of Rgypt, I made a Voyage to Grand Cairo, on purpose to take the Measure of a Pyramid: And as foon as I had fet my self right in that Particular, returned to my native Country with great Satisfaction.

I have paffed my latter Years in this City, where I am frequently seen in moft publick Places, tho' there are not above half a dozen of my felect Friends that know me; of whom my next Paper fhall give a more particular Ac- count. There is no Place of general Resort, wherein I do not often make my Appearance; fometimes I am seen thrufting my Head into a Round of Politicians at Will's, and liftning with great Attention to the Narratives that are made in thofe little circular Audiences. Sometimes I fmoak a Pipe at Child's, and whilft I feem attentive to nothing but the Poft-Man, over-hear the Converfation of every Table in the Room. I appear on Sunday Nights at St. James's Coffee-houfe, and fometimes join the little Committee of Politicks in the Inner-Room, as one who comes there to hear and improve. My Face is likewise very well known at the Grecian, the Cocoa-Tree, and in the Theatres both of Drury-Lane and the Hay-Market. I have been taken for a Merchant upon the Exchange for a bove thefe ten Years, and fometimes pafs for a Jew in the Affembly of Stock-Jobbers at Jonathan's: In fhort,. where-ever I fee a Clufter of People, I always mix with them, though I never open my Lips but in my own Club.. THUS I live in the World rather as a Spectator of Mankind, than as one of the Species; by which Means I have made my self a fpeculative Statefman, Soldier, Merchant and Artizan, without ever medling with any practi cal Part in Life. I am very well verfed in the Theory of a Husband or a Father, and can difcern the Errors in the Oeconomy, Bufinefs and Diverfion of others, better than those who are engaged in them; as Standers-by discover Blots, which are apt to efcape those who are in the Game I never espoused any Party with Violence, and am refolved to obferve an exact Neutrality between the Whigs and Tories, unless I fhall be forced to declare my felf by the Hoftilities of either Sidé. In fhort, I have acted in all the Parts of my Life as a Looker-on, which is the Character I intend to preferve in this Paper.

I have given the Reader juft fo much of my History and Character, as to let him fee I am not altogether un-, qualified for the Bufinefs I have undertaken. As for other Particulars in my Life and Adventures, I fhall infert them in following Papers, as I fhall fee Occafion. In the mean time, when I confider how much I have feen, read and heard, I begin to blame my own Taciturnity; and fince I have neither Time nor Inclination to communicate the Fulness of my Heart in Speech, I am refolved to do it in Writing, and to print my felf out, if poffible, before I die. I have been often told by my Friends, that it is pity fo many useful Discoveries which I have made should be in the Poffeffion of a filent Man. For this Reason therefore, I fhall publish a Sheet-full of Thoughts every Morning, for the Benefit of my Contemporaries; and if I can any way contribute to the Diverfion or Improvement of the Country in which I live, I fhall leave it, when I am fummoned out of it, with the fecret Satisfaction of thinking that I have not lived in vain.

THERE are three very material Points which I have not spoken to in this Paper; and which, for feveral important Reafons, I muft keep to my felf, at leaft for fome Time: Imean, an Account of my Name, my Age, and my Lodgings. I must confefs, I would gratify my Reader in any Thing that is reasonable; but as for thefe three Particulars, though I am fenfible they might tend very much to the Establishment of my Paper, I cannot yet come to a Refolution of communicating them to the Publick. They would indeed draw me out of that Obfcurity which I have enjoy'd for many Years, and expofe me in publick Places to feveral Salutes and Civilities, which have been always very difagreeable to me; for the greateft Pain I can fuffer, is the being talked to, and being ared at. It is for this Reafon likewife, that I keep my Complection and Drefs as very great Secrets; tho' it is not impoffible, but I may make Discoveries of both in the Progrefs of the Work I have undertaken.

AFTER having been thus particular upon my felf, I fhall in To-morrow's Paper give an Account of those Gentlemen who are concerned with me in this Work; for, as I have before intimated, a Plan of it is laid and

con

1

concerted (as all other Matters of Importance are) in a Club. However, as my Friends have engaged me to ftand in the Front, thofe who have a mind to correfpond with me, may direct their Letters to the SPECTATOR, at Mr. Buckley's in Little-Britain. For I muft further acquaint the Reader, that tho' our Club meets only on Tuefdays and Thurfdays, we have appointed a Committee to fit every Night, for the Infpection of all fuch Papers as may contribute to the Advancement of the Publick Weal.

C

N 2.

Friday, March 2.

-Aft alii fex

Et plures uno conclamant ore.—

Juv.

