Charles Churchill (satirist)

Charles Churchill ( born February 1732 in Westminster, † November 4, 1764 in Boulogne -sur -Mer ), was an English poet and satirist.

Life

Churchill was born in Vine street in Westminster. His father, rector of Rainham, Essex, was curator and lecturer of St. John's, Westminster. Charles studied at the Westminster School, where he received a classical education and developed a lasting friendship with Robert Lloyd. He went in 1749 to Trinity College ( Cambridge ), because he was rejected in Oxford, probably because of its, at age 18, hastily closed marriage based on the guidelines of the fleet. He never lived in Cambridge; the young couple lived in his father's house, and Churchill was then sent into the north of England to prepare for Holy Orders. He was curator of South Cadbury, Somerset and, after receiving his ordination (1756 ), he began to serve as curator of his father in Rainham. Two years later his father died and Churchill was elected as his successor. His remuneration was less than £ 100 a year, and he increased his income by teaching at a girls' school. His marriage proved to be unhappy, and so he began to spend time in the company of Robert Lloyd. He was separated from his wife in 1761 and would be without the help of Lloyd's father, who was the leader at Westminster, has been arrested for his debts.

Churchill had already done some work for a bookseller, and his friend Lloyd had had some success with a didactic poem, The Actor. The knowledge of Churchill on the theater was then used for Rosciad, which was released in March 1761. This reckless and amusing satire described with disturbing accuracy the errors of the different actors and actresses on the London stage. The immediate popularity was due no doubt to the personal reference, but its strength and speed make it still worth reading, though forgotten by Churchill viewed. The first edition was published anonymously, and in the Critical Review of Tobias Smollett, it was declared safe, that the poem would be the joint production of George Colman, Bonnell Thornton and Robert Lloyd. Churchill immediately issued an apology to the Critical Review, and repeated after he posed the thesis that there are authors who hunt their own kind, the attack on stage. It also includes an enthusiastic tribute to John Dryden, the Churchill was a devotee. In Rosciad he had Mrs. Pritchard, Mrs. Cibber and Mrs. Clive praised, but not a leading actor of London, with the exception of David Garrick, who had escaped criticism, and in excuse Garrick was clearly threatened. He disapproved of criticism by showing every possible kindness towards Churchill, who became a terror for the actors. Thomas Davies wrote Garrick that he came with his role in Cymbeline stutter since his accidental seeing of Mr. Churchill in the pit him confused and distracted by his business.

Through satire Churchill received many enemies and reprisals. In Night at Epistle to Robert Lloyd ( 1761), he responded to the attacks on him and offered as a defense the argument that any faults are better than hypocrisy. His scandalous behavior sparked criticism of the Dean of Westminster, and in 1763 brought him the protests of his congregation to submit his resignation, and he was free to wear his blue coat with metal buttons and much gold lace without humility before the dean. Rosciad was rejected by several publishers and was finally released on Churchill's own expense. He received a considerable sum from the sale, paid his old creditors, and was also his wife pay a handsome living.

He was now an ally of John Wilkes, whom he supported regularly at the North Briton. The Prophecy of Famine: A Scots Pastoral ( 1763), his next poem was originally written for this journal. This violent satire on the Scottish influence coincided with the then hatred of Lord Bute and the Scottish top dogs were just as alarmed as the actors in front of them. When Wilkes was arrested, he gave Churchill a timely hint that he should withdraw for a time to the country. His Epistle to William Hogarth ( 1763) was a response to the cartoon, which was made by Wilkes during the process. In the Epistle the Eiteilkeit and envy Hogarth was attacked in a way that was Garrick as shocking and barbaric. Hogarth hit with a caricature of Churchill as a bear in torn clerical clothes, carrying a pot of porter, back. The Duellist ( 1763) is a venomous satire on the most active opponents of Wilkes in the House of Lords, especially on Bishop Warbuxton. He attacked Dr. Johnson in The Ghost as Pomposo, as outrageous and loud, Vain idol of a writing mass. Other poems are The Conference ( 1763); The Author (1763 ), which was praised by Churchill's contemporaries to a high degree; Gotham ( 1764), a poem on the duties of a king, didactic rather than satiric in tone; The Candidate ( 1764), a satire on John Montagu, one of the bitterest enemies Wilkes', ( -? Ff " he had ... to ... ;) denounced that he had already, for his betrayal in Duellist denounced as too unpopular to have a friend, The Farewell (1764 ), The Times (1764 ), Independence, and unfinished Journey.

In October 1764 he went to Boulogne -sur -Mer to meet Wilkes. There he was attacked by a fever, he died on November 4. He left his property to his two sons and told Wilkes executor of his literary estate with full powers. Wilkes did little. He wrote an epitaph for his friend and about half a dozen notes to his poems. Andrew Kippis confirmed minor support from him (? ), As he prepared the life of Churchill for his Biographia ( 1780).

A partial collection of poems Churchills appeared 1763rd