George Steevens.

BORN A. D. 1736.—died A. D. 1800.

THIS celebrated annotator on the writings of our great dramatist received his classical education at Kingston-upon-Thames and Eton, and at King's college, Cambridge. In private life he appears to have beeu of a capricious and unamiable temper. The grand and almost exclusive aim of his life was the illustration of Shakspeare.

In 1766 he published twenty of Shakspeare's plays, in four volumes, 8vo. In 1773, with the assistance of Dr Johnson, he published an illustrated edition of the poet's whole works, in ten volumes 8vo, of which a second edition appeared in 1785, and a third, in fifteen volumes, in 1793. Mr Steevens possessed that knowledge which qualified him, in a superior degree, for the illustration of Shakspeare; and without which the most critical acumen would have proved abortive. He had, in short, studied the age of Shakspeare, and had employed his persevering industry in becoming acquainted with the writings, manners, and laws of that period as well as the provincial peculiarities, whether of language orastom, which prevailed in different parts of the kingdom, but more particularly in those here Shakspeare passed the early years of his life. This store of knowledge he was continually increasing by the acquisition of the rare and obsolete publications of a former age, which he spared no expense to obtain. In the preparation of the edition of 1793 for the press, he gave an instance of editorial activity and perseverance almost without example. To this work he devoted a period of eighteen months, and during that time he left his house every morning at one o'clock, with the Hampstead patrole, and proceeded, without any consideration of the weather or the season, to his friend Isaac Read's chambers, in Barnard's Inn, where he was allowed to admit himself, and found a room prepared to receive him, with a sheet of the Shakspeare letter-press ready for correction. There was every book which he might wish to consult, and to Mr Read he could apply, on any doubt or sudden suggestion, to a knowledge of English literature perhaps equal to his own. This nocturnal toil greatly accelerated the printing of the work; as while the printers slept the editor was awake; and thus, in less than twenty months he completed his last splendid edition of Shakspeare, in fifteen large octavo volumes. Mr Steevens was a good classical scholar. He possessed a very handsome fortune, which he managed with discretion, and was enabled by it to gratify his wishes, which he did without any regard to expense, in forming his distinguished collections of classical learning, literary antiquity, and the arts connected with it. The latter years of his life he chiefly passed at Hampstead, in unvisitable seclusion, and seldom mixed with society but in booksellers' shops, or the Shakspeare gallery, or the morning converzatione of Sir Joseph Banks. He bequeathed his valuable Shakspeare, illustrated with near 1500 prints, to Lord Spencer; his Hogarth perfect, with the exception of one or two pieces, to Mr Windham; and his corrected copy of Shakspeare, with 200 guineas, to his friend Mr Read. Besides his edition of Shakspeare, Mr Steevens made several contributions to Hogarth's

Biographical anecdotes, and the Biographia Dramatica.' He was also the author of a poem entitled The Frantic Lover,' which appeared in Dodsley's Register.

Daines Barrington.

BORN A. D. 1727.-DIED A. D. 1800.

THE honourable Daines Barrington was the fourth son of John Shute, first Lord-viscount Barrington. He studied at Oxford, and was afterwards called to the bar, where he was esteemed a sound lawyer but no pleader. He received a number of government appointments in succession, and might probably have risen to a high judicial station, had he manifested any ambition that way; but his love of literature withdrew him in a great measure from public life, and he ultimately retired from the practice of the law in order to devote himself to his favourite studies. His first publication was his 'Observations on the Statutes,' 1766, 4to. In 1773 he added an English translation and notes to Mr Elstob's edition of the Saxon translation of Orosius, ascribed to King Alfred. In 1775 he published some Tracts on the Probability of reaching the North Pole and in 1781, Miscellanies on various subjects.' He was also the author of several papers in the Archæologia,' and in the 'Philosophical Transactions.'

He died on the 11th March, 1800. A particular enumeration of all his works is given in the 3d volume of Nichols's Literary Anecdotes.' His 'Observations upon the Statutes' is an exceedingly able performance. Its object was to obtain the repeal of obsolete and useless statutes, and to digest and consolidate all acts relating to the same subject, into one uniform statute. His tracts on the North-west passage were republished by Colonel Beaufoy in 1818.

