The periodical essays of Steele, Addison, Johnson, and Goldsmith

60 Pages·2015·2.32 MB·English

by  Carol Meyers

Illinois Wesleyan University
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Honors Projects English
1962
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Carol Meyers
Illinois Wesleyan University
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Meyers, Carol, "Advisors of the age of reason: The periodical essays of Steele, Addison,
Johnson, and Goldsmith" (1962). Honors Projects. 24.
https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/eng_honproj/24
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ADVISORSO F THE AGE OF REASON:
THE PERIODICAELS SAYSO F STEELE,
ADDISON, JOHNSON,A ND GOLDSMITH
by
CarolM eyers
Submitteidn Fulfillment
of the HonorsP rogramin English
Int:roduction
The periodicaels sayo f the eighteentche nturyi nvited
men of the Age of Reasont o pouri ntoi t theirt alenta nd
thought;i t was a formi n whicht heyc ouldm ake theirp oints
brieflya nd effectivelyi;t was flexible,a nd was eventually
familiare nought o be vTell-receiveTdh.e formi tselfr eflecteo
the common-sensep racticalityr,e strainatn d moderatiotnh at
the periodicavl� itersw erea dvocating.I n one balancedc,o m­
parativelsyh ortp ieceo f "�iting,a thought" lasd eveloped--
in an easy,q uieta nd painlessm anner--thacto uldb e driven
home in latere ssayso vera longp eriodo f time. If a vlriter
had a pet ideao r philosophyh,e ':Iasg ivena mediumf or fixing
it firmlyi n his reader'sm ind by repeatingh is thoughta t
irregu�ari ntervals.T he morali ssuesv dthWh ich periodical
writ ersd ea.lhta d a "cumulative"i mpacti n beings tressedi n a
numbero f papers;t he periodicaels sayd ifferedf rom a newspaper
in thatt he nevlspap,e,r, acso ncernewdi th matterosf the moment
broughta s soona s possibleb eforet he public,a nd the essay
couldp roceedo n a morel eisurelcyo urse. Bothm ediau sedt he
samef ormata nd had essentialltyh e samea udience--thmei ddle
and upperm iddlec lasses' \'rere The the mosta vidr eaders.
periodicaels sayd ealt'\ vtih matterst hatw ere contemporarbuyt
not immediate--1rTmiatnhn ersa nd morals,v dth tendencieos f the
timer athert hana ctuaelv ents.
2.
Although RichardS teeled evoted sam alls ectiono f The
Tatlert o currentn e,,1sh,e abandonetdh e plana s a regular
featurea ftert he eightietnhU Jlbler. The periodicaels say
tookt he Ilongv iew,'d ealtw itht he needso f men to improve
themselvegsr aduallyi;t may have seemedt o centero n trivial
mattersi n compariso"n, itht he greati mporto f current events,
but its end,a nd thereforiet s method,w as entirely different
fromt hato f the ne'l'lSPapTheer . aim of the literaryp eriodical
of the eighteentche nturyw as admittedltyh e analysisa nd
criticisomf the contemporarlyi fe--foar reformatorpyu rpose;
men neededt o havea n instructioann d an examplei n ordert o
knmoJ how to act,a nd thate xamplew as providedb y the periodi-
1
cals. In his firstT atler,.S teeles tatesb landlyt hat his
paperw ill servteh ose1 "hoa re public-spiriteendo ught o
!!
"neglectt heir o'aVfmf airsa nd looki nto 8.ctionosf state
,
men 1I1hoa re "personso f strong zeala nd weak intellectIt, a nd
will instructt hosep oliticp ersonsfl what to thinkI.I Addison,
2
in his statemenot f purposei n The SpectatorN,o .1 0, is �ven
moree xplicit:".t o the end that theirv irtuea nd discretion
may not be short,t ransienti ntermittenstt artso f thought,
I haver esolvedt o refresht heirm emoriesf romd ay to day,
till I have recoveretdb emo ut of thatd esperatset ateo f vice
and follyi ntov l11ict11h e age is fallenft.
1.R ichardS teele,T he Tatler,i n The BritiEshs sayists,
ed. JamesF erguson, forty-fviolvuem esttO ndon,18 19)I,, 11
2. JosephAd dison, The Spectatore,d . G. G. Smith, in
Everyman'Lsi brary,N o. 'fOI+: (London, 1907,) I, 38.
