33:
605:
1106:
1175:
22:
430:'s verdict on the book was that it was "the most acute and accurate piece of criticism since the days of Bentley." But it was then the unpopular side: the publisher is said to have lost money on the book; and one of his early friends, Mrs Turner of Norwich, cut down a legacy she had left Porson to £30 on being told that he had written a book against the Bible.
228:(i. e. with the third best result of those achieving a second-class degree in that year), obtaining soon afterwards the first Chancellor's Medal for classical studies. The same year he was elected a fellow of Trinity, an unusual appointment for a junior bachelor of arts, under a regulation which lasted until 1818. Porson graduated MA in 1785.
85:, kept by Mr Summers, where his extraordinary powers of memory and aptitude for arithmetic were discovered. His literary skill was partly due to the efforts of Summers, who long afterwards stated that in fifty years of scholastic life he had never come across boys so clever as Porson and his two brothers. He was well grounded in
576:
In 1795 there appeared from Foulis's press at
Glasgow an edition of Aeschylus in folio, printed with the same type as the Glasgow Homer, without a word of preface or any clue to the editor. Many new readings were inserted in the text with an asterisk affixed, while an obelus was used to mark many
89:
by
Summers, remaining with him for three years. His father also took pains with his education, making him repeat at night the lessons he had learnt in the day. He would frequently repeat perfectly a lesson he had learnt one or two years before and never seen in the interval. For books he had only
184:
Porson did not care for Eton, but he was popular there; two dramas he wrote for performance in Long
Chamber (the scholars' dormitory) were remembered. His memory was noticed; but he seems not to have lived up to expectations, as his composition was weak, and he fell behind through gaps in his
497:
took the lead, and enough was collected to produce about £100 a year. He accepted it on the condition that he should receive the interest during his lifetime and that the principal should be returned to the donors on his death. When this occurred, part of the sum was used to found the
533:. Porson was elected without opposition and held the chair until his death. The duties consisted of taking a part in the examinations for the university scholarships and classical medals. It was said he wished to give lectures; but lecturing was not in fashion in those days.
726:. He married Perry's sister, Mrs Lunan, in November 1796. Porson then drank less; but she died a few months after her marriage (12 April 1797), and he returned to his chambers in the Temple and his old habits. Perry's friendship induced him to spend his time in writing for
489:, who had the nomination to one of the two permanent lay fellowships, used his privilege to nominate John Heys, his nephew. Porson was without means of support, but a subscription was got up among his friends to provide an annuity;
769:, his books with his notes, and some letters from foreign scholars, was bought by Trinity College for 1000 guineas. His notebooks were careful; they have been rearranged, and illustrate his penmanship. Much remains unpublished.
1021:
1039:
977:
733:
For some months before his death he had appeared to be failing; his memory was not what it had been, and he had some symptoms of intermittent fever, but on 19 September 1808 he was seized in the street with a fit of
675:
appeared in 1808, and he left corrected copies of the other plays, of which new editions appeared soon after his death; but these four plays were all that was finished of the projected edition of the poet.
315:, and the editorship was offered to Porson; but he declined to reprint Stanley's corrupt text and incorporate the variorum notes. He was especially anxious that the Medicean manuscript at
530:
109:
659:
in 1801, the last printed at the
Cambridge press, and with the editor's name on the title page. But there are many allusions to his antagonists in the notes; and in the
146:
158:
582:
525:
were written. At Hatton, in the evenings, he would collect the young men of the house about him and pour forth from memory torrents of literature. In 1792 the
570:
189:. In 1777 his patron John Norris died; but contributions from Etonians helped fund his maintenance at the university, and he found a new patron in Sir
1121:
1080:
713:, Porson was appointed principal librarian, with a salary of £200 a year and a suite of rooms. This assured him financial ease in his latter years.
