Addison was, I believe, fufficiently dif posed to bar all avenues against all danger. When Pope brought him the prologue, which is properly accommodated to the play, there were these words, Britons, arise, be worth like this approved; meaning nothing more than, Britons, erect and exalt yourselves to the approbation of public virtue. Addison was frighted left he should be thought a promoter of infurrection, and the line was liquidated to Britons, attend,

Now, heavily in clouds came on the day, the great, the important day, when Addison was to ftand the hazard of the theatre. That, there might, however, be left as little to hazard as was poffible, on the first night Steele, as himself relates, undertook to pack an audience. This, fays Pope*, had been tried for the first time in favour of the Diftreft Mother; and was now, with more efficacy, practifed for Cato.

The danger was foon over, The whole nation was at that time on fire with faction,

* Spence,

The

The

He

The Whigs applauded every line in which Liberty was mentioned, as a fatire on the Tories; and the Tories echoed every clap, to fhew that the fatire was unfelt. story of Bolingbroke is well known. called Booth to his box, and gave him fifty guineas for defending the cause of Liberty fo well against a perpetual dictator. The Whigs, fays Pope, defign a fecond present, when they can accompany it with as good a fentence.

The play, fupported thus by the emula, tion of factious praife, was acted night after night for a longer time than, I believe, the publick had allowed to any drama before; and the author, as Mrs. Porter long afterwards related, wandered through the whole exhibition behind the fcenes with restless and unappeasable folicitude,

When it was printed, notice was given that the Queen would be pleased if it was dedicated to her; but as he had defigned that compliment elsewhere, he found himself obliged, fays Tickell, by his duty on the one hand, and

bis

his honour on the other, to fend it into the world without any dedication.

Human happiness has always its abatements; the brightest fun-fhine of fuccefs is not without a cloud. No fooner was Cato offered to the reader, than it was attacked by the acute malignity of Dennis, with all the violence of angry criticism. Dennis, though equally zealous, and probably by his temper more furious than Addison, for what they called liberty, and though a flatterer of the Whig ministry, could not fit quiet at a fuccessful play; but was eager to tell friends and enemies, that they had misplaced their admirations. The world was too ftubborn for inftruction; with the fate of the cenfurer of Corneille's Cid, his animadverfions fhewed his anger without effect, and Cato continued to be praised.

Pope had now an opportunity of courting the friendship of Addison, by vilifying his old enemy, and could give refentment its full play without appearing to revenge himfelf. He therefore published A Narrative of the madness of John Dennis; a performance

which left the objections to the play in their full force, and therefore difcovered more defire of vexing the critick than of defending the poet.

Addifon, who was no stranger to the world, probably faw the selfishness of Pope's friendfhip; and, refolving that he should have the confequences of his officioufnefs to himself, informed Dennis by Steele, that he was forry for the infult; and that whenever he fhould think fit to anfwer his remarks, he would do it in a manner to which nothing could be objected.

The greatest weakness of the play is in the fcenes of love, which are faid by Pope * to have been added to the original plan upon a fubsequent review, in compliance with the popular practice of the stage. Such an authority it is hard to reject; yet the love is fo intimately mingled with the whole action, that it cannot easily be thought extrinfick and adventitious; for if it were taken away, what would be left? or how were the four acts. filled in the first draught?

* Spence.

At

At the publication the Wits feemed proud to pay their attendance with encomiaftick verfes. The best are from an unknown hand, which will perhaps lofe fomewhat of their praise when the author is known to be Jeffreys.

Cato had yet other honours. It was cenfured as a party-play by a Scholar of Oxford, and defended in a favourable examination by Dr. Sewel. It was tranflated by Salvini into Italian, and acted at Florence; and by the Jefuits of St. Omer's into Latin, and played by their pupils. Of this version a copy was fent to Mr. Addifon : it is to be wifhed that it could be found, for the fake of comparing their verfion of the foliloquy with that of Bland.

A tragedy was written on the fame fubject by Des Champs, a French poet, which was tranflated, with a criticism on the English play. But the tranflator and the critick are now forgotten.

Dennis lived on unanfwered, and therefore little read: Addison knew the policy of literature