Page:The English humourists of the eighteenth century. A series of lectures, delivered in England, Scotland, and the United States of America (IA englishhumourist00thacrich).pdf/107

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and Tory chiefs, popular ovations, complimentary garlands from literary men, translations in all languages, delight and homage from all—save from John Dennis in a minority of one—Mr. Addison was called the "great Mr. Addison" after this. The Coffee-house Senate saluted him Divus: it was heresy to question that decree.

Meanwhile he was writing political papers and

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side of the theatre were echoed back by the Tories on the other; while the author sweated behind the scenes with concern to find their applause proceeding more from the hands than the head. . . . . . I believe you have heard that, after all the applauses of the opposite faction, my Lord Bolingbroke sent for Booth, who played Cato, into the box, and presented him with fifty guineas in acknowledgment (as he expressed it) for defending the cause of liberty so well against a perpetual dictator."—Pope's Letter to Sir W. Trumbull.

⁠Cato ran for thirty-five nights without interruption. Pope wrote the Prologue, and Garth the Epilogue.
⁠It is worth noticing how many things in Cato keep their ground as habitual quotations, e.g.:—
⁠". . . . big with the fate
Of Cato and of Rome."


"Tis not in mortals to command success,
But we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it."


"Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury."


"I think the Romans call it Stoicism."


"My voice is still for war."


"When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway,
The post of honour is a private station,"



Not to mention—

"The woman who deliberates is lost."



And the eternal—

"Plato, thou reasonest well,"



which avenges, perhaps, on the public their neglect of the play!