Caryl, John

, probably a native of Sussex, was of the Roman catholic persuasion, being secretary to queen Mary, the wife of James II. and one who followed the fortunes of his abdicating master; who rewarded him first with knighthood, and then with the honorary titles of earl Caryl and baron Dartford. How long he continued in that service is not known: but he was in England in the reign of queen Anne, and was the intimate friend of Pope, to whom he recommended the subject of the “Rape of the Lock,” and who at its publication addressed it to him. From some of his letters in the last edition of Pope’s Works, he appears to have been living in 1717; but he was not the intimate friend of Pope’s unfortunate lady, as asserted in the last edition of this Dictionary. It is plain from one of his letters, dated July 1717, that he had no knowledge of her, and asks Pope “who was the unfortunate lady you address a copy of verses to?” to which Pope does not appear to have returned any answer.

Mr. Caryl was the author of two plays: 1. “The English Princess; or, the death of Richard III.” 1667, 4to. 2. “Sir Salomon, or the cautious coxcomb,” '167 1, 4to. And in 1700 he published “The Psalms of David, translated from the Vulgate,” 12mo. In Tonson’s edition of Ovid’s | epistles, that of Briseis to Achilles is said to be by sir John Caryl; and in Nichols’s select collection of miscellany poems, vol. II. p. 1, the first eclogue of Virgil is translated by the same ingenious poet. ¹