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ALVES, ROBERT, a poet and
miscellaneous writer, born at Elgin, in 1745, took his degrees in philosophy
at Aberdeen, where he enjoyed the friendship of Dr Beattie, and afterwards,
though designed for the church, settled as parish schoolmaster of Deskford.
From this place he removed, in 1773, to Banff, whence he migrated in 1779,
to Edinburgh, on account of a disappointment in love. In Edinburgh he
subsisted by teaching such private persons as chose to employ him, in the
Greek, Roman, French, and Italian classics; like a true poet, he was not
greatly solicitous about the means of subsistence. Mr Creech, in 1782,
published a volume of miscellaneous poems by Alves; in 1789, appeared
another, under the title of "Edinburgh, a Poem, in two parts, and the
Weeping Bard, in sixteen cantos." In 1784, Alves commenced a laborious
work entitled, "Sketches of a History of Literature," which was in
the press when he died, January 1st, 1794, and was afterwards
published by Dr Alexander Chapman, at whose press it was printed for the
intended benefit of the author. This work contains lives and characters of
the most eminent writers in different languages, ancient and modern, with
critical remarks on their works, together with several literary essays;
though miserably inaccurate in every particular, it shows an extensive
acquaintance with ancient and modern learning. After his death was
published, in 1801, "the Banks of Esk," and other poems, a small
12mo. vol. In a vigorously written preface he repels the aspersions and
ridicule cast upon Scotland and Scotsmen, by many English literary men of
the period, especially Churchill, Wilks, Junius, and Johnson; and in the
introductory canto to "the Banks of Esk," he retaliates on them
with great cleverness and vivacity. |
