The Spectator Club
Richard Steele
The first of our society is a gentleman of Worcestershire, of ancient descent, a baronet, his name Sir Roger de Coverley. His great grandfather was inventor of that famous country-dance which is called after him. All who know that shire are very well acquainted with the parts and merits of Sir Roger. He is a gentleman that is very singular in his behaviour, but his singularities proceed from his good sense, and are contradictions to the manners of the world, only as he thinks the world is in the wrong. However, this humour creates him no enemies, for he does nothing with sourness or obstinacy; and his being unconfined to modes and forms makes him but the readier and more capable to please and oblige all who know him. When he is in town, he lives in Soho Square. It is said he keeps himself a bachelor by reason he was crossed in love by a perverse beautiful widow of the next county to him. Before this disappointment, Sir Roger was what you call a fine gentleman, had often supped with my Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege, fought a duel upon his first coming to town, and kicked Bully Dawson in a public cofee-house for calling him youngster. But being ill-used by the above-mentioned widow, he was very serious for a year and a half; and though, his temper being naturally jovial, he at last got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dressed afterwards. He continues to wear a coat and doublet of the same cut that were in fashion at the time of his repulse, which,in his merry humours, he tells us, has been in and out twelve times since he first wore it. It is said Sir Roger grew humble in his desires after he had forgot this cruel beauty, insomuch that it is reported he has frequently offended in point of chastity with beggars and gypsies; but this is looked upon by his friends rather as matter of raillery than truth. He is now in his fifty-sixth year, cheerful, gay, and hearty, keeps a good house both in town and country; a great lover of mankind; but there is such a mirthful cast in his behaviour, that he is rather beloved than esteemed. His tenants grow rich, his servants look satisfied, all the young women profess love to him, and the young men are glad of his company. When he comes into a house, he calls the servants by their names, and talks all the way upstairs to a visit. I must not omit that Sir Roger is a Justice of the Quorum; that he fills the chair at a quarter-session with great abilities, and three months ago gained universal applause by explaining a passage in the Game Act.
The gentleman next in esteem and authority among us is another bachelor, who is a member of the Inner Temple; a man of great probity, wit, and understanding; but he has chosen his place of residence rather to obey the direction of an old humoursome father, than in pursuit of his own inclinations. He was placed there to study the laws of the land, and is the most learned of any of the house in those of the stage. Aristotle and Longinus are much better understood by him than Littleton or Coke. The father sends up every post questions relating to marriage-articles, leases, and tenures, in the neighbourhood; all which questions he agrees with an attorney to answer and take care of in the lump. He is studying the passions themselves, when he should be inquiring into the debates among men which arise from them. He knows the argument of each of the orations of Demosthenes and Tully, but not one case in the reports of our own courts. No one ever took him for a fool; but none, except his intimate friends, know he has a great deal of wit. This turn makes him at once both disinterested and agreeable. As few of his thoughts are drawn from business, they are most of them fit for conversation.His taste of books is a little too just for the age he lives in; he has read all, but approves of very few. His familiarity with the customs,manners, actions, and writings of the ancients, makes him a very delicate observer of what occurs to him in the present world. He is an excellent critic, and the time of the play is his hour of business;exactly at five he passes through New Inn, crosses through Russell Court, and takes a turn at Will’s till the play begins; he has his shoes rubbed and his periwig powdered at the barber’s as you go into the Rose. It is for the good of the audience when he is at the play, for the actors have an ambition to please him.
The person of next consideration is Sir Andrew Freeport, a merchant of great eminence in the City of London—a person of indefatigable industry, strong reason, and great experience. His notions of trade are noble and generous, and (as every rich man has usually some sly way of jesting, which would make no great figure were he not a rich man) he calls the sea the British Common. He is acquainted with commerce in all its parts, and will tell you that it is a stupid and barbarous way to extend dominion by arms; for true power is to be got by arts and industry. He will often argue that if this part of our trade were well cultivated, we should gain from one nation; and if another, from another. I have heard him prove that diligence makes more lasting acquisitions than valour, and that sloth has ruined more nations than the sword. He abounds in several frugal maxims, among which the greatest favourite is, ‘A penny saved is a penny got.’A general trader of good sense is pleasanter company than a general scholar; and Sir Andrew having a natural unafected eloquence, the perspicuity of his discourse gives the same pleasure that wit would in another man. He has made his fortunes himself; and says that England may be richer than other kingdoms by as plain methods as he himself is richer than other men; though at the same time I can say this of him, that there is not a point in the compass but blows home a ship in which he is an owner.
