Joseph Addison was a British writer and politician born in Milston, Wiltshire in 1672. He is most remembered for his long-standing collaboration with Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine, a publication that became influential in English literary culture. Addison's writing style was notable for its simplicity and clarity, marking a significant departure from the ornate mannerisms and conventional classical imagery that had dominated 17th-century prose. This shift in style had a lasting impact on English literature and helped define the literary aesthetic of his era. Among his notable works is the play Cato, a Tragedy, which he wrote in 1712. Addison died in Kensington, London in 1719.