Richard Owen Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Richard Owen Cambridge was a British
poet
.
Cambridge was born in London
. He was educated at Eton
and at St John's College
, Oxford
. Leaving the university without taking a degree, he took up residence at Lincolns Inn in 1737. Four years later he married, and went to live at his country seat of Whitminster
, Gloucestershire
. In 1751 he removed to Twickenham, where he enjoyed the society of many notable persons. Horace Walpole in his letters makes many jesting allusions to Cambridge in the character of newsmonger.
His chief work is the Scribleriad (1751), a mock epic poem, the hero of which is the Martinus Scriblerus of Alexander Pope
, John Arbuthnot
and Jonathan Swift
. The poem is preceded by a dissertation on the mock heroic, in which he avows Cervantes
as his master. The satire shows considerable learning, and was eagerly read by literary people; but it never became popular, and the allusions, always obscure, have little interest for the present-day reader. He made a valuable contribution to history in his Account of the War in India on the Coast of Coromandel from the year 1750 to 1760 (1761). He had intended to write a history of the rise and progress of British power in India, but this enterprise went no further than this one work, as he found that Robert Orme
, who had promised him the use of his papers, contemplated the execution of a similar plan. He died in Twickenham
.
The Works of Richard Owen Cambridge included several pieces never before published. It contained an Account of his Life and Character by his son, George Owen Cambridge (1803), the Scribleriad, some narrative and satirical poems, and about twenty papers originally published in Edward Moore's paper, The World. His poems are included in Alexander Chalmers
' English Poets (1816).
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Cambridge was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Leaving the university without taking a degree, he took up residence at Lincolns Inn in 1737. Four years later he married, and went to live at his country seat of Whitminster
Whitminster
Whitminster is a village in Gloucestershire, on the A38 trunk road about six miles south of Gloucester. It was formerly known as Wheatenhurst, the name being changed officially in 1945...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. In 1751 he removed to Twickenham, where he enjoyed the society of many notable persons. Horace Walpole in his letters makes many jesting allusions to Cambridge in the character of newsmonger.
His chief work is the Scribleriad (1751), a mock epic poem, the hero of which is the Martinus Scriblerus of Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
, John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot, often known simply as Dr. Arbuthnot, , was a physician, satirist and polymath in London...
and Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
. The poem is preceded by a dissertation on the mock heroic, in which he avows Cervantes
Cervantes
-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
as his master. The satire shows considerable learning, and was eagerly read by literary people; but it never became popular, and the allusions, always obscure, have little interest for the present-day reader. He made a valuable contribution to history in his Account of the War in India on the Coast of Coromandel from the year 1750 to 1760 (1761). He had intended to write a history of the rise and progress of British power in India, but this enterprise went no further than this one work, as he found that Robert Orme
Robert Orme
Robert Orme , British historian, son of a British East India Company physician and surgeon, Dr. Alexander Orme, was born at Anjutheng, near Travancore on 25 December 1728, and after being educated at Harrow, entered the service of the British East India Company as a writer in Bengal in 1743...
, who had promised him the use of his papers, contemplated the execution of a similar plan. He died in Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
.
The Works of Richard Owen Cambridge included several pieces never before published. It contained an Account of his Life and Character by his son, George Owen Cambridge (1803), the Scribleriad, some narrative and satirical poems, and about twenty papers originally published in Edward Moore's paper, The World. His poems are included in Alexander Chalmers
Alexander Chalmers
Alexander Chalmers was a Scottish writer.He was born in Aberdeen.Trained as a doctor, he gave up medicine for journalism, and was for some time editor of the Morning Herald...
' English Poets (1816).