Books by Richard Steele

These two volumes of the letters of Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), founder of the Tatler and the Spectator, were compiled by the publisher John Nichols and published in 1809. In Volume 1, many of the letters are addressed to his second wife, others to literary and political friends.

The Tatler (published 1709-11) is usually regarded as the first periodical publication in England. Its founder, Richard Steele (1672-1729), intended a paper which would report on news and gossip but not politics. This four-volume edition was first issued in 1797 by a consortium of publishers, including John Nichols.