that, though he has provoked all his brothers of the quill round, none of them will enter into a controversy with him. This fellow, who had excellent natural parts, but wanted a small foundation of learning, is a lively instance of those wits, who, as an ingenious author says, "will endure but one skimming."

The Observator* was almost in the same condition; but, since our party struggles have run so high, he is much mended for the better; which is imputed to the charitable assistance of some outlying friends. These two authors might, however, have flourished some time longer, had not the controversy been taken up by much abler hands,

The Examiner is a paper which all men, who speak without prejudice, allow to be well written.

perhaps at present best known by his "History of Robinson "Crusoe." He died at Islington, in easy circumstances, and at a very advanced age, April 26, 1731.

* The Observator was begun April 1, 1702, by John Tutchin, who was concerned on the side of Monmouth in the time of Charles II; and, for a political piece which he wrote in favour of him afterward, was sentenced by Jefferies to be whipped through several towns in the west, and handled so severely, that he petitioned James II to be hanged. When that king died in exile, he wrote an invective against his memory, occasioned by some humane elegies on his death. Becoming obnoxious to the tories, he received a severe beating in August 1707; and died in much distress Sept. 23, aged 44.

+ Good portraits of de Foe and Ridpath (who are styled "The "British Libellers'') were engraved under a head of Steele (in the character of "Isaac Bickerstaff, esq., the British Censor''), as an ornament to a whimsical poem in folio, called "The Three "Champions," printed about 1711, a copy of which (perhaps an unique) is among the many curious tracts bequeathed by archbishop Secker to the Lambeth Library.

Though

Though his subject will admit of no great variety, he is continually placing it in so many different lights, and endeavouring to inculcate the same thing by so many beautiful changes of expression, that men who are concerned in no party may read him with pleasure. His way of assuming the question in debate is extremely artful; and his letter to Crassus is, I think, a masterpiece. As these papers are supposed to have been written by several hands, the criticks will tell you, that they can discern a difference in their styles and beauties, and pretend to observe, that the first Examiners abound chiefly in wit, the last in humour.

Soon after their first appearance, came out a paper from the other side, called The Whig Examiner * written

*Five numbers only of this paper were published under that title, by Mr. Addison and Mr. Arthur Maynwaring and, from its being laid down to make room for "The Medley," Mr. Oldmixon concludes it to have been principally the work of the latter. Both were published in professed opposition to "The Examiner.” At the end of the 25th Medley, May 26, 1712, appeared the following curiosity: "In a few days will be published an improve"ment of the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Swift's late proposal to the most "honourable the lord high treasurer, for correcting, improving, "and ascertaining, the English tongue; wherein, beside abun"dance of other particulars, will be more clearly shown, that to " erect an academy of such men, who (by being no christians) "have unhappily prevented their ecclesiastical preferment; or (by "being buffoons and scandal bearers) can never expect the employ"ment of an envoy from those who prefer such services at home, "to the doing them no service abroad; and that to give them good pensions, is the true and only method toward the end pro"posed; in a letter to a gentleman, that mistook the doctor's "project." And in the Medley following, stood this advertisement: "Whereas, since my last, there has been published a very ingenious pamphlet, called, Reflections on Dr. Swift's Letter:

written with so much fire, and in so excellent a style, as put the tories in no small pain for their favourite hero: every one cried, Bickerstaff must be the author; and people were the more confirmed in this opinion upon its being so soon laid down, which seemed to show that it was only written to bind the Examiners to their good behaviour, and was never designed to be be a weekly paper. The Examiners therefore have no one to combat with at present, but their friend the Medley; the author of which paper, though he seems to be a man of good sense, and expresses it luckily enough now and then, is, I think, for the most part, perfectly a stranger to fine writing *.