Next to Sir Andrew in the club-room sits Captain Sentry, a gentleman of great courage, good understanding, but invincible modesty. He is one of those that deserve very well, but are very awkward at putting their talents within the observation of such as should take notice of them. He was some years a captain, and behaved himself with great gallantry in several engagements and at several sieges; but having a small estate of his own, and being next heir to Sir Roger, he has quitted a way of life in which no man can rise suitably to his merit, who is not something of a courtier as well as a soldier. I have heard him often lament that in a profession where merit is placed in so conspicuous a view, impudence should get the better of modesty. When he has talked to this purpose, I never heard him make a sour expression, but frankly confess that he left the world because he was not fit for it. A strict honesty and an even regular behaviour are in themselves obstacles to him that must press through crowds, who endeavour at the same end with himself, the favour of a commander. He will, however, in his way of talk excuse generals for not disposing according to men’s desert, or inquiring into it. ‘For,’ says he, ‘that great man who has a mind to help me has as many to break through to come at me as I have to come at him.’Therefore, he will conclude that the man who would make a figure, especially in a military way, must get over all false modesty,and assist his patron against the importunity of other pretenders,by a proper assurance in his own vindication. He says it is a civil cowardice to be backward in asserting what you ought to expect, as it is a military fear to be slow in attacking when it is your duty. With this candour does the gentleman speak of himself and others. The same frankness runs through all his conversation. The military part of his life has furnished him with many adventures, in the relation of which he is very agreeable to the company; for he is never overbearing,though accustomed to command men in the utmost degree below him; nor ever too obsequious, from a habit of obeying men highly above him.
But that our society may not appear a set of humourists,unacquainted with the gallantries and pleasures of the age, we have among us the gallant Will Honeycomb, a gentleman who, according to his years, should be in the decline of his life, but having ever been very careful of his person, and always had a very easy fortune,time has made but very little impression, either by wrinkles on his forehead, or traces in his brain. His person is well turned, and of a good height. He is very ready at that sort of discourse with which men usually entertain women. He has all his life dressed very well,and remembers habits as others do men. He can smile when one speaks to him, and laughs easily. He knows the history of every mode, and can inform you from which of the French king’s wenches our wives and daughters had this manner of curling their hair, that way of placing their hoods; whose frailty was covered by such a sort of petticoat, and whose vanity to show her foot made that part of the dress so short in such a year. In a word, all his conversation and knowledge has been in the female world. As other men of his age will take notice to you what such a minister said upon such and such an occasion, he will tell you when the Duke of Monmouth danced at court such a woman was then smitten, another was taken with him at the head of his troop in the park. In all these important relations,he has ever about the same time received a kind glance or a blow of a fan from some celebrated beauty, mother of the present Lord Such a-one. If you speak of a young commoner that said a lively thing in the House, he starts up, ‘He has good blood in his veins, Tom Mirabell begot him, the rogue cheated me in that afair; that young fellow’s mother used me more like a dog than any woman I ever made advances to.’This way of talking of his very much enlivens the conversation among us of a more sedate turn; and I find there is not one of the company but myself, who rarely speak at all, but speaks of him as of that sort of man who is usually called a well-bred fine gentleman. To conclude his character, where women are not concerned, he is an honest, worthy man.
