John Armstrong (5) (1709–1779)

The Poetical Works of John Armstrong, M.D. collects the poetry of the titular author, who received his degree of Doctor of Physic on 4 February 1732 from the University of Edinburgh. In his life, Armstrong ran a successful medical practice, though he is now most remembered as a poet. The editor of this volume writes in two instances that Armstrong "never courted the public: he wrote chiefly for his own amusement, and because he found it an greeable[sic] and innocent way of sometimes passing an idle hour" (pg. 12). While the tone and subject matter make clear that Armstrong wrote primarily for himself, he nonetheless possessed a skill for his pastime that modern readers can appreciate. Armstrong's "Art of Preserving Health," a four-book poem, dominates this little volume, but it demonstrates the educational background and cultural touchstones of the era in which Armstrong wrote. As a primary source, this book is invaluable to those seeking to understand the literary history of England at the close of the eighteenth century.… (plus d'informations)