Author: Robinson, John
Biography:
ROBINSON, John (fl 1763-1771)
In the preface to his twenty-four-page poem The Village Oppress’d—in which he complains of “Rustic Oppression” and proclaims himself “an enemy to luxury”—the poet identifies Norwich as his place of writing. He left no other clue to his identity and, except for reviews of his books, there are no known references to the poet. He was the author of a satirical poem, The Methodists: An Eclogue (Norwich, 1763); of Preferment: A Satire (London, Feb. 1765), “it would be doing this writer a great injustice not to admit his claim to be a poet and a satyrist” (Critical Review); of a novel, The History of Mr. Charles Chance, and Miss Clara Vellum (London, Nov. 1766), “we shall be surprized if ever we see this name take rank with the authors of Joseph Andrews, Roderick Random, Jack Connor, or Pompey the Little” (Monthly Review); of The Poet’s Manual. A Satire (London, Feb. 1767), “superior to many late productions of the same species” (Scot’s Magazine), “an unsuccessful writer, both as a poet and a novellist” (sic, Monthly Review); and of Poems of Various Kinds Viz. Satires, Tales, Pastorals, Elegiac and Other Pieces (Norwich, Jan. 1768), “not wholly destitute of merit” (Monthly Review). Widely reviewed and competent though his books were, they made no lasting mark and were soon forgotten. (CR 15 [1763], 486; MR 29 [1763], 227-28; MR 32 [1765], 232; CR 19 [1765], 234-35; MR 36 [1767], 173; Universal Museum 4 [1768], 36; CR 25 [1768], 67-69; MR 38 [1768], 149; CR 31 [1771], 73; GM 41 [1771], 86; London Magazine 40 [1771], 47; Town & Country Magazine 3 [1771], 102; Stamford Mercury, 28 Feb. 1771; A. Forster, Index to Book Reviews in England, 1749-1774 [1990], 1:249) JC