e Expectation they had raised, of pursuing
their Labour in the same Spirit and Strength with which it was begun.

It would have been impossible for Mr. ADDISON (who made little or no use
of letters sent in, by the numerous correspondents of the _Spectator_) to
have executed his large share of his task in so exquisite a manner; if he
had not engrafted into it many Pieces that had lain by him, in little
hints and minutes, which he from time to time collected and ranged in
order, and moulded into the form in which they now appear. Such are the
Essays upon _Wit_, the _Pleasures of the Imagination_, the _Critique upon
MILTON_, and some others: which I thought to have connected in a continued
Series in this Edition, though they were at first published with the
interruption of writings on different subjects. But as such a scheme
would have obliged me to cut off several graceful introductions and
circumstances peculiarly adapted to the time and occasion of printing
then; I durst not pursue that attempt.

The Tragedy of CATO appeared in public in the year 1713; when the
greatest part of the last _Act_ was added by the Author, to the foregoing
which he had kept by him for many years. He took up a design of writing a
play upon this subject, when he was very young at the University; and
even attempted something in it there, though not a line as it now stands.
The work was performed by him in his travels, and retouched in England,
without any formed resolution of bringing it upon the Stage, until his
friends of the first Quality and Distinction prevailed on him, to put the
last finishing to it, at a time when they thought the Doctrine of Liberty
very seasonable.

It is in everybody's memory, with what applause it was received by the
Public; that the first run of it lasted for a month, and then stopped
only because one of the performers became incapable of acting a principal
part.

The Author received a message that the Queen would be pleased to have it
dedicated to her: but as he had designed that compliment elsewhere, he
found himself obliged, by his duty on the one side, and his honour on the
other, to send it into the World without any _Dedication_.

The fame of this tragedy soon spread through Europe; and it has not only
been translated, but acted in most of the languages of Christendom. The
Translation of it into Italian by Signor SALVINI is very well known: but
I have not been able to learn, whether that of Signor VALETTA,