duce on occasion, it would not be amiss. I have spoken to Colonel Worsley, who is in great credit and confidence with one of our first movers, but I am afraid he may think it proper to employ his whole interest for himself, notwithstanding he is very much your friend, and I believe would be glad to show himself such. I am heartily ashamed that when my inclinations are so strong my power should be so very inconsiderable; but you may be sure I will exert it to the utmost in all times and places that may give me a handle for your service. My eyes have been very much out of order for some months, which has obliged me to favour them all I can, and by that means has prevented me from giving my friends the trouble of any letters that were not absolutely necessary for the promoting of their service or my own. I must beg you will not only excuse me yourself upon this account, but make it my excuse to Mr. Pulteney, who may ever lay a claim to my most humble services and good wishes, though I do not trouble him with any formal professions of them. I have often the pleasure to hear of his good health, and to find him mentioned with that honour and esteem which everybody must have for him that knows him. I will not trouble you with any accounts of public news, which the prints will acquaint you with better than I can do, but must beg leave to assure you that I very much regret the absence of such a friend, and that your business is likely still to detain you at so great a distance from one who values your friendship and conversation more than I dare tell should susyou, lest you pect that sincerity with which I am always, Dear sir, your most faithful friend And most obedient servant, ever. J. ADDISON. I often see Mr. Thomson, who is the same amiable youth as Since the writing of this letter I have received your last with the little medal, for which my humble acknowledgments; and have talked with Swift, who approves what I have said relating to him. Steele, with his wife and daughters, are very much yours. 1 When Addison was subsequently called to office, Phillips is said to have put the "strong inclinations" here proffered to the test, and to have been coldly answered. See note p. 371. DEAR SIR, ADDISON TO MR. WORTLEY. [London,] July 21st, 1711. Being very well pleased with this day's Spectator,1 I cannot forbear sending you one of them, and desiring your opinion of the story in it. When you have a son I shall be glad to be his Leontine, as my circumstances will probably be like his. I have within this twelvemonth lost a place of £2000 per annum, an estate in the Indies of £14,000, and what is worse than all the rest, my mistress. Hear this, and wonder at my philosophy. I find they are going to take away my Irish place from me too; to which I must add, that I have just resigned my fellowship, and that stocks sink every day. If you have any hints or subjects, pray send me up a paper full. I long to talk an evening with you. I believe I shall not go for Ireland this summer, and perhaps would pass a month with you, if I know where. Lady Bellasis is very much your humble servant. Dick Steele and I often remember you. I am, dear sir, DEAR SIR, MR. WORTLEY TO ADDISON. Wortley, July 28th, 1711. Notwithstanding your disappointments, I had much rather be in your circumstances than my own. The strength of your constitution would make you happier than all who are not equal to you in that; though it contributed nothing towards those other advantages that place you in the first rank of men. Since my fortune fell to me, I had reason to fancy I should be reduced to a very small income. I immediately retrenched my expenses, and lived for six months on £50, as pleasantly as ever I did in my life, and could have lived for less than half that sum. I often entertained myself with the speech of Ofellus in the Second Satire of the Second Book; and still think no man of understanding can be many days unhappy, if he does not want health. At present, I take all the care I can to improve mine. This air is as proper for that as any I know; and we are so remote from all troublesome Spectator, No. 123, containing the story of Eudoxius and Leontine. 2 Wortley, near Barnsley, in the West Riding of York, delightfully situated on the river Don and embosomed in fine woods: celebrated in the ancient poem of " the Dragon of Wantley." VOL. V. 2 D neighbours and great towns, that a man can think of nothing long but country entertainments or his books; and, if you would change the course of your thoughts, you will scarce fail of effecting it here. I am in some fear I shall be forced to town for four or five days, and then we may come down together. If I stay I shall let you know it in a week or ten days, and hope to see you very soon. You was never in possession of anything you lose but your places, and those you could not call your own. After I had read what you say about them, I could not take pleasure in the Spectator you sent, but thought it a very good one. In two months, or a little more, I think I must go the Newcastle journey. You told me you should like it; if you do not, perhaps we may contrive how you may pass your time here. I am not sure we shall easily have leave to lodge out of this house, but we may eat in the woods every day if you like it, and nobody here will expect any sort of ceremony. I am, dear sir, &c. MR. WORTLEY TO ADDISON. DEAR SIR, Wortley, August 25th, 1711. Hearing you are at the Bath, I am afraid you have almost laid aside the thoughts of this country. If you still intend to be here, I wish I knew the time, that I might delay or hasten my journey to Newcastle; which you please. I shall pass