Addisonw as echoingt he thoughtso f a numbero f
thinkerso f his age;t he beginninogfs t he eighteentche n­
turys a.1a desiref or reformi n many areaosf living," for
a purera nd simplerm orality,f or gentlerm anners,f or•• •
3
II
dignifiesd elf-respecta, new civilizationi,n effect.
The periodicawlr iters. Teref ollowinag pO.lerfutle ndency
of the eighteentche ntury," ther eactiona gainstth .€m oral
licenseo f Restoratiosno cietyw hichc ame. nth the riseo f
4
the middle clatsos prominencaen d affluenec." The tendency
towardm oralizatioann d satirem ay haveb eeni nfluenced.too
by a disgustw ithi ts oppositef orce,t he immense self-sat­
isfactioonf men of the time. Englishme:linn the earlyy ears
of the centuryh ad ampler easonsf or beings atisfie.dl ith
theirl ot;En gland had emergedi n thesey earsa s a victor-
ious power,e Olflllelrcew as expandingt,h e middledc Ias s vias
wea.lthayn d gro"ling--tmhaei nstya of an apparentlsyt able
society.i- Jhenm en of the Age of Reasonl ookedb ack on the
conflictasn d controversieosf the seventeentche ntury,t heir
relianceo n "goods enselaln d moderatiosne emedt o be justi­
fied. Lord Shaftesburyi,n his Characteristic£tk s� ,
Manners,O pinionsT,i mes,p ublisheidn 1711ex,p ressetdh e
prevailincgo ncepto f "order"a s the basisa nd end of human
3.H aroldR outh," Steelea nd Addison,C"h apter2 of The
CambridgHe istory2! English Literatu,r eed. A. W. \'larda nd
A. R. Waller(,CambridgeEn,g land, 1913I)X,, 3 0
4.
See Introduction Tthoe English FamiliarE ssay,e d.
W. F. Bryana nd R. S. Crane( Boston1, 916p)., :x:zx
4.
actni:o
Thes um pohf ilopshoyi st ol ear,n. haits j ust
ins ocietayn db eautifiunnl a turaen dt heo r­
dero ft he' 'IorldT het aset ofb eautayn dt he
•• ••
relisohf ",ihsad te centj us,t anda miab,l e
perfectthsec haractoeftr h eg entlemant haen d
5
philopshoer.
This glib andv agruaietd hee-ar-l eslf-pecrtfineo btyh e
imporvemenotft aset--';Tas a comfr0tab,l seensibgloea tlo ';Tard
';Thicehi ghteentche ntumreyn c oul"d,r okc onfidley,n tta"k:ing
';Tell- planned, reaosneda ctniso. Ther';Tea sl ittlree asotno
belietvhea tt he" orl"d, as bneocto mian bge tteprl acfeo r
intelligheunmta bne nig;s mehna do nlyt or aisteh esmelves
byc onscioefufso rttos, vasredl f-iomvpermnet. The period­
icavlT rtie resc ho,e tdos omee xte,nt thec ompcleancoyf t he
time,s thes ensoef s ecuriatnydc alm, buta lstor ietdo
corretchte f aulttsh atwe rep rdouctso ft hisc opmlaecncy.
Of theriera dres, theyd emandseande , level-heaadcetdni so,
backebdy t hed ictatoefsr eans o commosne nse.
and
Eighetentche-ntur"yr tie rsandp artiuclarltyh ep eriod­
,
icale ssaiyst,s shmvetdh es amec oncefronr o rde,r reas,o n
andg oosde nsien t heiwrr itingR.e acntgia gaintshte p assni o
andc omple�otfyt hes eventeecnetnht-umrey taypshicaslch oo,l
theys trvoef orc leaerssn,f orc orreecst,sn and fboarl ­a
ancesdty let hat' ;Touulndd erlitnhee irra tniaolp ersuasions.
