fign this Paper and my next as Prefatory Difcourfes to my following Writings, and fhall give fome Account in them of the feveral Perfons that are engaged in this Work. As the chief Trouble of Compiling, Digefting, and Correcting will fall to my Share, I must do my self 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 Son whole and entire, without the Lofs or Acquifition of a fingle Field or Meadow, during the Space of Six hundred Years. There runs a Story in the Family, that when my Mother was gone with Child of me about three Months, the dreamt that she was brought to Bed of a Judge: Whether this might proceed from a LawSuit 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 fhould arrive at in my future Life, though that was the Interpre

Interpretation which the Neighbourhood put upon it. The Gravity of my Behaviour at my very firft Appearance in the World, and all 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 old, and would not make ufe of my Coral till they had taken away the Bells from it.

ÁS for the rest of my Infancy, there being nothing in it remarkable, I fhall pass it over in Silence. I find, that during my Nonage, I had the Reputation of a very fullen Youth, but was always a Favourite of my Schoolmaster, who used to fay, that my Parts were folid, and would wear well. I had not been long at the University, before I diftinguished my felf by a moft profound Silence; for during the Space of eight Years, excepting in the publick Exercifes of the College, I fcarce uttered the Quantity of an hundred Words; and indeed do not remember that I ever spoke three Sentences together in my whole Life. Whilft I was in this learned Body, I applied my self with fo much Diligence to my Studies, that there are very few celebrated Books, either in the learned or

the

the modern Tongues, which I am not acquainted with.

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 great deal of Learning, if I would but fhew it. An infatiable Thirft after Knowledge, carried me into all the Countries of Europe in which there was any thing new or ftrange to be feen; nay to fuch a Degree was my Curiofity raised, that having read the Controverfies of fome great Men concerning the Antiquities of Egypt, I made a Voyage to Grand Cairo, on purpofe to take the Measure of a Pyramid: and as foon as I had fet my felf right in that Particular, returned to my native Country with great Satisfaction.

I have paffed my latter Years in this City, where I am frequently feen in moft publick Places, tho' 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 liftning with great Attention to the Narratives that are made in thofe little circular Audiences. Sometimes I fmoak a Pipe at Child's, and while I feem attentive to nothing but the Poft-Man, over-hear the Conversation of every Table in the Room. I appear on Sunday Nights at St. James's Coffee-houfe, 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 Gre cian, the Cocoa-Tree, and in the Theatres both of Drury-Lane and the HayMarket. I have been taken for a Merchant upon the Exchange for above these ten Years, and fometimes pafs for a Few 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 my felf a Speculative Statefman, Soldier, Merchant and Artizan, without ever meddling with any Pra Etical Part in Life. I am very well

verfed in the Theory of a Husband or a Father, and can difcern the Errors in the Oeconomy, Bufinefs and Diversion of others, better than thofe who are engaged in them; as Standers-by difcover Blots, which are apt to escape 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, unless I fhall be forced to declare my felf 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 just so 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 feen, read and heard, I begin to blame my own Taciturnity; and fince I have neither Time nor Inclination to communicate the Fulness of my Heart in Speech, I am refolved to do it in Writing, and to print my

felf