Samuel Wesley (poet)

Samuel Wesley (1662 - April 5, 1735), is now known as the father of

Related Topics:
1662 - April 5 - 1735

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a great religious leader, John Wesley; in his own time he was known to many as a poet and a writer of controversial prose.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His poetic career began in 1685 with

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the publication of Maggots, a collection of juvenile verses on trivial subjects,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the preface to which, a frothy concoction, apologizes to the reader

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

because the book is neither grave nor gay. The first poem, "On a Maggot,"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

is composed in hudibrastics, with a diction obviously Butlerian, and it is

Related Topics:
Hudibrastics - Butlerian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

followed by facetious poetic dialogues and by Pindarics of the Cowleian sort

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

but on such subjects as "On the Grunting of a Hog." In 1688 Wesley took his

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

B.A, at Exeter College, Oxford, following which he became a naval chaplain

Related Topics:
Exeter College - Oxford

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and, in 1690, rector of South Ormsby; he became rector of Epworth in 1695.

Related Topics:
1690 - South Ormsby - Epworth - 1695

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the run of the Athenian Gazette (1691-1697) he joined with Richard Sault and John Norris in assisting John Dunton, the promoter of the undertaking.

Related Topics:
1691 - 1697 - Richard Sault - John Norris - John Dunton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His second venture in poetry, the Life of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

an epic largely in heroic couplets with a prefatory discourse on heroic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

poetry, appeared in 1693, was reissued in 1694, and was honored with a second

Related Topics:
1693 - 1694

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

edition in 1697. In 1695 he dutifully came forward with Elegies, lamenting

Related Topics:
1697 - 1695

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the deaths of Queen Mary II and Archbishop Tillotson. An Epistle to a Friend

Related Topics:
Queen Mary II - Archbishop Tillotson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

concerning Poetry (1700) was followed by at least four other volumes of verse,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the last of which was issued in 1717. His poetry appears to have had readers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

on a certain level, but it stirred up little pleasure among wits, writers,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

or critics. Judith Drake confessed that she was lulled to sleep by

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blackmore's Prince Arthur and by Wesley's "heroics" (Essay in Defence of the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Female Sex, 1696, p. 50). And he was satirized as a mare poetaster in Garth's

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dispensary, in Swift's The Battle of the Books, and in the earliest issues

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of the Dunciad. Nobody today would care to defend his poetry for its esthetic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

merits.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For a few years in the early eighteenth century Wesley found himself

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

in the vortex of controversy. Brought up in the dissenting tradition, he

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

had swerved into conformity at some point during the 1680's, possibly under

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the influence of Tillotson, whom he greatly admired (of. Epistle to a

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friend, pp. 5-6). In 1702 there appeared his Letter from a Country Divine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

to his friend in London concerning the education of dissenters in their private

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

academies, apparently written about 1693. This attack upon dissenting

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

academies was published at an unfortunate time, when the public mind

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

was inflamed by the intolerance of overzealous churchmen. Wesley was furiously

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

answered; he replied in A Defence of a Letter (1704), and again in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Reply to Mr. Palmer's Vindication (1707). It is scarcely to Wesley's credit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

that in this quarrel he stood shoulder to shoulder with that most hot-headed

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of all contemporary bigots, Henry Sacheverell. His prominence in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the controversy earned him the ironic compliments of Defoe, who recalled

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

that our "Mighty Champion of this very High-Church Cause" had once written

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a poem to satirize frenzied Tories (Review, II, no. 87, Sept. 22, 1705).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About a week later Defoe, having got wind of a collection being taken up,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

for Wesley--who in consequence of a series of misfortunes was badly in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

debt--intimated that High-Church pamphleteering had turned out very profitably

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

for both Lesley and Wesley (Oct. 2, 1705). But in such snarling

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and bickering Wesley was out of his element, and, he seems to have avoided

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

future quarrels.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His literary criticism is small in bulk. But though it is neither

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

brilliant nor well written (Wesley apparently composed at a break-neck

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

clip), it is not without interest. Pope observed in 1730 that he was a

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"learned" man (letter to Swift, in Works, ed. Elwin-Courthope, VII, 184).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The observation was correct, but it should be added that Wesley matured

