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Robert Lloyd

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Robert Lloyd (1733 - December 15, 1764) was an English poet and satirist.

Robert Lloyd

Robert Lloyd (1733-1764), Poetical Works, 1774. Courtesy Internet Archive.

Life[]

Overview[]

Lloyd, educated at Westminster and Cambridge, published The Actor (1760), a poem which had considerable popularity, some miscellaneous verses, and a comic opera, The Conscious Lovers (1764). He was a friend of Charles Churchill, who showed him much kindness in his frequent misfortunes; and on hearing of Churchill's death he took to bed, and soon d., apparently of a broken heart.[1]

Youth and education[]

Lloyd was the son of Pierson Lloyd, D.D. (for 47 years usher and 2nd master of Westminster School and subsequently prebendary and chancellor of York), by his wife Anne, daughter of Rev. John Maximilian de l'Angle, rector of Croughton, Northamptonshire. He was born at Westminster in 1733.[2]

At an early age hw was sent to Westminster School, where Churchill, George Colman the elder, Cowper, Cumberland, Elijah Impey, and Warren Hastings were among his contemporaries. On 7 May 1746 he was admitted upon the foundation, and became captain of the school in 1750.[2]

Lloyd was elected on 15 May 1751 to a Westminster scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. in 1755 and an M.A. in 1758. While at Cambridge Lloyd led an irregular life; he wrote several poetical pieces of considerable promise, and between May 1755 and August 1756 contributed 5 sets of verses to the Connoisseur, of which his friends Bonnell Thornton and George Colman were the joint editors (Nos. 67, 72, 90, 125, 135).[2]

Career[]

On leaving Cambridge, Lloyd became an usher at Westminster School,[2] and thereupon renewed his former friendship with Churchill, then curate of St. John's, Westminster, with whom he plunged into a reckless career of dissipation. He soon resigned his ushership, which had always been very distasteful to him (see his "Author's Apology," Lloyd's Poetical Works, i. 4), and endeavored to support himself by writing.[3]

In 1760 he published The Actor, addressed to Bonnell Thornton, Esq. This poem, by which Lloyd acquired considerable reputation as a writer, is said to have stimulated Churchill to write the Rosciad, the authorship of which was attributed by the Critical Review to either Lloyd or another "of the new triumvirate of wits who never let an opportunity slip of singing their own praises." Lloyd immediately disclaimed the poem in an advertisement, and "took his revenge in a fable conceived against the Critical Reviewers, and published in an evening paper" (Critical Review, xi. 209–12, 339–40).[3]

Lloyd edited the poetical department of The Library; or, Moral and critical magazine, under the general editorship of Kippis, during its short existence from April 1761 to May 1762. In October 1761 Churchill published his Night, addressed to his friend Lloyd, and written in their joint vindication "against the censures of some false friends" (see Almon, Correspondence of the late John Wilkes, 1805, iii. 10–11).[3]

In 1762 Lloyd published by subscription a collection of his own poems, and was engaged to edit the St. James's Magazine, the premiere issue of which appeared in September 1762. In executing this wearisome task he received a number of contributions from Charles Dennis, while Bonnell Thornton and George Colman gave him some assistance, the latter contributing "The Cobler of Cripplegate's Letter to Robert Lloyd, A.M.," which appeared in the magazine for April 1763. Among Lloyd's own contributions was "The New School for Women: A comedy in three acts; from the French of Mr. De Moissy" (St. James's Mag. for November and December 1762 and January 1763). After a struggle of 18 months Lloyd relinquished the editorship to Kenrick.[3]

Lloyd was shortly afterwards arrested for debt and confined in the Fleet prison. Upon his return to town Churchill hastened to the Fleet, and provided for his friend's immediate wants by a weekly allowance out of his own purse, and at the same time endeavored to get up a subscription for Lloyd's extrication from embarrassments. This scheme, however, failed, and Lloyd, deserted by all his former companions, with the exception of Churchill, Garrick, and Wilkes, continued to drudge at any miserable work on which the booksellers chose to employ him. But though he found his confinement "irksome enough" he declared that it was "not so bad as being usher at Westminster" (Southey, Life and Works of Cowper, i. 102)[3].

Lloyd was an amiable man and an accomplished scholar, with gentle manners, a ready wit, and a facile pen; though Cowper, in his Epistle to Robert Lloyd, Esq. (Southey, Life and Works of Cowper, viii. 12), describes him as

… born sole heir and single
Of dear Mat Prior's easy jingle,[3]

Lloyd was a member, with Bonnell Thornton, Colman, Cowper, and Joseph Hill, of the Nonsense Club, "consisting of seven Westminster men, who dined together every Thursday" (ib. i. 37). He is said also to have been a member of the ‘Hell Fire Club’ (Lipscomb, Hist. of Buckinghamshire, 1847, iii. 615).[3]

A story is told of Lloyd inviting Goldsmith to sup with him and some friends of Grub Street, leaving him to pay for the entertainment (Forster, Life and Times of Oliver Goldsmith, 1875, i. 198–9).[3]

On suddenly hearing of Churchill's death at Boulogne Lloyd was seized with illness, and exclaimed, "I shall follow poor Charles." He was nursed during his last illness by Churchill's sister, Patty, to whom he was betrothed, and who is said to have died shortly after her lover. While he was on his deathbed his comic opera, The Capricious Lovers, was performed for the 1st time at Drury Lane (28 Nov. 1764), and met with some little success. He died in the Fleet on 15 December 1764, aged 31, and was on 19 December buried,[3] in an unmarked grave in St. Bride Churchyard, Fleet Street.[4]

