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land, salmon then selling in London at 5s. per lb. In the same year he lost his wife. Her remains were interred in Westminster Abbey. In 1719 Steele was for a time deprived of most of his offices, because of his determined opposition to the Peerage Bill — a Government measure. In 1720 he wrote strongly against the South Sea scheme ; but his judgmeut in his own affairs was not sound enough to keep him clear of debt and dif- ficulty, the consequences of extravagance. In 1724, broken down in health, he retired to Llangunnor, in Wales, an estate that had belonged to his wife. An adverse decision in a lawsuit was followed by an attack of paralysis. He abandoned literary pursuits, and lingered on, enjoying a quiet country life, until ist September 1729, when he died, aged 58. He was buried by his own desire in the chancel of St. Peter's Church, Carmaerthen. The Encyclopcedia Britannica sums up his character in the following terms : " Sir Richard was a man of undissembled and extensive benevolence, a friend to the friendless, and, as far as his circumstances would permit, the father of every orphan. His works are chaste and manly. He was a stranger to the most distant appearance of envy or malevolence, never jealous of any man's growing reputation, and so far from arrogating any praise to himself from his conjunction with Addison, that he was the first who desired him to distinguish his papers. His great fault was want of economy ; and it has been said of him he was certainly the most agreeable and the most innocent rake that ever trod the rounds of dissipation." Thackeray, in his Lectures on the English Humourists, thus concludes his remarks on Steele : " We are living in the 19th century, and poor Dick Steele stumbled and got up again ; and got into jail and out again ; and sinned and repented ; and loved and suffered ; and lived and died, scores of years ago. Peace be with him ! Let us think gently of one who was so gentle ; let us speak kindly of one whose own breast exuberated with human kindness. . . The great charm of Steele's writing is its naturalness. He wrote so quickly and carelessly, that he was forced to make the reader his confidant, and had not the time to deceive him. He had a small share of book learning, but a vast ac- quaintance with the world. . . Women especially are bound to be grateful to Steele, as he was the first of our writers who really seemed to admire and respect them." '^' There are several references to Steele in Notes and Queries. •' 33 48 .24 .67 316
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Steele, Thomas, M.A., a prominent Repealer, was born 3rd November 1788, at Derrymore, County of Clare, He was educated at Cambridge, where he took the degree of M.A. in 1820. He soon after- wards became a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. An uncle's death placed him in possession of the family property in Clare. Of an enthusiastic and adventurous temperament, he entered the Spanish service at 1823, and dis- tinguished himself at the defence of Cadiz, and in other warlike operations. On his return to Ireland he became one of O'Connell's most strenuous supporters, and earned the title of " Head Pacifi- cator," from his eflForts in putting down the faction fights and local diflFerences through- out Ireland which so materially weakened the popular cause. He seconded O'Con- nell's nomination for Clare. Sir Bernard Burke says that Steele used to prefer the old ruin of Craggan Tower, upon his property, to his comfortable house, and meditated its restoration ; but his extra- vagance and utter recklessness regarding money matters prevented the carrying out of this and other fancies. Sir Bernard Burke continues : " He seemed utterly in- capable of rationally estimating the value of money in his own case. Finance was with him a consideration wholly subor- dinate to the accomplishment of any pro- ject that seized on his fancy. In his mind there was no due proportion. He was as enthusiastic about the most trivial as the most important affairs. But he was in- tensely true and staunch to the political cause he espoused, and this quality of earuest sincerity, united with his unques- tionable readiness to hazard his life at any moment in defence of his principles, or of his mighty leader, justly earned for him the name "by which friends and foes alike agreed to designate him — ' Honest Tom Steele.' In his private circle he was very popular ; his eccentricities furnished mat- ter of amusement, and his sterling worth was appreciated." It may be added that he was as careless of other people's money as of his own. His speeches were rhapsodi- cal and romantic. Mr. Daunt thus describes his latter days : " When O'Connell died, life lost all its savour for Tom Steele. His heart and soul had been wrapped up in the movement of which his departed chief was the leader. To him there seemed no- thing now worth living for. The hideous visitation of famine laid waste the land he loved so well. His private means had been long since exhausted ; and it is painful to record that he tried to put an end to the existence which had now become a bur- 491
