Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil, CH (9 April 1902 – 1 January 1986) was a British biographer, historian, and scholar. He held the style of "Lord" by

courtesy Courtesy (from the word ''courteis'', from the 12th century) is Gentleness, gentle politeness and Royal court, courtly Etiquette, manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books. Hist ...

, as a younger son of a marquess.

Early life and studies

David Cecil was the youngest of the four children of

James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury, (23 October 1861 – 4 April 1947), known as Viscount Cranborne from 1868 to 1903, was a British statesman. Background and education Born in London, Salisbury was the eldest son ...

, and the former Lady Cicely Gore (second daughter of

Arthur Gore, 5th Earl of Arran Arthur Saunders Gore, 5th Earl of Arran (6 January 1839 – 14 March 1901), known as Viscount Sudley from 1839 to 1884, was an Anglo-Irish peer and diplomat. Early life Arran was the eldest son of Philip Yorke Gore, 4th Earl of Arran, and Eliz ...

). His siblings were Lady Beatrice Edith Mildred Cecil (afterwards Baroness Harlech), Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury (1893–1972) and Lady Mary Alice Cecil (afterwards

Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Mary Alice Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, (; 29 July 1895 – 24 December 1988) was a British courtier who served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1967. She was the granddaughter of Prime Minister Robert Gascoy ...

). Cecil was a delicate child, suffering from a tubercular gland in his neck at the age of 8 years, and after an operation he spent a great deal of time in bed, where he developed his love of reading. Because of his delicate health his parents sent him to

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

later than other boys, and he survived the experience by spending one day a week in bed. After school he went on to

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

, as an undergraduate.

Career

Cecil read Modern History at Oxford and in 1924 obtained first-class honours. From 1924 to 1930 he was a Fellow of

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy ...

. With his first publication, ''The Stricken Deer'' (1929), a sympathetic study of the poet Cowper, he made an immediate impact as a literary historian. Studies followed on

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

, early Victorian novelists and

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

. In 1939 he became a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at ...

, where he remained a Fellow until 1969, when he became an Honorary Fellow. In 1947 he became Professor of

Rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate par ...

at Gresham College, London, for a year; but in 1948 he returned to the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and remained a Professor of English Literature there until 1970. For a time Cecil was an associate of the literary group known as the " Inklings", which included notable authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield. While a professor at New College Cecil's pupils included

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social ...

Bidhu Bhusan Das Bidhu Bhusan Das, also spelled Bidhubhusan Das (11 April 1922 – 2 June 1999), was a public intellectual, educator, professor, senior government official, and university president/Vice Chancellor from India. Background and education Bidhubh ...

, R. K. Sinha, John Bayley, the Milton scholar Dennis Burden, and Ludovic Kennedy. Neil Powell describes Amis's relationship with him, or lack of a relationship, as follows:

mis'sallocated supervisor was Lord David Cecil, who seemed disinclined to supervise anything at all; after a term and a half had passed without any contact between them, Kingsley decided to go in search of him at New College. This caused much amusement at the porters' lodge, as if he had asked for the Shah of Persia: "Oh no, sir. Lord David? Oh, you'd have to get up very early in the morning to get hold of him. Oh dear, oh dear. Lord David in college, well I never did."

During his academic career Cecil published studies of

Hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, classical scholar, and professor at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He is widely known for his '' Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,'' published in 1751. G ...

Dorothy Osborne Dorothy Osborne, Lady Temple (1627–1695) was a British writer of letters and wife of Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet. Life Osborne was born at Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire, England, the youngest of twelve children of Sir Peter Osborne, Lie ...

and

Walter Pater Walter Horatio Pater (4 August 1839 – 30 July 1894) was an English essayist, art critic and literary critic, and fiction writer, regarded as one of the great stylists. His first and most often reprinted book, ''Studies in the History of the Re ...

. As well as his literary studies he also published a two-volume historical biography of

Lord Melbourne William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, (15 March 177924 November 1848), in some sources called Henry William Lamb, was a British Whig politician who served as Home Secretary (1830–1834) and Prime Minister (1834 and 1835–1841). His first pr ...

(to whom he was distantly related) and appreciations of visual artists – Augustus John,

Max Beerbohm Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (24 August 1872 – 20 May 1956) was an English essayist, Parody, parodist and Caricature, caricaturist under the signature Max. He first became known in the 1890s as a dandy and a humorist. He was the drama critic ...

, Samuel Palmer and

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman Hun ...

. In retirement he published further literary and biographic studies of

Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of ...

