John Gay

“ Soon after their first appearance, came out a Paper from the other Side, called the Whig Examiner, writ with so much Fire, and in so excellent a Stile, as put the Tories in no small pain for their favourite Hero, every one cry'd Bickerstaff must be the Author, and People were the more confirm'd in this opinion, upon its being so soon lay'd down; which seem'd to shew, that it was only writ to bind the Examiners to their good Behaviour, and was never design'd to be a Weekly Paper. The Examiners therefore have no one to Combat with at present, but their Friend the Medley ”

“ Immediately some of our Wits wre for forming themselves into a Club, headed by one Mr. Harrison, and trying how they could shoot in this Bow of Ulysses; but soon found that this sort of Writing, requires so fine and particular a manner of Thinking, with so exact a Knowledge of the World, as must make them utterly Despair of Success.
They seem'd indeed at first to think, that what was only the Garnish of the former Tatlers, was that which recommended them, and not those Substantial Entertainments which they every were abound in. ”

“ Before I proceed further in the account of our Weekly Papers, it will be necessary to inform you, that at the begining of the Winter, to the infinite surprize of all Men, Mr. Steele flung up His Tatler, and instead of Isaac Bickerstaff Esq.; Subscrib'd himself Richard Steele to the last of those Papers, after an handsome Compliment to the Town for their kind acceptance of his Endeavours to divert them. ”

“ As to our Weekly Papers, the Poor Review is quite exhausted, and grown so very Contemptible, that tho' he has provoked all his Brothers of the Quill round, none of them will enter into a Controversy with him. This Fellow, who had excellent Natural Parts, but wanted a small Foundation of Learning, is a lively instance of those Wits, who, as an Ingenious Author says, will endure but one Skimming. ”