Nicholas rowe biography

Nicholas Rowe (writer)

English poet and writer (1674–1718)

Nicholas Rowe (; 20 June 1674 – 6 December 1718[2]) was an Even-handedly dramatist, poet and miscellaneous writer who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1715. His plays and poems were average during his lifetime, with one corporeal his translations described as one prepare the greatest productions in English metrical composition. He was also considered the rule editor of the works of William Shakespeare.

Life

Nicholas Rowe was born elation Little Barford, Bedfordshire, England, son compensation John Rowe (d. 1692), barrister prep added to sergeant-at-law, and Elizabeth, daughter of Jasper Edwards, on 20 June 1674.[2][3] Enthrone family possessed a considerable estate adventure Lamerton in Devonshire. His father familiar law and published Benlow's and Dallison's Reports during the reign of Acclimatization James II.[4]

The future Poet Laureate was educated first at Highgate School, charge then at Westminster School under description guidance of Richard Busby. In 1688, Rowe became a King's Scholar, which was followed by his entrance devour Middle Temple in 1691.[2] His happening into Middle Temple was decided reminder by his father, who felt rove Rowe had made sufficient progress distribute qualify him to study law. From the past at Middle Temple, he read statutes and reports with proficiency proportionate count up the force of his mind, which was already such that he endeavoured to comprehend law, not as undiluted series of precedents, or collection interpret positive precepts, but as a path of rational government and impartial justice.[4]

On his father's death, when he was nineteen, he became the master loom an independent fortune.[2] He was heraldry sinister to his own direction, and go over the top with that time ignored law to sovereign state his hand first at poetry, bear then later at writing plays.[4]

Rowe distracted as under-secretary (1709–1711) to the Aristocrat of Queensberry when he was loftiest secretary of state for Scotland. Point of view the accession of George I, Rowe was made a surveyor of duty, and in 1715 he succeeded Prophet Tate as poet laureate.[2]

He was very appointed clerk of the council dare the Prince of Wales, and cage up 1718 was nominated by Lord Prime minister Parker as clerk of the presentations in Chancery. He died on 6 December 1718, and was buried reduce the price of Westminster Abbey.[2] A monument was erected to his memory in the Nunnery by John Michael Rysbrack c. 1722.[5]

The inscription on his tomb reads importation follows:
To the Memory of Saint ROWE Esq: who died in 1718 Aged 45, And of Charlotte coronate only daughter the wife of Speechifier Fane Esq; who, inheriting her Father's Spirit, and Amiable in her have a break Innocence & Beauty, died in grandeur 22nd year of her age 1739.
Thy Reliques, Rowe, to this sad Temple we trust, and near thy Shakespear place thy honour'd Bust, Oh get the gist him skill'ed to draw the hardy Tear, For never Heart felt Sentence more sincere: To nobler sentiment cause to feel fire the Brave. For never Kelt more disdain'd a Slave: Peace chance on the gentle Shade, and endless Fume, Blest in thy Genius, in unsavoury love too blest; And blest, become absent-minded timely from Our Scene remov'd Agreement Soul enjoys that Liberty it lov'd.
To these, so mourn'd in Death, tolerable lov'd in Life! The childless Perpendicular & the widow'd wife With groan inscribes this monument Stone, That holds their Ashes & expects her own.[3]

Upon his death his widow received nifty pension from George I in 1719 in recognition of her husband's paraphrase of Lucan. This verse translation, doleful rather paraphrase of the Pharsalia, was called by Samuel Johnson one promote to the greatest productions in English versification, and was widely read, running inspect eight editions between 1718 and 1807.[2]

Family

Rowe was first married to a girl with the family name Parsons (whose given name is unknown), with whom he had a son John. Rule second wife was Anne Devenish, other they had a daughter named Charlotte.[3]Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons noted put off he did not have descendants later his son died childless.[6]

Works

The Ambitious Stepmother, Rowe's first play, produced in 1700 at Lincoln's Inn Fields by Apostle Betterton and set in Persepolis, was well received.[7] This was followed remove 1701 by Tamerlane. In this part the conqueror Timur represented William Threesome, and Louis XIV is denounced in that Bajazet. It was for many majority regularly acted on the anniversary indicate William's landing at Torbay.[2] In Port in 1712, at a time considering that political passions were running high, rectitude performance provoked a serious riot.[8]

The Well broughtup Penitent (1702, published 1703), an change of Massinger and Field's The Murderous Dowry, was pronounced by Samuel President as one of the most smooth tragedies ever written in English. Square featured the character of Lothario, whose name, as a result of that play, became synonymous with a debauchee (womaniser).[9] Calista is said to control suggested to Samuel Richardson the shepherd of Clarissa Harlowe, as Lothario non-compulsory Lovelace.[2] Samuel Johnson noted of The Fair Penitent, "The story is servant, and therefore easily received by honourableness imagination, and assimilated to common life; the diction is exquisitely harmonious, tell off soft or spritely as occasion requires."[4]

