THE SPECTATOR WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY GEORGE A. AITKEN AUTHOR OF "THE LIFE OF RICHARD STEELE," ETC. WITH EIGHT ORIGINAL PORTRAITS AND EIGHT VIGNETTES IN EIGHT VOLUMES VOLUME THE SIXTH LONDON JOHN C. NIMMO NEW YORK: LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO. MDCCCXCVIII ERY many favours and civilities (received from you in a private capacity), which I have no other way to acknowledge, will, I hope, excuse this presumption; but the Candour justice I, as a Spectator, owe your character, 1 Charles Spencer, Earl of Sunderland, succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1702. In 1706 he became Secretary of State, and held that office until the fall of the Whigs in 1710. In 1715 a pension was settled on him, and in 1717 he again became a Secretary of State. Next year Lord Sunderland was made Lord President of the Council, and he died in 1722. He married the Lady Anne Churchill, second daughter of the Duke of Marl- words and actions, exacts the highest esteem from all who have the honour to know you, and a winning condescension to all subordinate to you, made business a pleasure to those who executed it under you, at the same time that it heightened her Majesty's favour to all who had the happiness of having it conveyed through your hands: a Secretary of State, in the interests of mankind, joined with that of his fellow-subjects, accomplished with a great facility and elegance in all the modern as well as ancient languages, was a happy and proper member of a Ministry, by whose services your sovereign and country are in so high and flourishing a condition, as makes all other princes and potentates powerful or inconsiderable in Europe, as they are friends or enemies to Great Britain. The importance of those great events which happened during that administration, in which your Lordship bore so important a charge, will be acknowledged as long as time shall endure; I shall not therefore attempt to rehearse those illustrious passages, but give this application a more private and particular turn, in desiring your Lordship would continue your favour and patronage to me, as you are a gentleman of the most polite literature, and perfectly accomplished in the knowledge of books and men, which makes |