288:
that
Ruhnken had come across in his collection of unpublished lexicons and grammarians, and sending him his restoration of a corrupt passage in the
117:
1235:
173:, then assistant tutor; the result was so favourable that Norris decided in 1773 to provide for his education. It was impossible to get him into
1220:
129:
When Porson was eleven, the rector of East Ruston took charge of his education. Thomas Hewitt taught him with his own boys, taking him through
224:
Porson became a scholar of
Trinity in 1780, won the Craven university scholarship in 1781, and took his degree of BA in 1782, as third senior
1230:
1215:
1210:
375:'s book published at Oxford. These first made Porson's name known as a scholar and carried his fame beyond England. The letters he had from
348:. These are a good example of the terse style of Latin notes he practised. They also show his acquaintance with his two favourite authors,
412:. They are specimens of dry humour, and allude to English dramatists and poets. In the same periodical during 1788 and 1789 appeared the
1126:
581:
volumes, but this was kept back by the printer and not issued till 1806, still without the editor's name. It was printed from a copy of
754:
Porson did not discriminate between the manuscripts he used or point out the relative value of early copies. Thus he collates minutely
319:
should be collated for the new edition, and offered to undertake the collation; but the syndics refused the offer, the vice-chancellor
1225:
205:
or scholar) on 28 March 1778, matriculating in April. What first set his mind towards literary criticism was the gift of a copy of
663:
he holds
Hermann to scorn by name in caustic language. Hermann's attack may have provoked the supplement to the preface to the
1090:
558:
526:
77:, the eldest son of Huggin Porson, parish clerk. His mother was the daughter of a shoemaker from the neighbouring village of
765:
His library was divided into two parts, one of which was sold by auction, while the other, containing the transcript of the
1160:
683:
was published, but he put off the work. He found time, however, to execute his collation of the
Harleian manuscript of the
577:
others as corrupt. It was at once recognised as Porson's work; he had superintended the printing of a small edition in two
1179:
1205:
794:
785:, afterwards Greek professor, the notes on Aristophanes and the lexicon of Photius. Besides these, from other sources,
961:
739:
218:
994:
103:
690:
485:
In 1792 his fellowship ceased to be tenable by a layman; and Porson decided not to take holy orders. The Master,
401:
380:
808:
For the first thirty years of the 19th century, he was often regarded as the author of a very popular poem,
237:
643:, in which Porson's theories were attacked. Porson at first took no notice of either, but went on with his
438:
186:
91:
502:
in 1816 at
Cambridge, and remainder for the foundation of the Porson Scholarship, first awarded in 1855.
490:
331:
344:
was called for, and Porson was asked by the publisher to supply notes, which he did in conjunction with
566:
357:
304:
261:
162:
569:. He was pleased when he found how often in Aristophanes he had been anticipated by Bentley, and when
253:
145:; he had already made great progress in mathematics. In addition, Hewitt brought him to the notice of
573:'s collation of the unique manuscripts of Hesychius appeared and proved him right in some instances.
190:
588:
Soon after, in 1797, appeared the first instalment of what was intended to be a complete edition of
717:
562:
324:
269:
1058:
823:
810:
774:
554:
396:
376:
308:
154:
951:
790:
781:, consisting of the notes on Athenaeus and the Greek poets, and his prelection on Euripides;
722:
387:
194:
150:
81:. He was sent first to the Bacton village school, kept by John Woodrow, and then to that of
32:
1200:
1195:
755:
518:
486:
450:
281:
166:
8:
336:
198:
174:
762:, mentioning even misprints in the text. His most brilliant emendations are convincing.
252:, written in 1783. This review contains several other essays by him, including those on
706:
1086:
957:
931:
782:
742:, close to the statue of Newton, at the opposite end of the chapel to the remains of
632:
616:
469:
53:
770:
561:. This last he twice transcribed (the first transcript was destroyed by a fire at
786:
743:
433:
After 1787 Porson continued to contribute to the leading reviews, writing in the
422:
320:
245:
214:
78:
48:
819:
510:
506:
463:
667:, in the second edition published at Cambridge in 1802. There the laws of the
623:. Conceiving himself slighted, as there was no mention of his work in the new
1189:
1130:. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 106–109.
