argument, adds that "with regard to wit, I am afraid none of Swift's papers will be found equal to those by which Addison opposed him." To which Monck Mason pertinently remarks: "The Doctor should have told us what these papers were which Addison wrote in opposition to Swift's 'Examiner;' for the last 'Whig Examiner,' written by Addison, was published October 12th, 1710, and Swift's first 'Examiner' on the 2nd November following."[2]

* * * * *

In this volume have been collected those writings of Swift which form his contributions to the periodicals of his time. Care has been taken to give the best text and to admit nothing that Swift did not write. In the preparation of the volume the editor has received such assistance from Mr. W. Spencer Jackson that it might with stricter justice be said that he had edited it. He collated the texts, revised the proofs, and supplied most of the notes. Without his assistance the volume must inevitably have been further delayed, and the editor gladly takes this occasion to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. Jackson and to thank him for his help.

His further indebtedness must be acknowledged to the researches of those writers already named in the previously published volumes of this edition, and also cited in the notes to the present volume.

TEMPLE SCOTT.

GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.

April 8, 1902.

[Footnote 1: "Examiner," No. 44, p. 290.]

[Footnote 2: "Hist. St. Patrick's Cathedral," p. 257, note g.]

CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE TATLER"
Introductory Note
No. 32, June 23, 1709
    35, " 30, "
    59, Aug. 25, "
    65, Sept. 3, "
    66, " 10, "
    67, " 13, "
    68, " 15, "
    70, " 22, "
    71, " 22, "
   230, Sept. 28, 1710
   258, Dec. 2, "

Note to Harrison's "Tatler"
No. 1 (of vol. v.), Jan. 13, 1710-11
    2 ( " ), " 16, "
    5 ( " ), " 27, "
No. 298 (vol. v., No. 20), March 6, 1710-11
    302 (vol. v., No. 24), " 15 "
    306 (vol. v., No. 28), " 24 "

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE EXAMINER" Introductory Note No. 14 (13), Nov. 2, 1710 15 (14), " 9, " 16 (15), " 16, " 17 (16), " 23, " 18 (17), " 30, " 19 (18), Dec. 7, " 20 (19), " 14, " 21 (20), " 21, " 22 (21), " 28, " 23 (22), Jan. 4, 1710-11 24 (23), " 11, " 25 (24), " 18, " 26 (25), " 25, " 27 (26), Feb. 1, " 28 (27), " 8, " 29 (28), Feb 15, 1710 11 30 (29), " 22, " 31 (30), March 1, " 32 (31), " 8, " 33 (32), " 15, " 34 (33), " 22, " 35 (34), " 29, 1711 36 (35), April 5, " 37 (36), " 12, " 38 (37), " 19, " 39 (38), " 26, " 40 (39), May 3, " 41 (40), " 10, " 42 (41), " 17, " 43 (42), " 24, " 44 (43), " 31, " 45 (44), June 7, " 46 (45), " 14, "

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE SPECTATOR"
  Introductory Note
  No 50, April 27, 1711 (The Four Indian Kings)
  Paragraph from No 575, August 2, 1714

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE INTELLIGENCER"
  Introductory Note
  No 1, May 11, 1728 (Introduction)
     3, A Vindication of Mr. Gay, and the Beggar's Opera
    19, The Hardships of the Irish being deprived of their
         Silver, and decoyed into America

* * * * *

CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE TATLER."

NOTE.

In the original dedication of the first volume of "The Tatler" to Arthur Maynwaring Richard Steele, its projector and editor, gives characteristic expression to the motive which prompted him in its establishment. "The state of conversation and business in this town," says Steele, "having been long perplexed with pretenders in both kinds, in order to open men's eyes against such abuses, it appeared no unprofitable undertaking to publish a Paper which should observe upon the manners of the pleasurable, as well as the busy, part of mankind." He goes on to say that "the general purpose of this Paper is to expose the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our discourse, and our behaviour."

That Steele succeeded in this laudable purpose has been amply made evident by the effect "The Tatler" had upon his literary successors, both of his own age and of the generations since his time. "The Tatler" was, if we except Defoe's "Weekly Review," the earliest literary periodical which, in the language of Scott, "had no small effect in fixing and refining the character of the English nation."

Steele conducted his periodical under the name of Isaac Bickerstaff. He chose this name purposely because he felt, as he himself expressed it, that "a work of this nature required time to grow into the notice of the world. It happened very luckily that a little before I had resolved upon this design, a gentleman had written predictions, and two or three other pieces in my name, which had rendered it famous through all parts of Europe; and by an inimitable spirit and humour, raised it to as high a pitch of reputation as it could possibly arrive at." The gentleman referred to is, of course, Swift, whose pamphlets on Partridge had been the talk of the town.

Steele very kindly ascribes the success of the periodical to this "good fortune;" and though there may be something in what he said, we, in the present day, can more justly appreciate the great benefit conferred upon his countrymen by himself and his co-workers.

The influence of "The Tatler" on contemporary thought is acknowledged by Gay in his "Present State of Wit," published in 1711. Gay remarks: "His writings have set all our wits and men of letters upon a new way of thinking, of which they had little or no notion before; and though we cannot yet say that any of them have come up to the beauties of the original, I think we may venture to affirm that every one of them writes and thinks much more justly than they did some time since."

Among the contributors, in addition to the editor himself, were Swift,
Addison, Yalden, John Hughes, William Harrison, and James Greenwood.

It must always remain to a great extent a matter of conjecture as to the exact authorship of "The Tatler" papers. In the preface to the fourth volume the authorship of a very few of the articles was admitted. Peter Wentworth wrote to his brother, Lord Raby, on May 9th, 1709, saying the Tatlers "are writ by a club of wits, who make it their business to pick up all the merry stories they can…. Three of the authors are guessed at, viz.: Swift,… Yalden, and Steele" ("Wentworth Papers," 85).

Swift's first recognized prose contribution to "The Tatler" was in No. 32 (June 23rd), and he continued from time to time, as the following reprint will show, to assist his friend; but, unfortunately, party politics separated the two, and Swift retired from the venture.

A particular meaning was attached to the place from which the articles in "The Tatler" were dated. The following notice appeared in the first number: "All accounts of gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment, shall be under the article of White's Chocolate-house; poetry, under that of Will's Coffee-house; learning, under the title of Grecian; foreign and