P. 7, 1. 4. that famous country-dance. This is said to have been named after a knight who lived in the time of Richard I. (See Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time.) Country-dance is really contre-danse a dance in which partners stand opposite to

one another. See Spectator, No. 67.

P. 7, 1. 15. Soho Square. Note other places where Sir Roger is said to have lodged when he came to London.

P. 7, 1. 19-p. 8, l. 1. supped with my Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege-kicked Bully Dawson. To be familiar with the fashionable wits on coming to town, and to kick a noted sharper and swaggerer, was enough to give Sir Roger an honourable and permanent place in the social life of London.

P. 7, 1. 20. fought a duel. To Steele, who had seriously injured an opponent, duelling was thoroughly abhorrent, and he wrote many papers in The Tatler against the custom. Sir Roger's duel must have been about 1668; and the following, from Pepys' Diary, July 29, 1667, shows the frivolous state of that age and of many years following, in this particular:

"Here Creed did tell us the story of the duell last night, in Covent-garden, between Sir H. Bellasis and Tom Porter. It is worth remembering the silliness of the quarrell, and is a kind of emblem of the general complexion of this whole kingdom at present. They two dined yesterday at Sir Robert Carr's where it seems people do drink high, all that come. It happened that these two, the greatest friends in the world, were talking together: and Sir H. Bellasis talked a little louder than ordinary to Tom Porter, giving of him some advice. Some of the company standing by said, 'What! are they quarrelling, that they talk so high?' Sir H. Bellassis, hearing it, said, 'No!' says he: 'I would have you know I never quarrel, but I strike; and take that as a rule of mine!' 'How?' says Tom Porter, Strike! I would I could see the man in England that durst give me a blow!' With that Sir H. Bellassis did give him a box of the eare; and so they were going to fight there, but were hindered. And by and by Tom Porter went out; and meeting Dryden the poet, told him of the business, and that he was resolved to fight Sir H. Bellassis presently; for he knew, if he

:

did not, they should be friends to-morrow, and then the blow would rest upon him; which he would prevent, and desired Dryden to let him have his boy to bring him notice which way Sir H. Bellassis goes. By and by he is informed that Sir H. Bellassis's coach was coming: so Tom Porter went out of the coffee house where he staid for the tidings, and stopped the coach, and bade Sir H. Bellassis come out. Why,' says H. Bellassis, you will not hurt me coming out, will you?' 'No,' says Tom Porter. So out he went, and both drew and H. Bellassis having drawn and flung away his scabbard, Tom Porter asked him whether he was ready? The other answering him he was, they fell to fight, some of their acquaintance by. They wounded one another, and H. Bellassis so much that it is feared he will die: and, finding himself severely wounded, he called to Tom Porter, and kissed him, and bade him shift for himself; for,' says he, 'Tom, thou hast hurt me; but I will make shift to stand upon my legs till thou mayest withdraw, and the world not take notice of you, for I would not have thee troubled for what thou hast done.' And so whether he did fly or no I cannot tell; but Tom Porter showed H. Bellassis that he was wounded too: and they are both ill, but H. Bellassis to fear of life. And this is a fine example; and H. Bellassis a Parliament-man, too, and both of them extraordinary friends."

P. 8, 1. 8. at the time of his repulse.

Cf. p. 52, 1. 19.

That is about 1678.

P. 8, 1. 15. his servants look satisfied. Observe further instances of his good treatment of servants. Judge by contrast of the usual lot of servants at that day, who were caned and otherwise insulted. Cf. p. 32, ll. 15, 16.

P. 8, 1. 20. justice of the quorum. Formerly certain persons were selected, bearing this title, and were required to be present to make up the bench of judges, or constitute the quorum. Such selection, therefore, meant eminence in learning or prudence. Cf. p. 169, 1. 24.

P. 8, 11. 20, 21.

quarter-sessions. In England, the quarterly

session, or meeting, of the justices of a county.

P. 8, 11. 25, 26.

Inner Temple. One of the four great English

societies of law-students and practitioners: the other three being Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn.

P. 8, 1. 31-p. 9, 1. 10. Aristotle, third century B.C., Longinus, born 213 A.D., were celebrated Greek philosophers; Littleton, 1421-1481, and Coke, 1549-1634, famous English writers on law; Demosthenes, 385-322 B.C., the greatest of the Greek, Tully (Marcus Tullius Cicero), 106-43 B.C., the greatest of the Roman orators. The reference means that the Templar knew the formal beauties of classical rhetoric better than the law of the day.

