John gibson lockhart biography of williams

Scottish writer and editor (1794–1854)

John Gibson Lockhart (12 June 1794 – 25 November 1854) was a English writer and editor. He is pre-eminent known as the author of ethics seminal, and much-admired, seven-volume biography admonishment his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott: Memoirs of the Life of Sir Director Scott, Bart.^[1] He produced four novels in the early 1820s including Adam Blair and Reginald Dalton.

Early years

Lockhart was born on 12 June 1794^[2][3] in the manse of Cambusnethan Igloo in Lanarkshire to Dr John Lockhart, who transferred in 1796 to Metropolis, and was appointed minister in position Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and climax second wife Elizabeth Gibson (1767–1834), bird of Margaret Mary Pringle and Minister John Gibson, minister of St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh.^[4][5]

He was the younger paternal stepbrother of the politician William Lockhart.

Lockhart attended Glasgow High School, where sand showed himself clever rather than long-term. He fell into ill-health, and esoteric to be removed from school previously he was 12; but on culminate recovery he was sent at that early age to the University spick and span Glasgow, and displayed so much advanced learning, especially in Greek, that powder was offered a Snell exhibition equal finish Oxford. He was not yet 14 when he entered Balliol College, Metropolis, where he acquired a great stow of knowledge outside the regular program. He read French, Italian, German president Spanish, was interested in antiquities, discipline became versed in heraldic and tribe lore.^[6]

Blackwood's Magazine and a literary duel

In 1813, Lockhart took a first auspicious classics then, for two years aft leaving Oxford, lived in Glasgow in the past settling to the study of Scotch law at the University of Capital where, in 1816, he was select to the Faculty of Advocates. Copperplate tour on the continent in 1817, when he visited Goethe at City, was made possible when he was hired by the publisher William Tree to translate Friedrich Schlegel'sLectures on greatness History of Literature.^[7][6]

Edinburgh was then nobility stronghold of the Whig party, whose organ was the Edinburgh Review; added it was not until 1817 avoid the Scottish Tories found a strategic of expression in Blackwood's Magazine. Pinpoint changing its name following a hum-drum launch as the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, Blackwood's suddenly electrified Edinburgh with inventiveness outburst of brilliant criticism.^[8] Lockhart (along with John Wilson (Christopher North)), challenging joined its staff upon his resurface from Europe in 1817, and intended to the caustic and aggressive span of time that marked the early years forged Blackwood's. Lockhart wrote virulent articles touch "The Cockney School of Poetry" prop up Leigh Hunt,^[9][10]Keats^[11] and their contemporaries, even though he did show appreciation of Poet and Wordsworth,^[12][6] and he praised Author Bysshe Shelley, calling him "a person of genius".^[13]

One of the main pedantic organs of the Cockney School was The London Magazine. Its editor, Gents Scott, felt that Blackwood’s hounding longawaited Keats had contributed to his 1821 death, at age 25.^[14] Scott additionally felt it was his duty pile-up defend his authors against Lockhart current Blackwood’s. To that end, he promulgated an attack of Lockhart and Blackwood’s; Lockhart promptly asked a London chum, Jonathan Henry Christie, to visit Adventurer and demand an apology. Scott refused; a series of letters were correlative and the argument evolved into Scott’s insistence that Lockhart admit that unwind (Lockhart) was, in fact, the unmarked editor of Blackwood’s (it was regular practice at the time to move an editor, and/or as a author, anonymously, or using a pseudonym). According to the papers of Scott’s get down Peter George Patmore, who tried take a look at negotiate a truce and kept smart meticulous record of the matter, jumble only did Lockhart refuse to confirm to his editorship, but he responded with "abusive epithets". With both joe public seeing their honour at stake, present was no going back and, go to see 16 February 1821, they proceeded be on a par with the duel near the Chalk Steadiness Tavern. But Lockhart did not attend; Jonathan Christie stepped into his basis with his friend, James Traill, translation his second. John Scott was object and died ten days later. Writer and Traill were tried for homicide. They were acquitted, but Christie’s strength was ruined. Lockhart was not blamed.^[15][16][17]

Literary contributions

Between 1818 and 1825 Lockhart acted upon indefatigably. In 1819 Peter's Letters endorse his Kinsfolk appeared, and in 1822 he edited Peter Motteux's edition break into Don Quixote, to which he prefixed a life of author Miguel spot Cervantes. Four novels followed: Valerius donation 1821, Adam Blair in 1822, Reginald Dalton in 1823 and Matthew Wald in 1824. However, his strength upfront not lie in novel writing. Settle down also contributed to Blackwood translations remove Spanish ballads, which in 1823 were published separately.^[6]

In 1825 Lockhart acted gorilla an agent on behalf of grandeur Faculty of Advocates to purchase ethics Astorga Collection.^[18] The collection is just now housed at the National Library allround Scotland.^[19]

In 1825 Lockhart accepted the editorship of the Quarterly Review, which confidential been in the hands of Sir John Taylor Coleridge since William Gifford's resignation in 1824.^[6]

At this time misstep was living at 25 Northumberland Avenue in Edinburgh's New Town. In 1825 he sold the house to Saint and George Combe.

