When we attend to your Lordship engaged in a discourse, we cannot but reflect upon the many requisites which the vain-glorious speakers of antiquity have demanded in a man who is to excel in oratory; I fay, my Lord, when we reflect upon the precepts by viewing the example, though there is no excellence proposed by those rhetoricians wanting, the whole art seems to be refolved into that one motive of speaking, fincerity in the intention. The graceful manner, the apt gefture, and the affumed concern, are impotent helps to perfuafion, in comparison of the honeft countenance of him who utters what he really means. From whence it is, that all the beauties which others attain with labour, are in your Lordship but the natural effects of the heart that dictates.

It is this noble fimplicity which makes you furpafs mankind in the faculties wherein mankind are distinguished from other creatures, reafon and speech.

If thefe gifts were communicated to all men in proportion to the truth and ardour of their hearts, I should speak of you with the fame force as you exprefs yourself on any other subject. But I refift my prefent impulfe, as agreeable as it is to me; though indeed, had I any pretenfions to a fame of this kind, I fhould, above all other themes, attempt a panegyric upon my Lord Cowper: for the only fure way

to

to a reputation for eloquence, in an age wherein that perfect orator lives, is to choose an argument; upon which he himself muft of neceffity be filent. I am, my Lord, your Lordship's most devoted, most obedient, and most humble fervant, RICHARD STEELE *.

LETTER CCCXCIV †.

MY LORD,

To Lord HALIFAX.

April 7, 1711.

From the Hovel at Hampton-wick ‡. HEN I firft refolved upon doing myfelf this honour, I could not but indulge a

W

certain

* "When Steele's patent, as Governor of the Theatre-royal, paffed the Great Seal, Lord Chancellor Cowper, in compliment "to Sir Richard, would receive no fee." Life of C. Cibber, 1756, vol. II. p. 47.

+ Prefixed to the fourth volume of "The Tatler."

Steele built, and inhabited for a few years, an elegant house adjoining to the fide of the palace, which he called by this name. Not long after the date of this letter, being embarraffed by his vanity of profufion, or bis imprudence of generofity, he bor rowed 1000l. of Addifon on this house and its furniture, giving bond and judgement for the re-payment of the money at the end of twelve months. On the forfeiture of the bond, Addifon's attor ney proceeded to execution, "the houfe and furniture were fold, "the furplus Addison remitted to Steele, with a genteel letter, "ftating the friendly reafon of this extraordinary procedure, viz. to awaken him, if poffible, from a lethargy that must end in his "inevitable ruin." Steele received the letter with his wonted compofure and gaiety, met his friend as ufual, and the friendship fubfitted to the end of Addison's life, with a few little bickerings

66

certain vanity in dating from this little covert, where I have frequently had the honour of your Lordship's company, and received from you very many obligations. The elegant folitude of this place, and the greatest pleasures of it, I owe to its being so near those beautiful manors wherein you fometimes refide. It is not retiring from the world, but enjoying its most valuable 'bleffings, when a man is permitted to fhare in your Lordship's converfations in the country. All the bright images which the Wits of paft ages have left behind them in their writings, the noble plans which the greatest Statesmen have laid down for adminiftration of affairs, are equally the familiar objects of your knowledge. But what is peculiar to your Lordship above all the illuftrious perfonages that have appeared in any age, is, that wit and learning have from your example fallen into a new æra *. Your patronage

Addifon, it seems,

[fays Dr. Birch] on economical occafions. dealt at this time with his friend, as he did aftewards with his favourite, Sir Roger de Coverley, whom he deliberately killed, thro' fear that fomebody might murder him. But this is not the place to enter farther into the particulars, or the difcuffion of this ftory, &c. It is only neceffary to fay here, that it makes part of a letter to Mr. Garrick, from a man of reputed veracity, who profeffes that he had his relation firft from the celebrated actor Mr. Wilks, and afterwards a full confirmation of it from Steele's own lips, who, it is faid, always considered this ftep as meant by his friend" to do him fervice." Victor's "Orig. Letters, &c." 1776, vol. I. p. 328 and 329. See Letter LIX. p. 42, and Letter LXV. P. 46.

