Sir Roger de Coverley, by the Spectator, the Notes by W.H. Wills - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1850. Excerpt: ... The Author's Preface. Page I. FROM the Spectator, No. i, dated March 1,1711-12. By Addison. Page 3. / made a Voyage to Grand Cairo, on purpose to tale Measure of the Pyramid, A half century's contention respecting the exact admeasurement of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh was a fair subject for ridicule in spite of Dr. Percy's stigma that the satire was "reprehensible." Mr. John Greaves originated the argument so long before the publication of this harmless raillery as 1646, in his Work entitled "Pyramidologia," and it seems to have been carried on with burning zeal and wonderful learning to the days of the Spectator, although death had removed Greaves from the discussion in 1652. In No. 7 the Spectator says, "I design to visit the next masquerade in the same Habit I wore at Grand Cairo." Page 4. The Coffee Houses. There is no Place of general Resort wherein I do not make my Appearance. The chief places of resort were coffee and chocolate houses, in which some men almost lived, insomuch that whoever wished to find a gentleman commonly asked, not where he resided, but which coffee house he frequented? No decently attired idler was excluded, provided he laid down his penny at the bar; but which he could seldom do without struggling through the crowd of beaux who fluttered round the lovely bar-maid. Here the proud nobleman or country squire were not to be distinguished from the genteel thief and daring highwayman. "Pray Sir," says Aimwell to Gibbet, in Farquhar's Beaux Stratagem, "han't I seen your face at Will's coffee house?" The robber's reply is:--" Yes, Sir; and at White's too." Coffee houses, from the time of their commencement in 1652, served instead of newspapers:--they were arena for political discussion. Journalism was then in its infancy: the first dai...