596
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
1711, Jan. 6. Christopher Bateman, a celebrated bookseller who lived in Little Britain, and dealt principally in old books, is mentioned by Swifl, in a letter to Stella, of this date : " I went to Bateman's, the bookseller, and laid out eight and forty shillings for books. I bought three little Tolumes of Lucian, in French, for our Stella." John Dunton, speaking of Mr. Bateman, says, " There are very few booksellers in England (if any) that understand books better than Mr. Bateman, nor does his diligence and industry come short of his knowledge. He is a man of great reputation and honesty, and is the son of that famous Bateman, who gut an alder- man's state by bookselling." It was said that he would never suffer any person whatever to look into one book in his shop ; and when asked a reason for it, would say, I suppose you miiy be a physician or an author, and want some recipe or quotation ; and if yon buy it, I will engage it to be perfect before you leave me, but not after; as I have suffered by leaves being torn out, and the books returned, to my very great loss and prejudice.
1711, March \. Spectator, No. 1. This was printed in the same form, and at the same price as the Tatler, and supported by the same able contributors, but was altogether a work of far more elevated pretensions than its predecessor. The paragraphs of news were discarded ; and many articles of sound and generous criticism were introduced, which had for their object to direct the public attention to splendid produc- tions of literature, such as Milton's Paradise Lost, which had been neglected amidst the heartless corruption that disgraced the age of Charles II. Dr. Johnson's account of these essays, and of the rise of periodical papers is too valuable to be omitted. "To teach the minuter decencies and inferior duties, to regulate the practice of daily conversation, to correct those depravities which are rather ridiculous than cri- minal, and remove those grievances which, if they produce no lasting calamities, impress hourly vexation, was first attempted in Italy, by Casa, in his Book of Manners, and Castig- lione in his Courtier, two books yet celebrated in Italy for purity and elegance. This species of instruction was continued, and perhaps ad- vanced, by the French, among whom La Bruy- ere's Manners of the Age, though written without connexion, deserves great praise. Before the Tatler axiA Spectator, if the writers for the theatre are excepted, England had no masters of common life. No writers had yet undertaken to reform either the savageness of neglect or the imperti- nence of civility, to teach when to speak or to be silent, how to refuse or how to comply. We wanted not books to teach us more important duties, and to settle opinions in philosophy or politics ; but no arbiter elagantiarum, a judge of propriety, was vet wanting, who should survey the track of daily conversation, and free it from thorns and prickles, which tease the passer, though they do not wound. For this purpose nothing is so proper as the frequent publication
of short papers, which we read not as study, bat amusement. If the subject be slight, the tremtise likewise is short. The busy may find time, and the idle may find patience. The Talier and Spectator reduced, like Casa, the unsettled practice of daily intercourse to propriety and politeness; and, like Bruyere, exhibited tbe characters and manners of the age. But to say- that they united the plans of two or three emi- nent wnters is to give them but a small part of their due praise ; they superadded literature and criticism, and sometimes towered far above their predecessors, and taught with jtistsess of argu- ment and dignity of language the meet nnp<n'- tant duties and sublime truths."
The Tatler and Spectator were the first at- tempt made in England, or any other country, to instruct and amuse unlearned readers by ^ort papers, appearing at stated intervals, and sold at a cheap rate. The object of these writers was " to bring philosophy out of closets and libraries, schools, and colleges, to dwell in clubs and as- semblies, at tea-tables and at coffee-houses."
Gay, who lived at this period, speaking of Isaac Bickerstaff(the assumed name of the con- ductor of the Tatler,) says, " It is incredible to conceive the effects his writings have bad <» the town ; how many thousand follies they have either quite banished or given a very g^eat check to ; how much countenance they have added to virtue and religion ; how many pieople they hare rendered happy by showing that it was tbeir own fault if they were not so ; and lastly, htsm entirely they have convinced our fops and young fellows of the value and advantages of learning."
Dr. Drake, in his admirable essays* npwi periodical publications, observes, that "Tbe invention of a paper calculated for g^ueral in- struction and entertainment, abonnduig in ele- gant literature, appearing periodicaJIy, amd forming a whole under an assumed name and character, is, without doubt, to be ascribed to this country, and confers on it no small degree of honour. The Tatler presented to Europe, in 1709, the first legitimate model. Some yean previous, indeed, to the publication of this work, there appeared several political, controveisal, and theological periodical papeis, the oS'^ring of faction and polemics, insulated, devoid M character, unity, or sound literature, and whidi seem to have been founded, with scarcely any improvement, upon the common newspapers oT the day.
" To correct ludicrous folly, however, by ridi- cule, to regelate the decencies and duties of mutual . intercourse and conversation, to abadi vice, to encourage literature, and to attain variety by multiplicity of subject, had been the aim of many writers in vanous nations long anterior to the birth of the Tatler. These pro- ductions were either dissertations, dialogues, or unconnected essays, published in volumes, and totally wanting that peculiar form and associa-
- Euax;'Biographieal, Criiieal, and BittoriaU, iUmilrm-
ttee 0/ the Taller, Speetator, and Ovoniian. By Natban Drake, M.D. in three vols, foolacap Sro. UmdOD, 1*14.
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