I cannot tell whether I am to account him whom I am next to speak of as one of our company, for he visits us but seldom; but when he does, it adds to every man else a new enjoyment of himself. He is a clergyman, a very philosophic man, of general learning, great sanctity of life, and the most exact good breeding. He has the misfortune to be of a very weak constitution, and consequently cannot accept of such cares and business as preferments in his function would oblige him to; he is therefore among divines what a chamber-counsellor is among lawyers. The probity of his mind and the integrity of his life create him followers, as being eloquent or loud advances others. He seldom introduces the subject he speaks upon; but we are so far gone in years that he observes, when he is among us, an earnestness to have him fall on some divine topic, which he always treats with much authority,as one who has no interests in this world, as one who is hastening to the object of all his wishes, and conceives hope from his decays and infirmities. These are my ordinary companions.
Notes
From the Spectator, No. 2 (March 2, 1711). Here we have the original design of an imaginary club, consisting of several types of character grouped round the central figure of the Spectator. This paper was written by Steele—probably with the corroboration of Addison.
Dr. Johnson was of the opinion that the personages of the Spectator were not ‘merely ideal,’but ‘known and conspicuous in various stations.’Attempts have been made to identify them. It is said that Sir Roger’s original was Sir John Pakington (1671—1727), a Tory squire of Worcestershire, and that Captain Sentry and Will Honeycomb are portraits of Colonels Kempenfelt and Cleland. Even the ‘perverse beautiful widow’has been discovered! It was Mrs. Catherine Boevey,‘one of those dark and lasting beauties that strike with reverence and yet delight.’But some ingenious editors have fixed on Lady Warwick, whom Addison was to marry in 1716.
Motto, from Juvenal, Satires, VII, 167:‘Six more, at least, join their consenting voice.’
that famous country-dance. There existed, in the late 17th century, a tune called Roger of Caulverley. It was later associated with the country dance,known since the days of the Spectator by that name.
Soho Square, originally King’s Square built in 1681. In Steele’s time it was still the most fashionable part of London.
Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege, ‘wits’ and courtiers of the Restoration period. John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647—1680), was a poet, and Etherege (1634？—1691？) a dramatist.
Bully Dawson, a contemporary of Rochester and Etherege, notorious as a gamester and swaggerer.
doublet, a close-fitting body garment, with or without sleeves.
Justice of the Quorum, justice of the peace, who, with other justices,constituted the county court, which met four times a year.
Game Act, act of Parliament for the protection of game. Under the Act,for instance, only the possessor of specified property qualifications might
take or kill deer, hares, pheasants, partridges and rabbits. In the current phrase, such were ‘within the Game Act.’
Inner Temple, one of the four sets of buildings in London inhabited by students and practitioners of laws.
Aristotle (4th century B.C.), the great Greek philosopher, author of Poetics,Rhetoric,Politics. His Poetics was accepted as the highest authority in criticism from the Renaissance to the 18th century.
Longinus (3rd century A.D.), the supposed author of the celebrated treatise On the Sublime, which was regarded, especially in the 18th century,as an authority on the artistic qualities of style.
Littleton or Coke. Sir Thomas Littleton (1422—1481) and Sir Edward Coke (1552—1634) were English legal authorities, best known in the phrase ‘Coke on Littleton,’being the commentary of Coke on the legal treaties by Littleton.
Demosthenes (4th century B.C.), Greek orator.
Tully, Marcus Tullius Cicero (1st century B.C.), Roman orator,philosopher, and statesman.
the time of the play. It was several hours earlier than at present.
New Inn, an attachment of the Middle Temple, one of the Inns of Court.
the Rose, a tavern near Drury Lane Theatre, a resort of playgoers.
British Common. Here ‘Common’is a legal term, meaning ‘the profit which a man has in the land or waters of another’(O.E.D.).
humourists, in the old sense of the word, whimsical or capricious characters.
Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II, famous for his fine manners.
Tom Mirabell. There had been several Mirabels or Mirabells in English plays (see for instance Congreve’s The Way of the World). Steele uses this name which has a flavour of the fop and the rake about it.
