Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Companion to the play-house, or, An historical account of all the dramatic writers (and their works) that have appeared in Great Britain and Ireland, from the commencement of our theatrical exhibitions, down to the present year 1764 > Volume 2

A D
at Blenheim, exciting a Defne in
the Earl m Godoipbin, tlieia Lord
High Trcafurer, to have it cele-
brated in Verfe, Lord Hallifax, to
whom that Nobleman had com-
municated this his Wifh, rccom-
rtendcd Mr. Addcjon to him, as
the only Perlbn who was likely to
execute fuch a Taflc in a Manner
adequate to theSubje£t; in which
he fuccecded ib hapj.-iiy, that
when the Poem he waore, vix.,
the Campaign, was finiHied no
farther than to the celebrated
Simile of the Angel, the Lord
High Trcafurer was ib delighted
with it, that he immediatelypre-
fented the Author with the Place
of one of the Commiffioners of
Appeals in the Excife, in the
Room of Mr. Locke, who had
been juft promoted to the Board
of Trade.
In the Year 170 5, he attended
Lord Hallifax to Hancver, and in
the fucceeding Year was appoint-
ed Under Secretary to Sir Charles
Hedges, then Secretary of State j
nor did he lofe this Poft on the
Removal of Sir Charles, the Earl
of Sunder and, who fucceeded to
that Gentleman, willingly con-
tinuing Mr. Addijon as his Unaer-
Secretary.
In 1709, Lord Wharton being
appointed Lord Lieutenant oi Ire-
land, nominated our Author Se-
cretary for tliat Kingdom, the
Queen at the fame Time beftow-
ing on him alfo the Poll of
Keeper of the Records in Irt-
lu'id, — But wlien, in the latter
End of her Majefty's Reign the
Miiiiftry was again changed, and
Mr. Addipn expefted no farther
Employment, he gladiy fuhmitted
to a Retirement, in which he had
formed a Defign^ which it is much
to be regretted that he never had
in his Power to put in Execu-
tion, W^. the compiling a Die-
A D
tionary to fix the Standard of the
Eriglijh Language upon the fame
Kind of Plan with the famous
Dittionario della Crufca of the Ita-
liar.s. — A Work in no Language
lo much wanted as in our own,
and which from lb mafterly, fo
el;gant and fo correal a Pen as
this Gentleman's, could not have
faiPd being executed to thegieat-
cft Degree of Perfection. — We
have however the lefs Reafon to
lament this Lofs, as the fame
D llgn has fince been carried on,
and brought to a Maturity that
rerlcds the higheft Honour on
our Country in general, and it's
Author in particular ; — nor after
this Charader can I, I think,
have need to enter into a farther
Explanation, or even hint, that
I mean Mv. Samuel Johnfonf, Dic-
tionary of the Engli/h Language,
What prevented Mr. Addifon's
purfuJng this Defign, was his be«
ing again called out into public
Bufinefs j for on the Death of the
Queen, he was appointed Secre-
tary to the Lords Jufticcs j then
again, in 171 1, Secretary for
Ireknd, and on Lord Sunderlajid'' %
Refignatioa of the Lord Lieute-
nancy, he V, as made one of the
Lords Commiffioners of Trade.
In 1716, he married the
Countcfs of 14^ar^ULid, aad in the
enfuing Year was railed to the
high Dignity of cce of her Ma-
jefiy's principal Secretaries of
State.— The Fatigues of this im-
portant Poft being too much for
Mr. Addifons. Confdtution, w-hicli
was naturally not an extraordinary
one, he was very foon obliged
to refign it, intending for the Re-
mainder of his Life to purfue the
CjcnpLvion of iome literary De-»
fi^ns which he bad planned out:
but this he had no long Time al-
lowed him for the doing, an
Afthma, attended with a Dropfy,
[ A 2 ] carrying.