Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/955

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
CAR
899
CAR

and the additional entertainments of singing, particularly a dialogue of Purcell, by Mr. Carey and Miss Rafter, and a cantata of Mr. Carey's by Miss Rafter, there is an apology from Carey for the "tragedy of half an act" not being performed; but a promise is made of indemnification by the entertainments between the acts. The editor of the paper then adds—"But at our friend Harry Carey's benefit to-night the powers of music, poetry, and painting assemble in his behalf, he being an admirer of the three sister-arts. The body of musicians meet in the Haymarket, whence they march in great order, preceded by a magnificent moving organ, in form of a pageant, accompanied by all the kinds of musical instruments ever in use from Tubal Cain to the present day; a great multitude of booksellers, authors, and painters, form themselves into a body at Temple Bar, where they march with great decency to Covent Garden, preceded by a little army of printers' devils, with their proper instruments. Here the two bodies of music and poetry are joined by the brothers of the pencil; when, after taking some refreshment at the Bedford Arms, they march in solemn procession to the theatre, amidst an innumerable crowd of spectators." In 1732 Carey produced the words of two serious operas, "Amelia," and "Teraminta." The first of these was set by Lampe, and the second by J. C. Smith, Handel's friend and amanuensis. Two years afterwards his mock tragedy of half an act, called "Chrononhotonthologos," was first performed at the little theatre in the Haymarket—a piece of humour that will always be in season as long as extravagance and bombast shall dare to tread the stage. In 1736, and for several subsequent years, his little English opera, entitled "The Honest Yorkshireman," was almost always in constant run. The year 1737 was rendered memorable at Covent Garden theatre by the success of the burlesque opera of the "Dragon of Wantley," written by Carey and set by Lampe, "after the Italian manner." This excellent piece of humour had run twenty nights when it was stopped, with all other public amusements, by the death of her majesty Queen Caroline, on November 29, but was resumed again on the opening of the theatres in January following, and supported as many representations as the Beggar's Opera had done ten years before. Lampe, in the music of this farcical drama, has capitally burlesqued the style of the Handelian opera. In the following year, "Margery, or the Dragoness," a sequel to the "Dragon of Wantley," written with equal humour, and as well set by Lampe, was produced; but had the fate of all sequels. The "Dragoness" appeared but a few nights, and was never revived. "Nancy, or the Parting Lovers," written and composed by our author, next appeared, and was for a long period an especial favourite with the public. Carey's separate songs and cantatas are innumerable. His burlesque birthday odes turned the odes of Cibber into ridicule as effectually as Pope's Dunciad could do. In the latter part of his life Carey collected his scattered songs, and published them in folio under the title of "The Musical Century," 1737-40. His last publication was a collected edition of his dramatic works, which was printed in 1743 in quarto, with a long list of subscribers. He died Oct. 4, 1743, at his house in Warner Street, Coldbath-Fields. It is generally said that "he put a period to a life, which had been led without reproach, when at the advanced age of eighty, by suicide." But this seems not to have been the fact. In the Daily Post of October 5, 1743, we read—"Yesterday morning Mr. H. Carey, well known to the musical world for his droll compositions, got out of bed from his wife in perfect health, and was soon after found dead. He has left six children behind him." On November 17, of the same year, the performance at Drury Lane was for the benefit of "the widow and four small children of the late H. Carey." His age at the period of his decease was probably about fifty-five. It has been observed of Carey that "as a poet, he was the last of that class of which D'Urfey was the first; with this difference, that in all the songs and poems written by him on wine, love, and such kind of subjects, he seems to have manifested an inviolable regard for decency and good manners." This remark is not quite accurate. Dibdin was the last of that order of poets of which D'Urfey was the first.—(Hawkins; Burney; and original sources.)—E. F. R.

