Man of Steele, by Sir Richard Steele

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IT is no very uncommon thing in the world to meet with men of probity;* there are likewise a great many men of honour to be found. Men of courage, men of sense, and men of letters are frequent; but a true fine gentleman is what one seldom sees. He is properly a compound of the various good qualities that embellish mankind. As the great poet animates all the different parts of learning by the force of his genius,* and irradiates all the compass of his knowledge by the lustre and brightness of his imagination, so all the great and solid perfections of life appear in the finished gentleman, with a beautiful gloss and varnish; every thing he says or does is accompanied with a manner, or rather a charm, that draws the admiration and good-will of every beholder.

by Sir Richard Steele 1672-1729

From an essay by Richard Steele (1672-1729) in ‘The Guardian’ No. 34 (Monday, April 20th, 1713), reprinted in ‘Essays, English and American’ (1920), edited by Raymond Macdonald Alden (1873-1924). Additional information from ‘Works of Edmund Burke’ Volume VI (1889-1911), by Edmund Burke (1729-1797) and ‘Notes of conversations with the Duke of Wellington, 1831-1851’ (1889) by Philip Henry, Earl Stanhope (1805-1875).

* From Latin probitas, meaning ‘goodness, worth, uprightness, honesty’ (as defined by Lewis and Short). A man of probity is a man of integrity and high principle.

* A man of letters is a well-read man, especially one who writes for an intellectual audience, e.g. a poet, essayist or scholar.

* ‘Genius’ is used today to mean extreme brilliance of mind, but in Steele’s day it often meant simply ‘natural gifts’, one’s innate character.

Précis

A true gentleman is harder to find, said Steele, than men of integrity, honour or even sense. The mark of a gentleman is that, like a poet, he can add something to every subject and every situation in which he interests himself, something which draws others and enriches their understanding — a rare gift indeed.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Précis

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