AGREEMENT in temper, in be clear, gives himself at the fame caft of genius, and in principles, had formed that folid union between our two academicians which does fo much honour to their memory. Perhaps it may be interefting to examine in what these two writers, fo fimilar in various respects, differed in others. Both of them, replenished with judgement, knowledge, and good fente, conftantly difplay a fuperiority to prejudices, as well philofophical as literary; both attack them with that modeft timidity under which the wife man will always fhield himself when combating received opinions; a timidity which their enemies termed hypocritical gentle nefs, because hatred gives to prudence the name of cunning, and to art that of falfehood. Both of them have carried too far their decided, though apparently moderate, revolt from the gods and laws of Parnaffus; but La Motte's free opinions feem more closely connected with his perfonal intereft in fupporting them; and Fontenelle's, with the general intereft he took in the progrets of reafon in all departments. In the writings of both are to be found that method which is fo fatiffactory to correct minds, and that artful ingenuity which gives fo much delight to delicate judges; but this laft quality in La Motte is more developed; in Fontenelle it leaves more to be gueffed by the reader. La Motte, without ever faying too much, forgets nothing that his fubject offers, dexterously makes ufe of the whole, and feems to fear that he fhould lofe fome of his advantages by too subtle a concealment of his meaning: Fontenelle, without ever being obfcure, except to those who do not deferve that an author fhould time the pleasure of refervation, and that of hoping to be thoroughly underftood by readers worthy of understanding him. Both, too little fenfible of the charms of poetry and the magic of verfification, have fometimes become poets by the force of ability; but La Motte fomewhat more frequently than Fontenelle, though he has often the double defect of weakness and harfhnefs, while Fontenelle has only that of weakness: but the latter is almost always lifelefs in his verses; whereas La Motte fometimes infufes foul and intereft into his. Both were crowned with distinction at the lyric theatre; but Fontenelle was unfortunate on the French theatre, because he was abfolutely deftitute of that fenfibility which is indifpenfable to a tragic poet, and of which nature had beftowed fome fparks on La Motte, Fontenelle and La Motte have both written in profe with great clearnefs, elegance, and even fimplicity; but La Motte with a more natural, Fontenelle with a more ftudied fimplicity; for this quality may be ftudied, and then it becomes manner, and ceafes to be a model. What renders Fontenelle a mannerift in his fimplicity is, that in order to prefent refined, or even grand ideas, under a more fimple form, he fometimes falls into the dangerous path of familiarity, which contrafts with and trenches upon the delicacy or grandeur of the thought; an incongruity the more fenfible, as he feems to affect it: whereas the familiarity of la Motte (for he, too, fometimes defcends to it) is more foher and measured, more fuited to its fubject, and on a level with the things treated of. X 3 Fontenelle Fontenelle was fuperior in extent of knowledge, with which he has had the art to adorn his writings, and which renders his philofophy the more worthy of being recollected and quoted; but la Motte has made his reader fenfible that, in order to be equal in wealth and value to his friend, he only wanted, as Fontenelle himself faid, " eyes and ftudy." Both received from nature a fexibility of talent which fitted them for various kinds of writing; but they had the imprudence, or fecret vanity, to try their powers in too many. Thus they weakened their reputation by attempting to extend it too far; but Fontenelle has folidly established his glory by his immortal "Hiftory of the Academy of Sciences," and efpecially by thofe interetting eulogies, full of refined and profound fenfe, which infpire the nobleft emulation in rifing genius, and will tranfmit to pofterity the name of the author with that of the celebrated fociety whofe worthy organ he was, and of the great men whole equal he rendered himfelf in becoming their panegyrift. To conclude the parallel of thefe two celebrated men, it will not be ufelefs, after having difplayed them in their works or in the fociety of thofe of their own clas, to paint them as they were in common fociety, and especially amid thofe two claffes of it which demand the great eft caution in order to avoid giving offence the fometimes formidable clafs of the great, and the always troublefome clafs of fools, fo copioufly diffufed among all the others. Fontenelle and la Motte, always referved, confequently always digified, with the great, always on their guard before them without fhewing it, never difplaying more wit than was neceffary to please them, without fhocking their felfconfequence, fave themfelves,” according to Montagne's expreffion, "from undergoing effectual tyranny from them, by their care in not making them undergo