"It is generally some French novel or play, indifferently translated, it is more or less taken notice of, as the original piece is more or less agreeable." Defoe takes his place in the gallery as the editor and principal contributor to the weekly _Poor Review_, that is, the _Weekly Review_ (which was published weekly from February 19th, 1704, until 1712) which, says Gay, "is quite exhausted and grown so very contemptible, that though he has provoked all his brothers of the quill round, none of them will enter into a controversy with him." The periodical publications of the day are passed under review: the _Observer_, founded in 1702 by John Tutchin, and after his death five years later, conducted by George Ridpath, editor of the _Flying Post_, until 1712, when it had almost entirely ceased to please, and was finally extinguished by the Stamp Tax; the weekly _Examiner_, set up in August, 1710, in opposition to the Whig _Taller_, numbering among its contributors Dr.King, St.John, Prior, Atterbury, and Freind, and managed by Swift from No.

14 (October 26th, 1710); the _Whig Examiner_, the first issue of which appeared on September 14th, 1710, its five numbers being written by Addison; the _Medley_, another Whig paper, which ran from August, 1710, to August, 1711, and was edited by Arthur Mainwaring, with the assistance of Steele, Oldmixon, and Anthony Henley (a wit and a man of fortune, to whom Garth dedicated "The Dispensary," and who distinguished himself by describing Swift as "a beast for ever after the order of Melchisedec").

The _Tatter_, which appeared three times a week from April 12th, 1709, to January 2nd, 1711, was of course mentioned, and well-deserved tributes were paid to Steele and Addison.

Of Addison he wrote with appreciation, but briefly: "This is that excellent friend to whom Mr.Steele owes so much, and who refuses to have his pen set before those pieces which the greatest pens in England would be proud to own.

Indeed, they could hardly add to this gentleman's reputation, whose works in Latin and English poetry long since convinced the world that he was the greatest master in Europe of those two languages." Of Steele, Gay wrote at greater length: "To give you my own thoughts of this gentleman's writings, I shall, in the first place, observe that there is a noble difference between him and all the rest of our polite and gallant authors.