Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/573

 STEELE. 569 accident. The events of this embassy, which, on the whole, proved rather unpropitious, are well known, and were given to the public in two large quarto volumes, written by Sir George. Sir George died at h i s house i n Devonshire-street, Port land-place, January 12, 1801. SIR. RICHARD STEELE. This various and amusing writer, with whose name are associated some o f our most pleasing recollections, was a native o f Dublin, and born i n 1671. His father was a member o f the Irish bar, and private secretary t o the Duke o f Ormond, b y whose means young Steele, a t a n early age, obtained admission into the Charter-house, where h e contracted that close friendship with Addison, which terminated only with the death o f the later. From the Charter-house h e removed t o Merton college, Oxford, and afterwards rode private i n the guards, but soon ob tained a pair o f colours. Here h e gave a striking proof o f the eccentricity o f his genius, b y composing a small moral and religious treatise, for his own private use, i n order t o fortify his resolution against the temptations t o which h i s situation constantly exposed him; but, finding this expedient produce little effect, h e printed i t , with his name, i n 1701, under the title o f “The Christian Hero,” i n the extravagant expectation, that s o public a testimony against himself, would have the effect o f deterring him b y shame from the pursuit o f those irregularities into which h e had been seduced. Without, however, producing the intended effect on himself, he soon found that he was shunned a s a disagreeable fellow, and exposed t o the ridicule o f his acquaintance, some o f whom even went s o far a s t o insult him publicly, i n order t o prove, a s they said, whether he was a “Christian hero.” One o f them actually challenged him, and although Steele, i n his endeavours t o act u p t o his new character, used every exertion t o evade i t , h e was a t length compelled t o meet his adversary, whom h e ran through the body. This cir