writings. I fhall make a full anfwer to what feems intended by the words "He was too de"licate to take any part of that which belong"ed to others," if I can recite, out of my own papers, any thing that may make it appear groundless.

The fubfequent encomiums bestowed by me on Mr. Addison will, I hope, be of fervice to me in this particular.

"But I have only one gentleman, who will "be nameless, to thank for any frequent affift

66

ance to me; which, indeed, it would have "been barbarous in him to have denied to one

with whom he has lived in an intimacy from "childhood, confidering the great eafe with "which he is able to difpatch the moft enter"taining pieces of this nature. This good "office he performed with fuch force of ge "nius, humour, wit, and learning, that I fared

like a diftreffed prince who calls in a power"ful neighbour to his aid. I was undone by my auxiliary. When I had once called him in, "I could not fubfift without dependence on him.

66

the fame hand writ the diftinguishing cha "racters of men and women, under the names "of Mufical Inflruments, the Difres of the Nerus-writers, the Inventory of the Play-house, and the Defcription of the Thermometer, which I cannot but look upon as the greatest em bellishments of this work *."

*Preface to the fourth volume of the Tatlers.

* As

"As to the work itself, the acceptance it has met with is the beft proof of its value: but "I fhould err against that candour which an họ"neft man fhould always carry about him, if I "did not own, that the most approved pieces "in it were written by others, and those, which "have been moft excepted againft, by myself: "The hand that has affifted me in those noble "difcourfes upon the immortality of the foul, "the glorious profpects of another life, and the "moft fublime ideas of religion and virtue, is a "perfon who is too fondly my friend ever to "own them: but I fhould little deferve to be

his if I ufurped the glory of them. I muft "acknowledge, at the fame time, that I think "the finest ftrokes of wit and humour in all "Mr. Bickerftaff's Lucubrations are those for "which he is also beholden to him *."

"I hope the apology I have made as to the "licence allowable to a feigned character, may "excufe any thing that has been faid in these "Difcourfes of the Spectator and his works.

But the imputation of the groffeft vanity "would ftill dwell upon me if I did not give "fome account by what means I was enabled to

keep up the fpirit of fo long and approved a "performance. All the papers marked with a "C, L, I, or O, that is to fay, all the papers which I have diftinguished by any letter in the

"name of the Muse CLIO*, were given me by the "gentleman of whofe affiftance I formerly boaft"ed in the preface and concluding leaf of 'The "Tatler.' I am indeed much more proud of "his long-continued friendship than I should be " of the fame of being thought the author of 66 any writings which he himself is capable of "producing. I remember, when I finifhed "The Tender Husband,' I told him there was "nothing I fo ardently wifhed as that we

might, fome time or other, publish a work, "written by us both, which should bear the "name of "The Monument,' in memory of our

friendship. I heartily with what I have done "here were as honorary to that facred name as 66 learning, wit, and humanity render those pieces "which I have taught the reader how to diftin"guifh for his. When the play abovemen❝tioned was last acted, there were so many ap

plauded strokes in it, which I had from the "fame hand, that I thought very meanly of "myself that I had ever publicly acknowledged "them. After I have put other friends upon

importuning him to publish dramatic as well "as other writings he has by him, I fhall end “what I think I am obliged to fay on this "head by giving the reader this hint for the

* It seems probable that these letters, which in conjunction make up the name of the Mufe Clio, were originally ufed as fig. natures by ADDISON, to denote the places where the papers were written, viz. Chelsea, London, Iflington, and his Office as Secretary of State.

"better

"better judging of my productions: That the "best comment upon them would be an ac"count when the patron to 'The Tender "Hufband' was in England or abroad *."

My purpose, in this application, is only to "fhew the esteem I have for you, and that I "look upon my intimacy with you as one of "the most valuable enjoyments of my life."

I am fure you have read my quotations with indignation against the little zeal which prompted the Editor, who, by the way, has in himself done nothing in applause of the works which he prefaces, to the mean endeavours of adding to Mr. Addifon, by disparaging a man who had, for the greatest part of his life, been his known bofom friend, and shielded him from all the refentients which many of his own works would have brought upon him at the time in which they were written. It is really a good office to fociety, to expose the indifcretion of intermeddlers in the friendship and correfpondence of men, whose sentiments, paffions, and refentments, are too great for their proportion of foul. Could the Editor's indifcretion provoke me even fo far as within the rules of strictest honour I could go, and I were not restrained by fupererogatory affection to dear Mr. Addison, I would ask this unfkilful creature what he means,

*Spectator, N° 555.

+ Dedication before "The Tender Husband." See p. 290,

when he fpeaks in the air of a reproach, that "The Tatler" was laid down as it was taken up, without his participation; let him speak out and fay, why" without his knowledge" would not ferve his purpose as well. If, as he says, he reftrains himfelf to Mr. Addifon's character as a writer, while he attempts to deffen me, he exalts me: for he has declared to all the world what I never have fo explicitly done, that I am, to all intents and purposes, the author of "The Tatler." He very juftly fays, the occafional affiftance Mr. Addifon gave me in the course of that Paper" did not a little contribute to ad"vance its reputation, efpecially when, upon "the change of the ministry, he found leisure "to engage more conftantly in it." It was advanced indeed; for it was raised to a greater thing than I intended it: for the elegance, purity, and correctnefs, which appeared in his writings, were not fo much my purpose, as in any intelligible manner as I could to railly all those fingularities of human life, through the different profeffions and characters in it, which obftruct any thing that was truly good and great. After this acknowledgement you will fee, that is, fuch a man as you will fee, that I rejoiced in being excelled, and made those little talents, whatever they are which I have, give way, and be fubfervient to the fuperior qualities of a friend whom I loved, and whofe modefty would