King, who was yet little acquainted with his own prerogative, and, as is now well known, almost indifferent to the possession of the crown, had been persuaded to consent. The only difficulty was found among the commons, who were not likely to approve the perpetual exclusion of themselves 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 last 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 sometime afterwards, by the instigation of Whigism, the commons, chosen by the people for three years, chose themselves for seven. But whatever inight be the disposition of the lords, the people had no wish to increase their power. The tendency of the bill, as STEELE observed in a letter to the Earl of OXFORD, was to introduce an aristocracy, for a majority in the House of Lords, so limited, would have been despotic and irresistible. To prevent this subversion of the ancient establishment, STEELE, whose pen readily seconded his political passions, endeavoured to alarm the nation by a pamphlet, called THE 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 second PLEBEIAN, and, whether by ignorance or by courtesy, confined himself to his question, without any personal notice of his opponent. Nothing hitherto was committed against the laws of friendship, or proprieties of decency; but controvertists cannot long retain their kindness for each other. The OLD WHIG answered the PLEBEIAN, and could not forbear some contempt of "Little Dicky, whose trade it was to write pamphlets." Dicky, however, did not lose his settled veneration for his friends; but contented himself with quoting some lines of Cato, which were at once detection and reproof. The bill was laid aside during that session; and ADDISON died before the next, in which its commitment was rejected by two hundred sixty-five to one hundred seventy-seven. Every reader surely must regret that these two illustrious friends, after so many years past in confidence and endearment, in unity of interest, conformity of opinion, and fellowship of study, should finally part in acrimonious opposition. Such a controversy was Bellum plusquam civile, as Lucan expresses it. Why could not faction find other advocates? But, among the uncertainties of the human state, we are doomed to number the instability of friendship."

We cannot doubt that this unhappy contest aggravated the regret which STEELE felt for ADDISON's death, and it is certain that he afterwards resented nothing so warmly as the supposi, tion that he had lost any part of that reverence and affection with which he always contemplated

:

the genius and virtues of his illustrious friend. Of this we have at least one decided proof in his "Address to Mr. Congreve" prefixed to ADDISON'S Comedy of the Drummer.

After this we find another attempt of the patriotic kind by STEELE, entitled THE SPINSTER, in defence of the woollen manufactures, of which one number only was published. But he admitted no permanent relaxation from writing Essays; and on Saturday, Jan. 2, 1719-20, commenced THE THEATRE, by Sir John Edgar, which was continued every Tuesday and Saturday, price two-pence. Of this paper Bishop RUNDLE says, with truth, that it is written in the spirit of the Oid TATLERS," and adds, that the demand for them was so great, that even STEELE'S fiercest enemies bought them up, and enjoyed the Author, while they persecuted the man. The affairs of the theatre are the principal subjects of this paper, as may be conjectured from its title. It is curious also as including a considerable portion of his private history. But notwithstanding the avidity with which it was bought up, it was concluded April 5, 1720, when it had reached the twenty eighth number. With these, Mr. NICHOLS has republished as a foil THE ANTI-THEATRE by Sir John Falstaffe, in fifteen numbers *. And here at length ended STEELE'S labours as an ESSAYIST.

Towards the conclusion of the TATLER, ADDISON published five numbers of a paper called

* In two vols. cr. octavo, 1791, comprising many scarce pieces written by, or concerning,. STEELE, and illustrated by valuable

Rotes.

The WHIG-EXAMINER," in which," says the great critic so often quoted "is employed all the force of gay malevolence and humorous satire." "Every reader," he adds, " of every party, since personal malice is past, and the papers which once inflamed the nation are read only as effusions of wit, must wish for more WHIGEXAMINERS; for on no occasion was the genius of Addison more vigorously exerted, and on none did the superiority of his powers more evidently appear."

The FREEHOLDER, by the same writer, and undertaken in defence of the established govern. ment at a very critical period, appeared first on Dec. 23, 1715, and was continued every Friday and Monday, until the rising of parliament, when the last paper, No. 55, was published, June 29, 1716. The author endeavours to guard against a common trick in that age, by the following conclusion, "If any writer shall do this paper so much honour, as to inscribe the title of it to others, which may be published upon the laying down of this work; the whole praise or dispraise of such a performance, will belong to some other author: this fifty-fifth being the last paper that will come from the hand of the FREEHOLDER."

In the FREEHOLDER, as the ground the author took was strong, though disputed, we have much display of powerful argument, as well as humour. The Tory Fox-hunter has always been admired, but some will probably join with Dr. JOHNSON in censuring that part of the Pretender's Jour nal, in which one topic of ridicule is his poverty,

while others, on consulting the passage and considering it in connection with what precedes and follows, will discover only a very harmless piece of pleasantry *.-STEELE'S opinion of the FREEHOLDER strongly marks the difference between the political cast of himself and ADDISON. He thought the humour of the FREEHOLDER too nice and gentle for such noisy times; and is reported to have said that the ministry made use of a lute, when they should have called for a trumpet +.

The most considerable of the periodical papers that were contemporary with those of ADDISON and STEELE, is the EXAMINER, which appears to have been of great political consequence, although to use the expression of one of its authors, it is now "down among the dead men." This paper was begun, conducted and supported by the ministry of the four last years of Queen ANNE. The first number is dated August 3, 1710, and the last, or what is supposed by the Annotator, to whom I am indebted for the history of this paper, to be the last, is dated July 26, 1714. The authors were SwIFT, who wrote thirty-three papers, republished in his works, Mr. Secretary ST. JOHN, Dr. ATTERBURY, Mr, PRIOR, Dr, FREIND, Mrs. MANLEY, Dr. WIL

"Anno regni quarto-he ordered the Lord High Treasurer to pay off the debts of the crown, which had been contracted since his accession to the throne: particularly a milk-score of three years standing." FREEHOLDER, No. 36.

+ JOHNSON's Life of ADDISON.

TATLER, Cr, Oct, 1786, vol. 5, p. 307, et seqq. and vol. 6, p. 106, et seqq.