means follows that all the best have come within the compass of it.* Though some have been inserted which did not strictly fall in with the design, the reader will, of course, distinguish between this and a miscellaneous selection from the work, which, though it were to contain papers of even superior merit, would want the attraction, to the majority of readers, which is characteristic of this-namely, a narrative form and the delineation of character. Scott's daughter made him smile, by saying before some company that he would read anything that had a story in it-and the book that is like Canning's "Needy Knife-grinder". "Story-God bless you, I have none to tell, sir". however great its merits otherwise, will be excluded practically from the perusal of a great section, perhaps, indeed, the largest, of the reading world. It only remains to add, that a considerable amount of editorial supervision has been exercised in the present work. Portions of different papers have been fused into one, in order to the completeness of the view of a particular subject, where the remainder did not apply; and a discretion has also been assumed of omission, in some cases, of particular passages, on grounds of taste and delicacy; but in no case has any liberty of insertion or alteration been taken with the text, other than this negative one of omission. Indeed, but for increasing the bulk of the work beyond due limits, there are one or two series of papers, such as the "Journal of the Court of Honour," and others, which would have been gladly inserted. History, Opinions, and Lucubrations OF ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq. Author's Preface. Quicquid agunt homines -noftri eft farrago libelli.—Juv. SAT., i., 85, 86. HOUGH the other papers, which are published for the use of the good people of England, have certainly very wholesome effects, and are laudable in their particular kinds, they do not seem to come up to the main defign of fuch narrations, which, I humbly prefume, should be principally intended for the use of politick perfons, who are so publick spirited as to neglect their own affairs to look into transactions of State. Now these gentlemen, for the most part, being perfons of strong zeal and weak intellect, it is both a charitable and neceffary work to offer fomething whereby fuch worthy and well affected members of the Commonwealth may be instructed, after their reading, what to think; which shall be the end and purpose of this my C AN paper, wherein I shall from time to time report and confider all matters of what kind foever that shall occur to me, and publish fuch my advices and reflections every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, in the week, for the convenience of the post. I refolve alfo to have something which may be of entertainment to the fair fex, in honour of whom I have invented the title of this paper. I therefore earnestly defire all perfons without distinction, to take it in for the present gratis, and hereafter at the price of one penny, forbidding all hawkers to take more for it at their peril. And I defire all perfons to confider, that I am at a very great charge for proper materials for this work, as well as that before I refolved upon it, I had fettled a correspondence in all parts of the known and knowing world. And forafmuch as this globe is not trodden upon by mere drudges of business only, but that men of spirit and genius are justly to be esteemed as confiderable agents in it, we shall not, upon a dearth of news, present you with much foreign edicts or dull proclamations, but shall divide our relation of the paffages which occur in action or discourse throughout this town, as well as elsewhere, under fuch dates of places as may prepare you for the matter you are to expect, in the following manner. All accounts of gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment, shall be under the article of White's Chocolate House; poetry, under that of Will's Coffee Houfe; learning, under the title of Grecian; foreign and domestick news, you will have from St. James's Coffee Houfe; and what elfe I have to offer on any other subject shall be dated from my own apartment. I once more defire my reader to confider that it is impoffible for me to want means to entertain them, having, befides the force of my own parts, the power of divination, and that I can, by casting a figure, tell you all that will happen before it comes to pass. But this last faculty I shall ufe very sparingly, and speak but of few things till they are passed, for fear of divulging matters which may offend our fuperiors. It is ufual with perfons who mount the stage for the cure or information of the crowd about them, to make folemn profesfions of their being wholly disinterested in the pains they take for the publick good. At the fame time thofe very men, who make harangues in plush doublets, and extol their own abilities and generous inclinations, tear their lungs in vending a drug, and show no act of bounty, except it be, that they lower a demand of a crown to fix, nay, to one penny. We have a contempt for fuch paltry barterers, and have therefore all along informed the publick, that we intend to give them our advices for our own fakes, and are labouring to make our lucubrations come to fome price in money, for our more convenient fupport in the fervice of the publick. It is certain that many other fchemes have been proposed to me; as a friend offered to show me in a treatise he had writ, which he called, "The whole Art of Life; or, The Introduction to great Men, illustrated in a Pack of Cards." But, being a novice at all manner of play, I declined the offer. Another advised me, for want of money, to set up my coach and practise physick; but, having been bred a scholar, I feared I should not fucceed that way neither, therefore refolved to go on in my prefent project. But you |