The History of Barn Elms and the Kit Cat Club; Now the Ranelagh Club

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...sounds atone for want of thought. Still Addison shall live, and pregnant fame Teem with eternal triumphs of his name; Still shall his country hold him more endeared, Loved by this age and by the next revered. Or if from good advice you turn your ear, Nor friendly words imparted timely hear, Exert your utmost energy of spite, And as each envious hint arises, write--So shall his deathless glory never cease, And you by lessening will his fame increase." (Seoroe Stepney Esq. R. JOHNSON has given us a notice, but a very brief one, of this gentleman; Noble's account of him is also very scanty; both of them appear to have been constructed upon the biography given of him in Cibber's (or rather Shiel's) "Lives of the Poets." George Stepney was born in London, in 1663. He was descended from the ancient and respectable family of the Stepneys, of Pendigrast, in Pembrokeshire. Cole has stated that his father was a grocer. This does not seem likely. He was probably either son or grandson of Charles, third son of Sir John Stepney, the first baronet of that family. He was removed from Westminster School (where he received the early part of his education) to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1682. He took his degree of Bachelor of Arts three years afterwards; and that of Master of Arts in 1689. Stepney owed his first jjBRAHAM STANYAN gave earnest at an early age of very considerable talents, in the capacity of Clerk of the Council Extraordinary, and was a most valuable servant of the Crown, particularly as a diplomatist. His first appointment was that of Envoy Extraordinary to the Swiss cantons, in 1707; and July 6th, 1716, he was constituted Envoy Extraordinary to His Imperial and Catholic Majesty. About the same time he was also collated to...