Francis Fawkes, Original Poems and Translations (1761). Gale Ecco, 2018. Courtesy Amazon.com.
Francis Fawkes (baptized 4 April 1720 - 26 August 1777) was an English poet and translator. He translated Anacreon, Sappho, and other classics,, and was the author of the well-known song, The Brown Jug, and of 2 long poems, Bramham Park and Partridge Shooting. His translation of the Argonautica in rhymed couplets appeared in 1780.
Life[]
Fawkes was a son of Jeremiah Fawkes (for 28 years rector of Warmsworth, Doncaster), and was baptized at Warmsworth 4 April 1720. He was educated at Bury free school under Rev. John Lister.[1]
On 16 March 1737–8 he was admitted as an ordinary sizar into Jesus College, Cambridge, his tutor being Rev. Richard Oakley, and was then described as of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. He advanced to a foundation scholarship on 24 June 1742. He earned a degree of B.A. in 1742, received his college testimonials on 26 April 1744, and proceeded to an M.A. in 1745.[1]
At an early period in life he was ordained in the English church to the curacy of Bramham in his native county. He was ‘a sort of chaplain’ to Mr. Fox and Lane (afterwards Lord Bingley), and his earliest production in literature is said to have been an anonymous poem describing the beauties of Mr. Lane's house at Bramham, which was published in quarto in 1745.[1]
Fawkes afterwards held the curacy of Croydon, where he came under the notice of Archbishop Herring, whom he flattered with an ode, said to have been included in Dodsley's collection, on his recovery from sickness in 1754. In the following year the archbishop bestowed upon the poet the vicarage of Orpington, Kent, with the chapelry of St. Mary Cray and the attendant curacy of Knockholt. Further preferment was expected, but his hope of advancement was crushed by his patron's death in 1757, when the disappointed aspirant gave vent to his feelings in an elegy styled "Aurelius," which was printed in 1761 with the Original Poems and Translations of Fawkes and reprinted in 1763 in the volume of Seven Sermons by Archbishop Herring, pp. xlii–xlviii.[1]
Fawkes remained at Orpington until April 1774, when, by the favor of Rev. Charles Plumptree, D.D. (rector of Orpington, and as such patron of the adjacent rectory of Hayes), he was appointed to Hayes with the curacy of Downe. The only additional piece of clerical patronage which he received was a chaplaincy to the Princess Dowager of Wales. This was probably his own fault, for though the standard of clerical life was not high, he was pronounced too fond of social gaiety. He was always poor, but his cheerful good humor drew many friends to him.[1]
He died on 26 August 1777, leaving his widow, formerly a Miss Purrier of Leeds, whom he married about 1760, with scanty resources. His library was sold in 1778.[1]
Writing[]
Fawkes was considered by his contemporaries the best translator since the days of Pope,[1] and Dr. Johnson gave it as his opinion that Fawkes had translated Anacreon "very finely."[2]
- ‘A Description of May from Gawin Douglas’ (modernised), by F. Fawkes, 1752; with poetic dedication to William Dixon of Loversal, a Yorkshire friend.
- ‘A Description of Winter from Gawin Douglas,’ 1754, modernised in style and dedicated to ‘the Rev. John Lister, A.M., formerly my preceptor.’ The ‘Description of May’ was included among the reprints of the Aungervyle Society.
- ‘Works of Anacreon, Sappho, Bion, Moschus, and Musæus translated into English by a gentleman of Cambridge,’ 1760. Many of the odes were translated by him during his college days, and in some instances he reprinted the versions of William Broome and other writers; 2nd edit. with his name, 1789. Fawkes's translation was printed in France in 1835 and included in the ‘Collections of the British Poets’ by Robert Anderson (vol. xiii.) and Alexander Chalmers (vol. xx.), and in the ‘Greek and Roman Poets’ of Charles Whittingham (vol. xiv.). His version of Bion, Moschus, Sappho, and Musæus was published with translations of Hesiod by Charles Abraham Elton, and of Lycophron by Philip Yorke, Viscount Royston in 1832.
- ‘Original Poems and Translations,’ 1761. Many of the original pieces were humorous; the translations were chiefly from ‘Menander’ and from the Latin poems of Christopher Smart.
- ‘The Complete Family Bible, with Notes Theological, Moral, Critical,’ &c. 1761. To this production, which came out in sixty weekly numbers, he sold his name for money, and there was an edition in 1765 ‘with notes taken from Fawkes.’
