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EORGE STEPNEY, defcended from the Stepneys of Pendigraft in Pembrokeshire, was born at Weftminster in 1663. Of his father's condition or fortune we have no account. Having received the first part of his education at Weftminfter, where he paffed fix years in the College, he went at nineteen to Cambridge, where he continued. a friendship begun at fchool 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. patrtimi mood

His qualifications recommended him to many foreign employments, fo that his time

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

feems

feems to have been spent in negociations. In 1692 he was fent envoy to the Elector of Brandenburgh; 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 busy, and not long. He died in 1707; and is buried in Westminster 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 Vitæ Elegantiam, Præclara Officia cum Britanniæ tum Europa

præftita,

Sua ætate multum celebratus,

Apud pofteros femper celebrandus;

Plurimas

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 afpirantem placide efflavit.

On the Left Hand,

G.S.

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

Sancti Petri Weftmonaft. A. 1676.
Sancti Trinitatis Cantab. 1682.
Confiliariorum quibus Commercii

Cura commiffa eft 1697.
Chelfeiæ mortuus, &, comitante
Magna Procerum

VOL. I

Frequentia, huc elatus, 1707.

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It is reported that the juvenile compofitions of Stepney made grey authors blush. I know not whether his poems will appear fuch wonders to the prefent age. One cannot always eafily find the reason for which the world has fometimes confpired to fquander praife. 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.

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He apparently profeffed himself a poet, and added his name to thofe 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 fhort compofition may give pleatotam adres fure. But there is, in the whole, little

either of the grace of wit, or the vigour of Anas doblet ed loodel in anwod godwinds nature.

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Im over Aluoy do OHN PHILIPS was born on the 30th of 30th of December, 1676, at Bampton in Oxfordshire; of which place his father Dr. Stephen Philips, archdeacon of Salop, was minifter. The of his education was it part

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midomestick; after which he was lent to W chefter, where, as we are told by Dr. Sewel, his biographer, he was foon diftinguished by the fuperiority of his exercifes; and, what is dels feally to be credited, fo much endeared himself to his fchoolfellows by his civility and good-nature, that they, without murmur shor ill-will, faw him indulged by the master 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 Ff2

was

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