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In four lines he has thus handled a topic, the niceft that could be, and in four more makes a tranfition to his fubject, naturally and without precipitation.

Returning from Italy he published an account of his travels, which he dedicated to his first patron, Lord Somers. In his dedication he takes an opportunity of paying his Lordship one of the best turned and moft polite compliments that ever entered a dedication, embellished with the greatest beauty of ftile. "I had, fays he, a very early ambition to recommend myself to your lordship's patronage, which yet increased in me, as I travelled through the countries, of which I here give your Lordfhip fome account: for whatever great impreffions an Englishman must have of your Lordship, they who have been converfant abroad, will find them still improved. It cannot but be obvious to them, that though they see your Lordship's admirers every where, they meet with very few of your well-wishers at Paris, or at Rome. And I could not but obferve, when I paffed through most of the proteftant governments in Europe, that their hopes or fears for the common cause rofe or fell with your Lordskip's interest and authority in England." In his preface to this work, after having mentioned the peculiar excellencies of the feveral authors who had wrote an account of their travels through Italy, he gives his reader plainly to understand what he was to expect in the enfuing pages : "For my own part, fays he, as I have taken notice of feveral places and antiquities, that nobody elfe has fpoken of, fo I think I have mentioned but few things in common with others, that are not either fet in a new light, or accompanied with different reflections. I have taken care particularly, to confider the feveral paffages of the ancient poets, which have any relation to the places and curiofities which I met with; for before I entered upon my voyage I took care to refresh my memory among the claffick authors, and to make fuch collections out of them, as I might afterwards have occafion for. I must confefs it was not one of the leaft entertainments that I met with in travelling, to examine these several descriptions as it were upon the spot, and to compare the natural face of the country with the landskips the poets had given us of it." Notwithstanding this introduction, this piece was not at first understood,

and fucceeded very indifferently for fome time, 'till by degrees, as the curious entered deeper and deeper into the book, their judgment of it changed, and the demand for it became fo great, that the price rofe to five times its original value, before there was a fecond edition printed. It has ever fince, maintained its reputation, moft of the virtuofi who have travelled through Italy fince having given it the highest commendations. It has been tranflated into French, and ufually makes the 4th volume of Miffon's travels in that language. The two great points laboured in these travels. are, the recommending the claffic writers, and promoting the doctrine of liberty. These points had been before pursued in the epiftle to Lord Hallifax; and therefore, as Mr. Tickell has juftly observed, the poem may be confidered as the text, upon which the book of travels is a large comment.

He would have returned earlier than he did into England, had he not been thought of as a proper person to attend prince Eugene, who then commanded for the Emperor in Italy, which employment he would have been well pleased with; but the death of king William intervening, caufed a ceffation of his penfion, and of his hopes. He remained at home a very confiderable space of time,. (his friends being then out of the miniftry) before any occafion offered, either of his farther difplaying his great abilities, or of his meeting with any fuitable reward for the honour his works had done his country. He was indebted to an accident for both. In the year 1704 the Lord-treasurer Godolphin happened to complain to the Lord Hallifax that the Duke of Marlborough's victory at Blenheim had not been celebrated in verfe in the manner it deferved; intimating, that he would take it kind if his Lordship, who was the known patron of the poets, would name a gentleman capableof writing upon fo elevated a subject. Lord Hallifax replied with fome quickness, that he was well acquainted with fuch a person, but that he would not name him; adding, that he had long feen with indignation men of no merit maintained in pomp and luxury, at the expence of the publick, while perfons of too much modefty, with great abilities, languifhed in obfcurity. The Treasurer said very coolly, that he was forry his Lordship had occafion to make fuch an obfervation, and that for

the

the future he would take care to render it lefs just than it might be at prefent; but that in the mean time, he would pawn his honour, whoever his Lordship should name, might venture on this theme without fear of lofing his time Lord Hallifax thereupon named Mr. Addifon, but infifted that the Treasurer should send to him, which he promifed. Accordingly he prevailed upon Mr. Boyle, (afterwards Lord Carleton) then Chancellor of the exchequer, to go in his name to Mr. Addifon, and communicate to him the bufinefs, which he accordingly did in fo obliging a manner, that he readily entered upon the task. The Lord-treasurer Godolphin faw the poem before it was finished, when the author had written no farther than the famous fimile of the angel, and was fo well pleased with it, that he immediately proeured for him the place of a Commiffioner of Appeals, in the room of Mr. Locke, who was promoted to be one of the Lords Commiffioners for Trade. This poem, entitled The Campaign, was received with loud and general applause, and will be ever admired, as long as the victory it celebrates is remembered.

In 1705 Mr.Addison attended Lord Hallifax to Hanover, and in the fucceeding year he was made choice of for Under-feeretary to Sir Charles Hedges, then appointed Secretary of State. In the month of December in the fame year, the Earl of Sunderland fucceeding Sir Charles in that office, continued Mr. Addison in the poft of Under-fecretary.