- ‘The Poetical Calendar,’ intended as a supplement to Robert Dodsley's collection; selected by Fawkes and William Woty, 1763, 12 vols. To the 12th volume of this collection Samuel Johnson contributed a character of William Collins, which later formed the basis of the life of Collins in the Lives of the Poets.
- ‘Poetical Magazine, or the Muses' Monthly Companion,’ vol. i. 1764. It lasted for six months, January to June 1764. In this undertaking Fawkes was again associated with Woty.
- ‘Partridge-Shooting,’ an eclogue to the Hon. Charles Yorke, 1764. This piece was suggested by Yorke.
- ‘The Works of Horace in English Verse, by Mr. Duncombe and other hands,’ to which are added many imitations, 1767, 4 vols. Some of the translations and imitations are by Fawkes.
- ‘The Idylliums of Theocritus, translated by Francis Fawkes,’ 1767. In this translation he had the assistance of friends, including Zachary Pearce, John Jortin, and Samuel Johnson. It was dedicated to Charles Yorke.
- Apollonius Rhodius translated into English, published after his death in 1780, revised by Henry Meen for Fawkes's widow.[2]
Fawkes's volume of original poems was embodied in the collection by Chalmers (vol. xvi.), some of them were included in Nichols's collection, viii. 88–93, and several of his translations, chiefly from Menander, were reprinted in part i. of the Comicorum Græcorum Fragmenta selected by James Bailey (1840). Lord Mahon, afterwards known as the ‘Republican’ Lord Stanhope, married Lady Hester Pitt, daughter of the first Lord Chatham, whose seat was situated in Fawkes's parish of Hayes, on 19 December 1774, and some lines addressed to the bridegroom by Fawkes on this occasion are printed in the Chatham Correspondence, iv. 373.[2]
An extraordinary popularity attended his song of "The Brown Jug," which began with the words
- Dear Tom, this brown jug that now foams with mild ale
- Was once Toby Fillpott.
It has ever since formed a part of all the song-books of our country, and was introduced by John O'Keeffe into his comic opera of the ‘Poor Soldier,’ which was played at Covent Garden Theatre for the first time on 4 November 1783. It was then sung by John Johnstone, and it was afterwards among the favourite pieces of Charles Incledon. During the debates on catholic emancipation the opening lines were quoted in the House of Commons by George Canning in ridicule of Copley, afterwards Lord Lyndhurst, with the punning imputation that a speech by Copley was but the reproduction of the matter which once appeared in a pamphlet of (Bishop) Phillpotts.[2]
Recognition[]
Fawkes's "Vernal Ode" and "Autumnal Ode" were reprinted in Dodley's Collection of Poems in Six Volumes; by several hands.[3]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Branham Park. [London?]: 1745; London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1761.
- Original poems and translations. London: R. & J. Dodsley / J. Newbery / L. Davis & C. Reymers / T. Davies / H. Dell, 1761.
- Partridge-shooting: An eclogue. London: J. Dodsley, 1767.
- The Poems (edited by Alexander Chalmers). London: Johnson, 1810.
Translated[]
- Gavin Douglas, A Description of May. London: J. Whiston & B. White / A. Millar / R. Dodsley, 1752.
- Gavin Douglas, A description of winter. London: R. Dodsley / J. Newberry / Lockyer Davis, 1754.
- The Works of Anacreon, Sappho, Bion, Moschus, and Musaeus. London: J. Newbery / L. Davis & C. Reymers, 1760. London: J. Walker, J. Wallis, 1789.
- Theocritus, The Idylliums. London: D. Leach, for J. & R. Tonson, 1767.
- (Contributor) The Works of Horace: In English verse. 1767.
- Appolonius Rhoddius, The Argonautics (edited & completed by Henry Meen). London: J. Dodsley, 1780.
Edited[]
- The Complete Family Bible. (2 volumes), London: J. Coote / J. Fletcher / et al, 1761.
- The Poetical Calendar: Containing a collection of scarce and valuable pieces of poetry (edited by Francis Fawkes & William Woty). (12 volumes), London: Dryden Leach, for J. Coote, 1763-1764.
- The Poetical Magazine; or, The Muses' monthly companion. London: Dryden Leach, for J. Coote, 1764.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[4]
See also[]
References[]
Courtney, William Prideaux (1889) "Fawkes, Francis" in Stephen, Leslie Dictionary of National Biography 18 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 264-265 . Wikiource, Web, Apr. 9, 2020.
Notes[]
External links[]
- Poems
- An Autumnal Ode"
- Francis Fawkes at PoemHunter ("Hymn to Venus")
- Francis Fawkes at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (3 poems)
- Books
- Francis Fawkes at Amazon.com
- About
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Fawkes, Francis
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