able diplomatist-at the former, having arranged the celebrated commercial treaty which bears his name; and at the latter, in addition to his proper functions, distinguished himself in a military capacity, by sharing with the Duke of Savoy all the labours and perils of the day in which he recovered his capital. On his return he was honoured with the order of the Bath, and successively filled a variety of places, as a commissioner of the Admiralty and Treasury, Comptroller of the Household, and various others, between the year 1709 and 1732. He also represented the borough of Brackley about the same period in Parliament. Steele celebrates him in addition in his social character. The eighth or supplementary volume of the Spectator, was dedicated, it is supposed by Budgell, to one of its own imaginary characters, Will Honeycomb, the original of which was supposed to be a Colonel Cleland. But with that volume, which, as previously mentioned, was taken up after an interval of some years, Steele was unconnected. It may be proper to add a few words in reference to one or two points not previously alluded to. Of the origin of the work, or the nature of the arrangements respecting its publication, nothing is definitely known. It is probable that, as Swift surmised,* Addison and Steele clubbed in this respect, as well as in the production of the matter, and had share and share alike. Johnson states, we know not on what authority, that Addison received his share "Have you seen the Spectator yet, a paper that comes out every day? It is written by Mr Steele, who seems to have gathered a new fund of wit; it is in the same nature as his Tatlers, and they have all of them had something pretty. I believe Addison and he club. I never see them."-Journal to Stella, March 16, 1711. "with avidity.' If so, it was the more remarkable as it was after he had entered on his official life, and, with his well regulated prudence, any great pecuniary difficulty must have ceased. In one respect he came to the task probably better prepared than Steele. There is reason to believe that he had a quantity of previously prepared matter on hand-including those various dissertations on the Imagination, (which Akenside afterwards made the foundation of his poem,) on Wit, and on Milton-so that what he said in his introductory paper, of printing himself out, was applicable to written as well as unwritten matter. With regard to the success of the work it is difficult, amid the various conflicting statements, to arrive at a very precise result. It was at least altogether unprecedented, as that of the Tatler had previously been, at that period. But to form a just judgment with our modern ideas on the subject, the limited number of readers at the time must be borne in mind, for reading was not then the universal necessity that it now is. With regard to details, Addison states in No. 10, that 3000 copies were sold daily. After the imposition of the stamp in August 1712, it is stated by Steele, in his concluding paper, that the amount paid to the revenue averaged L.20 a week. On this statement Dr Johnson has calculated the circulation at 1680 copies daily. Some have thought that Steele's statement was a typographical error, and below the mark. But taking it and the calculation on it as accurate, it must be remembered that, though it doubled its price and survived the imposition of the tax, yet it is stated that its circulation fell to little more than half. On the other hand, Dr Fleet * "Lives of the Poets"-Addison. wood, a suppressed article by whom had been published in it, states, in a letter to the Bishop of Salisbury, that the daily sale amounted to 14,000. At all events the average total circulation previous to the existence of the tax, must, on the most moderate estimate, have been thereabout, as Steele states in the paper above referred to, that the circulation when collected into volumes, at a guinea each, amounted to 9000. It is certainly remarkable that the circulation of the collected edition, and at such an advance in price, should have exceeded the current one. That was the first circulation, but numerous other editions followed subsequently. Such is the result of all that can be arrived at respecting the original publication of this celebrated work—the first attempt at a popular literature in England-which may be regarded as the precursor not merely of the literary periodical press, but (what may be considered perhaps by some a more questionable merit) of the modern novel-in which respect Miss Aikin* thinks Steele may be taken as the representative of Richardson, and Addison of Fielding, so far at least as the possession of their respective characteristic qualities of the pathetic and the humorous. * Life of Addison, vol. ii. p. 10. CHAPTER VIII. Correspondence during publication of Spectator-Reference to his mother's family-Poetical correspondence with Hughes and PopeAnecdote of the Censorium, or private theatre of Steele-Criticism on Pope's Messiah-Addison disclaims Popes' satire on Dennis-Pope's Dying Christian-Newcomb's encomium on Steele. April 2, 1711. SIR,-The bearer hereof, Mr John Bateman, is the nearest of blood to my uncle, Gascoigne, to whose bounty I owe a liberal education. He has a demand upon my Lord Longford, as administrator to my said uncle, together with some other debts which lie out in Ireland. I earnestly recommend his affairs to your favour and patronage, and desire you would stand by him, and appear for him, in order to his obtaining speedy justice. He is of himself an helpless, and your goodness herein will be the highest obligation to, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, RICH. STEELE. LETTER CLXVIII. To Mrs Steele. June 14, 1711. Dear Prue,—I inclose you a guinea, and desire you to go before to Mrs Simpson's, if I am not ready to go with you, and call at your mother's at eight o'clock, for Mr Craggs and others do not come to us till late in the evening. Therefore pray be tractable to your enamoured husband and humble servant, RICH. STEELE. LETTER CLXIX. To Mrs Steele. [1711.] PRUE,-Addison's money* you will have to-morrow noon. I have but "This was the loan which afterwards so unfortunately interrupted a long and early friendship. At the school of the Chartreux,' Dr Johnson observes, 'Mr Addison contracted that intimacy with Sir Richard Steele which their joint 188., but have very many reasons to be in good humour, except you are angry with me. If you can pay the woman for coals, you [may] have it from Ruth in the morning. Your obedient husband, lover, servant, &c. RICH. STEELE. June 2, 1711. DEAR PRUE,-I cannot come home to dinner. I dine with Tonson, at an ordinary near the Temple, with Mr Addison and another gentleman. A gentleman met me to-day, and acquainted me that John had been with him to be hired, so that you will be rid of him, and I will pay him when I come home. I would have you go out and divert yourself, and believe I love you better than life.—Yours, RICH. STEELE. I write from Mr Edward Lawrence's, whose sister would be glad of your company. LETTER CLXXI. To Mrs Steele. June 14, 1711. DEAR PRUE,—I am obliged to go with Mr Glanville to Sir Harry Furnasse's,† and cannot be home till nine at night. Thank God, all will now be done. Your most obedient husband, I will come to Berry Street at nine. RICH. STEELE, labours have so effectually recorded. Of this memorable friendship, the greater praise must be given to Steele. . . Addison, who knew his own dignity, could not always forbear to show it, by playing a little upon his admirer; but he was in no danger of retort-his jests were endured without resistance or resentment. But the sneer of jocularity was not the worst. Steele, whose imprudence of generosity or vanity of profusion kept him always incurably neces sitous, upon some pressing emergency, in an evil hour, borrowed L.100 from his friend; but Addison, who seems to have had other notions of L.100, grew impatient of delay, and reclaimed his loan by an execution. Steele felt with great sensibility the obduracy of his creditor, but with emotions of sorrow rather than of any anger.' This fact,' Sir John Hawkins adds, 'was communicated to Johnson, in my hearing, by a person of unquestionable veracity, but whose name I am not at liberty to mention. He had it, as he told us, from Lady Primrose, to whom Steele related it with tears in his eyes. The late Dr Stinton confirmed it to me, by saying that he had heard it from Mr Hooke, author of the "Roman History," and he from Mr Pope.'"-See Bee. *This was Sir Harry Furnese, the rich alderman," of whom Swift says in the |