Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/138

 ,' the poem was completely forgotten: but at the time of its publication ‘Prince Arthur’ found an admirer in no less distinguished a person than John Locke. In 1697 Blackmore was appointed physician in ordinary to William II, and received the honour of knighthood. On the latter circumstance Pope has some lines in the ‘Imitations of Horace’ (Epistles, ii. 1)— The Hero William and the Martyr Charles, One knighted Blackmore and one pension'd Quarles; Which made old Ben and surly Dennis swear, ‘No Lord's anointed, but a Russian Bear.'

Blackmore was strongly attached to the principles of the Revolution, and may perhaps have owed his advancement to some political services rendered to King William. He was afterwards one of the physicians to Queen Anne. In 1699 he published a ‘Short History of the Last Parliament,’ fol., which was followed in 1700 by a ‘Satyr against Wit.’ The publication of the ‘Satyr,’ in which the wits of the time were attacked on the score of grossness and irreligion, raised up a swarm of enemies against the writer. Sir Richard had for some time past been residing in Cheapside; his friends belonged chiefly to the City, and he had little acquaintance with men of letters. Immediately after the publication of the ‘Satyr’ there appeared a collection of satirical ‘Commendatory Verses on the Author of the two Arthurs and the Sstyr against Wit. By some of his particular friends,’ fol. The verses were by various hands, but the chief contributor was Tom Brown. Blackmore lost no time in replying with ‘Discommendatory Verses on those which are truly commendatory on the Author of the two Arthurs, &c.,’ fol. Dryden, who had reviously castigated Blackmore in the pregce to his ‘Fables,' assailed him very vigorously in the Prologue to the ‘Pilgrim’ (1700). Garth attacked him in the ‘ Dispensnry ’ (iv. 172, &c.), bidding him ‘learn to rise in sense and sink in sound.' Sedley, Steele, and others had their fling. But ridicule was powerless to check B1ackmore’s literary aspirations. In 1700 he was before the public with a book of ‘ Paraphrases on Job,' &c., fol. But when he launched another epic in 1705, ‘Eliza, an Epic Poem in X books,' fol., the portentous follow as received in absolute silence by an indifferent public. ‘I do not remember,’ says Dr. Johnson, ‘that by any author, serious or comical, I have found “Eliza” either praised or blamed.’ In 1711 appeared the ‘Nature of Man; a poem in three books,' 8vo, and in 1712 " Creation ; a philosophical Poem demonstrating the Existence and Providence of God,' 8vo. The last-named work, which to modern readers presents few attractions, was warmly praised by Addison in the ‘Spectator’ (No. 339). Dr. Johnson prophesied that this poem alone, ‘if he had written nothing else, would have transmitted him to posterity as one of the first favourites of the English Muse.’ Even the splenetic John Dennis was excited to admiration. In beauty of versitication, according to this critic, the long-defunct ‘Creation’ equalled the ‘De Rerum Natura‘ of Lucretius, while in solidity and strength of reasoning the august Roman was far excelled by Sir Richard. A volume of ‘Essays on several Subjects; 8vo, appeared in 1716, a second edition (in two vols. 8vo) following in 1717. One of the essays contained an allusion to a ‘godless author’ who had burlesqued a psalm. The charge was understood to refer to Pope, who afterwards avenged himself by including his critic in the 'Dunciad’ (ii. 259-68). In No. 45 of the ‘Freeholder,' Addison says, ‘I have Lately read with much pleasure the essays upon several subjects published by Sir Richard Blackmore, on which statement Swift, (Works by Scott, ed. 2, xii, 140) makes the remark, ‘I admire to see such praises from this author to so insipid a scoruidrel, whom I know he despised.’ Alter publishing in 1716 a volume of ‘Poems on several Subjects; 8vo, the indefatigable Writer turned his attention to controversial divinity, and in 1721 was read with ‘Just Prejudices against the Arian Hypothesis,’ 8vo (2nd edition 1725), which was immediately followed by ‘Modern Arians unmasked,' 1721, 8vo. Having thrown off in the same year a ‘New Version of the Psalms of David,’ 8vo, he lost no time in issuing ‘Redemption, a Divine Poem in VI books,’ 1722. Never was a man at afflicted with a scribendi cacoëthes more incurable. No sooner was he delivered of ‘Redemption’ than he was at work on ‘Alfred, an Epic Poem in XII books,’ which was published in 1723, fol. In the same year appeared ‘History of the Conspiracy against the Person and Government of King William the Third in the ear 1695,’ 8vo. During the next few years he employed his leisure in writing medical treatises, but in 1728 he reverted to divine studies, and published 'Natural Theology, or Moral Duties considered apart from Positive,’ 8vo. This was the last work published in his lifetime. He died on 9 Oct. 1729, and was buried at Boxted, Essex, whither he had retired in 1722. There is a monument in the church at Boxted bearing an inscription to the memory of his wife, Dame Mary Blackmore,