talking tyranny." Sometimes, however, in this fociety, as in their style, they gave way to a kind of familiarity; but with this difference, that la Motte's familiarity was more refpectful and referved; Fontenelle's more eafy and free, yet always fo circumfpec as not to tempt any one to abule it. Their conduct with fools was ftill more ftudied and cautious, as they too well knew that this kind of men, internally and deeply jealous of the fplendor of thofe talents by which they are humiliated, never pardon perfons of fuperior understanding, but in proportion to the indulgence they experience from them, and the care taken to conceal this indulgence. Fontenelle and la Motte, when in companies not made for them, never gave way to abfence or dildain; they allowed the freeft fcope to folly of every kind, without fuffering it to fear a check, or even to fufpect that it was observed. But Fontenelle, never forward to talk, even among his equals, was contented with liftening to thofe who were not worthy to hear him, and only ftudied to fhew them a fembiance of approbation, which might prevent them from taking his filence for contempt or wearinefs; la Motte, more complaifant, or even more philofophical, recollecting the Spanish proverb, "that there is no fool from whom a wife man may not learn fomething," took pains to difcover, in perfons the nioti void of parts, the favourable fide, either 'viour, though he always followeḍ the former. He was a coquette to virtue; made continual advances, and feemed juft yielding up himfelt to the comely dame who courted him, as the once did Herculus: when, on a fudden, he would flounce off, flirt back, and fink into the arms of pleature, ig, foul, in his calm morning-hours diwas truly great; and fome defign for public good, the improvement of knowledge, and the fecurity of liberty (which he al for his own inftruction, or the confolation of their vanity. He put them upon topics with which they were the best acquainted, and thus, without affectation, procured them the pleature of an outward difplay of all the little they poffcfled; whence he derived the double advantage, of not being wearied in their company, and of rendering them happy beyond their hopes. If they were fatisfied with Fontenelle, they were enchanted with la Motte. May this example of philofophical charity ferve as a lef-ways efteened the manhood of the fon to thofe ftern and untractable men of wit, whose intolerant pride is not fatisfied without treating fools with humiliating difdain; while this unfeeling mode of teaching them what they are, ftill leaves them understanding enough to feek and to difcover the means of revenge: Anticipation of the Pathumous Character of Sir Richard Steele, written during his life by Dr. Rundle; 'from Butler's Memoirs of Bishop Hildefley. N the in mind), was formed in his thoughts, and was the delight of his meditations: and it must be owned that England is ungrateful, if the doth not confefs, that the prefent hap'pincfs the enjoys was more guarded to her by him, than by any thoufand other private men' she can boat of. He had undaunted courage to oppole all mankind, for the fake of what was right; but ftill, his inborn imprudences generally rendered that courage feebly ufeful to the world; -and his inability to withstand fome evening's merriment ruined half his attempts. through good and ill report; and fuffered himtelf to be laughed at and railed at, with all the indolence and infenfibility of a Stoic. ON day of the year, died fir R. S.. But, notwithstanding the ridicule (in decency, we must fuppofe him of fuch an allay in his patriot an bidead, when we fum up his actions.)tion, he went on, like others, It is pity there is no perfon of able lities left, to give his character to the world, who drew fo many, fo finely! In a well-written lite of him might be feen an epitome of mankind; and the motto of his first Tatlers was as true of his exaraple as of his writings. Surely, fo many follies, and fo much worth, were never blended together in any fingle perfon before. The last he refolved fhould be the guide of his beha ان No bribes of riches or greatness could have tempted him to do a bale action; though the neceffitites into which his carelelfiefs in the management of his fortune, and a thoughtlefs generofity, had thrown him, often compelled him to fubniit to bafeness, almost as low as thole Quicquid agunt homincs nofti! èftifarrago libeli. Jev by which others raise eftates, and become glorious in villainy. Yet, while he did it, he fcorned and hated himself; and refolved to be rich, that he might be honeft. But ftill, the want of money returned, and with it all the mean fhifts to extricate himself from the fatigue of lying to his creditors. Thus he went on, in a continual round of felf-dislike, and doing actions which produced new felfdifike: but he had this to fay for his worst conduct, that his vices were always rencounters, and never meditated wickedness. He was a pleasant companion; a generous enemy,' and a zealous friend. His company was courted by every body, as more entertaining than a comedy: he never refufed to forgive, and then