When we attend to your Lordship engaged in a discourse, we cannot but reflect upon the many requifites which the vain-glorious speakers of antiquity have demanded in a man who is te excel in oratory; I fay, my Lord, when we reflect upon the precepts by viewing the example, though there is no excellence proposed by thofe rhetoricians wanting, the whole art feems to be refolved into that one motive of speaking, fincerity in the intention. The graceful manner, the apt gesture, 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 furpass mankind in the faculties wherein mankind are diftinguifhed 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 fubject. But I refilt my prefent impulse, 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 moft devoted, moft obedient, and most humble fervant, RICHARD STEELE *.

LETTER

CCCXCIV +.

To Lord HALIFAX.

MY LORD,

April 7, 1711.

From the Hovel at Hampton-wick ‡. 'HEN I first resolved upon doing myself

WH

this honour, I could not but indulge a

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 borrowed 1000l. of Addifon on this houfe 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 atterney proceeded to execution, "the house and furniture were fold, "the furplus Addifon 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 fubfifted to the end of Addifon'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 fo 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 share 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 greateft 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 patron

age

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 story, &c. It is only necessary to say here, that it makes part of a letter to Mr. Garrick, from a man of reputed veracity, who pros feffes that he had his relation first from the celebrated actor Mr. Wilks, and afterwards a full confirmation of it from Steele's own lips, who, it is faid, always confidered 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. Addison 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, fpoke of him, Swift with flight "cenfure, and Pope, in the character of Bufo with acrimonious σε 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 ne ver have known had he had no other attractions than thofe of his έσ poetry, of which a fhort time has withered the beauties. It "would now be efteemed no honour, by a contributor to the "monthly bundles of verfes, to be told that, in ftrains either familiar or folemn; he fings like Montague." Dr. Johnfon'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 verfes only. His Lordthip's great good-nature and moderation, his distinguished eminence and usefulness as a statefinan, his fignal proficiency in literature and taste, his general patronage of men of wit and letters, and his marked attention to fcience, 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 or the receivers, account fufficiently for what Dr. Johnson calls "the blandishments that were practifed upon Ha

66 to

lifax." Mr. Stepney, himfelf no bad poet, bequeathed "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 fpirit. His pen was always ready at the service 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 himfelf 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 difpatch of bufinefs. Your own ftudies have been diverted from being the higheft ornament, to the higheft ufe 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 fense of honour; and though gratitude, or friendship, might induce him to lavish, nothing could have fwayed him to proftitute, 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, fo 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 note 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 caufed by an inflammation in his lungs, May 19, 1715. "Cenfor," vol. I. No 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 customary. A remarkable inftance of this integrity was, his refufal of a bank note of 300l. and afterwards of a diamond ring of the fame value, from a Major Dunbar, ascertained by an original letter of Addison himself, for which the publick were originally indebted to the publications of Edmond Curll.