1117:
1112:
1000:
802:
694:
609:
458:
427:
417:
372:
345:
277:
206:
170:
130:
70:
585:'s edition corrected, which is preserved in the library of Trinity College.
542:
514:
499:
185:
knowledge. He went to Eton too late to have any chance of a scholarship at
178:
26:
915:
668:
565:'s house) from the original among the Gale manuscripts in the library of
494:
82:
66:
371:, though this treatise did not appear until 1790 in the new edition of
99:
505:
He continued chiefly to reside in London, in chambers in Essex Court,
738:, and after partially recovering, died on the 25th. He was buried in
710:
644:
639:
had also written a work on Greek metres and issued an edition of the
604:
589:
546:
353:
285:
735:
608:
Porson's suggested reconstruction of the missing Greek text of the
341:
316:
293:
201:(i. e. a student who paid for his tuition and board, rather than a
44:
21:
1111:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
793:
and Suidas, and Thomas Kidd collected his scattered reviews. When
689:, published in the Grenville Homer in 1801, and to present to the
90:
what his father's cottage supplied – a book or two of arithmetic,
1174:
685:
636:
134:
74:
327:), observing that Porson might collect his manuscripts at home.
292:(673–677), with the help of a nearly equally corrupt passage of
197:. With his help Porson entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as a
578:
225:
142:
115:
picked up from a wrecked coaster, and eight or ten volumes of
1056:
361:
349:
202:
86:
550:
138:
1143:
Cambridge Essays
Contributed by Members of the University
1017:
Plutarchi de Educatione Liberorum Liber, Graece et Latine
679:
Porson lived six years after the second edition of the
236:
His first appearance in print was in a short notice of
43:(25 December 1759 – 25 September 1808) was an English
918:, edited for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 1867)
1082:
Apocalypse and Millennium in English Romantic Poetry
671:metre are fully explained. A third edition of the
383:were preserved in the library of Trinity College.
834:The dates of Porson's published works are these:
1187:
118:The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure
1159:New York: Minton, Balch & Company (1928),
1057:Donald H. Reiman; Neil Fraistat, eds. (1997).
949:
509:— occasionally visiting his friends, such as
369:Notae breves ad Toupii emendationes in Suidam
868:collation of the Harleian manuscript of the
221:to whom he looked as his immediate masters.
96:An Essay towards a practical English Grammar
922:Dr. Turton's vindication appeared in 1827.
797:attacked his literary character over his
420:, on a debated Biblical verse called the
323:, master of Clare Hall (the then name of
1116:
1020:
773:, his successor as Greek professor, and
603:
541:Porson worked mainly on the tragedians,
31:
20:
1145:, London: J. W. Parker & Son (1857)
1038:
700:
527:Regius Greek Professorship at Cambridge
231:
1236:Regius Professors of Greek (Cambridge)
1188:
976:
529:became vacant with the resignation of
386:During 1787 he wrote three letters on
276:. He also began a correspondence with
213:by the headmaster of Eton; but it was
1221:Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge
1078:
1007:were collected in 1790 into a volume.
615:Porson's work did not escape attack.
521:. It was at Goodall's house that the
480:
16:English classical scholar (1759–1808)
1231:Scholars of ancient Greek literature
1216:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
1211:People from North Norfolk (district)
367:The following year Porson wrote his
169:and Collier), and the mathematician
1079:Paley, Morton D. (7 October 1999).
693:his conjectural restoration of the
25:Richard Porson, after a picture by
13:
1135:
14:
1247:
1167:
467:, and probably wrote also in the
1173:
1104:
105:Apology of the Church of England
36:Portrait of Richard Porson, 1830
1226:People educated at Eton College
716:Among his intimate friends was
406:Tracts and Criticisms of Porson
307:was proposing a new edition of
1072:
1050:
1032:
1010:
988:
970:
943:
818:). It was actually written by
461:in one or two articles in the
408:, and in a volume of Porson's
381:Johann Gottfried Jakob Hermann
57:was based on his handwriting.
