010 28 42013 English Marke 17935 ΤΟ 4r. Mr. MANWARING. SIR, T HE State of Converfation and Bufinefs inthis Town having been long perplexed with Pretenders in both Kinds; in or der to open Mens Eyes against fuch Abuses, it appeared no unprofitable Undertaking to publifh a Paper which fhould obferve upon the Manners of the Pleafurable, as well as the Bufy Part of Mankind. To make this generally read, it feemed the most proper Method to form it by Way of a Letter of Intelligence, confifting of fuch Parts as might gratify the Curiofity of Perfons of all Conditions, and of each Sex. But a Work of this Nature requiring Time to grow into the Notice of the World, it happen'd very luckily, that a little before I had refolved upon this Defign, a Gentleman had written Predictions, and two or three other Pieces in my Name, which had rendered it famous through all Parts of Europe; and by an inimitable Spirit and Humour, raised it to as high a Pitch of Reputation as it could poffibly arrive at. BY this good Fortune the Name of Ifaac Bickerftaff gained an Audience of all who had any Tafte of Wit; and the Addition of the ordinary. Occurrences of common Journals of News brought in a Multitude of other Readers. I could not, I confefs, long keep up the Opinion of the Town, that thefe Lucubrations were written by the fame Hand with the firft Works which were published under my Name; but before I loft the Participation of that Author's Fame, I had already found the Advantage of his Authority, to which I owe the fudden Acceptance which my Labours met with in the World, THE general Purpose of this Paper, is to expofe the falfe Arts of Life, to pull off the Difguifes of Cunning, Vanity and Affectation, and to recommend a general Simplicity in our Drefs, our Difcourfe, and our Behaviour. No Man has a better Judgment for the Discovery, or a nobler Spirit for the Contempt of all Impofture, than your felf; which Qualities render you the most proper Patron for the Author of thefe Effays. In the general, the Design, however executed, has met with fo great. Succefs, and there is hardly a Name now eminent among us for Power, Wit, Beauty, Valour or Wifdom, which is not fubfcribed, for the Encouragement of these Volumes. This is indeed an Honour, for which it is impoffible to exprefs a fuitable Gratitude; and there is nothing could be an Addition to the Pleasure I take in it, but the Reflection that it gives me the most confpicuous Occafion I can ever have, of fubfcribing my self, SIR, Your moft Obliged, moft Obedient,. and most Humble Servant, Ifaac Bickerftaff. THE TATLER: BY Ifaac Bickerftaff, Efq; VOL. I. Quicquid agunt Homines noftri Farrago Libelli. The Actions of Mankind are the Subject of my Collections. T Tuesday, April 12, 1709. HO' the other Papers, which are published for the Ufe of the good People of England, have certainly very holesome Effects, and are laudable in their particular Kinds, they do not feem to come up to the main Defign of fuch Narrations, which, I humbly prefume, should be principally intended for the Use of politic Perfons, who are fo publick Spirited as to neglect their own Affairs to look into Tranfactions of State. Now thefe Gentlemen, for the most part, being Perfons of frong Zeal, and weak Intellects, it is both a charitable and necessary Work to offer something whereby fuch worthy and well affected Members of the Commonwealth may be infructed, after their Reading, what to think; which shall be the End and purpose of this my Paper, wherein I shall from Time to Time report and confider all Matters of what Kind foever that shall occur to me, and publifh fuch my Advices and Reflections every A 3 Tuesday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, in the Week, for the Convenience of the Poft. I refolve also to have fomething which may be of Entertainment to the Fair Sex, in Honour of whom I have invented the Title of this Paper. I therefore earnestly defire all Perfons without Diftinction, to take it in for the prefent Gratis, and hereafter at the Price of one Penny, forbidding all Hawkers to take more for it at their Peril. And I defire all Perfons to confider, that I am at a very great Charge for proper Materials for this Work, as well as that before I refolved upon it, I bad fettled a Correfpondence in all Parts of the known and knowing World. And forafmuch as this Globe is not trodden upon by meer Drudges of Business only, but that Men of Spirit and Genius are juftly to be efteemed as confiderable Agents in it, we shall not, upon a Dearth of News, prefent you with much Foreign Edicts, or dull Proclamations, but fall divide our Relation of the Passages which occur in Action or Difcourfe throughout this Town, as well as elsewhere, under fuch Dates of Places as may prepare you for the Matter you are to expect, in the following Manner. ALL Accounts of Gallantry, Pleasure and Entertainment, fhall be under the Article of White's ChocolateHoufe; Poetry, under that of Will's Coffee-Houfe ; Learning, under the Title of Grecian; Foreign and Domeftick News, you will have from St. James's CoffeeHoufe; and what else I have to offer on any other Subject fhall be dated from my own Apartment. I once more defire my Reader to confider, that as I cannot keep an ingenious Man to go daily to Will's under Two pence each Day meerly for his Charges; to White's under Six-pence; nor to the Grecian, without allowing him fome plain Spanish, to be as able as others at the Learned Table; and that a good Obferver cannot speak with even Kidney at St. James's without clean Linnen; I say, thefe Confiderations will, I hope make all Perfons willing to comply with my humble Request (when my Gratis Stock is exhaufted) of a Penny a-piece; especially fince they are Jure of fome proper Amusement, and that it is impoffible for me to want Means to entertain them, having, befides the Force of my own Parts, the Power of Divination, and |