The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-05-07
JOSEPH ADDISON

JOSEPH ADDISON.
Not quite two centuries ago Bfshon sft.-t
Dean of Westminster, led a funeral processf...
/ torehlight and in the dead of night THRONE.
corridors of the Abbey to the chapel Heinz. VIII
There with the burial rites of the English church
amid the melancholy strains of funeral dfrra .t
remains of Engands greatest essayist were Iaf5 in
their last resting place SOFrowing friends shed s
OF sincere grief for the honered citizen and be.o5
associate who had gone from their midst; and m
teeF raised no monument to his memory Tt rrr7airo5
1or the English people Of age to testify tbe
national pride in the authorship of Addison bt rrs
ms statue in Poets Corner This token of respa, .
Gue' writes MacauIay to the unsuied Statesmen h,
the accomplished scholar. the master OF pure r.,
manners ~ aug ana
olson. rector of Wiltshire was born Nav te-a ~
records of his early years and education are rrss
the Only incidents which his begraphers relate helm,
some childish escapades, entirely out Of harmony g5
ms subsequent reputation Perhaps worst of tho
was barring out which he his conlpa Mons NOV
petratsd on the master of the Litchfed school which
he attended. Addison enjoys the fame of Dan1ir@
but this tale is dscredited by his admrin biogrpba
Macauay, reasoning doubtless on the principle fbat
would be curious 70 know by what moral discipline
50 mutinous and enterprising lad was Transformed
INTO the' gentlest and most modest of men,"
Maynard or docie. it is evident that the voung
scholar did not neglect his tasks for upon enterin
Queens college Oxford in his fifteenth year his pro-
nc1ency in the Roman classics his facility in Latin
rersiheaton attracted the notice of DR.. Iancas+er
OF the vacancies in that college then considered one
of the best endowed in Europe. During his ten years
at magdalen he endeared himself both fellow stu
dents and professors and it is pleasant to read of the
esteem which he by his agreeable manners and
ton for ability and learning Nor did his MEMORY
fade with time for his is still cherished by his
Alma Mater on whose walls his portrait is displayed
and where his favore walk along the Cherv,e is still
pointed out with affectionate pride.
At the age of % he addressed some English verses
70 DFyeen then the prince of letters These proved
very gratifying to the elder bard. and thus brought
ABOUT happy succession of acquaintance through
whose nhuence our author rose to position of power
and ability in the political sphere. Charles Montague
Chancellor OF the exchequer. became his friend and
patron. He it was who deferred Addison from taking
orders in the English church procuring for him pen
sion that he might go Paris study the language
Of diplomacy and by his further travels and observ
ions MT himself for the duties of public minister
During his residence abroad and his travels Addi-
sons pen was by no means idle His tragedy OF
Cato was planned and partly written before his re-
TURN; the poetieal "Epstle to Lord Halifax his
pine heights, and the Dialogues on Medals were fin
ished in Germany Switzerland.
About this time Addison's prospects grew dark po-
htical changes in England occasioned withdrawal
MS pension SO that ne was obliged to accept employ
ment as tutor to young English traveller This cir
however nappy led 10 proiongaton or
MS Journey1ngs After his return. he tried by
short period of adversely, but good fortune
waited on nlln Marlborough had won his Blenheim
anu Goaophin was IN quest of poet to commemorate
his victory in worthy style. Halifax was again the
faithful agent Of his advancement, and by his adroit
teEposltion Addison was requested TO write the bat
tie ode. which he called 1.-The Campaign" The famous
sinile wherein the hero is compared
ng the WhiriWlnd 50 greatly pleased the lord treas
1rer that the poet was Immediately rewarded with
substantial Preferment with promise of still higher
oroetlon Soon after this the account of his travels
n Italy was published and became very popular. It
in that stored land that his beloved poets Of the
rewed the pages of his Travels with flowers from
heir classic fields. This work was followed by the
pera of feosamond, the merits of which have caused
rood critics to regret that Addison did not more
iduously cultivate the lyric muse.
In los the Wings came, into power once more and
Addsohs path for the next. five years at least
smooth He held several honorable commits
TORS and sat IN the house OF commons both at home
nd in Ireland Owing to his habitual shyness how
yer. he scored no success speaker. It seems
TRANCE that one so accomplished in familiar CONVEX
alton should fail in public discourse, but it is said
hat he reticent even in private assemblies. 1t
vas ms opinion that there can be no real converse
ion in crowd Some one has said II would rather
ak with wise the table than visit for
ign lands Fancy, then. what enjoyment there must
ave been in a tete-a-tete with Addison! Lady Mary
Iontague ranked him above all the wits Of her
uaintanne Pope declared that there charm
his talk which could be found nowhere else; Swift
een1ed him the most agreeable of companions, and
teele names him with Terence and Catulus yet
bove Them His tirnidfty in public did diminish
is popularity; it is said to have added peculiar
senation to his attractive personality and assuredly
lved him from the enmity to which envy of his unim
sded eloqueuee would certainly have given rise.
1hile in some respects his conduct far from
ameless, still gather from the pages Of his bio
-aphers that his amiabty phenomenal; and
lis alone makes his character delightful. in
sed profitable. study. If the reader glad meet
cal elegance of manner and suavity of disposition in
e realms of fiction. how much more enjoyable it is
feel that such one really lived viii not the
lowledge of this phase of his character also lend
.erer joy to our perusal of his writings?
The story of Addsons relations with Steele, and OF
large support of his colleagues literary journals.
ould make a chaper in itself Suffice it to say that
papers in The Tattler." THE Spectator and "The
lardian, those much-initated but never-edualed es
VS.. have for him his most unfadng laures
Addisonis life not long one, for he died at
e age of IS. He had been married but few years
ID these were not the happiest of his life His last
riting letter to his friend Craggs, dedieatng
works to him and abiding in touching manner
his approaching death. To his step-son, whom he
He'd to his bedside he said: "See how Christian
n de-
If. after studying the life of Addison. ask what
eat lasting good he accomplished. we shall prob
Iy find answer in these words of Taine, critic
{ Over-paftiaI to the English man of letters:
1T is small thing to make morality fashionable
dison did it. and it remained in fashion. He recon-
ed virtue with elegance taught duty in accom-
shed style and made pleasure subservient to rea-
~ IRENE KANE. 'O5.
st. Mary's Academy.
In Honor of Mary-Let us be more constant
d fervent in our devotion to our Blessed Mother
is year of her jubilee. Say daily some extra