理查德·斯梯爾

理查德·斯梯爾（Richard Steele，1672-1729）是與約瑟夫·艾迪生齊名的散文家。他們幼年一同在卡特公學（Charterhouse）就讀，後來又同時進入牛津大學。但斯梯爾中途輟學，自願擔任軍職。

1700年左右，他開始了筆墨生涯，寫了宗教論文《基督教徒的英雄》（The Christian Hero），接着又寫了幾個喜劇，但真正使他在文學界取得地位的是他的小品文。1708年，他創辦了著名的《閒話報》（The Tatler），後來又與艾迪生合辦雜誌《旁觀者》（The Spectator）。在政治見解上，斯梯爾與艾迪生一樣，都是傾向於輝格黨（Whig）的。

Richard Steele

理查德 斯梯爾

Sir Richard Steele, the Dublin born dramatist and politician, was knighted in 1717. He is best known for co-authoring the periodicals, The Tatler and The Spectator. The Tatler—published from Tuesday April 12, 1709 to Volume No. 271, Tuesday January 2, 1711—is noteworthy to freemasons for its several references to Freemasonry.

His named portrait is centrally placed on the Engraved List of Lodges in the print entitled Les Free-Masons published in the 1735 edition of Bernard Picart‘s Cerérémonies et costumes religieuses de tous les peuple du monde. There is no viable explanation as to why Sir Richard Steele appears on the print, especially as there is no evidence of his ever having become a freemason.