Theirp rincipaailmv lsa tob et i!ll:liderstooadn-dt hel ucidyi t
,
ands ymmetwrhyi cthh eiprr osaet tained a resulotf o on-
i:5
'" i.:- '
sciol.lesffortto f lXa stnadarodf clariOtnyec. h ief
5.q uoteidn H arolNdic ols,o "nCompcleanc,y"( oJseph
Addins),o TheA ge.2! Resaon,i nl'l l& l'1:ainstorfe� am Nodern
1'lo1']d,I (aGrdeCni t,y Ne';TY or,k 196)0, p.1 51
cotnribunt itohatt hep eriodivcriartle rmsa det oEn glish
literatVIuarset hec olloqumiaanln etrh eya doptiendo r-
dert oa ppeatlo a VIidepru lbict;h ey requtihraetad p iece
ofp rosoer p oertyb el iIntreesntgi, agreea,b alneda bovael l
6
compreshiebnl1e1 .T hep eriodiecssaaly VIasd esginedt o
reacthh ea lwayes� andinagn dp owerfmuild dlcel ass,e ansd
toi ntesrtet hemi nt hef ormiongfm anenrsa ndm oraltsh at
,,,ofuiltdt hemf ort hen eilaTg e.
The belietfh ep iernf ectibiolfim tayn a ndt hec lea,r
reanseodp rosien Y hlicht hisb elievIafS procalimedv rerien -
spirebdyt hee ffecotfs cientifidci csoverayn dr esrecaho n
thep eriodN.e y;tonisacnin eceh adi nudcemde nt oa ccept
thef actth att hen aturoarld evraI se �laianbl,e thatm an
andn aturoep eratuendde rf ixelda'lV s,a ndt hata llh uman
enedavowra se quayl olrderaendd sjuebctto r uletsh a,t if
theyv Jerneo tu nderstaoottd h ep renstet im,ev oluldb e
grasPeeVde nutallyT.h u,s theb esvtI ritwiansgt haVIth ich
strovfeo ra mathmeaticcallae rnsesa ndp recins.i oOf
coruse,w ritercso ulndo ts uccumbc ompletteols yu cha ni de,a
butt he' csietnifiscp iirt' didi nfluenclei tae ragreyn re
thati ni tsb esetx amlpesi sj ustiafbilyf amoufso ri tsc lea,r
balanc,e fdamiliaanrd verreya dabplreo se.
6.I bid.I $'()
--,
6.
Life in and arounedi ghteenth-centuLroyn donp rovided
much materialf or criticisamn d satirizationo;n e greatv alue
of the literapreyr iodicaliss the fullp ictureo f the times
thatt hey give. The essayistcso ncentrateodn socialc on­
ditionsa nd customsi n the city,, 'lhihcahd a populatioant
the time oafb out6 0,000,0 and on the (usuall)y pettyv ices
and idiodyncrasiesof urbani ndividuals.I n the eighteenth
century,t herew as stillc onsiderable difficiunl ttrya vel
and communicatiofno r thosew ho livedi n the country,s o
the periodicalhsa d for mosto f their" materiala"n d audi-
encet he ladiesa nd gentlemeonf the metropolis.T he daily
lifeo f thesep eoplew as "sedentarayn d artificiatlo a
7
degreeh ardlyc rediblet o modernr eaders". They seemedt o
have littlet o do besidesd ressingt hemselveasn d attending
variousa musementosf tbe city;t heiri nteresti n fashion
e�d fashionablmea nnersw as excessive.T he fascinatioonf
the uppersc lasses" litho rnament--ins peech,m anners,a nd
dr(ss--wassu bjectt o increasinrgi diculeb y the advocates
of sensea nd moderationa,n d withg oodr eason. Bothm en
and "lOmeuns eda greata mounto f cosmetiCSa,n d ,verepe r­
fumed anpdo wderedt o the hilt. Dress of boths exes vIaS
characterizebdy frillsa nd brightc olors. A man of
fashion" woulbde ginh is ornalElnllltation\V it h the furbelovi-­
a huge,r uffled,e ncumberinhge adpiecdee scribeidn
7.S ee Introductiotno Selections frTohme Tatler,T he
Spectator.§il,l! TheirS uccessorse,d . i'laGrahltera m,�NevIYo'i? k,
11
1928p).,
� Tatl,e NrQ.2 9,a sa monstroswiotryn onlpyl eatsote h e
ladiesI.n t hirs iduilcouhse adgeaasri nm anyo ft het rap­
pingosf e ighteenctehn-turgyal lant,r ymaa nw asc ompelled
totl violahtiesr easoann dp rincliep,sI I succttuont bh ed e-
8
I II
mandosf f ashi,o nalppealitnocg u stofmo ra ne xcuse.