CAREY, Matthew, who became eminent in America as a book-publisher, author, and philanthropist, was born in Dublin, Ireland, January 28, 1760. After receiving a common English education, he was apprenticed, at his own earnest request, to a printer, though his father's circumstances were such that he might have aimed at some higher occupation. At the age of seventeen, he wrote an essay against duels, and when but little more mature, he published a pamphlet on the wrongs endured by the Irish catholics. This was denounced as treasonable in the Irish parliament, and the writer was obliged to fly for safety to France, where he remained a year, being employed for most of the time by Dr. Franklin, who had a small printing-office at Passy for the convenience of printing his despatches and other papers. Returning to Dublin after the noise excited by his pamphlet had died away, he began in 1783 to publish the Freeman's Journal, a newspaper afterwards described by himself "as enthusiastic and violent," and which soon procured him the honour of imprisonment in Newgate by order of parliament, and a prosecution for libel on one of the ministry. Parliament adjourned for a few weeks, and he was then necessarily released; but to avoid trial on the other complaint, it was thought best that he should emigrate to America. Disguised in a female dress to escape the notice of the police, he embarked, and was landed in Philadelphia in November, 1784, with only a few guineas in his pocket. Fortunately, while in France he had become slightly acquainted with Lafayette, who now kindly recommended him to his friends, and lent him, without solicitation, 400 dollars to enable him to set up a newspaper. Accordingly, in January, 1785, he began to publish the Pennsylvania Herald, which had great success, because it contained, what was then a new thing in America, a full account, reported by himself, of the debates in the assembly. He afterwards began successively two monthly magazines; one of which, the American Museum, was continued for six years. In 1791 Mr. Carey began his career as a bookseller and publisher, in which he was afterwards so eminently successful. The noted William Cobbett was then pouring forth his political diatribes in Philadelphia under the name of Peter Porcupine; and Mr. Carey, nothing loath, entered into a fierce newspaper and pamphlet warfare with him, and showed himself no contemptible adversary of this great master of personal invective. In 1814 he wrote and published the "Olive Branch," a volume intended, "by a candid publication of the faults and errors of both sides, to calm the embittered feelings of the political parties." It struck the right note at the right time, and had extraordinary success. In 1818 it was followed by "Vindiciæ Hibernicæ," pronounced by high authority to be the best vindication of Ireland that was ever written. Mr. Carey then began his vindication of the American system of protecting domestic manufactures, and continued it for many years in a series which finally numbered fifty-nine distinct publications, forming by far the best and most successful plea ever published in America for protective duties, and the encouragement of native industry. Among his later publications were an autobiography contributed to the New England Magazine, and the "Philosophy of Common Sense." His business had now long been prosperous, and he had accumulated a large fortune, which was chiefly gratifying as it enabled him to indulge his charitable disposition. As a practical philanthropist, brave, munificent, and discreet, his adopted country is under lasting obligations to him. Few have ever done more good, or in a more disinterested and unostentatious manner. He was an untiring advocate of popular education, and a bold reformer of municipal abuses—labouring effectually to carry out the greatest good of the greatest number. His personal charities he reduced to system, by forming a long list of objects of benevolence, to whom he administered aid once a fortnight. At the age of eighty he met with an accident, being overturned in his carriage; and though the injury seemed slight at first, it hastened his death, which took place September 17, 1840. His funeral was one of the largest ever seen in Philadelphia.—Henry C. Carey, son of Matthew Carey, and his successor in the bookselling and publishing business, as well as in the advocacy of the American system of protecting domestic industry, was born in Philadelphia in 1793. From the time of his father's retirement in 1821, he conducted successfully the affairs of one of the largest publishing houses in America till the period of his own withdrawal, with a competent fortune, in 1838. Since that time he has been a diligent and effective writer upon subjects of political economy.—F. B.

CAREY, William, D.D., the founder of the baptist mission in India, and a distinguished oriental scholar, was born at Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, 17th August. 1761. Having received a scanty education at a free-school, taught by his father, he was, when only fourteen years of age, apprenticed to