VOL. XLI.

No. 1. INTRODUCTORY paper. Some description of the present

work, particularly of the literary anecdotes of Greece. 2. Sect of the Dampers described. Quotation from Pliny's

letters. 3. Love of praise. Instances of Aattery in the dedication of

Sepulveda to the king of Spain, also in Ben Jonson's masques in the court of James I. That poet an imitator of Aristophanes. Vanity of authors in prefixing their prints to their works. Portrait of a citizen on horseback. Anecdote of a dancing-master and his

scholar. 4. Visit to Sir Theodore and Lady Thimble. Their coun

try house and faniily described. 5. Visit continued. Calliope reads part of an epic poem.

Doctor Mac Infidel discourses against Christ's miracles. 6. Conversation with Calliope subsequent to Dr. Mac In

fidel's discourse. Two letters from Captain Henry

Constant to that young lady. 7. Calliope's interview and reconciliation with Captain Con

stant described in a letter from that young lady, 8. History of Pythagoras. 9. The same continued to his death. 10. Pythagoras compared with Christ; the heathèn argument

against revealed religion. 11. Defence of Clirist's miracles against modern cavils, par

ticularly of the supernatural darkness at the passion. 12. Danger of sudden elevation. Quotation from Ben Jon

son's Sir Epicure Mammon. Letters from Pisistratus to Solon, and Solon to Pisistratus, in answer. Anece

dotes of the latter. 13. On the subject of divorces, with ironical rules for their

further propagation and encouragement. 14. Tragic story of Abdullah and Quarima. 15. Upon resignation to Providence. Diary of Chaubert the

misanthrope. 16. Chaubert's diary concluded. Translation of a frag!nent

of Philemon. 17. Character of Vanessa. Visit to that lady, with a conver•

sation-piece. 18. Character of Leontine. Remarks upon duelling Pre

cepts for disputants.

No.

19. Tragic story of a Portuguese gentleman, who died by the

rack.

20. On the practice of puffing. Enumeration of persons ad-

dicted to this practice.

21. Remarks on the state of society in France, Spain, and

England, with the causes which obstruct its enjoy.

ment in this country.

22. On Gaming:

23. The story of Melissa.

24. Melissa's story concluded.

25. Of the Lama of Thibet.

26. History and account of Mr. Jedediah Fishi, a teacher of

the art of hearing.

27. Remarks upon novels; particularly of Ricliardson's Cla.

rissa. A poem on Dorinda.

28. Upon moderni marriages. Several instances adduced.

Advice upon that subject.

29. Of actors; their merit and importance. Advice to that

fraternity.

SO. Of prejudice; its various descriptions.

31. Account of magic from the old Christian writers, with

several anecdotes of magicians, &c.

32. Continuation of the above. The forms and ceremonies

used by sorcerers, collected from the above writers.

33. A visit to Vanessa. An old gentleman silences a talkative

person by a fable. Vanessa's remarks thereupon.

34. Letter from Mr. Jedediah Fish, with the cases of several

persons brouglit to their hearing by his process. Re-

flections thereupon, and a hint to parents

35. Upon pleasure as pursued by system. A meditation upon

this pursuit, entitled the Voluptuary's Soliloquy.

36. The advantages of public education exemplified in the

story of Geminus and Gemellus.

37. The story of Geininus and Gemellus concluded.

38. The case of the Jews considered. Their method of se-

creting their religion in countries where the inquisition

is in force. Letter from Abraliam Abrahams, a Jew.

Observations on this letter. Some hints as a general

apoiogy for the Jews.

39. Dialogne between two Jews, extracted from an old novel,

written by Thomas Naish in 1594 Descriptions of

French, Spanish, and Italian travellers, taken from

the same author.

40 The story of Ned Drowsy.

41 The ame continued.

4. The same continued.

4,3. The same continued.

THE

OBSERVER.

NUMBER I.

WHEN

a man breaks in upon a company of strangers, to which he is not invited, the intrusion does or does not demand an apology, according to the nature of the business which brings him thither: if it imports the company only, and he has no interest in the errand, the less time he spends in ceremony

the better; and he must be a very silly fellow indeed, who stands shuffling and apologizing, when he ought either to warn people of their danger, or inform them of their good fortune: but where this is not the case, and the man, so intruding, has nothing more to say for himself, than that he is come to sit down in their company, to prattle and tell stories, and club his share to the general festivity of the table, it will behove him to recommend himself very speedily to the good graces of his new acquaintance; and if his conversation furnishes neither instruction nor amusement, if he starts no new topics, or does not talk agreeably upon old ones, 'tis well if he does not make his exit as abruptly as hè entered.

In like manner, every author finds a material difference in his first approaches to the public, whether

VOL. XLI.

B

his subject recommendş him, or he is to recommend his subject: if he has any thing new in art or science to produce, any thing important to communicate for the benefit of mankind, he need be under no difficulty in demanding their attention to a business, which it is so much their interest to hear and understand; on the contrary, if he has nothing to tell his readers, but what they knew before he told it, there must be some candour on their part, and great address on his, to secure to such an author a good reception in the world.

I am at this instant under all the embarrassments incident to a man in the last-mentioned predicament: I am exceedingly desirous to make my best bow to the good company I am intruding myself upon, and yet equally anxious, that in so doing I may neither make my first advances with the stiff grimace of a dancing-master, nor with the too familiar air of a self-important. As I pretend to · nothing more in these pages, than to tell my readers what I have observed of men and books, in the most amusing manner I am able, I know not what to say to them more than humbly to request a hearing ; and, as I am in perfect charity and goodhumour with them, sincerely to hope that they on their parts will be in like good-humour and charity

My first wish was to have followed the steps of these essayists, who have so successfully set the fashion of publishing their lucubrations from day to day in separate papers. This mode of marching into the world by detachments has been happily taken up by men of great generalship in literature, of whom some are yet amongst us. Though Mr. Addison, in his Spectator, No 124, has asserted, that a man who publishes his works in a volume, has an infinite advantage over one who communicates his writings

with me.