Thee laborhaetaed ipeceasn de normohuast sof t he" lmOenp ar­
alleltehde e xecsseisn m en'sdr ess. eTxhtirsa vagainnc e
stylec arried throughd raelsolsf b tohtehs eexs; thec ost
ofc lothinagn da ccesosrievsIa hsi gha,n dm anyo ft heg allants
o"letdh eitra ilomrosr et hant heyc oulpda y.
Othefra voriotbej ecftosr s atei randr idciulevl ree
thea mumseents, ofteinn d oubtftUals tet,h atL ondonewresr e
fondo f, sucha sa nim1a-b atii n,g cokc-figh..t-.st h lete igheetnth
centurlyo vesdu chs howasn dc arevde ryl ittlfeo rt hec ruelty
9
involve-dbuo-xinagn dv �esltingm acthesa ndv ario�uosu gh
sportastf' airsG.a mbli,n ognc adrs, horess, lotteers,i cokc
figths,e tc,. "laas v icet o'I 'lhhi calcll assweesr ep artail.
Carpd lyaingi np artuilcarV iausn ievrasllyp opulaarn d'\ 'las
indulgiendb ym anyl cdieasn dg entlemaelnm osttot hee x­
clusioofno theirn tesrtes( likvel O)r.k Them ores erious
vic es-u-edllin:J:\ge,xu al:i ll!lllpra;Li:tY',;"aJdriJ:nkQ.ing :-¥leren;lZ)Ltg­
..
norebdy t hep eriodivc�iatlre s;t hea il)lo ft hee ssyaists
'Isv taoc orretchte se viancdet so r aismeo raslt nadar.d s
Thec hieofu tleftosr t hep eriodicaanldts h es oiiln
8. stee,l £Re. cit,. I,2 24.
9.R oasmonBda ynPeo-ewl,l EighteeCntenht-u�L ondoLni fe
(Lonond, 1937,) p.1 68
8.
whciht hei deaisn troduicnet dh ee ssyast oorko owte rteh e
coffheoeu ess,t hei ntellecatndu saolc icaeln etrso ft he
eighnttehec enturCyo.f fheaed b ene brougihntt Enog land
aboutth em iddloef tphrece edincge ntuarnyd b yt hee arly
170'0sh adb ecomanei nstitutCioofnf.he oeu sweesr teh e
chiefg atheripnlagc efso rm en ofl ettearnsdw erteh e
naturcaeln tefrosrt hed issmeinatioofin d eaasn di nfrmo­
ationE.a chc .oefefh oushea di tso wn clinetelaen,d d iscus­
sino waso nt opiocfsi ntereasntdi moprt tot hep articular
trade sooicra lg roup tha"tb elongtehde"r eW.i ll',sf or
exalmpe,wa st her esto orfm eno fl ettearnsdo ff ashion;
OldS luaghetr'sa ttracltietde yr amerna nda ritst;s booksellers
frqeuenttehdeC hatperC offHeoeu saerm;y o fficemresta t
YounHga n',s ands of orthC.i rclweesr feo mredt om ulol ver
them atteorfs tdhaey t;h eo pinioonfts h ec offheoeu ses
becmaet hec rtierifao rp ronuoncinjgu dgmeonnti deaasn d
e'Ventosft het imesT.h eg ie'V andt akoef c ovnersat"ilaSo n
ani moprtanfte autreo fL onodnl ifaen di nlfuencietdi n
manyw ays." Ifm en·w erteo e njodya iliyn etrcourtshee,y
hadt or esepcte ahc othero'psi nioannsd ctuol tiev saetl­f
spupresisno them iddlcela ssb,e sidsetsdu yincgha ratcer,
• • •
10
camteo r egda crourteassay p atr ofc i'VilizatiNoenn'.s1l
idea1Is1 emroel deadn dr efintehdr uoghc ontawcitt ho the'r s
thougsh,at ndc on'Vetrisnoa becamcel earaenrdm orpeo lihsed.
10. Rotuh,� . cit., 37
p.