Author: Warren, E.
Biography:
WARREN, E. (fl 1803-4)
The first edition of The Poet’s Day appeared anonymously and with no fanfare in 1803, but a strong endorsement in the British Critic and some revision of the contents—dropping two personal elegies and highlighting the patriotic “Eulogy of Britain” in the title—led to its being taken up by the Piccadilly firm of Hatchard and advertised as a luxury item, printed on “superfine wove paper, hot-pressed” and costing four shillings. It must have sold reasonably well since it was reprinted and offered as a third edition in the same year. But it does not appear to have attracted more critical attention and E. Warren did not publish again. There are few internal clues to his identity and not even his first name has been discovered. One of the elegies in the original, however, was for his father and the other for a scientist, Robert Custance (1739-99) of Huntingdonshire, praised for his “copious noble energetic mind,” who may have been another father figure. (ancestry.com 19 Apr. 2024; findmypast.com 19 Apr. 2024; British Critic 22 [Nov. 1803], 549-51; Morning Post 31 Aug. 1804) HJ