I THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. T is a juftice which Mr. Ironfide owes gentlemen who have fent him their affiftances from time to time, in the carrying on of this Work, to acknowledge that obligation, though at the fame time he himfelf dwindles into the character of a mere publisher, by making the acknowledgment. But whether a man does it out of juftice or gratitude, or any other virtuous reafon or not, it is also a prudential act to take no more upon a man than he can bear. Too large a credit has made many a bankrupt; but taking even less than a man can answer with ease, is a fure fund for extending it whenever his occafions require. All thofe papers which are diftinguished by the mark of an Hand, were written by a gentleman who has obliged the world with productions too fublime to admit that the author of them fhould receive any addition to his reputation from fuch loofe occafional thoughts as make up these little treatifes; for which reafon his name fhall be concealed. Those which are marked with a Star, were compofed by Mr. Budgell. That upon Dedications, with the Epiftle of an Author to Himself, the Club of Little Men, the Receipt to make an Epic Poem, the Paper of the Gardens of Alcinous, and the Catalogue of Greens, that against Barbarity to Animals, and fome others; have Mr. Pope for their author. Now I mention this gentleman, I take this opportunity, out of the affection I have for his perfon, and refpect to his merit, to let the world know, that he is now tranflating Homer's Iliad by fubfcription. He has given good proof of his ability for the work; and the men of greatest wit and learning of this nation, of all parties, are, according to their different abilities, zealous encouragers or folicitors for the work. But to my prefent purpose. The letter from Gnatho of the Cures performed by Flattery, and that of Comparing Drefs to Criticism, are Mr. Gay's. Mr. Martin, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Tickell, Mr. Carey, Mr. Eufden, Mr. Ince, and Mr. Hughes, have obliged the town with entertaining difcourfes in thefe volumes; and Mr. Berkeley of Trinity College in Dublin has embellished them with many excellent arguments in honour of religion and virtue. Mr. Parnelle will, I hope, forgive me that, without his leave, I mention, that I have feen his hand on the like occafion. There are fome difcourfes of a lefs pleafing nature, which relate to the divifions amongst us; and fuch (left any of these gentlemen fhould fuffer from unjuft fufpicion) I muft impute to the right author of them, who is one Mr. Steele of Langunnor, in the county of Carmarthen in South-Wales. THE THE GUARDIAN. VOLUME THE FIRST. THE No I. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1713. ILLE QUEM REQUIRIS. HE, WHOM YOU SEEK. MART, EPIG. 2. 1. i. v. i. HERE is no paffion fo univerfal, 58. An. Dom. 1706.' The ferene afhowever diverfified or difguifed pect of thefe writers, joined with the under different forms and appearances, great encouragement I obferve is given as the vanity of being known to the to another, or, what is indeed to be reft of mankind, and communicating a fufpected, in which he indulges himself, man's parts, virtues, or qualifications, to confirmed me in the notion I have of the world. This is fo ftrong upon men the prevalence of ambition this way. of great genius, that they have a reftlefs The author whom I hint at shall be fondness for fatisfying the world in the nameless; but his countenance is commistakes they might poffibly be under, municated to the public in several views with relation even to their phyfiognomy. and afpects drawn by the most eminent Mr. Airs, that excellent penman, has painters, and forwarded by engravers, taken care to affix his own image oppoartifts by way of mezzotinto, etchers, fite to the title-page of his learned trea- and the like. There was, I remember, tife, wherein he inftructs the youth of fome years ago, one John Gale, a felthis nation to arrive at a flourishing low that played upon a pipe, and di-, hand. The author of The Key to verted the multitude by dancing in a Intereft, both fimple and compound, ring they made about him, whole face containing practical Rules plainly ex- became generally known, and the artists preffed in words at length for all rates employed their skill in delineating his of intereft and times of payment, for features, becaufe every man was judge what time foever,' makes up to us the of the fimilitude of them. There is misfortune of his living at Chefter, by little elfe than what this John Gale arfollowing the example of the above- rived at in the advantages men enjoy mentioned Airs, and coming up to from common fame; yet do I fear it town, over-against his title-page, in a has always a part in moving us to exert very becoming periwig, and a flowing ourselves in fuch things as ought to robe or mantle, inclofed in a circle of derive their beginnings from nobler