In an effort to educate myself, I am reading The Oxford Book of Essays, chosen and edited by John Gross. [copies for sale here] There’s 142 of the blighters, so it will take me all year. To make this “stick” I am going to blog each essay.
This essay is online
Who was the author:
Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was a British writer and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. His simple prose style marked the end of the mannerisms and conventional classical images of the 17th century.[1]
What happened the year they were born (and the C02 ppm): 1672
The Big Events they were alive for: The Glorious Revolution. The coming of the Hanovers. Er…
What happened in the year they died (and the C02 ppm): 1719
My awareness of/appreciation of this author (if any): absolutely minimal
What’s the essay?
The essay is called “Sir Roger in Westminster Abbey.” It’s 4 pages long. For me, the key take-aways were… er, none. Addison could do whimsy and Phil Space?
Best line(s)
None, tbh
Stuff I had to look up
jointure – an estate settled on a wife for the period during which she survives her husband, in lien of a dower.
Stuff worth thinking about.
xx
Stuff to look up
xxx
Connects to (watch this space – if there are later essays that resonate with this one, I’ll come back and add a link to the post for that essay).
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