favourite topic, his peculiar notions, and his habitual phrases.

If Steele desired to write in secret, he was not lucky; a single
month detected him. His first Tatler was published April 22 (1709);
and Addison's contribution appeared May 26. Tickell observes that
the Tatler began and was concluded without his concurrence. This is
doubtless literally true; but the work did not suffer much by his
unconsciousness of its commencement, or his absence at its
cessation; for he continued his assistance to December 23, and the
paper stopped on January 2. He did not distinguish his pieces by
any signature; and I know not whether his name was not kept secret
till the papers were collected into volumes.

To the Tatler, in about two months, succeeded the Spectator: a
series of essays of the same kind, but written with less levity,
upon a more regular plan, and published daily. Such an undertaking
showed the writers not to distrust their own copiousness of
materials or facility of composition, and their performance
justified their confidence. They found, however, in their progress
many auxiliaries. To attempt a single paper was no terrifying
labour; many pieces were offered, and many were received.

Addison had enough of the zeal of party; but Steele had at that time
almost nothing else. The Spectator, in one of the first papers,
showed the political tenets of its authors; but a resolution was
soon taken of courting general approbation by general topics, and
subjects on which faction had produced no diversity of sentiments--
such as literature, morality, and familiar life. To this practice
they adhered with few deviations. The ardour of Steele once broke
out in praise of Marlborough; and when Dr. Fleetwood prefixed to