ago, a dispute between him and Sir Richard Temple on the word Believe: Sir Richard affirmed like a hardy knight, that the last syllable should be spelt with a double e, your kinsman was for ie. The strongest argument on either side was a wager of a hun dred pounds. The most able orthographers in Holland were consulted on the difficulty, who all gave sentence against the chevalier. From Holland he appealed to the best critics in England, that confirmed the verdict given on this side the water. In short Believe maintained an I in it in spite of all attacks made upon it, and your nephew won a hundred pounds in its defence.

I have lately received my book of Travels from Mr. Fisher.' It has taken a larger tour than its author since it went out of your hands, and made a greater voyage than that which it describes. But after having passed through Switzerland, Germany, Holland, and made a trip into England, it is at last sent me to the Hague. I thank you heartily for the trouble it has given you, and am, &c.

To Mr. Wood at Geneva, 7. 1703.

XXXVI. TO MR. WYCHE.

DEAR SIR-Mr. Downing letting me know that he intended to pass speedily through Hamburg, I could not forbear telling him. how much I envied him the good company he was like to meet there. This naturally brought to mind the many obligations I have to Mr. Wyche, which I would have expressed to you before now in another way, had not my thoughts been taken up since my coming into this country, with more disagreeable subjects. At my first arrival I received the melancholy news of my father's death, and ever since, have been engaged in so much noise and

'This would seem to establish the fact that the Travels were not written at home from memoranda.-G

company, that it was impossible for me to think of rhyming in it, unless I had been possessed with such a muse as Dr. Blackmore's, that could make a couple of heroic poems in a hackney. coach and a coffee-house. I have been for some time at Amsterdam, where I have had great opportunities of informing myself in the price of nutmegs and pepper, for since the coming in of the East India fleet our conversation here runs altogether on spice.

I nunc et versus tecum meditare canoros!

To Mr. Wyche her Majesty's

resident at Hamburg, 7br. 1703.

I am &c.

XXXVII. TO Ꮇ Ꭱ . LEWIS.

[Supposed to be Erasmus Lewis, afterwards secretary to Lord Dartmouth. Addison was now in public life, under secretary of state to Sir Charles Hedges, and when this letter was written, member of an important mission of Lord Halifax to the court of Hanover. The following extract from Miss Aikin will serve as an introduction to this, as well as the letters to Mr. Stepney which follow.-G.]

'Apparently the duties of the under secretary were not very onerous, or could at least be executed for a time by a substitute, for it was during his tenure of this post that Addison was able to perform a duty of a very different nature, which appeared likely to open to him another road to future favor and preferment. In consequence of the decided predominance of the Whig interest, which, since the new elections of 1705, had been supported even in the House of Commons by considerable majorities, the Tory leaders had been compelled to quit office to their rivals. Lord Halifax, who had distinguished himself much in the debates of the peers, first on the Occasional Conformity Bill, and afterwards on the articles of the Union with Scotland, was again high in favor at court. The queen had restored him to his seat at the council board, and on the passing of the bill for the naturalization of the electress Sophia and her descendants, and for the better securing of the succession in the Protestant line, his lordship was made choice of as the fittest person to carry that act, together with the order of the garter, to the electoral prince at Hanover. On this brilliant mission he invited Addison to accompany him; Vanbrugh, lately appointed Clarencieux king at arms, went also, by whom the ceremony of the

prince's investiture with the most noble order was to be performed." The little court of Hanover put forth, as might be expected, all its splendors on this joyful occasion; and the earl and his suite were entertained with every possible demonstration of welcome and mark of honor. During their stay, the nuptials of the electoral princess with the prince royal of Prussia were celebrated; and on their departure the prince accompanied Lord Halifax to the camp of the confederates, whence his Lordship proceeded to the Hague, where he laid the foundations of a strict alliance between Great Britain and the United Provinces, for the better securing of the succession of the Hanover family to the British crown. At the city of Amsterdam also, he was received with distinction by the magistrates, and with general applause by the citizens of every class.

"The time and circumstances of the return of this embassy have been accidentally preserved in a letter to Stepney from Mr. Tilson, dated from the Hague in August 1707.

"My Lord Halifax I hear is got safe into England, but he was obliged to go with Mr. Addison to the Texel, and take his passage on board the convoy for our East India ships.'