1:
1150:The Library of Richard Porson
839:Notae in Xenophontis anabasin
536:
274:Apology for the Monostrophics
60:
1022:"Edwards, Thomas (EDWS776T)"
996:Letters to Archdeacon Travis
805:came forward to defend him.
599:
493:, Cleaver Banks, Burney and
414:Letters to Archdeacon Travis
124:
7:
1044:A Cambridge Alumni Database
1026:A Cambridge Alumni Database
982:A Cambridge Alumni Database
925:
455:Essay on the Greek Alphabet
65:Richard Porson was born at
47:. He was the discoverer of
10:
1252:
1206:British classical scholars
1046:. University of Cambridge.
1028:. University of Cambridge.
984:. University of Cambridge.
978:"Porson, Richard (PR778R)"
878:(Monk and Blomfield, 1812)
567:Trinity College, Cambridge
400:, which were reprinted by
358:Eustathius of Thessalonica
330:In 1786, a new edition of
305:Cambridge University Press
284:, requesting fragments of
238:Christian Gottfried Schütz
163:Trinity College, Cambridge
749:
356:, and a familiarity with
280:, the veteran scholar of
187:King's College, Cambridge
1152:. S.l.: Xlibris, 2011.
1141:Luard, H. R., 'Porson',
937:
829:
457:. He gave assistance to
270:George Isaac Huntingford
193:, then president of the
1127:Encyclopædia Britannica
824:Samuel Taylor Coleridge
775:Charles James Blomfield
377:Christian Gottlob Heine
254:Richard François Brunck
108:, an odd volume of the
1178:Quotations related to
1040:"Heys, John (HS785J2)"
950:Clarke, M. L. (2014).
740:Trinity College Chapel
691:Society of Antiquaries
612:
549:, and the lexicons of
177:and he was entered at
37:
29:
882:Tracts and Criticisms
728:The Morning Chronicle
723:The Morning Chronicle
629:diatribe extemporalis
621:Tragoediarum delectus
607:
447:Plutarch on Education
195:College of Physicians
51:. The Greek typeface
35:
24:
811:The Devil's Thoughts
789:edited his notes on
701:Later life and death
583:Jan Cornelis de Pauw
519:Hatton, Warwickshire
487:Thomas Postlethwaite
451:Richard Payne Knight
397:Gentleman's Magazine
232:Early published work
167:Thomas Postlethwaite
161:, the two tutors of
1157:English Eccentrics,
1085:. Clarendon Press.
592:–an edition of the
571:Niels Iversen Schow
517:and Samuel Parr at
445:, Thomas Edwards's
175:Charterhouse School
1059:"THE DEVIL'S WALK"
894:Notae in Pausaniam
758:'s edition of the
707:London Institution
705:In 1806, when the
613:
481:Loss of fellowship
157:to be examined by
153:, who sent him to
38:
30:
1148:Naiditch, P. G.,
1092:978-0-19-158468-8
932:Porson (typeface)
851:Letters to Travis
799:Letters to Travis
783:Peter Paul Dobree
647:, publishing the
633:Gottfried Hermann
617:Gilbert Wakefield
523:Letters to Travis
470:Analytical Review
360:'s commentary on
332:Thomas Hutchinson
45:classical scholar
1243:
1177:
1158:
1155:Bishop, Morris.
1131:
1110:
1108:
1107:
1097:
1096:
1076:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1065:
1054:
1048:
1047:
1036:
1030:
1029:
1014:
1008:
992:
986:
985:
974:
968:
967:
947:
908:(Gaisford, 1834)
896:(Gaisford, 1820)
845:Appendix to Toup
816:The Devil's Walk
814:(later entitled
771:James Henry Monk
655:in 1799 and the
619:had published a
443:Parian Chronicle
439:Joseph Robertson
437:the articles on
181:in August 1774.
