1!2 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[July 7. 1855. 



SIB BICHAED STEELE AND THE LADIES LIBEABY. 



(Vol. xi., p. 408.) 



Steele's eldest daughter, afterwards Lady 

 Trevor, was named Elizabeth, and it is not im- 

 probable that, though a child at the time, the 

 doating father had a copy of the work bound in 

 morocco after his thoughtless fashion and pre- 

 sented it to her, and that the father, the mother, 

 or she herself at some subsequent period, wrote 

 " Eliza Steele" in it. This of course is but a con- 

 jecture. I think, however, there is some evidence 

 that may lead us to conclusions as to who was the 

 compiler of the work. Your correspondent says it 

 " was edited by Sir Richard from materials for- 

 warded by a lady." So far as I can see, Steele's 

 labours were confined to writing the dedications 

 and a general preface. In the title-page the 

 work is said to be " written by a lady," and 

 " published by Sir Richard Steele ; " but in the 

 preface the " writer " of the title-page becomes 

 the "compiler," and Steele informs us that he is 

 but " her gentleman usher," — that the work is 

 "supposed to be collected out of the several 

 writings of our greatest divines," — was " intended 

 by the compiler for a guide to her own conduct," 

 — and sent to him that " if thought worth pub- 

 lishing " it might be " of the same service to 

 others of her sex," — and he thus proceeds : 



"I put them into the care of a reverend gentleman 

 much better qualified for the publication of such a work, 

 and whose life and character are not so subject to the 

 exceptions which the levity of some of my writings, as 

 well as other circumstances, may expose a work as passing 

 through my hands only. Though he was so good as to 

 peruse the papers, he would not allow that the exception 

 I made against my being the publisher was of weight ; 

 for he would have it, that its coming out with my name 

 would give an expectation that I had assembled the 

 thoughts of many ingenious men on pious subjects, as I 

 had heretofore on matters of a different nature : by this 

 means, he believes, the work may come into the hands of 

 persons who take up no book that has not promises of 

 entertainment in the first page of it. For the rest, he was 

 of opinion it would make its own way, and I easily sub- 

 mitted to suffer a little raillery, when I had hopes of being 

 the means of promoting the interests of religion and 

 virtue." 



It follows, according to the title-page and this 

 statement, that the work was compiled by a lady, 

 and given to Steele for publication, and I agree 

 with your correspondent that the question, " Who 

 was the compiler ? " has some little literary 

 interest. The publication gave rise to an angry 

 correspondence, embodied in a pamphlet entitled : 



" Mr. Steele Detected : or the poor and oppressed or- 

 phan's letters to the great and arbitrary Mr. Steele ; com- 

 plaining of the great injustice done to the publick in 

 general, and to himself in particular, b}' the Ladies' 

 Library; published by Mr. Steele. Together with Mr. 

 Steele's Answers; and some just Reflections on them. 

 Lond., Morphew, 1714." 



No. 297.] 



The great injustice complained of is, that not 

 only " the model of the Ladies' Library," but 

 " the very timber, brick, and other materials " 

 are stolen ; that " many and whole sections " have 

 been taken without acknowledgment from Jeremy 

 Taylor's Holy Living and Dying, the copyright of 

 which work was vested in Royston Meredith, the 

 complainant, who, I suppose, was a descendant of 

 Royston, the bookseller and publisher of many of 

 Taylor's works. Steele's first answer was very 

 brief : 



" October 21, 1714. 



" Sir, I will inquire into what you ^vrite about, and 

 write again about the subject of yours to, Sir, your most 

 humble servant, Richard Steele." 



The " oppress'd orphan," however, would not wait 

 Steele's inquiries, but replied immediately, in- 

 sisting on ample satisfaction, threatening proceed- 

 ings at law, and informing Steele that Tonson the 

 publisher, on being referred to, said " that he paid 

 copy-money, and that Meredith must apply to the 

 author for redress." Steele now replied, not un- 

 kindly, bxit firmly and finally : 



" October 26, 1714. St. James's Street 

 " Sir, I have a second letter from you. The stile of the 

 first was very harsh to one whom you are not at all ac- 

 quainted with ; but there were suggestions in it which 

 might give excuse for being out of humour at one whom 

 you might, perhaps, think was the occasion of damage to 

 you. You mentioned also an orphan, which word was a 

 defence against any warm reply; but since you are 

 pleased to go on in an intemperate way of talk, I shall 

 give myself no more trouble to inquire about what you 

 complain, but rest satisfied in doing all the good offices I 

 can to the reverend author's grandchild, now in town. 

 Thus leaving you to contend about your title to his 

 writings, and wishing you success, if you have justice on 

 your side ; I beg you will give me no more ill language, 

 and you will oblige, Sir, your humble servant, 



RiCHAKD Steele." 



Meredith, in his pamphlet, expresses his belief 

 that "the lady mentioned in the title-page, and 

 the clergyman in the preface," are " nothing more 

 than a blind excuse for his notorious plagiarism." 

 I think not. In Steele's letter the shadowy 

 " lady " of the title-page becomes a real and dis- 

 tinct personage, "the reverend author's grand- 

 child." Now the only reverend author mentioned 

 in Meredith's letters, the only author referred to, 

 is Jeremy Taylor; and as I read it, Steele declares 

 that the work was compiled by Taylor's grand- 

 daughter. Jeremy Taylor had two grand- 

 daughters, Mary and Ann, children of his dnughter 

 Joanna, who had married Edward Harrison of 

 Maralane, Antrim, member of parliament for 

 Lisburn. Mary was twice married; first to a 

 Colonel Columbine, and secondly to Sir Cecil 

 Wray, of Glentworth, Lincolnshire. She was not 

 only wealthy by marriage, but ultimately inherited 

 a considerable fortune as the last survivor of the 

 Harrison family. Ann married Colonel John 

 Pacey, secretary to the Duke of Ormond. 



