Intended by his father for the profession of which he was himself a member, young Parr, at the early age of five years, was sent to the school, which has so long given to his native village its great celebrity. This important institution owes its origin to the liberality of Mr. John Lion, who lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and possessed and cultivated a considerable estate in the neighbourhood. Of such a public benefactor, it was surely to be regretted, that, for the space of more than two hundred years, no sepulchral memorial to record his name, or to commemorate his good deeds, existed. But, at length, this cause of just regret was removed; and in 1805, a mural monument was erected, in the middle aisle of Harrow Church, near the spot where his remains lie interred. The inscription, in Latin, written with all his usual purity and elegance, was furnished by Dr. Parr.1
It was at Easter, 1752, that he, whose name has
1 See App. No. II. |
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The Rev. Thomas Thackeray, D.D. was born at Hamsthwaite, in Yorkshire. He received the first part of his education at Eton; whence he went to Cambridge, and entered of King’s College. At a subsequent period, he offered himself as a candidate for the provostship of that college. But though his claims were powerful, yet ministerial influence interposed between him and the object of his ambition, and prevailed.1 Thus disappointed, he was induced to accept the office of assistant-master of Eton College. In 1746, he was chosen to succeed Dr. Coxe in the headmastership of Harrow School; and held this important post fourteen years. By his learning as a scholar, and by his abilities as a teacher, he raised the reputation of the school, and gradually ac-
1 “He was candidate for the headship of King’s, and would have beat all men but George; and George too, if Sir R. Walpole had not made George’s promotion a point.”—Letter from Dr. E. Pyle to his father, given in Richards’ History of Lynn. |
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With the virtues adorning private life he united that firm attachment to the rights and liberties of his country, which gives value and dignity to public character. As connected with the history of Dr. Parr’s opinions, it must be noticed that his earliest preceptor was an ardent and inflexible Whig; who, rather than deviate from the straight line of political integrity, turned indignantly away from some flattering prospects, which were, more than once, opened before him. As, at that time, his necessities were great; strong, in proportion, must have been the temptation which he thus nobly resisted; for he had a family of fourteen children dependent for support on his personal exertions, aided by the income of one small living in Essex.
Afterwards, better fortune attended him. His learning and his worth, and perhaps also the proof which he had given of political firmness and consistency, drew towards him the favourable notice of the truly excellent Bishop Hoadly; to whom, however, he was personally unknown. But the story cannot be better told than it is in the lively letter of Dr. Pyle before referred to.1 “The Bishop of Winchester,” writes the Doctor to his father, “never saw this man in his life; but had heard so much good of him, that he resolved to serve him if ever he could; yet said nothing to anybody. On Thursday last, he sent for this Dr. Thackeray;
1 See page 13. |
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Such, as a man and a scholar, was the instructor to whom Dr. Parr, almost in his infancy, was committed; and under whose care, for eight years, he continued. Of Dr. Thackeray he was ever accustomed to speak with the greatest reverence and gratitude; and often expressed the deepest sense of obligation for the valuable instructions and the kind treatment, to which he owed, he said, so much of the improvement, and so much of the happiness of his early life. In a work published some years ago, the following mention of his earliest preceptor occurs: “I have reason to love and revere him as a father, as well as a master.”1
One strange peculiarity, indeed, marked his character as a tutor. It was a rule with him never to bestow the least praise, even on the best performances of his pupils; because he conceived that applause tended only to produce indolence and vanity. This unhappy error,2 which excluded
1 “Remarks on Combe’s Statement,” p. 22. 2 Did Sir William Jones regretfully glance at his first preceptor, when he thus marks, with commendation, the opposite conduct of his second? “Amicâ laudatione, quæ in optimo |
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To him succeeded Dr. Robert Sumner; a man, who was eminently conspicuous for great learning, in happy union with great talents; and who has always been represented as estimable in an uncommon degree for the pleasing attractions, blended with the solid and shining worth of his character. It was his high praise, that he was not only honoured reverently as a tutor, but loved fervently as a friend, by all those whose happy fortune placed them under his charge. By one of that favoured number, Dr. Parr himself, his literary claims are thus slightly touched: “He was a man, whose erudition, taste, and sagacity, have long induced me to rank him among the great ornaments
quoque animo vim habet summam ad majora incenderet.”—Præf. Pers. Asiat. Com. 1 “Mihi ille detur puer, quern laus excitat, quem gloria juvat,” &c. Quint. 2 Dr. Thackeray, like his successor Dr. Sumner, wrote little, as appears from the following paragraph: “My friend, I have had the good fortune to meet with the only writing which Thackeray ever sent to the press; and I am in possession of every syllable that Sumner ever printed.”—Letter from Dr. Parr to Mr. Nichols, Gent. Mag. June, 1825. |
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“If there ever was a man worthy to be honourably remembered, it was he. In him, high powers of mind were united with pure integrity of heart. His dispositions were most excellent, and his manners most amiable. His learning was exact and profound. In the art of communicating and enforcing instruction, he was not surpassed by any master, whom I have ever known. Such were the sweetness and cheerfulness of his temper, that it would be difficult to say, whether he was more the love and the delight of his friends, or of his pupils. He was deeply versed in Grecian and Roman literature; and though, like Socrates, he wrote little himself, yet none ever displayed more acuteness, or more judgment, either in discovering and correcting the faults, or in discerning and applauding the excellencies of other writers.2 If instead of being placed at the head of a school, the course of events, or the favour of fortune, had conducted him to the bar or the senate; few would have ventured to dispute with him the praise of eloquence, even in England—the only country in the world where, at this time, the art is cultivated. For he pos-
