Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 09.djvu/77

 

 CAREY, HENRY (d. 1743), poet and musician, is and to have been an illegitimate son of George Savile, the famous marquis of Halifax, who died in 1695. Carey, in the preface to his first volume of poems, in 1713, speaks of himself as still very young. His mother probably was a schoolmistress, as a 'Pastoral Eclogue' in that volume is described as 'performed at Mrs. Carey's school by several of her scholars.' He afterwards taught music in boarding schools. Pope told Spence that Carey was one of Addison's 'little senate' about this period. Carey himself says that 'the divine Addison' had been pleased more than once to praise his best own 'Sally in our Alley' (Poems, 1729). Carey tells us in the some place that the poem owed its origin to his having 'dodged' a 'prentice treating his mistress to various London amusements. Carey became known as the author of many vivacious poems which were handed out in manuscript. He complains (Stage Tyrants) that 'Sally in our Alley' and 'Namby-Pamby,' composed in ridicule of Ambrose Philips, were thought too good to be his, and says that Pope vindicated his claim to the latter. He was the author of successful farces and of the songs in the 'Provoked Husband' and elsewhere. He occasionally composed the music himself. He describes himself as s disciple of Geminiani and Roseingrave, and says that he owed his first knowledge to the friendly instructions of O. W. Linnert. , afterwards Mrs. Clive [q.v.], first appeared at his benefit in 1730, when she sang a cantata by him, and when, according to a contemporary account, a procession of musicians, with all the instruments invented since Tubal Cain, marched from the Haymarket, and were joined by authors and printer's devils at Temple Bar and by painters at Covent Garden, whence the whole body marched to Drury Lane. He produced other very successful burlesques, ridiculing the Italian open, birthday odes burlesquing Cibber, and other occasional pieces. He was a lively companion, and often, it seems, in difficulties. It is said that he received a pension from the Savile family until his death. He died suddenly, Hawkins says by his own hand, on Oct. 1748. Contemporary records only say that he rose in good health and 'was soon after found deed.' A benefit performance for his widow and four small children was given at Drury Lane on 17 Nov. 1743.

Mr. Cumming states (Notes and Queries, 5th series, ix. 160) that he posseeses over two hundred works published by Carey. The following is s list of his chief publications: Each of these differs greatly from its predecessors. The third edition includes 'Namby-Pamby' and 'Sally in our Alley,' the last published separately about 1715.
 * 1) 'Poems on several Occasions,' 1713.
 * 2) Same title, 1720.
 * 3) Same, called 'third edition, much enlarged,' 1729.
 * 1) 'The Contrivances,' 1715; acted at Drury Lane, 9 Aug. 1715.
 * 2) 'Hanging and Marriage,' a farce, 1722 (Lincoln's Inn Fields, 15 March 1722).
 * 3) 'Poems occasioned by Gulliver's Travels,' 1727.
 * 4) Six cantatas, 1732.
 * 5) 'Teramints,' an opera, music by J. C. Smith, 1732 (Lincoln's Inn Fields, Oct, 1782).
 * 6) 'Amelia,' an opera, music by J. F. Lampe, 1732.
 * 7) Songs in 'Cephalus and Procris,' Drury Lane, 1733.
 * 8) 'Chrononhotonthologos,' 'the most tragical tragedy ever yet tragedized'; a very amusing burlesque, phrases of which are still familiar, first performed at the Haymarket 22 Feb. 1734. Fielding's 'Tom Thumb,' produced in 1780, is in some degree its model.
 * 9) 'The Wonder; or, an Honest Yorkshire-men,' a ballad opera, 1735, performed for one night (11 July 1735) at Lincoln's Inn Fields, and afterwards for many nights at the Haymarket and Goodman's Fields. Published in two editions in 1736.
 * 10) 'Stage Tyrants,' an epistle to Lord Chesterfield occasioned by the rejection of the 'Honest Yorkshireman's Drury Lane, 1735.
 * 11) 'The Dragon of Wantley, a burlesque opera, music by J. F. Lamps. This was first produced 26 Oct. 1737, suspended for a time by the death of Queen Caroline on 29 Nov., and had a run of sixty-seven nights.
 * 12) 'Margery; or, a Worse Plague than the Dragon,' by the same authors. produced 9 Dec. 1738, a sequel and failure.
 * 13) 'Nancy; or, the Parting Lovers,' 1739, an interlude, with music by the author. Revived in 1755 as 'The 'The Pressgang,' and afterwards as 'True Blue.'
 * 14) 'A Musical Century; or, a Hundred English Ballads,' as a collection of separately printed pieces, 1737; new edit. 1740; third 1743.
 * 15) 'Dramatic Works' (published by subscription), 1743, includes 'Teramints, 'Amelis,' 'Chrononhotonthologos,' 'The Honest Yorkshireman,' 'The Dragon,' 'The Dragoness' (Margery), and 'Nancy.'

Carey has been credited with the author-