SPECTATOR, THE

a periodical published in London by the essayists Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison from March 1, 1711, to Dec. 6, 1712 (appearing daily), and subsequently revived by Addison in 1714 (for 80 numbers). It succeeded The Tatler, which Steele had launched in 1709. In its aim to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality, The Spectator adopted a fictional method of presentation through a Spectator Club, whose imaginary members extolled the authors' own ideas about society. These members included representatives of commerce, the army, the town (respectively, Sir Andrew Freeport, Captain Sentry, and Will Honeycomb), and of the country gentry (Sir Roger de Coverley). The papers were ostensibly written by Mr. Spectator, an observer of the London scene. Though Whiggish in tone and opinion, The Spectator generally steered clear of party politics. Because of its fictional framework, The Spectator is sometimes said to have heralded the rise of the English novel in the 18th century. This is perhaps an overstatement, since the fictional framework, once adopted, ceased to be of primary importance and served instead as a social microcosm within which a tone at once grave, good-humoured, and flexible could be sounded. The real authors of the essays were free to consider whatever topics they pleased, with reference to the fictional framework (as in Steele's account of Sir Roger's views on marriage, which appeared in issue no. 113) or without it (as in Addison's critical papers on Paradise Lost, John Milton's epic poem, which appeared in issues no. 267, 273, and others). In addition to Addison and Steele themselves, contributors included Alexander Pope, Thomas Tickell, and Ambrose Philips. Addison's reputation as an essayist has surpassed that of Steele, but their individual contributions to the success of The Spectator are less to the point than their collaborative efforts: Steele's friendly tone was a perfect balance and support for the more dispassionate style of Addison. Their joint achievement was to lift serious discussion from the realms of religious and political partisanship and to make it instead a normal pastime of the leisured class. Together they set the pattern and established the vogue for the periodical throughout the rest of the century and helped to create a receptive public for the novelists, ensuring that the new kind of prose writinghowever entertainingshould be essentially serious. weekly magazine of news and opinion, published in London and widely noted for its critical reviews and essays on political, literary, and economic issues. Its editorial stance is moderately conservative and much more conservative than the larger journals with which it shares its eminence, The Economist and New Statesman & Society. The Spectator has been a serious journal of intellectual discussion since it was founded in 1828. For many years it was noted for its witty essays, but in modern times it has turned to more straightforward treatment of political and cultural affairs. It is noted for outstanding book reviews in particular and for the quality of its writing in general. Its influence is much greater than is suggested by its limited circulation.