orders; his arguments were founded on the general pravity and
corruption of men of business, who wanted liberal education; and I
remember, as if I had read the letter yesterday, that my lord ended with
a compliment, that however he might be represented as no friend to the
church, he would never do it any other injury than by keeping
Mr. Addison out of it.'

Mr. Addison having discovered an inclination to travel, the
abovementioned patron, out of zeal, as well to his country, as our
author, procured him from the crown an annual pension of 300 l. which
enabled him to make a tour to Italy the latter end of 1699. His Latin
poems dedicated to Mr. Montague, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, were
printed before his departure, in the Musaae Anglicanae, and were as much
esteemed in foreign countries, as at home, particularly by that
noble wit of France, Boileau. It is from Mr. Tickell we learn this
circumstance in relation to Boileau, and we shall present it to the
reader in his own words; 'his country owes it to Mr. Addison, that the
famous Monsieur Boileau first conceived an opinion of the English
genius for poetry, by perusing the present he made him of the Musae
Anglicanae. It has been currently reported, that this famous French
poet, among the civilities he shewed Mr. Addison on that occasion,
affirmed, that he would not have written against Perrault, had he
before seen such excellent pieces by a modern hand. The compliment
he meant, was, that these books had given him a very new idea of the
English politeness, and that he did not question, but there were
excellent compositions in the native language of a country, which
possessed the Roman genius in so eminent a degree.'

In 1701 Mr. Addison wrote an epistolary poem from Italy to lord
Hallifax, which is much admired as a finished piece in its kind, and
indeed some have pronounced it the best of Mr. Addison's performances.
It was translated by the Abbot Antonio Mario Salvini, Greek Professor
at Florence into Italian verse, which translation is printed with the
original in Mr. Tickell's 4to. edition of Mr. Addison's works. This poem
is in the highest esteem in Italy, because there are in it the best
turned compliments on that country, that, perhaps, are to be found
any where: and the Italians, on account of their familiarity with
the objects it describes, must have a higher relish of it. This poem
likewise shews his gratitude to lord Hallifax, who had been that year
impeach