three months more in the north, and would stay your own time, if you come. I have now my choice of two or three pretty, but small, places, besides this house, which perhaps you may like the least. You are almost as near to this place as to London. I am afraid you will not meet with an opportunity of coming in a coach. But if you have not seen Worcester, Stafford, Nottingham, and Chatsworth, you may make your journey pleasant; and if you travel but eighteen or twenty miles a day, you will get here almost insensibly in five or six days, as you are taking the air. After you are a little beyond Gloucester, you will find a gravelly soil, as good in wet as in dry weather, which will not leave you till you are within fifteen miles of home. I can have one here that writes a better hand than your own secretary. But if you like him better, he would be no trouble to any here, though you should desire to live with my Lord. I must add to all this, that when the Bath season is quite over, so late as in October, you will in all likelihood have a better season for travelling than the summer. When I have said this in hopes of drawing you hither, I cannot but wish you may be as well where you are as I was once, and have no desire of changing the place. I am, dear sir, &c. DEAR SIR, MR. WORTLEY TO ADDISON. Wortley, Oct. 8th, 1711. I intend to set out this week for Durham, and to return hither about three weeks hence; I can scarce hope you will be for a long journey at this season; but if you should like a country life so well, I will stay here till January to attend you, and perhaps longer. There is a house within two miles of this place, which I am sure would please you as well as any in these parts. I design to lodge there for the advantage of shooting when I come back from Durham; but if you should not like it, I can find another. Lest this climate should not suit with you, I dare say nothing in praise of it; unless you think I speak well of it, in telling you I grow fat, and am very easy. It would however agree with me much better if you were in it. My most humble service to Mr. Steele, he knows I should have invited him often had he been at liberty to come. I am, dear sir, &c. DEAR SIR, ADDISON TO MR. WORTLEY. Oct. 13th, 1711. If I am very much obliged to you for your last kind letter and invitation, which I heartily wish I could accept : but you know I have put my hand to the plough, and have already been absent from my work one entire month at the Bath. I hope you will not think of staying in the country so long as you mention. Sure it will be worth your while to hear the peace treated in the House of Commons, and as you have seen mores hominum multorum et urbes, I think you cannot have a better opportunity to show yourself. you will be my lodger, I will take a house in the Square at Kensington, and furnish you a chamber; not forgetting a cook and other particulars. I send you enclosed a paper of Abel Roper's, which everybody looks upon as authentic : we talk of nothing but a peace. I am heartily glad you have your health, and question not but you would find the Kensington air as good as the Wortley. I am ever, with the greatest sincerity, Dear sir, Your most obedient humble servant, DEAR SIR, MR. WORTLEY TO ADDISON. Newcastle, Nov. 1st, 1711. Since I cannot have your company in the country, I shall leave it as soon as I can without damage to my affairs. I would have left this place early enough to meet you at Wortley, had you given me notice of your coming. Now you do not, I intend to continue here a fortnight longer; for I think it will be for my advantage if I stay a fortnight at Wortley, as it is likely I may; it will be near the middle of December before I get to Kensington, when I am very glad to hear I may be your lodger, if you will not be mine as I proposed. Should you like any other place out of town better than Kensington, I desire you will choose it, and I shall certainly be pleased with it. The peace I should think will not be debated before Christmas; when it is, I fancy it will be accepted or refused by a very great majority, and the public would not suffer by the absence of all our friends put together. If I am mistaken in this, I desire you will let me know it. My opinion is, the nation must be ruined by such a peace as is talked of; notwithstanding I should pay for the war more than any man in the House, whose fortune is not above double to mine. That we may bear up the better under misfortunes, I hope you will be nice in the choice of a cook and other particulars. I am, dear sir, &c. THERE is a gap here in Addison's letters of nearly eighteen months, during all which period he was engaged in writing in the Spectator, &c. That he was then resident in London is seen by letters of Steele and others, in which he is mentioned. And that Addison and Steele were living on habits of great intimacy, appears by a singular letter communicated to Nichols by the Rev. David Scurlock, executor of Lady Trevor, Steele's last surviving daughter (D'Israeli has quoted it in his Calamities of Authors): "Steele and Addison wrote the Spectators, &c., chiefly in the room where I now write; they rented the house of my father, for occasional retirement, and kept a housekeeper between them. It happened that this housekeeper proved to be in a situation that could not escape the prying eye of slanderous observation; when Steele asked Addison very gravely, what they should do in such a dreadful predicament? Why,' says Addison, since it is now past remedy, there is nothing to be done but this; if it proves to be a black child, you shall take it; if a fair one, the care of it shall fall to my lot."" |