The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume IX | Page 5

" 19, " 39
(38), " 26, " 40 (39), May 3, " 41 (40), " 10, " 42 (41), " 17, " 43 (42), "
24, " 44 (43), " 31, " 45 (44), June 7, " 46 (45), " 14, "
CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE SPECTATOR" Introductory Note No 50,
April 27, 1711 (The Four Indian Kings) Paragraph from No 575,
August 2, 1714
CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE INTELLIGENCER" Introductory Note
No 1, May 11, 1728 (Introduction) 3, A Vindication of Mr. Gay, and
the Beggar's Opera 19, The Hardships of the Irish being deprived of
their Silver, and decoyed into America
* * * * *
CONTRIBUTIONS TO "THE TATLER."
NOTE.
In the original dedication of the first volume of "The Tatler" to Arthur
Maynwaring Richard Steele, its projector and editor, gives
characteristic expression to the motive which prompted him in its
establishment. "The state of conversation and business in this town,"
says Steele, "having been long perplexed with pretenders in both kinds,
in order to open men's eyes against such abuses, it appeared no
unprofitable undertaking to publish a Paper which should observe upon
the manners of the pleasurable, as well as the busy, part of mankind."
He goes on to say that "the general purpose of this Paper is to expose
the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and
affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our
discourse, and our behaviour."
That Steele succeeded in this laudable purpose has been amply made
evident by the effect "The Tatler" had upon his literary successors, both
of his own age and of the generations since his time. "The Tatler" was,

if we except Defoe's "Weekly Review," the earliest literary periodical
which, in the language of Scott, "had no small effect in fixing and
refining the character of the English nation."
Steele conducted his periodical under the name of Isaac Bickerstaff. He
chose this name purposely because he felt, as he himself expressed it,
that "a work of this nature required time to grow into the notice of the
world. It happened very luckily that a little before I had resolved upon
this design, a gentleman had written predictions, and two or three other
pieces in my name, which had rendered it famous through all parts of
Europe; and by an inimitable spirit and humour, raised it to as high a
pitch of reputation as it could possibly arrive at." The gentleman
referred to is, of course, Swift, whose pamphlets on Partridge had been
the talk of the town.
Steele very kindly ascribes the success of the periodical to this "good
fortune;" and though there may be something in what he said, we, in
the present day, can more justly appreciate the great benefit conferred
upon his countrymen by himself and his co-workers.
The influence of "The Tatler" on contemporary thought is
acknowledged by Gay in his "Present State of Wit," published in 1711.
Gay remarks: "His writings have set all our wits and men of letters
upon a new way of thinking, of which they had little or no notion
before; and though we cannot yet say that any of them have come up to
the beauties of the original, I think we may venture to affirm that every
one of them writes and thinks much more justly than they did some
time since."
Among the contributors, in addition to the editor himself, were Swift,
Addison, Yalden, John Hughes, William Harrison, and James
Greenwood.
It must always remain to a great extent a matter of conjecture as to the
exact authorship of "The Tatler" papers. In the preface to the fourth
volume the authorship of a very few of the articles was admitted. Peter
Wentworth wrote to his brother, Lord Raby, on May 9th, 1709, saying
the Tatlers "are writ by a club of wits, who make it their business to
pick up all the merry stories they can.... Three of the authors are
guessed at, viz.: Swift,... Yalden, and Steele" ("Wentworth Papers,"
85).
Swift's first recognized prose contribution to "The Tatler" was in No.

32 (June 23rd), and he continued from time to time, as the following
reprint will show, to assist his friend; but, unfortunately, party politics
separated the two, and Swift retired from the venture.
A particular meaning was attached to the place from which the articles
in "The Tatler" were dated. The following notice appeared in the first
number: "All accounts of gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment, shall
be under the article of White's Chocolate-house; poetry, under that of
Will's Coffee-house; learning, under the title of Grecian; foreign and
domestic news, you will have from St. James's Coffee-house; and what
else I have to offer on any other subject shall be dated from my own
Apartment."
"The Tatler" was