come often to town; and defired to wait on me at Richmond, Mr L. commending Richmond prospects, he faid they were only too rich in villas. He begged a pinch of fnuff; and, on palling by the Abetes, near the Mill Pool, mentioned that Pope had a fcheme in his head of planting trees to refemble a Gothic Cathedral *. Hearing the Dam there was made by the Monks, O! fays he, this is God-dam, the wit of which I could not fee. I directed them to fcape Hales town, and to go up the lane by the pool fide, not without an eye to the pleafing figure my house makes across that pool; where Mr L. advised me to have a boat, and was much truck with the appearance it must have from my wood. Here Mr Thomson shaking hands with me, we all parted, omnes omnia bona dicentes, et laudentes fortunam meam. The year after I met Mr Thomfon, as I returned from Church, at Hales Mill, in a hired two-wheeled chaife, with a black horfe and a white one length wife. We accofted each other with much cordiality, and he promised earnestly to come and fee me (as he had done the year before,) when I expected a longer vifit. But twas then, as I remember, that the park improvements there engroffed the family's attention, and Mr T. could not be fpared from any projects of that fort. August 27, 1748.-The very week he was again expected at Hagley appeared this paragraph in the Bir mingham paper: "This morning, at four, died, of a violent fever, at his houfe in Kewlane, the celebrated Mr James Thomson, Author of the Seafons, &c." I have heard he waited too long for the return of his friend Dr Armstrong, and did not chufe to employ any other phyfician. He had nothing of the Gentleman in his perfon or addrefs. But he made amends for the deficiency by his refined fenfe and spirited expreffion; and, as I remember, a manner of speaking not unlike his friend Quin. He did not talk a great deal or fluently; but, after paules of re flection, produced fomething or other that accounted for his delay. W. S. ACCOUNT OF GEORGE STEEVENS, ESQ. THE CELEBRATED COMMENTATOR ON SHAKESPEAR. EORGE Steevens, Efq. F. R. and A. S. S. was only fon of George Steevens Efq. of Stepney, many years an East India Captain, and * It is far from improbable that Mr Pope communicated this scheme, as it is called, to his Editor Bishop Warburton who has dilated the idea, and upon it established an hypothefis concerning the origin of Gothic Architecture. "When the Goths," fays he, had conquered Spain; and the genial warmth of the climate, and the religion of the old inhabitants, had ripen'd their wits and inflamed their miftaken piety (both kept in exercife by the neighbourhood of the Saracens, through emulation of their feience and, averfion to their fuperftition;) they ftruck out a new fpecies of Architecture, unknown to Greece and Rome, upon original principles, and ideas much nobler than what had given birth even to claffical magnificence. For having been accustomed, during the gloom of Paganifm, to worship the Deity in Groves (a practice common to all nations.) when their new religion required covered edifices, they ingeniously projected to make them refemble Groves, as nearly as the diftance of Architecture would permit ; at once indulging their old prejudices, and providing for their prefent conveniences by a cool receptacle in a fultry climate. And with what art and fuccefs they executed the project, appears from henceThat no attentive obferver ever viewed a regular avenue of well-grown trees intermixing their branches overhead, but it prefently put him in mind of the long visto through a Gothic Cathedral; or ever entered one of the larger and more elegant Ed. Mag. April 1800. edifices and afterwards a director of the Eat India Company, who died in 1768. He was born at Stepney, and admitted of King's College, Cambridge, about 1751 or 1752. But he is beft known as editor of Shakspeare's plays, 20 of which he published, 1766, in 4 vols. 8vo. A year before the appearance of this edition, Dr Johnson had published an edition, with notes, in 8 vols. 8vo. A coalition between thefe two editors having been negotiated, another edition, known by the name of Johnson and Steevens's Edition, made its appearance, in 10 vols. 8vo 1773. It was reprinted by these gentlemen, in the fame number of volumes, five years after, and again, 1785, under the care of Ifaac Reed Elq of Staple in, who, at the request of his friends Mr Steevens and Dr Farmer, undertook the office of editor. A fourth edition of this work, with great additions and improvements, was published by Mr S. in 15 vols. 8vo. 1793, which is the most complete edition extant of Shakspeare's plays. The diligent ecitor has taken all poffible pains to render his work full, clear, and convenient; and, whoever confiders the prolegomena and notes, joined