ause the description is so
clear-cut, so free from unnecessary decoration, and yet so picturesque
and attractive.

A very short acquaintance will enable the reader to appreciate Addison's
charming humour and sane grasp of character. The high moral tone of his
work, the common-sense and broad culture and literary insight which
caused the _Spectator_ to exert a profound influence over a dissolute
age, these can only be seen by a more extended reading of the Essays, and
those who are interested cannot do better than obtain some general
selection such as that of Arnold.

Biographical and historical details are somewhat outside the scope of the
present Essay. A short Chronological Table is appended, and the reader
cannot be too strongly recommended to study Johnson's Life of Addison,
which is one of the best of the Lives of the Poets, and in which the
literary criticism is in Johnson's best vein. And Thackeray's _Esmond_
contains some delightful passages introducing Richard Steele and his
entourage, with an interesting scene in Addison's lodgings. It is perhaps
as well to mention that the _Spectator_ grew out of Addison's
collaboration with Steele in a similar periodical entitled the _Tatler_.
There were several writers besides these two concerned in the
_Spectator_, notably Budgell. (The letters at the end of most of the
papers are signatures: C., L., I. and O. are the marks of Addison's work,
R. and T. of Steele's, and X. of Budgell's.) We have stories of Addison's
resentment of their tampering with his favourite character; it is even
said that he killed the Knight off in his annoyance at one paper which
represented him in an unfitting situation. We cannot judge of the truth
of such stories. In any case it was Addison who controlled the whole
tenor and policy of the paper, wisely steering as clear as possible of
politics, and thereby broadening his appeal and reaching a wider public,
and it was Addison's kindly and mellow criticism of life that informed
the whole work. His remaining literary productions, popular at the time,
have receded into the background: but the _Spectator_ will keep his name
alive as long as English literature survives.

* * * * *

(In this selection only those essays have been chosen which bear directly
on Sir Roger or the _Spectator_ Club: several have been omitted which
refer to him only _en passant_ or as a peg on which to hang some
disquisition, and also one oth