THE

INTELLIGENCER[a].

IT

NUMBER I.

T may be faid, without offence to other cities of much greater confequence to the

[4] The Intelligencer was a weekly paper undertaken by the Dean and Doctor Sheridan, in 1728, of which no more than twenty numbers were ever publifhed. The i. iii. v. vii. ix. fome verses in the viii. and at the end of the x. the xv. and the xix. were written by the Dean.

The v. and vii. are put together and printed as they were published, by Mr. Pope, in the iv. volume of their mifcellanies, under the title of An Efay on the Fates of Clergymen. The poetry in the viii is the dialogue between mad Mullineux and Timothy, which is printed, as it was also claffed by Mr. Pope, in vol. vi. The ix. he intitled, An effay on modern education, and by that name it will be found in vol. iv. the verfes at the end of the x. called Tim and the Fables, are printed in vol. vii. The xv. is a pamphlet, which Dr. Sheridan, having written a fhort introduction, took into the Intelligencer merely to fave the labour of writing a paper. It is printed in volume x, and intitled, A foort view of the ftate of Ireland, N°. xix. is also a tract which has been before published by itself, and was taken into the Intelligencer for the fame reafon as the for

mer.

The Dean and the Doctor foon became weary of a periodical work, in which they were disappointworld

world, that our town of Dublin doth not want its due proportion of folly and vice both native and imported: and as to thofe imported, we have the advantage to receive them last, and confequently, after our happy manner, to improve and refine upon them.

But, because there are many effects of folly and vice among us, whereof fome are general, others confined to fmaller numbers, and others again perhaps to a few individuals; there is a fociety lately established, who at great expence have erected an office of intelligence, from which they are to receive weekly information of all important events and fingularities, which this famous metropolis can furnish. Strict injunctions are given to have the trueft information; in order to which, certain qualified perfons are employed to attend upon duty in their feveral pofts; fome at the play-boufe, others in churches, fome at balls, affemblies, coffee-houses, and meetings for quadrille; fome at the feveral courts of juftice, both fpiritual and temporal; fome at the college, fome upon my lord-mayor and aldermen in their publick affairs; laftly, fome to ed of affiftance; the price was but one half-penny, and fo few were fold, that the printer could not afford to engage a young man of proper qualifications to work upon fuch hints as fhould be fent him, of which there were enough, and which the undertakers hoped thus to communicate with lefs labour to the publick. The Intelligencers were collected into a volume, and reprinted in England in 1730. See letter lxi. Pope's works, vol. ix.

con

converfe with favourite chamber-maids, and to frequent thofe ale-houfes and brandy-fbops where the footmen of great families meet in a morning; only the [b] Barracks and Parliament-Houfe are excepted; because we have yet found no [c] Enfans perdus bold enough to venture their perfons at either. Out of thefe and fome other fore-houses, we hope to gather materials enough to inform, or divert, or correct, or vex the town.

But as facts, passages, and adventures of all kinds are like to have the greatest share in our paper, whereof we cannot always anfwer for the truth; due care fhall be taken to have them applied to feigned names, whereby all juft offence will be removed; for, if none be guilty, none will have caufe to blush or be angry, if otherwife, then the guilty perfon is fafe for the future upon his prefent amend ment, and safe for the prefent from all but his own confcience.

There is another refolution taken among us, which I fear will give a greater and more general discontent, and is of fo fingular a nature, that I have hardly confidence enough to mention it, although it be abfolutely ne ceffary by way of apology, for fo bold and unpopular an attempt. But it is, that we have taken a defperate counsel to produce into the world every diftinguished action either of juf

[6] Barracks, Buildings for the lodgment of fol diers.

[o] Enfans perdus, Forlorn hope. See preface to the biflop of Surum's Introduction, vol, ix,

B 6

tice,

tice, prudence, generofity, charity, friendship, or publick fpirit, which comes well attefted to us. And although we fhall neither here be fo daring as to affign names, yet we fhall hardly forbear to give fome hints, that perhaps, to the great displeasure of such deferving perfons, may endanger a difcovery. For we think that even virtue itself fhould fubmit to fuch a mortification, as, by its vifibility and example, will render it more useful to the world. But however, the readers of these papers need not be in pain of being overcharged with fo dull and ungrateful a subject. And yet who knows, but such an occafion may be offered to us once in a year or two, after we have fettled a correfpondence round the kingdom?

7

But, after all our boasts of materials fent us by our feveral emiffaries, we may, probably, foon fall fhort, if the town will not be pleafed to lend us further affiftance towards entertaining itself. The world best knows its own faults and virtues; and whatever is fent fhall be faithfully returned back, only a little embellished, according to the custom of AUTHORS. We do therefore demand and expect continual advertisements in great numbers to be fent to the PRINTER of this Paper, who hath employed a judicious fecretary to collect fuch as may be moft useful for the Publick.

And, although we do not intend to expose our own perfons by mentioning names, yet we are fo far from requiring the fame caution in

our

our correfpondents, that, on the contrary, we exprefly charge and command them, in all the facts they fend us, to fet down their names, titles, and places of abode at length; together with a very particular defcription of the per fons, drefes, difpofitions of the feveral lords, ladies, Jquires, madams, lawyers, gamefiers, toupees, fots, wits, rakes, and informers, whom they fhall have occafion to mention ; otherwise it will not be poffible for us to adjust our style to the different qualities and capacities of the perfons concerned, and treat them with the respect and familiarity, that may be due to their ftations and characters, which we are determined to obferve with the utmost ftrictnefs, that none may have cause to com→ plain.

Ipfe per omnes

Ibit perfonas, et turbam reddet in unam. THE players having now almoft done with

the comedy called the Beggar's Opera for the feafon; it may be no unpleasant speculation, to reflect a little upon this dramatick piece, fo fingular in the fubject and manner, fo much an original, and which hath frequently given fo very agreeable an entertainment [d].

. Although an evil taste be very apt to prevail, both here and in London; yet there is a [d] See letters to and from Doctor Swift, printed at the end of Mr. Pope's works.