Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/577

 STEELE. 573 in writing and publishing the said seditious libels, be expelled this House.” He afterwards published an “Apo logy for himself and his writings,” which he dedicated to Mr. Robert Walpole. In the course of the same year he published “The Romish Ecclesiastical History of late years,” a work designed to injure the cause of the Pre tender through the sides of his religion, of the rites and doc trines of which it contains many exaggerated descriptions. On the accession of George I. his pen was remarkably active in supporting the principles which had raised that monarch to the throne. He was returned to parliament for Boroughbridge, and rewarded for his services by the appointment of surveyor of the royal stables at Hampton Court; he was also knighted, and put into the commis sion of the peace. Through the interest of the Duke of Marlborough, he obtained a share in the patent of Drury lane theatre, which proved a source of considerable emo lument to him, but which was revoked through the inter ference of a noble lord, in the year 1720; on which he drew up and published “A State of the Case between the Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's Household and the Governor of the Royal Company of Comedians,” in which he computes the loss which he sustained by that circum stance, at almost 10,000l. So devoted was Steele to dra matic amusements, that he at one time formed a project of converting part of his house in York-buildings into a sort of theatre, for reciting passages from the best authors, ancient and modern. Accordingly a splendid room was constructed, and elegantly fitted up, though the owner of the house, as usual, had never once considered how the whole was to be paid for. Coming one day to see how the work went on, he ordered the carpenter to get into the rostrum and make a speech, that he might observe how it would be heard. The fellow mounted, and, scratch ing his head, told him he did not know what to say, for he was no speechifier. “Oh!” said the knight, “No matter for that, speak any thing that comes uppermost.” —“Why here, Sir Richard,” says the man, “we have been working