Writing[]

Lloyd was author of the popular poem The Actor (1760) and the comic opera The Capricious Lovers (1764), performed at Drury Lane just a few weeks before his death. He was co-author of the "Ode to Obscurity" and "Ode to Oblivion," jointly written by Lloyd and George Colman at a meeting of the Nonsense Club as parodies of the odes of William Mason and Thomas Gray.[3]

The greater part of his poems may be forgotten "without injury to his memory or literature" (Southey, Life and Works of Cowper, i. 98). Lloyd's wasted career was chiefly owing to his intimacy with Churchill, and their sincere and generous friendship is the "redeeming virtue in the mournful history of both" (ib. i. 69).[3]

Lloyd wrote: 1. ‘Two Odes,’ London, 1760, 4to (anon.). 2. ‘The Actor; a Poetical Epistle to Bonnell Thornton, Esq.,’ London, 1760, 4to (anon.); the fourth edition, London, 1764, 4to, with some critical alterations by the author of ‘The Promptor,’ Dublin, 1811, 4to. 3. ‘The Tears and Triumphs of Parnassus,’ 1760, 4to. This ‘occasional interlude on the death of George II and the accession of his successor’ is said to have been performed at Drury Lane (Southey, Cowper, i. 68), but it is not mentioned in Genest. 4. ‘Shakespeare, an Epistle to Mr. Garrick; with an Ode to Genius,’ London, 1760, 4to (anon.). 5. ‘An Epistle [in verse] to Charles Churchill, author of the “Rosciad,”’ London, 1761, 4to. 6. ‘Arcadia; or the Shepherd's Wedding: a dramatic pastoral [in three scenes and in verse],’ London, 1761, 8vo (anon.); another edition [London, 1778?], 8vo. This was produced at Drury Lane on 26 Oct. 1761. 7. ‘Poems by Robert Lloyd, A.M.,’ London, 1762, 4to. 8. ‘The Death of Adam, a tragedy; in three acts [and in verse], from the German of Mr. Klopstock,’ London, 1763, 12mo (anon.); another edition, Portsea, 1810, 12mo. 9. ‘Moral Tales by M. Marmontel [translated from the French by C. Dennis and R. Lloyd],’ London, 1764, 12mo, 3 vols. (several editions). 10. ‘The New River Head. A Tale [in verse],’ &c., London, 1764, 4to. 11. ‘The Capricious Lovers; a comic opera [in three acts in prose, with songs imitated from C. S. Favart's ‘Le Caprice amoureux ou Ninette à la Cour’]. … The music composed by Mr. Rush,’ London, 1764, 8vo; another edition, London, 1780, 8vo. 12. ‘The Capricious Lovers; a musical entertainment [in two acts in prose with songs], taken from the opera of that name,’ London, 1765, 8vo. 13. ‘Phillis at Court, a comic opera of three acts [in prose and verse, an alteration of Lloyd's ‘Capricious Lovers’]. The music by Tomaso Giordani,’ London, 1767, 8vo.[5]

Recognition[]

Lloyd's Poetical Works were published in 1774 by Dr. Kenrick, who prefixed to them a worthless "Account of the Life and Writings of the Author" and a portrait (London, 8vo, 2 vols.) The "imitation from the Spectator by Mr. Robert Lloyd," which was printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for August 1762 (p. 381), is omitted in the collection.[5]

Lloyd's poems are included in the collections of Anderson (vol. x.), Chalmers (vol. xv.), and others.[5]

His poetry was included in Moses Mendez's Collection of the most esteemed pieces of poetry: that have appeared for several years and Pearch's Collection of Poems in Four Volumes; by several hands.[6]

Publications[]

Poetry[]

Play[]

  • The Tears and Triumphs of Parnassus. London: P. Vaillant, 1760.
  • Arcadia; or, The shepherd's wedding. London: J. & R. Tonson, 1761.
  • The Death of Adam: A tragedy. London: Dryden Leach, for T. Becket / P.A. de Hondt, 1763.
  • The Capricious Lovers: A comic opera. London: R. Withy / W. Griffin / Mr. Becket / Mr. Davies, 1764.
  • Phillis at Court: A comic opera, of three acts. London: J. Williams, 1767.
  • Phoebe at Court: An operetta, of two acts. London: Cox & Bigg, 1776.

Novels[]

  • The New River-head: A tale. London: G. Kearsley / W. Flexney, 1763.

Translated[]

  • Jean-François Marmontel, Moral Tales (translated with C. Dennis). London: G. Kearsley, 1764; London: T. Cadell, 1781; London: Harrison, 1781.

Edited[]

  • The St. James's Magazine. London: William Flexney / T Davies/ John Coote, 1762-1764.


Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  •  Barker, George Fisher Russell (1893) "Lloyd, Robert" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 33 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 432-434  . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 6, 2018.

Notes[]

  1. ↑ John William Cousin, "Lloyd, Robert," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1910, 240. Wikisource, Web, Feb. 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Barker, 432.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Barker, 433.
  4. ↑ Mark McManus, Robert Lloyd, Find a Grave, Mar. 25, 2011. Web, Feb. 4, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Barker, 434.
  6. ↑ Robert Lloyd, Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive. Web, Aug. 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ Poems; by Robert Lloyd, A.M, University of Michigan. Web, Feb. 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ Search results = au:Robert Lloyd, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Aug. 8 2016.

External links[]

Poems
Books
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: Lloyd, Robert

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