The Coverley Papers

The Coverley Papers

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Title: The Coverley Papers
Author: Various
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THE COVERLEY PAPERS
FROM THE 'SPECTATOR'
EDITED, WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES, BY O. M. MYERS

PREFACE
The following selection comprises all numbers of the Spectator which
are concerned with the history or character of Sir Roger de Coverley,
and all those which arise out of the Spectator's visit to his country
house. Sir Roger's name occurs in some seventeen other papers, but in
these he either receives only passing mention, or is introduced as a
speaker in conversations where the real interest is the subject under
discussion. In these his character is well maintained, as, for example, at
the meeting of the club described in Spectator 34, where he warns the
Spectator not to meddle with country squires, but they add no traits to
the portrait we already have of him. No. 129 is included because it
arises naturally out of No. 127, and illustrates the relation between the
town and country. No. 410 has been omitted because it was condemned
by Addison as inconsistent with the character of Sir Roger, together
with No. 544, which is an unconvincing attempt to reconcile it with the
whole scheme. Some of the papers have been slightly abridged where
they would not be acceptable to the taste of a later age.
The papers are not all signed, but the authorship is never in doubt.
Where signatures are attached, C, L, I, and O are the mark of Addison's
work; R and T of Steele's, and X of Budgell's. [Footnote: Spectator
555.]
I have availed myself freely of the references and allusions collected by
former editors, and I have gratefully to acknowledge the help of Miss G.
E. Hadow in reading my introductory essay.

O. M. M.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
COVERLEY PAPERS.
Spectator 1 Addison (C)
" 2 Steele (R)
" 106 Addison (L)
" 107 Steele (R)
" 108 Addison (L)
" 109 Steele (R)
" 110 Addison (L)
" 112 " (L)
" 113 Steele (R)
" 114 " (T)
" 115 Addison (L)
" 116 Budgell (X)
" 117 Addison (L)
" 118 Steele (T)
" 119 Addison (L)
" 120 " (L)
" 121 " (L)

" 122 " (L)
" 123 " (L)
" 125 " (C)
" 126 " (C)
" 127 " (C)
" 128 " (C)
" 129 " (C)
" 130 " (C)
" 131 " (C)
" 132 Steele (T)
" 269 Addison (L)
" 329 " (L)
" 335 Addison (L)
" 359 Budgell (X)
" 383 Addison (I)
" 517 " (O)
NOTES
APPENDIX I. On Coffee-Houses
APPENDIX II. On the Spectator's Acquaintance
APPENDIX III. On the Death of Sir Roger

APPENDIX IV. On the Spectator's Popularity
INDEX

INTRODUCTION
It is necessary to study the work of Joseph Addison in close relation to
the time in which he lived, for he was a true child of his century, and
even in his most distinguishing qualities he was not so much in
opposition to its ideas as in advance of them. The early part of the
eighteenth century was a very middle-aged period: the dreamers of the
seventeenth century had grown into practical men; the enthusiasts of
the century before had sobered down into reasonable beings. We no
longer have the wealth of detail, the love of stories, the delight in the
concrete for its own sake of the Chaucerian and Elizabethan children;
these men seek for what is typical instead of enjoying what is detailed,
argue and illustrate instead of telling stories, observe