Then Swänska Argus

It was published weekly from 1732 to 1734 and contained short stories, poems, plays and editorials, totalling between 6 and 10 printed pages.

Dalin wrote the periodical in a free and lively conversational tone that contrasted with other influential Swedish writers of the time, such as Carl Gyllenborg.

Then Swänska Argus fit into a wider literary trend in Europe, represented by light and lively English periodicals such as The Tatler and The Spectator.

Dalin was a keen student of language, combining linguistic influences from his childhood in the southern Swedish province of Halland, his school years at the Lund University and his later employment at the Royal Court of Sweden.

Its popularity also propelled Dalin's career, as he rose from royal librarian in 1737, through the noble ranks, to privy councillor in 1753.