Background
William Lauder was born in 1680, the second son of Doctor William Lauder.
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William Lauder
literary forger Physicians of Edinburgh
William Lauder was a Scottish literary forger, one of the original 21 Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Education
William Lauder was educated at the University of Edinburgh, acquired a high college character for talent and scholarship, and graduated in 1695.
Career
In 1742 Lauder came to London. In 1747 he wrote an article for the Gentleman's Magazine to prove that Milton's Paradise Lost was largely a plagiarism from the Adamus Exul (1601) of Hugo Grotius, the Sarcotis (1654) of J. Masen (Masenius, 1606 - 1681), and the Poemata Sacra (1633) of Andrew Ramsay (1574 - 1659). Lauder expounded his case in a series of articles, and in a book (1753) increased the list of plundered authors to nearly a hundred. Several scholars, who had independently studied the alleged sources of Milton's inspiration, proved conclusively that Lauder had not only garbled most of his quotations, but had even inserted amongst them extracts from a Latin rendering of Paradise Lost. This led to his exposure, and he was obliged to write a complete confession at the dictation of his former friend Samuel Johnson. After several vain endeavours to dear his character he emigrated to Barbadoes.
Achievements
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William Lauder published Poetarum Scotorum Musae Sacrae in 1739, a collection of poems by various writers, mostly paraphrased from the Bible.
Connections
- Friend:
- John Douglas