*«Of him," fays Dr. Johnson, "who from a poet became a

"patron

age has produced thofe arts, which before fhunned the commerce of the world, into the service

of

" patron of poets, it will be readily believed that the works would "not mifs of celebration. Addifon began to praise him early,

and was followed or accompanied by other poets; perhaps by "almost all except Swift and Pope, who forbore to flatter him in "his life, and after his death 1poke of him, Swift with flight "cenfure, and Pope, in the character of Bufo with acrimonious

contempt. He was, as Pope fays, fed with dedications; for "Tickell affirms, that no dedicator was unrewarded. Many "a blandishment was practifed upon Halifax, which he would ne66 ver have known had he had no other attractions than those of his poetry, of which a fhort time has withered the beauties. It would now be esteemed no honour, by a contributor to the "monthly bundles of verses, to be told that, in ftrains either fa"miliar or folemn, he fings like Montague." Dr. Johnson's "Lives of English Poets," vol. II. p. 298, &c. ed. 8vo. 1781.

The character of Halifax, however, is not to be estimated by his verses only. His Lordship's great good-nature and moderation, his distinguished eminence and usefulness as a statefinan, his fignal proficiency in literature and tafte, his general patronage of men of wit and letters, and his marked attention to science, which is a plant that cannot thrive, even in the apt foil of England, without watering, defervedly entitled him to the praises of scholars, which are not always given with nice judgement, or in due proportion; and, in a way not difhonourable to the givers of the receivers, account fufficiently for what Dr. Johnfon calls "the blandishments that were practifed upon Ha

lifax." Mr. Stepney, himself no bad poet, bequeathed " to "Prior 50 pounds, and to Lord Halifax a golden cup and 100 ❝tomes of his library." This nobleman, to his great honour, was, to the end of his life, peculiarly kind and serviceable to Steele, who was of congenial political principles, and lived long with him in habits of familiarity and friendship. If the accomplishments of Lord Halifax had even been fewer, and his merit lefs than the generality of his contemporary writers lead us to believe, our author's account of him claims particular regard and credit. Steele, who knew him well, had a penetrating understanding, and an independent spirit. His pen was always ready at the fervice of his friends and his party, but it was always guided

X 2

of life; and it is to you we owe, that the man of wit has turned himself to be a man of bufinefs. The falfe delicacy of men of genius, and the objections which others were apt to infinuate against their abilities for entering into affairs, have equally vanished and experience has fhewn, that men of letters are not only qualified with a greater capacity, but also a greater integrity in the dispatch of bufinefs. Your own ftudies have been diverted from being the higheft ornament, to the highest use to mankind; and the capacities which would have rendered you the greatest poet of your age, have, to the advantage of Great Britain, been employed in purfuits guided by a strict regard to truth, and a nice fenfe of honour; and though gratitude, or friend fhip, might induce him to lavish, nothing could have fwayed him to prostitute, praise. These confiderations are furely fufficient to exempt what is faid here, and in Letter CCCCII. from the imputation of intentional flattery, and to furnish, so far as Steele's teftimony goes, a ftrong prefumption, if not a decifive proof, in favour of Lord Halifax. To the laft mentioned letter, and the ncte upon it, the reader is referred for a more particular account of this amiable and refpectable nobleman. See alfo Theobald's account of oi him, foon after his Lordship's death, which was caused by an inflammation in his lungs, May 19, 1715. "Cenfor," vol. I. N° 28, pp. 197, 198, &c.

* Apparently an intended compliment to feveral of Steele's friends, and particularly to Addifon, who, though he never remitted the fees of his office, never would accept of any more than was stated and cuftomary. A remarkable inftance of this integrity was, his refusal of a bank note of 300l. and afterwards of a diamond ring of the fame value, from a Major Dunbar, afcertained by an original letter of Addison himself, for which the publick were originally indebted to the publications of Edmond Curll.