Thomas Dimsdale.

BORN A. D. 1711.-DIED A. D. 1800.

THOMAS DIMSDALE, Baron of the Russian empire, was the son of an apothecary near Epping in Essex. He studied medicine and surgery in the London hospitals, under Symonds and Girle, and commenced the practice of his profession at Hertford about the year 1734.

In 1745 he attended the duke of Cumberland's army in the campaign against the Scottish rebels. In 1761 he took his degree as physician. In 1768 he was invited to the Russian court to inoculate her imperial majesty, Catherine, and her son the grand-duke. He obeyed the requisition, and was most munificently rewarded by a gift of £10,000, an annuity of £500, and the title of a Baron of the empire, with perpetual descent to his family. He was strongly urged to take up his abode in Russia, but declined the liberal overtures which were made to him with this view; he was also treated with great condescension by Frederick III. of Prussia, while passing through Berlin on his return home.

In 1776 he published observations on the method then in use of

inoculating for small-pox. In 1780 he was chosen a representative in parliament for the borough of Hertford. In 1781 he was again called to the Russian court to inoculate the two sons of the grand-duke, and was again most liberally rewarded for his trouble.

In 1790 he retired from public life. He spent the remaining ten years of his life in the midst of his family and a few select friends; and expired at the advanced age of eighty-nine, on the 30th of December, 1800

Hester Chapone.

BORN A D. 1727.-died a. d. 1801.

THE maiden-name of this popular authoress was Mulso. Her family was a respectable one in Northamptonshire. She was born in 1727, and is said to have attempted the composition of a romance before she had finished her tenth year. Richardson, the novelist, admired her greatly, and took every opportunity of introducing her to public attention as an accomplished and highly moral writer.

The first productions of hers which were given to the world were, the interesting story of Fidelia, in The Adventurer;' and a poem prefixed to her friend Mrs Carter's translation of Epictetus; but her name only became known on the publication of a deservedly popular work, Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, addressed to a Young Lady.' "This was printed in 1773, and will long, it is to be hoped, maintain its place in the library of young women. It is distinguished by sound sense, a liberal as well as a warm spirit of piety, and a philosophy applied to its best use, the culture of the heart and affections. It has no shining eccentricities of thought,-no peculiarities of system,it follows experience as its guide, and is content to produce effects of acknowledged utility by known and approved means. On these accounts, it is perhaps the most unexceptionable treatise that can be put into the hands of female youth. These letters are particularly excellent in what relates to regulating the temper and feelings. Their style is pure and unaffected, and the manner grave and impressive. Those who choose to compare them in this respect with another widely circulated publication addressed about the same time to young women, (Dr Fordyce's sermons,) will probably be of opinion, that the dignified simplicity of the female writer is much more consonant to true taste, than the affected prettinesses and constant glitter of the preacher. Mrs. Chapone soon after published a volume of Miscellanies,' containing one or two moral essays, and some elegant poems. The poemswhich have the merit of many beautiful thoughts and some original images-seem not to have been sufficiently appreciated by the public; for they were not greatly noticed, owing perhaps to the mode of their publication." Mrs Chapone died on the 25th of December, 1801.

Jonathan Battishill.

BORN A. D. 1738.—died A. D. 1801.

THIS Composer discovered a genius for music at a very early age; and having an excellent voice, he was placed in the choir of St Paul's at nine years of age. He afterwards became an articled pupil with Mr Savage, and, at the expiration of his engagement, came forth one of the first extempore performers in the country. Soon after he left Mr Savage, he composed some songs for Sadler's Wells, which almost immediately became very popular, especially the celebrated hunting-song, Away! to the copse lead away! About the year 1764 he assisted Michael Arne, son of Dr Arne, in the composition of the opera of 'Alcmena.'

