without depressing another. But it is my design, to avoid saying anything of any person, which ought justly to displease; but shall endeavour, by the variety of the matter and style, to give entertainment for men of pleasure, without offence to those of business.

Of the 271 numbers of the Tatler, 188 were by Steele, 42 by Addison, and 36 were their joint productions. Addison's first paper is No. 18. The early numbers of the Tatler, printed news from abroad, some numbers being largely made up of such items (e. g. Nos. 4, 10). After No. 175 only one

essays were enough in

number (225) contains news, as the themselves to carry the paper. (See Aitken's invaluable Life of Steele, Vol. I., chapter I., Book IV.)

The best contemporary account of the Tatler is Gay's Present State of Wit (1711), reprinted in Arber's English Garner.

25 Motto. "Put out of his own affairs, he minds other people's business." Horace, Satires, II., iii., 19–20.

25:2, An Upholsterer. Said to be Edward Arne, an upholsterer of Covent Garden, but the impecunious newsmonger was an old subject for satire. See Donne, Satire IV. 11. 72145, written 1597, published 1633.

25:12, Post Man. The Post Man and the Historical Account, started in 1695, was edited by a French Protestant, Fonvive. It appeared Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Monsieur, to carry on this weekly chronicle... has settled a good correspondence in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Flanders, Holland, etc. In a word, the Post-Man (or rather Post-Angel), outflies the Post-Master, Post-Boy, Daily Courant, etc., (and those lesser flyers, the English and London Post), So that Fonvive is the glory and mirrour of News-writers." John Dunton's Whipping Post or a Satire upon Every Body, London, 1706 (pp. 94-5). This is added to modern reprints of Dunton's Life and Errors (1705). See also Fox Bourne's English Newspapers (1887), vol. I, p. 57. Dunton states that Fonvive "is very cheerful (the gaining £600 a year by a penny post would make any man so)."

25:19, King Augustus's welfare. Augustus II., king of Poland and elector of Saxony, had formed in 1697 an alliance with Peter the Great of Russia and Frederick IV. of Denmark with the object of deposing Charles XII. of Sweden, and dividing the Swedish kingdom. In the war against Sweden Augustus was defeated and in 1706 resigned the crown of Poland.

26:12, Muff. Muffs for men were going out of fashion at this time. Cf. Spectator, No. 16. See also Hogarth's Rake's Progress, Plate IV.

26: 12, Campaign-wig.

"Imported from France; this was made very full, was curled, and eighteen inches in length in the front, with drop locks.”— '-Ashton.

26: 19, Bender. Charles XII. of Sweden (1682–1718) was utterly defeated July 8, 1708, at Pultowa, by Peter the Great. Charles fled to Turkish territory, and stayed three years at Bender, on the Dneister. The day before Pultowa Charles was wounded while reconnoitring. See Tatler, No. 67, Sept. 10-13, 1709. "Whereas the King of Sweden has been so unfortunate to receive a wound in his heel; we do hereby prohibit all epigrammatists to make any mention of Achilles having received his death's wound in the same part."

27: 7, Supplement. Boy, by Jacobus Abellius, a postscriptorian, otherwise Boyer." Fox Bourne.

"An alternate edition of the Post

27:8, English Post. "I shall next leer on my neighbor Crouch, as a weekly writer worthy my notice. 'Tis said he is the author of the English Post. . . . For to say the truth, Mr. Crouch collects his news with so much accuracy. and judgment, that he is only outdone by the Post Man and those High Flyers I named before; so that I admire the English Post should still continue in the number of the lesser flyers; for Crouch prints nothing but what is very useful and diverting. So that R. B. (alias Nat Crouch) is become a celebrated authour." Dunton's Whipping Post, p. 103. R. B. is Robert, or Richard Burton (1632?-1725?)

Dunton (p. 107), thus sums up the papers mentioned in this essay: Now, if you ask me which of these eight papers are the best, I should answer, "They are all best." "The Post Boy is the best for English and Spanish news. The Daily Courant is the best critic, the English Post is the best collector, and the Post Man is the best for everything." 27 10, Daily Courant. The Courant, the first English daily newspaper, was started by Mallet, March 11, 1702. April 22, 1702, Samuel Buckley (afterwards printer of the Spectator) became proprietor of the paper. It ran until 1735, when it became absorbed in the Daily Gazetteer. The first number, a folio sheet printed on one side, is reproduced in Ashton's Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, appendix. The paper printed little news of London or England. In the issue for Oct. 20, 1702 (No. 159), Buckley asserts that the Courant is non-partisan. "He (i. e. the publisher) will only add this further account of his method in collecting the news out of the foreign prints. When a mail arrives, he first chooses what appears to be of greatest consequence. . . having a particular regard to what more nearly concerns England or her allies . . . He always takes those accounts that are well warranted . . . Therefore he makes more use of the Haarlem and Amsterdam Courants than of the Gazettes in French that come from Holland. . . . And he is careful not to weave his own sentiments with what he relates, so he cuts off the remarks which are merely speculative." Dunton (pp. 101-2), speaking of the Courant, calls it "a sort of universal intelligence."

