Shall Ramsey, and Melissa, lays produce,
That a mechanick's, this a woman's Muse,
While thou, Wit's sole surviving hope! supine,
-The melancholy theme dost still decline?

Exert that fire which glows within

your breast,
Nor longer thus in lazy silence rest:
Aloft your skilful Muse can wing her flight,
And emulate his strains whose praise you write.
For me, the meanest of the tuneful train,
T'attempt th' unequal task, were fond and vain ;
But, could I sing, O sacred Shade! thy praise
Alone should claim, alone inspire my lays.
Thou kind Preceptor of the tender fair!
Great was the charge, and generous the care.
You shew'd us Virtue, so celestial bright,
So amiable, in so divine a light;
Asham'd at last, false glories we resign'd,
By thee instructed to improve the mind.
How oft, reclin'd beneath a sylvan shade,
Have I thy Marcia read, thy matchless maid!
In her, superior worth and virtue shine,
Her wisdom, manners, her whole self divine.
A great exalted mind in her appears;
And gentle Lucia melts my soul to tears.

Here, O ye fair! in this bright mirrour learn,
Your minds with never-fading charms t' adorn!
On these accomplishments bestow some care,
'Tis no great merit to be only fair.

His Rosamonda shall for ever prove
A mark to keep us safe from guilty love.
Beauty's a snare, unless with virtue join'd,
An angel-form should have an angel-mind.

But

But when the Bard displays the artful scene,

The suppliant Beauty, and the furious Queen,
In melting notes sings her disastrous love,

With tears we pity, what we can't approve.

How learn'd he was, O Steele, do thou declare,
For that's a task beyond a Woman's sphere.
Some works I've seen, wrought up by rules of art,
Where poor excluded Nature had no part;

But he the Stagirite's strict axioms knew,
Yet still to nature, as to art, was true.

He touch'd the heart, the passions could command,
'Twas Nature all, but mended by his hand.
His style is noble, sentiments refin'd,
Full of benevolence to all mankind,
In more than theory he Religion knew,
And kept the heav'nly goddess still in view;
Rapt on her wings, his soul extatic soars,
Leaves our dull orb, a better world explores,
And now he 'as reach'd th' etherial plains above,
Th' eternal seat of harmony and love;

Blest harmony and love a-new inspire,

With hymns, like theirs, he joins th' angelic quire.
He's gone! oh, never, never to return!

Around his tomb, ye sacred Muses, mourn:
Your pious tears on the cold marble shed,
You lov'd him living, now lament him dead!
Cold is that breast, where glow'd your hallow'd fire;
Silent that voice whose notes you did inspire;
Still lies that hand th' harmonious lyre best strung;
Unmov'd the gen'rous heart, and mute the tuneful
tongue!

That dome, where his remains now lie confin'd,
Holds not the clay that held a nobler mind.

Here

Here peaceful rest, to wait Heaven's great decree
Soft be thy slumbers, sweet thy waking be!

Who can his Warwick's anxious woes express,
The bitter anguish, and the deep distress?
The lovely mourner does not grieve alone,
And distant Cambria echoes to each groan;
Her native country lends this poor relief,
We weep, we sigh, with sympathetic grief,
Ev'n I, oppress'd with sorrows of my own,
Suspend them all, to mourn her Addison.
O will she deign t' accept these lowly lays
My humble Muse thus offers to his praise!

O, may the lovely child, the budding fair,
Sooth all her griefs, and sweeten ev'ry care!
Still grow in virtue, as she grows in years,
Till she in full-blown excellence appears;
May she be perfect, as his fancy wrought,
The Poet's race excel the Poet's thought!
Let charms united blooming Marcia grace,
Her sire's exalted wit, her mother's beauteous face,

439. TO MRS. ELIZABETH STEELE *.

EDINBURGH,

MY DEAR CHILD,

SEPT. 17, 1720.

I KEEP your letters safely tied together, in order ~ to observe your improvement, which I take notice of with great pleasure. Mrs. Mary's mark is no

* "At Mrs. Nazereau's at Chelsea."

less

less a satisfaction to me, because it denotes that she is well, and shews her endeavours to converse with me. But I hope you will now begin to make her sign the first letters of her name. Be pleased to write every other letter in English. To make this easy, I will be contented that what is written in your mother tongue one post, may be in French the

next.

Be very dutiful and obedient to Mrs. Keck *; and believe me to be the most affectionate of fathers. RICH. STEELE.

Remember me to Molly.

440.

STEELE'S JOURNEY TO EDINBURGH†. JULY 1720. Put into Mr. Wolfe's hands, for Self and Dawson at table on the road, 67. 6s.

The widow of one of Sir Richard's warmest friends; whose death was thus announced: " Friday last, the corpse of Mr. Keck, attorney at law, and son to the great money scrivener in Fleet-street, was brought to town from France, and will be interred next Friday in the Temple Church." Thursday's Journal, Nov. 12, 1719.-" A Poem on the Death of Robert Keck, Esq. of the Inner Temple, who died at Paris, Sept. 16, 1719, by a Friend who accompanied him to Dover in his way to France, and returned thither to meet his corpse when brought over to be buried in the Temple Church in London," was published in 1720.

† Among other Memoranda of Steele, in the year 1720, are regular entries of the persons to whom he sent Permits for his Fish-pool; and of his own expences: Thus, " July 20, To Mr. Cooper a Permit for the Fish-pool. To Mrs. Keck a Permit.

Aug.

Aug. 1. Arrived at Edinburgh. Writ to Mrs. Keck, enclosed to Mr. Plaxton *: Mr. A. Scurlock, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Knight, Mr. Fielding, Mr. Dawson, Mr. Welsted.

Aug. 3. Ned left me at the Office; and never returned with an account of the horses, or to bring me a chair. Abate of his four pounds a-year above his wages 5s.-Paid Mr. Scot my landlord 107, sterling upon account of rent.

Aug. 4. Paid Simes, coachman, in full, for coming to Edinburgh, all demands, 187,

Aug. 12. Agreed with Mr. Wright to teach Ned writing and arithmetick, at 5s. a month.

month down.

Paid first

Aug. 12. Agreed for Chairmen at 17. 1s. per week, with Smith. A crown paid down.

Aug. 27. Writ to Mr. Plaxton, desiring he would buy my Son a trunk for keeping my letters, &c.

Sept. 4. Writ to Mr. Plaxton concerning my Son. Mrs. Splane taking measure of the rooms for hangings to be sent from Edinburgh. For Songs to Mr. Wilks, Mr. Cibber, about Permits and my Play.

Sept. 6. Writ to Mr. Plaxton, for inventory of my goods at London and Brook Green.

Sept. 23. Confined Dawson to his chamber, and kept him to his writing, &c. Two or three days after, he broke that confinement; and I gave him over.

Paid Mr. Slane, for the use of Brook Green-house, 201-July 21, sent to Bp. of Bangor 3 Permits; to Mrs. Heron 1; to Mr. Edmunds for Mr. Young 1.-Gave Dawson a guinea for his pocket upon account. Rice 17. 1s. Ned 1l. 1s."

* His confidential Agent; see p. 575.

Edinburgh,