court, and a nomination to the commission of the peace for Middlesex. Having also procured a licence to be chief manager of the royal company of comedians, he had interest to get it exchanged for a patent for life, as governor of that company. In the first parliament of the new reign he re-entered the house as member for Boroughbridge; and in April 1715 he received the honour of knighthood on presenting an address. The more substantial reward of 5001. was also given him by Sir Robert Walpole for special services. Thus encou raged, his fertile pen produced a variety of political tracts, of which it may be said that there is no doubt of his being sincere in the support of the cause which he adopted, and of which he was the advocate, as well in its dubious as in its triumphant state. Having been appointed, in 1717, one of the commissioners for inquiring into the estates forfeited by the late rebellion in Scotland, he went to that country, and was treated in it with great respect, notwithstanding the unwelcomeness of his errand. He there conceived the project of forming an union between the Scotch and English churches, and had conferences with several of the presbyterian ministers on the restora

tion of episcopacy; but his zeal in this case, however benevolent, seems to have been little directed by judgment. The character of a projector, indeed, was one part of Steele's composition; and it was both the effect and cause of that perpetual embarrassment of circumstances under which he laboured, and which was principally owing to a radical want of economy and an inclination to expense. He had married for his first wife a lady of Barbadoes, who brought him a valuable plantation on the death of her brother; and for his second, the daughter of Jonathan Scurlock, Esq. of Llangunnor, in Caermarthenshire, with whom he had a good fortune; yet he seems to have been always necessitous. A project for conveying fish to market alive, for which he obtained a patent in 1718, instead of retrieving his affairs, only involved him deeper. It were to be wished that his distresses had occasioned no other sacrifices than that of money; but there is reason to suppose that they sometimes interfered with the dictates of conscience. Whiston in his Memoirs has related, that having once met with Steele after he had given a vote in parliament contrary to former declarations, to his

reproaches for inconsistency the knight replied, "Mr. Whiston, you can walk on foot, but I cannot." Steele's spirit was, however, by no means formed for implicit submission; and for his opposition in 1719 to the peerage bill, supported by the ministry, he was deprived of his theatrical patent. He appealed to the public in a paper called "The Theatre;" and in 1720 he pleaded the cause of the nation by a pamphlet against the pernicious South-sea scheme. He was restored in the next year to his authority at Drury-lane theatre, and soon after made an addition both to his fame and fortune by his comedy of "The Conscious Lovers," first acted in 1722. This piece was received with extraordinary applause, and long stood at the head of comedies of the moral and sentimental class. The King munificently presented him with 5001. for the dedication; but his habitual pecuniary embarrassments still pressed upon him, and obliged him to sell his share in the playhouse. He had the additional misfortune of maintaining a lawsuit with the managers, which was decided against him. Broken now equally in fortune and constitution, he retired to his estate in Wales, where

a paralytic stroke first impaired his understanding, and finally terminated his life in September, 1729.

Sir Richard Steele appears to have been much beloved in society, for the benevolent warmth and openness of his disposition, and his entire freedom from jealousy or malevolence. In point of understanding he is perhaps rather to be called a man of parts, than a man of genius, none of his productions rising higher than the efforts of a lively fancy, exercised on a variety of topics, but with little force or accuracy. His style and his train of thinking are equally lax and incorrect. He was a lover of virtue, and often painted it in pleasing and attractive colours, but neither his example nor precept were unexceptionable. His reputation as a writer seems to have been much indebted to the partnerships he formed; but his name is certainly entitled to a place` among those which throw peculiar lustre upon that period of English literature.

Such are the outlines of the life of SIR RICHARD STEELE. To have entered more into detail would have led us into a very wide field, which to most readers would have been barren of entertainment. The TATLER rose

from small beginnings. It does not appear that STEELE foresaw to what perfection this method of writing might be brought. The first paper, as has been already noticed, made its appearance on Tuesday, April 12, 1709; and the days of publication were fixed to be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

STEELE appears to have begun the TATLER without any concert, or hope of other assistance than what might come spontaneously. His chief dependence was on his intelligence, which gave him a superiority over his contemporaries, who were merely news-writers, and had never discovered that a periodical paper might furnish instruction of a better and more lasting kind.

ADDISON is said to have first discovered STEELE to be the author of the TATLER by a criticism of his own introduced in No. 6. ADDISON was at this time in Ireland, secretary to Lord WHARTON, Lord Lieutenant, and gave STEELE an early proof of his regard by sending contributions to his work. In N° 18, the Distress of News-writers' is certainly his; and the first part of the paper on sign-posts has very much of his manner. N° 20 is likewise assigned to him. His