, LL. D. many years an eminent schoolmaster at Hertford, and known
, LL. D. many years an eminent schoolmaster at Hertford, and known to the literary world as the
translator of Lucian, was born at Muggleswick, in the
county of Durham, in 1722. His father was a fanner, and
had a small estate of his own, which the doctor possessed
at his death. He was first educated at the village school,
and privately by the rev. Daniel Watson, who was then a
young man, and curate of that place. Afterwards he was
sent to St. Paul’s school, where he continued longer than
boys usually do, as his father could not afford to send him
to either of the universities. He is supposed to have been
once a candidate for the mastership of St. Paul’s, but the
want of a degree was fatal to his application. When still
young, however, he became usher to Dr. Hurst, who was
master of the grammar-school at Hertford, and succeeded
him in that situation, which he held for many years with
the highest credit. He was honoured with the degree o/
LL. D. from the Marischal college, Aberdeen, by the influence of Dr. Beattie. He died June 6, 1807, after experiencing a gradual decay for nearly a year before, but on
the day of his death was, as he supposed, in much better
health than usual. He was buried in St. John’s church,
Hertford, with an epitaph in Latin, written by himself, in
which he seems to reflect a little on time lost, “studits
inanibus.-
” This may probably allude to his “Translation
of Lucian,
” on which he employed many of his leisure
hours, and which was published in 5 vols. 8vo. from 1773
to 1798. It procured him considerable fame, which, however, lias been diminished, in the opinion of many, since
the appearance of Dr. Francklin’s more classical translation.
Dr. Carr’s other publications were trifles, on which himself
perhaps set no very high value “Vol. III. of Tristram
Shandy,
” in imitation of Sterne, but soon detected, 1760
“Filial Piety,
” a mock heroic, 1764, fol. and
” Eponi-na, a
Dramatic Essay, addressed to the ladies," 1765.