wholly laid afide; in advanced years he reaffumed the fame defign, and, many years after four acts were finished, he writ the fifth, and brought it upon the stage. All the town knows how officious I was in bringing it on; and you, that know the town, the theatre, and mankind, very well, can judge how neceffary it was to take measures for making a performance of that fort, excellent as it is, run into popular applaufe. I promised before it was acted, and performed my duty accordingly to the author, that I would bring together so just an audience on the first days of it, it fhould be impoffible for the vulgar to put its fuccefs or due applaufe to any hazard; but I do not mention this only to fhew how good an aid-de-camp I was to Mr. Addifon, but to fhew K k alfo alfo that the Editor does as much to cloud the merit of this work as I did to fet it forth. Mr. Tickell's account of its being taken up, laid down, and at last perfected, after fuch long intervals and pauses, would make any one believe, who did not know Mr. Addifon, that it was accomplished with the greatest pain and labour, and the iffue rather of learning and industry than capacity and genius; but I do affure you, that never play, which could bring the author any reputation for wit and conduct, notwithstanding it was fo long before it was finished, employed the author fo little a time in writing: if I remember right, the fifth act was written in lefs than a week's time; for this was particular in this writer, that when he had taken his refolution, or made his plan for what he defigned to write, he would walk about the room, and dictate it into language with as much freedom and éafe as any one could write it down, and attend to the coherence and grammar of what he dictated. I have been often thus employed by him, and never took it into my head, though he only spoke it, and I took all the pains of throwing it upon paper, that I ought to call myfelf the writer of it. I will put all my credit among men of wit for the truth of my averment, when I prefume to say, that no one but Mr. Addison was in any other way the writer of "The Drummer;" at the fame time I will al |