to the elegance of the typographical execution, will be of opinion that our immortal Bard is edited in a manner worthy his fame. But this talent at explaining and illuftrating the difficulties and beauties of Shakspeare was difgraced by the worst of foils, a feverity of fatire, which too ftrong ly marked a malevolence of heart, from which his best friends cannot vindicate the editor. The virulence of his fatire has, in fome inftances, recoiled on himself; and perhaps the retort courteous was never better played off against him than by our friend, honest and generous Tom Davies, in his vigorous character of Mafter Stephen. It would be happy for him could as much be faid for him as for that unfortunate and worthy man on a fimilar occafion. But "Peace be to his foul, if God's good pleasure be!" He died at his houfe at Hampstead, Jan. 22. 1800. Mr Steevens was a moft valuable member of the literary world, and a bright ftar in the constellation of edi. tors of that century in which the names of Pope, Theobald, Rowe, Warburton, Garrick, Johnfos, Capel, and Malone, are confpicuous. Adorned with a verfatility of talents, he was eminent both by his pen and his pencil; with the one there was nothing he could not compofe, and with the other nothing he could not imitate fo clofely, as to leave a doubt which was the original and which the copy. But his chief excellence lay in his critical knowledge of an author's text, and the best pattern of his great abilities is his edition of Shakspeare, in which he has left every competi tor far behind him; and even Johnfon, with his giant ftrides, could not walk by his fide. Mr Steevens was a man of the greatest perfeverance in every thing he undertook; often conftant, but not always confiftent, as he would fometimes break off his longeft habits without any oftensible reason. He difcontinued his daily vifits to White's, the bookfeller, after many years regular attendance, for no real caufe; and left Stockdale, whom he took up on quitting White, all at once in the fame eccentric and unaccountable manner. He never took a pinch of fnuff after he loft his box in St Paul's churchyard, though it had been the custom of his life, and he was much addicted to the practice, and in the habit of making his memorandumş edifices of this kind, but it reprefented to his imagination an avenue of trees. And this alone is that which an be truly called the Gothic ftyle of Building." (Note on Pope's Moral Efays, Ep. IV. L. 29.) morandums by bits of paper in his box. He was rich in books and prints. He bought largely at Mr Baker's auction of Sir Clement Dormer's library, 176., collected by General Dormer, where he got the French tranf lation of Xenophon's works by Pyramus de Candale, Cologn, 1613, bound in Morocco and gilt leaves, worth 401, and upwards, for 12l. 125. He had the fecond Folio of Shakspeare, with notes, and alterations of the fcenes by Charles II. in his own hand. He never would fit for his picture, but had no objection to illuftrate his own Shakspeare with 1500 portraits of all the perfons in the notes and text, of which he could make draw ings or procure engravings. His fet of Hogarth alfo is fuppofed to be the most complete of any that ever was collected; and his commentary on the productions of that inimitable Painter, which accompanies Mr Nichols's 66 Biographical Anecdotes," would alone have stamped a lafting fame on his critical acumen. He had a happy memory, richly ftored, was a very pleasant tête à tête companion, communicative of his knowledge, but jealous of other men's. Mr Steevens has bequeathed his valuable Shakspeare to Earl Spencer; his Hogarth (perfect, with the exception of one or two pieces) to Mr Windham; and his corrected copy of Shakspeare to Mr Reed, to gether with a bequeft of 200 guineas. To his niece, Mifs Steevens, who is his refiduary legatee, he has left the bulk of his fortune, including his library of curious and rare books (which will be fold by auction by Mr King about the end of April). There are only two or three other fmall legacies in money. [The following character of Mr Steevens appeared foon after his death in one of the morning prints.] "If, as Dr Johnfon has obferved, the chief glory of every people arifes from its authors; from thofe who have extended the boundaries of learning, and advanced the intercits of fcience; it may be confidered as an act of public duty, as well as of private friendship, to attend, with the regret of the patriot as well as the fenfibility of the friend, the clofing scene of those men, whofe fuperior genius has improved, extended, or adorned, the literature of their country. Mr Steevens may be faid to have poffeffed a pre-eminent claim to this character; and, though he is known rather as a commentator than as an original