Robert Heron (writer)
| Robert Heron | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 November 1764 New Galloway, Scotland |
| Died | 13 April 1807 (aged 42) London |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Notable works | The Comforts of Life; |
Robert Heron (6 November 1764 – 13 April 1807) was a Scottish writer.
He was son of John Heron, a weaver, and was born in New Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 6 November 1764. He was taught privately by his mother until his ninth year, when he was sent to the parish school. He displayed such precocity that at the age of eleven he was employed to give lessons to children of some of the neighbouring farmers, and at fourteen was appointed master of the parochial school of Kelton.
By the end of 1780, he had saved sufficient money to enable him, with the help of his parents, to enter the university of Edinburgh, with the view of studying for the church. Latterly while pursuing his studies, he supported himself partly by teaching, but chiefly by miscellaneous work for the booksellers. While a divinity student, Heron, in the autumn of 1789, paid a visit at Ellisland to Robert Burns, who entrusted him with a letter to Dr. Blacklock, which he failed to deliver. In a rhyming epistle to Blacklock, Burns attributes Heron's faithlessness either to preoccupation with ‘some dainty fair one,’ or to partiality for liquor.
Heron was for some time assistant to Dr. Blair, but, according to his own statement, all his ‘ideas, as well of exertion as of enjoyment, soon became literary.’ His first independent literary venture was a small edition in 1789 of Thomson's Seasons, with a criticism on his poetry. A larger edition appeared in 1793. In 1790–1, he announced a course of lectures on the Law of Nature, the Law of Nations, the Jewish, the Grecian, the Roman and the Canon Law, and then on the Feudal Law, intended as an introduction to the study of law, but the scheme was unsuccessful.
His imprudent habits overwhelmed him with debt, and he was thrown into prison by his creditors. On their suggestion, he undertook a History of Scotland for Messrs. Morrison of Perth, who engaged to pay him at the rate of three guineas a sheet. After making some progress he was liberated from prison on condition of devoting two-thirds of his remuneration to paying 15s. in the pound. The first volume, which appeared in 1794, was nearly all written in gaol. In his preface, the author expressed a hope that this would be regarded as some excuse for ‘considerable imperfections.’ The excuse is naive; but all Heron's works bear evident marks of superficial knowledge and hurried composition. The History was completed in six volumes, 1794–9.
In 1798, Heron produced at the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, a comedy, which was hopelessly condemned before the second act. Attributing its failure to a conspiracy against him, he published it under the title St. Kilda in Edinburgh, or News from Camperdown, a Comic Drama in Two Acts, with a Critical Preface, to which is added an Account of a famous Ass Race, 1798; the publication attracted no attention. Being returned as a ruling elder for New Galloway, Heron was for several years a member of the general assembly of the church of Scotland, and frequently spoke with fluency and ability.
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