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 Bufinefs 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 feerr, read, and heard, I begin to blame my own Taciturnity; and fince I have neither Time nor Inclination to communicate the Fulnefs 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 spoken to in this Paper; and which, for feveral important Reafons, I must keep to my felf, at least 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 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 greateft Pain I can fuffer, is the being talked to, and being ftared at. It is for this Reason likewise, that I keep my Complexion and Drefs as very great Secrets; tho it is not impoffible, but I may make Difcoveries of both in the Progrefs 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

con

concerted (as all other Matters of Importance are) in a Club. However, as my Friends have engaged me to stand 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 Tuefdays and Thursdays, we have appointed a Committee to fit every Night, for the Infpection of all fuch Papers as may contribute to the Advancement of the Publick Weal.

C

Friday, March 2.

No 2.

Aft alii fex

TH

Et plures uno conclamant ore

Juv.

HE firft of our Society is a Gentleman of Worcesterfhire, of ancient Defcent, a Baronet, his Name Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY. 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 to please and oblige all who know him. When he is in Town, he lives in Soho-Square. It is faid, he keeps himself a Batchelor by reafon he was croffed in Love, by a perverfe beautiful Widow of the next County to him. Before this Disappointment, Sir ROGER was what you call a fine Gentleman, had often fupped with my Lord Rochefer and Sir George Etherege, foughta Duel upon his first coming to Town, and kick'd Bully Dawson in a publick Coffee-houfe for calling him Youngfter. But

being ill ufed by the above-mentioned Widow, he was very ferious for a Year and a half; and though, his Temper being naturally jovial, he at laft got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dreffed afterwards. He continues to wear a Coat and Doublet of the fame Cut that were in Fashion at the Time of his Repulfe, which, in his merry Humours, he tells us, has been in and out twelve Times fince he firft wore it. "Tis faid Sir ROGER grew humble in his Defires after he had forgot this cruel Beauty, infomuch that it is reported he has frequently offended in point of Chastity with Beggars and Gipfies; But this is look'd upon by his Friends rather as Matter of Rallery than Truth. He is now in his fifty fixth Year, chearful, gay, and hearty; keeps a good Houfe both in Town and Country; a great Lover of Mankind; but there is fuch a mirthful Cast in his Behaviour, that he is rather beloved than efteemed: His Tenants grow rich, his Servants look fatisfied, all the young Women profess Love to him, and the young Men are glad of his Company: When he comes into a House he calls the Servants by their Names, and talks all the way up Stairs to a Vifit. I must not omit, that Sir ROGER is a Justice of the Quorum; that he fills the Chair at a Quarter-Seffion with great Abilities, and three Months ago gained univerfal Applaufe by explaining a Paffage in the GameA&.

THE Gentleman next in Efteem and Authority among us, is another Batchelor, who is a Member of the Inner-Temple; a Man of great Probity, Wit, and Underftanding; but he has chofen his Place of Refidence rather to obey the Direction of an old humourfome Father, than in purfuit of his own Inclinations. He was placed there to ftudy the Laws of the Land, and is the most learned of any of the House in thofe of the Stage. Ariftotle and Longinus are much better understood by him than Littleton or Coke. The Father fends up every Poft Questions relating to Marriage-Articles, Leafes, and Tenures, in the Neighbourhood; all which Questions he agrees with an Attorney to answer and take care of in the Lump. He is studying the Paffions themselves, when he should be inquiring into the Debates among Men which arife

from

from them. He knows the Argument of each of the Orations of Demofthenes and Tully, but not one Cafe in the Reports of our own Courts. No one ever took him for a Fool, but none, except his intimate Friends, know he has a great deal of Wit. This Turn makes him at once both difinterested and agreeable: As few of his Thoughts are drawn from Business, they are most of them fit for Converfation. His Tafte of Books is a little too juft for the Age he lives in; he has read all, but approves of very few. His Familiarity with the Customs, Manners, Actions, and Writings of the Ancients, makes him a very delicate Observer of what occurs to him in the prefent World. He is an excellent Critick, and the Time of the Play is his Hour of Bufinefs; exactly at five he paffes thro' New-Inn, croffes thro' Ruffel-Court, and takes a turn at Will's till the Play begins; he has his Shoes rubbed and his Periwig powdered at the Barber's as you go into the Rofe. It is for the good of the Audience when he is at a Play, for the Actors have an Ambition to please him.

THE Perfon of next Confideration, is Sir ANDREW FREEPORT, a Merchant of great Eminence in the City of London. A Perfon of indefatigable Industry, ftrong Reafon, and great Experience. His Notions of Trade are noble and generous, and (as every rich Man has ufually fome fly Way of Jefting, which would make no great Figure were he not a rich Man) he calls the Sea the British Common. He is acquainted with Commerce in all its Parts, and will tell you that it is a ftupid and barbarous Way to extend Dominion by Arms; for true Power is to be got by Arts and Induftry. He will often argue, that if this Part of our Trade were well cultivated, we fhould gain from one Nation; and if another, from another. I have heard him prove, that Diligence makes more lafting Acquifitions than Valour, and that Sloth has ruin'd more Ñations than the Sword. He abounds in feveral frugal Maxims, amongst which the greatest Favourite is, A Peny faved is a Peny got. A general Trader of good Senfe, is pleasanter Company than a general Scholar; and Sir ANDREW having a natural unaffected Eloquence, the Perfpicuity of his Difcourfe gives the fame

Pleasure

Pleasure that Wit would in another Man. He has made his Fortunes himself; and fays that England may be richer than other Kingdoms, by as plain Methods as he himself is richer than other Men; though at the fame Time I can fay this of him, that there is not a Point in the Compass but blows home a Ship in which he is an Owner.

NEXT to Sir ANDREW in the Club-Room fits Captain SENTRY, a Gentleman of great Courage, good Understanding, but invincible Modefty. He is one of those that deserve very well, but are very aukward at putting their Talents within the Obfervation of fuch as fhould take notice of them. He was fome Years a Captain, and behaved himself with great Gallantry in feveral Engagements and at feveral Sieges; but having a small Estate of his own, and being next Heir to Sir ROGER, he has quitted a Way of Life in which no Man can rise suitably to his Merit, who is not fomething of a Courtier, as well as a Soldier. I have heard him often lament, that in a Profeffion where Merit is placed in fo confpicuous a View, Impudence fhould get the better of Modefty. When he has talked to this Purpose I never heard him make a four Expreffion, but frankly confefs that he left the World, because he was not fit for it. A ftrict Honesty and an even regular Behaviour, are in themselves Obftacles to him that muft prefs through Crowds, who endeavour at the fame End with himself, the Favour of a Commander. He will however in his way of Talk excufe Generals, for not difpofing according to Mens Defert, or inquiring into it: For, fays he, that great Man who has a mind to help me, has as many to break through to come at me, as I have to come at him: Therefore he will conclude, that the Man who would make a Figure, efpecially in a Military Way, must get over all falfe Modefty, and affift his Patron against the Importunity of other Pretenders, by a proper Affurance in his own Vindication. He fays it is a civil Cowardife to be backward in afferting what you ought to expect, as it is a military Fear to be flow in attacking when it is your Duty. With this Candor does the Gentleman fpeak of himfelf and others. The fame Frankness runs through

all