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

at the end of an age famous for its great learning, an age whose most distinguished

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

poet was so much the scholar that he appeared more the pedant

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

than the gentleman to critics of the succeeding era; Wesley was not singular

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

for erudition among his seventeenth-century contemporaries.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The "Essay on Heroic Poetry," serving as Preface to The Life of Our

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blessed Lord and Saviour, reveals something of its author's erudition.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Among the critics, he was familiar with Aristotle, Horace, Longinus, Dlonysius

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of Halicarnasseus, Heinsius, Bochart, Balzac, Rapin, Le Bossu, and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boileau. But this barely hints at the extent of his learning. In the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

notes on the poem itself the author displays an interest in classical

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

scholarship, Biblical commentary, ecclesiastical history, scientific inquiry,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

linguistics and philology, British antiquities, and research into the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

history, customs, architecture, and geography of the Holy Land; he shows,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

an intimate acquaintance with Grotius, Henry Hammond, Joseph Mede, Spanheim,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sherlock, Lightfoot, and Gregory, with Philo, Josephus, Fuller,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Walker, Camden, and Kircher; and he shows an equal readiness to draw upon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cudworth's True Intellectual System and Boyle's new theories concerning

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the nature of light. In view of such a breadth of knowledge it is somewhat

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

surprising to find him quoting as extensively as he does in the "Essay"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

from Le Bossu and Rapin, and apparently leaning heavily upon them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The "Essay" was composed at a time when the prestige of Rymer and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

neo-Aristotelianism in England was already declining, and though Wesley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

expressed some admiration for Rapin and Le Bossu, he is by no means docile

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

under their authority. Whatever the weight of authority, he says,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I see no cause why Poetry should not be brought to the Test ,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

as well as Divinity...." As to the sacred example of Homer, who based his

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

great epic on mythology, Wesley remarks, "But this being now

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

antiquated, I cannot think we are oblig'd superstitiously to follow his

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Example, any more than to make Horses speak, as he does that of Achilles."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To the question of the formidable Boileau, "What Pleasure can it be to

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

hear the howlings of repining Lucifer?" our critic responds flippantly,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I think 'tis easier to answer than to find out what shew of Reason he had

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

for asking it, or why Lucifer mayn't howl as pleasantly as either Cerberus,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

or Knoeladus." Without hesitation or apology he takes issue with

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rapin's conception of Decorum in the epic. But Wesley is empiricist as

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

well as rationalist, and the judgment of authority can be upset by appeal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

to the court of experience. To Balzac's suggestion that, to avoid difficult

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and local proper names in poetry, generalized terms be used, such as

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ill-luck for the Fates and the Foul Fiend for Lucifer, our critic replies with jaunty irony, "... and whether this wou'd not sound extreamly Heroical,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I leave any Man to judge," and thus he dismisses the matter. Similarly,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

when Rapin objects to Tasso's mingling of lyric softness in the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

majesty of the epic, Wesley points out sharply that no man of taste will

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

part with the fine scenes of tender love in Tasso, Dryden, Ovid, Ariosto,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and Spenser "for the sake of a fancied Regularity." He had set out to defend

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the Biblical epic, the Christian epic, and the propriety of Christian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

machines in epic, and no rules or authority could deter him. As good an example

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

as any of his independence of mind can be seen In a note on Bk. I,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

apropos of the poet's use of obsolete words (Life of Our Blessed Lord, 1697,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

p. 27): It may be in vicious imitation of Milton and Spenser, he says in effect,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

but I have a fondness for old words, they please my ear, and that is

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

all the reason I can give for employing them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wesley's resistance to a strict application of authority and the rules

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

grew partly out of the rationalistic and empirical temper of Englishmen in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

his age, but it also sprang from his learning. From various sources he drew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the theory that Greek and Latin were but corrupted forms of ancient Phoenician,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and that the degeneracy of Greek and Latin in turn had produced all,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

or most, of the present European tongues (ibid., p. 354). In addition, he believed

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

that the Greeks had derived some of their thought from older civilizations,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and specifically that Plato had received many of his notions from

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the Jews (ibid., p. 230)--an idea which recalls the argument that Dryden in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Religio Laioi had employed against the deists, furthermore, he had, like