1 Letter to Mr. Nichols, Gent. Mag. 2 Munus et officium, nil scribens ipse, docebo. Hor. |
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To the charge of these two masters young Parr was happily for himself confided; and under their fostering cares the powers of his mind soon began to open and expand; giving, as they expanded, high promise of future excellence. He was early marked by the whole school as an extraordinary boy; and in the first efforts of his understanding might have been perceived, as in the infant Hercules, all the greatness of that strength to which it afterwards grew. He himself often observed, that his mental faculties were unfolded very prematurely:1 adding, too, that with him prematurity did not, as years advanced, sink into imbecility;
1 He once said to a friend, “When a boy, I used to rise at five o’clock, and go into the garden, with a Greek grammar for my companion; and I made myself master of it in that way.” It is said of him, also, by an old schoolfellow, that he used to write exercises for many of the other boys of the school. |
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Yet it must now be distinctly mentioned that, in pursuing the prize of literary honour, he had to contend with some powerful rivals; among whom, besides Mr. Halhed2 and Mr. Lytton,3 were his two
1 His own words. Spital Sermon, p. 125. 2 “Halhed’s Grammar of the Bengal Language. The gift of the author. Cui pudor, et justitiæ soror, incorrupta fides, nudaque veritas, quando ullum invenient parem? S. P.”—“Cruden’s Concordance. This book I have given to my dear friend Dr. Parr, the 4th day of the week, the 10th day of the month January, 1783. N. B. Halhed.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 38.243. 3 “Politiani Omnia Opera. This beautiful edition of Politian was given to me by the learned Richard Warburton Lytton. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 317. |
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It is to be wished that some one, better informed upon the subject than the present writer, would tell, for the direction and encouragement of young scholars, more than is yet generally known of those extraordinary plans, which were adopted by the noble trio of Harrow School, for their own improvement, in addition to all that was required
1 Dr. Samuel Johnson pronounced him to be “the most accomplished of the sons of men.” 2 Spital Sermon, p. 136. 3 Corn. Nepos in Vitâ Attici. |
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Nor was this all. The three youthful associates studied, together, the art of logic;2 and disputed with each other, on various topics, in the syllogistic form. Ancient history, and heathen mytho-
1 Europ. Mag. Aug. 1809. 2 “Ars sciendi sive Logica. Dr. Parr and Sir William Jones studied logic from this book.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 424. |
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As another trial of intellectual strength and skill, the three young scholars challenged each other to produce the most perfect imitation of some popular or favourite author. Dr. Parr has often been heard to speak with rapturous delight of his struggles to surpass his two associates;1 the one, in writing short abrupt sentences in the manner of “Phalaris’ Epistles;” the other, in copying the gaudy and meretricious, though captivating style of “Hervey’s
1 Europ. Mag. 1809. |
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In forming and improving their own style, their choice was happily directed to the purest and best models in the pages of Swift, Addison, Johnson, and other classical writers of England.2 These they read perpetually, and their comparative merits they often discussed in conversation. Each adopted, for the object of his imitation, the author which he most admired; and all strove to transfuse into their own compositions some portion of the excellencies of those, which they had selected for their models. It were easy to surmise which of the three great writers, just mentioned, allured and fixed the choice of Dr. Parr, and fired his ambitious hopes even at this early period. Of his youth-
1 “Hervey’s Meditations. This book was the delight of Dr. Parr when he was a boy; and, for some time, was the model on which he endeavoured to form a style.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 438. From this book Dr. Parr borrowed much of the sermon, which he was accustomed, for many years, to deliver in Hatton church, on May-day. 2 “Ossian’s Poems, by Macpherson. I read this book, when a boy, and was enamoured with it. When at college, I again read Ossian with increased delight. I now, though convinced of the imposture, find pleasure in reading Macpherson. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 525. |
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The voluntary exercises, with a view to their own improvement, in which the three young scholars employed the hours,1 usually devoted by other boys to their sports, it should be remembered, were superadded to that vigorous application which their classical studies no doubt demanded, when conducted by such masters as Dr. Thackeray and Dr. Sumner. On the resignation of the former, the charge of their education passed into the hands of the latter.2 The fame of the new master as a great scholar and an able teacher, eclipsed even that of his predecessor; and it was a subject of deep regret to Dr. Parr that he was permitted to receive the benefit of his instructions only for the space of eight or ten months; whilst it was the happier fate
1 “Dodsley’s Preceptor. When I was young, this book entertained and instructed me.”—“Baker’s Medulla Poetarum Romanorum. When I was a schoolboy at Harrow, with Sir W. Jones, this book was a favourite of his, and he occasionally lent it to me. S. P.”—“Nature Displayed, 7 vols. translated from the French of Pluche. The favourite book of Dr. Parr when a boy.”—Bibl. Parrian. p. 148. 475. 517. 2 Europ. Mag. Aug. 1809. |
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Such are the few, but if he mistake not, interesting particulars, which the present writer has been able to collect of Dr. Parr, during the period of his education at Harrow School. Of youthful age thus beating high with literary ardour—thus pressing forward to literary distinction—who would not venture to predict great future excellence, even with far inferior powers of intellect? This was, indeed, a result as surely to be expected as any natural effect from any natural cause whatever.
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1 “Philosophical Survey of Nature. This book is rather favourable to the doctrine of necessity. In page 70 is the story of the Hanover wild boy. When Dr. Parr was at Harrow this boy lodged in the boarding-house of Mrs. King, where Sir W. Jones and Bp. Bennet also boarded. S. P.”—Bibl. Parr. p. 705. |
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