The Reader will also find some Papers which are marked with the Letter X, for which he is obliged to the Ingenious Gentleman who diverted the Town with the Epilogue to the Distressed Mother.  I might have owned these several Papers with the free Consent of these Gentlemen, who did not write them with a design of being known for the Authors.  But as a candid and sincere Behaviour ought to be preferred to all other Considerations, I would not let my Heart reproach me with a Consciousness of having acquired a Praise which is not my Right.

The other Assistances which I have had, have been conveyed by Letter, sometimes by whole Papers, and other times by short Hints from unknown Hands.  I have not been able to trace Favours of this kind, with any Certainty, but to the following Names, which I place in the Order wherein I received the Obligation, tho’ the first I am going to name, can hardly be mentioned in a List wherein he would not deserve the Precedence.  The Persons to whom I am to make these Acknowledgments are Mr. Henry Martyn, Mr. Pope, Mr. Hughs, Mr. Carey of New-College in Oxford, Mr. Tickell of Queen’s in the same University, Mr. Parnelle, and Mr. Eusden of Trinity in Cambridge.  Thus, to speak in the Language of my late Friend Sir ANDREW FREEPORT, I have Ballanced my Accounts with all my Creditors for Wit and Learning.  But as these excellent Performances would not have seen the Light without the means of this Paper, I may still arrogate to my self the Merit of their being communicated to the Publick.

I have nothing more to add, but having swelled this Work to five hundred and fifty five Papers, they will be disposed into seven Volumes, four of which are already publish’d, and the three others in the Press.  It will not be demanded of me why I now leave off, tho’ I must own my self obliged to give an Account to the Town of my Time hereafter; since I retire when their Partiality to me is so great, that an Edition of the former Volumes of Spectators of above Nine thousand each Book is already sold off, and the Tax on each half-Sheet has brought into the Stamp-Office one Week with another above L20. a-Week arising from this single Paper, notwithstanding it at first reduced it to less than half the number that was usually Printed before this Tax was laid.

I humbly beseech the Continuance of this Inclination to favour what I may hereafter produce, and hope I have in many Occurrences of Life tasted so deeply of Pain and Sorrow, that I am Proof against much more prosperous Circumstances than any Advantages to which my own Industry can possibly exalt me.

I am,
My Good-natured Reader,
Your most Obedient,
Most Obliged Humble Servant,
Richard Steele.

Vos valete et plaudite [1].  Ter.

[The following Letter [2]] regards an ingenious Sett of Gentlemen, who have done me the Honour to make me one of their Society.