Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Works of Joseph Addison, Vol. 2 of 6: Including the Whole Contents of Bp; Hurd's Edition, With Letters and Other Pieces Not Found in Any Previous Collection
Dr. Johnson's assertion, -whose scanty acquaintance with French litera ture probably did not include even the celebrated and popular work of Fontenelle, - that Dryden's Dialogue on Dramatic poetry was Addison's model, is thus disproved and this information Of the real prototype sug gests a curious national contrast. The informing spirit Of the dialogues of Fontenelle is that of gallantry; and the fair pupil whom he addresses im bibes the principles Of the astronomy Of Descartes diluted and dulcified with at least an equal portion Of ?attery, on the graces Of her person and the charms of her mind but although the study Of medals could scarcely be regarded as less within the sphere Of female inquiry than worlds and their vortices, - and in fact there had been ladies in this country of a for mer and a better age celebrated for their numismatic attainments, - the English wit carefully exonerates himself from all Obligation to compliment the ladies on the occasion, and admits not even a humble listener of the feminine gender. A knowledge Of the pattern on which he worked might likewise have shielded the author from a criticism Of 'bishop Hurd, who imputes it as a fault to these dialogues that they deviate from the clas sical examples in not exhibiting real characters as the interlocutors. In any case, this appears an ill-considered objection and it is probable that the judgment of the bishop was warped by his own practice. Whatever dignity or seeming authority this kind Of artifice, - an Offensive one at the best to the true lover Of historical and biographical truth, - might lend to the discussion of questions Of philosophy, politics or history, it would be difficult to point out any advantage to be gained by it on such a topic as the usefulness of medals, essentially a branch Of erudition; while the dif ficulties and Objections are Obvious. The part of a leading speaker must in all propriety have been assigned to some one Of the very small number Of learned persons who had distinguished themselves by devoting their lives to profound investigations in this dark and difficult science; and with what modesty could a writer who had only skimmed its surface, have uttered conjectures or remarks Of his own under the sanction of names such as those Of Spanheim or Le Vailliant?
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