PERIODICAL ESSAYISTS
The fifth lecture on the “Comic Writers.”
[P. 133.] the proper study. Pope’s “Essay on Man,” II, 2.
comes home. Bacon’s dedication of the Essays.
Quicquid agunt homines. “Whatever things men do form the mixed substance of our book.” Juvenal’s “Satires,” I, 85. With occasional exceptions, this appears as the motto of the first 78 number of the Tatler.
holds the mirror. “Hamlet,” iii, 2, 24.
the act and practic. Cf. “Henry V,” i, 1, 51: “So that the art and practic part of life Must be the mistress to this theoric.”
[P. 134.] the web of our life. “All’s Well That Ends Well,” iv, 3, 83.
Quid sit pulchrum. “It tells us what is fair, what foul, what is useful, what not, more amply and better than Chrysippus and Crantor.” Horace’s “Epistles,” I, ii, 3-4.
Montaigne, Michel (1533-1592). “Essays,” Books I and II, 1580; Book III, 1588.
[P. 135.] not one of the angles. Sterne’s “Tristram Shandy,” Bk. III, Ch. 12.
[P. 136.] pour out. “Imitation of Horace, Satire I,” 51.
P. 136, n. more wise Charron. See Pope’s “Moral Essays,” I, 87. Pierre Charron (1541-1603), a friend of Montaigne, author of “De la Sagesse” (1601).
[P. 137.] Pereant isti. Ælius Donatus: St. Jerome’s Commentary on the Eucharist, ch. 1. Mr. Carr’s translation of the sentence is “Confound the fellows who have said our good things before us.” (Camelot Hazlitt.)
[P. 138.] Charles Cotton’s (1630-1687) translation of Montaigne was published in 1685. It was dedicated to George Savile, Marquis of Halifax (1633-1695), who spoke of the essays as “the book in the world I am best entertained with.”
Cowley, Abraham (1618-1667). “Several Discourses by way of Essays in Prose and Verse” appeared in the edition of his works in 1668.
Sir William Temple (1628-1699). His essays, entitled “Miscellanea,” were published in 1680 and 1692.
Lord Shaftesbury (1671-1713), author of “Characteristics” (1711).
[P. 139.] the perfect spy. “Macbeth,” iii, 1, 130.
The Tatler ran from April 12, 1709, to June 2, 1711. This paragraph and the larger portion of the next are substantially reproduced from the paper “On the Tatler” in the “Round Table.”
Isaac Bickerstaff. Under the disguise of this name Swift had perpetrated an amusing hoax on an almanac-maker of the name of Partridge, and in launching his new periodical Steele availed himself of the notoriety of Bickerstaff’s name and feigned his identity with that personage.
[P. 140.] the disastrous stroke. Cf. “Othello,” i, 3, 157: “some distressful stroke that my youth suffered.”
the recollection of one of his mistresses. Tatler, No. 107.
the club at the Trumpet. 132.
the cavalcade. 86.
the upholsterer. 155, 160, 178.
If he walks out, etc. 238.
[P. 141.] Charles Lillie, perfumer, at the corner of Beaufort Buildings in the Strand, was agent for the sale of the Tatler and Spectator and is several times mentioned in those periodicals.
Betterton, Thomas (1635?-1710), Anne Oldfield (1683-1730), Will [Richard] Estcourt (1668-1712), were popular actors of the day.
Tom Durfey (1653-1723) was a dramatist and song writer.
Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), and Marshal Turenne (1611-1675).
The Spectator ran from March 1, 1711, to December 6, 1712, with an additional series from June 18 to December 20, 1714.
the first sprightly runnings. Dryden’s “Aurengzebe,” iv, 1.
[P. 142.] Addison, Joseph (1672-1719).
the whiteness of her hand. Cf. Spectator. No. 113. “She certainly has the finest hand of any woman in the world.”
the havoc he makes. Spectator, 116, by Budgell.
his speech from the bench and his unwillingness. 122.
his gentle reproof. 130.
his doubts. 117.
[P. 143.] his account of the family pictures. 109, by Steele.
his choice of a chaplain. 106.
his falling asleep at church and his reproof of John Williams, i.e., John Matthews. 112.
