Chambers' Encyclopaedia; A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge Volume 8

by William Chambers

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. ...the Tories, and in 1711 was employed in the preliminaries of the peace of Utrecht, going to Paris as ambassador in the following year. With the queen's death in 1714 came the triumph of the Whis, and in 1715 Prior, returning to England, was impeached and imprisoned. In 1717 he was excepted from the Act of Grace, but was, none the less, subsequently discharged. The remainder of his life was passed chiefly at Down-Hall in Essex, a country-house purchased partly with the profits of a subscription edition of his poems and partly with the assistance of his friend Lord Harley, at whose seat of Wimpole he died, 18th September 1721, being then in his fifty-eighth year. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, under a monument decorated with his bust by Antoine Coysevox, given to him by Louis XIV. His portrait was painted by Richardson (National Portrait Gallery), by Belle (St John's College), Kneller, Dahl, and others. Of Prior's abilities as a diplomatist there are diverse opinions. Pope sneered at them. But Bolingbroke and Swift extolled them; and it is stated that the archives at Paris show him to have been far abler and more resourceful than is generally supposed. As a poet, in which capacity he is now remembered, he holds a unique position. Without much real sentiment or humanity, his verses have a wit, a grace, a neatness and a finish, which link him to the lighter Latin poets on the one hand, and to the best trench writers of familiar verse on the other. Cowper praised his 'easy jingle,' Thackeray 'his good sense, his happy easy turns and melody.' He collected his poems, described by himself as consisting of 'Publiek Panegyrics, Amorous Odes, Serious Reflexions, or Idle Tales' (many of which hail been contributed to Dryden's and other miscellanies), in...

962 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

William Chambers of Glenormiston was a Scottish publisher and politician, and brother of Robert Chambers. The two brothers eventually united as partners in the publishing firm of W. & R. Chambers. In the beginning of 1832 William Chambers started a weekly publication under the title of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, which speedily attained a large circulation. The publishing business prospered, and in 1859 Chambers founded a museum and art gallery in Peebles. The brothers collaborated on the publication of Chambers Encyclopaedia between 1860 and 1868.

As Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1865 to 1869, Chambers was responsible for the restoration of St Giles Cathedral and other major town planning exercises, including the creation of Jeffrey Street, St Marys Street and Blackfriars Street. These streets were all created under the City Improvement Act of 1866.