Soon after (in 1695) he wrote a poem to King William, with a rhyming
introduction addressed to Lord Somers. King William had no regard
to elegance or literature; his study was only war; yet by a choice
of Ministers, whose disposition was very different from his own, he
procured, without intention, a very liberal patronage to poetry.
Addison was caressed both by Somers and Montague.

In 1697 appeared his Latin verses on the Peace of Ryswick, which he
dedicated to Montague, and which was afterwards called, by Smith,
"the best Latin poem since the 'AEneid.'" Praise must not be too
rigorously examined; but the performance cannot be denied to be
vigorous and elegant. Having yet no public employment, he obtained
(in 1699) a pension of three hundred pounds a year, that he might be
enabled to travel. He stayed a year at Blois, probably to learn the
French language and then proceeded in his journey to Italy, which he
surveyed with the eyes of a poet. While he was travelling at
leisure, he was far from being idle: for he not only collected his
observations on the country, but found time to write his "Dialogues
on Medals," and four acts of Cato. Such, at least, is the relation
of Tickell. Perhaps he only collected his materials and formed his
plan. Whatever were his other employments in Italy, he there wrote
the letter to Lord Halifax which is justly considered as the most
elegant, if not the most sublime, of his poetical productions. But
in about two years he found it necessary to hasten home; being, as
Swift informs us, distressed by indigence, and compelled to become
the tutor of a travelling squire, because his pension was not
remitted.

At his return he published his Travels, with a dedication to Lord
Somers. As his stay in foreign countries was short, his