I think I have touched upon all the Objections which have been made against any of thefe Difcourfes.---I fhall only add, that the Satire here is the Concern of the Society in general; and thus much we promife, that if thefe Papers fhould be fuffered to go on, no good Man fhall be defamed, no vertuous Ac. tion fhall be cenfured, but that the whole Aim of them shall be to revive Publick Spirit, and to inspire Men with the true Love of their Country.

The Readers will perceive that this Collection contains the Papers of a whole Year; ---at the Expiration of the prefent Year, if we should find Encouragement to print a fecond Volume, we Promife it fhall be done of the fame Size, with the fame Letter and the fame Paper, fo as to pair exactly with this.

There were formerly two or three Papers in Fog's Journal, written with infinite Wit and Humour; and, as we have been fince informed, they came from some of those Hands which have contributed to this Collection, we have, by the Confent of the Proprietors of that Paper, added them to this Volume, in order to make it as agreeable as we could to the Publick.

We

We shall say no more, but thank the Readers in the Words of the Poet, for the kind Reception these Papers have met with:

Sive favore tuli, five, hoc ego carmine, famam Jure, tibi grates, candide lector ago.

COMMON

COMMON SENSE.

SATURDAY, February 5, 1737.

Rarus enim ferme Senfus Communis

Juv.

A

Preface is by long Custom become fo neceflary a Part of a Book, that fhould an Author now omit that previous Ceremony, he would be accufed of Prefumption, and be fuppofed to imagine that his Performance was above wanting any Recommendation. By a Preface an Author prefents himself to the Publick, and begs their Friendship and Protection; if he does it gracefully and genteelly he is well receiv'd, like many a fine Gentleman upon the Strength of his firft Addrefs: Befides, were it not for the modeft Encomiums which Authors generally bestow upon themselves in their Prefaces, their Works would often die unprais'd, and fometimes unread.

A Weekly Writer, I know, is not of a Rank to pretend to a Preface; but an humble Introduction is expected from him. - He muft make his Bow to the Publick at his first Appearance, let them a little into his Defign, and give them a Sample of what they are to expect from him afterwards.

VOL. I.

B

In

In this Cafe it may be equally unhappy for him, to give himself out, like Efep's Fellow-Slaves, for one that can do every Thing; or like Efop, for one that can do Nothing; for if he speaks too affumingly, the World will revolt against him, and if too modeftly, be apt to take him at his Word.

Thefe Confiderations determined me to make this first Paper ferve as an Introduction to my future LaBours, tho' I am fenfible that a Weekly Author is in a very different Situation from an Author in the Lump. If a wholefale Dealer can by an infinuating Preface prevail with People to buy the whole Piece, his Bufinefs is done; and it is too late for the deluded Purchafer to repent, be the Goods never fo flimfy; but a Weekly Retailer is conftantly bound to his good Behaviour. He (like fome others) holds both his Honours and Profits only Durante bene placito; and whatever may be the Succefs of his firft Endeavours, as foon as he flags in his painful hebdomadal Courfe, he is rigorously ftruck off at once from his Two-penny Establishment.

pre

Another Difficulty that occurr'd to me, was the fent great Number of my Weekly Brethren, with whom all People, except the Stationers, and the Stamp-Office, think themselves already over-ftock'd; but this Difficulty upon farther Confideration leffen'd.

As for the London Journal it cannot poffibly interfere with me, as appears from the very Title of my Paper; moreover I was inform'd, that Paper of the fame Size and Goodness as the London Journal, being to be had much cheaper unprinted and unftamp'd, and yet as ufeful to all Intents and Purposes, was now univerfally prefer'd.

Fog's Journal, by a natural Progreffion from Mift to Fog, is now condenfed into a Cloud, and only used by way of wet brown Paper, in cafe of Falls and Contufions.

The

The Craftsman was the only Rival that gave me any Concern that being the only one, I thought there was World enough for us both, and perfuaded myfelf that, wiser than Cafar and Pompey, we should content ourselves with dividing it between us; befides that, I never obferved Mr. D'Anvers to be an Enemy to Common Senfe.

Being a Man of great Learning, I have, in chufing the Name of my Paper, had before my Eyes that excellent Precept of Horace to Authors, to begin mo defly, and not to promife more than they are able to perform, and keep up to the last.I have therefore only entitled it COMMON SENSE, which is all I pretend to myfelf, and no more than what (I dare fay) the humblest of my Readers pretends to likewife.

But as a farther Incouragement and Invitation to the Publick to try me, I declare that though I only promife them Common Senfe, yet if I have any Wit they fhall have it into the Bargain. Wherefore I defire my Cuftomers to look upon this Weekly Expence as a Two-penny Ticket in a Lottery, it may poffibly come up Wit, and if a Blank, at worst, Common Senfe.

But as Modefty is the best Recommendation to great Minds, on the other Side it is apt to prejudice little ones, who mistake it for Ignorance, or Guilt; therefore that I may not fuffer by it with the latter, I must repeat a known Obfervation, that Common Senfe is no fuch common Thing I could give many Inftances of this Truth, if I would, but decline it at prefent, and chufe to refer my Readers to their feveralFriends and Acquaintance.

Should I here be afk'd then what I mean by Common Senfe, if it is fo uncommon a Thing, I confess. I fhould be at a Lofs to know how to define it.—I take Common Senfe, like common Honesty, rather to be call'd common, because it should be fo, than because it is fo; it is rather that Rule by which Men judge of other People's Actions, than direct their own; the plain

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