those who are in the Game. I never espoused any Party with Violence, and am refolved to obferve an exact Neutrality between the Whigs and Tories, unlefs I hall be forced to declare myfelf by the Hoftilities of either Side. In fhort, I have acted in all the Parts of my Life as a Looker-on, which is the Character I intend to preferve in this Paper,

I have given the Reader juft fo much of my Hiftery and Character, as to let him fee I am not altogether unqualified for the Bufiefs 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 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 myself out, if poffible, before I die. I have been often told by my Friends, that it is pity fo many ufeful Difcoveries which I have made fhould be in the Poffeffion of a filent Man, For this Reafon 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 Reasons, I must keep to myself, 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 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 Salutes and Civilities, which have been always very difagreeable to me; for the greatest Pain I can fuffer, is the being talked to, and Being ftared at. It is for this Reafon likewife, that I keep

my

my Complexion and Drefs as very great Secrets; tho'it is not impoffible, but I may make Discoveries of both in the Progrefs of the Work I have undertaken.

AFTER having been thus particular upon myself, 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 concerted (as all other Matters of Importance are) in a Club. However, as my Friends have engaged me to ftand in the Front, thofe who have a mind to correfpond with me, may direct their Letters to the SPECTATOR, at Mr. Buckley's in Little-Britain. For I must further acquaint the Reader, that tho' our Club meets only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have appointed a Committee to fit every Night, for the inspection of all fuch Papers as may contribute to the Advancement of the Public Weal.

No 2

Friday, March 2.

Aft alii fex

Et plures uno conclamant ore

Juv. Sat. 7. v. 167.

Six mare at leaft join their confenting Voice.

HE firft of our Society is a Gentleman of Worces

Tterbire, a

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 Humor 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

capable to please and oblige all who know him. When he is in Town, he lives in Soho-Square. It is said, he keeps himself a Bachelor by reafon he was crossed 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 Rochester and Sir George Etherege, fought a Duel upon his firft coming to Town, and kick'd Pally Dawson in a public Coffee-house 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 carelefs 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 Humors, 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 Chaftity with Beggars and Gipfies: But this is looked 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 House both in Town and Country; a great Lover of Mankind; but there is such a mirthful Caft in his Behaviour, that he is rather beloved than esteemed. Tis Tenants grow rich, his Servants look fatisfied, all the young Women profefs 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 muft not omit, that Sir ROGER is a Juftice of the Quorum; that he fills the Chair at a Quarter-Seffion with great Abilities, and three Months ago gained univerfal Applaufe by explaining at Paffage in the Game-Act.

THE Gentleman next in Efteem and Authority among us, is another Bachelor, 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 humorfom Father, than in purfuit of his own Inclinations. He was placed there to study the Laws of the Land, and is the most learned

of

of any of the Houfe in those 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 ftudying the Paffions themselves when he should be inquiring into the Debates among Men which arise 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 noné 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 Bufinefs, 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 Cuftoms, Manners, Actions, and Writings of the Ancients, makes him a very delicate Obferver of what occurs to him in the present World. He is an excellent Critick, and the Time of the Play is his Hour of Business; exactly at five he paffes thro' New-Inn, croffes thro' Rufel-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 stupid 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

Diligence makes more lafting Acquifitions than Valour, and that Sloth has ruin'd more Nations than the Sword. He abounds in feveral frugal Maxims, amongst which the greatest Favorite is, A Peny faved is a Peny got." A general Trader of good Senfe is pleafanter Company than a general Scholar; and Sir ANDREW having a natural unaffected Eloquence, the Perfpicuity of his Difcourfe gives the fame Pleafure 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 Compafs 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 Modeity. He is one of thofe that deferve 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 Galantry in feveral Engagements and at feveral Sieges; but having a fmall Estate of his own, and being next Heir to Sir ROGER, he has quitted a Way of Life in which no Man can rife fuitably 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 Purpofe 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 Honefty 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 Favor 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, efpécially in a Military Way, must get over all falfe Modefty,