The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D. — Volume 09: Contributions to The Tatler, The Examiner, The Spectator, and The IntelligencerSwift, Jonathan
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The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D. — Volume 09: Contributions to The Tatler, The Examiner, The Spectator, and The Intelligencer
Swift, Jonathan
English essays -- 18th century; English prose literature -- 18th century
"Your petitioners desire your Honours will tenderly consider the
premisses, and suffer your said petitioners to continue their trade
(those who set them at work, being still willing to employ them, though
at lower rates) and your said petitioners will give security to make use
of the same stuff, and dress it in the same manner, as they always did,
and no other. _And your petitioners" &c._
[Footnote 1: No. 45 in the reprint. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 2: In his "Journal to Stella," under date June 22nd, 1711,
Swift writes: "Yesterday's was a sad 'Examiner,' and last week was very
indifferent, though, some little scraps of the old spirit, as if he had
given some hints; but yesterday's is all trash. It is plain the hand is
changed." (vol. ii., p, 195).
On November 2nd he gives the following account: "I have sent to Leigh the
set of 'Examiners'; the first thirteen were written by several hands;
some good, some bad; the next three-and-thirty were all by one hand, that
makes forty-six: then that author, whoever he was, laid it down on
purpose to confound guessers; and the last six were written by a woman"
(vol. ii., p. 273). [T.S.]]
[Footnote 3: Horace, "Satires," II. i. 45.
"'Better not touch me, friend,' I loud exclaim."--P. FRANCIS. [T.S.]]
CONTRIBUTION TO "THE SPECTATOR."
NOTE.
"THE SPECTATOR," projected by Steele, assisted and made famous by
Addison, was first started on March 1st, 1710/1, and continued to be
issued daily until December 6th, 1712. An interval of eighteen months
then occurred, during six of which these two writers were busy with
"The Guardian." On June 18th, 1714, however, "The Spectator" was resumed,
and appeared daily until its final number on December 20th of that year.
As with "The Tatler," so with "The Spectator," its success proved too
great a temptation to be resisted; so that we find a spurious "Spectator"
also. This was begun on Monday, January 3rd, 1714/5, and concluded
August 3rd of the same year. Its sixty numbers (for it was issued twice a
week) were afterwards published as "The Spectator, volume ninth and
last." The principal writer to this spurious edition was said to be Dr.
George Sewell.
Of the contributions to Steele's "Spectator," by far the greater
number were written by the projector and Addison. The other contributors
were Eustace Budgell, John Hughes, John Byrom, Henry Grove, Thomas
Parnell, "Orator" Henley, Dr. Zachary Pearce, Philip Yorke, and a few
others whose identity is doubtful. Swift's contribution consisted of one
paper only, and (probably) a single paragraph in another. [T.S.]
THE SPECTATOR, NUMB. L.[1]
_Nunquam aliud natura, aliud sapientia dicit._
JUV.[2]
FRIDAY, APRIL 27. 1711.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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