27:13. This is very mysterious. Andrews' History of British Journalism (1859), vol. 1, p. 101, gives some good examples of the " vague rumours, equivocal hints, and obscure allusions" in the newspapers.

27:14, Post Boy. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Abel Boyer, compiler of the Annals of Queen Anne, was proprietor of the paper from 1705-1709 (Dunton, pp. 98-99), and made it recommended above the rest for the "nice and large account he gives of Spanish and Home

news."

The earliest copy of the Post Boy in the Yale library (No. 2693, Aug. 12-Aug. 14, 1712), states that it is printed by "L. Beardwell, near Red Cross Tavern, in Black Friars." It is a single folio sheet, printed on both sides.

27:27, Mall. The popular walk in St. James's Park.

28: 15, Prince Menzikoff. Alexander Danilovitch Menshikoff (1672-1730), a Russian general and statesman under Peter the Great. He fought against Charles XII. of Sweden. 29:13. Present negotiations. The preliminary negotiations for the peace of Utrecht (1713.)

30: Motto. Truly, by a semblance of knowledge, they show they know nothing at all. Terence. Andria, Prologue, 17.

30: 20, Aldus. Aldus Manutius (circ. 1450-1515), the classical scholar and printer. He founded the Aldine Press at Venice, about 1490.

30:21, Elzevir. A Dutch family of printers, famous especially for their editions of the classics. Louis Elzevir (circ. 1540-1617) founded the Elzevir press, and his work was carried on by his five sons.

30:23, Stephens. Henri Etienne (1528-1598), the French printer and editor of the classics.

31: 21, A late paper. No. 154.

32: 4,

Daniel Heinsius's edition. Daniel Heinsius (1580-1655), professor and librarian at the University of Leyden. He was famous for his editions of Greek and Latin texts. 32:32, Tasso. The Gerusaleme Liberata, the great work of Tasso (1544-1595), was published 1581.

32: 1, Pastor Fido. The pastoral play of Battista Guarini (1538-1612), printed in 1590.

33: 9, Editors. See Spectator, No. 470.

34 2, Boileau. Nicholas Boileau Despréaux (16361711), the critic and poet. These lines are from Satire IV., 5-10.

35:5, Scarpe. Douay. The allies under the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene crossed the river Scarpe

April 22, 1710, the French "retiring with great precipitation"; Douay on the Scheldt was invested April 23d, and surrendered April 27th.

36: 33, Artois. Douay was the frontier defence of the province of Artois.

37: 2, Deulle. The river Deulle, or Dyle, formed part of the French line of defence.

37:21, Tie up the knocker. Cf. Pope, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot (1735)1. 2.

Tickell does not reprint the whole of this paper. Evidently the part that follows was written by Steele.

Since I have given this letter to the public, I shall communicate one or two more, which I have lately received from others of my correspondents. The following is from a coquet, who is very angry at my having disposed of her in marriage to a Bass-viol.

MR. BICKERSTAFF,

I thought you would never have descended from the Censor of Great Britain to become a match-maker. But pray, why be so severe upon the Kit? Had I been a Jew's harp, that is nothing but tongue, you could not have used me worse. Of all things a bass-viol is my aversion. Had you married me to a bag-pipe, or a passing-bell I should have been better pleased. Dear father Isaac, either choose me a better husband, or I will live and die a dulcimer, In hopes of receiving satisfaction from you, I am yours, whilst,

ISABELLA KIT.

The pertness which this fair lady hath shown in this letter, was one occasion for my adjoining her to the bass-viol, which is an instrument that wants to be quickened by those little vivacities; as the sprightliness of the Kit ought to be checked and curbed by the gravity of the bass-viol.

My next letter is from Tom Folio, who it seems takes it amiss that I have published a character of him so much to his disadvantage.

SIR,

I suppose you meant Tom Fool, when you called me Tom Folio in a late trifling paper of yours; for I find 'tis your design to run down all useful and solid learning. The tobacco paper on which your own writings are usually printed, as well as the incorrectness of the press, and the scurvy letter, sufficiently show the extent of your knowledge. I question not but you look upon John Morphew to be as great a man as Elzevir; and Aldus to have been such another as Bernard Lintott. If you would give me my revenge, I would only desire of you to let me publish an account of your library, which I daresay would furnish out an extraordinary catalogue.

TOM FOLIO.