confoliages; below his portraiture, for our fiderations. But I think it is no great farther fatisfaction as to the age of that matter to the public what is the incenufeful writer, is fubfcribed Johannes tive which makes men beftow time in Ward de Civitat. Ceftriæ, ætat. fuæ their fervice, provided there by any B thing thing ufeful in what they produce. I fhall proceed, therefore, to give an account of my intended labours, not without fome hope of having my vanity, at the end of them, indulged in the fort above-mentioned. I fhould not have affumed the title of Guardian, had I not maturely confidered, that the qualities necefiary for doing the duties of that character proceed from the integrity of the mind, more than the excellence of the underftanding: the former of thefe qualifications it is in the power of every man to arrive at; and the more he endeavours that way, the lefs will he want the advantages of the latter. To be faithful, to be honeft, to be juft, is what you will demand in the choice of your Guardian; or if you find added to this, that he is pleafant, ingenious, and agreeable, there will overflow fatisfactions which make for the ornament, if not fo immediately to the ufe, of your life. As to the diverting part of this paper, by what affiftance I shall be capacitated for that, as well as what proofs I have given of my behaviour as to integrity in former life, will appear from my history to be delivered in enfuing difcourfes. The main purpofe of the work fhall be to protect the modeft, the induftrious; to celebrate the wife, the valiant; to encourage the good, the pious; to confront the impudent, the idle; to contemn the vain, the cowardly; and to difappoint the wicked and profane. This work cannot be carried on but by preferving a ftrict regard, not only to the duties but civilities of life, with the utmost impartiality towards things and perfons. The unjuft application of the advantages of breeding and fortune is the fourte of all calamity both public and private; the correction, therefore, or rather admonition, of a guardian in all the occurrences of a various being, if given with a benevolent fpirit, would certainly be of general fervice. In order to contribute as far as I am able to it, I fhall publish in refpective papers whatever I think may conduce to the advancement of the converfation of gentlemen, the improvement of ladies, the wealth of traders, and the encouragement of artificers. The circumftance relating to thofe who excel in mechanics, fhall be confidered with particular application. It is not to be immediately conceived by such as have not turned themselves to reflections of that kind, that Providence, to enforce and endear the neceffity of focial life, has given one man's hands to another man's head; and the carpenter, the fmith, the joiner, are as immediately neceffary to the mathematician, as my amanuenfis will be to me, to write much fairer than I can myfelf. I am fo well convinced of this truth, that I fhall have a particular regard to mechanics; and to fhew my honour for them, I fhall place at their head the Painter. This gentleman is, as to the execution of his work, a mechanic; but, as to his conception, his fpirit and defign, he is hardly below even the poet, in liberal art. It will be from thefe confiderations useful to make the world fee the affinity between all works which are beneficial to mankind is much nearer than the illiberal arrogance of fcholars will, at all times, allow. But I am from experience convinced of the importance of mechanic heads, and shall therefore take them all into my care, from Rowley, who is improving the globes of the earth and heaven in Fleet Street, to Bat. Pigeon the hair-cutter in the Strand. But it will be objected upon what pretenfions I take upon me to put in for the prochain ami, or nearest friend of all the world. How my head is accomplifhed for this employment towards the public, from the long exercise of it in a private capacity, will appear by reading me the two or three next days with diligence and attention. There is no other paper in being which tends to this purpofe. They are most of them hiftories, or advices of public tranfactions; but as thofe reprefentations affect the paffions of my readers, I fhall fometimes take care, the day after a foreign mail, to give them an account of what it has brought. The parties amongst us are too violent to make it poffible to pass them by without obfervation. As to thefe matters, I fhall be impartial, though I cannot be neater: I am, with relation to the government of the church, a Tory; with regard to the state, a Whig. The charge of intelligence, the pain in compiling and digefting my thoughts in proper ftile, and the like, oblige me to value my paper a halfpenny above all other half-fheets. And all perfons who have any thing to communicate to me, are defired to direct their letters (poftage paid) to Neftor Ironfide, Efq. at Mr. Tonfon's |