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THE

LIFE OF RICHARD OWEN CAMBRIDGE,

BY MR. CHALMERS.

RICHARD CAMBRIDGE was born in London, Feb. 14, 1717, of ancestors belonging to the county of Gloucester. His father, who was a younger brother, had been bred to business as a Turkey merchant, and died in London not long after the birth of his son, the care of whom then devolved on his mother and his maternal uncle Thomas Owen, esq. who adopted him as his future representative. He was sent to Eton school, where quickness of parts supplied the place of diligence, and although he was averse to the routine of stated tasks, he stored his mind with classical knowledge, and amused it by an eager perusal of works addressed to the imagination. He became early attached to the best English poets, and to those miscellaneous writers who delineate human life and character. A taste likewise for the beauties of rural nature began to display itself at this period, which he afterwards exemplified at his seat in Gloucestershire, and that at Twickenham.

In 1734, he entered as a gentleman commoner of St. John's College, Oxford, and, without wishing to be thought a laborious scholar, omitted no opportunity of improving his mind in such studies as were suitable to his age and future prospects. His first, or one of his first poetical effusions was on the Marriage of the Prince of Wales, which was published with the other verses composed at Oxford on the same occasion. In 1737, he became a member of Lincoln's Inn, where he found many men of wit and congenial habits, but as he had formerly declined taking a degree at Oxford, he had now as little inclination to pursue the steps that lead to the bar, and in 1741, in his twentyfourth year, he married Miss Trenchard, the second daughter of George Trenchard, esq. of Woolverton in Dorsetshire, a lady who contributed to his happiness for upwards of half a century, and by whom he had a family equally amiable and affectionate. She died Sept. 5, 1806, having survived her husband four years.

He now settled at his family seat of Whitminster in Gloucestershire, for seven or eight years, where his life, though easy and independent, was never idle or useless. While he continued to cultivate polite literature, his more active hours were employed in heightening the beauties of the scenery around his seat; for this purpose he made the little river Stroud navigable for some distance, and not only constructed boats for

pleasure or carriage, but introduced some ingenious improvements in that branch of naval architecture, which were approved by the most competent judges. In one of these boats or barges, he had the honour to receive the prince and princess of Wales, and other distinguished visitors, who were delighted with the elegance of his taste, and the novelty and utility of his various plans. For the sports of the field he had little relish; not, however, from a motive of tenderness, for he practised the bow and arrow, and we read, but with no great pleasure, that "the head of a duck, swimming in the river, was a favourite mark, which he seldom missed." As he ever endeavoured to unite knowledge with amusement, he studied the history of archery, and became a connoisseur in its weapons as used by modern and ancient nations. The collection he formed while this pursuit occupied his attention, he afterwards sent to sir Ashton Lever's museum.

During his residence at Whitminster, he wrote his most celebrated poem, The Scribleriad. The design he imparted to some of his particular friends, and communicated his progress from time to time. He had naturally a rich fund of humour, which he could restrain within the bounds of delicacy, or expand to the burlesque, as his subject required, and the topics which he introduced had evidently been the result of a course of multifarious reading. But such was his diffidence in his own powers, or in the sincerity of his friends who praised his labours, that he laid his poem aside for many years after it was completed, until he could ascertain, by their impatience, that they consulted his reputation in advising him to publish it.

In consequence of the death of his uncle (in 1748) to whom he was heir, he added the name of Owen to his own. He now took a house in London, but after about two years residence, finding the air of London disagree with himself and with Mrs. Cambridge, he purchased a villa at Twickenham, immediately opposite Richmond hill. He quitted at the same time his seat in Gloucestershire, and with it all desire of farther change, for he resided at Twickenham during the remainder of his very long life. How much he improved this villa, cannot now be remembered by many: two generations have admired it only in its improved state. His mode of living has been af fectionately yet justly described by his biographer. He was at once hospitable and economical, accessible and yet retired. By his knowledge and manners he was fitted to the highest company, yet although his circle was extensive, he soon learned to select his associates, and visiting became a pleasing relief, instead of a perpetual interruption.

