his friend was "the picture of the bravest sort of man, that is to say,
a man of great courage and small hopes."[42]

Something must be said of the events of 1710, which led to the
discontinuance of the _Tatler_. The trial of Dr. Sacheverell in March
was followed by the fall of the Whigs in the autumn; and in October
Steele lost his post of Gazetteer. Swift says it was "for writing a
_Tatler_ some months ago, against Mr. Harley, who gave him the post at
first." There was a growing coldness between Swift and his old friends,
and on the 3rd of November Swift wrote, "We have scurvy _Tatlers_ of
late, so pray do not suspect me." On the preceding day Swift's first
paper in the Tory _Examiner_ had been published. He still met Steele
from time to time, and he says that he interceded for him with Harley,
but was frustrated by Addison. However this may be, it is certain that
Harley saw Steele, and that as the result of their interview Steele
retained his post as Commissioner of the Stamp Office, and brought the
_Tatler_ to a close on January 2, 1711, without consulting Addison. "To
say the truth, it was time," says Swift; "for he grew cruel dull and
dry." It is true that there is a falling off towards the close of the
_Tatler_, but that it was not want of matter that brought about the
abandonment of the paper is proved by the commencement only two months
later of the _Spectator_. Steele himself said that on many accounts it
had become an irksome task to personate Mr. Bickerstaff any longer; he
had in some places touched upon matters concerning Church and State, and
he could not be cold enough to conceal his opinions. Gay tells us, in
"The Present State of Wit," that the town being generally of opinion
that Steele was quite spent as regards matter, was the more surprised
when the _Spectator_ appeared; people were therefore driven to accept
the alternative view that the _Tatler_ was laid down "as a sort of
submission to, or composition with, the Government for some past