John Leyden

Background

John Leyden was born on September 8, 1775 in Denholm, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Education

John Leyden studied at Edinburgh University.

Though John completed his divinity course, and in 1798 received licence to preach from the presbytery of St Andrews.

Career

In 1794 Leyden had formed the acquaintance of Dr Robert Anderson, editor of The British Poets, and of The Literary Magazine.

It was Anderson who introduced him to Dr Alexander Murray, and Murray, probably, who led him to the study of Eastern languages. They became warm friends and generous rivals, though Leyden excelled, perhaps, in the rapid acquisition of new tongues and acquaintance with their literature, while Murray was the more scientific philologist.

Through Anderson also he came to know Richard Heber, by whom he was brought under the notice of Sir Walter Scott, who was then collecting materials for his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. Leyden was admirably fitted for helping in this kind of work, for he was a borderer himself, and an enthusiastic lover of old ballads and folk-lore. Scott tells how, on one occasion, Leyden walked 40 m. to get the last two verses of a ballad, and returned at midnight, singing it all the way with his loud, harsh voice, to the wonder and consternation of the poet and his household. Leyden meanwhile compiled a work on the Discoveries and Settlements of Europeans in Northern and Western Africa, suggested by Mungo Park's travels, edited The Complaint of Scotland; printed a volume of Scottish descriptive poems, and nearly finished his Scenes of Infancy, a diffuse poem based on border scenes and traditions. He also made some translations from Eastern poetry, Persian and Arabic. At last bis friends got him an appointment in India on the medical staff, for which he qualified by a year's hard work.

In 1803 he sailed for Madras, and took his place in the general hospital there. He was promoted to be naturalist to the commissioners going to survey Mysore, and in 1807 his knowledge of the languages of India procured him an appointment as professor of Hindustani at Calcutta; this he soon after resigned for a judgeship, and that again to be a commissioner in the court of requests in 1809, a post which required a familiarity with several Eastern tongues.

In 1811 he joined Lord Minto in the expedition to Java. Having entered a library which was said to contain many Eastern MSS. , without having the place aired, he was seized with Batavian fever, and died, after three days' illness, on the August 28, 1811.

Achievements

• As a poet John Leyden cannot take high rank, but in his knowledge of Eastern languages he would probably have been no mean rival of Henry Colebrooke, had he been spared a little longer to methodize and perfect his attainments.

Works

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  • Historical Account of Discoveries and Travels in Africa, Vol. 2 (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Historical Account of Discoveries and Travel...)

  • The Poetical Works Of Dr. John Leyden

    (This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

  • The Complaynt of Scotland; Written in 1548. with a Preliminary Dissertation, and Glossary

    (This historic book may have numerous typos and missing te...)