Eustace Budgell

Eustace Budgell – Life, Work, and Memorable Sayings

Eustace Budgell (1686–1737), English essayist, contributor to The Spectator, and political pamphleteer, is remembered both for his literary craft and tragic downfall. Explore his life, writings, influences, and enduring quotes.

Introduction

Eustace Budgell was an English writer, essayist, and political figure whose life straddled the literary and the political worlds of early 18th-century Britain and Ireland. Though not as widely known today as Addison or Steele, he played an important role in periodical culture, especially through The Spectator. His life ended tragically by suicide, overshadowed by scandal, financial ruin, and reputational conflict. In this article, we delve into Budgell’s origins, career, writing, controversies, and some of his more lasting reflections.

Early Life and Family

Eustace Budgell was born 19 August 1686 at St. Thomas, near Exeter in Devon, England. Gilbert Budgell, D.D., a clergyman, and his mother Mary was the daughter of Bishop William Gulston of Bristol. Joseph Addison (one of his cousins).

He matriculated on 31 March 1705 at Trinity College, Oxford. Inner Temple and was called to the bar, but under the influence of Addison he chose to shift his energies toward writing.

Career and Literary Work

Role in The Spectator and Periodical Culture

Budgell became a significant contributor to The Spectator, the influential periodical founded by Addison and Richard Steele. 37 essays for The Spectator, under the signature “X.”

He also contributed to The Guardian and The Tatler, and engaged in political pamphleting, especially in opposition to Robert Walpole.

Political Offices & Influence

Thanks to his familial connection with Addison, Budgell secured several public offices. In 1710, when Addison became Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, he brought Budgell on as a clerk.

Between 1715 and 1727, he served as Member of Parliament for Mullingar in the Irish House of Commons.

In 1717, Addison secured for him the post of Comptroller-General of the Revenue in Ireland (or finance/post in revenue).

Financial Losses, Controversies, and Later Writings

Budgell’s fortunes declined dramatically. He lost a vast sum — reported as about £20,000 — in the South Sea Bubble crash of 1720.

Further controversy surrounded the estate (will) of Dr. Matthew Tindal: Budgell was accused of forging the will to gain benefits, disadvantaging Tindal’s nephew.

He also founded a weekly periodical, The Bee (circa 1733–1735), producing over 100 issues, often filled with self-justification, attacks, and political commentary.

He was satirized by Alexander Pope, appearing in Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot and The Dunciad.

Final Years & Death

In his later years, Budgell’s reputation was tarnished by scandal, debt, and legal disputes. 4 May 1737, he died by suicide in London: he threw himself out of a boat near London Bridge.

His reputed final words were:

“What Cato did, and Addison approved, cannot be wrong.”

This reference evokes Cato the Younger — who also committed suicide — and suggests Budgell believed his act was consistent with stoic virtue, approved by his literary patron Addison.

Legacy & Literary Significance

Though overshadowed by his more illustrious contemporaries, Budgell’s contributions to The Spectator and periodical culture mark him as a figure of merit in early 18th-century letters. His imitative style and wit allowed the broader circulation of the essay form and the shaping of public discourse.

However, his personal failings — financial misjudgment, grudges, vanity, and involvement in legal and moral disputes — complicate his reputation. His life is often invoked as a cautionary tale about ambition, association, and the perils of public life.

Today, Budgell is remembered chiefly by scholars of The Spectator era, by those studying periodicals, and through a handful of quotations that have outlived his broader fame.

Selected Quotes by Eustace Budgell

Here are a few notable quotations attributed to Budgell, many preserved in classical collections of witticisms and essays:

“Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another.” “The reproach of a friend should be strictly just, but not too frequent.” “Love and esteem are the first principles of friendship; it is always imperfect if either of these two are wanting.” “It is extremely natural for us to desire to see such our thoughts put into the dress of words, without which indeed we can scarce have a clear and distinct idea of them ourselves.” “When you have gained a victory, do not push it too far.” “When an argument is over, how many weighty reasons does a man recollect which his heat and violence made him utterly forget?”

These quotes reflect Budgell’s reflective, sometimes moralizing style, often concerning friendship, speech, restraint, and the human condition.

Lessons & Reflections

From the life and work of Eustace Budgell, several insights and cautions emerge:

1. The perils of patronage and dependence
   Budgell’s rise was facilitated by Addison’s favor. But reliance on patronage is fragile; political shifts can reverse fortunes.

2. Balance in style and substance
   His imitative essays won attention, but some critics saw them as derivative. Originality matter in lasting reputation.

3. Restraint in victory and speech
   In line with his own advice, pushing success too far or speaking impulsively can bring backlash.

4. Ambition vs. ethics
   His involvement in alleged forgery and his public conflicts underscore how ambition, when untethered from integrity, can unravel a life.

5. Legacy is selective
   While much of Budgell’s work has receded, a few well-turned sentences survive. In the long run, lasting influence often rides on clarity, brevity, and insight.

Conclusion

Eustace Budgell is a multifaceted and paradoxical figure: talented, socially connected, and yet plagued by financial ruin, scandal, and inner turmoil. His role in The Spectator and 18th-century intellectual circles is secure among scholars, but his life story also reminds us how fragile literary reputation and moral standing can be. The few memorable maxims he left behind still resonate — particularly on friendship, speech, and restraint.