1251:
1250:
1246:
1245:
1244:
1242:
1241:
1240:
1186:
1185:
1170:
1156:
1138:
1136:Further reading
1122:Porson, Richard
1120:, ed. (1911). "
1105:
1103:
1100:
1093:
1077:
1073:
1063:
1061:
1055:
1051:
1037:
1033:
1015:
1011:
993:
989:
975:
971:
964:
948:
944:
940:
928:
906:Notae in Suidam
832:
787:Thomas Gaisford
752:
744:Richard Bentley
709:was founded in
703:
602:
539:
483:
475:Critical Review
423:Comma Johanneum
392:Life of Johnson
321:John Torkington
246:Paul Henry Maty
234:
215:Richard Bentley
127:
92:James Greenwood
63:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1249:
1239:
1238:
1233:
1228:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1208:
1203:
1198:
1184:
1183:
1180:Richard Porson
1169:
1168:External links
1166:
1165:
1164:
1153:
1146:
1137:
1134:
1133:
1132:
1118:Chisholm, Hugh
1099:
1098:
1091:
1071:
1049:
1031:
1009:
987:
969:
962:
953:Richard Porson
941:
939:
936:
935:
934:
927:
924:
920:
919:
912:Correspondence
909:
903:
902:(Dobree, 1822)
900:Photii lexicon
897:
891:
890:(Dobree, 1820)
885:
879:
873:
866:
860:
854:
848:
842:
831:
828:
820:Robert Southey
795:Thomas Burgess
751:
748:
702:
699:
601:
598:
538:
535:
511:Joseph Goodall
507:Temple, London
482:
479:
464:British Critic
435:Monthly Review
426:(1 John 5:7).
410:Correspondence
309:Thomas Stanley
262:Stephen Weston
233:
230:
126:
123:
62:
59:
41:Richard Porson
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1248:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1229:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1193:
1191:
1181:
1176:
1172:
1171:
1162:
1154:
1151:
1147:
1144:
1140:
1139:
1129:
1128:
1123:
1119:
1114:
1113:public domain
1102:
1101:
1094:
1088:
1084:
1083:
1075:
1060:
1053:
1045:
1041:
1035:
1027:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1006:
1002:
1001:George Travis
998:
997:
991:
983:
979:
973:
965:
963:9781107437654
959:
956:. p. 2.
955:
954:
946:
942:
933:
930:
929:
923:
917:
913:
910:
907:
904:
901:
898:
895:
892:
889:
888:Aristophanica
886:
883:
880:
877:
874:
871:
867:
864:
861:
858:
855:
852:
849:
846:
843:
840:
837:
836:
835:
827:
825:
821:
817:
813:
812:
806:
804:
803:Thomas Turton
800:
796:
792:
788:
784:
780:
776:
772:
768:
763:
761:
757:
747:
745:
741:
737:
731:
729:
725:
724:
719:
714:
712:
708:
698:
696:
695:Rosetta Stone
692:
688:
687:
682:
677:
674:
670:
666:
662:
658:
654:
651:in 1798, the
650:
646:
642:
638:
634:
630:
627:, he wrote a
626:
622:
618:
611:
610:Rosetta Stone
606:
597:
595:
591:
586:
584:
580:
574:
572:
568:
564:
560:
556:
552:
548:
544:
534:
532:
531:William Cooke
528:
524:
520:
516:
512:
508:
503:
501:
496:
492:
488:
478:
476:
472:
471:
466:
465:
460:
459:William Beloe
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
431:
429:
428:Edward Gibbon
425:
424:
419:
418:George Travis
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
398:
393:
389:
384:
382:
378:
374:
373:Jonathan Toup
370:
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
346:Walter Whiter
343:
339:
338:
333:
328:
326:
325:Clare College
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
301:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
278:David Ruhnken
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
229:
227:
222:
220:
219:Richard Dawes
216:
212:
208:
207:Jonathan Toup
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
182:
180:
176:
172:
171:George Atwood
168:
164:
160:
159:James Lambert
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
131:Julius Caesar
122:
120:
119:
114:
113:
107:
106:
101:
97:
93:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
71:North Walsham
68:
58:
56:
55:
50:
46:
42:
34:
28:
23:
19:
1182:at Wikiquote
1149:
1142:
1125:
1081:
1074:
1062:. Retrieved
1052:
1043:
1034:
1025:
1016:
1012:
1004:
995:
990:
981:
972:
952:
945:
921:
911:
905:
899:
893:
887:
884:(Kidd, 1815)
881:
875:
869:
862:
859:(1795, 1806)
856:
850:
844:
838:
833:
815:
809:
807:
798:
778:
767:Gale Photius
766:
764:
759:
753:
732:
727:
721:
720:, editor of
715:
704:
684:
680:
678:
672:
664:
660:
656:
652:
648:
640:
631:against it.
