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it indistinctly. I thought the paffages too short.

Addifon however did not conclude his life in peaceful studies; but relapfed, when he was near his end, to a political question.

It fo happened that (1718-19) a controverfy was agitated, with great vehemence, between those friends of long continuance, Addifon and Steele. It may be afked, in the language of Homer, what power or what caufe could fet them at variance.

The subject of their difpute was of great importance. The earl of Sunderland proposed an act called the Peerage Bill, by which the number of peers should be fixed, and the king restrained from any new creation of nobility, unless when an old family fhould be extinct. To this the lords would naturally agree; and the king, who was yet little acquainted with his own prerogative, and, as is now well known, almost indifferent to the poffeffions of the Crown, had been perfuaded to confent. The only difficulty was found among the commons, who were not likely to approve the perpetual exclufion of themselves

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and their posterity. The bill therefore was eagerly opposed, and among others by Sir Robert Walpole, whose speech was published.

The lords might think their dignity diminished by improper advancements, and particularly by the introduction of twelve new peers at once, to produce a majority of Tories in the laft reign; an act of authority violent enough, yet certainly legal, and by no means to be compared with that contempt of national right, with which fome time afterwards, by the inftigation of Whiggism, the commons, chofen by the people for three years, chofe themselves for feven. But, whatever might be the difpofition of the lords, the people had no wish to increase their power. The tendency of the bill, as Steele obferved in a letter to the earl of Oxford, was to introduce an Ariftocracy; for a majority in the house of lords, fo limited, would have been defpotick and irresistible.

Το prevent this fubverfion of the ancient establishment, Steele, whofe pen readily feconded his political paffions, endeavoured to alarm the nation by a pamphlet called The Plebeian;

Plebeian; to this an answer was published by Addison, under the title of The Old Whig, in which it is not discovered that Steele was then known to be the advocate for the commons. Steele replied by a fecond Plebeian; and, whether by ignorance or by courtesy, confined himself to his question, without any perfonal notice of his opponent. Nothing hitherto was committed against the laws of friendship, or proprieties of decency; but controvertists cannot long retain their kindnefs for each other. The Old Whig answered the Plebeian, and could not forbear fome contempt of 'little Dicky, whofe trade it was to write pamphlets.' Dicky however did not lose his settled veneration for his friend; but contented himself with quoting fome lines of Cato, which were at once detection and reproof. The bill was laid afide during that feffion, and Addison died before the next, in which its commitment was rejected by two hundred fixty-five to one hundred Leventy-feven.

Every reader furely muft regret that these two illuftrious friends, after fo many years past in confidence and endearment, in unity

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of intereft, conformity of opinion, and fellowship of study, should finally part in acrimonious oppofition. Such a controversy was Bellum plufquam civile, as Lucan expreffes it. Why could not faction find other advocates? But, among the uncertainties of the human ftate, we are doomed to number the inftability of friendship.

Of this difpute I have little knowledge but from the Biographia Britannica. The Old Whig is not inferted in Addifon's works, nor is it mentioned by Tickell in his Life; why it was omitted the biographers doubtless give the true reafon; the fact was too recent, and those who had been heated in the contention were not yet cool.

The neceffity of complying with times, and of fparing perfons, is the great impediment of biography. Hiftory may be formed from permanent monuments and records; but Lives can only be written from perfonal knowledge, which is growing every day less, and in a short time is loft for ever. What is known can feldom be immediately told; and when it might be told, it is no longer known.

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The delicate features of the mind, the nice difcriminations of character, and the minute peculiarities of conduct, are foon obliterated; and it is furely better that caprice, obftinacy, frolick, and folly, however they might delight in the description, should be filently forgotten, than that, by wanton merriment and unfeasonable detection, a pang should be given to a widow, a daughter, a brother, or a friend. As the process of these narratives is now bringing me among my contemporaries, I begin to feel myself walking upon ashes under which the fire is not extinguished, and coming to the time of which it will be proper rather to fay nothing that is falfe, than all that is

true.

The end of this ufeful life was now approaching.-Addison had for fome time been oppreffed by shortness of breath, which was now aggravated by a dropfy; and, finding his danger preffing, he prepared to die conformably to his own precepts and profeffions.

During this lingering decay, he fent, as Pope relates*, a meffage by the earl of War

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