forget, the injuries that had been done him by thole, who defired they fhould be forgiven; and all his fortune was at the command of his friends, as well as his labour and reputation. He feemed to want gold only to give it away: his bufy mind purfued projea after project, in hopes to be rich; that by it he might be more eminently serviceable to his friends, and his country. He embraced every appearance that flattered this public fpirited avarice, though the propofal were ever fo wanton and improbable. In hopes of getting immenfe wealth, he ran after every whim, and fo first aimed at the philofopher's ftone; and when that would not do, he could condefcend to be thought the author of the humble difcovery of a new-fashioned hcop-petticoat: but ftill, it was with the facred view of ferying his country by his riches, This brifknefs and quickfightednefs, to find out mines of treafure in a notion, made him inquire out great numbers of men of abilities, who were obfcured by poverty; and animated them to exert their inventive talents, by high promifes. When any of them had contrived a handsome scheme, he would, in the hurry of his approbation, expend his whole cash to promote it: and at laft, when the project was almost ready to repay with intereft his trouble and charges, the hopes would be blasted, for want of another ten pounds to complete the undertaking. Thus he rid hard, continually courfing after treafure; and, when his dog bore at the game, by a nimble unexpected turn, it always escaped from its mouth, and he returned empty: however, he comforted himself that he had brave sport, and went out again the next day, fresh and eager to the field. Thus, conftantly, with high hopes and felfcomplacency, he renewed his project, as warm in expectation of fuccefs, as if he had met with no dif appointment. He was often within a day of being the richest, and therefore the honeftest man in England; but, before that ill-natured to-mor row came, he died! much lamented by all who value wit and good fenfe; and he must be owned to be, if not virtuous, yet a lover of virtue. His writings will make him beloved by all, in ages to come, when his follies are forgot, or foftened by time. To him we owe not only his own performances, but those of others likewife; and he was properly the man-midwife to all the children of the muses born in his own time, and was fufpected very often to be their father also. He would have been what he was, had Addifon never been born: us. but Addison would have died with writings equal to those he has left narrow fame, had he never had a friendship with fir R. whose compofitions have done eminent fervice to mankind. To him we owe, that fwearing is unfashionable, and that a regard to religion is become a part of good breeding. He had learning; but it was feldom transfufed into his performances. He ftudied nature more than books; and as Numa confulted with Egeria, and learnt his laws from that divine nymph, fir R. was in love with a more real goddefs; and was taught by her, in reality, all his precepts. He had an art to make people hate their follics, without hating themfelves for having them; and he fhewed gentlemen a way of becoming virtuous with a good grace. A bold free fpirit, a lively humour, a quickness of thought, and the most delicate touches of the paffions, infpire pleasure into all that read and understand his writings, He had not leifure and coolnefs enough to bear the fatigue of being correct: his obfervations on mankind crowded fo fast upon him, that, for want of patience to write them down in a due ftudied natural order, he fometimes became oblcure. His fatire was severe and pointed; but, I think, he never once exerted that talent against his private, but al ways against his country's enemies; and therefore thewed good nature, even in his sharpeft and bitterest - invectives. He had no genius for rhime; and he knew that he had not, and therefore but seldom attempted it. Thote who love S. will only admire Addifon: he will never have many applauders; but thofe who can relih him, will never think any How good his political judgement was, may be learnt from his letters to fir Miles Wharton, and to the bailiff of Stockbridge: how generous his fentiments of religion may be feen in his Epiftle to the Pope. The juftnefs of his wit, and his exact knowledge of true character, every body confeffed, by their approbation of his plays and Tatlers. Let thy faults, O! fir R. be buried in thy grave, and thy virtues be imitated by all! Let thy writings be beloved; for whoever doth that fincerely, will, before he thinks of it, become a lover, if not a prsetifer of virtue; and the world may owe to thee the removal of fopperies, that are to be born again in centuries to come. Thy works will be a medicine of the mind, and cure all the green fickneffed appetites that will feize on the gay and the young, without fo friendly a cordial. If all who have been, or fhall be benefited by thy advice, will own themselves thy admirers, never could author boaft a more univerfal or a better founded applaufe; and Socrates himself thall have fewer difciples than Steele. |