The Sir Roger de Coverley papers, from the Spectator

Preface

How to study, and what to look for, are most perplexing questions to the youthful student of the English classics. By the use of questions and many quotations from other numbers of The Spectator, this edition of the De Coverley Papers aims to assist the student in his effort to discover for himself the purpose of the authors, the content of the papers, and their influence upon the thought and manners, the literature and morals of their own and succeeding periods.

As the year to which the study of these selections is assigned varies in different schools, some of the questions may seem too easy for fourth-year pupils, and others too difficult for first-year work, but the quotations will be appreciated by all.

Personal experience, corroborated by that of other teachers, has shown that the two allegories, " The Vision of Mirza " and " The Golden Scales," prove desirable additions to the numbers usually given ; that a map of London and views of noted places add much to the interest of the book ; that all notes and questions are better at the back of the book.

We desire especially to thank Miss Grace Cooley, of the Evanston Township High School, for her courtesy in discussing with us desirable points in the preparation of this edition.

Chicago.

Sir Roger in London

XXVI. Sir Roger in Westminster

Abbey ,

Vll

Vlll

CONTENTS.

XXVII. Sir Roger at the Play . . Addison . 335 XXVIII. Sir Roger and Will Honeycomb Budgell : 359

XXIX. Sir Roger at Vauxhall . . Addison . 383

XXX. Death of Sir Roger . . Addison . 517 XXXI. The Vision of Mirza, An

Allegory Addison . 159

XXXII. The Golden Scales, An

Allegory Addison . 463

Notes.

QUOTED FROM PAGE NO.

TOPICS SPECTATOR, NO. OF NOTES

Coffee Houses 403 . 158

The Letters Used as Signatures 221 . 160

The Spectator Club, Identity of .... 262 . 160

The Purpose of the Spectator 262 . 161

The Country Squire .162

The Game Act .163

The Inns of Court -163

The Theater . 164

The Parks .165

Italian Opera — The Puppet Show .... .166

The Occupations of a Lady 323 . 167

The Social Position of a Chaplain .... . 169

Hunting and Hounds 163, 176, 177

Witchcraft ..... . 177

Christmas Customs . 184

Westminster Abbey .26 . 184

Vauxhall . 189

Newspaper Tax . 190

Suggestions for Themes and General Discussions . 193

Illustrations,

Addison, .

A Coffee-house, Interior

Lincoln's Inn Gateway

The Tilt-yard

A Lady's Costume

Costume of Anne of Denmark

Bringing in the Yule Log at Christmas

Plan of Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, West Front .

Edward the Confessor's Chapel

Poets' Corner .....

A Street Scene .

Vauxhall in 175 1

Old London Bridge and Houses .

Newspaper Stamp v

Maps of London f

Frontispiece

20 42

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

History. — J. R. Green: History of the English People, 1879. J. H. Burton: History of the Reign of Queen Anne, 1880. E. E. Morris: The Age of Anne, — Epochs of Modern History, 1877. Macaulay : History of England, 1849-1855, chap. iii. W. E. H. Lecky : A History of England in the Eighteenth Century, 1878, chaps, i, ii, and iv.

Literature and Social Life. — W. H. D. Adams: Good Queen Anne; Men and Manners, Life and Letters in England's Augustan Age, 1886. John Ashton : Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, 1882. Bishop Burnet: History of My Own Times, 1833. W. Connor Sidney : England and the English in the Eighteenth Century ; Chapters in the Social History of the Times, 1894. H. D. Traill : Social England; A Record of the Progress of the People in Religion, Laws, Learning, etc., from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, 1894-1897, Vol. IV. Jonathan Swift : Journal to Stella. Austin Dobson : Eighteenth Century Vignette's, 1 892-1 896. Wheatley and Cunningham's London, Past and Present, 1891, and Charles Knight's London, are also helpful. Thackeray's Henry Esmond, Hare's Walks in London, Baedeker's London, Gay's Trivia, Prior's Town and Country Mouse, and Nathan Drake's Essays on The Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian, furnish additional material of interest.

Biography. — Articles in the various Encyclopedias and text-books on English Literature will be most accessible. For further work : Macaulay : Essay on Addison. Thackeray : English Humorists. J. W. Courthope : Addison, English Men of Letter Series. H. Ward: English Poets, Vol. III. Edmund Gosse : History of Eighteenth Century Literature, Vol. II, bk. iii. Dr. Johnson : Lives of the Poets. Lucy Aikin : Life of Joseph Addison. J. R. Green: Addison's Essays, the introduction. For Steele, see : George A. Aitkin : Life of Richard Steele. Austin Dobson : Richard Steele.

The Spectator. — Editions of and selections from. George A. Aitkin : The Spectator, 1898, 8 vols. Henry Morley : The Spectator, 1891, 3 vols.; 1896, 1 vol., with an index. William Wheeler: A Digest Index to The Spectator, arranged for reference to the onevol. edition of Henry Morley's Spectator. G. Gregory Smith : The Spectator, 1897-98, 8 vols. J. R. Green: Selections from the Essays of Addison, 1885.

The Tatler.— George A. Aitkin: The Tatler, 1898-99, 4 vols. The Tatler and Guardian, Nimmo, London, 1876. A. C. Ewald : Selections from The Tatler and Guardian, 1888..