...

In the accounts of the "Gentlemen's Society at Spalding "1 we have an example of the way in which the Tatler and its successors were received in the country districts. Maurice Johnson, a native of Spalding, and a member of the Inner Temple, was one of a party of antiquarians who began to hold weekly meetings in London in 1707; but Johnson soon afterwards left London for Spalding, where he at once set about forming a Literary Society. This is his account of the commencement of the Society: "In April, 1709, that great genius, Captain Richard Steele, published the Tatlers, which, as they came out in half-sheets, were taken in by a gentleman, who communicated them to his acquaintances at the Coffee house then in the Abbey Yard; and these papers being universally approved as both instructive and entertaining, they ordered them to be sent down thither, with the Gazettes and Votes, for which they paid out of charity to the person who kept the Coffee house, and they were accordingly had and read there every post day, generally aloud, to the company, who would sit and talk over the subject afterwards. This insensibly drew the men of sense and letters into a sociable way of conversing, and continued the next year, 1710, until the publication of these papers desisted, which was in December, to their great regret." They then read poems, &c., and considered how a parochial library could be formed. "In March, 1711, the Spectator came out, which was received and read here as the Tatler had been," and then it was agreed to form a regular Society, which was started in 1712. In a letter to Mr. Birch, 1752, Johnson says that he aimed always at getting young men into improving society. "It was with this view, by the encouragement of Mr. Secretary Addison, Captain Steele, and others of Button's Club, I dared to found, and have since supported, our Society here." In 1713 the Lay Monk-a continuation of the Spectator-was taken in; and then the Guardian, Englishman, Entertainer, and Lover, "so long as they meddled not with politics." A regular communication of Minutes took place between the Spalding

1 W. Moore's The Gentlemen's Society at Spalding (1851); Nichols' Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, III. i.-lxi., 1–92, 411 (1790); Nichols' Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, vi. 2-68 (1812).

Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. All sciences. and arts were discussed, politics alone being excluded. Maurice Johnson died in 1755.

Notes to the Tatler were first added in the six-volume edition of 1786, published by John Nichols. In the "Advertisement" we are told that about twenty-five years before "a writer of distinguished taste and talents"-Dr. Percy-commenced, in conjunction with Tonson the publisher, to annotate the periodical Essayists; but other duties prevented him continuing the work. Dr. John Calder-the "worthy coadjutor"-became acquainted with Percy, and continued the task which he found already begun. Dr. Calder left the following Memorandum on the subject: "On my coming to settle in London, about half a century ago, I was engaged to prepare a new edition of the Tatler, Spectator and Guardian, with Notes and Illustrations, by such of the Booksellers as before the last Act of Parliament limiting the property of Copy-right took place, claimed an exclusive right to these books. I had begun this work at Alnwick for Dr. Percy, late Bishop of Dromore, who on my coming to town entirely relinquished his contract for this purpose to me, on whom it devolved with the request and at the consent of the Booksellers above mentioned."1 Bishop Pearce-the "late very learned and much respected Prelate "—also helped; and their notes were all used in the 1786 edition of the Tatler, in which Percy's notes are signed "P," and Calder's "A," or " Annotator." The Tatler was fully illustrated, but the notes were very discursive. All subsequent editions have contained little or nothing but extracts, taken without acknowledgment, from the notes in the 1786 edition.

None of the papers in the Tatler, as originally issued, bore any indication of their author's name, and it is occasionally difficult and even impossible to determine who wrote a paper or portion of a paper. The reliable information that we have is furnished, firstly, by Steele's Preface to the Tatler, in which he announced the authorship of certain papers; and, secondly, by the list of papers by Addison which Steele supplied to Tickell. But that list was not complete, because, as Steele says in the 1 Nichols' Literary Anecdotes, ix. 805.

VOL. I.

R

Preface to the second edition of the Drummer, "What I never did declare was Mr. Addison's, I had his direct injunctions to hide." ... "Many of the writings now published as his, I have been very patiently traduced and calumniated for, as they were pleasantries and oblique strokes upon certain the wittiest men of the age." It is well known, too, that Swift would not confess all he wrote. There are, therefore, a few papers respecting which a doubt remains.

II.

COMMISSIONER OF THE STAMP OFFICE.

1709-10. ÆT. 37.

DIFFICULTIES caused by the want of money did not cease with the commencement of the Tatler, as the following notes show:

DEAR WIFE:

Ap: 19th, 1709.

I have been with Tryon. He owns some effects which will be of service to Me. I call Heav'n to Witnesse I value nothing but as you are partaker of it: Do not cast Y' self down but depend upon it that I shall bring You home what will make things have a Chearfull aspect and will do that may contribute to y' Satisfaction which is all the ambition of Yr Eternally

RICH STEELE.

DEAREST CREATURE:

Ap: 23, 1709.

This matter must be defer'd till some hour in the Evening or to some other day for I cannot have money till after Chappell.

I am,

Y' Faithfull Tender Husband

RICH STEELE.

On the 2nd May Steele was, it appears, arrested for debt. On the 5th he wrote four times to his wife, sending ten shillings, and asking her to meet him at Westminster after he had had an interview in the Park with Mr. Edward Wortley Montague. He vowed vengeance upon "that insufferable brute" -presumably the landlady of the house in Bury Street-who had affronted his wife. Matters seem then to have brightened somewhat; but, as we shall see afterwards, this was probably

only owing to Mr. Compton advancing, before it was due, Steele's pension as Gentleman Waiter to the late Prince.

May 7th, 1709.

DEAR PRUE

I have been with Mr. Compton1 and have his order to be at the Office with a request to keep it very Secret that He does me this favour for fear of His being importun'd on the same account by others of the Family. I am,

DEAR PRUE

Y' Most Affectionate and Tender Husband,

I am just drinking a Pint of Wine and forthwith. I am with Mr. Elliot settling things.

RICH STEELE.

May 7th, 1709.

will come home

Yrs Ever Ever RICH STEELE.

On the 27th May, as we shall find, Steele borrowed £140 from Mr. George Tilden, and next day he wrote to his wife that he had received money, but that, owing to an appointment, he could not come home till four o'clock. There are a few other letters which, though they are undated, were probably written about this time. They refer to a hope of receiving some office through the interest of Henry Boyle, Secretary of State; to matters connected with the Gazette, and to the West Indian property. I give only one of these notes here.

DEAR PRUE

Half Hour after 9.

I was coming home from the office after having received some money, but am invited to Supper to Mr. Boyle's. God be thanked all will do well, and I rejoice that I had spirit to refuse what has been lately offered Me.

Dear Prue Don't send after Me for I shall be ridiculous. I send word to put you out of frights.

you

R. S.

1 The Hon. Spencer Compton, who was appointed Paymaster to Her Majesty's Pensioners and Treasurer to the Prince in April 1707 (Pointer's Chronological History of England, ii. 569; Luttrell's Diary, vi. 165, 267). The words "others of the family" apparently refer to other members of the late Prince's household.