a young
Neapolitan Nobleman, has ever been made public.

If he had found time for the writing of another tragedy, the Death of
SOCRATES would have been the story. And, however unpromising that subject
may appear; it would be presumptuous to censure his choice, who was so
famous for raising the noblest plants from the most barren soil. It
serves to shew that he thought the whole labour of such a Performance
unworthy to be thrown away upon those Intrigues and Adventures, to which
the romantic taste has confined Modern Tragedy: and, after the example of
his predecessors in Greece, would have employed the Drama _to wear out of
our minds everything that is mean or little, to cherish and cultivate
that Humanity which is the ornament of our nature, to soften Insolence,
to soothe Affliction, and to subdue our minds to the dispensations of
Providence_. (_Spectator_, No. 39.)

Upon the death of the late Queen, the Lords Justices, in whom the
Administration was lodged, appointed him their Secretary.

Soon after His Majesty's arrival in Great Britain, the Earl of
SUNDERLAND, being constituted Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; Mr. ADDISON
became, a second time, Secretary for the Affairs of that Kingdom: and was
made one of the Lords Commissioners of Trade, a little after his Lordship
resigned the post of Lord Lieutenant.

The Paper called the _Freeholder_, was undertaken at the time when the
Rebellion broke out in Scotland.

The only Works he left behind for the Public, are the _Dialogues upon
medals_, and the Treatise upon the _Christian Religion_. Some account has
been already given of the former: to which nothing is now to be added,
except that a great part of the Latin quotations were rendered into
English in a very hasty manner by the Editor and one of his friends who
had the good nature to assist him, during his avocations of business. It
was thought better to add these translations, such as they are; than to
let the Work come out unintelligible to those who do not possess the
learned languages.

The Scheme for the Treatise upon the _Christian Religion_ was formed by
the Author, about the end of the late Queen's reign; at which time, he
carefully perused the ancient Writings, which furnish the materials for
it. His continual employment in business prevented him from executing it,
until he resigned his office of Secretary of State; and his death put a
period to it, when he had imperfectly performed only one half of the
design