THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 163
good in their versification, pious in their spirit, and scriptural in their teaching, without any special excellencies or any manifestation of genius on the part of the writer. They are ten in number, 331, 482, 518, 560, 601, 612, 635, 646, 971, 994. Some of them are given with verses omitted.
" Almighty Maker of my frame." No. 482.
This is four verses of her psalm 39, consisting of thirteen verses, and beginning
"When I resolv d to watch my thoughts." " Father, whate er of earthly bliss." No. 601.
This is the last three verses of her hymn, bearing date 1760, on
- Desiring Resignation and Thankfulness," and beginning
" When I survey life s varied scene."
Miss Steele was a great sufferer. A few hours before the time of her wedding, the object of her affections was drowned while bathing. She carried with her through life a weak and afflicted body, and she never recovered the shock of her father s death. He died September 10, 1769. But she bore all with resignation, and before her peaceful departure, uttered the triumphant words, " I know that my Redeemer liveth." She died in 1778, at the age of sixty-one.
Mr. Daniel Sedgwick has published (1863) the collected poetical works of Anne Steele, entitled " Hymns, Psalms, and Poems, by Anne Steele, with memoir by John Sheppard :" it in cludes 144 hymns on various subjects, thirty-four of the principal of David s Psalms in verse, and about fifty poems on moral subjects. One piece, on the death of the Rev. James Hervey, " Hervey, honoured name, forgive the tear," is said to be the original of the epitaph, " Forgive, blest shade," &c. The profits of Miss Steele s works were devoted by her to charitable objects. Her poems were reprinted in America in 1808.
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