Chapter Lovelace to Lyly of L by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

Lovelace to Lyly

Lovelace, Richard (1618-1658).—Poet, born at Woolwich, son of Sir William Lovelace, was ed. at Oxford, where he is described by Anthony Wood as “the most amiable and beautiful person that eye ever beheld.” He was an enthusiastic Royalist, and spent his whole fortune in support of that cause. For presenting “the Kentish petition” in favour of the King, he was imprisoned in 1642, when he wrote his famous song, When Love with unconfined wings. After his release he served in the French army, and was wounded at Dunkirk. Returning, he was again imprisoned, 1648, and produced his Lucasta: Epodes, Odes, etc. He lives in literature by a few of his lyrics which, though often careless, are graceful and tender. He died in poverty.

Lover, Samuel. (1797-1868).—Song-writer and novelist, was a painter of portraits, chiefly miniatures. He produced a number of Irish songs, of which several—including The Angel’s Whisper, Molly Bawn, and The Four-leaved Shamrock—attained great popularity. He also wrote some novels, of which Rory O’ More (in its first form a ballad), and Handy Andy are the best known, and short Irish sketches, which, with his songs, he combined into a popular entertainment called Irish Nights. He joined with Dickens in founding Bentley’s Magazine.

Lowell, James Russell (1819-1891).—Poet and essayist, born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, son of a Unitarian minister, was ed. at Harvard. He began active life as a lawyer, but soon abandoned business, and devoted himself mainly to literature. In 1841 he published a vol. of poems, A Year’s Life, and in 1843 a second book of verses appeared. He also wrote at this time political articles in the Atlantic and North American Review. In 1848 he published a third vol. of Poems, A Fable for Critics, The Biglow Papers, and The Vision of Sir Launfal; and he was in 1855 appointed Professor of Modern Languages at Harvard in succession to Longfellow. Among my Books appeared in 2 series, in 1870 and 1876. His later poems included various Odes in celebration of national events, some of which were College in Under the Willows, The Cathedral, and Heartsease and Rue. In 1877 he was appointed United States minister to Spain, and he held a similar appointment in England 1880-85. He died at Elmwood, the house in which he was born Lowell was a man of singularly varied gifts, wit, humour, scholarship, and considerable poetic power, and he is the greatest critic America has yet produced. He was a strong advocate of the abolition of slavery.

Lowth, Robert (1710-1787).—Theologian and scholar, son of William Lowth, Prebendary of Winchester, and author of a Commentary on the Prophets, was born at Winchester, and ed. there and at Oxford Entering the Church he became Bishop successively of St. David’s, Oxford, and London. In 1753 he published De Sacra Poesi Hebræorum. He also wrote a Life of William of Wykeham, the founder of Winchester College, and made a new translation of Isaiah.

Lydgate, John (1370?-1451?)..—Poet, born in Suffolk, was ordained a priest in 1397. After studying at Oxford, Paris, and Padua, he taught literature in his monastery at Bury St. Edmunds. He appears to have been a bright, clear-minded, earnest man, with a love of the beautiful, and a faculty of pleasant, flowing verse. He wrote copiously and with tiresome prolixity whatever was required of him, moral tales, legends of the saints, and histories, and his total output is enormous, reaching 130,000 lines. His chief works are Troy Book (1412-20), written at the request of Henry V. when Prince of Wales, The Falls of Princes (1430-38), and The Story of Thebes (circa 1420). These books were first printed in 1513, 1494, and circa 1500 respectively. Lydgate also wrote many miscellaneous poems. He was for a time Court poet, and was patronised by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester; but the greater part of his life was spent in the monastery at Bury St. Edmunds. He was an avowed admirer of Chaucer, though he largely follows the French romancists previous to him.

Lyell, Sir Charles (1797-1875).—Geologist and writer, son of Charles Lyell, of Kinnordy, Forfarshire (a distinguished botanist and student of Dante), was brought up near the New Forest. After going to school at various places in England, he was sent to Oxford, where under Buckland he imbibed a taste for science. He studied law, and was called to the Bar, but soon devoted himself to geology, and made various scientific tours on the Continent, the results of his investigations being published chiefly in the Transactions of the Geological Society, of which he was afterwards repeatedly president His two chief