"In this piece," says Dr Busby, in a brief memoir of our composer, "though its success was far from equal to its deserts, there were some choruses which, for their science, dignity, and fire of expression, deserve to be classed with the greatest productions in that species of composition; while several of his airs, particularly the two bass songs, Pois'd in Heaven's eternal Scale,' and 'Thus when young Ammon marched along,' both sung by Champness, strongly picture his energy and vigour of imagination, and prove that he felt the character for which they were written. This piece was shortly afterwards succeeded by the Rites of Hecate.' a musical drama, in which his powers were again displayed in an eminent degree; especially in the song, A fond Father's bliss is to number his race,' the melody of which is particularly rich and dignified.

"But neither these avocations, nor the attention demanded by his pupils, wholly diverted his mind from cathedral composition. Retiring occasionally from the gay and busy concerns of life, he indulged that propensity which had its birth in the choir, and produced a number of anthems, the excellencies of which have been universally confessed and admired. Among them we have particularly to name his 'Call to remembrance,' the artful and close imitations of the first movement of which are inimitably fine, while the beauty and sweetness of melody in the other movements is every where original and striking. He also, at the express desire of the reverend Charles Wesley, brother of the celebrated John Wesley, set to music a collection of Hymns, written by that gentleman, the melodies of which are peculiarly elegant, yet exceedingly chaste and appropriate.

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"In the catch and glee style he has given the most convincing examples of his diversity of taste and ingenuity; in evidence of which it is only necessary to mention his 'O my Clarissa, cruel fair'—' I lov'd thee, beautiful and kind'-' Consign'd to dust beneath this stone'Here on his back lies Sir John Keeling'-and Ye birds for whom I rear'd this grove.' About the year 1770 he was among the candidates for the gold-medal given by the Noblemen's catch-club at the Thatched house, St James's-street, to the composer of the best cheerful glee, which medal he obtained by his charming and well-known glee for three voices, Underneath this myrtle shade.' As proofs of the beauty and

originality of his fancy in ballad-composition, every one will admit the charming pastoral melody of 'Ye Shepherds and Nymphs of the grove,'— the mellifluous and affecting air of When Damon languished at my feet,' sung by Mrs Baddely, in the tragedy of The Gamester,'-the expressive passages in When beauty on the Lover's cheek,' and above all, his popular and universally admired Kate of Aberdeen,' the beauty and sweetness of which will be felt and acknowledged in this country as long as taste for vocal music exists."

Battishill died on the 10th of December, 1801. For the last thirty years of his life his name seldom appeared in the list of publishing composers. In the opinion of Dr Busby, nothing but greater application was wanting to this composer to have made him "the greatest musician this country ever produced, Purcel excepted."

John Millar.

BORN A. D. 1735.-died A. D. 1801.

JOHN MILLAR, professor of law in the university of Glasgow, and one of the ablest political and historical writers of the last century, was the son of a clergyman in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. He was sent to college at Glasgow in his eleventh year, where, notwithstanding his extreme youth, he made a highly respectable appearance in the literary classes. He was originally intended for the ministerial profession, but was permitted to gratify his own preference for the bar.

After having completed his full literary curriculum, he attended the lectures of Dr Adam Smith; after which he entered as tutor into the family of Lord Kames. "It seldom happens," says one who had been a pupil of Mr Millar, "that we can trace the genealogy of a literary progeny so correctly as the two circumstances, which have now been mentioned, enable us to do that of Mr Millar's future studies. It is perfectly evident to all who are acquainted with their writings, that his speculations are all formed upon the model of those of Lord Kames and Dr Smith, and that his merit consists almost entirely in the accuracy with which he surveyed, and the sagacity with which he pursued the path which they had the merit of discovering. It was one great object of both those original authors, to trace back the history of society to its most simple and universal elements,-to resolve almost all that has been ascribed to positive institution into the spontaneous and irresistible development of certain obvious principles, and to show with how little contrivance or political wisdom the most complicated and apparently artificial schemes of policy might have been erected. This is very nearly the precise definition of what Mr Millar aimed at accomplishing in his lectures and publications; and when we find that he attended the lectures of Dr Smith, and lived in the family of Lord Kames, we cannot hesitate to ascribe the bent of his genius, and the peculiar tenor of his speculations, to the impressions he must have received from those early concurrences."

In 1760 Mr Millar was called to the bar; but having married early in life, he was soon after induced to relinquish the very flattering prospects which it presented for the more certain emoluments of professor