_ ing the difplay of his beauties. 
! 
1800.] 
< 
{ Additional particulars relative to Mr. George 
Steevens, whofe death was mentioned at page 84 
of our laf. | 
| Though Mr. Steevens is known rather as a. 
Commentator, than as an Original Writer, 
yet, when the works which he illuftrated, 
the learning, fagacity, tafte, and general 
knowledge which he brought to the taik, and 
the fuccefs which crowned his labours, are 
confidered, it would be an a& of injuftice to 
refute hima place among the firft literary cha- 
raéters of the age. Mr. Steevens pofleffed 
that knowhedge which qualified him, in a fu- 
perior degree, for the illuftration of Shak- 
f{peare 5 and without which the utmoft critical 
acumen would have proved abortive. He 
had,in fhort, ftudied the age of Shake{peare,and 
had employed his perfevering induftry in be- 
coming acquainted with the writings, man- 
mers, and laws of that period, as well as the 
provincial peculiarities, whether of language . 
or cuftom, which prevailed in different parts 
of the kingdom, but more particularly in thofe 
where Shakfpeare pafled the early years of 
his life. This ftore of knowledge he was con- 
tinually encreafing, 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 inceflantly in calling forth the hid- 
den meanings of the great Dramatic Bard, 
from their covert; and confequently enlarg- 
This advan- 
taze is evidept from his laft edition of Shak- 
fpeare, which contains fo-large a portion of 
new, interefting and accumulated illuftration. 
Inthe preparation of it for the prefs, he gave 
an inftance of editorial activity and perfeve- 
rance which is without example. To this 
work he devoted folely, and exclufively of 
all other attentions, a period of eighteen 
months; and during that time he left his 
houfe every morning at one o’clock, with the 
Hampftead patrole, and proceeded, without 
any confideration of the weather or the feafon, 
to his friend Mr. Ifaac Read’s chambers, in 
Barnard’s Inn, where he was allowed to admit 
himfelf, and found a room prepared to receive 
him, witha theet of the Shak{fpeare Letter- 
prefs ready for correction. —There. was every 
book which he m'ght with to confult, and to 
Mr. Read he could apply, on any doubt cr 
fudden fuggeftion, to a knowledge of Englith 
literature perhaps equal to his own, ‘This 
nocturnal toil greatly accelerated the printing 
of the work 5; as while the printers flept the 
editor was awake, and thus, in lefs than 
twenty months he completed his laft {plendid 
edition of Shakf{peare, in fifteen large oftavo 
volumes—an almoft incredible labour, which 
proved the aftonifhing energy and perfevering 
powers of his mind. That Mr. Steevens' con- 
tented himfelf with being a commentator, 
arofe probably from the habits of his life; 
and his deyotion to the name, with which 
his own will defcend to the latef pofterity. 
It’ is probable that many of his feux d’Efprit 
Snight be colle€ted ; thereis a Poem of hisin 
Montury Mac. No. 56. 
a) 
Marriages and Deaths in and near London. 
“and though he was not feen to give eleemofy- 
ed with the nobleft fentiments of humanity. 
189. | 
Dodfley’s Annual Regifter, under the title of 
The Frantic Lover, which is fuperior to any 
fimilar produ€tion in the Englifh language. 
Mr. Steevens was a clafflical fcholar of thé 
firft order. He was equally acquainted with 
the Belles Lettres of Europe. He had ftudied 
hiftory, ancient and modern, but particularly 
that of hisown country. He poffeffeda ftrong 
original genius, and’an abundant wit; his iy 
imagination was of every colour, and his fen- i 

timents were enlivened with the moft brilliant ? 
- . 5 : Cary q 
expreflions. His colloquial powers furpafted ; 
thofe of other men. In argument he was . i 
uncommonly eloquent; and his eloquence ( 
was equally logical and animated. His de= i 
{criptions were fo true to nature, his figures 
were fo finely fketched, of fuch curious fe- 
leétion and fo happily grouped, that he might 
be confidered as a fpeaking Hogarth. He, 
would frequently, in his fportive and almoft 
boyith humours, condefcend toa degree of ribal= 
dry but little above O’Keefe--with him, how- 
ever, it lof all its coarfenefs, and aflumed 
the air of claffical vivacity. He was indeed 
too apt to catch the ridiculous, both in cha- 
racters and things, and indulge an indifcreet, 
animation wherever he found it, He fcatter- 
ed his wit and his humour, his gibes and his 
jeers, too freely around him, and they were 
not loft for want of gathering. Mr. Steevena 
poffefied a very handfome fortune, which he 
managed with difcretion, and was enabled by 
it to'gratify his wifhes, which he did without 
any regard to expence, in forming his diftin- 
guifhed colle€tions of claffical learning, lites 
rary antiquity, and the arts connected with Tes 
His generofity alfo was equal to his fortune 5 

nary fixpences to fturdy beggars or fweepers 
or the croflings, few perfons diftributed bank 
notes with more liberality; and fome of his 
aéts'of pecuniary kindnefs might be named, 
which could only proceed from a mind adorn- 


He poflefied all the grace of exterior accom- 
plifment, acquired at a period when civilit 
and politenefs were charatteriftics of a gentle- 
man. ' Mr. Steevens received the firft part of 
his education at Kingfton upon Thames; he 
went from thence to Eton, and was afterwards 
a Fellow Commoner of King’s College, Cam-= 
bridge. He alfo accepted a commiffion in the 
ffex militia on its firft eftablithment. The 
latter years of his life he chiefly paffed at 
Hampftead, in unvifitable feclufion, and fel- 
dom muxed with fociety but in bookfellers? 
fhops, or the Shak{fpeare gallery, or the 
morning converzatione of Sir Jofeph Bankss 
Fle has bequeathed hisvaluable Sha&/peare, il 
luftrated with near 15co prints, to Lord Spen- 
cer 5 his Hogarth perfeét, with the exception 
of ome or two pieces, to Mr. Windham, and 
his corre€ted copy of Shakfpeare, with 200 
guineas, to his friend Mr. Read. This library 
will be.ome the property of Mifs Steevens, 
his relation, who will poffefs.the bulk of his 
fortune as refiduary legatee. ] 
Bb 

PROVINCIAL 

