William Barnes Rhodes (1772–1826) was an English author, best known for his

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

Bombastes Furioso ''Bombastes Furioso'', subtitled ''A Burlesque Tragic Opera'', was written in 1810 by William Barnes Rhodes (sometimes credited as Thomas Barnes Rhodes). The first authorized printed edition was published in 1822. It is a drama with comic song ...

''. Rhodes was born in Leeds on Christmas Day 1772, the second son of Richard Rhodes and his wife, Mercy. He worked as a writer in an attorney's office, before gaining a position as a clerk in the Bank of England around 1799. He was promoted to chief teller in 1823, and held that post until his death. On 24 March 1825, Rhodes married Emma Millington. On 1 November 1826 he died at his home near

Bedford Square Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of the Borough of Camden in London, England. History Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the square has had many distinguished residents, inclu ...

, London, being survived by his wife, who gave birth to a daughter after his death. Rhodes is best known as the author of a burlesque opera, "''Bombastes Furioso''", which became a popular success. It was produced anonymously at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

on 7 August 1810, with

John Liston John Liston (c. 1776 – 22 March 1846), English comedian, was born in London. He made his public debut on the stage at Weymouth as Lord Duberley in ''The Heir at Law''. After several dismal failures in tragic parts, some of them in supp ...

in the title role and

Charles Mathews Charles Mathews (28 June 1776, London – 28 June 1835, Devonport) was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment. His play ''At Home'', in which he pla ...

as the King of Utopia and was first printed in 1813, in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, but was not published under Rhodes's name until 1822. He also published, in 1801, a translation into English verse of the Satires of Juvenal. Rhodes was also a collector of dramatic literature and made large purchases when the

Duke of Roxburghe The Duke of Roxburghe () is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles ''Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford'', ''Earl of Kelso'' and ''Viscount Broxmouth''. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder ...

's library was auctioned in June 1812. Rhodes's own library was sold by

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

in 1825.

References

;Attribution * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, William Barnes 1772 births 1826 deaths Writers from Leeds English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights