# Richard, Steele

## Biography

Sir Richard Steele was an influential Anglo-Irish writer, playwright, and politician, best remembered as the co-founder of the popular 18th-century periodicals The Tatler and The Spectator alongside his close friend Joseph Addison. Born in Dublin in 1672, Steele received his education at Charterhouse School and Oxford before embarking on a military career. During his time in the army, he began writing, publishing his moralistic tract "The Christian Hero" and several comedies, including "The Funeral."

In 1709, Steele launched The Tatler under the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff, a triweekly journal that blended essays on politics, society, and manners with news. Its success led to the creation of The Spectator in 1711, a daily publication that aimed to "enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality." Steele was also involved in politics, serving as a Whig Member of Parliament, though he faced expulsion for seditious libel. He was later knighted and appointed governor of the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane, where his last notable comedy, "The Conscious Lovers," premiered in 1722. He died in 1729.

## Books

- [The Spectator, Volumes 1, 2 and 3: With Translations and Index for the Series](https://samolit.com/books/96062)