my next, as prefatory difcourfes to my following writings, and shall give fome account in them of the several perfons that are engaged in this work. As the chief trouble of compiling, digefting, and correcting will fall to my share, I must do myself the juftice to open the work with my own history.

I was born to a small hereditary estate, 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 fon, 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, she dreamt that she was brought to bed of a judge. Whether this might proceed from a law-fuit 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 prefaged 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 first appearance in the world, and at 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

It was ftrange, faid Charles II. on a fimilar declaration, that there was not in all that time a wife man, or a fool, in the family.'

old, and would not make use of my coral until 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 filence. I find, that during my nonage, I had the reputation of a very fullen youth, but was always a favourite of my fchool-mafter, who used to say, that my parts were folid, and would wear well.' I had not been long at the university, before I diftinguished myself by a moft profound filence; for during the fpace of eight years, excepting in the public exercises of the college, I fcarce uttered the quantity of an hundred words; and indeed do not remember that I ever spoke three fentences together in my whole life. Whilft I was in this learned body, I applied myself with fo much diligence to my ftudies, that there are very few celebrated books, either in the learned or the modern tongues, which I am not acquainted with.

great deal of An infatiable into all the

Upon the death of my father, I was refolved to travel into foreign countries, and therefore left the university, with the character of an odd unaccountable fellow, that had a learning, if I would but shew it. thirst after knowledge carried me countries of Europe, in which there was any thing new or strange to be seen; nay, to such a degree was my curiosity 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 myself right

in that particular, returned to my native with great fatisfaction.

country

I have paffed my latter years in this city, where I am frequently feen in most public places, though 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 seen thrusting my head into a round of politicians at Will's, and liftening with great attention to the narratives that are made in those little circular audiences. Sometimes I fmoke a pipe at Child's, and while I feem attentive to nothing but the Postman, overhear the converfation of every table in the room. I appear on Sunday nights at St. James's coffee-house, 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 mer

C

A farcafm on Mr. Greaves and his book intitled Pyramidographia, no lefs reprehenfible than preceding farcastic remarks on the Royal Society, the futility and invidiousness of which, have been fufficiently fhewn in various notes on the Tatler paffim.-See Biogr. Brit. art. Greaves; Tatler, N° 216, No 221, and notes.

d The fituations of Will's, White's, and the Grecian coffee-houses, are ascertained likewife in the Tatler, No 1, notes.. Child's coffee houfe was in St. Paul's church-yard, and the resort of the clergy; St. James's stood then where it does now; Jonathan's was in Change-alley, and the Rofe tavern was on the outfide of Temple-bar.

chant upon the exchange for above these ten years, and fometimes pafs for a Jew in the affembly of stock-jobbers at Jonathan's. In fhort, wherever I fee a cluster 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 myself a speculative statesman, foldier, merchant, and artifan, without ever meddling with any practical part in life. I am very well versed in the theory of a husband, or a father, and can discern the errors in the conomy, business, and diverfion of others, better than those who are engaged in them; as standersby discover blots, which are apt to escape those who are in the game. I never efpoused any party with violence, and am refolved to obferve an exact neutrality between the Whigs and Tories, unless I shall be forced to declare myself by the hoftilities of either fide. In fhort, I have acted in all the parts of my life as a looker on, which is the character I intend to preserve in this paper.

I have given the reader juft fo 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 fhall infert them in following papers, as I fhall fee occafion. In the mean time, when I confider how much I have seen, read, and heard, I begin to blame my cwn taciturnity; and fince I have neither time nor inclination, to communicate the fulness of my

heart in fpeech, I am refolved to do it in writing, and to print myself 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 shall publish a sheet-full of thoughts every morning, for the benefit of my contemporaries; and if I can any way contribute to the diversion, or improvement of the country in which I live, I shall leave it when I am fummoned out of it, with the fecret fatisfaction of thinking that I have not lived in vain.

There are three very material points which I have not spoken to in this paper; and which, for feveral important reasons, I must keep to myself, at leaft for fome time: I mean, an account of my name, my age, and my lodgings. I must confefs, I would gratify my reader in any thing that is reasonable; but as for these 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 public. They would indeed draw me out of that obfcurity which I have enjoyed for many years, and expofe me in public places to feveral falutes and civilities, which have been always very difagreeable to me; for the greatest pain I can fuffer, is the being talked to, and being stared at, It is for this reafon likewife, that I keep my complexion and dress as very great fecrets; though it is not impoffible but I may make difcoveries of both in the progrefs of the work I have undertaken.