THE SPECTATOR. VOL. I. N° 1. Thursday, March 1. 1710-11. Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem One with a Flash begins, and ends in Smoke; I HAVE obferved, that a Reader feldom perufes a Book with Pleafure, 'till he knows whether the Writer of it be a black or a fair Man, of a mild or cholerick Difpofition, Married or a Bachelor, with other Particulars of the like Nature, that conduce very much to the right underftanding of an Author. To gratify this Curiofity, which is fo natural to a Reader, I defign this Paper and my next as Prefatory Difcourfes to my following Writings, and fhall give fome Account in them of the feveral Perfons that are engaged in this Work. As the chief Trouble of. Compiling, Digefting, and Correcting will fall to my A 5 Share, Share, I must do my felf the Juftice to open the Work with my own Hiftory. I was born to a fmall Hereditary Eftate, which, according to the Tradition of the Village where it lies, was bounded by the fame Hedges and Ditches in William the Conqueror's Time that it is at prefent, and has been delivered down from Father to Son whole and entire without the Lofs or Acquifition of a fingle Field or Meadow, during the Space of fix hundred Years. There runs a Story in the Family, that when my Mother was gone with Child of me about three Months, fhe dreamt that she was brought to bed of a Judge: Whether this might proceed from a Law-Suit which was then depending in the Family, or my Father's being a Juftice of the Peace, I cannot determine; for I am not fo vain as to think it presaged any Dignity that I should arrive at in my future Life, though that was the Interpretation which the Neighbourhood put upon it. The Gravity of my Behaviour at my very firft Appearance in the World, and all the time that I fucked, feemed to favour my Mother's Dream: For, as fhe has often told me, I threw away my Rattle before I was two Months old, and would not make ufe of my Coral 'till they had taken away the Bells from it. AS for the rest of my Infancy, there being nothing in it remarkable, I fhall pass it over in Silence. I find, that, during my Nonage, I had the Reputation of a very fullen Youth, but was always a Favourite of my Schoolmafter, who used to fay, that my Parts were folid, and would wear well. I had not been long at the Univerfity, before I diftinguished my felf by a moft profound Silence; for during the Space of eight Years, excepting in the publick Exercifes of the College, I fcarce utter'd the Quantity of an hundred Words; and indeed do not remember that I ever spoke three Sentences together in my whole Life. Whilft I was in this learned Body, I applied my felf with fo much Diligence to my Studies, that there are very few celebrated Books, either in the learned or the modern Tongues, which I am not acquainted with. UPON the Death of my Father, I was refolved to travel into foreign Countries, and therefore left the Univerfity, with the Character of an odd unaccountable Fel low, low, that had a great deal of Learning, if I would but fhew it. An infatiable Thirft after Knowledge carried me into all the Countries of Europe, in which there was any thing new or ftrange to be feen; nay, to fuch a Degree was my Curiofity raised, that having read the Controverfies of fome great Men concerning the Antiquities of Egypt, 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 feen in most 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 Account. There is no Place of general Refort, wherein I do not often make my Appearance; fometimes I am feen 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 fmoke a Pipe at Child's, and whilft I seem attentive to nothing but the Poftman, 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 likewife very well known at the Grecian, the CocoaTree, and in the Theatres both of Drury-Lane and the Hay-Market. I have been taken for a Merchant upon the Exchange for above these ten Years, and fometimes país. for a few in the Affembly of Stock-Jobbers at Fonathan'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 felf a Speculative Statefman, Soldier, Merchant, and Artifan, without ever medling with any practical 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 thofe who are engaged in them; as Standers-by difcover Blots, which are apt to escape thofs those who are in the Game. I never efpoufed 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 Side. 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 just so much of my History and Character, as to let him fee I am not altogether unqualified for the Business I have undertaken. As for other Particulars in my Life and Adventures, I shall 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 com. municate 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 fhould 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 fpoken to in this Paper; and which, for feveral important Reasons, I must keep to my felf, at least for fome Time: I mean, an Account of my Name, my Age,_and my Lodgings. I muft confefs, I would gratify my Reader in any Thing that is reafonable; but as for thefe three Particulars, though I am fenfible they might tend very much to the Embellishment of my Paper, I cannot yet come to a Refolution of communicating them to the Publick. They would indeed draw me out of that Obscurity which I have enjoyed for many Years, and expofe me in publick Places to feveral Salutes and Civilities, which have been always very difagreeable to me; for the greatest Pain I can fuffer, is the being talked to, and being ftared at. It is for this Reafon likewife, that I keep. my my Complexion and Drefs as very great Secrets; tho' it is not impoffible, but I may make Discoveries of both in the Progress 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 concerted (as all other Matters of Importance are) in a Club. However, as my Friends have engaged me to ftand in the Front, those 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 Tuesdays and Thurfdays, we have appointed a Committee to fit every Night, for the infpection of all fuch Papers as may contribute to the Advancemeut of the Publick Weal. C N° 2. Friday, March 2. Aft alii fex Et plures uno conclamant ore Juv. Sat. 7. v. 167. Six more at least join their confenting Voice. HE firft of our Society is a Gentleman of Worcefierfeire, of ancient Defcent, a Baronet, his Name Sir ROGER DE COVER LEY. His Great Grandfather was Inventor of that 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 Humour 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 |