, son to the preceding, was born at Btixted, March 16, 1730, and was educated at St. John’s
, son to the preceding, was born at
Btixted, March 16, 1730, and was educated at St. John’s
college, Cambridge, where he took his degree of B. A,.
1752, and after being elected a fellow, proceeded M. A.
1755. In 1758 he was presented to the rectory of Pepperharrow, in Surrey. He was, like his father, a man of genius
and an excellent scholar. His taste and wit gave peculiar
charms to his conversation, in which he particularly excelled. His first publication, we believe, was a copy of
Greek hexameters on the death of Frederic prince of Wales,
in the “Luctus Academias Cantabrigiensis,
” A Letter to a Friend in Italy, and
verses on reading Montfaucon.
” In concert with Mr.
Itowyer, he projected the improvement of a Latin dictionary, by reducing that of Faber from its present radical
to a regular form. One single sheet of this work was completed, when the design dropped for want of due encouragement. In 1759, he published a thanksgiving sermon,
for the victory over the French fleet; and the following
year, went as chaplain to the embassy at Madrid, and during
a residence there of two years, collected the materials of a
very curious work which he published on his return, entitled
“Letters concerning the Spanish nation, written at Madrid
during the years 1760 and 1761,
” A defence of the conduct of the lieutenantgovernor, in reply to a printed libel.
” On his return from
Minorca, about Greek Testament,
” with a
selection of notes from the most eminent critics and commentators, but sufficient encouragement was not given.
The copy, however, is in the possession of his son the rev.
James Stanier Clarke, with another that was interleaved
and filled with notes by his grandfather Mr. William Clarke.
He died November 1786, and was buried at Buxted. He
left three sons, and a daughter married to capt. Parkinson
of the royal navy. Of his sons, the youngest, capt. George
Clarke of the royal navy, a brave and skilful officer, was
unfortunately drowned by the upsetting 1 of a pleasure-boat
in the Thames, Oct. 1, 1805. It would be unnecessary to
add how much the literary honours of this family are likely
to be perpetuated by his other sons, the rev. James Stanier
Clarke, LL. B. and F. K. S. the biographer of Nelson, and
the rev. Edward Daniel Clarke, LL. D. a gentleman of
consummate abilities in the antiquities of literature, and
author of two volumes of “Travels
” just published, which
have interested the public in no common degree.