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THE BEE,

A SELECT

COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

ON THE

MOST INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING SUBJECTS.

FIRST PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1759.

THE

THE BEE, N° I.

SATURDAY,

OCTOBER 6, 1759.

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THERE is not, perhaps, a more whimfically difmal figure in Nature, than a man of real modefty who affumes an air of impudence; who, while his heart beats with anxiety, ftudies eafe, and affects good humour. In this fituation, however, a periodical writer often finds himself, upon his firft attempt to address the public in form. All his power of pleasing is damped by folicitude, and his chearfulness dashed with apprehenfion. Impreffed with the terrors of the tribunal before which he is going to appear, his natural humour turns to pertness, and for real wit he is obliged to fubftitute vivacity. His first publication draws a crowd; they part diffatisfied, and the author, never more to be indulged with a favourable hearing, is left, to condemn the indelicacy of his own addrefs, or their want of difcernment.

For my part, as I was never diftinguished for addrefs, and have often even blundered in making my bow, fuch bodings as thefe had like to have totally repreffed my ambition. I was at a lofs whether to give the public fpecious promifes, or give none; whether to be merry or fad on this folemn occafion. If I should decline all merit, it was too probable the hafty reader might have taken me at my word. If on the other hand, like labourers in the Magazine trade, I had, with modeft impudence, humbly prefumed to promise an epitome of all the good things that ever were faid or written, this might have difgufted

thofe

those readers I moft defire to please. Had I been merry, I might have been cenfured as vastly low; and had I been forrowful, I might have been left to mourn in folitude and filence: in fhort, which ever way I turned, nothing prefented but profpects of terror, defpair, chandlers fhops, and wafte paper.

66

In this debate between fear and ambition, my publisher happening to arrive interrupted for a while my anxiety. Perceiving my embarraffinent about making my firft appearance, he inftantly offered his affiftance and advice: "You must know, fir, fays he, that the republic of letters is at pre"fent divided into three claffes. One writer, for "inftance, excels at a plan, or a title-page, another "works away the body of the book, and a third is "a dab at an index. Thus a Magazine is not the "refult of any fingle man's induftry; but goes "through as many hands as a new pin, before it is "fit for the public. I fancy, fir, continues he, I "can provide an eminent hand, and upon moderate "terms, to draw up a promifing plan to fmooth up our readers a little, and pay them, as Colonel "Charteries paid his feraglio, at the rate of three "half pence in hand, and three fhillings more in "promites."

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He was proceeding in his advice, which however I thought proper to decline, by affuring him, that as I intended to purfue no fixed method, fo it was impoft ble to form any regular plan; determined never to be tedious, in order to be logical, wherever pleafure prefented, I was refolved to follow. Like the Bee, which I had taken for the title of my paner, I would rove from flower to flower, with feeming inattention, but concealed choice, expatiate over all the beauties of the feafon, and make my induftry my amufement.

This reply may alfo ferve as an apology to the reader, who expects, before he fits down, a bill of his

future

future entertainment. It would be improper to pall his curiofity by leffening his furprize, or anticipate any pleasure I am able to procure him, by faying what fhall come next. Thus much, however, he may be affured of, that neither war nor fcandal fhall make any part of it. Homer finely imagines his deity turning away with horror from the profpect of a field of battle, and feeking tranquillity among a nation noted for peace and fimplicity. Happy could any effort of mine, but for a moment, reprefs that favage pleasure fome men find in the daily accounts of human misery ! How gladly would I lead them from scenes of blood and altercation, to profpects of innocence and ease, where every breeze breathes health, and every found is but the echo of tranquillity!

But whatever the merit of his intentions may be, every writer is now convinced that he must be chiefly indebted to good fortune for finding readers willing to allow him any degree of reputation. It has been remarked that almoft every character which has excited either attention or praife, has owed part of its fuccefs to merit, and part to an happy concurrence of circumftances in its favour. Had Cæfar or Cromwell exchanged countries, the one might have been a ferjeant, and the other an excifeman. So it is with wit, which generally fucceeds more from being happily addreffed, than from its native poignancy. A bon mot, for inftance, that might be relifhed at White's, may lofe all its flavour when delivered at the Cat and Bag-pipes in St. Giles's. A jeft calculated to fpread at a gaming-table, may be received with a perfect neutrality of face, fhould it happen to drop in a mackrel-boat. We have all feen dunces triumph in fome companies, when men of real humour were difregarded, by a general combination in favour of ftupidity. To drive the observation as far

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