Jarnes Arbuckle (1700-42) was a poet and essayist, born in Belfast, educated at Glasgow University, whose career flourished in Glasgow and Dublin, principally in the period 1717-1730. In Scotland he published three long poems and a series of translations of Horace's Odes. He moved to Dublin as a protege of the 'commonwealthman' Viscount Molesworth. There he published essays, translations and poems, principally as editor and chief contributor to the Dublin Weekly Journal. It is best known as the source of his friend Francis Hutcheson's first work. Arbuckle enjoyed moderate success in his lifetime but has been little regarded since, and his literary work has not been the subject of sustained analysis. He has been noted in scholarly discussion of others, particularly Hutcheson, the so-called 'Molesworth circle' and his Scottish friend Allan Ramsay. He has also featured in Swift studies as his Dublin contemporary, and as author of a satire on Swift, A Panegyric on the Rev Dean Swift, sometimes thought to be Swift's own work. The relationship with Swift has probably governed his reputation. He was the victim of series of satires from Swift's circle, who set out to imitate Pope in attacking the 'Dublin dunces'. As a 'polite' Whig of Presbyterian background, with associations to Scotland and Ulster, he represented much of what Swift detested. This study examines his work in the context of his time, drawing on literary, philosophical and political sources. It gives equal weight to his Scottish and Irish periods. In each case an introductory chapter is followed by individual analysis of his most important works, in Scotland his three long poems, in Ireland his essays, as they deal respectively with literary matters, Hutcheson, Whig politics, Irish religious politics and Swift.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:570851 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Holmes, Richard William Finlay |
| Publisher | University of Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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