, 1876-03-25
FAMILIAR TALK,

during tho lrBt half OF Tho last century aro R0n-
orally regarded as beginning with tho Taller and |
spectator !; but 10 Dofoo really belongs tho honor
Of originating this unique aud influential form
Of publication. In 1901, Dcfoo established the
Rcrtcr, q literary and political JOURNAL which ho
continued for nine yoars. isBnug number ovory
Tuesday. Thursday. and Saturday. All subjects
Of cutront political. popular, and hoc'al interost
wore treated by tho author, who aimed at i'm
proving tho morals aud tho MANNERS of tho age,
and lashed without mercy tbs vlces that wore
exposed In the Church, the Btate and tho homo.
necessarily as Defoo employed his pon, ho
"pevcr wroto for tho moro saho Of writing, OF
unlcse when ho really had something Ia state |
which he conceived It important that tho public
should KNOW" hut his honesty and nobility OF
purposo did not exempt him from the pnnieh-
ment which faformers AEo apt to call down on
thoir hoads, and for two years. during which tho
publication Of tho fcctc1o waa not futeru,ittc3.
ho lay In Newgato Prison on sccount Of = scrcod
ho had projected sgainet tho High Church party,
which was voted libel BY The House Of Com
mons.
Tue Recieto enjoyed groat popularity, and ita
light, pleasant papers ON miscellaneous topics
probably suggested 10 sseo1o tho scllomo Of q
journal that euould bo composed exclusively Of
these. StccIn occupied the ofico Of Gazosteer,-
position that gave him early Intelligence Of
| foreign nows. With this advantage he resolved
| to unite tho two departments Of ttoraturo and
tows 10 periodical that should appear. IS did
tho Reun1o. oil tho poatd da,n. Accordingly, on
the 18th Of April, 17Uo ho issucd tito FIRST NUM-
| bor OF the Tdtlfr. It WAS amall sheet. but 1t
lad 1t it's head man of fcrtile reeonrces, Of on
terprise, and Of agreeable inlcnts A. writer.
Steeles profeassd object ID planning tile publca-
/ tion vas, through its lDstrunenthty " to expose
the falsc arts Of life, 70 pull OF tho dsEuees Of
cunning. vanity, and atrectation, and to RECON-
| mond 4 general simplicity IN Our drcHs. our dis
course, and our behayior;" in short to correct the
public taste and refine tho habits of eociesy. The
Taller had boen published six veoks vhen Ad-
| dieob at the time In Ireland, became contrib
usor, and, after tio cightieth number. he was
regularly associated wish 6tcelo in tho support
| Of tile periodical
ssee,c vas now in bis so!h year, and Addison
was in his 39th Tho two writers, whose namoa
wcre destined to 90 down 10 postority In IN inti-
mato Fellowship, Ind been ftiendn from ch.ld-
Addison give him ii tho natntenanco Of tue
Taller Steele confexscs: ~ fared like dis
trosscd princo WHO calle ln = powerful nclGhbor
70 h!s aid: wa undonc by my auxiliary; When
without dependence On him." Tho Tdtier survived
until tho second week In January. It'll. when
conjunction Of circumstances, chicf Of which
was tho triumph Of tho Tones aud Btceiostose OF
t.o appointment OF Gazetteer, causod 1t to DO dis
continued. The paper bad boon Afforded ss t1e
low price Of a penny por number. Or tho 27o
essays published IN the 7atcr, la8 wate Kr1tten
By Steele. a BY Addison, and 36 by both con
Jointly. or the remaining artsc1oa. Swift furnish-
cd tho largest number. ....
eseeIe'a success with tho TatleT stimulated him
u second effort OF tue Rstue character; and,
within two months after tho conclusion Of lila
first vcutnrc,-thas Is. In March, 17tt..tha tn-
it.al number Of tho Spectator appeared. This
WAS published daily until tho 9Th q December,
During the progress OF this periodical, Addison
| contributed rather more eHaayA than stcelo, but
tho two together produced about four-iifthB Of
Se;s ha
end which It hhA in Wow, VIZ: tho elevation
OF the tono Of lite1ntuto and Of society. Tho
ncws department which bad constituted an I'M
portant feature Of the Taller. was bau!shed from
thc Spectator. aud tho paper consisted nimpiy Of
a single esssy, which tho bcalnosa -nAu conld
dispatch Us he drank hls morning cup Of coffee.
