James Beattie
James Beattie was a Scottish poet, philosopher, and scholar, born on October 25, 1735, in Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire. He was the youngest of six children in a family that valued education, which led him to pursue studies in classical languages and philosophy at Mareschal College in Aberdeen, where he excelled as a student. Beattie served as a schoolmaster and later became a professor of moral philosophy at his alma mater. His literary contributions include "Original Poems and Translations" (1760) and the celebrated poem "The Minstrel," published in 1771, which played a significant role in influencing the Romantic poets like William Wordsworth.
Despite personal tragedies, including the early deaths of his two sons and his wife's mental health struggles, Beattie continued to write and publish philosophical works, such as "Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth" (1770), which defended Christianity against skepticism. His essays on aesthetics, particularly in "Essays on Poetry and Music" (1778), showcase his exploration of artistic expression. Beattie's legacy, while less recognized today, is marked by his impact on both poetry and philosophy in the 18th century. He passed away on August 18, 1803, after suffering declining health.
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James Beattie
Scholar
- Born: October 25, 1735
- Birthplace: Laurencekirt, Kincardineshire, Scotland
- Died: August 18, 1803
Biography
James Beattie was born on October 25, 1735, in Laurencekirt, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He was the youngest of six children born to James Beattie and Jean Watson. His father was a shopkeeper and a farmer who valued learning and encouraged his son’s early education. The younger James Beattie showed his scholarly potential early and was trained at the parish school, where he considered a profession as a minister. At age fourteen he began studies at Mareschal College in Aberdeen and distinguished himself as a student of classical languages and philosophy. His peers, however, knew him primarily as a poet.
From 1753 to 1758, Beattie served as a schoolmaster of the parish of Fordoun, near his home village. During these solitary years he studied and wrote poetry. His habit of wandering through the fields at night, sometimes even in his sleep, showed a love for nature that would make his poetry an important precursor to that of Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth. In 1758, Beattie was appointed to teach at the grammar school of Aberdeen. He received an appointment as professor of moral philosophy at his alma mater, Marischal College, in 1760. On June 28, 1767, Beattie married Mary Dun, daughter of James Dun, the rector of the grammar school in Aberdeen. James and Mary Beattie had two sons, James Hay Beattie, who died in 1790 at the age of twenty-two, and Montague Beattie, who died in 1796 at the age of eighteen. The premature deaths of promising young scholars and churchmen made James Beattie’s life difficult, especially when combined with the declining mental health of his wife, who eventually had to be admitted to an asylum at Musselburgh. He gave up his professorship in 1797, when crippling rheumatism prevented him from working. After a series of strokes that began in 1799, James Beattie died on August 18, 1803.
Beattie is best known for his early volume of poetry, Original Poems and Translations, published in 1760, and his better-known, long Spenserian poem, The Minstrel, published in 1771 and expanded in 1774. In 1765 Beattie saw his long poem The Judgment of Paris published, but it was not well received. His reputation as a poet rests largely on The Minstrel, which became a best seller that won the praise of Samuel Johnson and helped inspire later authors of the Romantic movement in England.
Although no longer widely read, Beattie’s philosophical works were notable in their time. His Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, published in 1770, sought to defend the Christian faith against the skepticism of David Hume. In 1783 Beattie published Dissertations, Moral and Critical, and in 1786 he published The Evidence of the Christian Religion Briefly and Plainly Stated in two volumes. Beattie’s Elements of Moral Science also appeared in two volumes, the first in 1790 and the second in 1793. Among the most intriguing of these early works was a series of essays entitled Essays on Poetry and Music, which was published in 1778. This work treats aesthetics, including humor and the musical arts.