LIAM KING, who is said to have been the ostensible author before it devolved on SWIFT, whose first paper is the fourteenth, and Mr. OLDISWORTH. It was set up in opposition to the TATLER, in consequence of some political articles which STEELE wrote, or of which he was contented to bear the blame; but the plan of the two papers was essentially different, and the public has long since decided in favour of the

TATLER.

The TORY-EXAMINER, for such it was, of SWIFT, produced the WHIG-EXAMINER of ADDISON, which reached only to the fifth number, and gave way to the MEDLEY, the first number of which appeared Oct. 5, 1710. This was conducted upon the same political principles with the WHIG-EXAMINER, but with more violence, and less ability. The principal author was ARTHUR MAYNWARING, Esq. a gentleman of fortune, and political consequence, to whom STEELE dedicated the first volume of the TATLER. His assistants in this work were CLEMENTS, Secretary to the EARL of PETERBOROUGH, Dr. KENNETT, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, Mr. ANTHONY HENLY, and STEELE, who wrote part of No. 23.-No. 45, the last paper, is dated Aug. 6, 1711.

During the publication of the TATLER, among other puny efforts to gain popularity and profit, by an imitation of that plan, appeared a periodical work, entitled, "The VISIONS of Sir HEISTER RYLEY: with other entertainments. Consisting of Two hundred discourses and letters

representing by way of Image and Description, the characters of Vertue, Beauty, Affection, Love, and Passion, &c. &c." Whether RYLEY was a real or fictitious name does not appear. It was printed in the quarto size. No. 1 is dated Aug. 21, 1710, and No. 80, the last in the copy now before me, Feb. 21, 1710-11. Each number is divided into two or three speculations, dated from different places, in imitation of the TATLER, and this unfortunately is the only in stance in which that work has been imitated. The whole is a miserable collection of commonplace remarks, such as would not now be tolerated in the most illiterate of our periodical pub. lications.

The LAY-MONK was a paper undertaken by Sir RICHARD BLACKMORE, not for fame or profit, he says, but that he might have the satisfaction of accomplishing a design for the public good. He had offered his assistance to ADDISON, and to HUGHES, and when they declined it, he resolved, by the aid of another friend, to publish a paper three times a week, and "to own that he had some hand in it." The first of these papers was published Nov. 16, 1713, and the last Feb. 1713-14. Mr. HUGHES, when it was once begun, was induced to be a contributor, and ac knowledges, in one letter, the third, sixth, and ninth papers, and in another, he says that the character of NED FREEMAN, and all the Friday's papers were his. It met with no great success, yet HUGHES thinks it began to grow upon the town, and might have been continued with

RICHARD had not been
Who the other friend

moderate success, if Sir weary and dropped it *. mentioned by Sir Richard was, does not appear. The plan is not altogether unlike that which HUGHES sketched to ADDISON; the supposition being that some literary men, whose characters are described, had retired to a house in the country, to enjoy philosophical leisure, and resolved to inftruct the public, by communicating their disquisitions and amusements. Such a plan, however, was not very happy, as it obviously could not embrace common life and manners, and the town probably would not have suffered the instructions of country gentlemen. It reached to the fortieth paper, and was republished in one volume, with the title of the "LAY-MONASTERY, being a Sequel to the SPECTATORS," which, as was the opinion then, had been finally concluded with No. 555, the last of the seventh volume.

"This period," says THEOBALD, "may well be called the Age of Counsellers, when every blockhead who could write his own name, attempted to inform and amuse the public." "Close on the heels," as he expresses it, "of "the inimitable SPECTATOR," this author began, in Mist's Journal (a newspaper of the day) a paper, entitled THE CENSOR, the first number of which is dated April 11, 1715. In this he rather unluckily assumed the name of JOHNSON, a descendant of BEN JONSON, and pretended to have inherited "a considerable portion of his spirit."

* Duncombe's Letters, vol. 1, pp. 82, 101, edit. 1772,

It continued, but with many intermissions, to June 1, 1717, in all ninety-six papers; afterwards printed in three volumes 12mo. It has since, not altogether undeservedly, sunk into oblivion.

A paper of very considerable merit was undertaken by AMBROSE PHILLIPS, in the year 1718, and continued for some time with spirit and success, entitled THE FREETHINKER. The first paper is dated March 24, 1718, and the last, Sept. 28, 1719, in all one hundred and fifty-nine papers, many of which are distinguished for taste and humour. PHILLIPS' coadjutors were indeed men of acknowledged talents; BOULTER, afterwards Archbishop of Armagh, and PHILLIPS' great patron, was one: many of the best papers are said to have been written by the Rev. GEORGE STUBBS, rector of Gunville, in Dorsetshire. Dr. PEARCE, the late bishop of Rochester, wrote at least one very beautiful paper (No. 114.) The other contributors were the Right Hon. RICHARD WEST, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the Rev. GILBERT BURNETT, and the Rev. HENRY STEEVENS. This Burnett, if I mistake not, was Vicar of Coggeshall, Essex, and minister of St. James's Clerkenwell. The FREETHINKER was afterwards printed in three volumes, 12mo and has undergone at least two impressions.

Having mentioned MIST'S JOURNAL, it may be necessary to add, that it was the first paper

* WELSTED Contributed some poetical pieces to the FREETHINKER. See NICHOLS' Life of WELSTED prefixed to his works,, p. 22, oct. 1787.

written against the government, after the accession of the present royal family. Its object of opposition was the protestant succession. It was followed, and nearly under the same management by Foc's JOURNAL, which is said to have been very popular. LORD CHESTERFIELD wrote at least three papers in it. A selection of the best papers was published in two volumes, octavo, in 1732. The first of these is dated Sept. 28, 1728, and the last, Dec. 25, 1731, but the paper was continued long after this, the date of Lord CHESTERFIELD's first contribution being Jan. 17, 1736, and his last, April 10th of that year. I suspect it was concluded soon after, and succeeded by another paper, written by the op position, called

COMMON SENSE, the first number of which, dated Feb. 5, 1737, was written by Lord CHESTERFIELD, who wrote also Nos. 3, 4, 14, 16, 19, 25, 30, 32, 33, 37, 51, 54, 57, 89, 93, and 103. His lordship's contributions of these papers were mostly on subjects of morals or manners, and some of them are equal if not superior to the most admired of his periodical compositions. Lord LYTTELTON was also a writer in this paper.

The TRUE BRITON began to be published about the time of ATTERBURY's plot. The first number bears date June 3, 1723, and the 74th or last, Feb. 17, 1723-4. The whole were written by the wretched DUKE of WHARTON.

There had previously appeared a selection from Misr's Journal, printed about 1722.