s good, and his meaning for the
service of the public. I am sorry he has printed, for he's very civill
to me, and always profess a great respect for you, and I wou'd have none
that does so exposed" ("Wentworth Papers," pp. 86-7). See No. 46. A
writer in "Notes and Queries" (7 S. iii. 526), in reply to a question of
mine, stated that there is a copy of "Naked Truth," 4to, 1709, in the
Bamburgh Castle Library. The pamphlet is anonymous, but is ascribed in
the catalogue to Colonel Crowder. In May 1710, Thomas Crowther was made
a Major-General (Pointer's "Chron. History," ii. 679).]

No. 18. [STEELE AND ADDISON.[218]

From _Thursday, May 19_, to _Saturday, May 21_, 1709.

* * * * *

From my own Apartment, May 20.

It is observed too often, that men of wit do so much employ their
thoughts upon fine speculations, that things useful to mankind are
wholly neglected; and they are busy in making emendations upon some
enclitics in a Greek author, while obvious things, that every man may
have use for, are wholly overlooked. It would be a happy thing, if such
as have real capacities for public service, were employed in works of
general use; but because a thing is everybody's business, it is nobody's
business: this is for want of public spirit. As for my part, who am only
a student, and a man of no great interest, I can only remark things, and
recommend the correction of them to higher powers. There is an offence I
have a thousand times lamented, but fear I shall never see remedied;
which is, that in a nation where learning is so frequent as in Great
Britain, there should be so many gross errors as there are in the very
directions of things, wherein accuracy is necessary for the conduct of
life. This is notoriously observed by all men of letters when they first
come to town (at which time they are usually curious that way) in the
inscriptions on sign-posts. I have cause to know this matter as well as
anybody; for I have (when I went to Merchant Taylors' School) suffered
stripes for spelling after the signs I observed in my way; though at the
same time, I must confess, staring at those inscriptions first gave me
an idea and curiosity for medals; in which I have since arrived at some
knowledge.[219] Many a man has lost his way and his dinner by this
general want of skill in orthography: for, considering that the painters
are usually so very bad, that you cannot know the animal under whose
sig