General Notes

Robert Lowth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Robert Lowth (1710 </wiki/1710> - November 3 </wiki/Novembe
r_3>, 1787 </wiki/1787>) was a Bishop of the Church of Engl
and </wiki/Church_of_England>, a professor of poetry </wiki
/Poetry> at Oxford University </wiki/University_of_Oxford
> and the author of one of the most influential textbooks o
f English </wiki/English_language> grammar </wiki/Grammar>.
Lowth was born in Hampshire </wiki/Hampshire>, England </wi
ki/England> on November 27 </wiki/November_27>, 1710 </wiki
/1710>, the son of Dr William Lowth. He was educated at Win
chester College </wiki/Winchester_College> and entered Ne
w College, Oxford </wiki/New_College%2C_Oxford> in 1729 o
n a scholarship. Lowth obtained his BA in 1733 and his Mast
er of Arts degree in 1737. In 1735, while still at Oxford
, Lowth entered the Anglican Church </wiki/Anglicanism> an
d was appointed vicar of Overton, Hampshire, a position h
e retained until 1741, when he was appointed professor of p
oetry at Oxford.
In 1750 he was appointed archdeacon of Winchester </wiki/Wi
nchester%2C_England>. In 1752 he resigned the professorshi
p at Oxford and married Mary Jackson. Shortly afterwards, i
n 1753, Lowth was appointed rector </wiki/Rector> of East W
oodhay. In 1754 he was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity by O
xford, for his treatise on Hebrew </wiki/Hebrew_language> p
oetry entitled Praelectiones Academicae de Sacra Poesi Hebr
aeorum.
Lowth is no doubt best remembered for his publication in 17
62 </wiki/1762> of A Short Introduction to English Grammar
. Prompted by the absence of grammar </wiki/Grammar> textbo
oks in his day, Lowth set out to develop a system of gramma
r that elevated English to the level of Latin </wiki/Latin>
, and attempted to regulate English usage within the rule
s of Latin grammar. His most famous (or infamous) contribut
ion to the study of grammar was his prescription that forba
de the use of the split infinitive </wiki/Split_infinitive>
, a rule that has been a subject of dispute for grammarian
s ever since. Additionally, Lowth originated the antagonis
m towards sentences ending with a preposition </wiki/Prepos
ition>, thus declaring a sentence such as "what did you as
k for?" to be invalid. The textbook remained in standard us
age throughout educational institutions until the early 20t
h century.
Lowth was appointed a fellow of the Royal Societies of Lond
on </wiki/London> and Göttingen </wiki/G%F6ttingen> in 176
5 </wiki/1765>. He was consecrated bishop of St. Davids i
n 1766 </wiki/1766>; however, before the end of the year h
e was transferred to the see of Oxford. He remained Bisho
p of Oxford until 1777 </wiki/1777> when he was appointed B
ishop of London </wiki/Bishop_of_London> as well as dean o
f the chapel royal and privy councillor. In 1783 </wiki/178
3> he was offered the chance to become Archbishop of Canter
bury </wiki/Archbishop_of_Canterbury>, but declined due t
o failing health.
LOWTH, ROBERT (171oI 787), English divine and Orientalist
, was born at Winchester on the 27th of November 1710. He w
as the younger son of William Lowth (1661173 2), rector o
f Buriton, Hampshire, a theologian of considerable ability
. Robert was educated on the foundation of Winchester Colle
ge, and in 1729 was elected to a scholarship at New College
, Oxford. He graduated M.A. ill 1737, and in 1741 he was ap
pointed professor of poetry at Oxford, in which capacity h
e delivered the Praelecliones Academicae de Sacra Poesi Heb
raeorum. Bishop badly appointed him in f 744 to the rector
y of Ovington, Hampshire, and in 1750 to the archdeaconry o
f Winchester. In 1753 he was collated to the rectory of Eas
t Woodhay, Hampshire, and in the same year he published hi
s lectures on Hebrew poetry. In 1754 he received the degre
e of doctor of divinity from his university, and in 1755 h
e went to Ireland for a short time as first chaplain to th
e lord-lieutena