Editing Joseph Addison (section)

== Career ==
===Political career===
Addison returned to England at the end of 1703. For more than a year he remained unemployed, but the [[Battle of Blenheim]] in 1704 gave him a fresh opportunity to distinguish himself. The government, specifically [[Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin|Lord Treasurer Godolphin]], commissioned Addison to write a commemorative poem about the battle, and he produced ''The Campaign'', which was received with such satisfaction that he was appointed Commissioner of Appeals in Halifax's government.<ref>Deighton, Ken (ed.). ''Coverley Papers from The Spectator''. New York, 1964: Macmillan.</ref> 

His next literary venture was an account of his travels in Italy, ''Remarks on several parts of Italy, &c., in the years 1701, 1702, 1703'', published in 1705 by [[Jacob Tonson]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Addison |first=Joseph  |title=Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in The Years 1701, 1702, 1703 |url=https://archive.org/stream/remarksonseveral00addi#page/n5/mode/2up |publisher=J. and R. Tonson |place=London |access-date=23 April 2013 |year=1767 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> 

In 1705, with the [[Whigs (British political party)|Whigs]] in power, Addison was made Under-Secretary of State and accompanied Lord Halifax on a diplomatic mission to Hannover, Germany. A biography of Addison states: "In the field of his foreign responsibilities Addison's views were those of a good Whig. He had always believed that England's power depended upon her wealth, her wealth upon her commerce, and her commerce upon the freedom of the seas and the checking of the power of France and Spain."<ref>Peter Smithers, ''The Life of Joseph Addison'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954), p. 382.</ref>

In 1708 and 1709, Addison was a Member of Parliament for the borough of [[Lostwithiel (UK Parliament constituency)|Lostwithiel]]. He was soon appointed secretary to the new [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]], [[Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton|Lord Wharton]]. Under the direction of Wharton, he was an MP in the [[Irish House of Commons]] for [[Cavan Borough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Cavan Borough]] from 1709 until 1713. In 1710, he represented [[Malmesbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Malmesbury]], in his home county of [[Wiltshire]], holding the seat until his death in 1719.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

===Magazine founder===
[[File:Joseph Addison (1672-1719).jpg|thumb|Joseph Addison: engraving after the Kneller portrait]]
He met [[Jonathan Swift]] in Ireland and remained there for a year. Later, he helped form the [[Kitcat Club]] and renewed his friendship with Richard Steele. In 1709, Steele began to publish the ''[[Tatler (1709 journal)|Tatler]]'', and Addison became a regular contributor. In 1711, they began ''[[The Spectator (1711)|The Spectator]]''; its first issue appeared on 1 March 1711. This paper, which was originally a daily, was published until 20 December 1714, interrupted for a year by the publication of ''[[The Guardian (1713)|The Guardian]]'' in 1713. His last publication was ''The Freeholder'', a political paper, in 1715–16.<ref>Smith, Adam James. '''A Certain Design': The Partisan Strategy of Joseph Addison's The Free-Holder."'' PhD diss., University of Sheffield, 2014.</ref>

===Plays===
He wrote the [[libretto]] for [[Thomas Clayton (composer)|Thomas Clayton]]'s opera ''[[Rosamond (Clayton)|Rosamond]]'', which had a disastrous premiere in London in 1707.<ref>McGeary, Thomas (1998). [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-54775095 "Thomas Clayton and the Introduction of Italian Opera to England"], ''Philological Quarterly'', Vol. 77 {{subscription required}}</ref> In 1713 Addison's tragedy ''[[Cato (tragedy)|Cato]]'' was produced, and was received with acclamation by both Whigs and [[Tories (British political party)|Tories]]. He followed this effort with a comedic play, ''[[The Drummer (play)|The Drummer]]'' (1716).

