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Joseph Addison

CRITICISM

ON

Milton's

PARADISE LOST.

FROM THE SPECTATOR.'

Three Poets, in three diflant Ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn.
The First in loftinejs of thought Surpafs'd,
The Next in Majefty; in both the Laft.
The force of Nature cou'd no farther goe:
To make a Third fhe joynd the former two.

DRYDEN. Under Milton's picture in Tonfon's folio
(the fourth) edition of Paradife Loft, &c. 1688.

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Collected, in second edition, into volumes VII. VI. V.

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NOTE ON THE EARLY ISSUES OF THE SPECTATOR.'

1711. No. 1 of The Spectator appears 'To be Continued every Day. Mar. 1. It is a foolscap folio, printed in two columns on each of its two pages; advertisements occupying the greater part of the fourth column. The serial continues for ninety-three weeks.

June 1. No. 80 appears.

June 2. No. 81

appears.

Sept. 13. No. 169 appears.

Sept. 14. No. 170 appears.

Nov. 20. No. 227 has the following announcement.

"There is now

Printing by Subscription two Volumes of the SPECTATORS 2nd Ed. on a large character in Octavo; the Price of the two Vols. well Bound and Gilt two Guineas. Those who are inclined to Subscribe, are desired to make their first Payments to Jacob Tonson, Bookseller in the Strand; the Books being so near finished, that they will be ready for the Subscribers ator before Christmas next."

Dec. 18. No. 251 appears.

1712.

19. No. 252 appears.

31. No. 262. The papers on Milton are announced.

Jan. 5. No. 267. The first paper on Paradise Lost appears.

8. No. 269 has this announcement. "The First and Second Volumes of the SPECTATOR in 8vo are now ready to be de2nd Ed. hvered to the Subscribers, by J. Tonson at Shakespear's Head over-against Catherine-street in the Strand."

Jan. 12. No. 273. The second Milton paper appears.

18. No. 278_advertises "This Day is Published, A very neat Pocket Edition of the SPECTATOR, in 2 Vols. 120. Printed for 3rd Ed. Sam. Buckley at the Dolphin in Little-Britain, and J. Tonson at Shakespear's Head over-against Catherine-street in the Strand." Jan. 19-Mar. 8. Eight more papers on Paradise Lost appear.

Aug. 1.

There is no announcement in the Original issue, when Vols. III and IV were ready for delivery to the subscribers of the first 2nd Ed. two, of which they were issued, with an Index, as a completion. Vol. III contains a List of the subscribers to the second edition of these earlier numbers of The Spectator. The list contains 402 names, including a large proportion of aristocratic titles; and among other the names of Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Richard April? Blackmore, &c. The probability is that as the subscribers would naturally complete their sets, the reprinting would go ona little in arrear of the Original issue, and that these volumes were delivered some time in April. The 4 volumes apparently realized £1,608. 10. Anno, c. 18 comes into force. It imposes a Stamp duty of an Halfpenny upon every Pamphlet or Paper contained in Half a Sheet, and One Shilling upon every printed advertisement.-Statutes ix. 617. This stamp is still seen on many copies. Nov. 1. No. 533 advertises This Day is Publish'd, A very neat 3rd Ed. Pocket edition of the 3d and 4th Volumes of the Spectator in 12o To which is added a compleat Index to the whole 4 Volumes. &c." Dec. 6. No 555, Steele announcing, in his own name, the conclusion of the series, states, "I have nothing more to add, but having swelled this Work to 555 Papers, they will be disposed into 2nd Ed. seven Volumes, four of which are already publish'd, and the three others in the Press. It will not be demanded of me why I now leave off, tho' I must own my self obliged to give an Account to the Town of my Time hereafter, since I retire when their Partiality to me is so great, that an Edition of the former Volumes of Spectators of above Nine thousand each Book is already sold off, and the Tax on each half Sheet has brought into the Stamp Office one Week with another above 207. a Week arising from this single Paper, notwithstanding it at first reduced it to less than half the number that was usually Printed before this Tax was laid." He is evidently referring to the original daily issues. Two years later, The Spectator was revived for about six months VIII. 1714. June 18-Dec. 20. Nos 556-635 are published.

SIX HUNDRED and thirty-five papers CONSTITUTE 'THE SPECTATOR.'

The SPECTATOR.

Nulla venenato Littera miffa Foco eft.

{Satirical Reflexions I avoid.

Another translation.

My paper flows from no fatiric vein,

Ov.

Contains no poifon, and conveys no pain. Adapted}

Monday, December 31. 1711.

