THE ATHENIAN MERCURY, London, March 19, 1692  

* Rare 17th century publication

This was the very first of the "agony aunt" newspapers, 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 in a stranger --anonymously--& 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 why sermons seem longer than they are to why those who suffer from fits seem to have extraordinary strength. There are 9 questions in this issue.
Single sheet, 8 by 12 inches, very nice condition.