628:
624:
620:
614:
593:
587:
575:
543:Aristophanes
540:
522:
515:Eton College
504:
500:Porson Prize
484:
474:
468:
462:
454:
446:
442:
434:
432:
421:
413:
409:
405:
395:
391:
388:John Hawkins
385:
368:
366:
335:
329:
312:
302:
297:
289:
273:
265:
258:Aristophanes
257:
249:
241:
235:
223:
210:
191:George Baker
183:
179:Eton College
128:
116:
111:
104:
95:
64:
52:
49:Porson's Law
40:
39:
27:John Hoppner
18:
1201:1808 deaths
1196:1759 births
1161:pp. 227‑244
916:H. R. Luard
865:(1797–1802)
777:edited the
718:James Perry
563:James Perry
495:Samuel Parr
402:Thomas Kidd
266:Hermesianax
151:Witton Park
147:John Norris
112:Cyclopaedia
83:Happisburgh
67:East Ruston
1190:Categories
999:, against
876:Adversaria
779:Adversaria
653:Phoenissae
537:Later work
491:Cracherode
110:Chambers'
100:John Jewel
61:Early life
863:Euripides
857:Aeschylus
791:Pausanias
711:Old Jewry
645:Euripides
600:Reception
590:Euripides
555:Hesychius
547:Athenaeus
354:Athenaeus
313:Aeschylus
290:Supplices
286:Aeschylus
242:Aeschylus
199:pensioner
155:Cambridge
125:Education
1064:13 April
1019:(1791);
926:See also
756:Lascaris
736:apoplexy
473:and the
416:against
394:for the
342:Xenophon
337:Anabasis
317:Florence
298:Eroticus
294:Plutarch
211:Longinus
1115::
1005:Letters
870:Odyssey
686:Odyssey
649:Orestes
637:Leipzig
559:Photius
404:in his
135:Terence
75:Norfolk
69:, near
1109:
1089:
1003:; the
960:
872:(1801)
853:(1790)
847:(1790)
841:(1786)
750:Legacy
681:Hecuba
673:Hecuba
669:iambic
665:Hecuba
641:Hecuba
625:Hecuba
594:Hecuba
579:octavo
551:Suidas
449:, and
282:Leiden
268:, and
250:Review
226:optime
143:Virgil
79:Bacton
54:Porson
938:Notes
830:Works
760:Medea
661:Medea
657:Medea
362:Homer
350:Plato
203:sizar
87:Latin
1087:ISBN
1066:2016
958:ISBN
822:and
557:and
379:and
352:and
303:The
217:and
141:and
139:Ovid
1124:".
635:of
513:at
453:'s
441:'s
390:'s
340:of
334:'s
311:'s
296:'s
272:'s
264:'s
256:'s
248:'s
244:in
240:'s
209:'s
149:of
102:'s
94:'s
1192::
1042:.
1024:.
980:.
826:.
801:,
746:.
730:.
697:.
596:.
553:,
545:,
477:.
364:.
300:.
260:,
137:,
133:,
121:.
98:,
73:,
1163:.
1095:.
1068:.
966:.
914:(
165:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)