assumed." This curious notice is subjoined to a Tatler in folio, pretending to be a continuation of the original Tatler, dated January 13th, 1710, and numbered 276.

14. ANNOTATIONS ON THE TATLER. This publication, to which Addison alludes in N° 229 of the Tatler, was written by William Oldisworth, under the fictitious name of Walter Wagstaff, Esq. and was published in 1710, in 2 vols. 24to. The author, however, to shield himself as much as possible from the chastisement which he justly merited, asserted in his title-page that the work was a translation from the French of a Monsieur Bournelle. On this virulent but foolish production, Steele is supposed to have passed sentence in the concluding paragraph of N°. 79 of the Tatler.

15. THE VISIONS OF SIR HEISTER RYLEY. Though these Visions are a professed imitation of the Tatler in point of form, every paper being separated into two or three parts, and these again dated from different places, with regard to manner and style they are placed at an infinite distance from their model. They consist of eighty numbers, the first of which was published on

*

* Printed in small 4to; and, as the title-page expresses Vol. 1, we may presume that a continuation was intended; but, probably, the want of sale gave a broad hint to the Editor, which he had just wit enough to take.

August 21st, 1710, and the last on February 21st, 1710-11. So worthless, however, is the entire texture of this compilation, that I know not whether a single page can be deemed worthy of preservation.

16. THE GROWLER. The only information that I have been able to obtain relative to this paper is from Gay's Essay on the Present State of Wit. Speaking of the multitude of Papers to which the Tatler had given birth, he remarks, that "the expiration of Bickerstaff's Lucubrations was attended with much the same consequences as the death of Melibæus's ox, in Virgil ; as the latter engendered swarms of bees, the former immediately produced whole swarms of little satirical scribblers. One of these authors called himself the Growler, and assured us, that, to make amends for Mr. Steele's silence, he was resolved to growl at us weekly as long as we should think fit to give him any encouragement."

17. THE EXAMINER. The political lucubrations of Steele in the Tatler, though neither numerous, nor written with much asperity, gave such offence to the Tories, who were then rising into power, that they thought it necessary to establish a periodical paper under the title of the Examiner, as a defence of their principles and views. The authors of this once celebrated Paper were, for

the most part, persons of considerable ability; but the virulence and rancour with which they attacked Steele and calumniated their opponents, reflect no small share of disgrace upon their memory. The early numbers of the Examiner were published under the superintendence of Dr. William King, who was the author of the fifth, eleventh, and twelfth papers. He was assisted by Bolingbroke, by Prior, who contributed N° 6, by Dr. Atterbury, and Dr. Friend. Dr. King was soon superseded, however, by Swift, who, commencing with N° 14, wrote thirty-three Essays in succession, and then relinquished the task to Mrs. Manley, who concluded the first volume, in point of literary merit the best portion of the work. The management of this scurrilous undertaking was then entrusted to Mr. Oldisworth, who completed the fifth volume, published nineteen numbers of a sixth, and would probably have printed many more had not the death of the Queen arrested the progress of his pen. The Examiner existed during the four last years of Queen Anne, the first number being dated August 3d, 1710, and the last July 26th, 1714. It had the merit of giving origin to the Whig-Examiner of Addison, to the Reader of Steele, and to,

18. THE MEDLEY. This paper, which was

not strictly confined to politics, immediately succeeded the Whig-Examiner, and carried on, with considerable spirit, the attack upon Swift and his party. It began on the 5th of October, 1710, under the auspices of Mr. Maynwaring, a gentleman of great accomplishments and ability, and of whom, as intimately connected with Steele, I shall give a short biographical sketch. He was born at Ightfield in Shropshire, in 1668; and, after the usual grammatical education, was sent, at the age of seventeen, to Christ Church, Oxford. Having employed a residence of several years at this university, in the ardent cultivation of classical literature, he retired, for a short time, into the country; but, adopting the profession of the law, he found it necessary to fix in the metropolis. Here he prosecuted his studies until the conclusion of the peace of Ryswic; when, availing himself of that event, he visited Paris, and became intimately acquainted with the celebrated Boileau. Upon his return to England, he was made a commissioner of the customs; and, on the accession of Queen Anne, through the interest of the lord-treasurer Godolphin, auditor of the imprests, a place of great pecuniary emolument. In 1705 he was chosen a member of parliament for Preston in Lancashire. He died at St. Alban's, November 13th, 1712, aged 44. Mr.

Maynwaring was greatly attached to Mrs. Oldfield, whose theatrical abilities at that time excited the admiration of the lovers of the drama; and by her he left an only son. Oldmixon, who published in 1715, in 8vo, the life and posthumous works of our author, affirms, that he "loved that lady for about eight or nine years before his death, and with a passion that could hardly have been stronger had it been both her and his first love." For Mrs. Oldfield he wrote many prologues and epilogues, and took infinite pains and delight in improving her talents for the stage. The elegance of his manners and taste, and his proficiency in the belle lettres, attracted many friends and admirers, and among these were Addison and Steele, the latter of whom dedicated to him the first volume of the Tatler. He was universally allowed, says the Biographia Britannica, to be the best critic of his times; and Mr. Egerton, in his Memoirs of Mrs. Oldfield, has declared, that his learning was without pedantry, his wit without affectation, his judgment without malice, his friendship without interest, his zeal without violence; in a word, he was the best subject, the best friend, the best relation, the best master, the best critic, and the best political writer in Great Britain. Though this be doubtless exaggerated praise, Mr. Maynwaring is entitled to most respectable distinction