time when they thought the doctrine of Liberty very feafonable. It is in every body's memory, with what applaufe it was received by the public; that the first run of it lasted for a month; and then stopped, only because one of the performers became incapable of acting a principal part. The Author received a meffage, that the Queen would be pleased to have it dedicated to her: but as he had defigned that compliment elsewhere, he found himself obliged by his duty on the one fide, and his honour on the other, to fend it. into the world without any dedication. dedication. The fame of this Tragedy foon spread through Europe, and it has not only been tranflated, but acted in most of the languages of Christendom. The tranflation of it into Italian, by Signor Salvini, is very well known; but I have not been able to learn, whether that of Signor Valetta, a young Neapolitan nobleman, has ever been made public.

If he had found time for the writing of another tragedy, the Death of Socrates would have been the story. And, however unpromifing that fubject may appear, it would be prefumptuous to cenfure his choice, who was fo famous for raifing the nobleft plants from the most barren foil. It ferves to fhew, that he thought the whole labour of fuch a performance unworthy to be thrown away upon thofe intrigues and adventures, to which the Romantic taste has confined modern Tragedy; and, after the example of his predeceffors in Greece, would have employed the Drama to wear out of our minds every thing that is mean, or little ; to cherish and cultivate that humanity which is the ornament of our nature; to foften infolence, to footh affliction, and to fubdue our minds to the difpenfations of Providence. *

Upon the death of the late Queen, the Lords Justices, in whom the adminiftration was lodged, appointed B 4

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Spectator. N° 39.

him their Secretary. Soon after His Majefty's arrival in Great Britain, the Earl of Sunderland being conftituted Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, Mr. Addifon became a fecond time Secretary for the affairs of that kingdom;_and was made one of the Lords-Commiffioners of Trade, a little after his Lordship refigned the poft of LordLieutenant.

The paper, called the Freeholder, was undertaken at the time, when the rebellion broke out in Scotland.

The only works he left behind him for the public, are the Dialogues upon Medals, and the Treatife upon the Chriftian Religion. Some account has been already given of the former, to which nothing is now to be added, except that a great part of the Latin quotations were rendred into English, in a very hafty manner, by the Editor, and one of his friends, who had the good-nature to affift him, during his avocations of business. It was thought better to add these translati

ons,

ons, such as they are, than to let the work come out unintelligible to thofe who do not poffefs the learned languages.

The scheme for the Treatife upon the Chriftian Religion was formed by the Author, about the end of the late Queen's reign; at which time he carefully peruled the ancient writings, which furnish the materials for it. His continual employment in business prevented him from executing it, 'till he refigned his office of Secretary of State; and his death put a period to it, when he had imperfectly performed only one half of the defign; he having proposed, as appears from the introduction, to add the Jewish to the Heathen teftimonies, for the truth of the Chriftian history. He was more affiduous, than his health would well allow, in the pursuit of this work and had long determined to dedicate his Poetry alfo, for the future, wholly to religious fubjects.

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Soon after he was, from being one of the Lords-Commiffioners of Trade, advanced to the poft of Secretary of State, he found his health impaired by the return of that asthmatic indifpofition, which continued often to afflict him during his exercife of that employment, and at laft obliged him to beg His Majefty's leave to refign. His freedom from the anxiety of bufinefs fo far re-establifhed his health, that his friends began to hope he might laft for many years; but (whether it were from a life too fedentary, or from his natural conftitution, in which was one circumstance very remarkable, that, from his cradle, he never had a regular pulfe) a long and painful relapfe into an afthma and dropfie deprived the world of this great man, on the 17th of June, 1719. He left behind him only one Daughter, by the Countefs of Warwick, to whom he was married in the year 1716.

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