Of the course of Addison's familiar day, before his marriage, Pope
has given a detail. He had in the house with him Budgell, and
perhaps Philips. His chief companions were Steele, Budgell, Philips
[Ambrose], Carey, Davenant, and Colonel Brett. With one or other of
these he always breakfasted. He studied all morning; then dined at
a tavern; and went afterwards to Button's. Button had been a
servant in the Countess of Warwick's family, who, under the
patronage of Addison, kept a coffee-house on the south side of
Russell Street, about two doors from Covent Garden. Here it was
that the wits of that time used to assemble. It is said when
Addison had suffered any vexation from the countess, he withdrew the
company from Button's house. From the coffee-house he went again to
a tavern, where he often sat late, and drank too much wine. In the
bottle discontent seeks for comfort, cowardice for courage, and
bashfulness for confidence. It is not unlikely that Addison was
first seduced to excess by the manumission which he obtained from
the servile timidity of his sober hours. He that feels oppression
from the presence of those to whom he knows himself superior will
desire to set loose his powers of conversation; and who that ever
asked succours from Bacchus was able to preserve himself from being
enslaved by his auxiliary?

Among those friends it was that Addison displayed the elegance of
his colloquial accomplishments, which may easily be supposed such as
Pope represents them. The remark of Mandeville, who, when he had
passed an evening in his company, declared that he was a parson in a
tie-wig, can detract little from his character; he was always
reserved to strangers, and was not incited to uncommon freedom by a
character like that of Mandeville.