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ENGLISH HUMOURISTS.
Addison's men abused Mr. Pope, I don't think Addison took his pipe out of his mouth to contradict them.[1]
Addison's father was a clergyman of good repute in Wiltshire, and rose in the church.[2] His famous son never lost his clerical training and scholastic gravity, and was called "a parson in a tye-wig"[3] in London afterwards at a time when tye-wigs were only worn by the laity, and the fathers of theology did not think it
- ↑ "Addison was very kind to me at first, but my bitter enemy afterwards."—Pope (Spence's Anecdotes)."'Leave him as soon as you can,' said Addison to me, speaking of Pope; 'he will certainly play you some devilish trick else: he has an appetite to satire.'"—Lady Wortley Montagu (Spence's Anecdotes).
- ↑ Lancelot Addison, his father, was the son of another Lancelot Addison, a clergyman in Westmoreland. He became Dean of Lichfield and Archdeacon of Coventry.
- ↑ "The remark of Mandeville, who, when he had passed an evening in his company, declared that he was 'a parson in a tye-wig,' can detract little from his character. He was always reserved to strangers and was not incited to uncommon freedom by a character like that of Mandeville."—Johnson (Lives of the Poets.)"Old Jacob Tonson did not like Mr. Addison: he had a quarrel with him, and, after his quitting the secretaryship, used frequently to say of him—'One day or other you'll see that man a bishop—I'm sure he looks that way; and indeed I ever thought him a priest in his heart.'"—Pope (Spence's Anecdotes)."Mr. Addison staid above a year at Blois. He would rise as early as between two and three in the height of summer, and lie a bed till between eleven aud twelve in the depth of winter. He was untalkative whilst here, and often thonghtful; sometimes so lost in thought, that I have come into his room and staid five minutes there before he has known anything of it. He had his masters generally at supper with him; kept very little company beside; and had no amour whilst too, that I know of; and I think I should have known it, if he had had any."—Abbé Philippeaux of Blois (Spence's Anecdotes).
