But to proceed with my account of our other Papers:  The Expiration of Bickerstaff’s Lucubrations, was attended with much the same Consequences as the Death of Melibaeus’s Ox in Virgil; as the latter engendred Swarms of Bees, the former immediately produc’d whole Swarms of little Satyrical Scriblers.

One of these Authors, call’d himself The GROWLER, and assur’d us, that to make amends for Mr. Steele’s Silence, he was resolv’d to Growl at us Weekly, as long as we should think fit to give him any Encouragement.  Another Gentleman, with more Modesty, call’d his Paper The WHISPERER; and a Third, to Please the Ladies, Christen’d his, The TELL-TALE.

At the same time came out several TATLERS; each of which, with equal Truth and Wit, assur’d us, That he was the Genuine Isaac Bickerstaff.

It may be observ’d, That when the Esquire laid down his Pen, tho’ he could not but foresee that several Scriblers would soon snatch it up, which he might, one would think, easily have prevented, he Scorn’d to take any further Care about it, but left the Field fairly open to any Worthy Successor.  Immediately some of our Wits were for forming themselves into a Club, headed by one Mr. Barrison, and trying how they could shoot in this Bow of Ulysses; but soon found that this sort of Writing, requires so fine and particular a manner of Thinking, with so exact a Knowledge of the World, as must make them utterly Despair of Success.

They seem’d indeed at first to think, that what was only the Garnish of the former TATLERS, was that which recommended them, and not those Substantial Entertainments which they every where abound in.

According they were continually talking of their Maid, Night-Cap, Spectacles, and Charles Lillie.  However there were now and then some faint endeavours at Humour and Sparks of Wit, which the Town, for want of better Entertainment, was content to hunt after, through an heap of Impertinencies; but even those are at present, become wholly Invisible, and quite swallow’d up in the Blaze of the SPECTATOR.

You may remember I told you before, that one Cause assign’d for the laying down the TATLER was, want of Matter; and indeed this was the prevailing Opinion in Town, when we were Surpriz’d all at once by a paper called The SPECTATOR, which was promised to be continued every day, and was writ in so excellent a Stile, with so nice a Judgment, and such a noble profusion of Wit and Humour, that it was not difficult to determine it could come from no other hands but those which had penn’d the Lucubrations.

This immediately alarm’d these Gentlemen, who (as ’tis said Mr. Steele phrases it) had The Censorship in Commission.  They found the new SPECTATOR come on like a Torrent and swept away all before him; they despaired ever to equal him in Wit, Humour, or Learning; (which had been their true and certain way of opposing him) and therefore, rather chose to fall on the Author, and to call out for help to all Good Christians, by assuring them again and again, that they were the First, Original, True, and Undisputed Isaac Bickerstaff.