The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-01 00:00:00

ADDISON.

Of the disgust of Mr. ADDIsoN at every thing
like flattery or obsequiousness, we have a striking
example in the following anecdote :—Mr. Temple
Stanyan, who had long lived with Addison in
habits of friendship, conversing on all subjects
with perfect freedom, borrowed of him, under
some pressing emergency, a sum of money. From
this time Mr. Stanyan altered completely his
tone of conversation towards Addison. He agreed
implicitly to all that his patron advanced, and
never, as formerly, disputed his positions. This
extraordinary change in his behaviour did not
long escape the notice of so acute an observer, to
whom it was by no means as agreeable as it was
expected it would be. It happened on one oc-
casion that a subject was started on which they
had been a short time before entirely at issue.
Mr. Stanyan, instead of contending the point,
yielded silently and with, the utmost deference to
the opinion of Addison, who was displeased, and
rented his disapprobation of his companion's in-
sincerity by saying, with a good deal of impa-
tience, " Sir, either contradict me or pay me my
I money."
An anecdote is related of Addison and Swift,
which is worth recording for its singularity. At.
a tete-a-tete conversation between them, the va-
rious characters mentioned in the sacred writings
happened to form the subject of their discussion.
Swift's favourite was Jonathan, while that of
Addison was Joseph. The dispute lasted some
time, when the author of Cato observed, that it
was very fortunate they were alone, as the cha-
racters which they had been praising so warmly
were their namesakes, and they would conse-
quently, had others been present, have subjected
themselves to the imputation of undue and fanci-
ful partiality.
The moral character of Addison, whether it
be drawn from his life or writings, will be found
to be equally irreproachable. " Knowledge
of mankind," observes Dr. Johnson, " less ex-
tensive than that of Addison, will spew that to
write and to live are very different. Many who
praise virtue, do no more than praise it. Yet it is
reasonable to believe that Addison's professions
and actions were at no great variance ; since,
amid the storm of faction in which most of his
life was passed, though his station made him con-
spicuous and his activity made him formidable,
the character given him by his friends was never
contradicted by his enemies : of those with whom
interest or opinion united him, he had not only
the esteem, but the kindness; and of others,
whom the violence of opposition drove against
him, though he might lose the love, he retained
the reverence. He employed wit on the side of
virtue and religion. He not only made a proper
use of wit himself, but taught it to others; and
from his time it has been generally
subservient
to the cause of reason and of truth. He has dis-
sipated the prejudice that long connected gaiety
with vice, and easiness of manner with laxity of
principle. He has restored virtue to its dignity,
and taught innocence not to be ashamed. This
is an elevation of literary character " above all
Greek, and above all Roman fame." No greater
felicity can genius attain than that of having pu-
rified intellectual pleasure, separated mirth from
indecency, and wit from licentiousness; of hav-
ing taught a succession of writers to bring ele-
gance and gaiety to the aid of goodness ; and, if
I may use expressions yet more awful, of haviog
" turned many to righteousness."

ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. `ou Monday last
(22d inst.), at a meeting of the Antiquarian Society, Dr. Hib-
bert read some valuable remarks, suggested by the resemblance
which certain steinbartes (or stone-axes) found near the Hum-
ber bear to those of Orkney and Shetland. lie began by com-
bating the common notion that these and similar instruments
of warfare are Celtic, and showed that they were Teutonic. It
had been doubted whether the people who used these weapons
had ever invaded England ; but it should appear from the dis-
covery of these steinbartes in Lincolnshire, that they had land-
ed there. Stone axes of various shapes and materials have
been found in different parts of the world ; and it is suggested
that different ancient tribes had weapons of shapes peculiar to
their respective tribes. There seems nothing improbable in
this suggestion—nay, it is partially confirmed by the portion of
the globe where discoveries of them have been made, being
limited. One of the steinbartes produced was of a very rare
shape ; it was very nearly square, tapering but a little to one
side; it was not quite half an inch thick in any part, and its
edges were extremely sharp. It was supposed that it had ori-
ginally been inserted into a very long handle ; and it has been
suggested that it was the predecessor, or archetype, of our mo-
dern halberts. (Hall-bartes, or axes, used for guard or cere-
mony in the halls of Kings or Princes.) A very singular draw-
ing was exhibited to the Society, from the pencil of Captain
Jones (9th regiment.) It was a sketch from an ancient oaken
panel, of the costume of an English bagpiper of the 16th cen-
tury. The original design had a great deal of spirit in it, and
the bagpipe and the bagpiper were very well made out. That
it was not a Scottish bagpiper was evident, from the dress being
open in front, which is contrary to all the examples of our early
northern costume ; and as a corroborative proof of the proba-
bility of the figure's being intended for a representation of an
English bagpiper, an animal long since extinct, many quota-
tations from ancient authors were produced.—( Edinburgh
Literary GDzette.)

In Museum-street, Bloomsbury, the carriage-
way has been blocked up and rendered impas-
sible for some weeks, in consequence of a dispute
between the Water Company.and the Commis-
sioners of Sewers, which is not to be settled but
by a suit at law. It appears that one of the
Companies opened the street for the purpose of
some repairs necessary to be done, and it was
ascertained the arch running in a parallel line
with the street had given way, and partly fallen
in. The Sewer's Company attribute this to the
pressure of the Water Company's main pipes
bearing immediately upon the brick work of the
common sewer, which, the opposite party con-
tend, was so rotten as to give way.