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STEP NE Y..

EORGE STEPNEY, defcended

G from the Stepneys of Pendigraft in Pem

brokeshire, was born at Westminster in 1663.. Of his father's condition or fortune we have no account. Having received the first part of his education at Westminster, where he paffed fix years in the College, he went at nineteen. to Cambridge, where he continued a friendship begun at school with Mr. Montague, afterwards Earl of Halifax. They came to London together, and are faid to have been invited into publick life by the Duke of Dorset.

*He was entered of Trinity College, and took his Master's degree in 1689. H.

His qualifications recommended him to many foreign employments, fo that his time seems to have been spent in negociations. In 1692 he was fent envoy to the Elector of Branden-burgh; in 1693 to the Imperial Court; in 1694 to the Elector of Saxony; in 1696 to the Electors of Mentz and Cologne, and the Congrefs at Francfort; in 1698 a fecond time to Brandenburgh; in 1699 to the King of Poland; in 1701 again to the Emperor; and in 1706 to the States General. In 1697 he was made one of the commiffioners of trade. His life was bufy, and not long. He died in 1707; and is buried in Weftminster Abbey, with this epitaph, which Jacob transcribed:

H. S. E.

GEORGIUS STEPNEIUS, Armiger,

Vir

Ob Ingenii acumen,
Literarum Scientiam,

Morum Suavitatem,

Rerum Ufum,

Virorum Ampliffimorum Confuetudinem
Linguæ, Styli, ac Vita Elegantiam,

Præclara Officia cum Britanniæ tum Europe
præftita,

Sua

1

Sua ætate multum celebratus,

1

Apud pofteros femper celebrandus ;
Plurimas Legationes obiit

Ea Fide, Diligentia, ac Felicitate,
Ut Auguftiffimorum Principum
Gulielmi & Annæ

Spem in illo repofitam
Nunquam fefellerit,
Haud raro fuperaverit.

Poft longum honorum Curfum

Brevi Temporis Spatio confectum,

Cum Naturæ parum, Famæ fatis vixerat, Animam ad altiora aspirantem placide efflavit.

On the Left Hand,

G. S.

Ex Equeftri Familia Stepneiorum,
De Pendegrast, in Comitatu
Pembrochienfi oriundus,
Westmonafterii natus eft, A. D. 1663.
Electus in Collegium

Sancti Petri Westmonaft. A. 1676.
Sancti Trinitatis Cantab. 1682.
Confiliariorum quibus Commercii
Cura commiffa eft 1697.

Chelfeia mortuus, &, comitante
Magna Procerum
Frequentia, huc elatus, 1707.

It is reported that the juvenile compofitions of Stepney made grey authors blufb. I know not whether his poems will appear fuch wonders to the present age. One cannot always eafily find the reason for which the world has fometimes confpired to fquander praise. It is not very unlikely that he wrote very early as well as he ever wrote; and the performances of youth have many favourers, because the authors yet lay no claim to publick honours, and are therefore not confidered as rivals by the diftributors of fame.

He apparently profefled himself a poet, and added his name to those of the other wits in the verfion of Juvenal; but he is a very licentious tranflator, and does not recompenfe his neglect of the author by beauties of his own. In his original poems, now and then, a happy line may perhaps be found, and now and then a short compofition may give pleasure. But there is, in the whole, little either of the grac of wit, or the vigour of nature.

J. PHI

JOH

of December, 1676, at Bampton in Oxfordshire; of which place his father Dr. Stephen Philips, archdeacon of Salop, was minifter. The first part of his education was domestick, after which he was fent to Winchefter, where, as we are told by Dr. Sewel, his biographer, he was foon diftinguished by the fuperiority of his exercifes; and, what is lefs eafily to be credited, fo much endeared himfelf to his fchoolfellows by his civility and good-nature, that they, without murmur or ill-will, faw him indulged by the mafter with particular immunities. It is related, that when he was at fchool, he feldom mingled in play with the other boys, but retired to his chamber; where his fovereign pleasure was to