William Parsons (died 1828) was an English poet, one of the

Della Cruscans The Della Cruscans were a circle of European late-18th-century sentimental poets founded by Robert Merry (1755–98). History and influence Robert Merry travelled to Florence where he edited two volumes, ''The Arno Miscellany'' (1784) and ''Th ...

Life

Parsons was one of the coterie who published verse in ''The World'' in 1784–5, and later called the "Della Cruscans". At that period he was living in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, and was on good terms with

Hester Piozzi Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi (née Salusbury; later Piozzi; 27 January 1741 or 16 January 1740 – 2 May 1821),Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded her birth as 16 January ...

. He was piqued at his exclusion from ''The Baviad'' (1791),

William Gifford William Gifford (April 1756 – 31 December 1826) was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satirist and controversialist. Life Gifford was born in Ashburton, Devon, to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. His father, a glazier and ...

's satire on the group, leading to an episode of name-calling. He lived mainly at

Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...

. In November 1787 Parsons was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

. Other details of his life are scanty.

Works

In the ''Florence Miscellany'' of 1785, written with Piozzi,

Robert Merry Robert Merry (1755–1798) was an English poet and dilettante. He was born in London. Both his father and grandfather were involved in the governance of the Hudson's Bay Company. His mother was the eldest daughter of Sir John Willes (judge), Jo ...

the original Della Cruscan, and

Bertie Greatheed Bertie Greatheed (1759–1826) was an English dramatist, slave owner and landowner. Life Greatheed was born on 19 October 1759, the son of the MP Samuel Greatheed of Guy's Cliffe, near Warwick, and his wife Lady Mary Bertie, daughter of Peregri ...

, Parsons had the largest share. ''A Poetical Tour in the years 1784, 1785, and 1786. By a member of the Arcadian Society at Rome'', London, at the Logographic Press, 1787, is eked out by imitations, translations, and complimentary verses to Piozzi and

Elizabeth Montagu Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson; 2 October 1718 – 25 August 1800) was a British social reformer, patron of the arts, salonnière, literary critic and writer, who helped to organize and lead the Blue Stockings Society. Her parents were both ...

. His subsequent publications were: * ''Ode to a Boy at Eton'', London, 1796, intended to "counteract" the ''

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard ''Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' is a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first published in 1751. The poem's origins are unknown, but it was partly inspired by Gray's thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742 ...

''. * ''Fidelity, or Love at First Sight: a Tale, with other Poems'', London, 1798. * ''Travelling Recreations'', 2 vols. London, 1807.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, William Year of birth missing 1828 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society English male poets