writer, yet, when we confider the works which he illuftrated, the learning, fagacity, tafte, and general knowledge, which he brought to the tafk, and the fuccess which crowned his labours, it would not only be an act of injuftice, but a most glaring proof of obftinacy and ignorance, to refufe him a place among the firft literary characters of the age in which we live. The early editors of Shakspeare looked to little more than verbal accuracy; and even Warburton configned the fagacity of his mighty mind to the reftoring uncertain readings, and explaining du bious paffages. Johnfon, who pofleffed more of the knowledge neceffary to an editor of Shakspeare than thofe who had preceded him in that character, was found wanting; and his firft edition of Shakspeare's Plays, which had been expected with much impatience, brought difappointment. along with it. In a fubfequent edition, he accepted the affittance of Mr Steevens; and confented that the name of that gentleman fhould be in editorial conjunction with his own. Mr Steevens poffeffed that knowledge which qualified him in a superior degree for the illuftration of our divine Poet, and without which the utmost critical acumen would prove abortive. He had, in fhort, ftudied the age of Shakspeare, and had employed his perfevering industry in becoming acquainted with the writ 002 ings, ings, manners, and laws, of that period, as well as the provincial pecu. liarities, whether of language or custom, which prevailed in different parts of the kingdom, but more particularly in those where Shakspeare paffed the early years of his life. This ftore of knowledge he was continually increasing by the acquifition of the rare and obfolete publications of a former age, which he fpared no expence to obtain; while his critical fagacity and acute obfervation were employed inceffantly in calling forth the hidden meanings of our great dramatic Bard from their covert, and, conf quently, enlarging the dif. play of his beauties. This advantage is evident from his laft edition of Shakspeare, which contains fo large a portion of new, interefting, and accumulated illuftration. "It is to his own indefatigable industry, and the exertions of his printer, that we are indebted for the most perfect edition of our immortal Bard that ever came from the Eng. lith prefs. In the preparation of it for the printer, he gave an inftance of editorial activity and perfeverence which is without example. To this work he devoted folely and exclufively of all other attentions a period of 18 months; and, during that time, he left his houfe every morning at one o'clock with the Hampftead patrole, and, proceeding without any confideration of the weather or the feafon, called up the compofitor, and woke all his devils: which he might wish to confult; and on Mr Reed's pillow he could apply, on any doubt or fudden fuggeftion, to a knowledge of English literature perhaps equal to his own. This nocturnal toil greatly accelerated the printing of the work; as, while the printers flept, the editor was awake; and thus, in less than 20 months, be completed his laft fplendid edition of Shakspeare, in 15 large 8vo volumes; au almoft incredible labour, which proved the aftonishing energy and perfevering powers of his mind. That he contented himself with being a commentator, arofe probably from the habits of his life, and his deve tion to the name with which his own will defcend to the lateft pofterity. It is probable that many of his jeuxd'efprit might be collected; but I am not acquainted with any fingle production of his pen but a poem of a few ftanzas in Dodfley's Annual Regifter, under the title of "The Frantic Lover;" which is fuperior to any fimilar production in the English language. Mr Steevens was a claffical fcholar of the first order. He was equally acquainted with the Belles Lettres of Europe. He had studied Hiftory, antient and modern, but particularly that of his own country. How far his knowledge of the fciences extended, I cannot tell, whether it was merely elementary or profound; but when any application was made to them in converfation, he always fpoke of, and drew his comparifons from, them with the easy familiarity of intimate acquaintance. * Him late from Hampstead journeying to He poffeffed a strong original genius his book Aurora oft for Cephalus miftook; and an abundant wit; his imagination was of every colour, and his fentibrilliant expreffions. With thefe qua. ments were enlivened with the most lities, I need not add that his colloquial powers furpaffed thofe of other men. In argument he was uncom monly eloquent; and his eloquence was equally logical and animated. His defcriptions were fo true to na ture, ture, his figures were fo finely fketch of a diftinguished literary character, not prefent |