====''Cato''====
[[File:John Kemble as Cato.jpg|thumb|200 px|The actor [[John Philip Kemble|John Kemble]], in the role of Cato, revived at Covent Garden in 1816, drawn by [[George Cruikshank]].]]
{{Main|Cato, a Tragedy}}
In 1712, Addison wrote his most famous work, ''Cato, a Tragedy''. Based on the last days of [[Cato the Younger|Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis]], it deals with conflicts such as individual liberty versus government tyranny, [[Republicanism]] versus [[Monarchism]], logic versus emotion, and Cato's personal struggle to retain his beliefs in the face of death. It has a prologue written by [[Alexander Pope]] and an epilogue by [[Samuel Garth]].<ref>Joseph Addison, ''Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays''. ed. Christine Dunn Henderson & Mark E. Yellin. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2004. {{ISBN|0-86597-443-8}}.</ref>

The play was a success throughout the British Empire. It continued to grow in popularity, especially in America, for several generations. It is cited by some historians as a literary inspiration for the [[American Revolution]], being known to many of the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]]. General [[George Washington]] sponsored a performance of Cato for the [[Continental Army]] during the difficult winter of 1777–78 at [[Valley Forge]]. According to [[John J. Miller (journalist)|John J. Miller]], "no single work of literature may have been more important than ''Cato''" for the leaders of the American revolution.<ref>John J. Miller, "[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304314404576411721705429718?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopBucket On Life, Liberty, and Other Quotable Matters]", ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', 2 July 2011.</ref>

Scholars have identified the inspiration for several famous quotations from the American Revolution in ''Cato''. These include:
*[[Patrick Henry]]'s famous ultimatum: "Give me liberty or give me death!"
:(Supposed reference to Act&nbsp;II, Scene&nbsp;4: ''"It is not now time to talk of aught/But chains or conquest, liberty or death."'').<ref name=richard>Richard, Carl J. (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=5HoJ-ghp-C0C&dq=addison+cato+american+revolution&pg=PA151 ''Greeks & Romans Bearing Gifts: How the Ancients Inspired the Founding Fathers''], p. 151. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.</ref>
*[[Nathan Hale]]'s valediction: "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country."
:(Supposed reference to Act&nbsp;IV, Scene&nbsp;4: ''"What a pity it is/That we can die but once to serve our country."'').<ref name=richard/>
* Washington's praise for [[Benedict Arnold]] in a letter: "It is not in the power of any man to command success; but you have done more{{snd}}you have deserved it."
:(Clear reference to Act&nbsp;I, Scene&nbsp;2: ''"'Tis not in mortals to command success; but we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it."'').

In 1789, [[Edmund Burke]] quoted the play in a letter to Charles-Jean-François Depont entitled ''Reflections on the revolution in France'', saying that the French people may yet be obliged to go through more changes and "to pass, as one of our poets says, 'through great varieties of untried being,'" before their state obtains its final form.<ref>Burke, Edmund (1872) [https://books.google.com/books?id=46nmMXN8FucC&pg=PA232 ''Reflections on the revolution in France, and on the proceedings of certain societies in London relative to that event''], p. 232. Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday.</ref> The poet referred to is Addison and the passage quoted is from ''Cato'' (V.i.&nbsp;II): "Through what variety of untried being, through what new scenes and changes must we pass!"

Though the play has fallen from popularity and is now rarely performed, it was popular and often cited in the eighteenth century, with Cato being an example of republican virtue and [[liberty]]. [[John Trenchard (writer)|John Trenchard]] and [[Thomas Gordon (writer)|Thomas Gordon]] were inspired by the play to write an epistolary exchange entitled ''[[Cato's Letters]]'' (1720–1723), concerning individual rights, using the name "Cato".{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}

The action of the play involves the forces of Cato at [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]], awaiting the attack of Caesar immediately following his victory at [[Thapsus]] (46 BC). The noble sons of Cato, Portius and Marcus, are both in love with Lucia, the daughter of Lucius, an ally of Cato. Juba, prince of [[Numidia]], one of Cato's warriors, loves Cato's daughter Marcia. Meanwhile, Sempronius, a senator, and Syphax, a general of the Numidians, are conspiring secretly against Cato, hoping to prevent the Numidian army from supporting him. In the final act, Cato commits suicide, leaving his followers to make their peace with the approaching army of Caesar{{snd}}an easier task after Cato's death, since he was Caesar's most implacable enemy.

===Hymn===
Addison wrote the popular church [[hymn]] "The Spacious Firmament on High", publishing it in ''The Spectator'' in 1712. It is sung either to the tune known as "London (Addison's)" by John Sheeles, written c. 1720, or to "Creation" by [[Joseph Haydn]], 1798.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Spacious Firmament on High |url=http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/p/a/spacious.htm |website=Hymn Time |access-date=29 November 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054345/http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/p/a/spacious.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>