FALCONER, WILLIAm, an ingenious poet, of ob scure parentage, of whom little more is known than his genius and his misfortunes. He was a native of Scot land, and is supposed to have been born in one of the vil lages on the coast of Fife; but his parents, in conse quence of some domestic misfortunes, removed to a sea port town in England, where they both died of an epi demical disorder, leaving their son, an orphan, in desti tute circumstances. Having been bred to the sea, he spent the greatest part of his life upon that element, in very subordinate stations. In such unfavourable cir cumstances, it is difficult to conceive how he could have found leisure, means, or opportunity, for acquiring that knowledge and taste, and for cultivating those poetical talents, which he afterwards so conspicuously displayed. On this subject, the scanty memoirs of his busy and ob scure life, afford us little or no information ; and we are left to conclude, that Falconer possessed one of those ardent and vigorous minds which seem destined to sur mount every obstacle opposed by adversity, and to rise into eminence by their own natural elasticity. The late ingenious editor of the works of Burns, however, in forms us, that Falconer, while serving on board a man of war, attracted the notice of Campbell, the author of Leriphanes, who engaged him as his servant, and hav ing discovered his talents, took pleasure in promoting his instruction.
In the year 1751, he published, at Edinburg, A Poem. Sacred to the Memory of Frederick Prince of 'Vales, which displayed considerable powers of versification, but attracted little notice. In 1762, appeared The Shipwreck, a Poem, in three Cantos, by a Sailor; a production which has insured to Falconer an eminent rank among the British poets. This poem, which is founded on real in cidents, commemorates the principal occurrences during a voyage from Alexandria to Venice, in which, having suffered shipwreck, the author escaped with only two others of the crew. It was inscribed to Edward Duke
of York, brother to his present Majesty, and was very favourably received by the public.
Through the influence of his royal patron, whom he further complimented by "An Ode on his second depar ture from England as Rear Admiral," Falconer obtained the lucrative situation of purser of the Royal George, one of the finest ships in the British navy. It was pro bably from motives of gratitude, that he was now in duced to enter the field of political controversy ; and having enlisted under the banners of the party of " King's Friends," he published a satirical piece, enti tled, " The Demagogue," in which lie inveighed against Air Pitt, (afterwards Earl of Chatham), and his adhe rents.
In 1764, he gave a second edition of the Shipwreck, with considerable additions, having extended it to the length of about one thousand lines more than the former. In 1769, he published " The Marine Dictionary," in one volume 4to; a work of considerable utility; and, about the same time, he gave a third edition of the Shipwreck, with some alterations.
Towards the close of the year 1769, he embarked, with several East India supercargoes, on board the Au rora frigate, with the view of endeavouring to improve his fortune abroad. This vessel, however, was never heard of after her departure from the Cape of Good Hope, in the month of December ; and there is no doubt that she must have foundered at sea, and gone down with all her crew.
The title of Falconer to the name of a poet, is suffi ciently established by his Shipwreck. The subject was new, and eminently capable of poetical effect ; and the poem derived additional interest from the reality of the incidents which it described. The professional know ledge and poetical powers of the author, enabled him to do ample justice to his theme; and the originality, pa thos, and melodious versification of the Shipwreck, have secured for it a place among the standard and popular productions of the British muse. (z)