I presume I need not tell you, that The Examiner carries much the more sail, as it is supposed to be written by the direction, and under the eye, of some great persons who sit at the helm of affairs, and is consequently looked on as a sort of publick notice which way they are steering us. The re

puted

"This has prevented the coming out of a pamphlet, entitled, "Reasons for not correcting, &c.' which was advertised in my "paper of Monday last, and was intended to be published the "Thursday following." This was to have been called, "Rea

sons for not correcting, improving, and ascertaining, the Eng"lish Tongue at this time. In a Letter to Dr. Swift." See The Medley, No. 24. Rudely, however, as Dr. Swift was in many instances attacked by Mr. Maynwaring, it must be owned he was the politest of his opponents.

* This reflection was certainly intended for Oldmixon, being by no means applicable to Mr. Maynwaring.

+ Lord Orrery, who commends the Examiners for their "nervous style, clear diction, and great knowledge of the true landed "interest of England," observes, that " their author was elated with "the appearance of enjoying ministerial confidence ;" that "he VOL. XVIII.

D

"was

puted author is Dr. Swift, with the assistance sometimes of Dr. Atterbury and Mr. Prior.

The Medley is said to be written by Mr. Oldmixon, and supervised by Mr. Maynwaring, who

"was employed, not trusted." Remarks, &c. Letter iv. The earl of Chesterfield asserts, that "the lie of the day was coined " and delivered out to him, to write Examiners and other poli"tical papers upon." It may be proper, however, to take notice, that neither of these noble peers appear to have seen Swift's "Preface" to his "History of the Four last Years of the Queen." Yet, with all due deference to these great authorities, the present editor cannot but be of opinion, that Swift's manly fortitude and very accurate discernment of the human heart would prevent his being a dupe to the duplicity of a statesman, however dignified, He himself assures us," that he was of a temper to think no man great enough to set him on work ;" that "he absolutely refused "to be chaplain to the lord treasurer, because he thought it would "ill become him to be in a state of dependance." Indeed his whole conduct in that busy period (in which "it was his lot to "have been daily conversant with the persons then in power; "never absent in times of business or conversation, until a few "weeks before her majesty's death; and a witness of every step "they made in the course of their administration") demonstrates the respectable situation he then so ably filled. And when at last the time arrived in which he was to be rewarded for his services, in how different a light does he appear from that of a hireling writer! He frankly told the treasurer," he could not with any "reputation stay longer here, unless he had something honourable "immediately given to him." And, whilst his patrons were undetermined whether he should be promoted to St. Patrick's or to a stall at Windsor, he openly assured lord Bolingbroke," he would not stay for their disputes." And we find he exerted his interest so effectually with the duke of Ormond, as to overrule a prejudice that nobleman had conceived against Dr. Sterne, whose promotion to the see of Dromore made the vacancy at St. Patrick's. "The "duke, with great kindness, said, he would consent; but would "do it for no man else but me." Swift acknowledges "this "affair was carried with great difficulty;" but adds, "they say “here, it is much to my reputation, that I have made a bishop in "spite of the world, and to get the best deanery in Ireland."

perhaps

perhaps might entirely write those few papers which are so much better than the rest *.

Before I proceed farther in the account of our weekly papers, it will be necessary to inform you, that, at the beginning of the winter, to the infinite surprise of all men, Mr. Steele flung up his Tatler; and, instead of Isaac Bickerstaff, esq., subscribed himself Richard Steele to the last of those papers, after a handsome compliment to the town, for their kind acceptance of his endeavours to divert them. The chief reason he thought fit to give, for his leaving off writing, was, that, having been so long looked on in all publick places and companies as the author of those papers, he found that his most intimate friends and acquaintance were in pain to act or speak before him. The town was very far from being satisfied with this reason; and most people judged the true cause to be, either that he was quite spent, and wanted matter to continue his undertaking any longer, or that he laid it down as a sort of submission to, or composition with, the government, for some past offences; or, lastly, that he had a mind to vary his shape, and appear again in some new light.

However that were, his disappearing seemed to be bewailed as some general calamity: every one wanted so agreeable an amusement: and the coffeehouses began to be sensible, that the esquire's lucubrations alone had brought them more customers than all their other newspapers put together,

It must indeed be confessed, that never man threw

This was exactly true. Mr. Oldmixon, in his Life of Mr. Maynwaring, attributes each number of the Medley to its proper writer,