Philological Inquiries In Three Parts
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.
External Links
Parts 1 and 2:Google Books Part 3:Google Books
References
- ↑ Rosemary Dunhill, “Harris, James (1709–1780)” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 18, 2013.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ 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.
