writer a "Rowland for his Oliver," is equally well remembered. With the accomplished and artful Samuel Ireland, Mr. Steevens was at open variance. The pretended MSS. of Shakspeare were sufficient to call forth the indignation of one who could so well appreciate the matchless style of "the sweet Swan of Avon." But to this were superadded numerous sketches ascribed to the inimitable Hogarth, several of which were stifled in their birth by the penetrating glance of Steevens, among whose various endowments the greatest skill as a Draughtsman, and punctuality as a Copyist, were of the most conspicuous. In him, therefore, Ireland found a formidable opponent; and every new print produced by Ireland as Hogarth's, was critically analysed by Steevens. But what most especially galled that very ingenious artist, was the severe inscription furnished by his satire, under an uncommonly fine Portrait among the inimitable Caricatures of Gilray *. After all, the chef-d'œuvre of Steevens's malevolence was the very ingenious fabrication of the *See a Letter of Mr. Steevens, in p. 443, which, taken by itself, contains nothing very exceptionable; but, coupled with the reference to "Bromley's Catalogue," and that again with the Inscription under Gilray's Caricature, which was an excellent likeness, the combination produced the most cruel attack on private character, which was severely felt, and deeply reserted. The Inscription runs thus : "Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit." Shakspeare. Inscription under a Picture of the Editor of Shakspeare's Manuscripts, 1796, by the Rev. William Mason, author of " Elfrida" and "Caractacus:" Four Forgers born in one prolific age, Much critical acumen did engage; 1 The first was soon by doughty Douglas scar'd, Though Johnson would have screen'd him had he dar'd; 2 The third 3 invention, genius, nay, what not? 3 Chatterton.. supposed monumental memorial of Hardyknute; a deep-laid trap into which that excellent artist Jacob Schnebbelie was instantly ensnared, as appears by his beautiful fac-simile of the supposed relick. But the shaft was levelled at higher game-as it more than glanced at the whole Society of Antiquaries, and more especially their worthy Director, Mr. Gough. It is needless to notice that the Hero"Rode in the Tempest and enjoyed the Storm." This deeply-planned and well executed imposition was publicly avowed by Mr. Steevens, who gloried in having entrapped the worthy Director of the Society of Antiquaries. The imposition, however, was detected in time to prevent the appearance of a learned comment on the supposed Saxon inscription, which was actually written by Dr. Pegge, who had no opportunity of seeing the stone on which it was placed, but to whom Mr. Schnebbelie's accurate drawing of it had been submitted. * Mr. Steevens assigned as a reason for this vindictive trick, that Mr. Gough had reflected on him in a Letter which had appeared in some public newspaper respecting the MS. notes of Mr. Cole, in many of his books; but the true cause of his acrimony arose from the disappointment noticed hereafter, p. 439. ↑ Here the whole might have ended; but so little was the intended venom felt, that Schnebbelie's neat drawing, well copied by Basire, was given to the publick in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1790, p. 217, with the following brief notice: "The inscription is copied from a piece of stone exhibited above a twelvemonth at the window of a cutler's shop beyond Blackfriar'sbridge, and pretended to have been found in Kennington-lane. From internal evidence, from the letters being eaten in by aquafortis, and above all, from the studied reserve affected as to all circumstances respecting the discovery, there was from the first every reason to suppose (what is now avowedly the case) that it was a forgery. The most guarded manner in which it was communicated to a learned Society could not, however, secure them from the waggery of a newspaper correspondent, who laid the trap, and then ridiculed those whom he supposed to have fallen into it.-Beware of counterfeit copics of the Inscription, for such are abroad!" This produced from Mr. Steevens, in p. 292, of the same volume, a most intemperate and abusive letter not worth transcrib I shall conclude these desultory anecdotes with one which in a slight degree affects myself. ing; and in the Morning Herald, of April 7, 1790, the following brief notice: "Mr. Steevens has been teazing the Antiquarians by a fabricated piece of antiquity. A stone, bearing the name of Hardyknute, and a Saxon inscription, all cut in by aquafortis, was artfully thrown in the way of Director Gough; but it is not to the impeachment of sagacity a thing with the marks of genuinity is admitted to be such." The transaction was thus facetiously stated by Mr. Steevens in the General Evening Post of October 25, 1790 : "IRISH AND ENGLISH VIRTU.-Some time ago a wag, who wanted to try the connoisseurship of the Irish Academy for Arts and Sciences, presented them with a small piece of gold coin, by the hands of a countryman totally unacquainted with the nature and intent of his errand. A council was immediately called, and the result of their deliberations was, that it was an Irish coin of the sixth century, which brought out a curious discovery, that the Irish Kings at that period coined money so perfectly. The piece was there fore carefully deposited, when to their utter astonishment, the person who sent it (being one of their body) in some months afterwards produced about a score pieces of the same size and impression; all of which turned out to be nothing more or less than the present coin of Morocco. "Somewhat similar to this circumstance happened a few weeks ago in England. A well known ingenious gentleman, whose knowledge and researches into antiquity enabled him to carry on such a scheme, had a coarse marble stone inscribed with Saxon letters, importing it to be part of