The same year in which he commenced his establishment at Twickenham, he became known to the public, as the author of the Scribleriad, which was published in 1751. Some of his lesser poems succeeded. The Dialogue between a Member of Parliament and his Servant, in 1752; The Intruder, in 1754; and The Fakeer, in 1756. About the same time he appeared as a writer in The World, to which he contributed twenty-one papers, which are unquestionably among the best in that collection. Lord Chesterfield, who knew and respected him, drew the following character in one of his own excellent papers.

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Cantabrigius drinks nothing but water, and rides more miles in a year than the keenest sportsman: the former keeps his head clear, the latter his body in health: it is not from himself that he runs, but to his acquaintance, a synonimous term for his

friends. Internally safe he seeks no sanctuary from himself, no intoxication for his mind. His penetration makes him discover and divert himself with the follies of mankind, which his wit enables him to expose with the truest ridicule, though always without personal offence. Cheerful abroad because happy at home, and thus happy because virtuous 1."

On the commencement of the war with France in 1756, in the events of which he appears to have taken a more lively interest than could have been expected from a man of his retired disposition, he was induced to undertake a History of the Rise and Progress of the British Power in India, in order to enlighten the public mind in the nature and importance of that acquisition. At first he intended that this work should be on a very large scale, but as recent events demanded such information as could be immediately procured, and promised to be useful, he produced his History of the War upon the Coast of Coromandel, which was published in 1761. He then resumed his original design, and obtained permission from the East India Company to inspect such of their papers as might be requisite." He had also a promise of Mr. Orme's papers, but that gentleman happening to return from India at this juncture, with an intention to publish himself the history which afterwards appeared, Mr. Cambridge considered that his own work would now be in a great measure superfluous, and therefore relinquished the further prosecution of his plan 2." What he had published, however, was considered as an important memoir of the period it embraced, and as a fair and correct statement of the French proceedings in India; and it served to introduce him more into the study of India affairs, in which he ever afterwards delighted. It led him also to an intimate acquaintance with lord Clive, general Carnac, Mr. Scrafton, major Pearson, Mr. Varelst, general Caliaud, Mr. Hastings, and others, who had gained distinguished reputation by their services in the East.

Mr. Cambridge survived the publication of this work above forty years, but appeared no more before the public as an author. Many of the smaller pieces now added to his works, were written as amusements for his friends, and circulated only in private. The long remainder of his life passed in the enjoyment of all that elegant and polished society could yield. Most of the friendships of his youth were those of his advanced age, and they were contracted with such men as are not often found within the reach of a stationary individual. At Eton, he became acquainted with Bryant, Gray, West, Walpole, Dr. Barnard, and Dr. Cooke; at Lincoln's Inn, he found Mr. Henry Bathurst, afterwards lord chancellor, the hon. Charles Yorke, Mr. Wray, and Mr. Edwards. To these he afterwards added lord Anson, Dr. Atwell, bishop Benson, ́sir Charles Williams, Mr. Henry Fox, Mr. William Whitehead, Villiers lord Clarendon, lord Granville, lord Lyttelton, Mr. Grenville, lord Chesterfield, Mr. Pitt, lord Bath, lord Egremont, Soame Jenyns, lord Hardwicke, admiral Boscawen, lord Barrington, James Harris, Andrew Stone, bishop Egerton, lord Camelford, Welbore Ellis, lord North, Garrick, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Porteus, Low bishop of London, and the

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1 This character stands at the close of a paper written to expose the folly and ill effects of hard drinking and lord Chesterfield names my father, who was a water drinker, as a living example of one, who did not require the exhilirating aid of wine to enliven his wit or increase his vivacity." Life of Mr. Cambridge, by his Son, prefixed to his works, p. 44. C.

2 Life, ubi supra.

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