[Footnote 1: 'Arsinoe' was produced at Drury Lane in 1705, with Mrs. Tofts in the chief character, and her Italian rival, Margarita de l'Epine, singing Italian songs before and after the Opera. The drama was an Italian opera translated into English, and set to new music by Thomas Clayton, formerly band master to William III. No. 20 of the Spectator and other numbers from time to time advertised 'The Passion of Sappho, and Feast of Alexander: Set to Musick by Mr. Thomas Clayton, as it is performed at his house in 'York Buildings.' It was the same Clayton who set to music Addison's unsuccessful opera of 'Rosamond', written as an experiment in substituting homegrown literature for the fashionable nonsense illustrated by Italian music. Thomas Clayton's music to 'Rosamond' was described as 'a jargon of sounds.' 'Camilla', composed by Marco Antonio Buononcini, and said to contain beautiful music, was produced at Sir John Vanbrugh's Haymarket opera in 1705, and sung half in English, half in Italian; Mrs. Tofts singing the part of the Amazonian heroine in English, and Valentini that of the hero in Italian.] [Footnote 2: that] [Footnote 3: very day] [Footnote 4: that] [Footnote 5: which they] [Footnote 6: that] [Footnote 7: It was fifty years after this that Churchill wrote of Mossop in the 'Rosciad,' 'In monosyllables his thunders roll, He, she, it, and, we, ye, they, fright the soul.'] [Footnote 8: was] [Footnote 9: The Tragedy of 'Phædra and Hippolitus', acted without success in 1707, was the one play written by Mr. Edmund Smith, a merchant's son who had been educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, and who had ended a dissolute life at the age of 42 (in 1710), very shortly before this paper was written. Addison's regard for the play is warmed by friendship for the unhappy writer. He had, indeed, written the Prologue to it, and struck therein also his note of war against the follies of Italian Opera. 'Had Valentini, musically coy, Shunned Phædra's Arms, and scorn'd the puffer'd Joy, It had not momed your Wonder to have seen An Eunich fly from an enamour'd Queen; How would it please, should she in English speak, And could Hippolitus reply in Greek!' The Epilogue to this play was by Prior. Edmund Smith's relation to Addison is shown by the fact that, in dedicating the printed edition of his Phædra and Hippolitus to Lord Halifax, he speaks of Addison's lines on the Peace of Ryswick as 'the best Latin Poem since the Æneid.'] * * * * * No. 19. Thursday, March 22, 1711. Steele. 'Dii benefecerunt, inopis me quodque pusilli Finxerunt animi, rarî et perpauca loquentis.' Hor.