Difference between revisions of "Philological Inquiries"

Revision as of 11:41, 29 October 2013

by James Harris

James Harris (1709-1780), a philosopher and music patron, attended both Wadham College and Lincoln’s Inn, but graduated from neither.^[1] He and his wife, Elizabeth, had five children together, but only three of them made it past infancy.^[2] He was a great admirer of Handel’s, and even wrote a first draft of one of the composer's librettos, L'allegro, il penseroso ed il moderato.^[3] Harris served as a member of parliament for Christchurch, and went on to serve as commissioner of admiralty and, eventually, as secretary and comptroller for Queen Charlotte.^[4] Harris had close royal ties, was elected as a fellow to the Royal Society, and held a Trustee position in the British Museum for the fifteen years leading up to his death in 1780.^[5] Harris’ writings held great significance among his contemporaries.^[6] His Philological Inquiries was published the year after he died, in 1781. Although his writings are unfamiliar to many today, with Philological Inquiries, Harris made a vital contribution to historical linguistics.^[7]

Bibliographic Information

Author: James Harris

Title: Philological Inquiries In Three Parts

Published: London: Printed for C. Nourse, 1781.

Edition:

Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Bound in contemporary tree calf with spine gilt. Purchased from Am Here Books.

View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

External Links

Parts 1 and 2:Google Books Part 3:Google Books

References

1. ↑ Rosemary Dunhill, “Harris, James (1709–1780)” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 18, 2013.
2. ↑ Ibid.
3. ↑ Ibid.
4. ↑ Ibid.
5. ↑ Ibid.
6. ↑ Ibid.
7. ↑ Clive T. Probyn. “Johnson, James Harris, and the Logic of Happiness.” The Modern Language Review , Vol. 73, No. 2 (April 1978), 256-266: Modern Humanities Research Association. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3727099.