(Vol. v., p. 439.)
Any attempt to divorce Addison from his hymns in the _Spectator_, and to
ascribe them to any other writer, is so great a wrench to the feelings of a
sexagenarian like myself, that the question must at once be set at rest.
In reply to J. G. F.'s inquiry, these hymns, or a portion of them, were
claimed for Andrew Marvell by Captain Edward Thompson, the editor of
Marvell's works; but a writer in Kippis's edition of the _Biographia
Britannica_ remarks:
"We shall content ourselves with observing, that any man who can
suppose that the ease, eloquence, and harmony of the ode, 'The Spacious
Firmament,' &c., could flow from Marvell's pen, must be very deficient
in taste and judgment."
This claim on Captain Thompson's part was to have been considered under the
article "Marvell," but the second edition of the _Biographia_ did not, as
we well know, extend beyond the letter F.
But though we cannot concede these hymns to Marvell, he must not be
underrated. His downright honesty of character and purpose must ever excite
respect. His biographer strangely introduces him to us as "A witty droll in
the seventeenth century, the son of a facetious gentleman at Hull." In one
respect he resembled our gifted essayist; his style in prose was so
captivating that we are told
"From the King down to the Tradesman, his _Rehearsal Transposed_ was
read with great pleasure; he had all the men of wit on his side."
To return to the hymns and the just claims of Addison to the whole of them.
In the _Spectator_, No. 453., Addison says,
"I have _already_ communicated to the public some pieces of divine
poetry, and as they have met with a very favourable reception, _I shall
from time to time publish any work of the same nature which has not yet
appeared in print_, and may be acceptable to my readers."
Then follows the hymn "When all Thy Mercies," &c. Coming from such a man as
Addison, this {514} must be considered as pretty strong evidence of
authorship.
In the _Spectator_, No. 441., when introducing the hymn "The Lord my
Pasture," &c., Addison observes--
"As the poetry of the original is very exquisite, I shall present my
readers with the following translation of it."