7. The Author's Will-Raillery on Mar- 9. Congreve's Old Batchelor; STEELF-De- scription of the Morning: swIFT→→ Character of Timon-Pastorella con- verted from Coquetry-Continental In- A. A Similitude-On Death-Modern Pro- : telligence...... LIPS Verses by ... STEELE STEELE STEELE ......... DRYDEN 21. Characters of a Gentleman and a Pretty Fellow-The Fox-Dramatic Writers of the last and present Age-Letter on Mr. Bickerstaff's Prophecy of his Death -Witchcraft-Continental Intelligence 22. Cynthia in Love-Lindamira's Lovers- 30. Character of the Author's Three Nephews 31. Duelling-Letter to the Author on his 34. Cures performed by the Author-Saltero's Coffee-house..................... 35. Snuff-taking-Cynthia's Courtship-Ham- let's Direction to the Players: STEELE -Family of X's: (probably) swIFT- Continental Intelligence...... tal Intelligence STEELE ....... STEELE HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL PREFACE ΤΟ THE TATLER, 1803; THE commencement of the Eighteenth Century was distinguished by the appearance of a class of writers so eminent for wit, elegance, and taste, that the period in which they flou. rished has, almost by universal consent, becn recorded as the Augustan age of English literature; criticism, however, has since endeavoured to explode a term which, while it consigned the past to oblivion, might check the hope of future improvement: yet, if we fairly estimate the writings of the principal ornaments of that time, we must at least allow that they formed a combination which has not often graced the annals of literature, and that they have bestowed upon the world la bours whose intrinsic worth must be great, since they have outlived many revolutions of taste, and have attained unrivalled popularity and classic fame, while multitudes of their contemporaries, successors and imitators, have perished, with the accidents, or caprice, or fashion, which procured them any share of public attention. To this pre-eminence the Essayists whose works are now before us, seem justly entitled from the importance of the task they undertook, and the manner in which they execnted what has seldom been attempted but with a repulsive and unaccomodating sternness. The more serious duties of religion had not been neglected by those who wrote to reform the but for common life and manners, no preage; cepts were laid down,except what were too general or too precise. The instructions contained in the systematic writers on morality, were not devoid of force, or argument; but their style was unpolished, and with the gay and idle their tediousness was ill-calculated to agree. Abuses crept in, which were beneath the attention of the pulpit, or the bar. Public amusements, which are not indifferent to the manners of a nation, became disgraced by absurdities, which impeded their usefulness cven as vehicles of mere entertainment. Though purified from much of their licentiousness by the indefatigable zeal of Collier, they were not yet rational; and beyond the waste of an hour, which to the idle is certainly of great importance, their influence was |