HE firft of our Society is a Gentleman of Worcester-
Shire, of ancient Defcent, a Baronet, his Name

Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY. His Great Grand-
father was Inventor of the famous Country-Dance which
is called after him. All who know that Shire, are very
well acquainted with the Parts and Merits of Sir ROGER.
He is a Gentleman that is very fingular in his Behaviour,
but his Singularities proceed from his good Senfe, and are
Contradictions to the Manners of the World, only as he
thinks the World is in the Wrong. However, this Hu-
mour creates him no Enemies, for he does nothing with
Sournefs or Obftinacy; and his being unconfined to
Modes and Forms, makes him but the readier and more
capable to please and oblige all who know him. When
he is in Town, he lives in Soho-Square. It is faid, he
keeps himself a Batchelor by reafon he was croffed in
Love, by a perverfe beautiful Widow of the next Coun-
ty to him. Before this Difappointment, Sir ROGER was
what you call a fine Gentleman, had often fupped with
my Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege, fought a Duel
upon
his firft coming to Town, and kick'd Bully Dawson
in a publick Coffee-houfe for calling him Youngfter. But

being ill used by the above-mentioned Widow, he was very ferious for a Year and a half, and though, his Temper being naturally jovial, he at laft got over it, he grew carelefs of himself, and never dreffed afterwards. He continues to wear a Coat and Doublet of the fame Cut that were in Fashion at the Time of his Repulfe, which, in his merry Humours, he tells us, has been in and out twelve Times fince he first wore it. "Tis faid Sir ROGER grew humble in his Defires after he had forgot this cruel Beauty, infomuch that it is reported he has frequently offended in Point of Chastity with Beggars and Gypfies :: But this is looked upon by his Friends rather as Matter of Raillery than Truth. He is now in his fifty fixth Year, cheerful, gay and hearty; keeps a good Houfe both in Town and Country; a great Lover of Mankind; but there is fuch a mirthful Caft in his Behaviour, that he is rather beloved than esteemed: His Tenants grow rich, his Servants look fatisfied, all the young Women profefs Love to him, and the young Men are glad of his Company: When he comes into a Houfe he calls the Servants by their Names, and talks all the way up Stairs to a Vifit. I muft not omit, that Sir ROGER is a Justice of the Quorum; that he fills the Chair at a Quarter-Seffion with great Abilities, and three Months ago gained univerfal Applaufe by explaining a Paffage in the Game-

A&.

THE Gentleman next in Efteem and Authority a mong us, is another Batchelor, who is a Member of the Inner-Temple; a Man of great Probity, Wit, and Underftanding; but he has chofen his Place of Refidence rather to obey the Direction of an old humourfome Father, than in Pursuit of his own Inclinations.. He was placed there to ftudy the Laws of the Land, and is the most learned of any of the Houfe in those of the Stage. Ariftotle and Longinus are much better understood by him than Littleton or Cooke. The Father fends up every Poft Questions relating to Marriage-Articles, Leafes, and Tenures, in the Neighbourhood; all which Questions he agrees with an Attorney to anfwer and take Care of in the Lump. He is ftudying the Paffions themselves, when he should be inquiring into the Debates among Men which arife

from

from them. He knows the Argument of each of the Orations of Demofthenes and Tully, but not one Case in the Reports of our own Courts. No one ever took him for a Fool, but none, except his intimate Friends, know he has a great deal of Wit. This Turn makes him at once both difinterefted and agreeable: As few of his Thoughts are drawn from Bufinels, they are moft of them fit for Conversation. His Taste of Books is a little too juft for the Age he lives in; he has read all, but ap-proves of very few. His Familiarity with the Cuftoms, Manners, Actions, and Writings of the Ancients, makes him a very delicate Obferver of what occurs to him in the prefent World. He is an excellent Critick, and the Time of the Play is his Hour of Bufinefs; exactly at five he paffes thro' New-Inn, croffes thro' Ruffel-Court, and takes a turn at Will's till the Play begins; he has his Shoes rubbed and his Periwig powdered at the Barber's as you go into the Rofe. It is for the Good of the Audience when he is at a Play, for the Actors have an Ambition to pleafe him.

THE Perfon of next Confideration, is Sir AN DREW FREEPORT, a Merchant of great Eminence in the City of London. A Perfon of indefatigable Industry, ftrong Reafon, and great Experience. His Notions of Trade are noble and generous, and (as every rich Man has ufually fome fly Way of Jefting, which would make no great Figure were he not a rich Man) he calls the Sea the British Common. He is acquainted with Commerce in all its Parts, and will tell you it is a ftupid and barbarous Way to extend Dominion by Arms; for true Power is to be got by Arts and Induftry. He will often argue, that if this Part of our Trade were well cultivated, we fhould gain from one Nation; and if another, from another. I have heard him prove, that Diligence makes more lafting Acquifitions than Valour, and that Sloth has ruin'd more Ña-tions than the Sword. He abounds in feveral frugal Maxims, amongft which the greatest Favourite is, A

Penny faved is a Penny got. A general Trader of good Senfe, is pleasanter Company than a general Scholar; and Sir ANDREW having a natural unaffected Eloquence, the Perfpicuity of his Difcourfe gives the fame Pleasure