the sarcophagus of Hardyknute, and describing the manner of his death, which was that of dropping suddenly dead, after drinking a gallon flaggon of wine at the marriage of a Danish Lord. "This stone was carried to a founder's in Southwark, who was in the secret, and a private buz whispered about, that such a curiosity was found. The antiquarians instantly surrounded the house, to purchase it at any price; no, the owner loved antiquity too well himself to part with it. They might take drawings of it with pleasure, but the piece was invaluable. This, however, was some comfort; to work they went, and a very accurate drawing was taken of it, and sent down to one of the greatest antiquarians in Derbyshire for his approbation; he returned for answer, That it was a great discovery, and perfectly answerable to the spelling and cut of the Saxon characters in the eleventh century.' The joke having thus travelled far enough, an ample discovery was made, which occasioned a good deal of innocent merriment on all sides; and the original marble was shewn on Saturday night last at Sir Joseph Banks's Converzatione, for the inspection of the curious." In a very fair copy of Bale's "Illustrium Majoris Britanniæ Scriptorum," &c. printed at Ipswich in 1548, is the following memorandum in the neat hand-writing of Mr. Steevens: "The opposite vacancy was once filled by a beautiful impression of a very elegant and elaborate wooden cut of John Bale presenting his book to King Edward the Sixth, in all probability the work of Holbein. I have removed it: Abi, Successor! et plora *. See also the bottom of the page before the Preface, from which I have taken two neat wooden cuts, the one representing John Wicliff, the other John Bale and King Edward differently grouped, and in a smaller size. The second block was printed off on the back of the first. G. STEEVENS." * That Successor (alas!) was JOHN NICHOLS. Letters to and from GEORGE STEEVENS, Esq. 1. Mr. GOUGH to Mr. STEEVENS. 66 Enfield, June 16, 1775. "Mr. Gough presents his compliments to Mr. Steevens, and not being so happy as to meet with him this morning, informs him that Mr. Basire's estimate for engraving the Cowdray picture in two Plates is 2731.-Paper 421.-Rolling 181.-Purchase of the drawings 110.-Total 4431.-This is to be laid before the Council on Wednesday next; and if not examined there, will certainly be brought before the Society at large the next evening. "Mr. Gough most earnestly hopes and wishes it may not be inconvenient to Mr. Steevens to attend on Thursday, or in case it should he deferred, on the following Thursday." 2. Mr. STEEVENS to Mr. GOUGH. Hampstead, Friday afternoon, June 16, 1775. "Mr. Stevens presents his compliments to Mr. Gough, and is most heartily sorry he was not at home on Friday morning. He will do all in his power to prevent the society from being drawn in to fulfill the engagements of others at so great an expence, and will not fail to attend on Thursday evening." 3. To the Printer of the St. James's Chronicle *. "July 8, 1775. "But, when he speaks, what elocution flows! POPE'S ODYSSEY. "Oh! Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Baldwin, what have you not lost by being absent from Stationers' Hall on Saturday last, when the new Master of the Company was elected. I congratulate my country, nay the whole world in general, on the revival of more than ancient eloquence, in the powers and graces of this transcendent man. Profound, indeed, was the subject on which he spoke, still more important was the manner in which his sentiments were expressed. Figure to yourself, Mr. Baldwin, every member of that august assembly listening to him with the most attentive silence, which he, like our English Roscius, con- · sidered as the sincerest kind of approbation, and as most propitious to the point towards which his labours were directed.— What was that point? methinks eager curiosity exclaims. It was-assist me, ye Muses! and thou, O Mercury, touch my lips with sweetest eloquence, while I declare it was-it was-have patience, and I will tell you what it was!-It was, that, on account of the present hot weather, he hoped he might be indulged in wearing the gown of a Common Councilman, instead of the robe of eminence properly belonging to the high office which he at present adorns.'-But did he proceed with a storm of eloquence to demand that exemption in favour of his poor weak shoulders? Did he speak warm from the heart, or deliver a studied harangue regularly prologued with an exordium, reduced under heads, subdivided into paragraphs, and epilogued by a peroration? Have a little more patience and you shall know. It was a studied oration, well larded with texts of Scripture picked up at St. Paul's, 'conned with cruel pain,' and uttered with as much solemnity to his audience as if they had not been his neighbours, and most of them his intimate acquaintance. Solemn occasions, indeed, require proceedings of proportionable gravity, yet nevertheless admit of subsequent relaxations. And he who obtained a prize at Lyons, where the vanquished rhetorician suffered death, never quitted the rostrum with greater alacrity to receive the laurel, than departed our city Nestor, at the conclusion of his speech, to a dinner which already smoked upon the table. A slight perusal of a file of the early volumes of the St. James's Chronicle would furnish an ample store of the jocular and severe ebullitions of Mr. Steevens's fertile imagination; the two articles here quoted, though ludicrous, are not acrimonious, and fell harmless at the time when they were written on the wort by character against whom the laugh was directed, and whose only weak part was a little vanity; but who was universally esteemed for his benevolence, his probity, and for his strict observance of every moral and religious duty. A brief Memoir of him may be seen in the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. III. p. 400. 2 F VOL. V. |