Think my felf highly obliged to the Publick for their kind Acceptance of a Paper which visits them every Morning, and has in it none of thofe Seafonings that recommend so many of the Writings which are in vogue among us. As, on the one Side, my Paper has not in it a single Word of News, a Reflection in Politicks, nor a Stroke of Party; fo, on the other, there are no fashionable Touches of Infidelity, no obfcene Ideas, no Satyrs upon Priesthood, Marriage, and the like popular Topicks of Ridicule; no private Scandal, nor any thing that may tend to the Defamation of particular Perfons, Families, or Societies.

There is not one of these abovementioned Subjects that would not fell a very indifferent Paper, could I think of gratifying the Publick by fuch mean and bafe Methods: But notwithstanding I have rejected every thing that favours of Party, every thing that is loofe and immoral, and every thing that might create Uneasiness in the Minds of particular Persons, I find that the Demand for my Papers has encreased very Month fince their first Appearance in the World. This does not perhaps reflect so much Honour upon my self, as on my Readers, who give a much greater Attention to Difcourfes of Virtue and Morality, than ever I expected, or indeed could hope.

When I broke loose from that great Body of Writers who have employed their Wit and Parts in propagating Vice and Irreligion, I did not queftion but I should be treated as an odd kind of Fellow that had a Mind to appear fingular in my Way of Writing: But the general Reception I have found, convinces me that the World is not fo corrupt as we are apt to imagine; and that if those Men of Parts who have been employed in viciating the Age had endeavoured to rectify and amend it, they needed not to have facrificed their good Senfe and Virtue to their Fame and Reputation. No Man is fo funk in Vice and Ignorance, but there are ftill fome hidden Seeds of Goodness and Knowledge in him; which give him a Relish of such Reflections and Speculations as have an Aptnefs in* them* to improve the Mind and to make the Heart better.

I have fhewn in a former Paper, with how much Care I have avoided all fuch Thoughts as are loose, obscene, or immoral; and I believe my Reader would ftill think the better of me, if he knew the Pains I am at in qualifying what I write after such a Manner, that nothing may be interpreted as aimed at private Perfons. For this Reafon when I draw any faulty Character, I confider all those Perfons to whom the Malice of the World may poffibly apply it, and take care to dash it with fuch particular Circumftances as may prevent all fuch ill-natured Applications. If I write any thing on a black Man, I run over in my Mind all the eminent Perfons in the Nation who are of that Complection: When I place an imaginary Name at the Head of a Character, I examine every Syllable and Letter of it, that it may not bear any Resemblance to one that is real. I know very well the Value which every Man fets upon his Reputation, and how painful it is to be expofed to the Mirth and Derifion of the Publick, and should therefore fcorn to divert my Reader at the Expence of any private Man.

As I have been thus tender of every particular Person's Reputation, so I have taken more than ordi

AT THE RECEPTION OF HIS PAPERS.

13

nary Care not to give Offence to those who appear in the higher Figures of Life, I would not make my self merry even with a Piece of Pasteboard that is invested with a publick Character; for which Reason I have never glanced upon the late defigned Proceffion of his Holiness and his Attendants, notwithstanding it might have afforded Matter to many ludicrous Speculations. Among thofe Advantages which the Publick may reap from this Paper, it is not the least, that it draws Mens Minds off from the Bitterness of Party, and furnishes them with Subjects of Difcourfe that may be treated without Warmth or Paffion. This is faid to have been the first Design of those Gentlemen who set on Foot the Royal Society; and had then a very good Effect, as it turned many of the greatest Genius's of that Age to the Difquifitions of natural Knowledge, who, if they had engaged in Politicks with the fame Parts and Application, might have set their Country in a Flame. The Air-Pump, the Barometer, the Quadrant, and the like Inventions, were thrown out to those busy Spirits, as Tubs and Barrels are to a Whale, that he may let the Ship fail on without Disturbance, while he diverts himself with those innocent Amusements.

I have been so very scrupulous in this Particular of not hurting any Man's Reputation, that I have forborn mentioning even fuch Authors as I could not name with Honour. This I must confess to have been a Piece of very great Self-denial: For as the Publick relishes nothing better than the Ridicule which turns upon a Writer of any Eminence, fo there is nothing which a Man that has but a very ordinary Talent in Ridicule may execute with greater Ease. One might raise Laughter for a Quarter of a Year together upon the Works of a Person who has published but a very few Volumes. For which Reasons I am aftonished, that those who have appeared against this Paper have made so very little of it. The Criticisms which I have hitherto published, have been made with an Intention rather to discover Beauties and Excellencies in the

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