Chapter Reeve to Richardson of R by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

Reeve to Richardson

Reeve, Clara (1729-1807).—Novelist, was the author of several novels, of which only one is remembered—The Old English Baron (1777), written in imitation of, or rivalry with, H. Walpole’s Castle of Otranto, with which it has often been printed.

Reeve, Henry (1813-1895).—Editor, etc., son of a physician, was on the staff of the Times, the foreign policy of which he influenced for many years. He was editor of the Edinburgh Review (1855-95), and of the Greville Memoirs 1865. He held a leading place in society, and had an unusually wide acquaintance with men of letters all over the continent.

Reid, Mayne (1818-1883).—Novelist, born in the north of Ireland, he set off at the age of 20 for Mexico to push his fortunes, and went through many adventures, including service in the Mexican War. He also was for a short time settled in Philadelphia engaged in literary work. Returning to this country he began a long series of novels of adventure with The Rifle Rangers (1849). The others include The Scalp Hunters, Boy Hunters, and Young Voyagers, and had great popularity, especially with boys.

Reid, Thomas (1710-1796).—Philosopher, was the son of the minister of Strachan, Kincardineshire, where he was born His mother was one of the gifted family of the Gregorys. At the age of 12 he was sent to Marischal College, Aberdeen, where he graduated, and thereafter resided for some time as librarian, devoting himself to study, especially of mathematics and the Newtonian philosophy. He was in 1737 ordained minister of New Machar, Aberdeen, and in 1748 he communicated to the Royal Society an Essay on Quantity. Four years later he became one of the Professor of Philosophy (including mathematics and natural philosophy) in King’s College, Aberdeen, and in 1763 he was chosen to succeed Adam Smith as Professor of Moral Philosophy in Glasgow. In the following year he published his great work, Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense, directed against Hume’s Essay on Human Nature. Up to the appearance of the latter work in 1739 Reid had been a follower of Berkeley, but the conclusions drawn therein from the idealistic philosophy led him to revise his theories, and to propound what is usually known as the “common sense” philosophy, by which term is meant the beliefs common to rational beings as such. In 1785 he published his Essay on the Intellectual Powers, which was followed in 1788 by that On the Active Powers. Reid, who, though below the middle size, was strong and fond of exercise, maintained his bodily and mental vigour until his death at 86. His writings, distinguished by logical rigour of method and clearness of style, exercised a profound influence in France as well as at home; but his attempted refutation of Berkeley is now generally considered to have failed.

Works edited by Sir W. Hamilton and H. L. Mansel. Sketch by Professor A. C. Fraser (1898).

Reid, Sir Thomas Wemyss (1842-1905).—Novelist and biographer, born at Newcastle, and after being connected with various provincial newspapers came to London in 1887 as manager for Cassell and Co. Thereafter he was, 1890-99, edition of The Speaker. Among his more permanent writings are The Land of the Bey (1882), Gladys Fane (1883), and Lives of W. E. Forster (1888), and Lords Houghton (1891), and Playfair (1899), and William Black (1902). He was knighted in 1894.

Reynolds, Sir Joshua (1723-1792).—Painter and writer on art, son of a clergyman and schoolmaster at Plympton, Devonshire. After studying art in Italy, he settled in London, where he attained extraordinary fame as a portrait-painter. He is regarded as the greatest English representative of that art, and was first president of the Royal Academy. He was the intimate friend of Johnson, Burke, Goldsmith, and indeed of most of the celebrated men of his time. He has also a place in literature for his Fifteen Discourses on painting, delivered to the Academy. He also contributed to the Idler, and translated Du Fresney’s Art of Painting. He suffered from deafness, and in his latter years from failure of sight. He was a man of great worth and amiability. He was knighted in 1769.

Rhodes, William Barnes (1772-1826).—Dramatist, was in the Bank of England, of which he became Chief Teller. He wrote a burlesque, Bombastes Furioso, which achieved great popularity.

Rhymer, Thomas The (See Ercildoun).