"It is not greatly to the credit of the 'Mæcænas of the nation,' that Addison, in the memorial to King George I. already quoted, should have found occasion to say; 'That my Lord Halifax upon going to Hanover desired him to accompany him thither, at which time, though he had not the title of his secretary, he officiated as such, without any other reward than the satisfaction of showing his zeal for that illustrious family?'

"A series of letters, partly official, partly private, addressed to his friend Stepney by Addison during the time that he held the office of under secretary of state, are here inserted, not only as specimens of the business style of the writer, but as interesting in themselves, since, while they afford various indications of his sagacity and good sense, they are not destitute of some few touches of his characteristic humor. One of prior date to Mr. Lewis, perhaps Erasmus Lewis, afterwards secretary to Lord Dartmouth, precedes them."

July 26th, 1706.

SIR-I thank you for yours of the 2d, which I received at the Duke of Marlborough's camp. Mr. Cardonnel will give you

a better account of all transactions here than I can do. The

There can be no doubt that Vanbrugh went; but that he was not included in Lord Halifax's suite appears from a line of his Lordship to Robethon the Hanoverian minister: "Monsieur Nariseau and Mr. Addison, two gentlemen of learning and business, give me their company, and I bring no more servants or liveries than I have at home. I am &c. "HALIFAX."

From original papers, &c., published by J. Macpherson. London, 1775. See The Poetical Works of Charles, Lord Halifax, with his Life, Svo. Lond. 1716: pp. 141, et seq.

Duke of Marlborough received a letter from Prince Eugene, on Saturday last, that confirms his passing the Adige, and gives great hopes of further successes. He tells his Grace, that the Duke of Orleans was arrived in those parts to command the French army; if he had resolution enough to enter on such a post, when his army was in such a situation. The Duke of Vendome, they say this morning, is got among the French troops, on this side. A trumpet from the enemy says, that three lieutenant-generals are broken for misbehavior at Ramillies Their names are Counts Guiscard, d'Artagnan, and Monsieur d'Etain. All agree here, that the last battle was gained purely by the conduct of our general. I am, sir, &c. J. ADDISON."

XXXVIII. то MR. STEPNEY.

Whitehall, September 3, 1706.

SIR-I beg leave to congratulate you upon your removal to a province that requires all those great abilities for which you are so deservedly celebrated, and at the same time to renew to you my assurances of an eternal gratitude and esteem. Though I have forbore troubling you with professions of this nature, I have often had an opportunity of mentioning my obligations to you, and the great respect I shall always have for so extraordinary a character; as well in other countries as in England. I shall take the liberty to trouble you with the news of the town and office, since I am better settled in my correspondences than I was formerly, and may now look upon you to be in our neighborhood. The union at present takes up all public discourse, and it is thought will certainly be concluded at last, notwithstanding the late popular commotions. Our Barbadoes fleet is arrived under convoy of two men-of-war, and I hear Sir Bevil Granville died

"From original papers, &c., arranged and published by James Macpher son, Esq., London, 1775. Quarto, Vol. 2, p. 58. Literatim.

on board one of them on his return from his government. We have just now received a Lisbon mail, and as I am very much straitened in time, I send you an extract of a letter I received thence. I am with great respect, sir, your most obedient and humble servant, J. ADDISON.

I am desired by one Mr. Johnson an English bookseller at the Hague, to recommend him to your custom. He is a very understanding man, and the Lord Halifax's and Somerset's agent for books.

XXXIX. то MR.

STEPNEY.

Cock-Pit, November 8th, 1706.

SIR-We hear that on the fast-day appointed in Scotland to beg a blessing on the proceedings in parliament relating to a union, that several of the clergy took occasion to show their aversion to it. Mr. Loggan, an eminent divine in Edinburgh, had for his text the 11th verse of the 3d of the Revelations, "Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Another, they say, desired the Lord in his prayer, that as he had formerly made their nation one of the heads of Europe, he would not now make it one of the tails. But as it is natural for a turbulent, discontented party to make more noise than those who are pleased with the ordinary course of affairs, though they are much the fewer in number, so they tell us that not only in the parliament, but throughout the kingdom, the majority is for the union.

I have seen a printed memorial, as it is called, that has been presented to the Duke of Burgundy, and by him, as I am certainly informed, laid before the king of France. It proposes for the recruiting the army, and raising money in the present exigencies, that all the superfluous lacqueys be immediately pressed for the