The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III

In the flickering candlelight of Georgian parlours, voices once rang with the verses and scandals of poets whose lives shaped the literary soul of Britain and Ireland. Now, after decades lost to obscurity, their stories return in vivid detail, inviting readers to wander the tangled lanes between genius and folly, ambition and heartbreak. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions, offering a rare glimpse into the world of 18th-century literary criticism and the personal histories that underpinned it. With a keen eye for both the celebrated and the overlooked, it traces the lives of great Britain poets-those whose words altered the course of English letters, and those whose brilliance faded too soon.Here, you’ll encounter the tempestuous wit of Aphra Behn, whose biography reveals the tensions of a woman writing against the grain, and the tragic arc of William Mountford, a poet whose promise was cut short. The theatrical flair of Thomas Shadwell, the biting intellect of John Dryden, and the political intrigue surrounding Charles Montague, Earl of Halifax, are brought forth not as distant relics, but as living, breathing presences. The stories of Nicholas Rowe, Anne, Countess of Winchelsea, and Elkanah Settle are woven together with the deft hand of Theophilus Cibber, whose works illuminate the ambitions and rivalries of an era hungry for fame and immortality.Restored for today’s and future generations, this edition is not just a reprint - it’s a collector’s item and a cultural treasure. It stands as both a work of biography of British poets and a testament to the enduring fascination with the human stories behind the poetry. For casual readers drawn to the drama of literary lives, and for classic-collection buyers seeking a piece of history, this volume is a window into the passions, triumphs, and tragedies that shaped the canon we cherish today.