【作品简介】
本文选自《旁观者》第2期（1711年3月2日）。在这里，我们可以看到一个想象中的俱乐部的原始设计，其中包括围绕着《旁观者》的不同类型的人物。本文由斯梯尔撰写，可能在写作中得到过艾迪生的帮助。
约翰逊博士认为，《旁观者》中的人物并非“仅仅是理想化的”，而是“在各个方面都为人熟知和引人注目的人物”。人们曾经试图寻找《旁观者》中的人物。据说，罗杰爵士的原型是约翰·帕金顿爵士（1671—1727），他是伍斯特郡的托利党乡绅。森特里上尉和威尔·霍尼康姆则是肯彭费尔特和克莱兰上校的化身。就连那位“美丽无比的寡妇”也有其原型，那就是凯瑟琳·贝维太太，她是“一位令人尊敬而又给人们带来快乐的肤色黝黑的美丽的女人”。然而，一些精明的编辑却认定是沃里克女士，艾迪生是于1716年与她结婚的。
篇首格言出自尤维纳利斯的《讽刺诗》第七首：“至少有六个，加入了他们的同盟。”
【作品解析】
that famous country-dance：17世纪后期，流传着一首名为《科弗利的罗杰》的乡间小曲。后来这首曲子便与乡村舞蹈联系在了一起，从《旁观者》问世后，就以这个名字为人所知。
Soho Square：苏豪广场，原来的国王广场，建于1681年。在斯梯尔时期仍是伦敦最时尚的地方。
Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege：罗切斯特勋爵和乔治·埃瑟里奇爵士，复辟时期的“智者”和朝臣。约翰·威尔莫特，即罗切斯特勋爵（1647—1680），也是诗人；埃瑟里奇爵士（约1634—约1691），也是戏剧家。
Bully Dawson：布利·道森，他与罗切斯特和埃瑟里奇是同时代的人，却是臭名昭著的赌徒和骗子。
doublet：紧身上衣，有时带袖子，有时不带袖子。
Justice of the Quorum：治安法官也译为地方法官，与其他法官一起组成县（地方）法庭，每年开庭四次。
Game Act：狩猎法案，议会保护贵族狩猎的法令。例如，该法案规定，只有拥有特定财产资格的人才可以射杀鹿、野兔、野鸡、山鹑和兔子。这在当时都属于“狩猎法案”之内的行为。
Inner Temple：英国内殿律师学院，伦敦四所律师学院之一，是学生及法律从业人员居住并被授予执业资格认可的地方。
Aristotle：亚里士多德（公元前4世纪），伟大的古希腊哲学家，著有《诗学》《修辞学》《政治学》。从文艺复兴时期到18世纪，《诗学》被公认为是文学评论的最高学术权威著作。
Longinus：朗吉努斯（公元3世纪），据说是著名文论《论崇高》的作者；特别是在18世纪，《论崇高》是论艺术风格特点的权威之作。
Littleton or Coke：托马斯·利特尔顿爵士（1422—1481）和爱德华·科克爵士（1552—1634）是英国法律界权威，因《科克论利特尔顿》而出名，这是科克爵士对利特尔顿《论土地保有权》法律条文的评注。
Demosthenes：德摩斯梯尼（公元前4世纪），古希腊演说家。
Tully：即马库斯·图留斯·西塞罗（公元前1世纪），古罗马演说家、哲学家和政治家。
the time of the play：比演出提前了几个小时。
New Inn：新客栈，隶属中殿律师学院。
the Rose：玫瑰酒馆，德鲁里街剧院附近的小酒馆，戏剧爱好者的胜地。
British Common：这里的“Common”是一个法律术语，意思是“一个人在其他人的土地或水域中所得的利益”（参见《牛津英语词典》）。
humourists：指异想天开或反复无常的人物（古义）。
Duke of Monmouth：蒙茅斯公爵，查理二世的私生子，以其优雅的举止而闻名。
Tom Mirabell：汤姆·米拉贝尔，在英语剧本里有许多米拉贝尔，例如康格里夫的《如此世道》。斯梯尔使用这个名字，具有嘲笑纨绔子弟的意味。