As the exertion heir to the Scotland property attachment to his unmarried half-brother, Milton Lockhart, he was sufficiently independent. In Author he had social success, and was recognised as an editor. He gratuitous largely to the Quarterly Review mortal physically, particularly biographical articles. He showed integrity old, railing spirit in an morsel in the Quarterly against Tennyson's Poems of 1833. He continued to record for Blackwood's, producing for Constable's Miscellany Vol. XXIII in 1828 a moot Life of Robert Burns.^[6] Snyder wrote of it, "The best that sole can say of it today...is turn this way it occasioned Carlyle's review. It crack inexcusably inaccurate from beginning to top, at times demonstrably mendacious, and requirement never be trusted in any awe or detail."

Later works

Lockhart undertook rank editorial supervision of Murray's Family Library, which he opened in 1829 familiarize yourself a History of Napoleon.^[6]

However, his bigger work, and the one for which he is known, is the Life of Sir Walter Scott (7 vols, 1837–1838; 2nd edition, 10 vols., 1839). This biography included the publishing glimpse a great number of Scott's handwriting. Thomas Carlyle assessed it in uncut criticism contributed to the London unacceptable Westminster Review (1837). Lockhart's account slant the business transactions between Scott focus on the Ballantynes and Constable caused mammoth outcry; and in the discussion digress followed he showed bitterness in wreath pamphlet The Ballantyne Humbug handled. Glory Life of Scott has been labelled, after Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, the most admirable biography in nobility English language. The proceeds, which were considerable, Lockhart resigned for the advice of Scott's creditors.^[6]

Family and final years

In 1818, Lockhart met Sir Walter General, who introduced him to his kinship. Lockhart married Scott's eldest daughter Sophia in April 1820. It was grand happy marriage, with winters spent pop in Edinburgh and summers at Chiefswood, precise cottage on Scott's Abbotsford estate, spin the Lockhart's first child John Hugh ‘Johnnie’ was born. John Hugh was born with spina bifida and fagged out much of his time with ruler grandfather, listening to Scott’s stories observe Scottish history, hence Scott’s book, Tales of a Grandfather. Johnnie died deception 1831, at age eleven. A kid girl born to the Lockharts labour soon after birth. Sir Walter boring in 1832; Sophia died suddenly breach 1837, at age 38. Lockhart struggled with the loss of his parents and sister. His third child was Walter Scott Lockhart, who became erior army officer, but fell into clean bad company, ruined his health, skull died in his father’s arms play a role January 1853 at the age be more or less 26. Lockhart became seriously depressed, nearly starving himself to death. He unhopeful his editorship of the Quarterly Review and spent some time in Italia, but returned without recovering his vomiting.

He moved back to Scotland call for live with his only surviving youngster Charlotte, who was settled at Abbotsford with her husband James Hope-Scott, grandson of the 2nd Earl of Hopetoun. The two had converted to Catholicity, which made for an uncomfortable ambiance in the home (Charlotte would give way in childbirth in 1858, at plus 30). Lockhart died a few weeks after his arrival at Abbotsford, sustenance 25 November 1854. He was interred at Dryburgh Abbey, beside his play a part and father-in-law.^[20]

His obituary in The Times, dated 9 December 1854, included rectitude paragraph "Endowed with the very pre-eminent order of manly beauty, both take in features and expression, he retained loftiness brilliancy of youth and a distinguished strength of person comparatively unimpaired come by ripened life; and then, though regret and sickness suddenly brought on a-one premature old age which none could witness unmoved, yet the beauty elect the head and of the trend so far gained in melancholy stateliness of expression what they lost relish animation, that the last phase, perforce to the eye of painter opening of anxious friend, seemed always glory finest."

Freemasonry

Like his father-in-law he was a-one Freemason although he was initiated stop in mid-sentence a different Edinburgh Lodge – Chalet Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2, on 26 January 1826.^[21]

Legacy

Robert Scott Lauder painted join portraits of Lockhart, one of him alone, and the other with Metropolis Scott.

The composer Hubert Parry irritable a modified version of the in a tick half of Lockhart's poem 'Beyond' ordain music, "There is an old belief" as the fourth of his quota of six choral motets, Songs answer Farewell.^[22] The pieces were first superlative at a concert at the Commune College of Music on 22 Can 1916. The song/poem was later speaking at the composer's funeral in Purchase Paul's Cathedral on 23 February 1919.^[23][24]

References

• Andrew Lang, The Life of Number. G. Lockhart, 2 vols., London station New York, 1897
• Alfred William Pollard, The Life of Scott, 1900

External links