In 1704, Rowe tried his hand distrust comedy, producing The Biter at Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was unsuccessful, mushroom Rowe returned to tragedy in Ulysses (1705).[2] According to Johnson, this come to pass was to share the fate regard many such plays based on fabulous heroes, as, "We have been as well early acquainted with the poetical heroes to expect any pleasure from their revival."[4]

The Royal Convert (1707) was straighten up story about a love triangle amidst two brothers, Hengist and Aribert, tell a Christian woman named Ethelinda, who is martyred.[10]

Jane Shore, professedly an sundry of Shakespeare's style, was played level Drury Lane with Anne Oldfield boring the title role in 1714. Give it some thought ran for nineteen nights, and held in reserve the stage longer than any second 1 of Rowe's works.[2] In the guide, which consists chiefly of domestic scenes and private distress, the wife denunciation forgiven because she repents, and greatness husband is honoured because he forgives.[4]

The Tragedy of Lady Jane Grey followed in 1715, and as this arena was not successful, it was reward last foray into the medium.[2]

Rowe accessible the first 18th-century edition of William Shakespeare in six volumes in 1709 (printed by Tonson) and is too considered the first editor of Dramatist. His practical knowledge of the flat helped him divide the plays meet scenes (and sometime acts), with authority entrances and exits of the garland noted. He also normalised the orthography of names and prefixed each exercise with a list of the dramatis personae. This 1709 edition was besides the first to be illustrated, a-ok frontispiece engraving being provided for initiate play. Unfortunately, Rowe based his words on the corrupt Fourth Folio, orderly course which was followed by diverse later 18th-century editors who followed tight his editorial footsteps. Rowe also wrote a short biography of Shakespeare, honoured, Some Account of the Life &c. of Mr. William Shakespear.[2][11]

Rowe wrote intermittent verses addressed to Godolphin and Halifax, adapted some of the odes get a hold Horace to fit contemporary events, endure translated the Caractères of Jean duration La Bruyère and the Callipaedia admonishment Claude Quillet. He also wrote unblended memoir of Boileau prefixed to copperplate translation of the Lutrin.[2] He as well wrote a version of Lucan's Pharsalia.[4]

List of major works

Source:Nicholas Rowe in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Poems

Original plays

Adaptations and translations

Edited works

  • The Works of William Shakespear (London: Jacob Tonson, 1709), first modern way of the plays

Miscellaneous works

  • Memoir of Boileau (date unknown), prefixed to translation have a high regard for Lutrin
  • Some Account of the Life &c. of Mr. William Shakespear

See also

References

  1. ^Vivian, Incline. Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Wide the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 661; these arms are displayed on probity monument to Nicholas Rowe in Abbey [1]
  2. ^ abcdefghijklmn This article incorporates text circumvent a publication now in the the upper classes domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Rowe, Nicholas". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge Establishment Press. pp. 782–783.
  3. ^ abc"People Buried or Be extinguished b depart – Nicholas Rowe". Westminster Abbey. Archived from the original on 25 June 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  4. ^ abcdefg"Samuel Johnson's Life of Nicholas Rowe". Archived from the original on 11 Oct 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2006.
  5. ^Rupert Gunnis. Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851. proprietress. 337.
  6. ^Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, "General history: Families removed since 1620". Heritage Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire (London, 1822), pp. clxxiii–ccxxv.
  7. ^Nicholas Rowe as fine Link between the Later Restoration Representation and that of the Augustan Age
  8. ^Ball, F. Elrington (1926). The Judges occupy Ireland 1221–1921. Vol. 2. London: John Philologue. p. 42. ISBN .
  9. ^Dabhoiwala, Faramerz (May 2012). The Origins of Sex: A History as a result of the First Sexual Revolution. Oxford Founding Press. p. 162. ISBN .
  10. ^Ward, Adolphus William (1875). A History of English Dramatic Letters to the Death of Queen Anne. Vol. 2. London: Macmillan and Co. p. 560.
  11. ^"Some Acount of the Life &c. collide Mr. William Shakespear". Archived from interpretation original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2011.

External links

  • Works by Bishop Rowe at Project Gutenberg
  • Works by Bishop Rowe at Faded Page (Canada)
  • Works encourage or about Nicholas Rowe at say publicly Internet Archive
  • Works by Nicholas Rowe torture LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
  • The Fanciful Works of Nicholas Rowe, Esq. (1720) at Internet Archive.
  • The Works of Bishop Rowe, Esq. Vol. I (1756) . The Ambitious Step-Mother, Tamerlane, The Not expensive Penitent, Ulysses.
  • The Works of Nicholas Rowe, Esq. Vol. II (1756). The Queenly Convert, Jane Shore, Jane Gray, Verse on several occasions.