William Hayward Roberts

William Hayward Roberts (1734-1791), A Poetical Essay, on the Existence of God (1771). Forgotten Books, 2018. Courtesy Amazon.com.

Rev. William Hayward Roberts (1734 - 5 December 1791) was an English poet, schoolmaster, and biblical critic.

Life

Roberts is said to be of Gloucestershire origin.

He was educated at Eton, from which he was elected to a scholarship at King's College, Cambridge. In 1755 he contributed English verses to the university collection, on the visit of the Duke of Newcastle. He earned a B.A. in 1757

Career

Roberts became an assistant master at Eton School in 1757, and in 1758 gained the members' prize at Cambridge on the subject, Utrum diversarum Gentium Mores et Instituta a diverso earum situ explicari possint?, Cambridge, 1758, 4to. While Hayley was at Eton his poetical aspirations were encouraged by Roberts, then an usher in the school. In 1760 Roberts earned an M.A., and in 1771 he was appointed to a fellowship at Eton College.

Roberts was twice married. By his 1st wife he had 6 or 7 children, His 2nd wife was sister of Thomas Chamberlayne, fellow of Eton College. According to Cole, he was "a portly man and of much pride and state, and was used to have routs, as they are called, in the college apartments, for card playing, which filled the college court with carriages and tumult, not much to the edification of a place of education." Madame D'Arblay wrote: "The provost is very fat, with a large paunch and gouty legs. He is good-humoured, loquacious, gay, civil, and parading. I am told, nevertheless, he is a poet, and a very good one."

Roberts and Christopher Anstey translated Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" into Latin.

The Old Rectory, Everdon. Courtesy Mapio.net

Roberts was awarded a D.D. at Cambridge in 1773, was presented to the rectory of Everdon, Northamptonshire, in 1778, and was inducted to the rectory of Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, on 3 June 1779 (Baker, Northamptonshire, i. 367; Lipscomb, Buckinghamshire, iii. 279). On the death of Dr. Edward Barnard he was appointed provost of Eton College on 12 Dec. 1781. For many years he was one of the king's chaplains. He died at Eton on 5 December 1791. (Gentleman's Magazine 1791, ii. 1165).

Writing

Judah Restored

Roberts was primarily known as a sacred poet. His principal work is: Judah Restored: A poem in six books and in blank verse, 2 vols. London, 1774, 12mo.

Southey, who numbers Roberts "with the same respectable class as the author of Leonidas and the “Athenaid," mentions Judah Restored as one of the earliest books he possessed in his boyhood. "I read it often," he adds, "and can still recur to it with satisfaction, and perhaps I owe something to the plain dignity of its style, which is suited to the subject, and everywhere bears the stamp of good sense and erudition."

Robert Aris Willmott (Lives of Sacred Poets, ii. 324, 327) remarks that "Judah Restored is such a work as might be produced by a scholar familiar with the treasures of antiquity, whose fancy had been formed and regulated by the best models, and whose ear was attuned to the majestic rhythm of our British epic;" but the utmost that can be finally admitted of Roberts's achievement, from a purely literary point of view, is that it was well-intentioned.

Other works

His other works are:

1. ‘A Poetical Essay on the Existence, the Attributes, and the Providence of God,’ 3 parts, London, 1771, 4to.
2. A Poetical Epistle to Christopher Anstey, Esq.: On the English poets, chiefly those who have written in Blank Verse (anonymous), London, 1773, 4to.
3. Corrections of Various Passages in the English Version of the Old Testament; upon the authority of ancient Manuscripts and ancient Versions, London, 1794, 8vo, a posthumous work published by his son, William. The leading object of the author was to reduce the number of italicised supplementary words which occur in the authorised version.

A collection of Roberts's Poems appeared at London in 1774, 8vo; new edition, 1776.

Recognition

His poem "The Poor Man's Prayer" was included in Moses Mendez's Collection of the Most Esteemed Pieces of Poetry (1768) and George Pearch's Collection of Poems in Four Volumes; by several hands (1770).

Selections from Judah Restored are printed in Walsh's Works of the British Poets, vol. xxxvii. (1819; New York, 1822), 349-369.

Publications

Poetry

• Arimant and Tamira: An eastern tale, in the manner of Dryden's Fables. London: Charles Marsh, 1757.

Elegia scripta in coemeterio rustico. 1762.

• The Poor Man's Prayer: Addressed to the Earl of Chatham: An elegy (by "Simon Head"). London: T. Payne, 1766.
• A Poetical Essay on the Existence of God [Part I]. London: J. & H. Hughs, for J. Wilkie / T. Payne / et al, 1771.
• A Poetical Essay on the Existence of God, Part II: A Poetical essay on the attributes of God (printed with Part I). . London: J. & H. Hughs, for J. Wilkie / T. Payne / et al, 1771.
• A Poetical Epistle to Christopher Anstey: On the English poets. London: J. Wilkie / T. Payne / et al, 1773.
• Poetical Essays; in three parts: I. On the existence of God. II. On the attributes of God. III. On the providence of God (printed with On the Immortality of the Soul by Isaac Hawkins Browne). Belfast: James Magee, 1774.
• Judah Restored: A poem, in six books. (2 volumes), London: J. Wilkie / T. Payne / et al, 1774.
• Poems. London: J. Wilkie / T. Payne / et al, 1774; London: J. Wilkie / T. Payne / A. Edwards / et al, 1776.

Non-fiction

• Utrum diversarum Gentium Mores et Instituta a diverso earum situ explicari possint?, Cambridge, 1758
• A Sermon Preached before the Governors of the Magdalen Hospital, the 30th of April, 1782. London: printed for Magdalen Hospital, 1782.
• Correction of Various Passages in the English Old Testament. London: J. Nichols ; For T. Cadell, 1794.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

•  Cooper, Thompson (1896) "Roberts, William Hayward" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 48 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 397-398 . Wikisource, Web, Oct. 14, 2016.

External links

Poems

• "The Sun, reposing in the Ocean Bed"
• William Hayward Roberts at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive ("The Poor Man's Prayer")

Books

• William Hayward Roberts at Amazon.com

About

• Rev. William Hayward Roberts at English Poetry, 1579-1830

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Roberts, William Hayward