by Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele

Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Richard Steele (1672-1729) became friends as schoolboys in London. Later they both attended Oxford University, though Steele left for a career in the army before graduating, while the more academic Addison stayed on, earning his Masters degree in 1693. By 1705 Steele had left the army and Addison had ended a decade of teaching and then travel. Both were living in London and pursuing writing, Steele for The London Gazette, the government’s official newspaper, and Addison as an adjunct to a civil service career. In 1709 Steele started The Tatler, a thrice-weekly periodical featuring commentary on cultural and political issues to which Addison soon became a regular contributor. Two months after The Tatler ceased publication in January 1711, the two friends jointly launched The Spectator, in which they perfected the blend of casual style, lighthearted cultural commentary, and...