P. 9, 11. 17, 18.

familiarity with the customs.

of the ancients. This habit of estimating the life of the day by its agreement or non-agreement with the life of the ancients, is a characteristic point of view throughout all this literary period, and will be constantly noted as The Spectator's usual attitude.

P. 9, 11. 24-25. the Rose. A notorious tavern in Russell Street, Covent Garden, and close to Drury-Lane Theatre.

P. 12, ll. 1, 2. humourists. Cf. p. 26, ll. 13-18, n.

P. 12, 11. 14-17. from what Frenchwoman. The court of Louis XIV. set the fashions of the day. Observe further instances of borrowing fashions from the French, either in dress or in literature. Cf. p. 20, l. 27.

P. 12, 1. 22. Duke of Monmouth. James Stuart, Duke of Monmouth, son of Charles II. and Lucy Walters. He was put forward as an instrument of the Earl of Shaftesbury, as claimant for the crown, against the Duke of York (afterwards James II.); invaded England in 1685, but was defeated at Sedgemoor, and executed in July of that year.

P. 16, ll. 20-31. Sir Richard Blackmore, court physician and voluminous writer of verse. The quotations here made by the

Spectator are from the preface to Prince Arthur.

P. 20, 11. 8, 9. Proper subjects for raillery. See Spectator, Amusing reflections on the opera and puppet-show are in Nos. 5, 13, 14, 18, 22, and others.

No. 15.

P. 22. This page shows the moral purpose of The Spectator.

The following from Spectator, No. 262, shows how steadily and successfully it was maintained:

66

My paper flows from no satirick vein,

Contains no poison, and conveys no pain.

"I think myself highly obliged to the public for their kind acceptance of a paper which visits them every morning, and has in it none of those seasonings 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 politics, nor a stroke of party; so, on the other, there are no fashionable touches of infidelity, no obscene ideas, no satires upon priesthood, marriage, and the like popular topics of ridicule; no private scandal, nor anything that may tend to the defamation of particular persons, families, or societies.

"There is not one of those above-mentioned subjects that would not sell a very indifferent paper, could I think of gratifying the public by such mean and base methods.

"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 question but I should be treated as an odd kind of fellow that had a mind to appear singular in my way of writing: but the general reception I have found convinces me that the world is not so corrupt as we are apt to imagine; and that if those men of parts who have been employed in vitiating the age had endeavoured to rectify and amend it, they needed not to have sacrificed their good sense and virtue to their fame and reputation. No man is so sunk in vice and ignorance but there are still some hidden seeds of goodness and knowledge in him; which give him a relish of such reflections and speculations as have an aptness to improve the mind and make the heart better."

See also, note to p. 174, l. 1 ff.

P. 23, 1. 2. the Roman triumvirate. Julius Cæsar, iv. i.

See Shakespeare's

P. 23, 1. 18 ff. "I write after such a manner that nothing may be interpreted as aimed at private persons. For this reason, when

I draw any faulty character, I consider all those persons to whom the malice of the world may possibly apply it; and take care to dash it with such particular circumstances as may prevent all such ill-natured applications. If I write anything on a black man, I run over in my mind all the eminent persons in the nation who are of that complexion; 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 every man sets upon his reputation, and how painful it is to be exposed to the mirth and derision of the public; and should therefore scorn to divert my reader at the expense of any private man.

"I would not make myself merry even with a piece of pasteboard that is invested with a public character; for which reason I have never glanced upon the late designed procession of his Holiness and his attendants, notwithstanding it might have afforded matter to many ludicrous speculations. Among those advantages which the public may reap from this paper, it is not the least that it draws men's minds off from the bitterness of party, and furnishes them with subjects of discourse that may be treated without warmth or passion. This is said 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 geniuses of that age to the disquisitions of natural knowledge, who, if they had engaged in politics with the same 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 sail on without disturbance, while he diverts himself with those innocent amusements." - Spectator, No. 262.

P. 24, 11. 6, 7. Describe the Spectator's humours, as far as known. See n. to p. 6, 1. 4.

P. 25, 1. 10. a grey pad that is kept . . . with great care. Observe a kindly feeling towards animals, and a love for natural beauty, in all these papers.

P. 26, 1. 26. Latin and Greek at his own table. To embellish the conversation with scraps of Latin and Greek, and quota