I once thought I knew. Cf. “On the Conversation of Authors,” where A—— (William Ayrton) is introduced as “the Will Honeycomb of our set.”
The Court of Honour. Addison created the court in Tatler, 250. Its proceedings are recorded by himself and Steele in Nos. 253, 256, 259, 262, 265.
Personification of Musical Instruments. Tatler, 153, 157.
the picture of the family. Tatler, 95, of unknown authorship.
[P. 144.] the account of the two sisters. 151.
the married lady. 104.
the lover and his mistress. 94.
the bridegroom. 82.
Mr. Eustace and his wife. 172.
the fine dream. 117.
Mandeville, Bernard (d. 1733), author of the satirical “Fable of the Bees.”
reflections on cheerfulness. Spectator, 381, 387, 393.
those in Westminster Abbey. 26.
Royal Exchange. 69.
[P. 145.] the best criticism. 226.
Mr. Fuseli, Henry (1741-1825), painter and art critic.
an original copy. Probably the octavo edition of 1711.
The Guardian ran from March 12, 1713, to October 1, 1713.
The Rambler ran from March 20, 1749-50, to March 14, 1752.
Dr. Johnson, Samuel (1709-1784).
[P. 146.] give us pause. “Hamlet,” iii, 1, 68.
[P. 147.] All his periods, etc. See the “Character of Burke” and the preface to “The Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays.”
[P. 148.] the elephant. “Paradise Lost,” IV, 345.
If he were to write. Boswell’s “Johnson,” ed. Birkbeck Hill, II, 231.
[P. 149.] Rasselas, an Oriental tale, published in 1759.
abused Milton and patronised Lauder. See Boswell’s “Johnson,” I, 228-231.
[P. 150.] Boswell, James (1740-1795), made his literary reputation by his “Life of Johnson.”
the king of good fellows. Burns’s “Auld Rab Morris.”
inventory of all he said. Cf. Ben Jonson’s “Alchemist,” iii, 2: “And ta’en an inventory of what they are.”
Goldsmith asked. Boswell’s “Johnson,” II, 260.
If that fellow Burke. II, 450.
What, is it you. I, 250.
[P. 151.] with some unidead girls. I, 251.
Now, I think. II, 362.
his quitting the society. I, 201.
his dining with Wilkes. III, 64.
his sitting with the young ladies. II, 120.
his carrying the unfortunate victim. IV, 321.
an act which realises the parable. Talfourd, who heard this lecture, reports that on Hazlitt’s allusion to this incident “a titter arose from some who were struck by the picture as ludicrous, and a murmur from others who deemed the allusion unfit for ears polite: he paused for an instant, and then added, in his sturdiest and most impressive manner—‘an act which realizes the parable of the Good Samaritan’—at which his moral, and his delicate hearers shrank, rebuked, into deep silence.”
where they. Gray’s “Elegy.”
[P. 152.] The Adventurer ran from November 7, 1752, to March 9, 1754. John Hawkesworth (1715-1773) was its chief contributor.
The World ran from January 4, 1753, to December 30, 1756.
The Connoisseur ran from January 31, 1754, to September 30, 1756.
one good idea. The paper referred to is No. 176 of The World, by Edward Moore, the dramatist.
Citizen of the World, in two volumes, 1762.
go about to cozen. Cf. “Merchant of Venice,” ii, 9, 37: “To cozen fortune and be honorable Without the stamp of merit.”
Persian Letters. “Letters from a Persian in England to his Friend at Ispahan” (1735), by Lord Lyttleton.
[P. 153.] The bonzes. “Citizen of the World,” Letter X.
Edinburgh. We are positive. Ibid., Letter V.
Beau Tibbs. Letters XXIX, LIV, LV, LXXXI.
Lounger ran from February 5, 1785, to January 6, 1786, The Mirror from January 23, 1779, to May 27, 1780. The chief contributor to both was Henry Mackenzie (1745-1831), author of the celebrated sentimental novels: “The Man of Feeling” (1771), “The Man of the World” (1773), “Julia de Roubigné” (1777).
the story of La Roche. Mirror, 42, 43, 44.
the story of Le Fevre. “Tristram Shandy,” Bk. VI, ch. 6.
[P. 154.] author of Rosamond Gray. Charles Lamb.