removal of the famous Mr. Locke to the Council of Trade. A Gentleman related "Such as of late o'er pale Britannia past, to Mr. Oldmixon (10) obferves upon this occafion, that Amidst this rage, behold where William ftands, With face ferene difpenfing dread commands, The author of the notes on Mr. Pope's Dunciad (12) tells us, that this critic is fo injurious as to fuggeft, that Mr. Addifon himself wrote the Tatler quoted a-bove, which fays of his own fimile, that it is as great as ever enter'd into the mind of man. Now Mr. Oldmixon's words are thefe; I can hardly think Mr. Addifon wrote that Tatler, there being in it a just compliment to himself (13). (10) Arts of Logic and Rhetoric, p. 305. (11) Paradife Loft, Book VI. (12) Book II, ver. 199. (13) Arts of Logic and Rhetoric, p. 304. to Mr. Addifon has informed us of fome remarkable circumftances relating to that affair [P]. In 1705 he attended the Lord Halifax [P] Some remarkable circumstances relating to that affair.] There is fome variation between his account, and that of Mr. Tickell abovementioned. The author I mean is Mr. Budgell, who in the Life of the late Lord Orrery (14) writes as follows: Soon after the battle of Blenheim Mr. Boyle, (late "Lord Carleton) then Chancellor of the Exchequer, "was entreated by the Lord Godolphin, to go to "Mr. Addison, and defire him to write fomething. "that might tranfmit the memory of that glorious "victory to pofterity. As I believe this story is not 66 66 commonly known, and as I think it does honour to "the late Lord Halifax, (whofe memory I muft ever "love and respect,) I fhall lay it before my readers. "Upon the arrival of the news of the victory of "Blenheim, the Lord Treasurer Godolphin, in the "fulness of his joy, meeting with the late Lord "Halifax told him, It was pity the memory of fuch a victory should be ever forgot; he added, that he was pretty fure his Lordihip, who was fo diftinguished a Patron of Men of letters, must know "fome perfon, whofe pen was capable of doing justice to the action. My Lord Halifax replied, "that he did indeed know fuch a perfon; but would not defire him to write upon the fubject his Lord"fhip had mentioned. The Lord Treasurer entreating "to know the reafon of fo unkind a refolution, Lord "Halifax briskly told him, that he had long with indignation obferved, that while too many fools "and blockheads were maintained in their pride and luxury, at the expence of the public, fuch men as were really an honour to their country, and to 61 (14) P. 150. "the Halifax to Hanover, and in 1706 was made Secretary to Sir Charles Hedges, Secretary of "the age they lived in, were fhamefully fuffered "to languish in obfcurity: that, for his own part, "he would never defire any Gentleman of parts "and learning to imploy his time in celebrating a Miniftry, who had neither the juftice or gene06 rofity to make it worth his while. The Lord Trea"furer calmly replied, that he would seriously confi "der of what his Lordship had faid, and endeavour "to give no occafion for fuch reproaches for the "future; but that in the prefent cafe he took it "upon himself to promife, that any Gentleman "whom his Lordship. fhould name to him, as a "perfon capable of celebrating the late action, "thould find it worth his while to exert his ge"nius on that fubject. The Lord Halifax, upon "this encouragement, named Mr. Addifon; but infifted that the Lord Treasurer himself should fend 66 to him: His Lordship promised to do fo; and ac"cordingly defired Mr. Boyle to go to him. Mr. "Addifon, who was at that time but indifferently "lodged, was furprized the next morning with a "vifit from the Chancellor of the exchequer; who, "after having acquainted him with his business, ad"ded, that the Lord Treafurer, to encourage him to enter upon his fubject, had already made him one of the Commiffioners of appeals; but entreat"ed him to look upon that poft only as an earnest "of fomething more confiderable. In fhort, the "Chancellor faid fo many obliging things, and in Lo "graceful a manner, as gave Mr. Addison the utmost "fpirit and encouragement to begin that Poem, "which he afterwards publifhed, and entitled, The Campaign: A Poem equal to the action it celebrates; and in which that prefence of mind, for "which the late Duke of Marlborough was fo re “markable of State, in which employment he acquitted himself fo well, that the Earl of Sunderland, being made Secretary of State in December of the abovementioned year, he continued Mr. Addison in the fame employment under him; convincing us by this choice, that the Statefman may receive great affiftance from the Man of Letters. The tafte for Operas beginning to prevail at that time in England, fome of Mr. Addison's friends defiring him to write one, he complied with their request, and chofe for his fubject Rosamond. He proposed by this drama to excite an emulation in the English muficians, to exert themselves, without calling in any foreign affiftance, and at the fame time to give the fpectators a piece in their own language, infinitely more exact and regular than the Italian Operas. However, Rofamond did not fucceed upon the ftage, whether from the defect of the mufic, for which our language is faid by fome perfons to be very improper [2], or from the prejudices in markable in a day of battle, is illuftrated by a no"bler fimile than any to be found in Homer or Vir gil. The Lord Treasurer kept the promise he had "made by Mr. Boyle: and Mr. Addison soon after "the publication of his Poem, was preferred to a "confiderable post." [2] The defect of the mufic, for which our lan language is faid by fome perfons to be very improper.] We in favour of the Italian tafte, which at that time began wholly to prevail; but the Poetry We fhall confider this in the words of a late ingenious writer, and friend of Mr. Addison, the author of the Ode to the Creator of the World, occafioned by the Fragments of Orpheus. "I know not, fays he (15), how it comes to be a late opinion among "fome, that English words are not proper for mufic. "That the English language is not fo foft and full "of vowels as the Italian, is readily granted; yet "this does not prove, that it is therefore incapable "of harmony. Let it be confidered, whether too great a delicacy in this particular may not run into effeminacy. A due mixture of confonants is certainly neceffary to bind the words, which may be "otherwife too much diffolved, and lofe their force. "And as theatrical mufic expreffes a variety of paf"fions, it is not requifite, even for the advantage of "the found, that the fyllables fhould every where 66 languifh with the fame loose and vowelly foftness." He proceeds then to confider the reasonableness of encouraging Operas in our own language. The paffage is fo elegant and full of good fenfe, that we cannot forbear transcribing it. "But what, fays he, is certainly of much more confequence in dramatical "entertainments, is, that they fhould be performed "in a language understood by the audience. One "would think there fhould be no need to prove "this. The great pleasure in hearing vocal music, "arifes from the affociation of the ideas raised at the "fame time by the expreffions and the founds. "Where these ideas are separated, half the impref"fion is wanting; and where they are improperly "joined, it is imperfect. It is probable too, that (15) Mr. John Hughes in the Preface to his English Opera of Calypfo and Telemachus, "the |