!, and tue Eny woman Of society could discuss with
over thor loquacous toa. When tho Spectator
| Lad reached its 10th number, 5000 copies
wore sold daily. while, n,.as in tho he. eight
s.s 81 '' P''sss{S s ssss. nahss' r. Rse
wero reprinted IN volumes. and this form had ~
additional saie Of TO- 100 copies. Ia Juno, 17l4,
tho Spectator was revived, and eighty numbers
; publication. s,eeie was DOT among tho con.
A tsibutors to this pupp!ement, but twenty-tour OF
tho essays are attributed TO Addison. o. tic
rbolo numbor Of t,ls Spectators. ss5' Addison
I Tho l2tn OF Mach. 17ls, stcols organized a
third periodical. untitled the Guardian. II Waa
published daily, and extended to l75 numbors,
Z which wero united Ia two volumes. Addison
=, but for the second ho prepared fifsJ-tvo. Be-
. sdea Addison, stoole bad for assistants in this
: enterprise popo, Derkcly, budgell. md others
uudgell was . relative Of Addison, aud thirty
: soyen Numbers Of tho Spectator signed with ths
a letter II are asc5ibod 10 him. john Hughes, whc
had also boan . frcquont contributor to the
!. Spectator, tEas the author of two pspoEs io IL the
Guardian, aud 6soolo produced oighty-two. Tho
Guardian did not attain lle high excellence ot tue
, | Spectator but fts contcnts wore moro dlyotat-
fed. owing 10 tho creator nunbor OF its con-
periodical Ssoolo undertook successively several
R.naicr, tho Ploeian. and tho Theatre; but oil
= Of these we1c short-iivea, and brought him nc
commenced iu Octobcr, 17l3, six days aftor the
close OF tho Guardian aud ffty-soven number.
i we're iBsued, 1t tho ra.o Of thtco q week. Ad
: olson xrose nothing for this publication, nol
II In Ills, Ambrose phillps,. poet OF SOM
/ temporary note. began. With sho aia Of " "
sss ssS9o 's s ssqs & sSs.;ns x E
- On ignotauco. Superstition, Dlgotsy, I'll
= tnusiasu. Graft, eto.: intsrlni1od : wiz
several piscss of f. Tt n;,ss% ana hnmoF DC
;. kind to the uso Of teaaon aud common aonse.
:, The journal creAtcd considerable interest for
I time. and was continued until tie number
|, illol three voIumes, which ran thtoug
~ sove.al oditons. 1n l74o. auoths
work, attempting to supply The pho
Of tho popular periodicals Of tho carly part OF I'll
J! century, Was established Il cAtuo out under th
1t name oi tho Museum, and includud among i
:; contributors Horace Walpolo, Akenslde, aud III
. TWO WAItona. 1t had career similar in lopgt
2 aud prosperity to that Of tho trtettinktT bt
ID neither ths, DOR any osl.sr OF tho reproduction
!. Of the periodical essay. repeated Tho success
T. secured tho lasting famo Of tho Taller. Spectato
u aud Guardian, uull U5. johnson founded tt
IL Handler.
IL The iirst number Of this paper appesrod Marc
i. 20, l75O, aud until March II, 1859, it was pn
40 | listlel twice + voek without Interruption, {
er tho 208 numbers that comprised the who
Ma work, Johnson wrote all but five. aamu
Il. nichardsou, the author of1 Carssa lin
10 loxo" produced one OF tnose, Ave, sud tue r