recommendation he was elected into Magdalen College as a Demy, a term by which that fociety denominates thofe which are elfewhere called Scholars; young men, who partake of the founder's benefaction, and fucceed in their order to vacant fellowships *,

Here he continued to cultivate poetry and criticism, and grew first eminent by his Latin compofitions, which are indeed entitled to particular praife. He has not confined himself to the imitation of any ancient author, but has formed his style from the general language, fuch as a diligent perufal of the productions of different ages happened to fupply,

His Latin compofitions feem to have had much of his fondness; for he collected a second volume of the Mufa Anglicana, perhaps for a convenient receptacle, in which all his Latin pieces are inferted, and where his Poem on the Peace has the first place. He afterwards prefented the collection to

*He took the degree of M. A. Feb. 14, 1693.

Boileau, who from that time conceived, fays Tickell, an opinion of the English genius for poetry. Nothing is better known of Boileau, than that he had an injudicious and peevish contempt of modern Latin, and therefore his profeffion of regard was probably the effect of his civility rather than approbation.

Three of his Latin poems are upon fubjects on which perhaps he would not have ventured to have written in his own language. The Battle of the Pigmies and Cranes; The Barometer; and a Bowling-green. When the matter is low or fcanty, a dead language, in which nothing is mean because nothing is familiar, affords great conveniences; and by the fonorous magnificence of Roman fyllables, the writer conceals penury of thought, and want of novelty, often from the reader, and often from himself.

In his twenty-fecond year he firft fhewed his power of English poetry, by fome verfes addreffed to Dryden; and foon afterwards published a translation of the greater part of the Fourth Georgick upon Bees; after which, fays Dryden, my latter fwarm is bardly worth the hiving.

About

About the fame time he compofed the arguments prefixed to the feveral books of Dryden's Virgil; and produced an Effay on the Georgicks, juvenile, fuperficial, and uninftructive, without much either of the fcholar's learning or the critick's penetration.

His next paper of verfes contained a cha-racter of the principal English poets, inscribed to Henry Sacheverell, who was then, if not a poet, a writer of verses; as is fhewn by his version of a fmall part of Virgil's Georgicks, published in the Mifcellanies, and a Latin encomium on queen Mary, in the Mufæ Anglicanæ. These verses exhibit all the fondness of friendship; but on one fide or the other, friendship was afterwards too weak for the malignity of faction.

In this poem is a very confident and difcriminative character of Spenfer, whose work he had then never read *. So little fometimes is criticism the effect of judgement. It is neceffary to inform the reader, that about this time he was introduced by Con

greve to Montague, then Chancellor of the Exchequer Addison was then learning the trade of a courtier, and fubjoined Montague as a poetical name to thofe of Cowley and of Dryden.

By the influence of Mr. Montague, concurring, according to Tickell, with his natural modefty, he was diverted from his original defign of entering into holy orders. Montague alleged the corruption of men who engaged in civil employments without liberal education; and declared, that, though he was reprefented as an enemy to the Church, he would never do it any injury but by withholding Addison from it,

Soon after (in 1695) he wrote a poem to king William, with a rhyming introduction addreffed to lord Somers. King William had no regard to elegance or literature; his study was only war; yet by a choice of minifters, whose difpofition was very different from his own, he procured, without intention, a very liberal patronage to poetry. Addison was careffed both by Somers and Montague.

In 1697 appeared his Latin verfes on the peace of Ryfwick, which he dedicated to Montague, and which was afterwards called by Smith the best Latin poem fince the Æneid. Praise must not be too rigorously examined; but the performance cannot be denied to be vigorous and elegant,

Having yet no publick employment, he obtained (in 1699) a pension of three hundred pounds a year, that he might be enabled to travel. He ftaid a year at Blois *, probably to learn the French language; and then proceeded in his journey to Italy, which he furveyed with the eyes of a poet.

While he was travelling at leifure, he was far from being idle; for he not only collected his obfervations on the country, but found time to write his Dialogues on Medals, and four Acts of Cato.

is the relation of Tickell.

Such at least

Perhaps he only collected his materials, and formed his

plan.

Whatever were his other employments in Italy, he there wrote the letter to lord Hali

* Spence,