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The celebrated
Greek critic, Richard Dawes, was born in 1708. It is
supposed that Market-Bosworth, in Leicestershire, is the
place of his birth, and that his father was a Dr. Dawes,
a great scholar, and a searcher after the philosopher's
stone. However this may be, he was put to the free
grammar-school at Bosworth, of which Mr. Blackwall was
master. In 1725, he was admitted a sizar of Emanuel
College, Cambridge, where he proceeded A. B. in 1729. He
became a fellow of the college in 1731, and, two years
afterwards, took his degree of A. M. While at the
university, he distinguished himself by some
peculiarities of conduct, which probably arose from a
mixture of insanity in his constitution; and in his
conversation he occasionally took such liberties on
certain topics as gave great offence to those about him.
Having indulged himself too much, at college, in an
indolent, sedentary way of life, he, at length, found it
absolutely necessary to have recourse to some kind of
exercise. In this case, being of a strong, athletic
frame of body, and not over-delicate in the choice of
his company, he took to the practice of ringing; and, as
such a genius could not stop at mediocrity, he quickly
became the leader of the band, and carried the art to
the highest perfection. In 1736, he published proposals
for printing, by subscription, "Paradisi amissi, a cl.
Miltono conscripti, Liber primus, Gręca versione donatus,
una cum Annotationibus." These proposals were
accompanied with a specimen, which may be seen in the
preface to the Miscellanea Critica, where our author
explains his reasons for not proceeding in his
undertaking, and very ingenuously points out the errors
of his own performance. It was customary with him, in
conversation, humourously to expose his version to
ridicule; and, therefore, though he had actually
completed his design, by translating the whole first
book of the Paradise Lost, it is no wonder that he did
not commit it to the press.
In October, 1738, after Mr. Dawes' appointment to the
mastership of the grammar-school here, he was also made
master of St. Mary's Hospital. While occupying this
station, he was indefatigable in prosecuting his
inquiries into the nature, peculiarities, and elegancies
of the Greek tongue; and accordingly, in 1745, he
published his "Miscellanea Critica." Mr. Hubbard, of
Emanuel College, Cambridge, and Dr. Mason, of Trinity,
assisted in the publication. It was Mr. Dawes design, in
this work, to afford such a specimen of his critical
abilities, as should enable the learned world to judge
what might be expected from him, in an edition which he
had projected of all the Attic poets, as well as of
Homer and Pindar. Though his scheme was never carried
into execution, he has obtained, by his "Miscellanea
Critica," a very high place among those who have
contributed to the promotion of Greek learning in
England, and, as such, his name will be transmitted with
honour to posterity. Accordingly, the book has been
spoken of in terms of distinguished applause by some of
the first literary characters in Europe, particularly
Valkener, Pierson, Koen, and Reiske. A second edition of
it, in 8vo. was given in 1781, from the Clarendon press,
by the Rev. Mr. Burgess, of Corpus Christi College,
Oxford, now bishop of Salisbury, who has enriched the
work with a learned preface, and a number of notes of
great value and importance, and some assistance from
Dawes' MSS. procured by Dr. Farmer and Mr. Salter.
Mr. Dawes' disturbed imagination rendered him very
unhappy. At last, he became involved in altercations
with the corporation; when he adopted a singular method
of displaying his resentment, or rather his contempt;
for, in teaching the boys at school, he made them
translate the Greek word for ass into alderman which
some of the lads did seriously, though otherwise well
instructed. With such a disposition of mind, it is not
surprising that his scholars were, at length, reduced to
a very small number; so that it became expedient for him
to consent to quit his station. Accordingly, at
Midsummer, 1749, he resigned the mastership of the
grammar-school, and the mastership of St. Mary's
Hospital; and, in consideration of these sacrifices, the
mayor and burgesses of Newcastle, on the 25th of
September following, executed a bond, by which they
engaged to grant him an annuity of £80 a year during
life. After this, he retired to Heworth Shore, on the
south banks of the Tyne, where his favourite amusement
was the exercise of rowing in a boat. He preserved to
the last that splenetic humour which had led him to
treat Dr. Bentley and other distinguished scholars with
contempt. He died at Heworth, on March 21, 1766, aged 57
years. Long before his death, he had been afflicted with
an incontinence of urine. Agreeably to his own request,
he was interred in Heworth church-yard, where a common
grave-stone, ornamented with vile sculpture, and
containing an ill-spelt epitaph, recorded the end of
this eminent, though eccentric man. But a marble tablet
to his memory has lately been erected in the church,
through the exertions of the Rev. John Hodgson,
perpetual curate of Heworth and Jarrow. Dr. Burgess,
bishop of Salisbury, was a liberal contributor.
Dr. Burney has pronounced a beautiful eulogium upon this
profound scholar; and Bowyer, the learned printer, in
his dissertation, "de vero medio vocis usu," prefixed to
his edition of Kuster, thus compliments him, when he has
occasion to cite his authority:"Ut monet [Ellenchotatoks]
R. Dawes, Misc. Crit. p. 177, 8." Holwell, Morell,
Phorson, and others, have mentioned Dawes in a similar
manner.Bio. Brit. Nichols' Lit. Anec. Birch's Crit.
Dict. vol. vii. p. 587. Brand's New. vol. i. p. 96.
From: 'Institutions for Education: The Royal Free
Grammar School', Historical Account of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Including the Borough of Gateshead
(1827), pp. 415-443.
Below is a page from "A Descriptive and Historical
Account of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne
including the Borough of Gateshead. Vol. 1 by E.
Mackenzie. 1827. Scroll down for photographs. |