Operas being at this time much in

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vogue, many people of diftinction and true tafte importuned Mr. Addison to make a trial, whether fenfe and found were really fo incompatible as some admirers of the Italian pieces would reprefent them. He was at last prevailed on, and compofed his inimitable ROSAMOND, which he infcribed to the dutchefs of Marlborough. What doubts foever have been raised about the merits of the mufic, which, as the Italian taste at that time began wholly to prevail, was thought fufficiently inexcufeable because it was the composition of an Englishman; this piece, though it did not fucceed on the stage, has given as much pleasure in the closet (where for its poetry it will be everlasting. ly admired) as others have afforded from the ftage, with all the affiftance of voices and inftruments. The many looked up. on it as not properly an opera, and the few joined with them in their opinion; for having confidered what a number of miferrable things had born that title, they were fcarce fatisfied that fo excellent a piece fhould appear by the fame. About this time Mr. Addison affifted the ingenious Sir Richard Steele, in his play called THE TENDER HUSBAND, to which our author wrote a humorous prologue. Richard, whofe gratitude was full as warm as his wit, furprised Mr. Addison very unexpectedly, with a very handsome dedication of this play to him; and it is a monument of praise, not unworthy of him to whofe honour it was erected.

Sir

[To be continued in our next. With which will be given an elegant bead of Mr.Addison.]

*****

COMPENDIOUS HISTORY OF FRANCE.

BOOK

I. Containing the Hiftory of the Kings known by the Name of the Merovingian Race.

rious names of Sicambri, Batavi, Caravi, Bructeri, Salians, and Ripuarians, ferocious, ignorant, and barbarous, governed by their several chiefs, and in war united under one HE origin of all nations is fovereign, who led them occafional

Tuncer. In the fifth cen- ly across the Rhine, and made in

tury the Franks were fettled in Germany, between the Elbe and the Rhine, then denominated Francia. They were divided into different tribes, comprehended under the va

curfions into Gaul, to fupply their neceffities with the spoils of that country.

Gaul was at that time poffeffed by the Romans, the Vifigoths, and

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the Burgundians. The firft occupied all the country between the Rhine, the Ocean, and the Loire. The Burgundians were mafters of the provinces between the Seine and the Rhone, of feveral towns on both fides of thofe rivers, of Lyons, Vienne, and Geneva. The reft of Gaul, extending from the Loire to the Alps and Pyrenees, was the portion of the Visigoths, who were likewife poffeffed of all the fhores of the Mediterranean.

Odoacer, king of the Heruli, had wrested Italy from the emperor Zeno, who reigned in Constantinople; but Odoacer was in the fequel driven from his conqueft by Theodore, king of the Oftrogoths.

Pharamond is generally confidered as the founder of the French monarchy, and he reigned under the empire of Honorius. But this -Pharamond, with his fucceffors Clodion, Merovæus, and Childeric, were never kings of the country now called France. They invaded it, indeed, from time to time; but always either retired with their plunder, or were compelled by the Romans to retreat with precipitation to their native morales on the other fide of the Rhine. We fhall therefore begin our hiftory of France with Clodovæus, Clovis, or Louis, an enterprising prince, who fucceeded his father Childeric at the age of fifteen, and employed the first years of his reign in making preparations for invading thofe neighbours, upon whom his ancestors had not been able to encroach with impunity. Having affembled a numerous army of his barbarians, he, in the fifth year of his government, and in the four hundredth and eighty-fixth of the Chriftian æra, when Anaftafius January 1761.

reigned at Conftantinople, paffed the Rhine in the neighbourhood of Cologne, which a prince of his family had already fubdued; and directing his march to the foreft of Ardennes, advanced to Soiffons, the refidence of Syagrius, general of the Roman armies in Gaul. The commander had received intelligence of his approach, and taken the field with his forces: a battle enfued; and, the Romans being intirely defeated, Syagrius fled for protection to Tholoufe, and threw himself into the arms of Alaric, king of the Vifigoths, who ruled in that part of the country. Clovis entered Soiffons in triumph, and fent ambaffadors to Alaric to demand the Roman general, or declare war against him, in cafe of a refufal. The king of the Vifigoths, though he deeply refented the infolence of the embafiy, was fo much intimidated by the fuccefs of Clovis, that he delivered up Syagrius, who, after having languithed for fome time in prifon, was privately beheaded: and with him expired the authority of the Romans in Gaul, which had fubfifted five hundred and thirty-feven years, after the conqueft of it had been compleated by Julius Cæfar.

All the towns, and the country, as far as the Loire, fubmitted to the conqueror, who used his victory with moderation; though it was not in his power to reftrain his ruffian foldiers from ravaging the open country, and pillaging the churches that were most exposed. Thefe outrages were the more excufable, as the Franks ftill adhered to the pagan fuperftition, and confidered this invafion as a religious war againft the Romans, who were by this time converted to the Chriftian

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faith. It must be owned, however, for the honour of Clovis, that he treated Remigius, bishop of Rheims, with great humanity, and even reftored fome filver veffels, of which the church had been plundered.

Several years fucceeding this event he employed in fettling his new empire, in establishing a regular form of government, and introducing the laws of his own country, which had been digefted into a code under the reign of Pharamond †.

