STEPNEY. G 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 Weftminster, 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 Dorfet. His qualifications recommended him to many foreign employments, fo that his time *He was entered of Trinity College, and took his Mafter'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, Morum Suavitatem, Rerum Ufum, Virorum Ampliffimorum Confuetudinem Linguæ, Styli, ac Vitæ Elegantiam, Præclara Officia cum Britanniæ tum Europæ præftita, Sua ætate multum celebratus, Apud pofteros femper celebrandus; Plurimas Plurimas Legationes obiit Ea Fide, Diligentia, ac Felicitate, Spem in illo repofitam Brevi Temporis Spatio confectum, 2112 Cum Naturæ parum, Famæ fatis vixerat, > Animam ad altiora afpirantem placide efflavit. Ex Equeftri Familia Stepneiorum, Sancti Petri Weftmonaft. A. 1676. VOL. I. Frequentia, hue elatus, 1707. Ff 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 present 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. 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 pleafure. But there is, in the whole, little either of the grace of wit, or the vigour of beislet a 31 nature. 27 J. PHILIP S. OHN PHILIPS was born on the JOH 30th 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 domeftick; after which he was fent to Winchefter, where, as we are told by Dr. Sewel, his biographer, he was foon distinguished by the fuperiority of his exercises; and, what is lefs eafily to be credited, fo much endeared himself to his fchoolfellows by his civility and good-nature, that they, without murmur or 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 |