, Jane Austen,

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his ''Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book ''Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764–18 ...

and

Desmond MacCarthy Sir Charles Otto Desmond MacCarthy FRSL (20 May 1877 – 7 June 1952) was a British writer and the foremost literary critic, literary and dramatic critic of his day. He was a member of the Cambridge Apostles, the intellectual secret society, fro ...

, as well as a history of his own family, ''The Cecils of Hatfield House'' and an account of ''Some Dorset Country Houses''. His anthology of writers who had given him special pleasure, ''Library Looking Glass'', appeared in 1975.

Family and personal life

In 1932 Cecil married Rachel MacCarthy, daughter of the literary journalist Sir Desmond MacCarthy. They had three children, including actor

Jonathan Cecil Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil (22 February 1939 – 22 September 2011), known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film, and television actor. Early life Cecil was born in London, England, the son of Lord David Cecil and the grands ...

Publications

*''The Stricken Deer or The Life of Cowper'' (1929) n_the_poet_William_Cowper;_this_won_the_1929_James_Tait_Black_Memorial_Prize.html" ;"title="William_Cowper.html" ;"title="n the poet William Cowper">n the poet William Cowper; this won the 1929 James Tait Black Memorial Prize">William_Cowper.html" ;"title="n the poet William Cowper">n the poet William Cowper; this won the 1929 James Tait Black Memorial Prize] *''Sir Walter Scott: The Raven Miscellany'' (1933) *''Early Victorian Novelists : essays in revaluation'' (1934) *''Jane Austen'' (1936) *''The Young Melbourne and the Story of his Marriage with Caroline Lamb'' (1939; reprinted 1948 and 1954) *''The English Poets'' (1941) *''The Oxford Book of Christian Verse'' (1941) ditor*''Men of the R.A.F.'' (1942) ith_Sir_William_Rothenstein.html" ;"title="Sir_William_Rothenstein.html" ;"title="ith Sir William Rothenstein">ith Sir William Rothenstein">Sir_William_Rothenstein.html" ;"title="ith Sir William Rothenstein">ith Sir William Rothenstein*''Hardy the Novelist: an Essay in Criticism'' (1942) [Clark Lectures] *''Antony and Cleopatra, the fourth W. P. Ker memorial lecture delivered in the University of Glasgow, 4 May 1943'' (1944) *''Poetry of Thomas Gray'' (1945) [Warton Lecture] *''Two Quiet Lives'' (1948) [on

and

] *''Poets & Story-tellers'' (1949) [essays] *''Reading as One of the Fine Arts'' (1949) inaugural lecture delivered before the University of Oxford on 28 May 1949 *''Lord M, or the Later Life of Lord Melbourne'' (1954) *''Walter Pater--the Scholar Artist'' (1955)

Rede Lecture The Sir Robert Rede's Lecturer is an annual appointment to give a public lecture, the Sir Robert Rede's Lecture (usually Rede Lecture) at the University of Cambridge. It is named for Sir Robert Rede, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in th ...

*''Augustus John: Fifty-two Drawings'' (1957) *''The Fine Art of Reading and Other Literary Studies'' (1957) *''Modern Verse in English 1900-1950'' (1958) ditor_with_Allen_Tate.html" ;"title="Allen_Tate.html" ;"title="ditor with Allen Tate">ditor with Allen Tate">Allen_Tate.html" ;"title="ditor with Allen Tate">ditor with Allen Tate*''Max'' (1964) [biography of

] *''Visionary and Dreamer : Two poetic painters, Samuel Palmer & Edward Burne-Jones'' (from the A.W. Mellon Lectures, 1969) *''The Bodley Head Beerbohm'' (1970) ditor*''Max Beerbohm: Selected Prose'' (1970) ditor*''A Choice of Tennyson's Verse'' (1971) ditor*''The Cecils of Hatfield House: a Portrait of an English Ruling Family'' (1973) *''Walter de la Mare'' (1973) nglish Association leaflet*''A Victorian Album: Julia Margaret Cameron and her Circle'' (1975)

ith Graham Ovenden The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

*''Library Looking-Glass'' (1975) nthology*''Lady Ottoline's Album'' (1976) *''A Portrait of Jane Austen'' (1978) *''A Portrait of Charles Lamb'' (1983) *''Desmond MacCarthy, the Man and His Writings'' (1984) ditor*''Some

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

Country Houses'' (1985) *''A Choice of Bridges's Verse'' (1987) ditor

References

;Other sources * Glyer, Diana (2007) ''The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community''.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, Lord David 1902 births 1986 deaths David Cecil, Lord Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour British literary critics British biographers Younger sons of marquesses People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of New College, Oxford Inklings Professors of Gresham College James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients 20th-century biographers