succeeding the Queen's death, my place will be quite starved by my Lo Lts absence from the Government."

But apart from this injustice, Addison, not being an absolutely perfect man, found his better nature at times at variance with his besetting weakness. His temperament was so conscientious and scrupulous that he found himself utterly unable to increase his wealth by taking an unfair advantage of his political position, whilst, on the other hand, not only did he exact every farthing he was legitimately entitled to, but the sight of other men, with fewer scruples, passing him in the race for wealth, produced a querulousness which found expression in many of his letters. As regards his conscientiousness and his opinion of the way a public official should behave, we get a very clear idea in one of the numbers of the Spectator. Writing on the subject of the corrupt official, he says: "Such an one is the man who, upon any pretence whatsoever, receives more than what is the stated and unquestioned fee of his office. Gratifications, tokens of thankfulness, despatch money, and the like specious terms, are the pretences under which corruption very frequently shelters itself. An honest man will, however, look on all these methods as unjustifiable, and will enjoy himself better on a moderate fortune. that is gained with honour and reputation, than on an overgrown estate that is cankered with the acquisitions of rapine and exaction. Were all our offices discharged with such an inflexible integrity, we should not see men in all ages, who grow up to exorbitant wealth, with the abilities which are to be met with in an ordinary mechanic." In a letter to Hon. Major Dunbar he wrote: "And now, sir, believe me, when I assure you I never did nor ever will, on any pretence whatsoever, take more than the stated and customary fees of my office. I might keep the contrary practice concealed from the world, were I capable of it, but I could not from myself." He also informed Archbishop King that he did not follow his predecessors in taking fees for recommendatory letters or any business done in England.

A good instance of the monetary advantages which the Lord Lieutenant's Secretary could reap is recorded by Dean Swift. He had been promised the deanery of Derry by the Lord Lieutenant. When the vacancy occurred, he went to His Excellency to remind him of his promise. He, however, expressed his deep regret that his Secretary had promised the post to another. When Swift interviewed the Secretary on the matter, he was coolly informed that he had received £1000 from the other, but that if he (Swift) would lay down the money, he should have the preference.

Addison's sense of injustice comes out particularly strong in a letter he wrote to Lord Halifax on the 30th November, 1714. "If I am offered less than a thousand pounds, I shall beg leave not to accept it, since it will look more like a clerk's wage than a mark of His Majesty's

I verily believe that His Majesty may think that I had fees and

perquisites belonging to me under the Lords Justices, but though I was offered a present by the South Sea Company, I never took that nor anything else for what I did, as knowing I had no right to it. Were I of another temper, my present place in Ireland might be as profitable to me as some have represented it."

But though Addison was morally incapable of taking what was not justly his due, he exhibited no fastidiousness in exacting the utmost farthing to which he was lawfully entitled. He told Swift that, when he was appointed Keeper of the Records, he resolved not to remit the regular fees in civility to friends. "I may," said he, "have a hundred friends, and if my fee be two guineas, I shall, by relinquishing my right, lose 200 guineas, and no friend gain more than two. The evil suffered, therefore, exceeds, beyond all proportion, the benefit done." On one occasion he wrote to Dawson: "I must desire you to make ym (the Deputy Com of the Musters) pay the Fees that are usual on this occasion as well as all Qutly fees for the future and I am sure nobody can be so unreasonable as to think I do amisse in taking what is my due when I take nothing but wt is so."1

I am afraid that the foregoing extracts do not exhibit Addison in an amiable light. While we must admire the rectitude of his conduct, we can only regret that his love of money marred the peace of mind which should have attended it.

There seems to be a somewhat general impression that Addison lived at or was in some way connected with Glasnevin. Recently, in an evening newspaper, I came across a letter from a gentleman who wrote about that locality as being full of historic associations, and recalling romantic memories of the poet Parnell, of Addison, of Tickell, and of Swift; while a terrace of houses in that locality has been glorified with the name of Addison Terrace. But I believe this impression has no valid foundation to rest upon. It is true that the house at present tenanted by the Curator of the Botanic Gardens was once inhabited by Tickell; but he did not reside there till some years after Addison's death. It is probably through the connexion of these two men that the error arose. Addison resided, when in Dublin, in the official house of the Secretary in Dublin Castle. On the 22nd March, 170, John Pratt wrote to Addison: "Yo' Lodgings in the Castle are in a good forwardness, and I believe will pretty well serve yo' occasions during your stay here; if you want any Room when you come, you may command what you please in my Lodgings, which as Constable of the Castle I have next doore to yours."