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

many of his learned contemporaries, a profound respect for Hebrew culture and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the sublimity of the Hebrew scriptures, going so far as to remark in the "Essay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

on Heroic Poetry" that "most, even of beat Fancies

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and Images, as well as Names, were borrow'd from the Antient Hebrew Poetry

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and Divinity." In short, however faulty his particular conclusions, he had

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

arrived at an historical viewpoint, from which it was no longer possible to

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

regard the classical standards--much less the standards of French critics--as

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

having the holy sanction of Nature herself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some light is shed on the literary tastes of his period by Epistle to a friend concerning poetry (1700) and the Essay on Heroic Poetry" (1697), which with a few exceptions were in accord with the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

prevailing current. The Life of Our Blessed Lord" shows strongly the influence

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of Cowley's Davideis. Wesley's great admiration persisted after the tide had

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

turned away from Cowley; and his liking for the "divine Herbert" and for

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crashaw represented the tastes of sober and unfashionable readers. In spite

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of the fact that he professed unbounded admiration for Homer as the greatest

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

genius in nature, in practise he seemed more inclined to follow the lead

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of Cowley, Virgil, and Vida. Although there was much in Ariosto that he enjoyed,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

he preferred Tasso; the irregularities in both, however, he felt bound

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

to deplore. To Spenser's Faerie Queene he allowed extraordinary merit. If

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the plan of it was noble, he thought, and the mark of a comprehensive genius,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

yet the action of the poem seemed confused. Nevertheless, like Prior later,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wesley was inclined to suspend judgment on this point because the poem had

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

been left incomplete. To Spenser's "thoughts" he paid the highest tribute,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and to his "Expressions flowing natural and easie, with such a prodigious

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poetical Copia as never any other must expect to enjoy." Like most of the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Augustans Wesley did not care greatly for Paradise Regained, but he partly

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

atoned by his praise for Paradise Lost, which was an "original" and therefore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"above the common Rules." Though defective in its action, it was resplendent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

with sublime thoughts perhaps superior to any in Virgil or Homer, and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

full of incomparable and exquisitely moving passages. In spite of his belief

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

that Milton's blank verse was a mistake, making for looseness and incorrectness,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

he borrowed lines and images from it, and in Bk. IV of The Life of Our

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blessed Lord he incorporated a whole passage of Milton's blank verse in the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

midst of his heroic couplets.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wesley's attitude toward Dryden deserves a moment's pause. In the "Essay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

on Heroic Poetry" he observed that a speech of Satan's in Paradise Lost

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

is nearly equalled in Dryden's State of Innocence. Later in the same essay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

he credited a passage in Dryden's King Arthur with showing an improvement

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

upon Tasso. There is no doubt as to his vast respect for the greatest living

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

poet, but his remarks do not indicate that he ranked Dryden with Virgil,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tasso, or Milton; for he recognized as well as we that the power to embellish

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and to imitate successfully does not constitute the highest excellence

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

in poetry. In the Epistle to a Friend he affirmed his admiration for Dryden's

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

matchless style, his harmony, his lofty strains, his youthful fire,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and even his wit--in the main, qualities of style and expression. But by

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1700 Wesley had absorbed enough of the new puritanism that was rising in

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

England to qualify his praise; now he deprecated the looseness and indecency

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

of the poetry, and called upon the poet to repent. One other point calls

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

for comment. Wesley's scheme for Christian machinery in the epic, as described

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

in the "Essay on Heroic Poetry," is remarkably similar to Dryden's.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dryden's had appeared in the essay on satire prefaced to his translation of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Juvenal, published late in October, 1692; Wesley's scheme appeared soon after

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

June, 1693.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Epistle to a Friend concerning Poetry is neither startling nor contemptible;

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

it has, in fact, much more to say than the rhymed treatises on

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

verse by Roscommon and Buckinghamshire. Ita remarks on Genius are fresh,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

though tantalizing in their brevity, and it defends the Moderns with both

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

neatness and energy. Much of its advice is cautious and commonplace--but

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

such was the tradition of the poetical treatise on verse. Appearing within

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

two years of Collier's first attack upon the stage, it reinforces some of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

that worthy's contentions, but we are not aware of its having had much effect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~