ther before or after marriage,
upon this memorable pair; and it is certain that Addison has left behind
him no encouragement for ambitious love.

The year after (1717) he rose to his highest elevation, being made
Secretary of State. For this employment he might be justly supposed
qualified by long practice of business, and by his regular ascent
through other offices; but expectation is often disappointed; it is
universally confessed that he was unequal to the duties of his place.
In the House of Commons he could not speak, and therefore was useless to
the defence of the Government. "In the office," says Pope, "he could not
issue an order without losing his time in quest of fine expressions."
What he gained in rank he lost in credit; and finding by experience his
own inability, was forced to solicit his dismission, with a pension
of fifteen hundred pounds a year. His friends palliated this
relinquishment, of which both friends and enemies knew the true reason,
with an account of declining health, and the necessity of recess and
quiet. He now returned to his vocation, and began to plan literary
occupations for his future life. He purposed a tragedy on the death of
Socrates: a story of which, as Tickell remarks, the basis is narrow,
and to which I know not how love could have been appended. There would,
however, have been no want either of virtue in the sentiments, or
elegance in the language. He engaged in a nobler work, a "Defence of the
Christian Religion," of which part was published after his death; and he
designed to have made a new poetical version of the Psalms.

These pious compositions Pope imputed to a selfish motive, upon the
credit, as he owns, of Tonson; who, having quarrelled with Addison, and
not loving him, said that when he laid down the Secretary's office
he intended to take orders and obtain a bishopric; "for," said he, "I
always thought him a priest in his heart."

That Pope should have thought this conjecture of Tonson worth
remembrance, is a proof--but indeed, so far as I have found, the only
proof--that he retained some malignity from their ancient rivalry.
Tonson pretended to guess it; no other mortal ever suspected it; and
Pope might have reflected that a man who had been Secretary of State
in the Ministry of Sunderland knew a nearer way to a bishopric than by
defending religion or translating the Psalms.

It is related that he had once a design to make an English dictionary,
and that he consi