172

In the same month Addison, in writing to Dawson, was most particular to ask him to "give orders for anything that may be necessary to make my Lodgings Inhabitable." In December, 1709, when he was in London,

1 Brit. Dep. Corresp., No. 1215.

2 Miscellaneous Documents (Record Tower).

he sent Budgell over to Dublin, and wrote to Dawson in these terms: "If my Lodgings are empty, I desire you will put them into the possession of my Kinsman, the Bearer, who will make a very regular and quiet neighbour for you, I remember we talked of making a Cellar under the office, which this Gentleman may supervise if you think fit to mention it to Mr. Burgh." The Secretary's Lodgings stood on the same side of the Upper Castle Yard as the present Chief Secretary's Office; and I am informed that there are still some rooms there which go by his name. There is a description of the Secretary's Lodgings, as written by Dawson to Southwell, when the latter was about to occupy them a few years before, from which we learn that there was on the ground-floor an office for the Secretary, with a large chamber as a waiting-room, a small room with a chimney, and a convenient closet and alphabet for papers, with rooms for the Under-Secretary and his clerks. Above were "a very good Lodgeing Roome, Dressing Roome, and Drawing Roome," with two good garrets on top. There was also a stable, with room for nine or ten horses, and a loft over it for hay, with bins and a settle-bed for servants. The lodging-room and dressing-room were wainscoted and painted; but the drawing-room was hung with some material. I can find no reference to Addison having resided anywhere else when in Dublin.

Addison's great failing, and one which all his biographers lay stress upon, was a fondness for the bottle. It has been suggested, in extenuation of this fault, that it was only by drinking wine that he was able to overcome his excessive shyness and taciturnity. Indeed, Macaulay goes so far as to suppose that it was his wine-drinking habits that made him so beloved, as such a moral lapse showed that, with all his perfections, he was only mortal after all. However that may be, with such tastes, his position in Ireland must have been very acceptable to him, since, as Privy Councillor, he was allowed a large quantity of wine duty free. But this would hardly account for his frequent references to wine when writing from England, since, as late as 1711, he was in doubt whether he was entitled to such a privilege when not resident in Ireland. He frequently wrote thanking Dawson for sending wine over to him, and also suggested that he might ingratiate himself with the Lord Lieutenant by making him a like present. It would appear that French wine in Ireland was much cheaper and better than could be procured in England. Southwell, writing to Dawson in February, 1798, asked him to assist a man whom Lord Buckley was sending over to Ireland to buy some very good French wine; while about the same time Rochester wrote to Dawson thanking him for a present of wine which he designed to make him, adding that wine out of Ireland was a very valuable thing. there appears to have been great difficulty in getting it into England. Rochester asked Dawson to call it Portuguese wine. Addison, too, felt

1 Brit. Dep. Corresp., No. 1176.

But

no compunction in cheating the Customs. He wrote to Dawson: "I wish you could contrive any way to send me over a Hogshead of Irish wine. Might not it be done in Boxes, and connived at by the Commissioners of the Revenue, or at least in single Hampers? I shall take it as a great favour if you can do me this piece of Friendship without losse of time." On another occasion Addison's secretary writes to Dawson: "He thanks you for your kind offer in relation to the Hogshead of wine you would (if you had any conveniency) send to him, and would be extreamly glad if you could contrive any method for that purpose; he thinks it may be feasible to be sent after the same manner his Excie had some come: viz. by informing The Com's of your side of it, who might send it by Parcells, and assign it to him, by the name of other wines. However, he leaves it to your management as you shall approve of it.”

Whether it was the effect of excessive wine-drinking or not, I cannot say; but Addison suffered a great deal with his eyes. He frequently apologises for writing by the hand of his secretary, on the ground that his eyes are so bad, that writing by candle-light would hurt them. On one occasion he mentions that he was going to Bath, in the hope of alleviating his indisposition.

There remains but one more point to notice in connexion with these letters of Addison, and that is his extreme caution. He writes to Dawson: "This is only to yourself, which I beg you to burn." Again: "If you please, burn this scrap of a letter." On another occasion he writes: "You would do well for the future to write on a separate paper anything that may regard yourself or me"; while, in regard to the incident about the Irish Lucretia mentioned above, he writes: "This I would not have known for a thousand Reasons."

Addison's career in Ireland was very brief, and we know very little about it. But anything in connexion with an English classical writer must prove interesting; and it is in such a belief that I have collected the foregoing details.3

1 Brit. Dep. Corresp., No. 1162.

2 Ibid., No. 1170.

3 The British Departmental Correspondence and Civil Affairs Book referred to in the notes are to be found in the Public Record Office, Ireland.

"THE DAFF STONE," MONEYDIG, COUNTY DERRY.

BY THE LATE REV. GEORGE R. BUICK, A.M., LL.D., M.R.I.A., FELLOW. [Read MARCH 29, 1904.]

THE

HE above is the name popularly given to a large stone which lies on a low mound of earth in a field close to the Moneydig cross-roads. It is roughly diamond-shaped, the longer diagonal measuring about 7 feet, and the shorter about 4 feet. The average thickness is from 1 foot 9 inches to 2 feet. The field in which it lies belongs to

THE DAFF STONE CROMLECH, MONEYDIG, COUNTY DERRY.
(View from E. S. E.)

Mr. Morrison, of Fort Cottage, and is on the left hand of anyone coming from Garvagh. On the east it is bounded by the road which leads past the Presbyterian Church.

Recently, Mr. S. K. Kirker, c.E., and myself, happened to be driving past the place. Noticing the stone, we stopped to have a closer look at it. To our astonishment we discovered that it was the cover-stone of a sepulchral chamber. Clearing away some dead thorn-bushes which were