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THE

LIVES

OF THE

POETS

OF

Great - Britain and Ireland.

By Mr. CIBBER, and other Hands.

VOL. V.

LONDON:

Printed for R. GRIFFITHS, in St. Paul's
-M DCC LUI.

Church-Yard.

:

1

THE

:

LIVES

OF THE

POETS

EUSTACE BUDGELL, Esq;

W

AS the eldest son of Gilbert Budgell, D. D. of St. Thomas near Ex eter, by his first wife Mary, the only daughter of Dr. William Gulston, bishop of Bristol; whose sister Jane married dean Addison, and was mother to the famous Mr.. Ad

dison the secretary of state. This family of Budgell is very old, and has been fettled, and known in Devonshire above 200 years *.

* See Budgell's Letter to Cleomenes. Appendix p. 79. VOL. V. No. 21.

B

Eustace

Euftace was born about the year 1685, and distinguished him elf very foon at school, from whence he was removed early to Chrift's Church College in Oxford, where he was entered a gentleman commoner. He staid some years in that university, and afterwards went to London, where, by his father's directions, he was entered of the Inner. Temple, in order to be bred to the Bar, for which his father had always intended him but instead of the Law, he followed his own inclinations, which carried him to the study of polite literature, and to the company of the genteelest people in town. This proved unlucky; for the father, by degrees, grew uneasy at his fon's not getting himself called to the Ear, nor properly applying to the Law, according to his reiterated directions and request; and the ion complained of the strict. ness and infufficiency of his father's allowance, and conftantly urged the necessity of his living like a gentleman, and of his spending a great deal of money. During this stay, however, at the Temple, Mr. Budgell made a strict intimacy and friendship with Mr. Addison, who was first coufin to his mother; and this last gentleman being appointed, in the year 1710, secretary to lord Wharton, the lord lieutenant of Ireland, he made an offer to his friend Eustace of going with him as one of the clerks in his office. The proposal being advantageous, and Mr. Budgell being then on bad terms with his father, and absolutely unqualified for the practice of the Law, it was readily accepted. Nevertheless, for fear of his father's disapprobation of it, he never communicated his design to him 'till the very night of his festing out for Ireland, when he wrote him a letter to inform him at once of his resolution and journey. This was in the beginning of April 1710, when he was about twenty five years of age. He had by this time read the classics, the most reputed hifto

.1

historians, and all the best French, English, or Italian writers. Hisapprehenfion was quick, hisimagination fine, and his memory remarkably strong; though his greateft commendations were a very genteel address, a ready wit and an excellent elocution, which shewed him to advantage wherever he went. There was, notwithstanding, one principal defect in his difpo fition, and this was an infinite vanity, which gave him so infufferable a presumption, as led him to think that nothing was too much for his capacity, nor any preferment, or favour, beyond his deferts. Mr. Addison's fondness for him perhaps increased this difpofition, as he naturally introduced him into all the company he kept, which at that time was the best, and most ingenious in the two kingdoms. In short, they lived and lodged together, and constantly followed the lord lieutenant into England at the same time.

It was now that Mr. Budgell commenced author, and was partly concerned with Sir Richard Steele and Mr. Addifon in writing the Tatler. The Spectators being set on foot in 1710-11, Mr. Budgell had likewise a share in them, as all the papers marked with an X may easily inform the reader, and indeed the eighth volume was composed by Mr. Addison and himself, without the assistance of Sir Richard Steele. The speculations of our author were generally liked, and Mr. Addison was frequently complimented upon the ingenuity of his kinsman. About the fame time he wrote an epis logue to the Distress'd Mother f, which had a great. er run than any thing of that kind ever had before, and has had this peculiar regard shewn to it fince, that now, above thirty years afterwards, it is generally spoke at the representation of that

See The Bee, vol. ii. p. 854.

D

+ Till then it was usual to difcontinue an epilogue after the fixth night. But this was called for by the audience, and con tinued for the whole run of this play: Budgell did not feruple to fit in the pit, and call for it himself.

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