Clergyman, than any other hinted at in thefe Complaints., I have indeed a long Time with much Concern obferved Abundance of Pretty Fellows in Sacred Orders, and fhall in due Time let them know, that I pretend to give Ecclefiaftical as well as Civil Cenfures. A Man well bred and well dreffed in that Habit adds to the Sacredness of his Function an Agreeablenefs not to be met with among the Laity. I own I have spent fome Evenings among the Men of Wit of that Profeflion with an inexpreffible Delight. Their habitual Care of their Character gives fuch a Chaftifement to their Fancy, that all which they utter in Company is as much above what you meet with in other Converfation, as the Charms of a modeft, are fuperior to thofe of a light Woman. I therefore earneftly defire our young Miffionaries from the Universities to confider where they are, and not drefs, and look, and move like young Officers. It is no Difadvantage to have a very handfome white Hand; but were I to preach Re-. pentance to a Gallery of Ladies, I would, methinks, keep my Gloves on: I have an unfeigned Affection to the Clafs of Mankind appointed to ferve at the Altar, therefore am in Danger of running out of my Way, and growing too ferious on this Occafion; for which Reafon fhall end with the following Epiftle, which, by my Intereft in Fom, Tror the Penny-Poft, I procured a Copy of. To the Reverend Mr. Ralph Incenfe, Chaplain to the -Countess Dowager of Brumpton, SIR, Heard and faw you preach laft Sunday. I am an ignorant young Woman, and understood not half you faid: But ah! your Manner, when you held up ⚫ both your Hands towards our Pew! Did you defign to win me to Heaven or yourself? ADVERTISEMENTS. Mr. Proctorstaff of Clare-Hall in Cambridge is received as a Kinfman, according to his Request bearing Date the 20th Infants THE diftreed Son of Efculapius is defired to be more particular. N° 271 N° 271. Tuesday, January 2, 1710. HE Printer having informed me, That there are as many of these Papers printed as will make four Volumes, I am now come to the End of my Ambition in this Matter, and have nothing further to fay to the World under the Character of Ifaac Bickerstaff. This Work has indeed for fome Time been difagreeable to me, and the Purpofe of it wholly loft by my being fo long understood as the Author. I never defigned in it to give any Man any fecret Wound by my Concealment, but fpoke in the Character of an old Man, a Philofopher," an Humourist, an Aftrologer, and a Cenfor, to allure my Reader with the Variety of my Subjects, and infinuate, if I could, the Weight of Reafon with the Agreeablenefs of Wit. The general Purpofe of the whole has been to recommend Truth, Innocence, Honour and Virtue, as the chief Ornaments of Life; but I confidered, that Severity of Manners was abfolutely neceffary to him who would cenfure others, and for that Reason, and that only, chofe to talk in a Mafk. I fhall not carry my Humility fo far as to call myfelf a vicious. Man, but at the fame Time muft confefs, my Life is at beft but pardonable. And with no greater Character than this, a Man would make but an indifferent Progrefs in attacking prevailing and fashionable Vices, which Mr. Bickerstaff has done with a Freedom of Spirit that would have loft both its Beauty and Efficacy, had it been pretended to by Mr. Steele. AS to the Work itself, the, Acceptance it has met with is the beft Proof of its Value; but I fhould err against that Candour which an honeft Man fhould always carry about him, if I did not own that the most ap. proved Pieces in it were written by others, and thofe which have been moft excepted against, by myfelf. The Iland that has affifted me in thofe noble Difcourfes upon the the Immortality of the Soul, the glorious Profpects of another, Life, and the moft fublime Ideas of Religion and Virtue, is a Perfon who is too fondly my Friend ever to own them; but I fhould little deferve to be his, if I ufurped the Glory of them. I muft acknowledge at the fame Time, that I think the fine Strokes of Wit and Humour in all Mr. Bickerstaff's Lucubrations are thofe for which he alfo is beholden to him. AS for the Satirical l'art of thefe Writings, thofe against the Gentlemen who profefs Gaming are the most licentious; but the Main of them I take to come from lofing Gamellers, as Invectives against the Fortunate; for in very many of them I was very little elfe but the Tranfcriber. If any have been more particularly mark'd at, fuch Perfons may impute it to their own Behaviour (before they were touched upon) in publickly fpeaking their Refentment against the Author, and profefling they would fupport any Man who fhould infult him. When I mention this Subject, I hope Major General Davenport, Brigadier Biffet, and my Lord Forbes, will accept of my Thanks for their frequent good Offices, in profeffing their Readinefs to partake any Danger that should befal me in fo just an Undertaking, as the Endeavour to banish Fraud and Cozenage from the Prefence and Converfation of Gentlemen. BUT what I find is the leaft excufable Part of all this Work is, That I have in fome Places in it touched upon Matters which concern both Church and State. All I fhall fay for this is, That the Points I alluded to are fuch as concerned every Chriftian and Freeholder in England; and I could not be cold enough to conceal my Opinion on Subjects which related to either of thofe Characters. But Politicks apart. I must confefs, it has been a moft exquifite Pleafure to me to frame Characters of Domeftick Life, and put thofe Parts of it which are leaft obferved into an agreeable View; to enquire into the Seeds of Vanity and Affectation, to lay before the Readers the Emptinefs of Ambition: In a Word, to trace human Life through all its Mazes and Recesses, and few much shorter Methods than Men ordinarily practife, to be happy, agreeable, and great. BUT " BUT to enquire into Men's Faults and Weaknesses has fomething in it fo unwelcome, that I have often seen People in Pain to act before me, whofe Modefty only makes them think themselves liable to Cenfure. This, and a Thousand other nameless Things, have made it an irksome Task to me to perfonate Mr. Bickerftaff any longer; and I believe it does not often happen, that the Reader is delighted where the Author is displeased. ALL I can now do for the further Gratification of the Town, is to give them a faithful Index and Explication of Paffages and Allufions, and fometimes of Perfons intended in the feveral scattered Parts of the Work. At the fame Time the fucceeding Volumes fhall difcover which of the whole have been written by me, and which by others, and by whom, as far as I am able, or permitted. THUS I have voluntarily done what I think all Authors fhould do, when called upon. I have published my Name to my Writings, and given myfelf up to the Mercy of the Town (as Shakespear expreffes it) with all my Imperfections on my Head. The indulgent Readers Moft obliged, Moft obedient, Humble Servant, RICHARD STEELE. The End of the Fourth Volume. VOL. IV. AN ΑΝ INDEX TO THE TATLERS. VOL. IV. A.. A Duerfits, an Eafe for it. Advertisements, a Differtation upon them. Affection diftinguished from Efteem. Both nearly related in the Fair Sex. Alexander the Great, his Character. Phyfician. Page 163, 164 132 64 68 The remarkable Incident between him and his His Speech to his Phyfician. The Irregularity of his Temper. Alexander Truncheon, Foreman of the Male Jury in Mr. Bickerstaff's Court of Honour. Ambition, its Refuge when disappointed. No true Happiness in the Succefs of it. 237 50 ibid. ibid. Amicable Contribution (a Lottery) for raifing the Fortune |