THE ATHENIAN MERCURY, London, March 15, 1692  This was the very first of the "agony aunt" newspapers (see hyperlink), a newspaper providing personal advice to its readers. In creating this format of responding to questions from readers, the publisher, John Dunton, did so as a result of feeling guilty for cheating on his wife. He thought that people like himself might appreciate confiding anonymously in a stranger & that readers would be titillated by the exchange. It proved to be a success as he was bombarded with queries on everything from marriage to the ethics of slave-trading to why sermons seem longer than they are.
There are 6 questions in this issue, the first answered in the form of a lengthy poem. Another question is: "Pray what is the best course to break off a contracted habit of idleness?"
Single sheet, 8 by 12 inches, very nice condition.