The Romans being expelled from Gaul, and the other subjects reconciled to their new monarch, he for fome years cultivated a good underftanding with all his neighbours, till the fifth year of his conqueft; when Bazin, king of Thuringia, taking advantage of his abfence, with the beft troops of his nation, fuddenly invaded the territories of the Franks on the other fide of the Rhine, and ravaged the country with unheardof cruelty. He did not long enjoy the fruits of his fuccefs. Clovis repaffed the Rhine with a powerful army, and, entering the dominions of Bazin, made an intire conqueft of all Thuringia, though he permit

ted Bazin to reign as a tributary prince. At his return, he fent Aurelian, a nobleman of Gaul, who acted as his prime minifter, to demand in marriage the princess Clotilda, niece to Gondebaud, king of Burgundy, with whom he had for fome years cultivated an intimacy of friendship. Clovis was enamoured, by report, of Clotilda's beauty; but, in all probability, he was also influenced by ambition to contract this alliance. Clotilda was the daughter of Chilperic, whom her uncle had dethroned and deftroyed. Gondebaud, therefore, confcious of his own ufurpation, and dreading the profpect of a future war with Clovis, fhould he marry a princefs poffeffed of fo good a claim to great part of his territories, endeavoured, if poffible, to avert the match. He excufed himfelf from complying with his neighbour's requeft, on pretence that Clotilda, being a Chriftian, would never confent to join her fate with a Pagan. But the lady herfelf made no fuch objection; and Aurelian telling her uncle plainly, that he muft refolve immediately either to

+ This code was a compilation of the particular laws and cuftems in ufe among the Salians and the Ripuarians. The abstract of it, which still remains, is avritten in barbarous Latin, preferibing punishments for murder, theft, and many other crimes, to which those barbarous tribes were addicted: but it is chiefly remarkable for an expreffion in the fixty-fecond article, importing, That, in the Salique land, no portion of the inheritance defcends to the female; bat being acquired by the males, they only are capable of the fucceffion. Upon this expreffion the French have founded that exclufion, by which females are deemed incapable of fucceeding to their throne; though, in all probability, the Salique land, to which the article alludes, was no more than certain estates held by knight's fervice, allotted as part of the new conqueft to the Salian tribe, who accompanied Clovis in the expedition; and thefe, in contradiftinction to other eftates, termed allodial, which might be acquired by defcent, marriage, or purchase, without any exclufion of the female Sex: a distinction that plainly appears in the article of the fame collection, intited, de Alode.

part

part with his niece, or break off all friendly intercourfe with Clovis, Gondebaud furrendered his niece to the ambassador, with a confiderable fum of money as her portion; and they fet out together in a bafterne, or kind of waggon drawn by oxen. They had not proceeded far in this flow carriage, when the princefs gave Aurelian to understand, that if he intended they should reach the territories of Clovis, they must travel with more expedition; inasmuch as fhe had received advice, that a nobleman called Aredius was arrived at the court of her uncle, as ambaffador from Conftantinople; and that, knowing him to be an inveterate enemy to the houfe of Chilperic, fhe made no doubt that he would use all his endeavours to prevent her marriage.

Aurelian' immediately took the hint, and, fetting the princefs on horfeback, conveyed her with redoubled speed to Soiffons, where fhe arrived in fafety. Her prefaging apprehenfion was verified by the event. Aredius actually perfuaded Gondebaud to anticipate the marriage of his niece: a body of horse being immediately detached in pursuit of her, overtook the bafterne, which they carried back, with the greater part of the portion; while the princefs herself, by her beauty, and other amiable accomplishments, even exceeded the idea which Clovis had preconceived of her perfon. She made a public entry into Soiffons, with all the barbarous magnificence of thofe times, which likewife attended the enfuing celebration of her nuptials.

The Gauls were overjoyed at the elevation of this princefs, who not only poffeffed all the mild virtues re

quifite to foften and humanize the temper of her husband, but at the fame time professed the pure catholic faith, without the leaft taint of Arianifm, which had infected the Burgundians and Vifigoths. Their expectations were not difappointed. Their new queen employed all her understanding, which was well cultivated, and all the influence fhe derived from the paffion and esteem of her husband, in unwearied endeavours to make him a convert to the Chriftian faith. She had, by dint of argument, weaned him in a great measure from the abfurdities of the pagan fuperftition, and paved the way fo far to his converfion, that, when he brought forth his first fon Ingomer, he permitted her to baptize the child, and educate him in the Chriftian religion. The premature death of this prince, in his infancy, produced an unfavourable effect in the mind of the father, who could not help upbraiding her for attempting to reconcile him to the worship of a God, who had not faved the life of her first-born; but the acquitted herself so much to his fatisfaction on this fubject, that his refentment foon fubfided; and the being delivered of another fon, he was chriftened by the name of Clodomer.

In the fequel, being invaded by the Alemanni and Suevi, who inhabited the country between the Maine, the Rhine, and the Danube, he af fembled his troops, which were joined by Sigebert, king of Cologne, and advanced against the enemy to Tolbiac,

now Zulpeck, in thạ dutchy of Juliers, where a bloody battle enfued. Sigebert, being dif abled by a wound, which difheartened his army, and Clovis extreme

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