No. 271. [Steele.[284]
From Saturday, Dec. 30, 1710, to Tuesday, Jan. 2, 1710-1.
The printer having informed me, that there are as many of these papers printed as will make four volumes, I am now come to the end of my ambition in this matter, and have nothing further to say to the world, under the character of Isaac Bickerstaff. This work has indeed for some time been disagreeable to me, and the purpose of it wholly lost by my being so long understood as the author. I never designed in it to give any man any secret wound by my concealment, but spoke in the character of an old man, a philosopher, a humourist, an astrologer, and a censor, to allure my reader with the variety of my subjects, and insinuate, if I could, the weight of reason with the agreeableness of wit. The general purpose of the whole has been to recommend truth, innocence, honour, and virtue, as the chief ornaments of life; but I considered, that severity of manners was absolutely necessary to him who would censure others, and for that reason, and that only, chose to talk in a mask. I shall not carry my humility so far as to call myself a vicious man; but at the same time must confess, my life is at best but pardonable. And with no greater character than this, a man would make but an indifferent progress in attacking prevailing and fashionable vices, which Mr. Bickerstaff has done with a freedom of spirit that would have lost both its beauty and efficacy, had it been pretended to by Mr. Steele.
As to the work itself, the acceptance it has met with is the best proof of its value; but I should err against that candour which an honest man should always carry about him, if I did not own, that the most approved pieces in it were written by others, and those which have been most excepted against by myself. The hand[285] that has assisted me in those noble discourses upon the immortality of the soul, the glorious prospects of another life, and the most sublime ideas of religion and virtue, is a person who is too fondly my friend ever to own them; but I should little deserve to be his, if I usurped the glory of them. I must acknowledge at the same time, that I think the finest strokes of wit and humour in all Mr. Bickerstaff's Lucubrations are those for which he is also beholden to him.
As for the satirical parts of these writings, those against the gentlemen who profess gaming[286] are the most licentious; but the main of them I take to come from losing gamesters, as invectives against the fortunate; for in very many of them, I was very little else but the transcriber. If any have been more particularly marked at, such persons may impute it to their own behaviour (before they were touched upon) in publicly speaking their resentment against the author, and professing they would support any man who should insult him. When I mention this subject, I hope Major-General Davenport,[287] Brigadier Bisset,[288] and my Lord Forbes,[289] will accept of my thanks for their frequent good offices,[290] in professing their readiness to partake any danger that should befall me in so just an undertaking, as the endeavour to banish fraud and cozenage from the presence and conversation of gentlemen.
But what I find is the least excusable part of all this work is, that I have, in some places in it, touched upon matters which concern both the Church and State. All I shall say for this is, that the points I alluded to are such as concerned every Christian and freeholder in England; and I could not be cold enough to conceal my opinion on subjects which related to either of those characters. But politics apart, I must confess, it has been a most exquisite pleasure to me to frame characters of domestic life, and put those parts of it which are least observed into an agreeable view; to inquire into the seeds of vanity and affectation, to lay before my readers the emptiness of ambition: in a word, to trace human life through all its mazes and recesses, and show much shorter methods than men ordinarily practise, to be happy, agreeable, and great.
But to inquire into men's faults and weaknesses has something in it so unwelcome, that I have often seen people in pain to act before me, whose modesty only make them think themselves liable to censure. This, and a thousand other nameless things, have made it an irksome task to me to personate Mr. Bickerstaff any longer; and I believe it does not often happen, that the reader is delighted where the author is displeased.
All I can now do for the further gratification of the town, is to give them a faithful index and explication of passages and allusions, and sometimes of persons intended in the several scattered parts of the work. At the same time, the succeeding volumes shall discover which of the whole have been written by me, and which by others, and by whom, as far as I am able, or permitted.[291]
Thus I have voluntarily done what I think all authors should do when called upon. I have published my name to my writings, and given myself up to the mercy of the town (as Shakespeare expresses it) with all my imperfections on my head.[292] The indulgent readers'
Most obliged,
Most obedient,
Humble Servant,
Richard Steele.
FOOTNOTES:
[284] "Steele's last Tatler came out to-day. You will see it before this comes to you, and how he takes leave of the world. He never told so much as Addison of it, who was surprised as much as I; but, to say the truth, it was time, for he grew cruel dull and dry. To my knowledge he had several good hints to go upon; but he was so lazy, and weary of the work, that he would not improve them" (Swift's "Journal," Jan. 2, 1711). A curious pamphlet, called "The Friendly Courier: By way of Letters from Persons in Town to their Acquaintance in the Country, containing whatever is Curious or Remarkable at Home or Abroad. Numb. I. To be continued" (London, 1711), opens with an account of the discontinuance of the Tatler: "What should this great matter be, but that the old man, the philosopher, the humourist, the astrologer, the censor, the undertaker, the constellation-monger, the Tatler, should be no longer Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.; that he should have neither maid, dog, cat, pipes, or tobacco-box, in Sheer Lane; but one Richard Steele: from whence arises many fatal mischiefs," &c.
[285] Addison.
[286] See No. 56, &c.
[287] Major-General Sherington Davenport, of Worfield, in Shropshire, was, at the time here spoken of, lieutenant-colonel of the first troop of Horse Guards; towards the end of April 1714, having fallen under the displeasure of the Court, he was ordered to sell his commission in favour of Brigadier Panton. Colonel Wood and Colonel Paget had orders at the same time to sell their companies in the Foot Guards ("Polit. State," vols. vii. and viii. p. 412). About a year after, in the end of February 1714-15, Major-General Davenport bought, it is said, the regiment of Colonel Jocelyn, in Ireland, for £4000 (Weekly Packet, February 26, 1714-15).—(Nichols.)
[288] Brigadier Andrew Bisset was a native of Aberdeenshire, in North Britain. On the 25th of August 1717, he was appointed by George I. to the command of a regiment of foot, now called the 30th Regiment.
[289] George, Lord Forbes, admiral and diplomatist, was born in 1685, and succeeded his father as third Earl of Granard in 1734. He died in 1765 (see No. 61, note). In 1710 Lord Forbes was a captain in the navy, and a brigadier in the 4th troop of Horse Guards. He was wounded at the battle of Villaviciosa on the 10th of December.
[290] The story of the defence against angry sharpers afforded to Steele by Lord Forbes and his friends, has been told in a note to No. 115.
[291] See the preface to the original collected edition, given in vol. i.
[292] "Hamlet," act i. sc. 5.