- Gilbert West
Gilbert West (1703-1756) was a minor English poet, translator and Christian apologist in the early and middle eighteenth century.
Samuel Johnson included him in hisLives of the Most Eminent English Poets .Biography
The son of a minister, West was educated at Winchester, Eton and
Christ Church, Oxford ; his father intended a career in the Church for him. cite book
last = Johnson
first = Samuel
authorlink = Samuel Johnson
coauthors =
title = Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets vol. 3
publisher =
date = 1781
location =
pages = 328-33
url = http://198.82.142.160/spenser/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=33881
doi =
id =
isbn = ] cite book
last = Jones
first = Stephen
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Biographia Dramatica; or, A Companion to the Playhouse vol. 1
publisher =
date = 1812
location =
pages = 741-42
url = http://198.82.142.160/spenser/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=33885
doi =
id =
isbn = ] However, he was persuaded by his uncle,Lord Cobham to take a commission in the army but soon left to work under Lord Townshend, a prominent Whig. West left this position when it became clear that he had no prospect of advancement in such a career.West married a Miss Bartlett with whom he lived in Wickham in
Kent and was appointed Treasurer of Chelsea Hospital which provided him a modest income. During this period he published the essay "Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1747) for which Oxford University awarded him anLLD . In 1749 West published his translations of the odes ofPindar ; his translation of Pindar remained the standard version throughout the following century.cite book
last = Carruthers
first = Robert
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Chambers's Cyclopaedia of English Literature, 3rd ed.
publisher =
date = 1879
location =
pages = 192
url = http://198.82.142.160/spenser/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=36903
doi =
id =
isbn = ] Only late in his life did West achieve a measure of financial success when he was appointed to a clerkship of the Privy Council in 1752. He died four years later.Works
*"Stowe, the gardens of the Right Honourable Richard, Lord Viscount Cobham" (1732)
*"A canto of the Fairy Queen. Written by Spenser" (1739)
*"The institution of the order of the garter. A dramatick poem" (1742)
*"Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1747)
*"The odes ofPindar , with several other pieces translated" (1749)
*"Education: a poem in two cantos" (1751)
*"Two orations" (1759) (translation ofThucydides )
*"The oration of Plato" (1768) (translation of Thucydides)Note: Some publication dates are posthumous.
Notes
External links
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