r sweated behind the scenes, with concern to find their applause
proceeding more from the hand than the head. This was the case too with
the Prologue writer, who was clapp'd into a staunch Whig at the end of
every two lines. 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, between one of the acts, and presented him with
fifty guineas, in acknowledgment as he expressed it, for defending the
cause of liberty so well against a perpetual dictator. The Whigs are
unwilling to be distanced this way, and therefore design a present to
the same Cato very speedily; in the mean time, they are getting ready
as good a sentence as the former on their side, so betwixt them it is
probable, that Cato (as Dr. Garth exprest it) may have something to live
upon after he dies.'

Immediately after the publication of this Tragedy, there came abroad a
pamphlet, entitled, Observations on Cato; written by the ingenious Dr.
Sewel: The design of this piece was to show that the applause this
Tragedy met with was founded on merit. It is a very accurate and
entertaining criticism, and tends to secure the poet the hearts of his
readers, as well as of his audience.

Our author was not however without enemies, amongst whom was Mr. Dennis,
who attacked it, first in a pamphlet, and then in a subsequent work, in
which he employed seven letters in pulling it to pieces: In some of his
remarks he is candid, and judicious enough, in others he is trifling and
ill natur'd, and I think it is pretty plain he was agitated by envy; for
as the intent of that play was to promote the Whig interest, of which
Mr. Dennis was a zealous abettor, he could not therefore disesteem it
from party principles.

Another gentleman, who called himself a scholar at Oxford, considered
the play in a very different light; and endeavoured to serve his party
by turning the cannon upon the enemy. The title of this pamphlet is, Mr.
Addison turned Tory: It is written with great spirit and vivacity. Cato
was speedily translated into French by Mr. Boyer, but with no spirit: It
was translated likewise into Italian.

Voltaire has commended, and condemned Mr. Addison by turns, and in
respect to Cato, he admires, and censures it extravagantly. The
principal character he allows superior to any before brought upon the
stage, but says, that all the love-scenes are absolutely insipid: He
might have added