foundation on which that immortal, though little piece, intituled The Christian Hero, is formed throughout, is a glory to our Country that it was written by an Englishman. It deserves to be translated into a language which is universal, that all Nation's might learn from thence what great excellencies we Englishmen, who have had so many heroic Princes, require in a Prince, before we allow him the title of a Hero.

Again, when we behold you writing in a spiritual way, and recommending divine things to the consideration of men, how are we moved with piety, and exalted into devotion, with having such patterns set before us in so lively a manner as that in which you have, more than once, represented those heavenly expressions, and those angelical characters of a Tillotson, a Smalridge, and a South!

As to the Poets, I shall mention but one (though every one of your contemporaries, and most of those who lived before, have been recommended in your writings); and that is, the late most ingenious Mr. ADDISON. That accomplished gentleman, and universal scholar, was too good a judge of your merits, to have his choice doubted in this case; and too near a friend, to have his vast value for you mentioned farther to you, with any decency, on this

occasion.

Thus, Sir, the Poet, the Priest, and the King (the three greatest names under Heaven, as Mr. Cowley calls them) could they be raised from their graves, would approve the choice I have made in addressing these papers to you; and if you but pardon it, and approve the method of the book itself,

I must

what you yourself formerly said

your approbation is

I must say to you,
to another very great man,
my fame."

66

I am, Sir, with the profoundest respect,
Your most obedient,

and most devoted humble servant,

J. R. *

SIR,

468. TO MR. CONGREVE†.

[1722.] THIS is the second time that I have, without your leave, taken the liberty to make a public address to you. However uneasy you may be for your own sake in receiving compliments of this nature, I depend upon your known humanity for pardon, when I acknowledge, that you have this present trouble for mine. When I take myself to be ill treated with regard to my behaviour to the merit of other men, my conduct towards you is an argument of my candour that way, as well as that your name and authority will be my protection in it. You will give me leave, therefore, in a matter that concerns us in the poetical world, to make you my judge, whether I am not injured in the highest

* This was prefixed to the third edition of "The Antiquities of St. Peter's, or the Abbey Church of Westminster, &c. 1722." † Occasioned by Mr. Tickell's Preface to the four volumes of Mr. Addison's Works. See, in p. 390, Steele's Original Preface to "The Drummer."

See the former Letter in p. 341.

manner;

manner; for, with men of your taste and delicacy, it is a high crime and misdemeanour to be guilty of any thing that is disingenuous: but I will go into the matter.

Upon my return out of Scotland, I visited Mr. Tonson's shop, and thanked him for his care in sending to my house the volumes of my dear and honoured friend Mr. Addison, which are at last published by his secretary Mr. Tickell; but took occasion to observe, "that I had not seen the work before it came out;" which he did not think fit to excuse any otherwise than by a recrimination, "that I had put into his hands at an high price, a comedy called, The Drummer;' which, by my zeal for it, he took to be written by Mr. Addison, of which, after his death, he said, I directly acknowledged he was the author."

To urge this hardship still more home, he produced a receipt under my hand, in these words: "March 12, 1715.

"Received then the sum of fifty guineas, for the copy of the Comedy called The Drummer, or, The Haunted House:' I say, received by order of the Author of the said Comedy,

RICHARD STEELE." And added, at the same time, that since Mr. Tickell had not thought fit to make that play a part of Mr. Addison's Works, he would sell the copy to any bookseller that would give most for it.

This is represented thus circumstantially to shew how incumbent it is upon me, as well in justice to the bookseller, as for many other considerations, to produce this Comedy a second time; and take this

occasion

occasion to vindicate myself against certain insinuations thrown out by the publisher of Mr. Addison's writings concerning my behaviour in the nicest circumstance, that of doing justice to the merit of my friend.

I shall take the liberty, before I have ended this letter, to say why I believe "The Drummer” a performance of Mr. Addison; and, after declaring this, any surviving writer may be at ease, if there be any one who has hitherto been vain enough to hope, or silly enough to fear, it may be given to himself.

Before I go any further, I must make my public appeal to you and all the learned world; and humbly demand, whether it was a decent or reasonable thing that works written (as a great part of Mr. Addison's were) in correspondence with me, ought to have been published without my review of the catalogue of them? or, if there were any exception to be made against any circumstance in my conduct, whether an opportunity to explain myself should not have been allowed me, before any reflections were made upon me in print?

When I perused Mr. Tickell's Preface, I had soon many objections, besides his omission to say any thing of "The Drummer," against his longexpected performance; the chief intention of which, and which it concerns me first to examine, seems to aim at doing the deceased Author justice against me, whom he insinuates to have assumed to myself part of the merit of my Friend.

He is pleased, Sir, to express himself concerning the present Writer in the following manner: "The Comedy

Comedy called The Tender Husband' appeared much about the same time, to which Mr. Addison wrote the prologue, Sir Richard Steele surprised him with a very handsome dedication of this play, and has since acquainted the publick that he owed some of the most taking scenes of it to Mr. Addi

son *"

"He was in that kingdom [Ireland] when he first discovered Sir Richard Steele to be the author

of The Tatler,' by an observation upon Virgil, which had been by him communicated to his friend. The assistance he occasionally gave him afterwards, in the course of his paper, did not a little contribute to advance its reputation; and, upon the change of the Ministry, he found leisure to engage more constantly in that work; which, however, was dropped at last, as it had been taken up, without his participation.

"In the last paper, which closed those celebrated performances, and in the preface to the last volume, Sir Richard Steele has given to Mr. Addison the honour of the most applauded pieces in that collection. But, as that acknowledgment was delivered only in general terms, without directing the publick to the several papers, Mr. Addison, who was content with the praise arising from his own works, and too delicate to take any part of that which belonged to others, afterwards thought fit to distinguish his writings in the Spectators and Guardians by such marks as might remove the least possibility

* Mr. Tickell's Preface, p. 11.

This has been generally supposed to allude to the Tatler, N° 6, April 23, 1709. See the edition of 1806, vol. I. p. 56.

of