Joseph Addison
English essayist and politician who co-founded The Spectator with Richard Steele in 1711, inventing the modern periodical essay. The Spectator educated its readers in polite manners, cultural appreciation, and civic virtue. His prose style was praised by Dr. Johnson as a model of English.
Works
- The SpectatorSeries of essays on manners, morality, and contemporary life in periodical form
- The TatlerPeriodical essays on society, gossip, and culture in early eighteenth-century London
- CatoTragedy about virtue and political liberty threatened by corruption and despotism
- Remarks on Several Parts of ItalyProse account of observations and impressions from travels through Italian cities
- The FreeholderPolitical essays supporting Whig ideals and constitutional monarchy principles